The first Chevrolet Volt electric cars have arrived on the Grand Strand. Two of the vehicles are on display at the Myrtle Beach Chevrolet Cadillac dealership.
One of the cars serves as a demonstration unit, while the other is for sale. The fully equipped Volt has a price tag topping $45,000, though the car qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Volt is among the world's first gas-supplemented electric vehicles, which means it has its own backup generator. The Volt's 1.4 liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine does not propel the car; its only purpose is to recharge the vehicle's electric batteries.
Powered by its lithium-ion batteries alone, the Volt can travel about 37 miles on a full charge, said sales representative Juan Enciso, but the generator gives it a much longer potential range.
"On a full tank and a full charge, you can drive the vehicle just about 400 miles," Enciso said.
The Volt can recharge in about 4 to 8 hours, or 10 to 12 hours, Enciso said, depending on which of the available charging units is used. Though most Volt owners would likely recharge their vehicle at home, the car can also be plugged in at any recharging station that may be available at a gas station or parking lot. "Basically, you can go up to any 3-prong outlet, just plug it up and then you can start charging the vehicle," he said.
The problem is, there aren't many electric vehicle charging stations on the Grand Strand right now. Ocean Lakes Family Campground has two that are open to the public.
Officials with Santee Cooper say they are working with the Plug In Carolina project to place charging stations around Horry County.
So far, five locations for charging stations are in the final stages of approval. Those are in downtown Conway, North Myrtle Beach, Coastal Carolina University, Horry-Georgetown Technical College and at the Horry County library. Santee Cooper officials say those stations should be in operation before the end of the year. Four other locations on the Grand Strand are being considered, according to Santee Cooper spokesperson Nicole Aiello.
Once those charging stations are in place, Santee Cooper will pay for the electricity used at those units for the first three years, Aiello said. "And we're doing that for a couple of reasons. One, so we can monitor how much they're being used. Two, we can monitor how much electricity is being used. That's really going to give us an idea of the demand for it in the future."
Aiello said the utility is urging future electric car owners to recharge their vehicles overnight, to conserve energy. "That's when we use the least amount of electricity and the electricity is cheaper, by the way we generate it," she said.
Though the Myrtle Beach dealership has not sold a Volt yet, Enciso says the vehicles on the lot have attracted plenty of interest from car shoppers. "The most interesting part is when you take them on a ride in the vehicle and the vehicle is so quiet. It creates that awe effect."
Grand Strand Nissan has one demonstration unit of the all-electric Nissan Leaf on its lot, according to a sales representative at the dealership. But the Leaf is built to order and can only be ordered online, he said.
