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The Chevrolet Volt

Do you believe the Chevy Volt is an important development in the auto industry?


  • Total voters
    22
How long will the battery last before it needs replacing and what will the cost be? Me I will continue to buy ethanol free gas.

Most of the batteries will last 4-5 years, though it depends on how much you're charging/discharging them. Most companies making hybrids or electric vehicles throw in one free battery replacement with the warranty however.
 
It seems very expensive, and I doubt it offsets CO2 in the long run. I don't believe in AGW, but using electricity still emits CO2 due to the fact that a power plant must produce the energy to charge your car. Also economically, you still have to pay for the electricity to run the thing, and that's not free (and in some areas can be expensive).
 
Though the range is too low for my current needs, I do think it is great that the US is beginning to make automobiles that in the future, will help us get off of the oil drug.
 
For an all electric car, what is the range while using the air conditioner? My last employer had an EV1 that we could test out for a few weeks, and one of our engineers did. He liked it, but running AC in AZ is desired in all but the few cold weeks of winter.
If they ever get the price down to about half of what it is today, we could use one for our Utah place. Going shopping for us means going down hill to get to town, and it is only about 5 miles one way.
We will still need a "road trip" car, for when we drive to AZ twice a year, so we will keep the Silverado. And the 10 year old Impala that we keep in Utah has low miles on it, should last another 10 years based on the way we use it. So they have 10 years to develop and build what we need at a price we can be happy with...
 
I've looked at the Volt extensively, and I will say that - almost across the board - Nissan's Leaf is better. It goes further without a recharge (approx. 100 miles), it's 7 or 8 thousand dollars less on the sticker, and it's a smoother ride with similar bells and whistles. The one biggest drawback with the Leaf is that, as of the day of articles I read on it, it does not have a fossil fuel-based backup system that kicks in when the electric engine runs out of juice. Therefore, you could easily become stuck if you do extensive travel.

Having said that, we're still a few years away before this technology gets perfected, or even close to. I'll hold off and just get a cheaper 40 mpg car if I need to save a buck.
 
I've looked at the Volt extensively, and I will say that - almost across the board - Nissan's Leaf is better. It goes further without a recharge (approx. 100 miles), it's 7 or 8 thousand dollars less on the sticker, and it's a smoother ride with similar bells and whistles. The one biggest drawback with the Leaf is that, as of the day of articles I read on it, it does not have a fossil fuel-based backup system that kicks in when the electric engine runs out of juice. Therefore, you could easily become stuck if you do extensive travel.

Having said that, we're still a few years away before this technology gets perfected, or even close to. I'll hold off and just get a cheaper 40 mpg car if I need to save a buck.

Ironically without the battery.. the volt gets 50mpg.

I see the range on the volt a huge advantage. The 40 miles of driving without using any petroleum will get people around on battery power alone for normal daily activities. The leaf is a good product but the range anxiety will get some people.
 
I've looked at the Volt extensively, and I will say that - almost across the board - Nissan's Leaf is better. It goes further without a recharge (approx. 100 miles), it's 7 or 8 thousand dollars less on the sticker, and it's a smoother ride with similar bells and whistles. The one biggest drawback with the Leaf is that, as of the day of articles I read on it, it does not have a fossil fuel-based backup system that kicks in when the electric engine runs out of juice. Therefore, you could easily become stuck if you do extensive travel.

Having said that, we're still a few years away before this technology gets perfected, or even close to. I'll hold off and just get a cheaper 40 mpg car if I need to save a buck.
Extensive or long range travel on batteries is far, far in the future.
I am curious about maintenance issues, especially once the "average driver" starts abusing their electric cars.
 
Extensive or long range travel on batteries is far, far in the future.
I am curious about maintenance issues, especially once the "average driver" starts abusing their electric cars.

Electric cars will have less maintenence.. they have few moving parts then a gas powered vehicle. Standard rule with all machines .. less moving parts.. less breakage.

 
I prefer to just hook it to a charger and call it a day.
I don't want the extra trips for gas and having to change the oil.
If you buy a car new, you're getting screwed.
I bought my car used, financed it at an incredibly high interest rate and the total cost, with financing, never got to $20k.
I think it was $16k total.

Keep in mind... the gas engine in the Volt is not like a typical car engine. It's more like a suped up lawnmower engine (it's a 1.4 liter 4 cylinder). All it does is charge maintian the battery charge at about 30%... it by itself does not 'drive' the car. Maintenance efforts on it would be no worse than what you do for a lawnmower now. And you might have to go get gas once a month if you keep it properly charged.
 
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Electric cars will have less maintenence.. they have few moving parts then a gas powered vehicle. Standard rule with all machines .. less moving parts.. less breakage.

]
. Less maintenance, yes, but different kinds. Never under estimate the consumer...:2razz:
 
A properly designed electric car has vastly reduced maintenance compared to a gasoline engine. You eliminated the two most complex parts, the transmission and engine, in addition to greatly lowering wear on the brakes. A properly designed series hybrid can also have reduced maintenance needs, but without quite as dramatic an impact. However, mechanics will need to be trained on electric motors and batteries in order to service the new vehicles.
 
Not as a mainstream car. The price point is too high.
 
Not as a mainstream car. The price point is too high.

Yeah I give these cars a few years to build up production efficiency. In the meantime it will be an impressive automotive industry accomplishment in my opinion. I'm thinking it might pay off to invest in the lithium ion battery market in some way before the industry takes off. It would be great to get in on a stock that is effected by the growth of this market.
 
I like it but its just too expensive now.

I just hope all those evil good for nothing rich people with their filthy stinking money go out and buy a bunch of them so that the technology becomes proven and improves and thus becomes less expensive so that within a decade you can see these type of things for $15,000 to $20,000...stinky filthy evil rich people and buying up their luxuries.
 
Yeah I give these cars a few years to build up production efficiency. In the meantime it will be an impressive automotive industry accomplishment in my opinion. I'm thinking it might pay off to invest in the lithium ion battery market in some way before the industry takes off. It would be great to get in on a stock that is effected by the growth of this market.

Yeah lets hope so.. currently they are doing nothing with their money anyhow.

washingtonpost.com
 
Other alternatives e.g., an all-electric vehicle from Nissan (100 miles per battery charge; $32,780 price) may be ahead of the Volt in some important dimensions.
 
I’ll take this hybrid when you can take my muscle car from my cold dead hands! :)
 
I've looked at the Volt extensively, and I will say that - almost across the board - Nissan's Leaf is better. It goes further without a recharge (approx. 100 miles), it's 7 or 8 thousand dollars less on the sticker, and it's a smoother ride with similar bells and whistles. The one biggest drawback with the Leaf is that, as of the day of articles I read on it, it does not have a fossil fuel-based backup system that kicks in when the electric engine runs out of juice. Therefore, you could easily become stuck if you do extensive travel.

Having said that, we're still a few years away before this technology gets perfected, or even close to. I'll hold off and just get a cheaper 40 mpg car if I need to save a buck.
But you're doing it for the good of mankind, what's a little sacrifice on your part?
 
Gipper said:
I've looked at the Volt extensively, and I will say that - almost across the board - Nissan's Leaf is better. It goes further without a recharge (approx. 100 miles), it's 7 or 8 thousand dollars less on the sticker, and it's a smoother ride with similar bells and whistles. The one biggest drawback with the Leaf is that, as of the day of articles I read on it, it does not have a fossil fuel-based backup system that kicks in when the electric engine runs out of juice. Therefore, you could easily become stuck if you do extensive travel.

Having said that, we're still a few years away before this technology gets perfected, or even close to. I'll hold off and just get a cheaper 40 mpg car if I need to save a buck.
Ironically without the battery.. the volt gets 50mpg.

I see the range on the volt a huge advantage. The 40 miles of driving without using any petroleum will get people around on battery power alone for normal daily activities. The leaf is a good product but the range anxiety will get some people.

As I pointed out (a few posts from when you posted yours, it seems), that is not strictly true. The 50 MPG on the gas engine is not 'without the battery', as the gas engine itself does nopt drive the car. All it is capable of doing is keeping the battery at roughly 30% charge state, extending it's range. Essentially, when the battery charge gets to only 30%, the gas engine kicks in and maintians the charge at 30% until it runs out of gas. That works out to about 50MPG.
 
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As I pointed out (a few posts from when you posted yours, it seems), that is not strictly true. The 50 MPG on the gas engine is not 'without the battery', as the gas engine itself does nopt drive the car. All it is capable of doing is keeping the battery at roughly 30% charge state, extending it's range. Essentially, when the battery charge gets to only 30%, the gas engine kicks in and maintians the charge at 30% until it runs out of gas. That works out to about 50MPG.

Want 40 MPG buy a Harley
 
Other alternatives e.g., an all-electric vehicle from Nissan (100 miles per battery charge; $32,780 price) may be ahead of the Volt in some important dimensions.

Indeed. The Leaf can allegedly recharge on a 500V line in 30 minutes. One has to wonder who has such a line, but that ability is quite useful. I can see some enterprising person setting up a ZipCar like company with 500V lines at small parking lots across town with Nissan Leafs. No gas charge. Instant advantage over ZipCar.

If you live in Alaska, a Leaf is bad idea. If you live in small town or city like Portland Oregon, a leaf is a winning idea. Especially with the price after credits.
 
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