Chevrolet Volt at the Russell (Ontario) Show and Shine Event 2014

This past Saturday at the Russell Show and Shine event hosted by the Russell Agricultural Society, my Volt was on display among the other classics and modified cars. I got in under the ”special interest” category, I sometimes hear grumbling from the older generation of car enthusiasts as I silently role in the show with my machine from the future, but most of the time they do come around to know more about it. I brought my custom EVSE stand which is a huge attention grabber, I think it’s important for people to see what a charging station looks like and I invited them to try plugging it in so they realize how easy it is. It’s a small act but I think it’s important. I also brought some Via Motors and Sun Country Highway promotional leaflets to display, I do live in the country, truck country.

As usual people were intrigued by my stats and Volt stories, how it’s like to live with an extended range ev and correcting misconceptions about them. I’ve had my Volt for over two and a half years now in all the 4 seasons we get up here. So I felt comfortable answering questions, I guess I can consider myself an EV veteran, even if some folks have been driving them since before I was born.

I had approached my local dealer to display my Volt since they were going to have vehicles there on display, but they said they would bring their own and were not interested in having me there. Their Volt sat outside the gates and blocked off by other cars. Too bad, we could have made a few sales! There is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to promoting ev’s.

Although, I’ve noticed people know more and more about ev’s, they’ve either seen them on TV, the newspaper or online. I even overheard someone saying his next car will be a Volt and his wife wanted a Nissan Leaf! Of course, they both really wanted a Tesla. Their friends didn’t seem convinced, you could see the difference between people who get it and don’t, yet.

Now there was a Truck Pull event in the afternoon, I get it, it’s fun. Bunch of people getting together cheering on for the longest pull by the strongest truck and best driver, it was actually my first truck pull event. It was just that black smoke that engulfed the crowd after every pass that bugged me. We all have ”willful ignorance” items, for some it’s food and where it comes from, for some it’s clothing and by who it’s made, and for some, it’s air pollution and who it kills or makes sick. Where is a Sun Country Highway VIA Motors VTrux when you need one!

Overall fun times as usual, hopefully people will make the jump, people are so tired of paying 300$ or more in gas a month, and I heard lots of complaining on that subject.  Eric Carrière, our fellow Time to Electrify contributor, even stopped by to say hi, chat and try to make my Volt shine even more with some new product he bought.

I can’t wait to the next show.