Comments on: Q & A with Bob Reuter Chief Engineer, Plug-in Saturn VUE

By: GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Concept Site » Blog Archive » Error in Motor Trend Magazine’s Plug-in VUE Advertisement Section

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:07:14 +0000

[...] information although exiting did not match with what the vehicle’s chief engineer Bob Reuter told me in Detroit. There he noted the car could go 10 miles all electric, but that it was a [...]

By: Larry Parylla

Larry Parylla — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:42:58 +0000

I agree with you for the following reason. The A/C and the power steering both are powered by the hybrid battery. If the battery did not charge while the car is coasting the ICE would have to kick in to keep the A/C and P/S working. So rather than letting the battery run down to the point where the ICE will need to kick in the keep the battery powered A/C they designed it to keep the battery charghed every time you coast. The No charge coasting colud work if you don’t need the A/C

By: Brian M

Brian M — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:45:15 +0000

Wise Golden, #33:

It sounds like you are onto something. There may be a more complicated and justified reason for the software to be the way it is; I’m not sure.

But to make your numbers more legit, you need to keep track of a long-time average instead of relying on the instantaneous mileage. The fuel economy gauge in cars is notorious for not being very accurate anyway.

I would suggest you start keeping track of how much gas you buy and how many miles you drive (using the odometer). After you have gone through 5 tanks of gas, divide the miles driven by the gallons of gas bought (of course, fill up the tank before you start and when you finish, so that the tank is at the same level when you start as it is when you finish). An average like this is much more error-free than instant readings.

I suspect your numbers are close to accurate, but others may be more willing to accept them if you follow that procedure.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:25:27 +0000

Thanks for the feedback Nasaman. I’m not an engineer just an enthusiast. However, after pouring over AFS’s site it does leave me scratching my head a little as to why GM can’t, at the very least, match Trinity’s specs. They claim everything they’ve used in the conversion is all “off the shelf” technology. Perhaps GM is just holding their cards close.

By: nasaman

nasaman — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:31:52 +0000

33Jeff:

After I saw a short piece with AFS Trinity CEO Edward Furia & a CNN reporter driving a test vehicle last month, I emailed them. They called me back and after further study I’m convinced they’re legit.*

GM’s goals for the new Plug-in VUE, with a claimed EV range of only 10 miles, are not at all ambitious –to the contrary, they’re too short-sighted– and I’m trying to convince them to offer a much longer EV range (35mi+) as at least an extra-cost option for the Plug-in VUE!

* But don’t send AFS Trinity any money you can’t afford to lose