A couple Ideal Group employees drove the Volt yesterday, here’s what they had to say.

Chris

Yesterday we had a meeting with a potential customer to discuss how we can create, or adapt our product to work with their products.  The company is the leader in EV charging stations.  Since the company is actively involved in the electric vehicle industry it made sense for us to take the Volt, and I got to drive.  Driving the Volt is kind of like being in a video game.  The challenge is to keep the spinning green leaf ball in the center of the gauge; if you speed up or slow down too fast it will move out of the center and turn yellow.  Keeping the ball centered meant that I couldn’t gun it out of the parking lot, or stop short, but it was worth it since the energy efficiently was way up at the end of the trip – so basically I won the “Volt Efficiency Game.”  Now if I can just figure out how to enter my initials for my high score…what is your top efficiency score when driving your Volt?

Amanda

When I saw the Volt at the Auto Show I just looked at it from afar because the crowd around it was so large and I knew Frank was getting a Volt and I eventually I’d get a chance to get inside it without having to wait in line. I was really excited to drive it but nervous because Frank was in the car with me! No pressure, right?

I drive a 2009 Pontiac G6 with a 4 cylinder engine, it has enough pick up in it to keep me from getting hit merging on to I-75 but not too much that I end up with speeding tickets. I was amazed at the get up and go of the Volt. Way better than my G6, we merged on the freeway and I didn’t even have to worry about the semi trucks it the first lane, I was far ahead of them. Frank was right when he told me to drive it like a regular car.  I also got to experience the Volt battery running out of charge and it switching over to the gas motor. Seamless, other than a little bit of a hum and vibration when it kicked in, you never would have known the difference. I will say my driving habits changed a little as he explained that if I coasted up to a stoplight rather than slamming on the brakes as I got close I could recharge the battery. Probably wouldn’t hurt if I tried this trick in my car to save the brakes a bit.  I bet my G6 will thank me. I think I have a new car to keep on my list of options when it comes time to buy a new car!