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Chevy Volt

3K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Junior 
#1 ·
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/gm-lifts-curtain-battery-powered-chevy/story.aspx?guid={8E46DF65-9654-4D44-BF30-5A8BD563D0D4}&dist=msr_12


Might have to look into one of these. ;)
 
#6 ·
at first I was thinking 40 mi wasnt that far; but then when I realized on my average commute and the little bit of running around town I do, I'd rarely kick in the gas motor. Guess that wouldnt be too bad. So the real question is, if you plug it in every night, do you end up with the battery memory problems like cel phones have? (and I dont buy into the story that li-on batteries dont have that issue...i've seen otherwise)
 
#9 ·
I like the concept better now it looks like the Honda Echo or whatever the thing is called
 
#10 ·
They needed to make it more appealing to the masses to get a greater spectrum of potential buyers. Personally, I like the new design better.

As to the battery question and memory, I'm not sure. It could happen, but I don't think it'll be as much of an issue as what it thought right now. Also, it looks like they've come out with a new technology for batteries called LiFePO4 which may address a large number of concerns regarding range, power, etc.

More info
 
#13 ·
I think there's a number of different option out there. I tend to like this one the best out of all of the them.

Although, here's my short-term wish list on all electric cars:

1) Range of 100 miles (would like to see 400 continuous in a few years)
2) Not a clown car sized vehicle (Not a Zen, Smart car, etc. Something mid sized like the Malibu or Taurus which I think the Volt is supposed to be)
3) Self charging via solar panels and wind turbines (If I drive to work, I'd like to have the vehicle charging via solar while it's sitting idle. Can use mini wind turbines in the car to generate electricity to charge as well.
4) Reliable (We all know how reliable new technology is...)


Review of some all electric cars

See what the Danish are doing with wind power and electric cars. Why can't we do that here?


my only problem with the car is the price. imo it needs to be 20-25,000 not 35-40,000.

and the price of replacing the batteries is going to be a point when comparing to IC vehicles imo
Agreed. I could see starting at 25 and going to 35 for full on luxury. That's about what the average mid sized car is going for currently I believe.

Price of replacing the batteries will play a role of some degree. But, by the same token, the cost of maintenance and repair over the years on an IC engine is even more expensive when you compare them.

Downside to all this alternative stuff is that it's more expensive initially than the current items they're meant to replace.
 
#14 ·
ya we've got some serious windfarms up here too, decent way to go, but the efficiency just isn't there yet. There's also seriously not words for how massive those things are.

And yes, stepping away from the clown cars would certainly be nice. Unfortunatly, at this point they're still driving mainly towards a euro market that EXPECTS to drive a clown sized car.
 
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