Dan Vaden Chevrolet Cadillac

(Savannah, GA) Gas prices have dropped up to 30 cents in recent weeks, making alternative fuels look somewhat less attractive to the driving public. Still, the new electric cars are getting plenty of test drives. "We have about seven to ten people a week driving a Volt, says Sean McCray from Dan Vaden Chevrolet. "When people thought gas was going to six dollars, we had a few more than that."The Volt is one of the hottest new electric cars. Unlike some hybrids that have a battery that recharges itself through the driving process, the Volt has an electric battery that gets 44 miles and then needs to be recharged. After the 44 miles is up, the gas engine kicks in. He says the car gets about 37 miles per gallon on the gas engine. "This is your electric engine," McCray says as he opens up the hood and points to a box on the right side.He says it can take four to eight hours to recharge the battery once its drained. (Eight hours on a 120 volt charging station which is the kind of electrical system many households have and four hours on a 240 volt charging station.)McCray says replenishing the battery seems to be some kind of issue for many who check out the Volt, which is why he says most like the fact that it runs on gas after the electric charge runs out. "Because a lot of people are still kind of concerned about the concept of a totally electric car. They don't want to get somewhere and say, where am I going to plug the car in?" Electric docking stations are still a new idea. The City of Savannah has one in a parking garage. And now the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport has added several parking spots designed specifically for electric cars. "We had a perfect spot and are ready for the future," says Lori Lynah from the airport.She doe say so far, no one has actually used the electric charging stations. McCray thinks the fact that places like the airport actually have charging stations now is a sign that electric cars, in some form, are here to stay, even with gas prices declining. He says since the Volt came out about nine months ago, that about 20 have been sold in the Savannah and Hilton Head areas. He says currently, they have an order for seven cars from a company that wants to save on fuel costs. The 120 volt charging station is standard with the car. You have to pay for an upgrade to a 240 volt. McCray says most who have purchased a Volt have a garage when they can plug the car in. Although he says some developers may be putting outdoor plugs in at apartment and condiminum complexes.He takes us for a ride and he says the cars run so quietly that "a lot of people don't even know they're on."Now the real point, the price tag. Over $40,000, pretty steep for the pocketbooks of many. McCray does say that in the future new designs should include a battery that can run even longer which may make the gas savings even more attractive. "Everyone's looking for alternative energy, especially with their cars," he says. "But this will be the wave of the future, especially when you get the increased charge on there."

By: JoAnn Merrigan | WSAV News 3
Published: May 14, 2012 Updated: May 14, 2012 - 6:21 PM