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Lithium Ion?
Humm... 40 miles range without gasoline but has gasoline onboard. Sounds like Hybrid to me. EV1 has 90 mile range totally electric.
What's the difference to the now Hybrid vehicles? Expensive Lithium ion batteries?
It's really amazing to hear and see that beautyful car
I still think Toyota is way ahead of Chevy in terms of design concepts, fuel efficiency, and really knowing time to market. However, it is good to see some effort dedicated to improve fuel efficiency, and hopefully reduce the amount of "gas wasting" cars/trucks that are offered and delivered by Chevy.
The concept needs further development and definition. By 2011, when they claim this car will be in full production the use-cases for a high-efficiency car will be much refined , and I bet the consumer expectations will be beyond the 40 mile "electric range". they have not defined yet how efficiently the gas engine will operate to produce power to the battery. In addition, what about regenerating power when breaking (as Toyota does in their current hybrid models), to me that is an "easy" way to catch some energy to charge the battery.
Good luck Chevy. Lets hope you don't need to sell the company to a private investor before you can fulfill the dream an "electric" car.
Notice how there is no explination about Heaters or Air Conditioning in these cars. How many mile using Air Conditioning if they have any, How do they generate heat for winter use. How many miles of use when its 10 below zero, what happens to the battery life then. Styling is one thing, operating conditions are what is really important. Do these cars have ABS, or intertainment centers, or windsheild wipers that died when the batteries are dying. How much do replacement batteries cost when these batteries die. How many recharges and how many ampere/hours do you get per charge over time. 60 miles now, 40 miles next year, 20 miles the 3rd year/ per charge? No one has answered my questions at auto shows. I've been totally ignored when I've asked.
All questions answered. Join the revolution at www.gm-volt.com.
The most advanced vehicular battery pack currently in production is produced by Altair Nano Technologies, altairnano.com. Life cycle testing has demonstrated more than 9500 deep discharge cycles with only slight degradation of performance. Rapid charge time, 10mins, passed government safety tests, cold weather operation at minus 30 degrees centigrade and still at 90% of full capacity. Phoenixmotorcars.com is delivering SUT's (Sport Utility Trucks) this year in California to Pacific Gas and Electric. Speed of 95mph, 0 to 60 in 10seconds, and driving range on a full 35kWhr charge of over 100miles carrying 5 passengers and a full load in the pickup bed. Next year these vehicles will be available to the public according to Phoenix.
Mr. Cordell raises many significant questions that need to be answered. The cost per mile ($0.02) need to be adjusted for the Life/Mileage/Replacement Cost of the batteries.
I watched the movie "Who killed the electric car" recently. Essentially it was the big oil companies who have alot of money yet to make. i'm afraid we will not have honest efforts for oil replacement for a long time.
The three major auto makers should dust off earlier designs and get serious about FULLY powered electric automobilies, but maybe they are only interested to serve oil companies and help other auto makers outside of the United States.
The Chevy Volt IS an All-Electric vehicle. Chevy has only added a generator, so you won't get stranded without a means of recharging your vehicle. One main reason auto consumers aren't out buying up all-electric vehicles is because no one wants to be stranded on the side of the road in need of an electric outlet. The 40 miles, instead of 100 miles, of all-electric travel is because the Chevy Volt is using 66% less battery volume of the EV1. Obviously, shedding weight serves many useful purposes, like better performance and fuel economy. I personally live 15 miles from work, and occasionally take a trip on the weekends of about 400 miles. With the Chevy Volt, I could go to work during the week and never use a drop of gasoline. Then, I could take my weekend trip in the same vehicle and still get 50mpg which is much better gas mileage than in my current vehicle. Also, keep in mind that since the generator is not part of the power-train, it can be fueled by any alternate fuel simply by replacing the generators motor. Hybrid vehicles all have an electric motor and a gasoline motor as part of the power-train. When the batteries in a Hybrid vehicle discharge, you are left with only a very small gasoline motor to power the car. This usually happens when the regenerative braking does not function, like when climbing a mountain or in the city gridlock. I wouldn't want to try to climb a mountain with a 1liter engine. The Chevy Volt will have the same performance, regardless of driving conditions. Don't forget that this vehicle will not consume energy when sitting still in traffic, unlike conventional gasoline or hybrid vehicles. Since the Chevy Volt has a battery life of approx 10 years, battery replacement cost shouldn't be an issue for the original owner, because most people don't keep a vehicle longer than 10 years. As far as 100 miles being better than 40 miles, the Chevy Volt has a total range of 640 miles when used like a hybrid. That’s enough range to plan a vacation around. Up until the Chevy Volt, owners of all-electric vehicles had to purchase, or rent, a second vehicle to take trips. Now you only need one vehicle for both. Sign me up!
Jarod, thanks for the insightful pros and cons.
I have to agree with posters who have doubts....
I cant see battery technology being any less efficient than the EV1....
Did you catch the part where he called EV1 drivers "owners"?
Anyone who knows...GM never sold any EV1's, they refused to.
GM only allowed leases with no option to buy.
WHY? OIL.
I believe it's the reason this car is not out on the road today.