3100 miles in 2 months + method to minimize capacity loss

A little more than 2 months have passed and I have found the following:

1. The front insert ahead of the dashboard squeaks when the car is cold.
the car is cold most of the time, since on long trips it is too range-consuming to heat it up. Pre-heating the car helps, however the squeaks are not only on the left and right, but sometimes in the front too. Usually that is when the temperature is near freezing. When it is 50 and higher there are no sounds. Thermal expansion in action!

2. Depending on what car you had and what you were paying for it, it may be as cost-effective to own an electric car. No doubt it is cheaper to operate, but it is also more expensive to acquire. So far my 2 month analysis shows a -46$ comparison in total cost of ownership over my previous Smart car. To be fair, the lower fuel prices did throw this comparison into the red.

3. Charging at work in the winter is a necessity, if you work ~25 miles from work. Cold range is shorter, and it would be nice to use the heater.

4. Open highway burns energy faster than a stop and go traffic.

5. I always drive with GPS, so i know the remaining distance and range. Sometimes on steep hills range range is lower than the distance remaining. Keep calm and carry on. City traffic, lower speed route, right lane, keeping the current in green will help you get to where you need to be. Just have faith and adjust your driving according to range remaining.

6. PlugShare application rocks and tells me where i can recharge in case i'm short on juice. However waiting for an L2 charger to put in some bars is far from breathtaking. Better to plan in advance.

7. I developed a habit of pre-heating the car.

8. The seat heater burns my buttocks. Repeatedly. Conversely the back is underheated. The whole seat assembly pales in comparison to Smart car's or Golf's (MK6) both in heating and comfort. So far the plan is to try heating covers, especially for the passenger.

9. USB when connected to iPhone works as a dock, and gives me turn by turn, when needed and allows me to listen to internet radio.

10. Each evening i do the math to figure out the necessary time to charge the battery (z). Then i estimate the time of departure to work (y) and the necessary delay i need to set on the keychain timer (x):

x = time between current time and required charge time (y - z).

Thus my battery is 100% charged by the time i need to use the car, and the "fully charged time" is minimized to reduce capacity loss. It matters less in the winter, but is a good habit for warmer weather. And it's a great way to stay in shape![math - wise]