EPA rates the Volt: 93 MPG-equivalent on electricity, 37 MPG gas, 60 MPG combined
09-22-08, 11:45 AM
#121
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Well say if the battery is pretty much run out of it's battery charge but not enough for the engine to kick in before you park.
You come back to your car, and the battery is still pretty much dead. You turn on the car, the engine kicks on at this time. Do you sit there til the battery charges enough for you to drive?
You come back to your car, and the battery is still pretty much dead. You turn on the car, the engine kicks on at this time. Do you sit there til the battery charges enough for you to drive?
09-22-08, 12:07 PM
#122
No you can't. The only thing that drives the wheels are the electronic motors. The ICE engine is specifically for charging the LI-ION batteries. That's why I'm so confused. I'm sure GM thought of it but a lot of details are still unreleased.
The Volt is not a hybrid. It's an electric vehicle with gas engine assist for charging the batteries when you're not near a plug.
The Volt is not a hybrid. It's an electric vehicle with gas engine assist for charging the batteries when you're not near a plug.
09-22-08, 03:59 PM
#123
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Well say if the battery is pretty much run out of it's battery charge but not enough for the engine to kick in before you park.
You come back to your car, and the battery is still pretty much dead. You turn on the car, the engine kicks on at this time. Do you sit there til the battery charges enough for you to drive?
You come back to your car, and the battery is still pretty much dead. You turn on the car, the engine kicks on at this time. Do you sit there til the battery charges enough for you to drive?
09-22-08, 04:54 PM
#124
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Interesting little bit. Has me scratching my head a little bit if its true.
Volt: A pricey short hauler?
Overshadowed Cruze is GM's real savior
Source: Autonews.com
Volt: A pricey short hauler?
Overshadowed Cruze is GM's real savior
Last week, I learned that GM wants to optimize the Volt for motorists who would use it for relatively short daily hauls.
Frank Weber, the Volt's chief engineer, let slip that the vehicle's gasoline engine will not recharge the batteries during daily operations. The only way to recharge those lithium ion batteries is by plugging them into an outlet.
Now, this doesn't mean that you'll be stranded by the roadside if the batteries run down. Once you've driven 40 miles or so, the gasoline engine will generate electricity to power the car. But after the first 40 miles, the batteries might as well be a paperweight.
Frank Weber, the Volt's chief engineer, let slip that the vehicle's gasoline engine will not recharge the batteries during daily operations. The only way to recharge those lithium ion batteries is by plugging them into an outlet.
Now, this doesn't mean that you'll be stranded by the roadside if the batteries run down. Once you've driven 40 miles or so, the gasoline engine will generate electricity to power the car. But after the first 40 miles, the batteries might as well be a paperweight.
09-22-08, 08:39 PM
#125
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People are not going to buy the Volt just for short-haul commuting. This is America, and people use highways all the time. Sooner or later, Volt owners will use their car for medium-haul trips on the highway and I have a feeling the Volt will not perform so great in those conditions after 40 miles.
09-22-08, 08:59 PM
#126
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No you can't. The only thing that drives the wheels are the electronic motors. The ICE engine is specifically for charging the LI-ION batteries. That's why I'm so confused. I'm sure GM thought of it but a lot of details are still unreleased.
The Volt is not a hybrid. It's an electric vehicle with gas engine assist for charging the batteries when you're not near a plug.
The Volt is not a hybrid. It's an electric vehicle with gas engine assist for charging the batteries when you're not near a plug.
09-22-08, 10:42 PM
#127
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Lutz said it will travel like 200 more miles, but if that is a 10 gallon tank, would you think that is good?
09-23-08, 04:59 AM
#128
Does that seem kinda lame to anyone else? To recharge your batteries you need to wait til you get home? There's going to be a lot of energy lost when you transfer from gas->electric->drive wheels rather than gas->drive wheels. This was seriously better off as a hybrid plugin with EV mode up to 40 miles.
09-23-08, 06:21 AM
#129
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This vehicle won't be for everyone. But I think you guys are still missing the point. If your daily driving is 40 mi. or less, you will get INFINITE mpg, use NO gas. No hybrid can claim that.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
09-23-08, 06:28 AM
#130
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This vehicle won't be for everyone. But I think you guys are still missing the point. If your daily driving is 40 mi. or less, you will get INFINITE mpg, use NO gas. No hybrid can claim that.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
09-23-08, 07:47 AM
#131
This vehicle won't be for everyone. But I think you guys are still missing the point. If your daily driving is 40 mi. or less, you will get INFINITE mpg, use NO gas. No hybrid can claim that.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
But is this car good for taking five people 300 miles to Wallyworld? NO.
This is a useful commuter car option. But there's no free lunch - choose your trade-off.
I wouldn't buy the car because it isn't for me. It would work for me in the case of commuting but because I live in an apartment I don't have access to plug the car in overnight.
I can see why GM is setting the sell point low because it's a niche vehicle. Most people who buy a car don't plan to have to buy another car for secondary uses.
09-24-08, 10:34 AM
#132
Chevy Volt Battery Does Not Recharge While Driving
Here's the link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=132112
I knew something was fishy about this car all along because it just sounds too good to be true... I think GM has hyped up the Volt just a little bit too much and it is going to come back and bite them once the complete story is surfaced.
Toyota probably knew about this the whole time and that's why they aren't even worried...
I knew something was fishy about this car all along because it just sounds too good to be true... I think GM has hyped up the Volt just a little bit too much and it is going to come back and bite them once the complete story is surfaced.
Toyota probably knew about this the whole time and that's why they aren't even worried...
09-24-08, 10:58 AM
#134
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Lutz proclaimed that the Volt is a "pure electric" hybrid in that the engine is only used for recharging the battery. Turns out the engine powers the whole car after 40 miles....terrible engineering if true!
