Me and My Chevy Volt

Last week, GM Northeast dropped a Chevy Volt off at my home. I had a week where I could pretend to be as cool as my neighbor and plug my car in each night. It was fantastic. I was hoping to impress my friends by driving it to a black tie wedding, but it was pouring the night of the wedding, so there was no car gawking taking place. I did, however, learn that I could make a U-turn in Georgetown to get the car to the correct side of the road for the valet. Good times. Good times.

My time with the Chevy Volt might also be titled "Why Elaine Cannot Have Nice Things". Below is how the week went.

Day 1. Drive to pick Helen up at school. Ooh...look, free bottled water in the car. Suddenly, I am overcome with thirst. I can think of nothing except drinking water. I will break my vow to not drink bottled water. I reach for the bottle. The cap is so tight. I wedge the bottle between my legs. Suddenly, the cap is loose. I have spilled water all over me. This is not good.

Luckily, the Volt has seat warmers. I turn the AC on full blast along with the seat warmers. It mostly works. By the time I exit the car, my pants are mostly dry. Phew.

Helen and her friends check out the car. Sadly, I only brought one car seat so the others must abandon ship before we start driving. See the little innocent one though? Before getting out of the car, he opened my half-full bottle of water and left it sitting on my armrest. As soon as I got moving, I got doused with water for the second time. 

We headed to the park and then back home. Because the car had been driven to my home earlier that day, it was time to charge it up. Plus, who could resist?

Only one problem. In order to reach the lamp in front of my home, where the nearest electricity is, I must park the car backwards on the street. I decide it is OK to break the law because I am saving the environment by doing so. Two friends in the neighborhood tell me they've gotten tickets for parking backwards. I tell them I will protest any tickets I get because I am saving the environment! Luckily, I do not have to test this strategy.

Day 2. We have theater, baseball, and soccer on tap.

No problem! We even test out the Onstar system, which provides a lot of amusement for Helen and me.

Day 3 was back to soccer.

Day 4 was a day of rest.

Day 5 I discover the "energy info" screen. It is me against the Volt from here on out. Do you see what it said about my driving?!? It thinks I am only 83 percent efficient.

I do not accept this rating of 83 percent. I decide I must conquer the car. The car tries to destroy me first by giving me warnings about impending forward collisions and beeping because we are too close to poles in the parking lot. I decide a car must be tougher to be owned by me.

Day 6. I win. I drive to Sprinkles to get Connor a free cupcake for getting an A on a test (a September offer they were running). Connor looks up on that drive and commends my perfect score.

I considered asking the woman at Sprinkles if I could get a free cupcake for my outstanding driving, but decided not to push it. Connor and I settled for a high five instead.

During the whole week, I charged the car twice. I ran out of battery one time - and that was the day we went to the wedding and I didn't want to charge the car in the rain.

I could definitely make this car work.

Please note, Christmas is coming up!

Elaine

I drove a Volt, compliments of GM Northeast for a week. I wasn't required to write about the car.