Inhabitat Test Drives the Chevy Volt

Inhabitat:

When Chevrolet offered me a chance to test drive their brand new electric car, the Chevy Volt, last month, I jumped at the chance. After all, I have been following the growing momentum of consumer electric cars with avid interest over the past few years, and I'm beside myself with excitement about all the new mass-market electric cars that are being released this month! It's clearly a sign that consumers are finally ready for electric vehicles.

Read the whole story: Inhabitat

Comments

[Roy Merritt old car guy]

10:39 AM on 01/27/2011

The only problem that I see with the Volt is the price. It is about twice as expensive as it should be. $40,000 dollars for a small car is to much for anyone that works in real America instead of the east coast beltway. The other thing is what is the cost of replacing batteries and what is the life span of the batteries? I'm all for electric cars because even if we are using coal fired generating plants the carbon footprint is reduced significantly. Car dealers don't like them because there is no grease factor, i.e. no maintenance. Car dealers make a tremendous amount of money from their shops.

[John Kramarz]

10:58 AM on 01/01/2011

I'd love to see parking lots offer recharge options.
As someone who drives into NY a lot, with parking so expensive anyway, tack on $1 an hour for charging. If you're visiting clients or working for 5-8 hours, your range can be nearly doubled.

[texfly]

05:08 PM on 12/12/2010

Chevy has done it right in separating electric drive-train from gasoline generator. Much easier to squeeze efficiency out of a small engine that only spins a magnetic material than on moving the whole vehicle + load. Advances in fuel-cell technolgy can then be implemented easily.

With "subsidies" the price is $32K, but I suspect that the price will fall to the $18-20K in the next few years.

Real fuel efficiency will push 70+ mpg for most people and fuel costs will drop from $2.70 for driving 20 miles to about 75¢ for driving those same 20 miles.

[John Kramarz]

10:32 AM on 01/01/2011

I agree. Keep the main engine all electric. Use a gas generator to power that as a backup.
Also, aside from the batteries and tires and suspension, there isn't a lot to wear out, is there?
No gaskets and seals to leak and let coolant mix with oil, etc.
Gas engines are really complicated when you consider mixing a liquid fuel with air, in a controlled mix, to be exploded in a controlled manner generating heat and motion. Coolant keeps it cool, oil keeps it lubed, and a lot of gaskets at specific torques keep all these fluids and hot exhaust gas separate. When one of these gaskets fails, it's usually "new car time" for a lot of people, especially if getting to the bad gasket involves removing many other parts, all with their own gaskets. What happens to electric motors? Not much wear like a gas engine. Usually a few cartridge bearings can wear out. $10 each? Honestly, I don't know the specifics of the Volt design, but maintenance costs should be a lot lower.
No timing to tune up
No timing belts (I just paid $800+ for one)
No oil change, oil filters, air filter (except for the cabin) fuel filter, fuel pump, water pump, oil pump, serpentine belt, etc.
I hope they make them out of rustproof metal on the frame, because they might be in your driveway for a LONG time.

[Kenz300]

02:07 PM on 12/12/2010

It is time to end the oil monopoly on transportation fuel.

Fueling stations should have gas, ethanol, diesel, biodiesel, CNG, electric charging stations
and battery swap out points.

We need to diversify our transportations fuels and give consumers a choice at the pump.

Bring on the electric, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles.

[Cowoak]

06:04 PM on 12/10/2010

41000 does not work out mathematically compared to a 25000 dollar gas burner that gets 28/31. Not to mention repair cost down the road.

[texfly]

09:35 PM on 12/12/2010

There is an incentive to bring it down to $33k> That plus a 100,000 mile 8-year warranty will stimu;late the marketa lot. I suspect that once development costs are recovered, the price will drop and other models will hit the street at $25k or less. A true EV with a 40 mile range will hande most everyone's normal needs at a fuel cost less than 50% of the best of current breed gasoline cars.

[John Kramarz]

10:41 AM on 01/01/2011

What about repair costs of your gas car?
I just paid $800 for a timing belt. None in the electric car. Likewise for spark plugs, tune up, gas filter, air filter, fuel pump, water pump, oil pump, serpentine belt, alternator.
A bad gasket in a car engine usually can mean "time for a new car". I don't see this with electric motors. less complex and fewer moving parts (like push rods, valves, cams, etc)
Occasionally the bearings go bad with electric motors, and you put in $10 cartridge bearings. Try that with engine bearings.
So, you might have an electric car for a really long time, that would outlive several gas burners. How's the math work out then?

[texfly]

11:39 PM on 01/01/2011

Yep, your right. I like to keep my cars till they stop. eCars sound pretty good on repairs, but time will tell. The big thing is the prices will drop as production runs increase. Europe, India and China will lead that parade, but will tend to make little itty bitty cars for basic transportation. I like that concept for 90% of my driving, but like comfort when I drive long distatnces. Hope both get marketed here.

[banker67]

05:21 PM on 12/09/2010

I hope it does succeed. It doesn't seem likely with such a huge price tag, but I suppose it could make it, especially if the other CEOs at the Detroit Golf Club are good sports and order their corporate fleet cars replaced with Volts. It's a taxpayer-funded business expense, of course, but it's the thought that counts.
And we may as well be optimistic: Maybe in a year or two GM will figure out how to make a cheaper model. I'd be willing to trust GM for the first time in oh, say 40 years, if I could get an electric car at a reasonable price.
Of course it has to be reliable. GM's reputation for well-built, long-lasting cars is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of their products.
But for lots of reasons I hope this succeeds. I won't be able to afford a new car until about three weeks after I'm dead, but the concept sounds terribly promising, even if it is 100 years old.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

03:58 PM on 12/09/2010

"but my bet is that consumers will be willing to pay more to cure range anxiety."

Average USA Household income = $39,000

Chevy Volt = $41,000

20,000 = the cost of a Honda Civic

$21,000 = the cost for gas, at an average of 2.70 per gallon, to drive a civic 225,555 miles.

If you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year, that would mean that in order to compensate for the price difference, you would have to own your Volt for over 20 years and drive no more than 40 miles (the range of the electric battery before using gas) before recharging.

So tell me how this car is going to succeed again?

[Matt Herren]

04:10 PM on 12/09/2010

Subsidies.

[ObjectiveRealist]

08:19 PM on 12/09/2010

You're thinking of oil and coal.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-09-22-fossil-fuel-subsidies-dwarf-clean-energy-subsidies-obama-wants

[ObjectiveRealist]

04:25 PM on 12/09/2010

It's going to succeed because of people with an iota of loyalty to our country.

***

The Pentagon: Global warming/cl­­imate change Is real and a destabiliz­­ing force.

From the Pentagon's Quadrennia­­l Defense Review (Feb. 2010):

-------

“Climate-r­­elated changes are already being observed in every region of the world, including the United States and its coastal waters. Among these physical changes are increases in heavy downpours, rising temperatur­­e and sea level, rapidly retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost­­, lengthenin­­g growing seasons, lengthenin­­g ice-free seasons in the oceans and on lakes and rivers, earlier snowmelt, and alteration­­s in river flows.

Assessment­­s conducted by the intelligen­­ce community indicate that climate change could have significan­­t geopolitic­­al impacts around the world, contributi­­ng to poverty, environmen­­tal degradatio­­n, and the further weakening of fragile government­­s. Climate change will contribute to food and water scarcity, will increase the spread of disease, and may spur or exacerbate mass migration.

While climate change alone does not cause conflict, it may act as an accelerant of instabilit­­y or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutio­­ns and militaries around the world. In addition, extreme weather events may lead to increased demands for defense support to civil authoritie­­s for humanitari­­an assistance or disaster response both within the United States and overseas.”

http://www­­.defense.­g­ov/qdr/i­ma­ges/QDR­_as­_of_12­Feb1­0_100­0.pdf

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

04:42 PM on 12/09/2010

That's great, as the temp will drop to 15 degrees here in Mass and 45 in Florida tonight.

I live on the water. My sea wall was built in 1903. No sea level rise here and I am one who would worry if this was happening. The Pentagon is now the trusted source of leftists? That is amazing.

[Cowoak]

06:08 PM on 12/10/2010

Climate change has nothing to do with this car being a success. I'm sorry but people are not going to waste their money on an experiment.

[ZubinTomato]

03:20 PM on 12/09/2010

I H* ATE the fact that you still have to put gasoline in this thing. Can we just get over this once and for all people, puh-lease!!!

[texfly]

10:14 PM on 12/12/2010

Separating the all electric drive train from the gasoline powered generator is a huge step beyond hybrids. Now, battery developers and feul-cell developers can work independently from the car company to develop gasoline free systems (ie feul cells) that can take over the charging duties.

It will come Zubin, sooner than you think.

[John Kramarz]

10:53 AM on 01/01/2011

You put gas in, but don't have to burn it, depending on your range. It might sit in there so long, that you'll want to siphon it out and put some fresh stuff in. Use the old stuff in a grass cutter! LOL
I'd like to see the generator have an option for biodiesel!

[Kenz300]

03:17 PM on 12/09/2010

The Volt is a step in the right direction for GM.

(moving toward fuel economy and away from gas guzzlers)

When oil went to $147 / barrel in 2008 people were parking their trucks and SUV's
and were tripping over each other at the foreign car dealers looking for high mileage
vehicles.

Will GM be ready with a fuel efficient fleet the next time oil goes to $147 / barrel?

Those that believe in PEAK OIL theory expect the ever increasing demand for oil
from China and India to soon exceed the worlds ability to supply it raising the price
for all.

Will GM build the fuel efficient cars of the future or will they have empty showrooms
like they had in 2008 when oil prices rise again?

[BlackbirdHighway]

02:28 PM on 12/09/2010

Someday we'll be driving down the road and the kids will say "Look, there's an old-fashioned gasoline car! They're so noisy and stinky, I can't believe that people used to drive those!"

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

04:00 PM on 12/09/2010

No, they will say.... COOOL, there is one of those roomy old fashioned SUV's you didn't have to plug in and wait 6 hours to drive again!

[Matt Herren]

04:02 PM on 12/09/2010

I'm particularly excited about the 26mpg highway mileage.

[BlackbirdHighway]

06:28 PM on 12/09/2010

So woefully uninformed you are! The Nissan Leaf can recharge in 30 minutes. More importantly, you can plug it in at night and it's ready to go every morning. Gasoline vehicles often require a trip to the gas station in the morning, typically when you are running late for an important meeting.

[padoodle]

12:01 PM on 12/09/2010

I want one!!!!