Today is Blog Action Day and all bloggers on the blogsphere are being asked to write about the things bloggers can do to help the environment.
I thought about the things I could do as a blog owner and came up with a stuff like not leaving the computers on 24/7 (which I do) and getting one of those green LCDs.
However, I’ve decided the best way to help the Earth stay green is to place an order for this:
The Chevy Volt is GM’s charge into the electric car field. It’s the son (or grandson) or the failed EV1. If you were around during the time of the EV1, you’ll understand why Chevy is not calling the Volt the EV2.
Never Use a Drop of Gas
The Volt is based on the concept that 78% of commuters drive less than 40 miles to and from their destination. The Volt uses an E-Flex Propulsion System to run gasoline-free. You charge it up at home with a house socket, drive to work/game/play, drive home and plug it back in to charge again. As long as your trips doesn’t consume more than 40 miles, you will never use a drop of gasoline! How’s that for being green? 
150 Miles Per Gallon
Say you don’t have a short drive to work. Or maybe you need to run a few extra errands some days, pushing you to around 60-miles per day. The Chevy Volt can still work for you. You can use electric power exclusively for up to 40 miles of your trip. Then the range-extending power source - which creates electricity from gasoline, E85 or biodiesel fuels - seamlessly kicks in to recharge the lithium ion battery pack as required.
Expect an estimated 150 equivalent miles per gallon when you use this electric battery and gasoline-combination to drive approximately 60 miles per day. Estimated annual gasoline savings: 570 gallons. Estimated cost savings: $1368 after using electricity to recharge. If you keep driving the Volt and rely on the gas engine to keep the battery charged up, it will go 650 miles before the 12 gallon gas tank is emptied.
Go Green or Go Home
The problem I have had with electric cars in the past was they’re slow and ugly. While I wouldn’t class the Volt’s styling as beautiful, I wouldn’t class it as ugly. As for slow, the Volt can hit 0-60 in 8.5 seconds, which is pretty damn fast for an electric car.
The Chevy Volt is expected to go on sale in late 2008/early 2009 as a 2010 model. No doubt about it, this will go great parked next to the Hummer. 
Find out what I am doing right now by following me on Twitter! If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.
(7 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
Loading ...
Here's A Few More Related Posts
You’re late! We already made the world a better place with our last post
But which one is better?
Wow, 150MPG!! I’ll take one
Seriously! That’s what lept out at me.
I wonder how long those li-ion battery packs will last and how expensive it will be to replace them
GM says 10 years. However, I’ll feel a lot more confident if they warrant it for 10 years.
You said place an order, are you able to place an order now to be on some waiting list?
I’m still waiting for Tesla’s to come out in mass production
Nice, an electric car which isnt ugly.
I think I could save a lot of moolah with that car!
Blog Action Day: The Environment
On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talk…
Nice car, you might not use a lot of gas, but replacing that battery has gotta real expensive.
Click
for Nick - Get a Free Sample Condom
Sweet car, no question about it. But how much of that 150MPG is marketing or just prototype-wishful thinking?
Glad to see you weighed on Blog Action Day. Here’s my contribution:
The Obnoxious Guide to Environmentally-Safe Job Hunting
GM has been producing some nice vehicles lately. When I was in Barcelona I kept drooling over the Opels only to return to the US to find that Saturn had adopted some of their styling…nicely done. Then the Sky (another Opel design) and Solstice, and now this?!? GM may not be hitting homeruns, but at least their pulling in base hits…and this is from a Ford guy.
John, did you pre-order this? If so, what’s the price tag run?
It looks like a Dodge Magnum.
That’s what I was thinking.
It will be a LONG LONG time till electric vehicles out number gasoline. Oil companies have something to do with it else we would have them driving around more often.
I remember the interview of a guy who converted his gasoline engine into a hydrogen engine. He just filled it up with water. Big car companies are always looking at ways of bringing out Hybrids (like the Synergy Engine) etc or other ways. But the Oil Companies have their hand in their pockets. *shrug*
And yes the Honda Insight isnt a true Hybrid its an electric-assist
But I’m all of a car not using gas! I remember that 6-wheel electric car that was like the worlds fastest street-legal car. Ok I’ll stop now, Im not making sense to myself now….
A car is useless for me, I have a bicycle and it’s ok, everything is near my home and I don’t go anywhere else. I save the planet everyday already!
Ok, you just go on saving the planet. I just bought me a V6 diesel
I’m guilty of leaving my PC on 24/7… it’s because I’m constantly downloading/seeding torrents. I’ll have to cut back though. Besides, it’s hard on the computer itself.
I think you’ll use more energy by unplugging a car than a PC! Remember, electric cars still impact the environment because it takes fossil fuels to burn to make that electricity. As well, there’s some pretty wicked corrosive material to store if everyone went electric.
Good point and I think one that isn’t considered often. I’ve been thinking about purchasing a hybrid for a while now but never gave a thought to the environmental damage caused by the battery disposal or really to the fossil fuels that will be burned to generate the power from the power company.
I like the idea someone posted earlier about the hydrogen vehicle - sounds interesting.
Carmen
The volt coming out all depends on the battery coming out. They’re still waiting on a lithium-ion battery pack safe enough to put in it. They will probably guarantee it (once it’s here) for 8 or 10 years just like they do in the hybrids that are out today.
Either that or they have contemplated ‘leasing’ the battery to cut down on costs. Buyers will consider it because they don’t have to worry about replacing the battery (if something does go wrong) and GM loves it because they start getting paid every month for the life of the car.
thats a tough looking electric car. my bog action day consists of not having the computer on all day and not blogging about blog action day, instead i am going to comment on peopels posts about blog action day.
Slow and ugly, Have you seen the tesla roadster? That thing is sweet.
Never even knew about Blog Action Day …. where`s it been promoted previous to today? … guess it must be a U.S initiative.
nah. I believe the reason is not enough people have been informed.
I see this Blog Action Day everywhere now. No one stops to question whether or not raising awareness is a good thing.
Mainly people are interested in the fuzzy feeling they get and not the actual results or potential unintended consequences.
[...] John Chow [...]
[...] never got the memo, but I guess other people did. Such as John Chow, John Cow, SEOmoz, and the guy with the asain chicks. So I guess that means I have to write [...]
Ya times are changing for the best really fast.
Definitely would look nice next to the hummer!
Hmm, not as nice as a Tesla (0-60 in less than 4 secs? Now, that’s acceleration
), but still nice enough for me.
[...] JohnChow.com: Blog Action Day - Being Environmentally Responsible [...]
Great to know that you support Blog Action day as well.
Wow! A lot of response to blog action day!
I’ve always wondered what the cost difference would be when using gasoline vs. electricity. I know electricity prices can get pretty high per month in the summer and winter months here, and wonder how much an electric car would add per month to someone’s electricity bill.
I don’t see a price anywhere. What body parts do I have to sell to buy such a car ?
reading this post makes me wonder.. What car are you driving john?
The Chevy Volt looks freakin’ sick!
Cost of electricity right now may be attractive but, it is a matter of time before it starts rapidly moving north. Yes, for local commuting this can be an answer. For the long runs, other fuels will have to be the answer.
[...] postów na jeden temat: environment. W akcji uczestniczyły m.in. blogi Googla, Problogger, JohnChow, czy ZenHabits - jeden z pomysłodawców całej imprezy i inne większe i mniejsze blogi, więc [...]
[...] Chow talks about the Car that can save the environment. Looks like a pretty cool car [...]
we should all take care about your mother earth. to save some gas driving your cars seems a good start to me. lets all save some gas and the world would be a better place.
hi,
nice blog and nice car, I would like to have it for a few hours, if not for a long time
Yes John, my car would go nice beside your hummer…Which is also in my driveway
[...] There were many interesting posts and ideas, one that I particularly liked was from my friend John Chow (GM, who built a very credible electric car the EV-1, which they essentially killed with [...]
Not my cup of tea. Didnt like that as much as my Honda Accord. Sleek maybe but I am not into electrical cars just as yet.