http://www.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/01/07/...ept/index.html

Pretty good write up.

Starting with a full charge, the car could theoretically operate for about 40 miles at suburban street speeds without needing to burn any gasoline at all.

It would take about 6.5 hours to fully charge the Volt's batteries from an outlet. The vehicle could, however, be driven without a full charge but would need to rely on its gasoline engine sooner.

Unlike other hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the Volt's gasoline engine would never power the car's wheels. Instead, it would recharge the car's batteries if needed while the car would continue to run on electric power alone.

The Volt's electric motor can produce up to 121 kilowatts, the equivalent of about 161 horsepower. It can produce 320 newton-meters, or about 236 foot-pounds, of torque. Electric motors offer more torque - the pulling power a car uses to accelerate - relative to their kilowatt or horsepower output than gasoline engines do.

 

Nice. A little improvement needed on the face but I like the overall design.

Now that GM's joined the "hybrid" bandwagon, would some here be calling those who will buy this GM car fools like they did those who bought the Prius? Hmm, I wonder....

 

I must be the only person who thinks the Tonka-toy proportions of the wheels to the body of that car look ridiculous. Sign of the times, I s'pose.

If our country had been working seriously at renewable energy, we wouldn't be in this pickle regarding battery technology. I seem to remember a writeup during the early 90's where some university research had yielded batteries that could be housed in much smaller and more malleable plastic "packets" since they didn't use the volatile chemicals that most batteries use today.

There was a blurb about how the government stepped in to "procure" the research, then I never saw another mention of it again.

 

Not sure about all of that.

True test is cost effectiveness. This battery technology might be do-able, but what's the cost and can it be passed on to a car that'll compete effectively with a gasoline car. Got to convince people to buy the car, and it's made more difficult when it's more expensive than whet they're used to.

Although it's not politically correct or fashionable to say so, but the internal combustion engine is the lowest cost, most efficent way of producing power in an automobile.

 

I would hesitate to make such a general statement. It only takes about 50HP to sustain a 3000# car at 60MPH.

There are 2-strokes, 4-strokes, 5-strokes (!!!), Wankel, Gas Turbines, V-type engines, H-type engines, I-type engines, diesels, and hybrids. The Toyota Prius, as one such presentation of evidence, is proof enough to refute your assertion.

I wouldn't let political considerations cloud an open mind. The old "Golf-Cart" analogy is obsolete. Lead-Acid batteries are no longer employed.

Just look at a railroad engine. It's a diesel-electric. Its diesel engines turn generators that charge the batteries that power the electric motors that turn the wheels. The diesels run 24/7 to keep the batteries charged and ramp up when necessary to charge the batteries during high-demand. The new Volt is similar in concept.

 

That is a good looking car. 1000x better than the prius

Yup, that is the reason why the prius is the best selling hybrid car. When you think Corvette you think sports car, when you think Prius you think hybrid good gas mileage.

GM needs to copy the Prius formula and one up them with a better looking car that is plugin

 

Regarding the windows around the waisteline... I wonder if that would be production feasible? If not, I wonder if the design would be as catchy?

 

And I suppose you believe in the 100 mpg carburetor that the oil companies bought and then hid too, eh?

I recall a good quote from someone close to EV engineering: there are lies, damn lies, and battery engineers . Ever since the dawn of the automobile in the late 1800s it's been the battery technology that's held back the electric car. Over 100 years later, nothing's changed. Even as long as I can remember, automakers have proclaimed that a viable electric car is "less than a decade away", as soon as some battery breakthroughs happen. Of course the breakthroughs don't, and the ten year window keeps getting kicked down the road.

I'm not sure what to think of the Volt yet. Perhaps GM should lower their expectations and put a smaller, current-technology battery in it, and thus have a realistic shot at producing it. Maybe a battery that could power the car 20 miles before they need recharging, after which point the car becomes a series hybrid. I don't know if a series hybrid is much more efficient than a parallel hybrid, but it certainly would be simpler.

But I guess if GM reduced the range any further they couldn't claim to be an electric car anymore (the 40 mile range is already stretching the definition IMO). Then they would end up just being another me-too hybrid in the eyes in the consumer. In other words, they wouldn't get the publicity mileage out of it, which is really the purpose of the Volt.

 

I like the grille. The whole idea is neat. I dont like the flat sides though.

 

The fender creases reminded me of a past Chevy concept...The Nomad bears a passing resemblance in some areas.

 

So is this car actually coming out? Or is it just a demonstration of what GM can do and they won't come out with a real one for some time?

 

Actually, I believe I came across the story while sifting through scientific journals for a research project back in college. You'd also be surprised at what's been accomplished with magnetic flywheels, yet we see absolutely zilcho about it in the mainstream press or current product offerings.

My point is that if more resources were funneled to research regarding different, cleaner methods of power production, the the methods would not be so "prohibitively expensive" now. It would be a lot like imagining if the we had never gone past vacuum tubes for electronics, then the world going up in arms over cost once someone starts talking about transistors.

 

That could also mean that the military now controls it.

 

Too bad it's a four door.

 

It seems to me that GM is seriously considering production of the Volt. They are taking a poll about it on GM.com,and making inquiries about the batteries with various suppliers (or so I hear).

IMO, GM should produce this car even if it costs them a bit to do so (loss-leader). The goodwill and positive PR could be well worth it. I'd love to see it make a profit though.

EDIT: Oh yeah, GM also says that it is based on an upcoming small car platform, which should help make the case for it.