In November 2011, I had the chance to test drive an EV for the first time…a Nissan LEAF in downtown Honolulu. I was impressed, but not quite ready to buy.

My gateway car to EV ownership was the 2013 Chevy Volt…a remarkable car for its time. Bob Lutz got it right with this one. I owned it until 2020 and drove over 60k problem-free miles using less than 123 gallons of gas. The Volt taught me about charging and demonstrated how most of my city trips were less than its 40-mile battery range. If only the dealerships understood what they were selling at the time…they delivered the car to me without a charge and I had to use gas on the way home. I discovered its one true fault when we moved back to the East Coast…battery cars usually don’t warm as quickly as gas cars. I discovered the value of heated seats and a heated steering wheel (which the Volt lacked).

My first full EV was a 2014 BMW i3 that I bought in January 2018 when it was cold in Northern Virginia and EV interest was relatively low. The MSRP on the i3 was around $45k…and I bought it as a certified pre-owned BMW for $18k. It had a carbon fiber frame, a roomy and remarkable interior ever (with real wood), suicide doors and fast-warming seat heaters. And the tightest turning radius ever! No need for three-point turns!

The only real drawback of the i3 was its limited range…it was a true city car with 80 miles of range (or 60 when it was really cold). L3 (DC fast charging) capability partially compensated for its low range…I could drive to Annapolis or Baltimore and have a beverage while I charged up for the drive home.

I kept the BMW i3 until 2021 when the used car market went crazy…and then sold it for 75% of what I paid for it.

I bought my second full EV in January 2020 to replace the Volt…a 2020 Chevy Bolt Premier, Chevy’s first full EV since the EV1 of the 1990s. It was and continues to be excellent, despite a still outstanding recall of its battery pack. Before the recall, it had enough range to get me to Richmond or WV and back on a single charge. The tech is excellent…Apple Car Play, backup camera, blind spot warning. The seats are heated as is the steering wheel. The Bolt is solid, but not ”sexy.” I’m still enjoying this car today for its utility but it’s my wife’s primary driver.

We’ve road-tripped in the Bolt— see a previous post on that. It’s only real drawback is its relative slow L3 charging…~50kw/hr.

But now we’ve have the best…the Kia EV6.