Talk of the Town - Whitley County

(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Named Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year, the super efficient, electric powered Chevy Volt is now available to see and buy in Columbia City at City Chevrolet -- the only dealership to have one in this part of Indiana.

By Jennifer Zartman Romano

As the gas prices continue their perpetual swing -- primarily in an upward direction -- Whitley County residents are getting creative in their efforts to keep budgets in order.
Some have orchestrated car pools, others have cut back on driving to reduce their gas expenses. Still others have found or are looking for more efficient vehicles to drive. If this trend continues, and likely it will, finding a more efficient way to travel will be imperative.
City Chevrolet, located near US 30 just east of Columbia City, may have the answer.
In April, City Chevrolet became the only dealership in this area of the state to have the highly-anticipated Chevy Volt in stock and on the showroom floor. Selected as the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year, the Chevy Volt is a hybrid, plug-in vehicle that runs primarily on electricity -- with a fuel back up in a pinch. To date, this is described as the most fuel efficient, domestically produced, technologically advanced vehicle.
In a nutshell, you drive this car during the day, plug it into the wall in your garage at night and enjoy the savings of avoiding regular visits to the gas station.
"It's the only one in this area," said dealership general manager Jim Scarbeary of the shiny, metallic red and chrome Chevy Volt gleaming on his showroom floor. "Everyone else is scheduled to get one by the fourth quarter."
Scarbeary said the local dealership was excited to get the car in stock early for local residents to see in person, despite the fact that it cannot actually be sold until after July 1, 2011, by federal mandate.
"We've had a lot of people out (to see the car)," Scarbeary said. "It puts us on their shopping list. That's why we got it here a little before everyone else."
Scarbeary is optimistic that a local resident, in search of a more economical way to drive, will end up buying the car.
The price range for the Chevy Volt is $40,000 to $44,000, but there is a federal tax incentive to buy it worth $7500.
"If you take in to account frequent gas purchases, it would pay for itself pretty quickly," added Scarbeary. "It makes it a pretty reasonable deal if you look at it that way." The estimated electricity cost to keep the Chevy Volt fully charged is about $1.50 per day and the car can be fully charged from an empty battery in 10 hours -- and can be charged during off-peak energy consumption hours. In addition to the battery, the vehicle's regenerative braking system also converts would-be lost energy into additional battery charge to keep the car going. If you go beyond the estimated 40-mile-in-the-city charge range and don't have time to recharge, the vehicle will tap into it's fuel reserves and run on gas.
Scarbeary is among the few people anywhere who've taken the Chevy Volt out of the showroom and tried it on the roadway.
"It's not like you'd think," he said, noting how quiet the car is. In fact, according to the Chevy Volt's website, the car can reach speeds of up to 100 mph while remaining relatively silent.
The Chevy Volt's size surprises a lot of customers who've expected the car to be much smaller than it turns out to be in person. The vehicle comfortably seats four with ample trunk space. It is similar in size to many mid-sized four-door cars, a bit of a pleasant shock to many who had been watching the prototypes and online buzz about the vehicle for months -- expecting a small, compact car.
"It's really futuristic," said Scarbeary of the many high-tech features inside the car, including a push button start and touch screen controls. "It's really cool. I wish we had more of them right now."
He added that he expects the dealership to receive a few more of the hot vehicle in a few months. For now, though, car buyers will have to whet their appetite for an efficient, electric vehicle by visiting the showroom at City Chevrolet and seeing what they have to offer. Another appealing, efficient vehicle is the Chevy Cruze which  boasts gas mileage of up to 34 mpg -- possibly even better if you choose to go with the ECOTEC 1.4L turbocharged engine.
Although efficiency may not be the appeal, the dealership also has a few other lesser found vehicles in stock right now as well that are pretty exciting to check out -- including a 2011 Camaro Super Sport Special Edition and 2011 Chevy Corvette ZR1 3ZR.

City Chevrolet is located at 3040 East Business 30, Columbia City. Visit www.gocitychevy.com