Issue link: http://pfmmag.epubxp.com/i/113376
FOCUS Chevy Volt I The Chevy Volt...And Its Role In Policing tire powertrain and drivetrain is smooth and silent. It is noise-free, vibration-free, harshness-free. Transitions between all four major electric vehicle (battery) and extended range (gasoline) modes are instantaneous and surge-free. Your only sense that anything whatsoever is going on may be in Mountain mode, and only when the battery is depleted or less than half charged, and only when you are at a stop or driving at very low speeds. Under that one situation, the Volt is working hard to catch up. Otherwise, the Volt is very quiet. Te seamless and transparent transition from battery power to all the varieties of gas-engine support is an amazing engineering accomplishment. Is There a Plug-in Around Here? Te charging screen on the instrument panel shows the time to fully charge the battery using either 120-volt household current or 240volt industrial current. However, even the 120-volt mode has two versions: 8-amp and 12-amp. On a completely depleted battery, the 120-volt, 8-amp setting has a recharge time of 16 hours. Te 120-volt, 12-amp current shortens this to about 10 hours. Face the reality that you may not be at the home base long enough to fully charge the battery with 120 volts. Tese are best case and will be longer in cooler or colder weather. You may fnd the Volt to be ���high maintenance,��� not in terms of service and repair but instead for your constant search for an electri- PREVENTS DEAD BATTERIES ���ON WHEN IGNITION TURNS OFF��� ��� Battery and Equipment Protection Device ��� Monitors Battery Voltage. Low Voltage shuts down load ��� Thousands Installed on Police Patrol, Fire/Uitiliy Vehicles with MDC/MDT, approved by states, cities, and counties ��� Automatic On/Off, 30 AMP, 12 Volt DC ��� Programmable with external DIP switch for selecting time ��� Made in USA. One year warranty. MZL-100 HEAVY DUTY 75 AMP DELAY TIMER / LOAD MANAGMENT MZL-90 90 AMP IGNITION SENSING SHUTDOWN DELAY TIMER WITH A BUILT-IN 6 FUSE OUTPUT SAVES MAINTENANCE COSTS PROTECTS ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT SHUT DOWN TIMER P.O. BOX 710548, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77271 Tel: 281-933-0909 ��� Fax: 281-933-1001 Toll Free: 800-888-0909 www.acdcind.com ��� sales@acdcind.com REDUCES VEHICLE DOWNTIME Circle Reader Service #17 or click on EInfo at www.pfmmag.com 26 Police Fleet Manager Jul-Aug 2012 Jan-Feb 2013 cal outlet. And not just a two-way, polarity-biased outlet. Oh, no. You need a genuine three-way plug. Ofcers may indeed feel like a slave to that electric cord���a modern-day ball and chain. Te novelty of driving the Volt can wear of quickly as ofcers of all rank go about their jobs. One of the ofcers who drove the Volt home ��� on day one ��� forgot to plug it in overnight. Te 240-volt, 20-amp charging time is a mere four hours. For all practical purposes, if you get a Volt, get a 240V charging station. For information on a 240V charging station, go to the ���home charging��� website. A 240 V charging station is a must-have. Heads-up! You know about all those E85-capable vehicles that never use a drop of E85, right? Te EPAct ���box was checked��� but ethanol is never used, right? Same with the Volt. Check to be sure the electric vehicle is actually driven in Normal, EV-battery mode when it is used. Be sure the apparent need to plug it in for hours ��� at every opportunity ��� doesn���t become so much of a hassle that they just run the Volt on the gas engine (Extended Range) the whole time. And Isn���t It Ironic Some of the controversies around the Volt come from some clear contradictions. For example, the Volt works the best where the least gas is used anyhow. Driving a few miles out and then driving a few miles back doesn���t really use a lot of gas in the frst place. Again, that 35-mile battery range may go fast. Te 120-volt charge from household current is simply not enough. Te Volt must be parked at the home base for 16 hours. Tat is not going to ft many agency, business or family schedules. An expensive 240-volt charging system must be factored into the purchase price. Heads-up! Te cost of the Volt to a retail customer includes a $7,500 tax credit. Since municipalities do not pay taxes, this $7,500 credit does not apply to police department purchase. While dealers set the pricing, the Volt has an MSRP of $39,145. Te Volt is an expensive way to meet a green initiative. Te Volt is in the running for the ���ultimate��� green vehicle, right? You would naturally assume the Volt is E85 FlexFuel capable, right? After all, E85 is the greenest of the somewhat available fuels. No, the Volt is not E85-compatible. Nor is the Volt supposed to be fueled with E10 gasohol, i.e., Regular Unleaded. Te irony is the Volt requires Premium fuel (91 octane or more). Premium is required to allow the tiny engine to use more ignition timing with higher compression ratios for maximum output. Premium is $0.20 to $0.40 per gallon more expensive than Regular. An E85 FlexFuel version was planned for the 2013 model year, but it didn���t happen. ���We drove 1,000 miles and used no gasoline at all.��� ���We drove 1,000 miles and used 30 gallons of gasoline.��� More than any other vehicle on the road, the fuel economy you get depends on the number of miles between battery charging, your informed use of Hold, Sport and Mountain modes, the exact driving terrain, and the ambient temperature. Circle Reader Service #51 or click on EInfo at www.pfmmag.com. Post your comments on this story by visiting www.pfmmag.com