Hertz Chevy Volt Rental: Potential for Disaster

Is the Chevy Volt a hybrid? Nope--but it is the exact powertrain configuration I dreamed of during my previous all-electric Hertz rentals. The Volt is an electric car with a small gas generator that keeps the car moving if the battery runs out. A car like this can get away with a light-weight battery pack because its range of 40 miles covers, say, 80% of trips, and on longer trips the gas motor kicks in (a Nissan Leaf has to have a huge heavy battery for a 100 mile range). You also aren't married to the idea of charging a dead battery if you have to head out. Awesome, right?

Parallel Parking Tips

Studies by Transportation Alternatives have shown that 15%-45% of drivers in Manhattan are trolling for parking, and observation suggests that a lot of those drivers pass up spots that they could fit in—just because they lack parallel parking skills.

Driving the Nissan Leaf

I was invited to drive one of the Nissan Leafs that Connect by Hertz is planning to start renting from 60th street sometime in February. After being charmed but a little underwhelmed by their slow Smart ED on Tuesday, I was excited to have a go in a car that had been designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle.

The Leaf looks a like a fat Yaris with bubbly headlights-it doesn't make you ache like a Corvette, it doesn't mimic the appealing techno look of the new Prius, and it isn't adorable like the smart.

Connect by Hertz' Smart ED

Last Tuesday, I rented a Smart ED from Connect's 50th street location in Manhattan. I drove the car Westchester County Airport for a Civil Air Patrol meeting. The total distance of the journey was 63 miles, and I started with the battery gauge on 100% but returned it with what you can see in the picture--maybe 1% on the gauge (a representative called me in a panic when it got below about 3%, but everything was okay since I was so close to home). I used the heater on the return journey, because it was freezing, and I there were a few times when I used the full 30kW power to keep up with traffic.

Using the full 30kW

My overwhelming impression of the car is that it is really slow at highway speeds, not unusably slow, but probably the slowest car in the entire Hertz fleet. It struggles to go 58 up hills, and is harshly limited at 65mph. When the car runs into the red zone, it becomes even slower.

Because the car is "throttle by wire", there is no direct connection between the pedal and the motor. The computer decides what is best for you, and accelerates in a very soft way even if you floor it, using a maximum of 20kW. But if you push past a final "click" in the accelerator pedal, it realizes you want to go quickly, and gives you the full 30kW on the gauge, and you make a little more progress. When you are in the red zone, the car goes into limp mode and will use only 15kW even if you push past the "click" in the pedal.

Returned it with 1% charge

It wasn't so quiet as I expected at highway speeds; there is a fair amount of whine from the electric motor, and of course wind noise and tire roar. When crawling around, however, it is ghostly.

When I picked the car up, the lot attendant ran after me and said I needed to come in the little room to get my ticket, and then sheepishly realized that it was a Connect car. Someone else then ran after me to get a copy of my driving license. The car was dirty (understandable considering the recent snowstorm) and had a broken center armrest on one of the two seatbacks, but otherwise the experience was excellent. I really enjoyed driving such a great distance on battery power.

As for range anxiety, I get a thrill from it. I enjoy running my cars right down to empty. If you think of the smart EV as a car with a 3 gallon gas tank, then I think that might really bother some people. But you do have options--in a traffic jam, no energy is used. You can use the parking brake when you're stopped so the rear brake lights don't spill energy, and of course, you can charge it at your destination. Had I charged the car for the 2 hours I was at my Civil Air Patrol meeting, I would easily have been able to make it back with a 25% charge. I guess the best thing to tell people is that the battery gauge is pretty linear, it doesn't suddenly fall quickly once it gets past 20%. Also, I imagine they calibrated the gauge so there is some reserve below zero, although I didn't get to find out.


I am excited that Hertz is renting these electric cars. I find electric cars and their quirks fascinating, and this is my only opportunity to experience them.

Dream bike of the day:

What keeps a train on the track?

Last night was old-bike night. Today it's time to look back at Richard Feynman's enthusiasm for science. I like to watch this series of videos, where he explains these really complicated concepts using everyday thoughts. I'll let him do the talking.

Daydreaming about old bikes

New York's streets overflow with track bikes, and while there is some tasty stuff out there none of it is complex enough to be really interesting--no freewheels, no suspension, and no wild brakes. This Nuke Proof Reactor is a bike I've never seen in person, but it has those awesome steel Sweet Wings cranks, and a Rock Shox rear shock... in the head tube! Ironically, this is probably one of the more serviceable old forks--I'd rather try to get parts for it than a Manitou I or a Headshok--surely there are tons of rear shocks you could stuff into it.

FromRetrobike

Sometimes, I wonder if the cars that magazines have me dreaming about have nothing to do with the cars I'd dream about on my own.

The richest man in the world

Bill Gates is still the richest man in the world, per pound.

How to get Zero Cavities!

Today, for the first time in a year-and-a-half, I went to the dentist. He took a full set of x-rays before congratulating me on having no cavities at all. It wasn't a shock; I've been fastidious about my oral hygeine since I learned two importing things. These are they:

1. Flossing stinks - Years ago, my friend Alexis and I happened to be talking about flossing. "Of course I floss," she said, "if you haven't flossed for a while and then you do, it stinks!" I was disgusted and intrigued; I ventured a whiff the next time I flossed. If whatever is in between your teeth actually stinks, then you're probably better off without it. From then on, I was a little sicked out about kissing people who don't floss.

2. Bacteria, not sugar, rots your teeth - I'm not Nick D.D.S., but I do know that it isn't sugar that rots your teeth. It's the acidic byproduct the bacteria in your mouth produce as they feed on sugar--sugar meaning any carbohydrate, including otherwise non-sugary foods like bread or even Grape-Nuts. When you're trying to clean your teeth, don't imagine scrubbing sugar off of them, imagine scrubbing all the food away so bacteria have nothing to eat. You want them to be spotless, bacteria are microscopic and can live on tiny amounts of food.

Then rinse with mouthwash. It starves the bacteria by rinsing out all the minute food particles you dislodged with floss and your toothbrush. Mouthwash also makes your mouth inhospitable to bacteria like S. mutans, which is one of the first bacteria to attack your teeth, and actually has special receptors to bond to them.

Tooth decay is a chronic infectious disease - it isn't just sugar rotting your teeth. Treat it as such, and use your toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash--every morning and night, at least--to make your mouth as inhospitable as possible to bacteria. These procedures are nothing new, I just wanted to shed some light on the mechanics of tooth decay--visualizing it this way (the actual way) helped me be more careful about my oral hygiene.

360 in a Car!

I finally did it. After years of watching stunt drivers do 360's, and even asking Autocar how to do it (they didn't know how), I've done a 360.

For the record--handbrake turn in neutral at above 40mph (75+ if its dry pavement), release the handbrake brake and turn the wheel the other way when you're nearing 180--- car should do a reverse flick (dab the footbrake here if you're having trouble) and you're on your way again...

Cold Air Balloons - 3M Window Film

It may be a little late in the season to begin thinking about insulation, but when I learned about window films I couldn't resist trying them. The windows in our apartment are double-hung, double-pane, and metal-framed--and they look absolutely top-notch. Even so, it is possible to feel a draft around the top of the bottom pane and the bottom of the top pane. Cue 3M's Window Insulator Kit.

The "kit" is just a giant piece of plastic film and a few rolls of tape. After all, its only objectives are to seal any of the window's leaks and to capture a layer of insulating air. That little piece of film can more than double a window's insulating ability. Of course, if windows aren't the main source of drafts, then doubling their effectiveness might not make a difference. But they are and it does (other possible sources are the hole around a ceiling fan, a dryer vent, or even wall sockets facing exterior walls).

Have a look at 3M's Calculator to see what you might save with a bit of film...

But the best bit is seeing the film puff up after you've installed it (I'll try to get a picture). I reckon its the dense, cold air pushing in past the window frame. It's like a cold air balloon. My window films are bulging 3" at the center of the pane (see top picture)... I can't wait to see the difference it makes to the bill.