I have always had a deep interest in cars and automotive technology. I like fast cars, luxurious cars, and cars with the latest technology. I am excited about several new technologies: Electric Vehicles & Magnetorheological Suspensions. And several new cars: The Chevrolet Corvette, The Chevrolet Volt, and several Cadillacs including the ELR, and ATS-V.

  I currently drive an ELR. I enjoy the fact that charging it is so very inexpensive and I rarely put gas in it. For several years I commuted to Oxnard from my home in Carpinteria in a Volt (same technology as the ELR). It is a 28 mile trip, door to door. I charged my Volt at home and at work, so that gasoline was not necessary in this use (I went as long as 5 months without using gasoline).

  Since I love to drive fast cars and cannot afford the tickets nor the risk by driving fast on the street, I now drive fast cars at the track. This is the latest video that I created from one of my driving experiences.

  This was at a track in Las Vegas. I drove the Ferarri 458 Italia, one of my favorite cars, the Lamborghini Huracan, and the Corvette Z06. After this event, the Corvette quickly became one of my favorite cars. It's not nearly as refined as the others, but at ⅓ the cost of the others, it's a real bargain. Throw in the fact that it's available with a manual transmission, and has head-up display and cooled seats, and this car becomes a clear winner for me.

  I have more videos on my youtube page.

S. Hatch, Santa Barbara

I purchased my 2013 Volt in September 2012. The dealer filled it with gas. I have never been back to a gas station since. I have driven the car on gas for a few miles, but only because I wanted to burn off two-thirds of the tank to lighten my load. Each charge normally provides me with at least 45 miles of electric driving and not just the 38 advertised. I have, on occasion, gotten this number up to 47.

My wife loves driving in the car. The front seats are very comfortable. It has lots of cargo space. I can put my bicycle in the back. It is a good, solid ride: more Cadillac than Chevrolet. It is full of gadgets: heated seats, front-end collision avoidance, inadvertent lane change warnings, rear view TV monitor with sound and visual warnings. It is full of computers and sensors that tell you exactly how much air you have in each tire, the status of your engine oil and alert you to any maintenance issues. It won’t let you start the car while you are plugged in. It alerts you if you leave your keys in the car. It won’t let you leave the car with the lights on. Onstar also keeps track of your maintenance, allows hands free calling and emergency service. I have returned to the dealer for maintenance just once in the 14 months I have had the car, and that was at the request of the dealer for a minor recall. Otherwise it has been maintenance free (other than putting air in the tires every month or so).

I like the way it drives, the power, the alerts and the solid feeling of the car. I had a Chevy in 1952. This is not your grandpa’s Chevrolet. I like the fact that unlike the Tesla, the Nissan and several other electric cars, I don’t have to worry about my range. The fact that it always runs off the electric battery is relatively unique. The gasoline engine merely functions as a generator for the battery, an arrangement that is very smart and efficient. Most days, driving from Hope Ranch to Goleta or to Montecito or to both, I have electric miles to spare. But if I exceed 45 miles, I don’t have to look for a charging station or call AAA for a tow. If I weren’t watching the gauges, I would never know I was running on gas.

All in all, I am a very happy and satisfied with my Volt. It is a good looking car, and I end up answering a lot of questions whenever I park. The most common response: “Wow! I didn’t know that.”

Ray
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