How I Went From a Diesel Loving Enthusiast to a Plug-in Convert

The Chevy Volt was the car that completely changed my views on electric cars and turned me from "Never a plug" to “I ain't buying it without a plug” – How did I end up in a Volt with a “no plug” attitude? What changed my mind?" Well, this is that story...

I consider myself (and this is a recent realization) as an “Economical Environmentalist”, in that I’m looking for ideas and actions that I can implement in my own life and community that have a positive benefit to the environment and that overall don’t cost any more or save money. Everything from installing LED lights to replacing my water heater with a more efficient model. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the Chevy Volt was the car that started this…

It was fall 2012. I was driving a 10-year-old Mercedes C230 hatchback that was, how do I say this nicely? Quirky! The designers only allowed for 1 cup holder, clearly a missed requirement for the American market! The truly over-engineered solution was a transformer esque insert in the one built-in cupholder, that at the press of a button would slowly lift and unfold to reveal a 2nd cupholder right next to the passenger’s leg.

As well as Quirky designs it also had issues. It had a dash display that would fade from the bottom when the weather was hot. It had a parking brake that would slip off the self balancing arm and need regular adjustment. This car had constant front suspension clunks and rattles (ever after replacing the struts and lower wishbones) and the car developed automotive melanoma (aka rust) on the front fenders, which I didn’t see when I 1st brought it but I failed to miss each walked up to it afterwards.

Towards the end, it had a partly failed thermostat that caused a check engine light during cold weather and one time a misfire that was solved with a can of WD40 and never returned! At that time, I worked 20 miles from home and got at best 25mpg. I was spending ~ $180/month in premium fuel, and too much on maintenance. This car had to go. But what to replace it with….

I was an avid reader of automotive media, reading various sites daily. I was never about fast cars or muscle but more practical and fun. My view was a diesel wagon (stick in brown!) was my perfect vehicle and before I moved to the states that is what I drove, a Skoda Octavia TDi (minus the brown paint). A VW Jetta wagon diesel was high on my list but the price of them seemed too high and friends who had them talked about several issues with things like the exhaust throttle failing (this is all before Dieselgate)

I thought electric cars were way too expensive and would turn to brick due to battery failures 2 months after the warranty expired. Added to this the horror stories of reduced range in winter and range anxiety and of course, the expensive charger, made them so I believed, useless to me.

Then one day I read a random comment on one of the automotive websites that effectively said, “Challenge your preconceptions” – This one comment literally changed my “world (car) views”. I started considering if a Plug-in car would work for me? I realized that a Chevy Volt, rated at 35 miles could get 40 if driven carefully in warm months and if I exceeded the electric range the engine meant I didn’t have to worry about range anxiety. It came with a level 1 charger that although slow was able to recharge my car overnight from a standard outlet in my garage. However, I was still skeptical about the reliability of the technology, so I looked at leasing rather than buying. After much searching, I was able to find a 2013 base model in Columbus OH (4 hours drive) for $189/month with a down payment that was effectively the value of my Merc. I was effectively spending the less in car payments to drive a brand-new car as I was in fuel and maintenance to drive a 10-year-old rust bucket.

Gas Anxiety

I was instantly hooked. I charged at home using the provided L1 charger at 110v, although after 6 years I did install a cheap L2 charger. I monitored my electric bill, which increased by ~$30 (later, I reduced this to <$20/ month using a time of use electric rate). I went from using ~ 8 gallons of fuel a week to filling up the Volt’s 8-gallon gas tank every month in winter and every 3 months in summer with a range between fill-ups of 1000 – 3000 miles. I went from pleasure from driving fast to a mission to maximize electric range; I didn’t have range anxiety, I had gas anxiety! I developed an irrational dislike of visiting the gas station and would go to many extremes to minimize the total amount the gas engine would run, sometimes to my wife’s shivering disbelief.

When that lease was up, I had been convinced the tech was reliable, so I brought a 2015 Volt and in 2019 I replaced my 2nd vehicle with a Pacifica Hybrid Minivan.

Unfortunately, the Volt met its demise in October 2020 with a low-speed impact that took out the charging circuit. After waiting a while and managing with one car, I found a new 2020 Bolts at a low price. Yes, the same car that has a battery recall, but that doesn’t concern me. 12 fires in over 140,000 sold or 0.0086% risk.

When I decided in 2012 to get a Volt, I justified it in pure economical terms. Overall reduction in CO2 and environmental benefits were not drivers and I downplayed their reasoning for my purchase. However, as I’ve learned more about global warming and I’ve now driven a plug-in for 9+ years I see that not only is the technology ready, but it provides a more desirable driving experience. My goal is that every (daily drive) car I buy will have a plug on it.

So that’s my story of how I went from a diesel loving European centric enthusiast to a Plug-in convert

So what about you?

If you are convinced that you need 500 miles of range before re-charging then I suggest you actually measure your daily miles for a month or so to see what you really use. Remember if you have a driveway or garage you can typically add a 240v L2 charger to leave every morning with a “full tank”.

If you “need” that 500 miles to go on vacation or visit your in-laws – how many times do you really need that much and what are the alternatives? Are there sufficient chargers on route (There’s an app for that) that you can add charge when you stop anyway and are there chargers near your destination (There’s an app for that too). Even a typical dryer outlet at your destination can be used (you may need an adaptor). Or can you take another car/rent a car for the trips?

If you decide that a full EV won’t work then consider a plugin hybrid (PHEV), that way you get the best of both worlds of local daily miles in EV mode and longer distance on gasoline. There are more and more models coming out from automotive manufacturers including Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Jeep, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, BMW, Volvo, and several more.

So, does this mean that electric cars or plug-in Hybrids would work for you? Only you can answer that question but do “Challenge your preconceptions” and maybe try a few. Who knows maybe you’ll become a Plug-in convert too?