Just rode in a VOLT!

[UFO]

Let's start the planning for a diesel conversion once the Volt hits the market. That will improve the mileage.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by euromodder

It's EV-range isn't even enough for my own 30mile / 50km commute without recharging (no facilities at work, and pretty few in the entire country come to think of it).

Rather than *****ing and moaning about the range, maybe you should put more effort into getting a recharge point installed at your place of work.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Rather than *****ing and moaning about the range, maybe you should put more effort into getting a recharge point installed at your place of work.

...why? Gas stations are everywhere already!

...it's called INFRASTRUCTURE, and EV's don't "have" it yet. When they do, THEN they'll be VIABLE...which currently they're not and so are currently only barely marginal.

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by UFO

Let's start the planning for a diesel conversion once the Volt hits the market. That will improve the mileage.

Actually, a diesel generator as a range extender for an EV sounds like a great idea.

I seem to remember when they were first working on the Volt, mention of a "modular" generator system, where you could possibly have a diesel or flex-fuel version as an option.

Old Tele Man's comment about EV charging stations is half-true and half circular logic. It's a chicken and egg problem. We can't have EVs without charging stations, and nobody will put up charging stations until there are lots of EVs around.

The truth is that we need to get both to happen at the same time - that's always a bit of a trick.

We DO have plenty of electricity all over the place, INCLUDING parking lots (count the light posts there!) unfortunately, it was always designed to keep it safely AWAY from everyone and vandalism resistant.

Now that we WANT access for charging EVs, it just simply isn't available.

Oddly enough, my local grocery store has electric outlets ALL OVER the parking lot. They use them to run the block heaters on diesel construction equipment used to clear snow in the winter. I inquired about charging my car at those outlets and was told that I couldn't because "it would drive up the utility bills for the building tenants"!

I wonder what the cost of running 2 block heaters 24-hours a day all winter is?

[cfg83]

bennelson -

Originally Posted by bennelson

I heard a lot about the pressurized tank when I saw the car.
I didn't think about if it had to be one material or another to pressurize it. Sure looked like plastic from under the back of the car! I thought that's what many manufacturers were using now, as it can't rust out.

Maybe it's just a plastic cover or coating? I suppose a nice thick coat of powdercoat paint could look like that too.

I didn't actually bang on the tank to listen to it.

That's what I am thinking, a plastic cover. Maybe you can put a magnet up to the plastic the next time you see one. If it tries to stick to the plastic, then there is steel underneath.

CarloSW2

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...why? Gas stations are everywhere already!

...it's called INFRASTRUCTURE, and EV's don't "have" it yet. When they do, THEN they'll be VIABLE...which currently they're not and so are currently only barely marginal.

Typical fail attitude.

[Frank Lee]

This is why, sometimes, gummint mandates are needed to get the ball rolling on something that is necessary to benefit society yet doesn't get going privately because the profit incentive ain't there.

[robchalmers]

when I was lookingto convert my last polo to electric I asked work about charging onsite, and they said not until there was more of a requirement from other users and then they'd charge

the thing is with a leaf, a fluence, mini e or quite a few other pure ev's I can do my 75mile daily commute with out a top-up. so why pay for more for a car that still suffers from a drinking habit or would require me to beg for electricity to get home!

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Typical fail attitude.

...no, just experience watching GM-Hughes install power stations here in Tucson for the GM EVO 'lease' vehicles only to later see them yanked-out when GM "crushed" all the EVO's.

...oh, and, by the way, the EGG existed LONG before the CHICKEN did (wink,wink)!

[bennelson]

The weird thing that I have noticed with the Volt design is that WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO OTHER COMING CARS, it is only the best car choice for a limited group.

That is, people who routinely drive LESS than 40 miles round-trip AND drive MORE than 100 miles.

The ideal buyer of a Volt is someone who would make the most use of its electric-only range (without also having to charge) but would also fairly often make trips of at least 100 miles. And their family owns one car.

As robchalmers says, a Leaf would let you go farther - 100 miles on a charge, and cost less than a Volt to purchase. The Leaf wouldn't let you do the longer range that the Volt (running on gas) would be able to.

In my area, most families have two cars. I do feel that would be a good way to "build your own plug-in hybrid". Drive a Leaf or similar for all your regular driving. (Charged at night on renewably-sourced electricity if you can..) And then drive an inexpensive, high-fuel-economy ICE car for the trips over 100 miles.