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Hybrid Vehicles Chevrolet Volt Will the Chevy Volt Succeed?
544 messages, Last post on Oct 28, 2009 at 1:11 PM
You are in the Chevrolet Volt Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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Replying to: larsb (Sep 23, 2008 5:56 am) I think people will/are trying to do that. But with two workers in a family, the frequency of job changes these days, limitatiions of moving while owning a home and the prices of in-city houses, I think it is limited. Other ideas are four day work weeks and more telecommuting. . 2. Use an EV or PHEV as their commute vehicle .I am in the camp that thinks partial use vehicles will have a problem for some time. Listening to the nay sayers on EVs, we find that range limitations are the prime negative...well that and price. If you have a PHEV and/or whatever we call a Volt, it is pretty much an all purpose sedan. That said if you could make an BOEV that functions like a real car and has a range of 75+ miles you would probably find a decent amount of takers...assuming you can make it for a price that rivals or beats a cheap subcompact 3. Rent a gasoline-powered car or SUV ONLY when they need to take a trip. Or just keep their current vehicle as a backup...but in the case of the Volt, you have a sedan for such purposes...one that will get great gas mileage on your trips and save the expense of renting.
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Replying to: reddroverr (Sep 23, 2008 9:54 am) It will gain more of a foothold now that gas prices are up. It is a real advantage to live a few blocks from where you work and be able to live without a car. |
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Let's talk about the Volts competitor! Nissan is working with NEC and has produced a battery with a 300 miles charge and it's been tested to last over 150,000 miles so far.... and will be in their 2011 Electric vehicle priced $10,000 less than the Volt. The Nissan/NEC partnership will create mass production and Nissan will be launching over a 1/2 dozen other models into the N. American market by 2012. It's time for GM to look to those creating proven and successful batteries and work on a Electric Vehicle we can actually afford. More details on the companyhere “Nissan firmly believes the ultimate solution for sustainable mobility lies in zero emission vehicles. Electric vehicles represent one clear strategic direction embedded in Nissan GT 2012, our new mid-term business plan,” said Carlos Tavares, executive vice president of Nissan.
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Replying to: giny1 (Sep 23, 2008 11:38 am) I'd like to, but they seem to want to keep a narrow focus here. Link to a thread or start one if none are appropriate. I haven't heard about anything with a 300 mile range. |
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http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=132112 
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Replying to: toyota4life (Sep 23, 2008 4:51 pm) In contrast to popular (and our) impression, once a driver uses up his 40 or so miles of electric power, the 1.4-liter gas engine generates electricity to power the electric drive motor, but does not recharge the batteries. I don't see this as a problem, unless the engine is not powerful enough to fuel the car in all conditions. If the 50 mpg is still valid, then this is just a good nudge to always plug-in. I guess it could make for some wasted energy though. |
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Let's see.... I can buy a very reliable Prius with a fair amount of room for $23K and get 50mpg. Or I (supposedly) can buy a Volt in a few years for $37K that can go 40 miles if I recharged it with a plug, then I use regular gas. And I wait to charge it. And I pay for the electricity (probably less than gas cost, true). How many miles would I have to drive to make up that ~$14K difference in purchase cost? Sorry, I think GM is toast here.
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Replying to: toyota4life (Sep 23, 2008 4:51 pm) Only an utter fool would actually want the engine to charge the batteries. All you want is just enough to keep things moving along until you can plug in again. "After the 40 or so miles, the battery becomes 400 pounds of uselessness, at least until the owner can plug the car into the electrical grid for a recharge." 400 pounds of uselessness, hmmm? Gee, you don't think this author has an agenda do ya? I'm sure the batteries are still perform a function (such as capturing free braking energy) and are not "uselessness". But I'm sure this author knows the system inside and out...
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Replying to: tlong (Sep 23, 2008 7:51 pm) Or I (supposedly) can buy a Volt in a few years for $37K that can go 40 miles if I recharged it with a plug" Then I guess you would not buy a Prius for $23K when you can buy a 36 mpg car for $13K. You can't make up that difference either. As for the $37K price tag this is new tech and new tech is always expensive. I remember when a 50" plasma cost $20K.... early adopters snapped 'em up and they didn't fail.
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