Volt mileage

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gm_volt_mileage

Discuss.

[LTb1ow]

And when you plug it in at home to charge it, and the electricity used is generated from plants burning coal in Ohio....

Circle logic no?

[BonzoHansen]

It really only gets 150 mpg, but they got Al to agree to push each one of them 100 miles a week to get the mileage up. In exchange Al gets to sit in a new Camaro every Saturday monring and go 'vroom vroom'.

[LTb1ow]

It really only gets 150 mpg, but they got Al to agree to push each one of them 100 miles a week to get the mileage up. In exchange Al gets to sit in a new Camaro every Saturday monring and go 'vroom vroom'.

hahahahahahah This is ftw. :rofl:

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

It really only gets 150 mpg, but they got Al to agree to push each one of them 100 miles a week to get the mileage up. In exchange Al gets to sit in a new Camaro every Saturday monring and go 'vroom vroom'.

I was waiting for something like this! Although it came a little faster than expected haha

[V]

i really considered getting one, but the first model years high price tag stopped that as of now

[Tsar]

It really only gets 150 mpg, but they got Al to agree to push each one of them 100 miles a week to get the mileage up. In exchange Al gets to sit in a new Camaro every Saturday monring and go 'vroom vroom'.
:lol:

On the other hand I think it's pretty scumbaggy of them to make a claim like this. I'm sure your local dealer will not tell you about the "fine print" of the 230mpg deal. After people get the true mileage of the car they will be disappointed, thus hating GM even more..

Just my .02.

[sweetbmxrider]

sweeeeeeeeet mooar petroleum for me's!!

[7pointoh]

If they can get the price down to 25 grand. I'd get one.

[Knipps]

they're already going to lose money on every model so i doubt there would be a price drop any time close to the first model year

[BigAls87Z28]

There is no announced price...so people are jumping the gun.

If you go less then 40 miles to work, and back...then you will never use gas. So it will get unlimited miles per gallon of gas.
I travel 18 miles to work, round trip. Even if I go to my fathers for lunch, thats another 2 miles total.

Even at the magic-number-pulled-out-of-the-hat "40k" they were talking about, there is already set up in place, a 7500 tax rebate for a car like that.
For the math wiz kids...thats 32,500. And thats with the current, Bush-program tax rebate. Current administration was looking at 10 grand for a car like the Volt.

[thunder]

i actually read something about Volts being like a nation wide battery pack. the idea was that they charge over night during off peak hours and then during peak hours which would be mid day that they could be used to sell power back to the grid at a higher price than when it got charged. Thus helping powerplants run much more efficently.i dunno just thought that was kinda cool

[NastyEllEssWon]

There is no announced price...so people are jumping the gun.

If you go less then 40 miles to work, and back...then you will never use gas. So it will get unlimited miles per gallon of gas.







as much as i like the volt, i do not agree with that statement. you need to wait till you see how much it costs per month with the electric bill to plug in the car
:nod:

[BigAls87Z28]

Pennies. Your electrical bill might go up 10-20 bucks a month.
I think your average person fills up once every week to two weeks.
So thats, at minimum, is 2 times a month.
Let me know if you can fill up your car, from empty to full, twice a month, for less then 20 bucks.














you cant, so dont bother, just sit back and wonder why you didnt think of that before you made your post.

[NastyEllEssWon]

no one knows for sure how much electricity these things are going to send up the bills in real life. why is it so hard to fathom that if someone drives their car every day, plugs it in every night then at the end of the month their bill ends up being 100 some bucks over what it usually is....especially in the summer months.




also how clean is this new energy if were all jacking into out electrical outlets driving up our power usage. your just sweeping it under the carpet again.



also dont these require some type of special plug ??? id like to see how this goes in real life is all al. if you cant see that then take off your Government Motors blinders and look around

[BigAls87Z28]

no one knows for sure how much electricity these things are going to send up the bills in real life. why is it so hard to fathom that if someone drives their car every day, plugs it in every night then at the end of the month their bill ends up being 100 some bucks over what it usually is....especially in the summer months.

Does your electrical bill climb more then 100 bucks a month if you have your AC unit pluged in and running?
Department of Energy already did studies...and so did GM. Increase in your electrical bill will be fractional compared to the cost of gas in a midsized car.

It wont cost you more then 100 bucks a month. You think GM didnt think of that part?

also how clean is this new energy if were all jacking into out electrical outlets driving up our power usage. your just sweeping it under the carpet again.

Smarter, better, more effiecent power grids are already in development.
GM isnt the only one coming up with an electrical car like this.

also dont these require some type of special plug ??? id like to see how this goes in real life is all al. if you cant see that then take off your Government Motors blinders and look around

No, you are just being a stuborn ass. Ive picked up on it, lots of people dont really give a ****, dont have an open mind, or just like to bring up the goverment motors nonsense as if it was some sort of joke.

GM supplies the plug. You get a set up for your house to charge the car up on 220, and a 110 portable inverter that comes with the car when you are away from home.

There are no blinders. You just like everyone else that has some sort of grudge against GM. I really am growing tired of being the GM "fanboi" and some how I always walk into the hornets nest because I support a company? Because I like to educate the ignorant?

Do you honestly think that GM just threw this idea out, without thinking of all the angles? Without being asked all these questions four million times since 2006?
First questions out of anyones mouth when they hear about the Volt tend to be:
Well how much is my electrical bill going to be?
How long to charge it up?
Whats the total range?
What happens when the power runs out?

Your questions have been answered dozens of times. Im not just coming up with this info as I lay here.
You think that they are going to invest billions of dollars in developing probably the most signifigant car in 100 years, only to be rocked by one of your super-smart questions? That they are gunna hang it all in the breeze on a hunch that this could work?

[NastyEllEssWon]

i would feel silly if i wasnt skeptical about new technology....i mean...i remember seeing a front page article that the segway was gonna change the face of transportation :nod:

[BigAls87Z28]

I can see being skeptical on the actual ability of the car. That goes with any brand new car, be it a Hyundai or a BMW.
Segway is a very cool device, but very bulky for city use, and not enough range for suburban use. Its cool to take Segway tours of major cities, and it actually does very well with small police patrols. I know a lot of police and security agencies that use them a lot. I know Freehold mall has a few of them.

[thunder]

Does your electrical bill climb more then 100 bucks a month if you have your AC unit pluged in and running?
Department of Energy already did studies...and so did GM. Increase in your electrical bill will be fractional compared to the cost of gas in a midsized car.

It wont cost you more then 100 bucks a month. You think GM didnt think of that part?



Smarter, better, more effiecent power grids are already in development.
GM isnt the only one coming up with an electrical car like this.



No, you are just being a stuborn ass. Ive picked up on it, lots of people dont really give a ****, dont have an open mind, or just like to bring up the goverment motors nonsense as if it was some sort of joke.

GM supplies the plug. You get a set up for your house to charge the car up on 220, and a 110 portable inverter that comes with the car when you are away from home.

There are no blinders. You just like everyone else that has some sort of grudge against GM. I really am growing tired of being the GM "fanboi" and some how I always walk into the hornets nest because I support a company? Because I like to educate the ignorant?

Do you honestly think that GM just threw this idea out, without thinking of all the angles? Without being asked all these questions four million times since 2006?
First questions out of anyones mouth when they hear about the Volt tend to be:
Well how much is my electrical bill going to be?
How long to charge it up?
Whats the total range?
What happens when the power runs out?

Your questions have been answered dozens of times. Im not just coming up with this info as I lay here.
You think that they are going to invest billions of dollars in developing probably the most signifigant car in 100 years, only to be rocked by one of your super-smart questions? That they are gunna hang it all in the breeze on a hunch that this could work?


haha u say the things im too lazy to type.but i got ur back haha

[Syzygy]

im going to get one and charge it with my generator.

[sweetbmxrider]

how does a/c and heat work on the electric motor?

[BonzoHansen]

:lol:

On the other hand I think it's pretty scumbaggy of them to make a claim like this. I'm sure your local dealer will not tell you about the "fine print" of the 230mpg deal. After people get the true mileage of the car they will be disappointed, thus hating GM even more..

Just my .02.

I'm not sure if it's scumbaggy. If that is the EPA rating (not sure) then I guess it's ok to tell people. If so the problem is the EPA may need different ways to measure mpg, or really cost per mile.

230 sure does help the CAFE numbers - now they can build more camaros!

[Tsar]

I'm not sure if it's scumbaggy. If that is the EPA rating (not sure) then I guess it's ok to tell people. If so the problem is the EPA may need different ways to measure mpg, or really cost per mile.

230 sure does help the CAFE numbers - now they can build more camaros!

Not sure who rated it at 230mpg but I don't think it's right in any case. There's the whole talk of 40 gas free miles, but what are the conditions of these 40 electric miles? Must one drive without headlights, ac/heat, and music on to preserve the electric charge in addition to driving like a grandma? Or is 40 gas free miles based on doing 0-60 balls out from every traffic light (doubt that one) with everything on. I wonder what the real gas free mileage would be, and I would be surprised if Volt broke a total of 50MPGs in real life driving.

And just like I said before I do not know anyone who does less than 40 miles per day, much less 20 miles to work one way. I kinda wanna see what this thing does, but I think it will be a big failure in the eyes of the consumer if its sold as "230mpg" car...

Oh, Nissan put out its own claim of 367mpg for the leaf after these number :lol: Clicky (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/11/nissan-pokes-fun-at-the-volt-claims-367-mpg-equivalent-for-leaf/)

[Tsar]

EPA backs away from GM claim of 230 mpg for Volt (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/11/epa-backs-away-from-gm-claim-of-230-mpg-for-volt/)

EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM.

[WildBillyT]

"MPG" is secondary. It's ****ing electric car that actually is usable in everyday life. Kudos to GM for getting this far, now they just can't kick the ball in the street like usual.

[sweetbmxrider]

can you even rate an electric motor in miles per gallon? :-?

[HeadlessNorseman]

you guys are also forgetting that electric motors are much more efficient at powering a vehicle, at energy conversion, at producing power, etc. Its not like they are just moving the fuel burning to a different time/place like in a hybrid. Electric motors make peak torque at 0 rpms, can be revved very high because they have one moving part, and are about 80-90% efficient at energy conversion compared to the 10-15% of a gas motor. And by also running the gas motor as a generator, at a constant rpm and load, instead of powering a car, you are making it that much more efficient as well. 230 mpg "average" is very conceivable. Even if it doesnt end up that...100, 150? still fine with me

[BurninrubberGT]

isnt it impossible to judge the mpg for a car like this?

[NastyEllEssWon]

And just like I said before I do not know anyone who does less than 40 miles per day




i drive less than 100 miles a week

[Savage_Messiah]

And just like I said before I do not know anyone who does less than 40 miles per day, much less 20 miles to work one way.

my job is 12 miles each way, and most people I work have under a 10 mile commute, many under 5

[Tsar]

Well I guess I know two people now. :lol: I know my gf's mother drove a little over 180,000 miles in 5 years. Her step father drives about the same if not more, he goes all over jersey and as far as upstate new york for his business. Gf drives slightly more than 100 miles per day, just to work and back. My parents do about 50 to 70 miles per day on average.


How does one "plug it in" if they live in the city area, Brooklyn for example? Do you just drop a cord out of the 5th story window?

[Tsar]

"MPG" is secondary. It's ****ing electric car that actually is usable in everyday life. Kudos to GM for getting this far, now they just can't kick the ball in the street like usual.MPG is not secondary to people who will be buying for that sole purpose. And this is not some ground braking "OMG first electric vehicle in the history of mankind" thing.

[BurninrubberGT]

How does one "plug it in" if they live in the city area, Brooklyn for example? Do you just drop a cord out of the 5th story window?

LOL so now instead of people slashing tires they will just unplug the cars in the middle of the night


and my dad's job is like 20 miles away

[NastyEllEssWon]

LOL so now instead of people slashing tires they will just unplug the cars in the middle of the night


and my dad's job is like 20 miles away





haha i thought of that too tsar.....someone around the corner will jack your jack and get a free fillup leaving you running on gas the next day :rofl:


'' i cant come into work today...someone unplugged my car'' <<< soon to be classic

[Tru2Chevy]

From the press release about the magic "230" number:

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewpressreldetail.do?domain=12&docid=56132

WARREN, Mich. - The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon, based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles.

The Volt, which is scheduled to start production in late 2010 as a 2011 model, is expected to travel up to 40 miles on electricity from a single battery charge and be able to extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

"From the data we've seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas," said GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson. "EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer."

According to U.S. Department of Transportation data, nearly eight of 10 Americans commute fewer than 40 miles a day http://tinyurl.com/U-S-DOTStudy .

"The key to high-mileage performance is for a Volt driver to plug into the electric grid at least once each day," Henderson said.

Volt drivers' actual gas-free mileage will vary depending on how far they travel and other factors, such as how much cargo or how many passengers they carry and how much the air conditioner or other accessories are used. Based on the results of unofficial development testing of pre-production prototypes, the Volt has achieved 40 miles of electric-only, petroleum-free driving in both EPA city and highway test cycles.

Under the new methodology being developed, EPA weights plug-in electric vehicles as traveling more city miles than highway miles on only electricity. The EPA methodology uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins. Applying EPA's methodology, GM expects the Volt to consume as little as 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in city driving. At the U.S. average cost of electricity (approximately 11 cents per kWh), a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than 3 cents per mile.

The Chevrolet Volt uses grid electricity as its primary source of energy to propel the car. There are two modes of operation: Electric and Extended-Range. In electric mode, the Volt will not use gasoline or produce tailpipe emissions when driving. During this primary mode of operation, the Volt is powered by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the Volt automatically switches to Extended-Range mode. In this secondary mode of operation, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle. The energy stored in the battery supplements the engine-generator when additional power is needed during heavy accelerations or on steep inclines.

"The 230 city mpg number is a great indication of the capabilities of the Volt's electric propulsion system and its ability to displace gasoline," said Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the Volt. "Actual testing with production vehicles will occur next year closer to vehicle launch. However, we are very encouraged by this development, and we also think that it is important to continue to share our findings in real time, as we have with other aspects of the Volt's development."

More reading: http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/future/volt.do

- Justin

[NastyEllEssWon]

interesting....the ion might be saying goodbye if the epa ratings on the electricity costs are accurate. like i said, it stays under 40 miles a day usually. i wonder if theyd let you test drive these things overnight...id like to see how fast you can drain the battery of electric mode with a little bit of encouragement

[Tru2Chevy]

interesting....the ion might be saying goodbye if the epa ratings on the electricity costs are accurate. like i said, it stays under 40 miles a day usually. i wonder if theyd let you test drive these things overnight...id like to see how fast you can drain the battery of electric mode with a little bit of encouragement

I'm sure you'll get far less than 40 mpg with all accessories running and driving in a spirited manor, but for daily commuting you shouldn't be too worried about that.

If I could afford a new car, I would definitely look into one for my commute (roughly 14 miles each way).

- Justin

[NastyEllEssWon]

how long does it take to charge when your electric range is done

[Tru2Chevy]

how long does it take to charge when your electric range is done

Approximately 8 hours in a standard 120V outlet, less than 3 hours in a 240V outlet.

Also something that I hadn't heard before:
According to former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, the Volt will use its GPS system to determine how long to run that engine. "The car will know how far you are from home," Lutz told reporters last September, "and it will only run the gas engine long enough to give you enough charge to get you home where you can actually plug it into the wall outlet. So the car will be smart enough to know where its home base is."

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Chevrolet_Volt/

- Justin

[NastyEllEssWon]

i wonder what the test drives are gonna be like....no one is gonna want to spring for this new technology without knowing how it goes. id like 3 days with one before i decide

[91chevywt]

Seems like a well thought out vehicle. I don't think we'll see true numbers until farther in the future, but I don't doubt the 230 mpg figure. I would spring for one possibly down the road.

One concern, not a biggie. Being that most will never use gasoline based on statistics, or rarely use it, I wonder if there have been provisions for maintaining the fuel system. Since gas may end up staying in the fuel system for very long periods of time, I wonder if there will be a point where the fuel will become unusable. Maybe the gas engine will start after a predetermined time in order to simply keep everything moving?

[foff667]

Pennies. Your electrical bill might go up 10-20 bucks a month.
I think your average person fills up once every week to two weeks.
So thats, at minimum, is 2 times a month.
Let me know if you can fill up your car, from empty to full, twice a month, for less then 20 bucks.
you cant, so dont bother, just sit back and wonder why you didnt think of that before you made your post.

Just to play devils advocate here

Prius lets say gets an average of 40mpg city right? roughly depending on driving habits(I underestimated to make my point clearer) and Costs about $22,000 according to that article nearly 1/2 of what they are saying the volt will go for.

Lets say you drive 40miles per day to work with a prius vs. volt
Any given month thats 20 days, 20X40=800 miles which also equals 20 gallons of gas at say $3 gal is $60/mo or $720/year. Now lets say the Volt takes $20 in electricity/mo thats $240 for the year, $720-$240=$580 in savings every year.

For the $18000 you'd save buying a prius at initial price point it would take, I dunno 40 years to make that up in gas savings?

Just my .02 here :wink:

[PolarBear]

For the $18000 you'd save buying a prius at initial price point it would take, I dunno 40 years to make that up in gas savings?

I keep getting emails at work about electricity prices declining and with the economic decline is forcing power plants to produce less electricity as there is less demand. There are many more things invloved related to the price of electric but electric is down significantly from the last 40 years. I was just reading an email at work today. Unfortunately even with a company like I work for we all have to worry about layoff and furlow possibilities, EVERYONE START RUNNING THOSE AIR CONDITIONERS MORE! :rofl:
Honestly I think it will probably be less than $20 a month to charge the car with the current state of the economy. It is going to take a long time for the price to come back to where it was just one year ago. The price is down about 25% from last year in this area and in some place down as much as 50%. Then factor in the declining prices for solar electric you could concieveably charge your car for "free" if you were able to afford solar panels and produce and sell power back to the grid.
In addition some places in the US charge your kwH more during peak usage times of day, so the meter actually sends real time data back to the blling center and can charge you more during the day than at night time. So if your vehicle is only charged durning off peak hours can cost even less

I think this is a good concept and like the hybrids will catch on and become mainstream vehicles. If I actually had to commute to work a significant distance I would consider a Volt.

[91chevywt]

I'm kind of curious how the Volt will do versus the Prius. It seems like the Prius it the 'holy grail' of hybrids. I'm not a fan of the Prius by the way. I'm curious to see how it fairs as far as reliability, comfort, performance, and overall appeal. Only time will tell.

[Tru2Chevy]

One concern, not a biggie. Being that most will never use gasoline based on statistics, or rarely use it, I wonder if there have been provisions for maintaining the fuel system. Since gas may end up staying in the fuel system for very long periods of time, I wonder if there will be a point where the fuel will become unusable. Maybe the gas engine will start after a predetermined time in order to simply keep everything moving?

They are aware that some people will have fuel in the 6 gallon tank for months at a time, and they say the fuel tank / system is pressurized (so it's not vented to open air at all) and this I assume will significantly delay the degradation of the gasoline in the tank.

- Justin

[NastyEllEssWon]

i wouldnt mind dropping a six gallon fuel tank. :lol:

[LTb1ow]

Sweet, so I would need to get a 220 plug. Hmmnn the possibilities... if only I can convince the rents to get a volt...

[sweetbmxrider]

i wouldnt mind dropping a six gallon fuel tank. :lol:

agreed!

Sweet, so I would need to get a 220 plug. Hmmnn the possibilities... if only I can convince the rents to get a volt...

not needed, but would make **** a helluvalot nicer annnnnd those benefits i'm sure you're thinking of :D

[BigAls87Z28]

There is talk that the Volt could go into ICE mode to run the gasoline that is in your tank before it goes bad. So if you fill up 3 months ago, and havnet filled up since, the computer will turn the ICE on and burn the gas.

Volt isnt a Hybrid, and GM is really trying to pry it away from the "hybrid" name. The Volt is an electric car. No engine connected to a trans, and the engine does not move the vehicle like it does in a convetional or hybrid vehicle.
The engine acts as a small generator to charge the batteries. Thats it.
Hybrid is a half an electric car, half a regular car. Hence, hybrid.

GM has let several members of the automotive press drive a handful of Volt prototypes, running on plug in charge only. There are a handful of Volts being hand built right now. You can become a fan on Facebook or check out its own blog site that talks more about the car, as well as future developments.

[NastyEllEssWon]

haha who needs to read up on current automobiles....if i want info on one ill just post up how i dont like....that way you can write me a 3 paragraph essay on why im wrong :rofl::rofl::rofl:

[91chevywt]

BigAl does his homework. He should think about a career with GM public relations. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

[Tsar]

BigAl does his homework. He should think about a career with GM public relations. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I think we have told him that before. Dunno what's stopping him.

[Iroc-z86]

Yeah i would support big Al. I have yet to see him post something that is false or a 'lie' to steer people in GM's favor.

anyways... i would own a volt. my commute is only 12 miles round trip at the moment and its part time so i dont even go all the time. I would def want to have it for a day or two to see if its something i would want to keep.

[HeadlessNorseman]

Either way at 40 grand minus whatever incentives/rebates your not going to end up saving money on gas. That is just a ridiculous assumption. The good part is that they are going to break the ice for other electric vehicles and make the technology much cheaper as it becomes more and more popular. The only reason we can build gas powered cars so cheap is the 100+ years of refinement, mass production, and popularity. An electric car is technically cheaper to build than a gas car if you were starting from scratch with no existing technology. Electric car motors/batteries are much simpler and wouldnt require many complicated cast/forged pieces or machine work like a piston motor.

[sweetbmxrider]

its not just gas you are saving. its the maintenance that goes along with the motor that adds up too.

[HeadlessNorseman]

its not just gas you are saving. its the maintenance that goes along with the motor that adds up too.

thats true. But youd end up with around a 7-800 dollar payment depending on the final cost, vs 2-300 for a cheap car. thats at least 400 bucks youd have to save every month to make it worth it. I believe in the idea but its not going to save anyone cash is what im saying. Its just going to be good for the earth, but thats not profitable!

[BigAls87Z28]

This car certainly isn't for everyone. And the price that is floating was a misquote from Lutz pre BK. N now GM has a much better position to make a car like this. The 40k price tag that is thrown around was at the time a guess at best.
Price could be much lower by next year.

[PolarBear]

Either way at 40 grand minus whatever incentives/rebates your not going to end up saving money on gas. That is just a ridiculous assumption. The good part is that they are going to break the ice for other electric vehicles and make the technology much cheaper as it becomes more and more popular. The only reason we can build gas powered cars so cheap is the 100+ years of refinement, mass production, and popularity. An electric car is technically cheaper to build than a gas car if you were starting from scratch with no existing technology. Electric car motors/batteries are much simpler and wouldnt require many complicated cast/forged pieces or machine work like a piston motor.

Actually the reason the supposed price of this car is so much because of the costly metal to produce the batteries. Lithium is not a cheap metal to mine or refine. it is a low percentage compared to other metals and is expensive. The battery alone will probably be a large portion of the cost of the vehicle. You compare a hybrid manufacture to this car and it should be close in price minus the battery.

[WildBillyT]

Actually the reason the supposed price of this car is so much because of the costly metal to produce the batteries. Lithium is not a cheap metal to mine or refine. it is a low percentage compared to other metals and is expensive. The battery alone will probably be a large portion of the cost of the vehicle. You compare a hybrid manufacture to this car and it should be close in price minus the battery.

Makes for a great Nirvana song though.

[PolarBear]

Makes for a great Nirvana song though.

Off topic, From a mod no less :facepalm:

[WildBillyT]

Work sucks today.

[sweetbmxrider]

:rofl:

[LTb1ow]

Either way at 40 grand minus whatever incentives/rebates your not going to end up saving money on gas. That is just a ridiculous assumption. The good part is that they are going to break the ice for other electric vehicles and make the technology much cheaper as it becomes more and more popular. The only reason we can build gas powered cars so cheap is the 100+ years of refinement, mass production, and popularity. An electric car is technically cheaper to build than a gas car if you were starting from scratch with no existing technology. Electric car motors/batteries are much simpler and wouldnt require many complicated cast/forged pieces or machine work like a piston motor.

Yea, but eh.

Ever see batteries that have been over charged? Exploded? Electric motors seized up? Or overheated?

Electric is not easy.

[thunder]

Yea, but eh.

Ever see batteries that have been over charged? Exploded? Electric motors seized up? Or overheated?

Electric is not easy.

ya but theres a reason GM has been developing it for so long. we can rest assured that GM would never put something on sale until its 100% ready

[Knipps]

ya but theres a reason GM has been developing it for so long. we can rest assured that GM would never put something on sale until its 100% ready
did you miss the camaro brake weight fiasco?

[PolarBear]

Or the battery cable starting fires.....

[BonzoHansen]

ya but theres a reason GM has been developing it for so long. we can rest assured that GM would never put something on sale until its 100% ready

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Tru2Chevy]

Supposedly they have been running tons of simulated battery tests to make sure that the battery pack will keep a large percentage of it's initial power potential for 10 years. I have also seen several speculations that the advertised 40 mile range on a full charge is what GM thinks the car will be capable of when the batteries are 10 years old, but I don't really believe that. I can't imagine that they wouldn't be promoting a larger figure if the car was capable of it off the showroom floor.

- Justin

[WildBillyT]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Tsar]

ya but theres a reason GM has been developing it for so long. we can rest assured that GM would never put something on sale until its 100% ready

You've been smoking some good *****, haven't you? :rofl:

[thunder]

did you miss the camaro brake weight fiasco?

did u miss the sarcasm?

[Knipps]

apparently I wasn't the only one.

[Tsar]

That did not seem like sarcasm... I call BS.

[thunder]

That did not seem like sarcasm... I call BS.

i was refrenceing the camaro problems;cracked bumper and the cable thing.do i have to insert asmiley to get my point across?

[Tsar]

i was refrenceing the camaro problems;cracked bumper and the cable thing.do i have to insert asmiley to get my point across?
No but you have to learn how to use sarcasm over the internet, genius.


See what I did there...

[Knipps]

http://userpages.umbc.edu/%7Ezuses1/i-see-what-you-did-there.jpg

[BigAls87Z28]

Bumper wasn't a production car #1
#2 cable and caliper are supplier problems.

[Tsar]

Bumper wasn't a production car #1
#2 cable and caliper are supplier problems.
Yes, lets shift the blame around :lol:

[Savage_Messiah]

OK fine, how bout we talk about some z06 roofs...

[Knipps]

how dare you sir, this is an F-body forum

[Tsar]

how dare you sir, this is an F-body forum
Werd, GTFO with your z06!

[BigAls87Z28]

That was a gm problem.

Tough to shift blame when gm doesn't make the caliper or cables.

[Savage_Messiah]

damnit im sorry that right O HAIL TO THE F-BODY I HATE ALL OTHER CARS EVER MADE EXCEPT FOR THE F-BODY

[HeadlessNorseman]

Yea, but eh.

Ever see batteries that have been over charged? Exploded? Electric motors seized up? Or overheated?

Electric is not easy.

Im not saying they are fool proof but they are indeed much easier to make than a piston motor and all the attachments for it. The only reason we can produce piston motors so well and cheaply is because they have been around forever and everyone builds them. A brushless motor has 1 moving part, no reciprocating assembly, and 2 bearings, and batteries have no moving parts at all. Besides that anything can break regardless of what it is so i dont even know what your point is really

[sweetbmxrider]

damnit im sorry that right O HAIL TO THE F-BODY I HATE ALL OTHER CARS EVER MADE EXCEPT FOR THE F-BODY

dude, f-bodys are garbage. come on now.

[The Fixer]

As far as the lithium ion battery technology itself, it's pretty sick. Example: my new cell phone. I charged it on Sunday, I think, and keep it on all day long. It's only down one bar, 6 days later. And, I have a Craftsman 19.2v LI battery for my cordless drill. That thing will run down into the red zone with nearly the same amount of power, then just shut down. And the charge lasts quite a while too. If they're using that sort of technology on the Volt, that's pretty damn cool.

And, my commute is 10 miles each way, maybe 13 if I carpool with my wife. If it could do 40 miles without using any gas, I'd be set for a couple of days. Cool!

[PolarBear]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

#2 cable and caliper are supplier problems.

How the hell is a caliper weight and chafing battery cable a supplier problem? Any way you look at it it is a design problem in the end, unless the supplier supplies a part that does not meet the original specifications

[91chevywt]

As far as the lithium ion battery technology itself, it's pretty sick. Example: my new cell phone. I charged it on Sunday, I think, and keep it on all day long. It's only down one bar, 6 days later. And, I have a Craftsman 19.2v LI battery for my cordless drill. That thing will run down into the red zone with nearly the same amount of power, then just shut down. And the charge lasts quite a while too. If they're using that sort of technology on the Volt, that's pretty damn cool.

And, my commute is 10 miles each way, maybe 13 if I carpool with my wife. If it could do 40 miles without using any gas, I'd be set for a couple of days. Cool!

Indeed Lithium Ion technology is a great thing...much lighter and more power at that.

IDK if many of you remember GM did make an electric car which was referred to as EV1 around 2000 I believe. It was a great car. It used a NiH battery setup which would allow the car to run about 120 miles. More than anyone could ever need. Even NiH batterys work pretty well. The reason the car was killed is really speculation. Some say big oil had a hand in it, but its one of those issues that has been swept under the doormat.

The car was so reliable being that the engine was basically maintenance free. Dealerships couldn't make any money in aftersales on them. The big cost of them was the battery pack, which still didn't cost more than an engine replacement, and was much less labor intensive.

Thinking about it I think a move to a totally electric car would be good also, given the way lithium ion battery technology is

[LTb1ow]

Im not saying they are fool proof but they are indeed much easier to make than a piston motor and all the attachments for it. The only reason we can produce piston motors so well and cheaply is because they have been around forever and everyone builds them. A brushless motor has 1 moving part, no reciprocating assembly, and 2 bearings, and batteries have no moving parts at all. Besides that anything can break regardless of what it is so i dont even know what your point is really

Two stroke diesel. Run forever, and ever and ever and ever....

However... the clouds of black smoke probably don't go over well with the EPA... :lol:

[Tsar]

That was a gm problem.

Tough to shift blame when gm doesn't make the caliper or cables.

When an average bubba from the trailer park buys a car he does not give two ****s if it's a supplier problem, or Vladimir Putin's fault; the big sticker upfront says CHEVY - so it's GM's problem. Do you think your average person is gonna go to the supplier to resolve the issue? no I don't think so... The fault was on a car GM put out, it was their problem they didn't catch it in time.

[BonzoHansen]

I agree with the Russian fellow.

[BigAls87Z28]

They drove the cars around the world with no problem.
When they get to batches of parts from the suppliers when its production time, I guess something changed.
Its GM's problem to fix, not GM's problem it made.

[Tsar]

dude, f-bodys are garbage. come on now.Ohh noes, the blasphemy!


Its GM's problem to fixI cropped out unimportant parts. More problems with a car with their name on it = the crappier it will be in the eyes of the people, regardless who you want to blame for it.

[BigAls87Z28]

The battery cable problem was fixed within a week of the car hitting the streets. GM fixed it.
The Caliper problem is being worked on with Brembo. It poses no saftey problem, just an annoying squeeling problem. Its all a matter of making a heavier caliper.

Problems happen with all cars, and Im sure the Volt will have its share. Especially on new technology that has not been seen in any car, ever.

[PolarBear]

Problems happen with all cars, and Im sure the Volt will have its share. Especially on new technology that has not been seen in any car, ever.

The Volt really isnt new technology, just new to GM for the most part. The Tesla Roadster is basically the same thing but 100% battery

[Mike]

The battery cable problem was fixed within a week of the car hitting the streets. GM fixed it.
The Caliper problem is being worked on with Brembo. It poses no saftey problem, just an annoying squeeling problem. Its all a matter of making a heavier caliper.

Problems happen with all cars, and Im sure the Volt will have its share. Especially on new technology that has not been seen in any car, ever.

ugh whys everything gotta be heavier, just put smaller wheels on the damn thing.

and the cable.....how is it a suppliers fault, if the cable gets routed along the car on gm's assembly line?

[Tsar]

The battery cable problem was fixed within a week of the car hitting the streets. GM fixed it.
The Caliper problem is being worked on with Brembo. It poses no saftey problem, just an annoying squeeling problem. Its all a matter of making a heavier caliper.

Problems happen with all cars.

I agree problems happen with all the cars, no car is immune to a problem. With that said, just because something does not present a safety problem does not mean it's not important. Case and point, you know that I recently bought a car - 7 months later my ****ing hood scoop melted! Is that a safety issue? not at all. Am I annoyed that my, pretty much, brand new car has a god damn melted hood scoop because some idiot in BMW wanted to save some money on a plastic part? Hell yea, I am. And their official solution to my problem (it's a well known problem, not just me) is? Well they said they will keep replacing it until my warranty runs out... isn't that great?

So next time it melts, I have to drive to the dealer, wait 3 to 6 weeks for the replacement, than repeat the same process again. Awesome!

[BigAls87Z28]

The Volt really isnt new technology, just new to GM for the most part. The Tesla Roadster is basically the same thing but 100% battery

Battery technolgy is the same. LithIon battery isnt new, im on one righ now.
Hooking up an engine to a generator, which recharge the batteries, which drive the car, and making several thousands of them a year, in a robotic factory, with a 10/150k mile warranty, for under 40k....
Tesla cant do that.

ugh whys everything gotta be heavier, just put smaller wheels on the damn thing.

and the cable.....how is it a suppliers fault, if the cable gets routed along the car on gm's assembly line?

Wheels aren tthe problem. The problem is that I belive after the pads wear down 1/2 way, there is a squeal that is amplified by the lightness of the caliper. The vibration is dampened by additional weights placed on the caliper.

Cable's insulation was faulty.

[sweetbmxrider]

The Volt really isnt new technology, just new to GM for the most part. The Tesla Roadster is basically the same thing but 100% battery

and you know that thing is the biggest POS ever, right?

like al said, every car has its quirks. 1st production cars get it the worst.

go look up TSB's on any newer car, say a chrysler product. they are the worst.

[LTb1ow]

Golf carts ftw.

[PolarBear]

Battery technolgy is the same. LithIon battery isnt new, im on one righ now.
Hooking up an engine to a generator, which recharge the batteries, which drive the car, and making several thousands of them a year, in a robotic factory, with a 10/150k mile warranty, for under 40k....
Tesla cant do that.

I didnt say Tesla COULD make them for under $40k a year, the point is there is NO new technology in this car at all. All the parts are basically the same as any other hybrid, just arranged in a different order. It comes down to how well can GM do it all? Just like any other new car they come out with.

and you know that thing is the biggest POS ever, right?

That wasnt the point, car manufacturers have been there, done that :moon:

[LTb1ow]

http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/hummer-golf-cart.jpg

Big pimppping