GM exec confirms that this cat is out of the bag

I'm goig to be narrow minded like most are against the volt. You floor the Prius PHV and it burns gas? Why burn gas untill the battery is low? Volt> Prius Phv... We have the winner!!!!

 

Think about it? The leaf is a better battery car, but no long trips and your always tied to the grid. that makes the leaf alot cheaper. What would it cost if it was like the Prius Phv or volt with gas extended range?

Prius Phv short electric range, then burns gas. More effecient over all. But it they got the ev range to match the volt, what would the price be?

Ford and Hundai don't even make a car thet can go a few miles on EV yet, so we can't compare prices yet!!!!

 

Thank you Mr Lutz . . . thank you Mr Wagoner.

Your legacy of stupid half truths lives on. They're long gone ... but not forgotten.
(shaking head)

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Because it is a hybrid. It does not pretend to be an EV. Two heads (propulsions) are better than one. Volt's acceleration is faster in CS mode with gas engine assist. That proves my point.

By your logic, 1 > 1+1. Care to clarify?

 

I heard this question on the Auto Line Daily podcast: are Electric Vehicles allowed to have a 'range extender' with a mechanical linkage to the wheels?

The reason is the $7,000 tax credit applies to electric vehicles, not hybrids.

This will take someone above my 'pay grade' to answer. However, if the mechanical linkage does not work at all speeds, I'd be willing to call it non-hybrid. I see a hybrid as having mechanical assist at all speeds including from a stop.

Bob Wilson

 

This discussion is like arguing which is the better tool: a chisel or a screwdriver? They are both good tools. You can use a screwdriver as a chisel, and a chisel as a screwdriver, but neither works as well as the intended tool. So which is better? It all depends on your problem.

Likewise with these cars. A high efficiency diesel works well for highway driving and big trucks. An EV like the Leaf is great for short distance commuting and around town driving. A hybrid like the Prius does a good job with both, but not the best with either. The Volt will likewise fill a niche. How well it does, and whether it will gain market acceptance is yet to be seen.

Tom

 

Wow, it's a little amusing to see some of you reaching hard to bash the Volt. I'm not a supporter of GM (I think they make terrible boats of cars), but all the criticisms about the car being less fuel efficient than the Prius - it's not like the PHEV Prius is going to be any better. The thing doesn't even have the Volt's range...

Honestly if you're complaining about burning one tank of gas a year, practically speaking, it sounds a little desperate.

 

The big question is how the cat got into the bag. And why gm would want a cat in a bag anyway.

If you are driving many 1300 mile trips a week, none of these cars are any good. Why don't you use a plane;-) Driving is a huge waste of gasoline.

The pod cast must have been made by ill informed people trying to chat away. The federal credit is for ev's and phev's and starts at 4kwh batteries. It extends upward based on battery capacity to a maximum of $7500 which both the leaf and volt qualify for. The law was written with toyota's "help" so even the phv prius will qualify though it may have 0 miles locked ev range in certain situations. Various states and cities have additional subsidies that may or may not make the volt qualify, for example the california subsidy applies to ev's with and phevs that follow their rules. The PHEV rules are SULEV and zero evaporative emissions and warranty 15 year 150,000 mile warrenty, although toyota has a waver for 10 years 150,000 warranty on the prius. The volt does not quality simply for warranty issues. Given that the production run will be small in the first year, they do not need to bend to the whims of carb.

 

I think if the Volt were going to cost somewhere in the ballpark of the Prius (much less what ever the PHEV Prius will go for) there might me less stink factor. If they were comparable cost wise (and the Volt doesn't have GM quality) it might just be a matter of what ever floats your boat ... based on what a driver's needs are.

.

 

I don't get it, since both are PHEV vehicles? GM quality is a serious concern, but honestly, I don't see what's wrong with comparing two cars with big batteries that can travel on only EV power for x miles since batteries cost a lot.

 

Wow, if this 37.5 MPG's in 'hybrid' mode is true, it might hurt the Volt.

Consumer Reports says they average 44 MPG with 2010 hybrid Prius. But, they run the cars pretty hard.

 

Oh yes it can, it will just take 122 hours at 50 MPH average, and you happen to get 240 V charges along the way.

Not its purpose in leaf though. It will be great local day tripper.

 

Not at $41k

 

Yes they do. Escape Plug-in hybrid. Saw it last weekend.

 

Not complaining, correcting incorrect claims. It may seem like splitting hair but it is really about a huge bragging rights that leads to Volt smug.

Little details that counter their false claims pretty much seal them tight.

 

The tax credit is for "Plug-in Electric Vehicle". However, if you read what qualifies, PHV Prius and PHV Volt should qualify as well.

For vehicles acquired after December 31, 2009, the credit is equal to $2,500 plus, for a vehicle which draws propulsion energy from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt hours of capacity, $417, plus an additional $417 for each kilowatt hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt hours. The total amount of the credit allowed for a vehicle is limited to $7,500.​

Source

 

Well, if burning one tank a year, why having a ICE dragging around your trips? Seems to be that it might hurt EV range, and also the fuel may become outdated. Wrong service then, IMO the Leaf is a much better choice for this profile, since is 300pound lighter, or has this weight assigned for batteries.
Volt optimal daily-commute is still to know...

 

But would the first gen Prius have sold well if it were priced like the Volt? $40k, or $50k in Canada? I doubt there would even be a Prius forum for us to debate on now if that had been the case!

 

I suppose that if you live in New York and you work in Miami, you could save a good chunk of change by buying a Prius instead of a Volt.

BUT, if you live in New York City and you work in New York City, and once per year you drive down to Miami to vacation ... or if you live in Miami and you work in Miami, and once per year you drive up to New York to go on vacation, you would probably better off with a Volt.

Did anyone notice the tags for this thread? "cat" "bag" Lol.
The title of this thread reminds me of Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat.
"Green GM" and SPAM!
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