VOLT: nice pics

[kpete]

[NC_Nurse]

1. Cool.

[bluestateguy]

2. He's been promoting that car for months now

Maybe Chevrolet should make Obama a company spokesperson.

[Marr]

3. Is that car truly electric, like the Tesla?

Or is it some kind of hybrid?

[TheWraith]

4. It's a range-extended electric vehicle.

Like the Teslas, it's drive train and braking are all 100% electric. Unlike the Teslas, it also has an on-board generator designed to automatically recharge the batteries when they run low. So it has a 40 mile all-electric range, then another 300 miles on it's small tank of gas (about 3 gallons).

[IDemo]

7. This car gets a lot of criticism for some reason

I've long been an electric vehicle advocate, and still look forward to the day when "pure" battery-electrics rule the road. But, in my opinion, the Volt makes great sense now: you're not required to lug ½ ton of batteries around and aren't limited to 200 miles or so before a recharge.

If I were in the market for a new car (I'm not and won't be in the foreseeable future), I'd purchase one of these without hesitation.

[moparlunatic]

8. With a price tag of

$41,000 and a range of 40 miles that thing is destined to fail. Not impressed.

[IDemo]

9. Define "range of 40 miles"

[moparlunatic]

11. It can only go 40 miles

on the battery. It then switches to gas. Economically it is doomed to failure.

[IDemo]

12. So you're admitting the car isn't limited to 40 miles

Which, incidentally, would cover a large number of drives Americans make. But even after the gasoline powered generator kicks in, the miles per gallon figure beats most other cars on the road. The point is, operating the car on plug-in power for 40 miles will satisfy a large percentage of typical trips, and the vehicle isn't sucking gas like a Hemi for the duration.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/

Basically, you will be able to drive the Volt for about 40 miles using the lithium-ion batteries. For those driving less than that, gas mileage is essentially unlimited. It is only after 40 miles that the Volt will start using gas.

"Most Volt drivers will operate on a daily basis without having to use a single drop of gas," said Henderson, saying that three out of four drivers travel 40 miles or less a day.

Fuel economy for hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius is displayed in the same way as it is for any other gasoline-powered vehicle. It gets 46 mpg, for example, versus 19 mpg for a V-6 Ford Mustang.

That standard works because all the energy used by the Prius ultimately comes from burning gasoline. The Prius just uses that energy more efficiently than other cars do.

The Chevrolet Volt, on other hand, runs on electricity that comes from two sources -- a battery as well as a gasoline engine.

When gasoline is providing the power, the Volt might get as much as 50 mpg. But that mpg figure would not take into account that the car has already gone 40 miles with no gas at all.

So let's say the car is driven 50 miles in a day. For the first 40 miles, no gas is used and during the last 10 miles, 0.2 gallons are used. That's the equivalent of 250 miles per gallon. But, if the driver continues on to 80 miles, total fuel economy would drop to about 100 mpg. And if the driver goes 300 miles, the fuel economy would be just 62.5 mpg.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. it has unlimited range because of the on board electric generator that runs on gasoline

that generator creates electricity to run the motor/engine




it is an electric vehicle, it simply has the ability to recharge itself without being plugged in.


Since about half of our electricity is generated by burning coal it make a lot of sense to have this option on board the vehicle.

[moparlunatic]

28. For most middle class Americans

this car just doesn't make sense. You could never save enough money in gas to make up for the $41,000 price tag,when you figure what it costs to charge for 8hrs every night. Let's just say however this car is a huge success, does anyone think our electric grid could handle millions of these things plugged in every night?

[Ikonoklast]

31. Yes. Off peak electrical demand? Time to do it.

Your argument has some holes in it.

[DainBramaged]

17. Once again, amortization and battery production limitations

they will ramp up and the price will come down once the battery production plat in Michigan comes on line.


Another negative from the party of no don't buy it.

[gateley]

10. I wouldn't exceed the 200 mile range, so I'd happily lug 1/2 ton of batteries

around in my Tesla. :7

I'd much prefer all electric - I honestly would put up with whatever inconvenience to not have to put another drop of oil in my vehicle and into the atmosphere.

I DO like this car, though, and you present a good argument.

[Fastcars]

23. Not Really Fair

To compare the Tesla to the Volt. The Tesla costs $67,000 more and production is nowhere near the Volt's numbers.

The Volt can be driven without using any oil. Just keep under the 40 mile range between charges. And as an added bonus if you did decide to take the Volt out of town you would have that option. That would be the largest factor driving me to a Volt over an all-electric vehicle.

[txlibdem]

16. Criticism is because it's just a greenwashing halo car

GM is making the Volt is such small numbers as to render it statistically insignificant. GM produces over 3 million vehicles each year, the Volt will never be produced in quantities greater than 50 or 60,000. Taking the larger production figure of 60,000 that is less than 2% of their total.

What if GM spread the Volt technology to several of their vehicles. That would decrease the per unit cost and bring GM much acclaim in the green community. So why aren't they doing that?

[DainBramaged]

18. Another expert

In answer to your last sentence, they are, and if you understood for one second what is involved here, and how MONUMENTAL this is and to give it a WARRANTY THAT EXCEEDS THE TOYOTA warranty, maybe you'd get it. Until recently how may Prisus were made annually? Don't bother, you haters just don't want American manufacturers to succeed. Richard Shelby wold love to have your vote.

[txlibdem]

21. Another expert

In answer to your first sentence, they most definitely are not. Where do you get that info? Last I heard they were saying it wasn't even possible to put the Volt technology into a truck or SUV, this from April 2010.

Alan Taub is GM's Vice President of R&D who replaced the recently retired Larry Burns. In a new interview with the British publication Autocar, Taub discussed the idea.

"With battery technology as it currently stands, extended-range vehicles that are larger than the Volt — luxury saloons, trucks and SUVs — aren't really possible," he said. "They would simply be too heavy to be efficient."

Hydrogen fuel cells are apparently GMs plan for larger trucks.

"For those types of cars," says Taub. "Fuel cells and biofuels are the future."

Taub also notes Voltec cars cant be too small either.

"Ironically enough, the E-REV powertrain won't really package in a much smaller car than the Volt, either," he adds. "So expect them all to be between four and five metres long."

http://gm-volt.com/2010/04/21/gm-exec-extended-range-electric-trucks-not-possible-with-current-battery-technology/

However, this has been proven false by the Fisker Karma in the luxury coupe market segment and by Raser Technologies in a full-size pickup truck.

SAN JOSE, CA, July 27, 2010 –Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and Raser Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: RZ), announced today that PG&E will be the first company in the United States to take delivery of Raser's new extended range electric (E-REV) fleet trucks, designed to achieve an average of 100 miles per gallon in typical daily driving when recharged at night from a typical household outlet.

The extended range electric pick-up truck can drive the first 40 miles on powerful lithium-ion batteries. It can continue driving over 300 miles by generating its own electricity from a small onboard gasoline-powered generator or "range extender."

...snip...

Raser says it plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in both GM and Ford models to accommodate the growing demand for clean vehicles that can capture available federal and state incentives designed to offset the additional cost of electrification. With a backlog of over 10,000 soft orders for plug-in fleet vehicles already, Raser plans to begin limited delivery to other fleets for field testing as early as 2011. Raser also plans to offer its E-REV powertrain in popular SUV models in the near future.

"With Raser's new E-REV powertrain, America's most popular trucks and SUV's can also be some of the cleanest vehicles on the road," commented David West, Vice President, Marketing for Raser Technologies.

For more information click here www.rasertech.com/trucks

http://www.rasertech.com/media/videos/rasers-extended-range-electric-fleet-truck

If you go the above raser tech link you will see a full-size pickup with the same style powertrain as the Volt -- they just can't call it a Voltec. GM calls the Volt an E-REV, extended range electric vehicle, which everyone else calls a series hybrid. Series meaning that only one drive system moves the wheels, compared to the Prius' parallel hybrid system where either the gasoline engine or the electric motor provides the energy to move the wheels.

GM has publicly stated their maximum production in the future will be 60,000 vehicles. The Google is your friend. Check out how many vehicles GM makes each year and you'll see that my post is accurate. In 2007 they produced 3.5 million vehicles. So you are demonstrably wrong in your statements.

You are also wrong that I am a "GM Hater" or a "Volt Hater" either one. If you read my post you can see that I am advocating that GM produce MORE vehicles with the Volt technology in them. I said that if GM did in fact make a lot more Volt-type vehicles they would gain so much good will in the green community. That sounds to me like a good thing to shoot for. Yet GM has made no such announcements. It isn't just my opinion that they are using the Volt to put a friendly green face on their company even though more than 98% of their vehicles will use the same old gas and oil burning vehicle technology. It would be easy for GM to silence those of us who feel they are missing out on a golden opportunity. All they have to do is stop lying about the Volt technology being unable to go into a truck or SUV and announce plans to do just that.

You don't like hearing the truth? That I cannot help you with.

[DainBramaged]

24. (sigh) Please, believe what you will from other companies

GM publicly stated in 2003 that the future of the Corvette was in doubt, and here we are in 2010 with a 600+ horsepower streetable daily driver.

Like I said, another expert who uses Google like I use toilet paper.


This is my favorite sentence by you

It isn't just my opinion that they are using the (insert name of ANY car manufacturer using hybrid technology) to put a friendly green face on their company even though more than 98% of their vehicles will use the same old gas and oil burning vehicle technology.

You, like most people, just don't want to understand how manufacturing works, and think unicorns and fairies make the goods we buy. Keep living in your dream world of wat YOU expect GM to do. Oh and one last point before I say cya (I have a life), why haven't the vaunted japanese done this PRIOR to GM announcing their plans in 2007, and why do the japanese have NO BETTER FLEET MILEAGE than any of the Domestics?


Enjoy your chance to figure things out.

[Motown_Johnny]

20. I expect they will do that, I know Chrysler had a Jeep at the

Detroit Auto Show that used the same principle as the Volt with similar numbers (concept vehicle).


Extended range electric vehicles make more sense than pure plug ins right now. It is a step in the right direction even if it is a small step right now.

[ReverendDeuce]

26. Halo car? Getting really sick of liberals... even though I am one...

Perhaps it's just a bad day for me. I dunno. But the whining is deafening.

Halo car? My god man, someone could build a car that runs on piss and shit and exhausts pure gold nuggets and there's be an action group to defend the poor bacteria...

<sigh>

[IADEMO2004]

5. Hybrid

http://www.gm.com/vehicles/hybrids-and-electric/electric/

[Motown_Johnny]

15. it is an electric car that is able to recharge itself using gasoline

it runs on electricity, like the Tesla


It has an electric generator that runs on gasoline to recharge itself. Not like other hybrids that use gasoline to actually move the vehicle.



When I consider where the electricity for cars like the Tesla is coming from this makes sense to me.

[ReverendDeuce]

25. Self delete...

[NJmaverick]

6. K&R

[HysteryDiagnosis]

14. The politics of energy storage....

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/for-hybrid-cars-a-hybrid-invention/


Mr. Furia says that his technology could allow a plug-in hybrid or an electric car to get by on a smaller battery pack. Some of those vehicles are designed now with huge battery packs so that they can draw enough energy out of each battery to get sufficient acceleration; with a capacitor to help out in high-demand times, they could do with fewer batteries. Carrying a lot of batteries means greater weight and costs, plus beefier brakes and suspension.

He said the zippy performance of a car with capacitors offered “fun without guilt” because it did not burn gasoline and did not damage the batteries.

But the part of the tax code written to promote pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids favors extra batteries, the executive said, providing a $2,500 credit if the vehicle has at least five kilowatt-hours and another $417 for each additional kilowatt-hour. The maximum credit is $7,500, which works out to 16 kilowatt-hours. Perhaps not coincidentally, that is what the Chevy Volt, due out this fall, will carry.

“It was written for the Volt,” contends Mr. Furia, who would like the law amended to reflect not just energy, which the batteries provide, but power, which his capacitors provide.

[txlibdem]

19. Very good point

AFS Trinity has been showing off their prototype vehicle that uses a battery and an ultra-capacitor as well as a flex fuel engine range extender.

The ultra-capacitor supplies the power for acceleration and takes it back during regenerative braking. This eases the burden on the battery pack, allowing a car maker to use a smaller battery pack and still have all the power, range and long battery life but at lower cost.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/for-hybrid-cars-a-hybrid-invention/

They recently were awarded a patent and plan to license the tech to other auto makers.

AFS Trinity Power Corporation today announced that it has been awarded a patent for its Extreme Hybrid drive train that makes ultracapacitors a critical part of plug-in hybrid strategy. For the last few years, AFS Trinity has claimed that using ultracaps could push the mileage of a small SUV to 150 mpg.

Capacitors store only small amounts of electricity but can provide bursts of power—reducing strain on hybrid batteries primarily designed to store large amounts of energy. Think of capacitors as a way to provide instant oomph. In fact, F1 has been using something similar—an energy-saving device known as Kinetic Energy Recover Systems—for a few years. The benefit of ultracapicators for everyday hybrids is the ability to use smaller, less expensive battery packs—especially on plug-in hybrids—and to extend battery durability and performance.

The AFT Trinity patent provides broad protection for its technology, covering the use of ultracapacitors, flywheels, and "power batteries" used to protect the main energy storage battery bank.

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/afs-trinity-awarded-patent-ultracap-hybrids-28299.html

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

22. It's a Chevy...

ewwwwww1!1!!1!





















:hide:

[DainBramaged]

27. Wow, I wish I had a special ignore list for the Foreign low wage corporatist around here....

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:


The beloved japanese didn't WANT to do this technology, but you folks keep believing want you want about them.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

29. Foreign low wage corporatist around here???????????????

What are you talking about? Japanese?

Would it have made you happy if I would have posted something about a FORD?





BTW I used :hide: because I didn't want to "offend" and Chevy people around here.






BTW BTW We own a 2008 Prius and it is a great car!

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. Awesome.

A huge step in the right direction.

And designed and built by americans. :patriot: