BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The owner of the first Chevrolet Volt, from New Jersey, calls the electric car “the wave of the future.”

Environmentally-conscious Jeff Kaffee, a retired airline pilot from Parsippany, became the first buyer of the electric car in December 2010, according to GM Beyond Now.  He traded in a Toyota Prius for the Volt.

Two-and-a-half years later, Kaffee has averaged about 450 miles to the gallon.

Kaffee said he has only filled up the Volt’s gas generator three times over the 13,700 miles he’s traveled, burning just 30.2 gallons of gas, according to NBC New York. He said, "The wave of the future is here."

According to chevrolet.com, the Volt has a lithium–ion battery that allows owners to drive without using gas for an EPA-estimated 38 miles. And the Volt’s gas generator produces electricity allowing for travel of 380 miles on a full charge and full tank of gas.

Drivers who charge their batteries regularly go about a month before needing to refill the gas tank, according to the site. Retail prices for the Volt start at $31,645.

Kaffee said the car hasn’t needed any repair work, except for the tire-pressure sensor, which was replaced under warranty. "I was thrilled with the 45 mpg that Prius gave me, but the Volt is everything that car was and a lot more,” Kaffee said, according to greencarreports.com. “Better driving, and with more overall range."

He says he’s also had his eyes on a Ford Fusion Energi.