The Chevy Volt in China. GM now touting hydrogen. Note the last photo and the auxiliary power source! http://news.com.com/2300-11389_3-6177935-1...?tag=ne.gall.pg
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Earthling @ Apr 20 2007, 01:19 PM) [snapback]426875[/snapback]</div> I assume you mean this on?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Apr 21 2007, 06:21 AM) [snapback]427256[/snapback]</div> The four people pushing ( their names are Hy,dro, ge,n ) guess they couldn't find a refuelling station nearby..
i was for the original design with the plug in option and the onboard ice for longer trips but this has gotten just stupid. They will never bring this car to market because they cant decide what they want it to be. Who ever in runs the company has no ability to decide it like he has thousands of ideas to choose from and is so scatter brained nothing really gets done.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 21 2007, 08:27 AM) [snapback]427267[/snapback]</div> This is exactly what they said the E-Flex would be originally. It will be a versatile design depending up location and expected use. They've suggested that the EU platform would likely be diesel, the US Gas...I don't know what market they expect the hydrogen to be for. In theory they're trying to think expansively such that this single E-flex platform can be on that will grow with the technology. In short, there is no plan to change the gas ICE/generator for the US version of the Volt.
The Volt is doing just what it was designed for, PR only. These guys are starting to look like the Three Stooges. How much time can they buy with PR is their game .
I don't see why you all are disrespecting the Volt. I personally like the futuristic look and to be honest it isn't like the prius has the best looks either. Also, I totally support GM an American car maker trying to advance it's fleet towards more fuel efficient vehicles. I didn't go out and buy a prius simply because I'm in love with the prius, I bought it because it is the most practical vehicle a person can buy at the moment. If chevy develops the Volt and it is more efficient I'm not bitter; I'm more excited. The additional competition will hopefully spur a "fuel mileage" race rather than the "biggest engine" era of old. The next gen prius, chevy's e-flex technology, and ford's hySeries are all exciting technologies that I am eagerly awaiting to arrive for the public!! (also it looks like some people got the impression that this is a purely hydrogen chevy volt. It is still the e-flex technology just the hydrogen version used to recharge the battery. Chevy said they can make these hybrids with hydrogen, biofuel, ethanol, diesel, gas... it doesn't matter, this is just the hydrogen verison, not a full out hydrogen car, it still gives you the 30-40 miles of pure EV mode)
Its not that we don’t like the volt because it is a Chevy it is that it has been in the works for years and every time they need to take the heat off they bring it up again. If you go to the Chevy website you will see the hybrid they are brining to market in 2008 is a full sized 4x4 suv that will at best get 21mpg highway and Chevy is bragging about how green it is.The volt is supposedly years away. http://www.chevrolet.com/hybrid/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kdk84 @ Apr 27 2007, 08:57 PM) [snapback]431428[/snapback]</div> Maybe because it's just hype and PR and there are folks here touting how much better than a Prius it is? When there's a real car for sale at my local Chevy dealer, then get back to me. I'd love to see GM compete, but figure between their efforts to dilute the "hybrid" name with their trucks, and their E85 lobbying games, I'm not too impressed or excited about their future.
Yeah I agree the american automakers have been doing alot of talk, but now I think the buyers will force them to get their act together. The Volt has what a 2010 estimated release date?? I wouldn't anticipate the hydrogen model being released as their won't be any hydrogen infrastructure by then. But you can't blame the automakers for there not being any place to fill up... thank the oil companies for that one.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Topgas @ Apr 21 2007, 06:07 PM) [snapback]427518[/snapback]</div> The managed to buy about 10 years just with the hyrogen promise back in 2000. And as of yesterday at the most recent CARB meeting in Sacramento - GM and others are gearing up once again to defend why they will need a wee bit MORE time to get the H2 kinks worked out. More time to NOT do much of anything else, as before. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kdk84 @ Apr 27 2007, 05:57 PM) [snapback]431428[/snapback]</div> The reasion that I personally have a bit of disrespect is because the only reason we're given that this car is not going into production as a PHEV is because "the batteries aren't ready yet".... whilst I drive my 100+ mile full EV that has been in production for 11 years.
I personally like the idea/design of the volt. Now if they would just put it on the market. if it had been out since 2004 I would have bought one in 2006 if it was proven to be reliable (ie not huge number of recalls, no major problems, etc) by the time GM gets the volt to market Honda and Toyota will have better cars on the market. If Toyota makes a plug in prius with better batteries I would buy that as I know the hybrid system would be based on the current one and they have the experience to make it work first time off the production line. Now if the gm comes out and is better than the prius or equivalent Honda I might think about it but Gm would have to prove at this point than they mean to make better more fuel efficient cars and trucks. I always say trucks have a purpose and when used for that they are good vehicles but as commuter vehicles they suck. As long as we have privately owned construction companies, farms, and other such occupations we will need trucks. If we made it a law that you had to prove a need for such vehicles there would be very few trucks and suvs on the road. And if you wanted one for recreation you would have to pay extra for the toy and also show mileage logs but that kind of regulation has no place in a free market.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 27 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]431440[/snapback]</div> The 21mpg that you're quoting from the Chevy website is for the non-hybrid Chevy Tahoe, the hybrid version doesn't have an EPA rating yet. Not to be nit-picky, but every little bit of mpg improvement counts, esp. since Americans just LOVE their big SUVs and will probably not switch to smaller, lighter cars anytime soon. A hybrid SUV is still the lesser of the two evils for those who absolutely MUST drive an SUV.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Apr 28 2007, 01:45 AM) [snapback]431565[/snapback]</div> Oh I went and looked again and I did miss read that thanks. i agree any improvement is good but don’t go telling me that a vehicle that after the 25%increas is going to average about 20-22mg combined maybe is will break 23 maybe is a green car. I am going to get pissed when some yuppie in traffic says ha my Suv is just as green as your puny prius. Now if they can get something that big with that kind of towing capacity to get 30+mpg when not towing I will be impressed.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 27 2007, 09:42 PM) [snapback]431440[/snapback]</div> "Concept", Dilbert style: http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Apr 27 2007, 10:45 PM) [snapback]431565[/snapback]</div> That's true but if they're not paying attention to their driving habits, that 2mpg can be easily erased.
