Leno still on his original tank of gas.

As one commenter said if Leno is doing that kind of driving he would do well to drive a Leaf.

 

He should burn off that stale gas shouldn't he?

 

The car burns the gas automatically for you if the average age of gasoline in the tank is >1 year.. So if he has put any gasoline in it at all then that bumps back the average date. The fuel tank on the Volt is also pressurized, and they do not recommend adding anything like Stabil to the fuel. The chapter in the owners manuals about it is pretty thorough. It also explains that this is the reason it takes Premium fuel, and not a lower grade. I am not sure what the Octane rating has to do with the logevity of fuel, but I will just go with that they know more on the subject than I do.

The car also runs maintenance mode every 6 weeks if you do not engage CS (gas burning) mode at all for a minimum of 10 minutes time. So every 6 weeks at least he IS burning some gas. If he passes the point where his gas tank average is >1 year then the car will burn the tank off for him. There was a little brochure thing on the turn signal stalk with all the "need to knows," and that was one of the things in back of booklet. Granted it would make me mad to have the car do that, but that is why I keep no more than 4 gallons in the tank at any given time, so that way I always will need to put in a gallon or 2 more after the maintenance mode sessions.

 

Based on my test drives of a Leaf and a Volt, I'm really surprised Leno has made the Volt, rather than the Leaf, his daily car. I'd be even more surprised he doesn't make a Tesla his daily car, but maybe he's too big to get in and out of it easily.

 

Personal preference I guess. My wife and I both found the Volt more comfortable than the Leaf. Both far more comfy than the Roadster or Prius (in different ways of course)

 

He might already have a Lotus.
Plus, Leno always gave me the impression of being a GM guy.

 

I think Leno just likes American cars in general. Granted if I were in his shoes I would have bought a Tesla hands down. It would have been no thought process, or discussion about it.

People are lucky to have even sit in/driven the Roadster. I've never seen one in person. Hoping at some point in my future that changes. I've only seen maybe 1 or 2 Lotus Elise modelsdriving around Jacksonville from time to time since the import place up the road from us specialized in selling them.

 

I think Toyota should have a Plug In Hybrid Compact. Can you imagine the mileage you could get with that??? I haven’t seen their new 2012 Prius Compact, but I know it will have amazing mpg. If they marry that to a Plug In Version, sign me up. We would still keep our Prius V Wagon for big hauling, but drive the Prius Compact Plug In for most of our daily commutes. That would be one cool car that would take care of most of our commuting here in Los Angeles.

I also think Toyota needs to make a one Ton Compact Pickup Hybrid. Business owners are looking for fuel efficient haulers. Just take a Prius V and take it to West Coast Customs??? LoL... Currently, no one makes a fuel efficient business truck or Van... If they had one that would get 30 mpg or better, that would have a winner for business users.

 

Guess Jay did not mind giving up the California $5000 incentive/credit for the Leaf.

In any case, its nice that Jay is doing his part to fight smog in LA.

 

Actually I think he's a Ford guy. I read a story about his early years in, I think "Readers Digest". His first job was at a Ford dealer and his first car's were all Ford's I believe. It was actually a neat story to read. Now that i think about it maybe it was "Popular Mechanics" since he writes a column for them.

 

The Roadster is definitely not a winner in the comfortable seat division. Just to list a few cars I have driven, in order of most comfortable to least comfortable: Leaf, Prius, Volt, Tesla Roadster, Zap Xebra. With the caveat that the Xebra was easier to get in and out of.

SUCH a far cry from a Tesla. There's a guy who builds a mesh top for the Lotus Elise, and it fits the Tesla, so I spoke with him. The Tesla blows the Lotus away. (And I did buy the top. I like it for sunny summer days.)

I guess if he prefers American cars that explains his preference for the Volt. Nothing's really "American" anymore, though. Everything is global.

 

Anyone with over 200 cars isn't doing the planet any favors.

And I suspect he would do better with his Corbin Sparrow.

 

I believe a Corbin Sparrow, if he has not upgraded the battery pack, has a freeway range of about 20 miles. If Leno's commute is 35 miles, the Sparrow might not do it for him.

I know of a guy who has converted his Sparrow to lithium, and he gets considerably more range. But I doubt there are many such conversions. I only heard of a very few Xebras converted to lithium during the time I was actively following the Xebra list.

 

One person owning 200 cars means 199 are sitting, not polluting most days. Then many likely aren't new buys.

 

And owning 200 cars, and choosing to drive the Volt is a statement to many mere mortals, and so in a way he is doing the planet some serious favors. He could be driving gas gushers like many people with lots and lots of money. Could be he greener, maybe, but for someone with his wealth/status he is making a strong statement.

 

All those cars and he actually, honestly put 11,000 on a Volt? I find that so hard to believe. I wonder if he lends it to people.

 

You can hear him talk about it at

 

Leno's Volt: I, too, find it difficult to believe that he himself has put 11,000 miles on the car. And yes, sounds like a Leaf might have been the better choice. It, too, would have gone 11,000 miles, and no gasoline would have been added.

Tesla Roadster: It might accelerate faster than the ICE Lotus, but the Lotus isn't carrying around hundreds and hundreds of pounds worth of battery, and handles better.