Making Sparks: GCEA's EV Blog

What was your reaction the first time driving an EV? It drove like a regular car, I thought it would have less power What are your thoughts of EV’s after your week long test drive? Loved it- felt great not using gas! Are you more likely to purchase an EV now than you were before your loan? Yes already started looking but concerned about the lack of charging stations especially when out of this valley

What was your reaction the first time driving an electric vehicle? I was most surprised by the torque and how quickly it accelerated.  It was fun! What are your thoughts of EVs after driving the Leaf for the week? I love the idea of having an all-electric car, and it would be great for trips in the Gunnison Valley, but I travel quite a bit for recreation, which requires a LOT of gear, and the range and size is prohibitive for it being an only car. Are you more likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle now than you were before? I am more likely to consider purchasing a hybrid vs. a full EV.

MARK & LAURIE VOEGLI (Nissan Leaf) The Leaf was so quiet!! Without any shifting of transmission, you lose track of the car’s speed a little.  We think it’s a great car.  We really like the idea of electric vehicles and are considering purchasing one as a second vehicle.

JASON LAKEY (Leaf) -   It felt similar to our Prius.  It was intuitive and easy to drive.  I love the idea of an electric car.  However, the Leaf is impractical for our family at the moment since it is not capable of leaving the valley without significant inconveniences. If one of us was a commuter to and from CB everyday it would be a bit more realistic. I know there are other EV's with longer range that are quite a bit more expensive. Once the price comes down on those of the range on a car in the price range of a Leaf goes up we would consider buying one.  MATTHEW BIRNIE (Spark) – I drove a hybrid for years and at low speeds this was similar.  It was fun to drive around town, quiet and easy to park.  I think it would be great for an urban commuter.  It would work here for that also as long as you had access to another vehicle.  The range is a significantly limiting factor.  Probably not considering an EV purchase yet.  Perhaps as range continues to improve.

  Richard and Sherrill Stenson – EV loan January 10-17, 2019 We had such a good experience driving the Chevy Spark for our EV loan.  We were amazed at how quiet it was and convenient to drive.  We took it up to Crested Butte and left it charging at the station by the tennis court while we caught a movie, and it gave us plenty of juice to make our trip back home to Gunnison.  We took it out cross country skiing, and the skis fit just fine in the car.  We would love to own one of these little EV’s and would like to explore the option of creating a local co-op of potential EV owners who would like to go in together on a vehicle and share in the use.  Thank you so much GCEA for the opportunity to change our thinking about EV driving and ownership!

Another member is satisfied with their EV loan! Krista Hildebrandt had some great comments to say about her week with Spark-e! I had so much fun driving the little Spark – I called it my “meep meep” car all week since it was small, cute and zippy.  I mostly drove it around Crested Butte, from my house to the mountain where I work for CBMR Ski Patrol.  In my free time, I loaded up my dog and my cross country skis to head out for some adventure and everything fit just fine inside the EV.  Even with the cold weather, I was able to keep the car plugged in at night and fully charged for me to drive the next day.  I fully enjoyed my EV driving experience, and hope I can get one of my own someday! If you are in GCEA's area, please give us a call to get on the loaner list!