After much internal debate with my CFO (wife), I decided to jump to a Feb6 build, Mar1 delivery Volt and cancel my PiP order. With a 51 mile (each way) commute, expedient access to the HOV lane here in california was an extremely enticing factor (2+ months delta between the volt and PiP). I've really enjoyed all of the information here and if you guys want a real-world review of the Volt, I'd be happy to come back and share. Anyone want a Mar/Apr build slot for a Blizzard Pearl Advanced before I call the dealership and ask for my deposit back?
51 miles each way would mean well over double the annual driving distance Volt was targeted for. You'll spend a very large chunk of miles in depleted operation, something PHV delivers higher MPG in. What are your expectations for efficiency? .
I think i'm the anthesis of everyone else on this forum. For me the HOV lane access is the single most important thing. My 51 mile commute takes 45 mins with no traffic, with traffic, it can take 1:30-1:45 (each way). Saving myself ~2 hours per day is worth almost any price... to be honest, i don't care if I get 15 MPG combined as long as I get to be in the HOV lane.
I think i'm the anthesis of everyone else on this forum. For me the HOV lane access is the single most important thing. My 51 mile commute takes 45 mins with no traffic, with traffic, it can take 1:30-1:45 (each way). Saving myself ~2 hours per day is worth almost any price... To be perfectly honest, I don't care if I get 15 MPG combined as long as I get to be in the HOV lane.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that you have no control over who gets the car you ordered once you cancel. And the only person who can take delivery under the terms of the original order is the person named at the time of ordering. Good luck with your Volt.
Will you be able to charge during the day? If so, you could make most of each leg on EV. You're not the first person I've read on this forum to say they are buying purely for HOV access. One said he may not even charge his PIP at all.
LOL! Maybe they should call it the OPL..or "One Percenter Lane." I caught a squib on LOE (Living On Earth) where the interviewer was shocked to discover that the government was contemplating letting private entities build toll lanes on government ROWs (which I think is a helluva good idea btw...) he essentially lamented that this would create a "2 class system" on the roads.....kinda like what we have now! Me? I think that if Caly wanted to retire its debt in about 10 years, it would be all over this idea like a bum on a bologna sandwich!!! It's perfect!! Hey. It's cool as far as I'm concerned. I think that Caly is getting what it deserves. My daily commute is 9 miles, and on a really bad day when I get stuck behind a school bus it can take 20 minutes! One bit of good news for you would-be Voltaics. IIRC they're tinkering with a $10K tax credit for the Volt, which would be really cool, since the government is a part owner and all.
I'll try and charge mine when I can. I plan to but I ain't promising I will all the time. I'm spending all this $ to get the green sticker! Serious! No more traffic for me!!!
I'm one of those that is buying the PiP and won't be likely plugging it in at first. I live in an apartment so at home i likely won't plug it in, but my work is eventually installing chargers later this year so that will be nice. I'm not even buying for HOV access. I'm buying because this will be my first new car ever, and in addition to being a technology nerd, i recognize that in a year or 2 charge spots will be a lot more prevalent across the country, and even in apartment complexes, so when my lease is up i can shop for a new apartment that offers this as a perk.
Enjoy your Volt and do come back and report back how you are doing with it. Couldn't wait 2 months so you'll have the Volt years. Hope you made the right decision. Did you buy or lease it?
I think most of you who buy a car for a silly HOV sticker are hypocrites. You should be buying this car for what it can do with the environment, the fuel savings and the technology behind it. and simply because its the way to encourage more development into vehicles that can reduce our need for oil, foreign or otherwise. What if there were no incentives to buy a hybrid other than what the car itself offers? Would you still buy it? Most people sadly, would not.
Why does an HOV sticker make them a hypocrite. These people are being honest, not pretending do be driven by something else. You have your motives, they have theirs. You should celebrate their choice, even if you don't agree with their motives. Luckily the incentives do get people do the right thing, often for a non-direct reason. Maybe after they get it they'll realize how great it is and become more green oriented. At gm-volt.com there are multiple stories of people who bought the Volt for the "tech" not because it was green, but then got into the greening and went back and improved the efficiency of their house (moving away from inefficient lighting, reducing passive loads, etc), actually saving enough to cover their charging. I bought mine to reduce gas usage (charge via wind power), for the tech and for the value. We have no HOV lanes near here but can understand those who make that choice.