Volt, Shmolt...

Don't get me wrong, I mini-love the all new Chevy Volt - in fact, I may give it 1/8 of my little green heart.

But the other 7/8? That's going to the Aptera, baby!

I uber-love this beast.

The sleek, Jetson-like two plus one-seater is currently available in California with plans to expand! (Hooray - my Yankee self can have one soon! Well, that is if I get promoted a few times and suddenly have a bigger paycheck...)

Want some specs? Check these out:

-0-60 in under 10 seconds, top speed of 85

-Available in "All Electric" or "Electric Plug-in Hybrid"

-Able to go 120 miles on just electricity! (Three times further than el-Volt-o)

-Production beginning in late 2008 (THAT'S NOW! SWEET!)

-The approximate price for the all electric version is $27,000 and the plug-in hybrid $30,000. (Way, way cheaper than el-Volt-o.)

Pretty sweet ride as far as I'm concerned.

What do you guys think about this swanky electric vehicle? Let us know!

The Power You're Supplying It's ELECTRIFYING

Happy Birthday GM. And thanks for the goody bag you presented to us during your birthday party on September 16, 2008: The Chevy Volt.

A tear almost (almost) trickled down my cheek as I watched good old Bob Lutz drive the Chevrolet Volt 2 feet down a stage and onto a turntable (see video below). Those glamor shots of the GM execs posing in front of the Volt that leaked out last week were quite the source of entertainment for a day, but the official reveal was a bit more satisfying, especially after looking at my gas bill at the pump today.




There's no turning back now, GM. All eyes are on you.

Top 3 reasons why I heart the Volt:

1) It's all American baby! It will be built and bred in good old Michigan--The Motor City may actually be revived one day.
2) If I owned a Volt, I could get to work and back, and then some, using not even a drop of gas.
3) I like the interior. It's sweet. Plasticy shmasticy. It's the most futuristic/up-to-date interior I've ever seen on a mass-produced car.

Top 3 reasons why the Volt will probably stay on my wishlist for a long time:

1) The price. Though the official price has not been revealed, people are estimating somewhere between 30-40 grand. And unless there is a ridiculous tax-cut from the government, my bank account says no way.
2) It's not even being produced and sold until late 2010. And there will probably only be a limited amount of them, meaning a long waitlist is sure to evolve.
3) Some people love the exterior, other people hate it. I feel impartial. But I think that the concept car was beautiful. People have got to realize though that given our current technology, in order to produce a fuel-efficient car, there's gotta be a small amount of drag. And in order to produce less drag, the looks have got to give a little . The car's gotta be aerodynamic. That being said, I don't love the way it looks. It has a lot of room for improvement physically. But with time, they'll figure it out.

Anyone else thinkin about going electric [for now]?

I'm a locavore!

Oh yes, that's me.

I love being a little "loca".

Let me tell you what's up (yes, I know, I ended with a preposition):

Every Saturday, Royal Oak has a fantastic farmer's market. Vegetables, organic and non, meats, cheeses, breads, flowers, random awesome dresses that I would buy if I had the chump change, etc. Basically every bit of wonderfulness I could imagine.

Anywho... The place was absolutely teaming with people. And who could blame them? The prices were completely budget worthy (I got two beautiful green peppers for $1 - organic ones too!), and the produce all local and FRESH!

What does that mean? Very little transportation necessary - ergo, less oil used. And, to make things better, most people walk or bike to the market.

I'm booking my Saturday mornings indefinitely - Sorry Kermit, sometimes it's easy being green.

Coincidence or Conspiracy?

So, for those of you not "privaleged" to live in the great state of Michigan, allow me to paint you a picture of what our highways look like around Labor Day:

(Alright, so I didn't actually paint you a picture... i inserted an example.)

Anywho, suffice it to say, driving anywhere that holiday usually stinks.

Key word - usually.

This year, things were a little different. Traffic was still heavy, but moving. In fact, I was able to go a steady 65-70 the entire way home. Nice.

Even better?

Those who were driving in the fast/passing lane kept it around 75. Clearly, still above the speed limit, but EXTREMELY slowed down from what they usually drive - 80-85. Could they have been driving that fast? Absolutely - the traffic flow allowed for it.

So why didn't they?

Honestly, I think people are actually at the point where their wallet and their convenience no longer meet. As in, hey, I'll save a few bucks at my next fill up and arrive at my destination a few minutes slower than normal.

I've noticed this on normal days too - not just a holiday. That says to me that habits are changing. And that's a conspiracy I hope to see continue.

Cheers!

The Ultimate Chick Magnet: Being Gas Free

To all my ladies out there (but guys, you should continue reading if you want to learn the tricks of the trade)--what's sexier? A manly-man in his late 20's cruisin' along in his pimped out GTR? Or his macho-counterpart steering around in his Prius which gets around 50 miles to the gallon?

Hmmm. It's a toughie. But personally, I kind of dig the hybrid more. Perhaps it's because I'd rather spend money on a million-and-one other things than gas, or the fact that I am a converted tree-hugger who wants to save the earth.

Either way, I'm definitely not alone on this one. According to GM's Challenge X Survey, 88 percent (!) of women would rather shoot the breeze with a fella who owns the latest fuel-efficient car than a fella who owns the latest sports car. Thus you were right [again] mom—it really is what's inside that counts.

Below are some other questions similar to what appeared in the survey. See how your thoughts line up with the results:

• Would you rather talk to someone who owned a fuel-efficient vehicle or someone who owned a trendy sports car? 80% of U.S. car buyers would rather talk to someone who owned the latest fuel-efficient vehicle.
• Is it a fashion faux-pas to drive a car that’s not eco-friendly? 45% of 18-43 year-olds think it's a fashion no-no to drive a car that is not enviro-friendly.
• If a show came out like "Project Runway" that featured people designing the best looking fuel-efficient and emission-free car, would you watch? 73% said, "Absolutely."

Though currently I am not in the market to purchase a car, I'm saving my coins and putting my prayers in for the Chevy Volt. For those of you trying to tone down your gas bill and tone up your social status, here’s a Chevy cheat sheet to getting greener.