Grin You say it in fun but there is a large proportion of our society that would honestly think something like that. When I tell people I farm for a living it is either a discussion killer or they keep looking to see where my mule is tied up at. One of my all time favorite discussions was with a woman who marketed my wifes artwork in Manhattan. I met her at the door and she begun to speak real slow with me hoping I was able to comprehend the english language. I do believe she was surprised that I had all my teeth and was not wearing overalls... I have to go now the "hawgs need a slopin"....
Well, ah oops :shock: http://www.dailytech.com/Chevrolet+Volt+Flunks+Two+Out+of+Three+Crash+Tests+Triggers+Formal+Investigation/article23374.htm
This is about the Volt but is not related to the fire problem. My neighbor told me about a friend who bought a Volt. He gets excellent gas-only mileage, but a single battery charge gets only 35 miles. The kicker is that his electric bill increased dramatically due to the charging. The guy told my neighbor that he regrets the purchase.
:idea: When my Chevy truck burned up three weeks ago, I went out and bought a hybrid. It's a Ford Escape 5-passenger SUV. It's rated 36 mpg on the highway and 31 mpg around town. So far, it's averaging about 30 mpg overall. I never have to plug it in. The big battery recharges itself with the 4-cylinder engine and every time I apply the brakes, the energy from the braking is returned to the big battery. So far, so good. This thing has a lot more power than my old truck and I'm saving more than $200 per month on my gasoline credit card. I'll let you guys know if there are any problems. The computer runs this 4-door SUV: all I do is steer.
JO'Co I'm glad you shared your experience with your new hybrid. When my wife and I finally do purchase a new vehicle it will be a hybrid and I am listening to those who have already made the move. I had to laugh the other day when consumer reports released their experience with the Nissan leaf that is supposed to get a 100 miles per charge. They said yes it will get 100 miles per charge if all 100 miles are downhill :shock: , its more like 62 miles to be accurate. This would get me to the local walmarts and back but leave me walking the last two miles...
LOL. Ralph, based on the story my neighbor told (posted above), the increase in your electric bill may possibly more than offset the savings in gas for those short trips.
Ralph, I would be inclined to avoid buying an electric car since anything 1st generation new technology usually has significant flaws. Both the Volt and Leaf are very limited in their range. I would pas on an electric untill they improve upon battery technology. Given the small amount of driving that your wife does, it probably would be more cost effective to go with a small, gas powered car. My wife bought a Civic Hybrid several years ago and the mileage differential between the gas powered Civic and the Hybrid was only 10 mpg. Since that time, Honda recalled its hybrid for a software adjustment to the battery and the end result is that it lobotomized the battery. It no longer has the pep it once had and the mpg is worse than it was when we originally bought it. If you go the hybrid route, the Prius would be a better bet since its battery actually powers the car at slow speeds while other hybrids only assist operationally. Toyota, what I have read, seems to have the best hybrids on the market. I like Kes' deisel recomendation. At the time we bought, VW was still waiting for EPA approval for the Jetta.
8) The official car of the Obama Administration... NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors will buy Chevrolet Volts back from any owner who is afraid the electric cars will catch fire, the company’s CEO said Thursday. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, CEO Dan Akerson insisted that the cars are safe, but said the company will purchase the Volts because it wants to keep customers happy. Three fires have broken out in Volts after side-impact crash tests done by the federal government. Akerson said that if necessary, GM will recall the more than 6,000 Volts now on the road in the U.S. and repair them once the company and federal safety regulators figure out what caused the fires. “If we find that is the solution, we will retrofit every one of them,” Akerson said. “We’ll make it right.”
Well being the example of patience we purchased a new car tonight... 8) Me trying to make up for my "rural lifestyle" was pushing for a barely used BMW or Lexus with a few thousand miles on it but my bride held true to purchasing a Nissan Altima sedan with every bell and whistle available. It also helped that outside of Ford, Chevy, Toyota and Nissan the nearest dealership other than mentioned is 90 miles away.... What we did get is 2013 Nissan Altima sedan, 27 city & 38 hwy with a 4 banger at 182 HP. Since she drives about 25 miles per month (She rides with me, almost all the time) the smaller HP will work for her "lack of driving mileage" and non-caring sense of what is actually moving her from point to point. What I liked is the Tech package of a 7" GPS, Bose 9 speaker stereo, push button start, Lane departure warning, blind spot warning, Nav traffic push button voice recognition, leather seats, heated seats, heated steering wheel, external ground lighting etc.... So much for getting a hybrid as discussed, I just could not make it work for me compared to what was being sold in non hybrid cars. And we just live too far away from the world to make electric cars work since I cannot afford a Tesla at this point and time and probably never will... I'm glad this is done, damn it took too long, now I can buy the "Jeep Toy" I have been wanting for years. Well once my college attending son graduates and gets off my insurance so the extra vehicle doesn't jack up my rates... I guess I will keep driving the Toyota Tacoma the company provides for me, they pay for the gas and insurance...I just hope he graduates on time the Jeep Rubicons are looking nice.... :wink: