Chevy Volt Owners Going 1000 Miles Before Refilling?

[toddwv]

Wow... sounds impossible (to those who believe the right-wing smear campaign) but it's not only possible, it's being reported.

GM's innovative Chevy Volt is an electric-gas hybrid. It can go 20-50 miles on a single electric charge alone. Once the electricity reserves are depleted, a gas-powered motor kicks in to supply power for hundreds miles.

And the American regressive right HATES it.

Why? It spells progress away from oil and they've been told to hate it. They will grow even more furious as newer, related technologies are attached to it. For instance, the "shock wave" engine seems like a perfect fit for electric-gas hybrids with initial expectations that they could triple fuel efficiency over the internal piston combustion engines which get around 15% efficiency.

That would spell a MAJOR change.

Well, to further infuriate the anti-progress right, the Volt is working EXACTLY as intended with owner reporting that they can drive for days without using a drop of gasoline.

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http://wot.motortrend.com/owners-2011-chevrolet-volt-drive-1000-miles-between-fill-ups-66303.html

1000 Miles? GM Says Volt Owners Charging Often, Filling Up Less

Chevrolet Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz recently told Automotive News that Volt customers, “Drive 1000 miles before they fill up the gas tank.” The company has found that most Volt owners are using the car just as GM intended, and charging the vehicle’s batteries each night.

>>>>SNIP<<<<<<<
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[mzteris]

1. so what's the info

on the electricity being used?

How much does it cost the consumer? What impact on the ecology? Economy?

I am NOT dissing this! I think it's great. (I don't understand why we can't have solar freaking power for just about everything with a b/u) just curious about these details.

[Qutzupalotl]

9. heard this on a radio program:

One of the first adopters of the Chevy Volt was describing his experience. He pointed out that the drive train is all electric, and that the gas motor only charges the battery. So it's like an extended-range electric car with gasoline as backup power. He said he liked that technology. Rather than worry about getting stranded, you can just check the gas gauge and estimate your range remaining.

His costs per mile were much cheaper. It's all electric for short trips. Longer trips, the gas just kicks in at the end. Bottom line is, if you plug it in at night and drive short distances, you don't have to touch the gas at all. He said the savings in gasoline minus the cost in electricity essentially made the car payment.

These cars are expected to be widely adopted within the next decade, putting stress on our infrastructure and demands on our power supply. People will be asked to charge at night, during off-peak hours.

Personally, I think the importance of electric cars is that they're an economically viable solution to the likely scarcity of oil in the future.

[TheWraith]

11. We currently have "space" for 2 million electric cars on the grid.

Assuming that people charge at night, when demand is usually lowest. Actually, that energy is usually just being wasted right now, because we have no way of storing it in substantial quantity.

[TheWraith]

10. Short answer? The electricity is much cheaper to the customer and better for the environment.

A gas-fueled engine is extremely wasteful, in part because most of the energy produced gets turned into heat, not transport.

One gallon of gas contains about 36 kilowatt-hours of chemical energy. That means that if you're using a fairly efficient 30 mile per gallon car, then you're burning about 1,200 watt-hours of energy for every mile travelled.

An electric vehicle, on the other hand, uses about 330 watts per mile if you look at it "plug to wheels," meaning including the inefficiency of charging the battery. (This is based on the Tesla Roadster electric sportscar.)

Compare another way. One gallon of gas produces about 19.5 pounds of CO2. Again, if you're assuming a 30 MPG car, then that's about two thirds of a pound of CO2 per mile. In comparison, one kilowatt-hour of electricity in the US generates an average of 1.3 pounds of CO2. (That's equaling out coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, everything.) Gas: .6 pounds of CO2 per mile. Electric, .4 pounds. If your energy grid is cleaner than average, then that improves. For instance, where I live about half of my electricity comes from hydro (23% from Niagara Falls) and nuclear (23% from Ginna Nuclear Generating Station). That means my electricity is cleaner than the national average, and thus it would be a little more eco-friendly to run an EV.

Last comparison. A gallon of gas costs about $3.90. At 30 miles per gallon, that's 13 cents a mile. Average US price of 1 kilowatt hour of electricity, 11 cents, or about 3.6 cents per mile. Of course on top of that, there's the fact that electric vehicles don't have as many complications as fossil fueled ones. Fewer parts, less to replace. Even the Volt, which has an internal engine, can run completely without it, and the maintenance is less than otherwise needed.

[Old and In the Way]

13. A rough guess - maybe $6-7 dollars.

Say an 8 hour charge - 80 kwh @ .07kwh?

[TheWraith]

16. The Volt's active battery space is only 8 kilowatt-hours, not 80.

If you add in 50% more for the inefficiency of the battery charger (which is about correct) you have 12 KWh. The average price of a kilowatt-hour in the US is 11 cents, so total net cost for a "refill" and ~40 miles of range would be $1.32.

[Old and In the Way]

20. Really? I guess I stand corrected.

I figured the battery would draw 10A @ 110V = 1100 watts x 8 hrs = 8800 watts x .07 - so obviously slipped a decimal someplace. I guess I need to recheck my electricity rates...I think we're metered at $.07/kwh. 50% inefficiency of the battery charger? I didn't really figure that kind of loss to the charger. More efficient chargers are obviously desirable for this kind of large scale application.

[Thunderstruck]

14. A solar set up sufficient to supply most of the electricity needs for an average home

costs less than an SUV and some cars.

[TheWraith]

17. If you want to supply your own electricity, you're better off with a small wind turbine.

You'll get a lot more electricity out of it for a lot less initial investment. The installed price for solar power is still several times the installed price of wind on a watt to watt basis, and that's not likely to change.

[JDPriestly]

18. Depends on where you live.

Here in Los Angeles, I don't know how efficient or productive wind turbines would be. I think they do well further out in the desert, but in the city, I'm not so sure. There are a lot of tall hills and buildings.

[Thunderstruck]

22. Absolutely, wind is also a good investment. A hybrid system could be even better, eh?

[TheWraith]

32. Depends on your definition of "better." It would generate in more situations, yes.

However, it would be vastly more expensive. Unless you're in an area where wind is completely impractical, you'd get better cost-benefit ratio by getting more wind power than you need, and either storing the excess or doing a grid tie system.

[Marblehead]

2. FU big oil

great story, made my day.

[KittyWampus]

3. what in the world are shock wave engines?

edit- I just looked it up and it's interesting!

[Turbineguy]

4. Current engines can get a lot more

than 15% efficiency, but some is lost in the drive train and the rest is lost by drivers who seem to have learned how to accelerate their cars from TV commercials.

[Richard D]

5. Prediction . . .

. . . as millage goes up on cars, the price of gas will rise in direct proportion. So a tank of gas for a fuel sipper of tomorrow will cost nearly the same as a tank of gas for a guzzler of today.

[Turbineguy]

7. The price will then support

better fuel mileage cars.

The Hummer is the result of $10 per barrel oil in the late 90's.

[robinlynne]

8. but you don't need to use any gas, unless you are going on a long trip.

and eventually I imagine solar cells will recharge the batteries as you drive. the electric cars form 10 or 20 years ago already had solar air conditioning and heating. and used 0 gasoline. I recommend a documentary called "who killed the electric car"?

[TheWraith]

15. "Who Killed The Electric Car" is a bit misleading.

While I'm a big supporter of EVs, the fact is the movie pushed some narratives which weren't really true. Like the idea that the car was a massive seller for GM--those 5,000 customers they mentioned were actually people on a waiting list for information, and once they got the chance, most of them did not follow through on the vehicle. Likewise, they understated the cost of the EV-1 to GM: each car was estimated at a net price tag of $88,000.

Suffice to say, while GM made a mistake by not continuing their research--something one of their top people admitted not too long ago--the EVs of twenty years ago weren't anywhere near the level of what we can do today, thanks largely to the changes in battery tech.

As for solar recharging, it's possible, but the limited surface area means that you would only get a few extra miles on a very sunny day, for a substantial investment. The cost to benefit ratio is better for adding a larger battery pack, to store more energy ahead of the trip.

[robinlynne]

23. Actually not. The EV owners were there with their cars. They took us for rides.

The cars are fantastic. no repairs even. They did not pay 88,000, nor are the cars in "research Phase". Look on ebay, the older ones sell for more than a normal new car because they are so worth it. I tried to buy a used one, could not afford it, would absolutely be on the list if there were a way....

As would every single person who rode in one. there is no sound. the acceleration is normal, like any car. the air conditioning, powered by one small solar panel on the roof, is the same as the air conditioning on my honda. there is a monitor to show you how many miles you can drive on the elctricity left in your battery (optional, but inexpensive). I dont think there is any doubt at all. We do not need gasoline cars. period. And the electricity can be obtained from solar sources if we start acting like the rest of the developed world, and put solar panels along our highways.

[louis-t]

12. Yep, supply and demand, that's how it works.....

Oh, wait.....

[uponit7771]

29. +1

[Xenotime]

6. THis is great progress!! F U gas guzzlers!

[FirstLight]

19. ya, starting at $30-40K...?

it may as well be a Jaguar flying car model...

i'd love to upgrade my car...but i can barely afford to keep my old honda on the road

[flvegan]

21. Fantastic! Congrats GM/Chevy.

[doc03]

24. Selling at least a $10000 premium would buy one

hell of a lot of gas. My car gets 30 MPG and it was paid for 10 years ago.

[cutlassmama]

31. mine gets 32 mpg and it's 15 years old...paid for too

[msongs]

25. if you NEVER go more than 30 miles between charges it could happen lol like only to the store & back

[Motown_Johnny]

26. My daily commute is about 17 miles. I could pretty much run on electric only

with the exception of weekends.

IF I could afford a Volt that is.

[uponit7771]

30. avg commute is 27 miles

[gristy]

27. Are you using "fill-up" to mean only gasoline?

What does "filling up" with gasoline have to do with an electric vehicle that gets plugged in every day?

[Initech]

28. I talked to a guy who owned one and he has only used 26 gallons since he got it.

And he's owned it since back in December. I'm seriously considering one but I'm leaning more toward the Ford Fusion Hybrid just due to the amount I drive.

[toddwv]

33. GM is planning on increasing production and hopes they can reduce the price for the next "round"

Which would be excellent news. I think if they can get the price under $30,000. they would have trouble keeping it in stock.

[Initech]

34. If they could get it under $30K I'd buy one faster than you could blink.

[Texasgal]

35. Exactly...

It's terribly expensive.

[TheCanadianLiberal]

36. Either way...(Diesel cars)

I won't be getting one any time soon. I like my Diesel VW Jetta.

It cost 20000$ new unlike the 40K Volt, gets an average of 45MPG and looks better.

It also have 500,000Miles on the odometer, something I doubt the volt will achieve.

I can also make my own Bio-diesel, thus not needed to pay for diesel.

I can't see a single advantage the volt has over a good modern diesel car.

[Thegonagle]

38. No reason a hybrid or plug-in hybrid can't be built to run on diesel fuel.

Regenerative braking is something your Jetta doesn't have. Nor does it have the ability to run to the store and back on energy you collected with your home solar/wind array.

And DO you make your own bio-diesel? I could distill ethanol and run my Honda Fit (which cost less than your Jetta new) on it with minimal modification, but I don't.

And you've never heard of old Caprice taxis with that many miles? Or the guy with the newspaper (USA Today, IIRC) distribution route with over 700,000 miles on his Silverado? No reason to believe this Chevy won't go as far as other Chevys, or your Jetta, given similar driving conditions, periodic maintenance, and repairs.

[TheCanadianLiberal]

39. Sure but..

Nope there is no reason hybrids or plug in hybrids can't be diesel, I think a diesel hybrid in the American/Canadian market would be awesome.

Yes I do make my own Bio-diesel.

I never said other cars won't get that far, but the volt likely won't, at least no without having the batteries replaced at some point, which lets be honest, is very costly.

[Thegonagle]

40. Most (make that all) cars won't go that far without having a great many things replaced,

and Chevy Volt batteries may prove to be one of those things on that particular model. It is my understanding that they are using a relatively new type of battery chemistry, and yes, it is costly.

But the current type has been on the road for 12 years, and to the best of my knowledge, even the oldest of them aren't dying in significant numbers yet. Recently, Consumer Reports road tested a 2002 Prius with over 200,000 miles and the original battery pack, comparing the results to their new sample from years back. They found no degradation in performance or mileage.

So far, so good with the Toyota hybrids--I hope Chevy can achieve the same longevity.

And it would be nice to see a plug-in hybrid with diesel backup.

P.S. Congrats on producing your own bio-diesel. Sounds cool.

[jtuck004]

37. Standard range for a set of batteries that most people can afford,

(not the ones in the Tesla) is about 40 miles roundtrip and that would be plenty of there and back range for millions of people.

And if the premium for these new cars is a little steep, one can retrofit an S10 pickup with a set of these and an electric motor, drive that for commuting or other short range driving while they keep a $1000 gas car in the driveway for longer drives. Or just rent a car.

http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/

Installing a set of batteries and an electric motor is well within the range of skills of most mechanically adept people, btw.