would you buy the volt

I dont see whats to lose in buying a volt.

They say it will be around 30,000

For that with a LI-ION battery that will have a callender life of 10 years and at least 5000 cycles, that is great.

Claimed 0-60 is 8 secs.

640 mi range.

40 mi elec. only range.

Can be charged from any outlet.

I would definately buy this (if toyota didn't copy it and make it better with gagets and stuff).

The drawback? IT DOESNT EXIST YET AND IT MAY NEVER (exist )

Oh noes!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Mar 30 2007, 10:39 PM) [snapback]415303[/snapback]</div>

You should have another choice there, "it depends." Right now, the Volt sounds very interesting, but there are two big questions:

Will it ever be produced?

By the time it is produced, what other PHEVs and other competition will exist?

 

I expect it will cost more and be less reliable.

I'll wait for Toyota to offer the Prius with LiI and plug in. There's *my* volt. (Besides, I'm not giving up my hatchback.)

 

I need more than a 2 passenger vehicle and no storage space... I'll keep my prius for a long time... then upgrade to a better, more advanced Prius around 2011-12 most likely

I need more than a 2 passenger vehicle and no storage space... I'll keep my prius for a long time... then upgrade to a better, more advanced Prius around 2011-12 most likely

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Mar 31 2007, 12:26 AM) [snapback]415353[/snapback]</div>

If it were available for purchase within the next 12 to 16 months, and with roughly the specs someone outlined above (40 mile EV range, $30K price etc.), I would very seriously consider it. That's a pretty strong statement considering I usually try to keep a car at least 10 years.

 

Hi All,

As I do drive 60 to 65 mph daily for a significant fraction of my commute, I would need a Volt-like car to be aerodynmically configured. The car they presented does not look like it has a low Cd. I think that would be critical for battery life if one is going to do daily highway driving. Besides, the lack of form-following-function of the styling of the Volt prototype just turns my stomach. I mean, a 10 year old with a block of balsa wood could have carved that thing! Give me the aero-hush of the Prius design anyday.

The E-flex concept is first rate though, for a plug-in hybrid car goal. Now if they drop the electric range down to 20 miles at 60 mph, to get the first ones out the door, they will be way ahead!

 

No. Quality will be poor, and aerodynamics need to work. The Volt looks like another US made Batman styled prototype so polular with our backwards auto industry. I think Henry Ford would defect to Japan or Germany these days.

 

One concern I haven't seen addressed is the small size of the ICE in the Volt. All of the performance data (0-60mph in 8.5 seconds) is based on operation in the electric mode. However, when the batteries are drained, the ICE will be used to provide electrical power to drive the wheels. The 3-cylinder 1L engine is rated (according to the GM site) at 53 hp. So after you've gone 40 miles, you'll be left driving a 53 hp car.

BTW: According to the GM site, the Volt is a 4-5 passenger vehicle.

 

"So after you've gone 40 miles, you'll be left driving a 53 hp car."

Not exactly.

It likely takes a lot less than 53 HP to cruise at highway speeds. So at cruise, as well as any time you are not accelerating, the batteries would be charging, and therefore would be able to provide additional power for acceleration.

 

I certainly would buy the Chevrolet Volt!

 

At that point of decision, there will be other choices available.

What would make "series" hybrid better than a plug-in "full" hybrid?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MichaelE @ Mar 31 2007, 01:48 PM) [snapback]415516[/snapback]</div>

The point that I was trying to make is that GM's philosophy with the Volt is that the batteries will be used to nearly a zero state of charge. That is how they are planning on getting the 40 miles on all electric. If you need to go over 40, there is a 53 hp ICE that can run a generator to continue to power the wheels (and recharge the batteries with any leftover power). If you live in an area without hills or headwind or the need to ever pass another car, then you shouldn't have a problem.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(8AA @ Mar 31 2007, 05:43 PM) [snapback]415652[/snapback]</div>

In what way is this different than the Prius I already have?

I drive 2 miles to the freeway, then have to drive over 40 mph on the freeway. At the end I have to climb a significant hill to my destination.

The Volt would be a step back for me. (No comment on the quality vs. Toyota.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Mar 31 2007, 05:57 PM) [snapback]415660[/snapback]</div>

Real-World data will make the decision for most people. Seeing a typical 2009 Prius delivering a solid overall average over 50 MPG will be pretty compelling for most people, especially when you consider what they'll be selling for.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Mar 31 2007, 06:57 PM) [snapback]415660[/snapback]</div>

The Prius is full hybrid that can use the electric motor, or the ICE, or both depending on the situation. The GM Volt is a series hybrid where the ICE runs a generator, the generator charges the batteries, and the batteries run the electric motor powering the wheels. The most power you can get from a series hybrid is the power from the weakest link. The batteries and electric motor are pretty large, and can produce impressive acceleration. However, after the batteries are drained, the limiting factor will be the 53 hp ICE, which isn't a lot of power for a relatively heavy car.

The Prius also has a relatively small ICE (76 hp) that runs using the very efficient Atkinson Cycle. While this type of engine can get better mileage than the more conventional Otto Cycle, it suffers from a lack of torque. However, this is not a problem with a full hybrid layout because the electric motor can contribute the additional power when needed. Another difference with the Prius is that the car will always maintain at least a 40% state of charge (SOC) in the batteries. There have been concerns expressed that letting the batteries in the Volt go down to a 0% SOC may reduce their service life.

Rather than something like the Volt, I would rather have a full hybrid with a large battery pack and plug-in capability. I would also want something like an EV switch where I could tell the car if this was going to be a short commute and to favor using the batteries. If it's going to be a plug-in hybrid, it won't do me much good if the batteries are pretty full when I get home. The other option would be to have a buffer pack (like the current Prius) and then a rechargeable pack. While the rechargeable pack had power, the car would favor using the electric motor. For short periods of acceleration, it would still use the ICE when needed, but it would go into Stealth mode more often. Once the rechargeable pack got to it's lowest allowable SOC, the software would revert back to what the Prius has today and would use the buffer pack.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Mar 30 2007, 11:39 PM) [snapback]415303[/snapback]</div>

I have made a personal decision not to support Ford, GM or Chrysler for their part in destroying the MI econ.

Their lack of vision (lack of forward thinking, lack of environmental care) and thier use of union labor (which has destroyed their finances, forced them to layoff 10's of thousands, and forced Toyota to look elsewhere to build a manufacting plant-which would have meant 5000 jobs in West MI) has put me in my current state of mind.

I don't know what they will do in the future, but it will be awhile before I can be convinced that they have their head screwed on straight. Until then, I will send my support to companies like Honda and Toyota, whose business practices are more American than ANY of the Big 3.

 

The big two and a half are disfunctional businesses in the long run. I make a prediction: GM will slam the Volt out just like they did with the Olds diesel in the 70's, just for PR. I worry when the head of the hybrid project at GM quite after their fearless mouth piece made the announcement about the Volt. I'm a GM truck owner and I hope I'm wrong.