RideLust

The SPX 240V charging station for the Chevy Volt. Photo: © GM Corp.

Were you late in getting your order placed for a Chevy Volt? Did you not qualify for a free charging station, which was offered to the first 4,400 buyers? Is eight hours on 110v power too long to wait for your driving habits? If you answered yes to all of these questions, I’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news? The 240v charging station, which will replenish your Volt’s batteries in about four hours, will cost just $490. “Why that’s less than an iPad!”, you exclaim happily, and that brings me to the bad news: installation of the Volt charging station will set you back $1,475, and there is no option to do-it-yourself. In fact, there’s only one company, SPX Service Solutions, authorized to install the Volt’s charging station, and they’ve set a standardized, nationwide price to do so. I assume the installation fee also covers the expenses associated with getting an SPX electrician to your home. At least I hope it does.

I want to embrace serial hybrids as a viable transportation option, since I think they’re the most promising of the battery-powered choices available. Still, I can can’t help but compare the costs associated with an EV against those of other fuel efficient choices, like clean diesel. The cost of the charging station installed ($1,965) would buy roughly 655 gallons of diesel fuel at $3.00 per gallon. If you’d bought a VW Jetta TDI Wagon, that’s enough fuel to get you some 27,510 miles on the highway, or 19,650 miles around town. If I were in the market for an eco-friendly commuter car, I know which path I’d choose.

Source: Autoevolution