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"   The 2011 Chevy Volt, one of the newest plug-in car has been hitting dealerships. I know lots of you are wondering, &amp;quot;How does it work?&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Is it time for me to invest in one of these plug-in cars?&amp;quot; Here&amp;#039;s what you should know if you&amp;#039;re thinking of buying one. The primary energy source for the Volt (and other hybrids) is rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Once the batteries run out, after about 25 to 50 miles, a traditional gasoline engine automatically engine kicks in. According to Chevrolet, with a full battery and a full gasoline tank, you&amp;#039;ll be able to travel about 350 miles without refilling or recharging.  How long a charge lasts will vary depending on the terrain you&amp;#039;re diving on, how often you stop and start, and how fast you drive, just as these factors affect how much mileage you get from gasoline. In addition, the outside temperature will also affect your mileage. The colder it is, the less energy you&amp;#039;ll get out of the batteries. The good news about battery power is: It&amp;#039;s totally quiet, doesn&amp;#039;t use gasoline (a valuable natural resource), and doesn&amp;#039;t produce any emissions to pollute the atmosphere. It can also lead to big savings at the gas station. Expect to pay about $1.50 a day or $548 a year if you charge it from empty to full every day. In fact, Chevy estimates that if you charge the Volt every night, it could consume less energy annually than your refrigerator. Do you drive relatively short distances, 30 miles or less, on a daily basis? You&amp;#039;ll primarily use the batteries and drastically reduce your gas expenditures.    If you have a 240V outlet (like the one that powers your electric range or electric dryer) outside, the Volt can fully charge in 4 hours; if you have a regular 120V outlet it will take closer to 10 hours. In order to charge the car, you&amp;#039;ll have to install a charging station (see picture at right) in your garage and plug your car into it. It may take some time to get used to plugging in your car every night but when you consider the advantages for the environment and the savings on gas, you may be happy to make the adjustment.  Be sure to check out Good Housekeeping&amp;#039;s other related stories: Keeping Teen Drivers Safe, Ford Auto Park, and Energy Guide Label News "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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