A couple weeks ago I got the chance to drive an electric vehicle for the first time. I’ve driven hybrids many times before, but this is the first time that I’ve done a plug-in vehicle. It was definitely a different experience than driving a standard car (or even a hybrid).

Even though I don’t have a charger installed at my house, I was able to plug in with a standard 110V outlet. A full charge took roughly 18 hours using this method (when I plugged into a blink station the full charge was going to take about 5 hours).

The center console featured lots of information, from being the command center for music and navigation, it also gave information about the car such as the energy summary of the car. I definitely enjoyed the satellite radio and scrolled through the stations during my commute.

The dashboard itself also provided lots of information. It showed the range of both the battery and gas tank, energy information and this is the first time that I’ve ever seen buckle information for back seat riders. Scrolling through the different screens would show different car information and system settings.

This car would be great for somebody who had a short commute and could charge at work. The volt can go about 35 miles on a full charge and then would switch over to the gas engine for extending the range. I was able to get about 300 miles on the gas tank. Charging while at work provides lots of hours to fill up those batteries for the drive home.

The trunk provided plenty of space for my shopping excursions. I forgot to take a photo when I had it full of 75 – 8×10 frames!

I also tried out the built in wi-fi that the Chevrolet Volt offers. Brad and I had a couple hour drive one evening and it was nice to not need to use my data while I browsed Facebook and Pinterest. I didn’t try out all of the on-star features, but you can actually use it to download directions directly to the navigation system!

Have you tried a plug-in vehicle? What did you think?