Originally Posted By: dareo
To enjoy an EV/Volt you must:
Live in a warm, but not too hot place, that doesn't get too cold.
Drive short distances for everything
Make enough $$$ for the tax credits to be lucrative
Have a garage that you can wire up 240v charging
Have Solar panels and/or cheap electricity
Tolerate slow acceleration-unless you got tesla bucks
Be a good driver so you don't crash and burn.
Tolerate heavy compact cars-Volt is one porky tiny 4 seater.
Not be in love with manual transmissions
Tolerate having a second vehicle for when an EV's capabilities are exceeded.
Be okay with the fact that a Volt with a diesel generator would be vastly superior, yet they did not build it.
What a wildly uneducated view on EVs!!
I live in Colorado, where it goes below 0F during the winter, and hits 95F on a hot day in summer. I drive short distances, and commute from Denver to Washington DC quite regularly. I received no tax credits upon purchase, because I purchased lightly used. My garage is wired for only 110. Fueling the car costs $0.09/kWh, twice as much as my normal electrical rate because of the tiered system here in Colorado. I suffer no slow acceleration, keeping up with those around me, and many others, as long as we aren't drag racing Corvettes from the red light. I am a very good driver...score 1 for your list so far. My Fusion is certainly not a compact car. I love manual transmissions, just don't happen to own one right now. Require only 1 car to commute locally, or 1800 miles in one weekend. Who cares about a Volt, or a diesel they didn't make, we are discussing what IS, not what someone is fantasizing about.
I recommend ownership and knowledge prior to uneducated opinion and speculation grounded in ignorance.
Ford Fusion Energi, 11000 miles, sitting in the garage charging as I write this, soaking up perhaps $0.30 in electricity for its next EV foray into suburbia.
"you must"...I just love those who talk in absolutes....