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GM-Volt.com Founder on NightSide with Dan Rea
July 9th, 2008 | Posted in: Public Opinion, Volt Nation
Thanks to our regular reader and vigorous participant Larry G. (Tagamet), I was introduced to Dan Rea who does a nightly talk show on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 out of Boston.
I will be joining Dan on his show as a guest tonight Wednesday July 9th from 9PM - 10PM EST. For those who don’t know, it is a talk show that takes callers and reaches an audience of over 250,000 people in 38 states.
Hopefully this will be another great way to spread the word about the Volt.
If you don’t pick up the radio signal, the show can be heard live on the internet here: WBZ SITE .
Should anyone out there in Volt Nation want to call in, do so at 617-254-1030 during the show.
Popularity: 6%
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Posted by: Lyle
169 Responses to “GM-Volt.com Founder on NightSide with Dan Rea”
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July 9th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Before Long everyone will know about the Volt. GM is going to have a major problem with the Volt. Their biggest challenge will be meeting demand! Good Luck. Go GM!
July 9th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I will never get one!
BTW, I was thinking this morning….yes, it is true….
at 80 cents [of electricity cost] for 40 miles, that is the equivalent of 150 mpg.
that holds true for 3 dollar gas….
so for 4 dollar gas, the volt gets 200 mpg.
that is really impressive how the volt adapts….!
at 10 dollar gas, the volt will get 500 mpg [equivalent]!!!
go volt!!!! too bad I wont be able to get one.
July 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
BREAK A LEG, LYLE!
The first time I called this show, Dan hadn’t heard of the Volt, but by the second call he’d really done his homework.
Great show, BTW,
Be well,
Tag
July 9th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Make sure to highlight the purpose of dealing with $4 gas and our dependence on oil.
The nonsense of competing with Prius is really getting out of hand. Non-Hybrid vehicles are focus of concern, not those helping to expand the use of electricity & battery-packs.
Keep in mind how many new vehicles are produced each year and how long change takes. That perspective is most important.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Good luck on the show, Lyle. I know you will represent us very well. You know what to say about the Volt better than anyone and that includes most of GM’s employees working on it.
Go Lyle. Go GM and Go, Go, Go Volt.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Lyle,
I have sent Bill O’Reilly of Fox News a note about this radio program and suggested he look into setting up a talk with you. Bill O’Reilly is a big proponent of energy independence from the middle east. Hope to see you on the show soon. That would explode the Volt knowledge around the world. Maybe you could talk Bob Lutz into doing an interview with Bill, along with you, of course. It would be great.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Sounds great! Hopefully, it will lead to other interviews. Maybe, an appearance on NPR’s “Car Talk”. They broadcast out of the Boston area, also.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
@john1701
I totally agree.
My primary interest in EV is to “get off oil”.
It is NOT to help environment or save me money.
I believe 98 percent of the terrorism on this planet can be traced back to profits made from oil. It is a national security issue to me to reduce our dependency on oil ASAP.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Lyle,
I also sent Lou Dobbs on CNN a request to look at the web-site, listen to the show and interview you. Here’s to you…..
July 9th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Lyle
Good Luck! Watch out for the curve balls.
Take Care
Arch
July 9th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
to hybrid jihad
narcotics sales are a large part of it as well, if anything, more than oil, but it is indeed a slice of the pie, a substantial one I would surmise.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Lyle, good luck.
There are many reasons why the Volt is good for the world.
But I believe the main reason is getting off of oil.
You’re awesome Lyle. GM owes you so much.
Rashiid.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Just FYI, Rush Limbaugh mentioned the Volt yesterday towards the end of his show.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Tagamet@#3
What a fantastic idea you had. Great work!
Go Lyle.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Rush Limbaugh is kind of a nut, I hope he doesn’t say anything mean about the volt.
July 9th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Nobody better to spread the gospel!
An “uninterested”, independent, outside person has about 1,000 times the credibility and moral authority of a corporate marketing or PR type, or any company employeee come to that, let alone an outside PR consultant.
GM should be thrilled, and could not hope for any better.
And yeah, WELL DONE TAG!
July 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Anything Rush hates is worth looking into.
July 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Kudos to you, Larry (Tagamet) for making this happen ….and to you Lyle for making yourself available for the 9-10PM broadcast tonite!!!
As others have already suggested, this (& Lyle’s earlier NBC/NY telecast) are GREAT stepping stones to both NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL coverage. Any & all of us should email or phone all the networks to suggest Dr. Dennis & the Volt be featured on their network! The ultimate benefactors of getting the news out will be the entire population of our precious “spaceship Earth”!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Nassaman
WOW! Somebody remembers R. Buckminster Fuller. I was his grad assistant for a year.
Take Care
Arch
July 9th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Tkanks for all the kind words!
It often takes quite a bit of hitting the “redial” button to get in to the show so we should all try.I want to give the T-shirts a BIG plug (pun intended).
It so neat to have the Commander in Chief of Voltnation get the national exposure he deserves.
I can’t imagine it happening, but we definitely don’t want Lyle hanging there with no calls.
Be well,
Tag
July 9th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
can anyone record the broadcast and post an mp3 later?
July 9th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I wish they had a system to ask questions via e-mail. That way we could add our input as the show was in progress. OH! I just had a thought (rare moment I know). If Lyle had his computer up and running and pointed to this article we can add comments as he was talking.
Have fun Lyle! Don’t forget to mention the site many times. Remember the commercials of the past? They keep repeating important information until the mind accepts it.
I’m listening to the show right now via the Internet (the Internet never fails to amaze me) and Lyle should be coming up in about a half hour.
July 9th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
They just mentioned Lyle.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Good lord…what is this? 10 mins of ‘talking head’ news?
Did you know its still 76 degrees out..same as 5 mins ago.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Stop with the weather already. It hasn’t changed in the last 5 minutes.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
He is now on.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
No credit for Tag. Good job Tag getting Lyle on the radio.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Bad News,
Dan Rea reported the Volt will be available in 20,010.
Good News,
A 20,010 delivery means that GM is going to be around a LONG time!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Stop with the Volt talk…update us on when the latest ever snowstorm in Boston was.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Freaking Statik. I just spit my tea out on the keyboard. To freaking funny, my friend.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
They just gave out the site information…
WELCOME NEW VIEWERS!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Yea, commercials. I love those.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Texas, is that you on the phone?
July 9th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Texas, streaming the cast on your mobile phone…Mr. Fancy Pants.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
My dad says the only people who put ketchup on hot dogs are mental patients, and Texans. (BNB)
July 9th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
First caller - Rick from Texas:
Asks about running the ICE to keep the gas fresh and the parts oiled.
New viewers, you can go to the forums and use the search function.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
We have our first EV1 question…good to get it out of the way.
Side banter:
“Will this be converted to a MP3 file to download it later”-Texas
“Uh, yes, I think we will, um…put this on the computer later, maybe after the show is over.”-Dan Rea
I don’t think Dan is big with the ‘new tech’
July 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I know the answer to Texas-Rick’s questions:
With an electric car, higher performance does not mean less range. you only pay for the power you USE, not the power AVAILABLE.
GM’s computers are in control of the ICE. If the engine needs to run, they can certainly start it periodically even if the battery does not need to be charged.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Statik #35, Kids do too. But the law says that once they reach 18 years old, they have to stop using ketchup on hot dogs. Personally, I always hated ketchup on hot dogs.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
OK, yet another EV-1 question.
The EV-1 was only a 2 seater. It cost a ton of money to make … like $80K. It had limited range. Not a general purpose vehicle ==> not a large enough demand to manufacture them in quantity and drive the price down. Plus gas was cheap then so the vehicle (at the time) made no economic sense. GM explains some of this on their web site:
http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/
July 9th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
EV-1 is stealing our press time!
Pretty soon Lyle is going to be fielding calls on neurology.
“Yes, my son is exhibiting weakness in his legs that spreads to the upper limbs and the face along with complete loss of deep tendon reflexes…could this be Guillain-Barré syndrome?”
July 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It seems almost predictable that some old ininformed guy brings up the EV-1.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I bet that wasn’t EV-1 comment we hear tonight.
Way to many commercials.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
A Toyota commercial. How rude!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Second caller:
Who Killed the Electric car question… Of course! lol
Here we go again…
I think Lyle should bring up that the cost of the EV1 for GM was just too high. The battery warrantee risk issue was also a problem - what was that going to cost GM over the life of the vehicle?. However, he did a very good job on that bomb question.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
8,000 - 10,000 unique visitors to this site a day… Wow!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Tag got credit !!!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Statik, you’re watching too much House.
You made me laugh though, so thanks.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Who Killed The Electric Car ?
I think that was a Sony Entertainment Movie released a couple of years ago at actual theatres.
Nothing like a movie to set (or skew) the facts straight.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
A Range Rover, an Escalade, and a Porsche?!?
What a coincidence … me too!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Demand question. E-Bay turn-around problem.
Yes! Allen, you should be happy about that. You have all of those expensive cars you will have no problem affording the mark-up! Good luck.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
#50 Paul-R
“A Range Rover, an Escalade, and a Porsche?!?
What a coincidence…me too!”
That Allen caller is a real name dropper.
-1
July 9th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Question about production numbers:
10K the first year, 60K the second, and $100K+ after that. I thought this was already established.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Lyle getting questioned about ‘fiscal payback’…expertly gives the ‘not all about saving money’ but off of foreign oil.
+1
Also, to any new viewers…you are also buying a ‘luxury electric car’ not a Cobalt with a battery…so you have to compare apples to apples.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Another supply and demand problem. Dude, wait for production to ramp. It’s not easy!
Caller likes the styling. I agree!
Negative points
1) Lithium-ion batteries die
2) Apartments don’t have plugs
3) Long distance commuters don’t get the benefits.
Answers
1) Different chemical mix - not laptop batteries. Nanotechnology dude.
2) Apartments - There will be new infrastructure built, dude. Also, there is enough people that do have plugs for the first decade! Housing is now cheap. Make sure your roof is great for solar.
3) The Volt becomes a Prius like hybrid with 50 mpg. Only it looks better!
July 9th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Battery life question: By the time the battery wears out, they will be manufactured in mass and will be much cheaper than today.
Live in an apartment question: Too bad. Buy an extension chord or buy a different car.
Economy on Gasoline Question: At 50MPG, it’s still better than a Prius. If you’re looking for the cheapest ride possible, neither the Volt or any hybrid is cheapest. There are other factors (like energy independence for the USA) that need to be considered.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I used to roll with a Land Rover, Slade and a Jag.
I want a Tesla and a Volt.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
nasaman’s on and let’s just say he’s picking his words very carefully… and slowly.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Nasaman, you rock!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
It’s nasaman!
“Solid technology”, he says. Good statement nasaman.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Great job Lyle! so glad you mentioned that it’s not just about saving money! that has been our problem…we’ve been addicted to cheap gas for too long and now, the sh….ts hitting the fan. We need to get off oil.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Nasaman have you considering doing ‘audio books’ in your retirement? They’d have to be relatively short books…but I think you would do well.
In other news, weather is up to 77 degrees now…and the Callaghan tunnel is clear.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
So glad I just checked the site - I’m waiting for nasaman to come back on after the news. Very cool. Thank you, Tagamet.
Go Lyle. Go Volt!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Statik, #62, You are on a roll tonight. What wound you up? Do you do stand up comedy?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I know the Volt battery is made of many Lithium Cells that are “wired” together in a T-shaped container. Does anyone know if some of those Cells are redundant ?
I was thinking that maybe some are extra cells that will only be used when another cell goes bad and the firmware would automatically “rewire” the container to use only the good cells. Just a thought.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Oop, ANOTHER update on the weather, low tonight will be 69 tonight. Still 77 degrees.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
#65, I doubt it. It’s like having two windshield wiper motors in case one fails.
Actually, the cost of the cells are just too expensive not to use them. If the pack goes bad they will swap it out at the dealership.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Shameless plug for the radio station.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
#64 Rashiid
“Statik, #62, You are on a roll tonight. What wound you up? Do you do stand up comedy?”
I’m not always grumpy…who knew?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
It’s the nasaman show! lol.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Nasaman, Let us know when you are the featured guest. Way to go!!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Don’t go on for free Nasaman, celebrities always get ’swag bags’
July 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
yep we’re here Lyle
July 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Yes, Lyle… We are here…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
72 Statik:
lol, free weather, traffic, and WBZ text updates
Nasaman, thanks for going on. Very informative and you clearly know what you are talking about.
PS: Thanks for your work on Apollo. From the Earth to the Moon the HBO series is a DVD collection my dad and I swap back and forth all the time. I am a NASA nut who watches the Mars missions live on NASA TV and can’t wait for the day we head back to the Moon and beyond.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Another EV-1 question!
About EV-1 having a greater range.
Lyle owns the question by mentioning that the Volt keeps it’s range over 100K, whereas the EV-1’s batteries…not so much.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Negative question - spoon feed? This guy has no idea what he is talking about. Conspiracy theory… We all know we can do 80 miles per gallon the caller states…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
(”to be rather than to seem”)
July 9th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Lyle set him straight. Nice response
July 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
They are keeping Lyle for another hour. People are hot for this topic.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I wonder when “Battery Expert” is going to call in?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Foolish EV-1 fan…
Nobody’s mentioned on the radio how much the EV-1 would have cost if people bought it outright. $80,000? That’s double the price of the Volt that has double the seats. Leasing was the only way for a monthly payment to be palatable.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
That last caller sounded scary … I think he was Mafia. Hope he doesn’t put a hit on anyone.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Lyle, you are totally in the hot seat and pulling it off nicely.
Way to go. This really is a lot of fun.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Clearly communication has changed. Live talk show with Internet feedback. Nice. Lyle can be talking and say… Uh, wait a minute, that’s 3 billion, not 3 million. lol
July 9th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
R.V @ 78 had it first.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Rashiid
I was wondering the same thing about battery expert.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
“Does the Chevy Volt have a internal engine to go past 40 miles?”
/sigh..now I see why we get a weather update every 10 minutes
July 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Radio Listener: “Does the Volt go more than 40 miles?”
Lyle: “DUH!!!”
July 9th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
David - long distance traveler - forklift expert.
40 mile range question. Is it real?
Nice, 4o miles at the end of life. Yes, how you drive, where you drive, etc.
Oh my god! He thinks the Volt can only go 40 miles! lol Boys, we have a lot of work to do!
This guy is a battery forklift expert?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
GM closing down factories. How solid is GM? Getting rid of Hummer. etc.
GM is in real trouble, that’s a fact.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
We so need to educate more. Really.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I was being trained by NASA engineers at a local enineering college when news got out that this thing called a Space Shuttle was going to be landing a couple of miles from the University. We all got in our cars and went to see it land piggy-back on a jumbo jet. We later got to go close enough to tough it. This was way back in the seventies in Huntsville, Alabama. That was a very cool experience, nobody even knew what it was at the time. My biggest surprise was how small the shuttle was. Having grown up with a Saturn V rocket in my back yard, I was expecting it to be a really big space plane/rocket, but it was soooooo small.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Rashiid
Lyle is doing that right now. We’ll get there.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
92 Rashiid:
Are you talking about the Volt or just in general?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Dude! I would buy the Hummer brand!
I want to convert it to using biofuels. Electric 4WDs! Nice and useful when the roads get bad.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Make the Hummer EFlex. Put in 30K-40K worth of batteries and jack the price way up. Hummer’s not exactly luxury, but it’s never been cheap.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
You got that kind of money Tex, you should go for it.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
GM Solidity? Boy, we’re lucky Statik is not answering this one.
“GM is screwed! They’ll be dead soon. They have no money left. It’ll be a miracle if the Volt ever sees a showroom!” Etc, etc.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Sharing the technology with other companies? Let’s get together and solve the problem together? For a price…
Solar comments.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Lyle should talk up the quiet, fast acceleration and the low center of mass
July 9th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Sammy question - Horsepower of electric motor. Caller is confused.
An electric motor is not like a ICE you can have huge capacity yet use very little energy.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
If any newbies are interested in reading about the net CO2 output of electric vehicles, see my paper:
http://ohmexcited.googlepages.com/CO2.htm
July 9th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I’m not a fan of Sammy either…and his ‘Horsepower question’ and dead air, non-follow up. Kind of reminds me of Harry Carrey, “Hey! If you were a hotdog…would you eat yourself? I know I sure would! Cubs win! Cubs win!”
Ok, everyone hang up. I have some questions to ask.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Where does the electricity come from.
Answer: Even if it comes from the worse coal power plant in our country it is better than outside oil. Lyle is answering correctly.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Lyle is doing a great job!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Regarding the power of the electric motor, EV motors are very efficient. You aren’t using any power when you’re “idling”. In fact, the more powerful the electric motor, the more efficient it becomes — unlike an internal combustion engine.
ps — man, radio commercials suck!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Sammy’s… odd.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Sammy (from the call),
The Volt can be more fuel efficient than a regular gasoline car because the engine only needs to deliver the AVERAGE power needs of the car, not the MAXIMUM power needs of the car. As a result, a smaller engine can be used and be more efficient than a larger engine.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Sammy, the efficiency loss of the ICE is in the heat loss from burning fuel. You can’t get that back easily.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
During the break I feel the need to admit that I am 50 and I put ketchup on hot dogs.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Poor Sammy. I can almost imagine his disheveled look as he taps into his Radio Shack calculator. “Something is just not right”, he says to himself…
July 9th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I thought the gas engine was 160HP. Did Lyle mess up that answer? I didn’t even realize that electric motor was 161 HP.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Question: EV1 battery AGAIN! SOTS!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Ignorant Caller: “Can I have a solar panel on my car?”
Lyle: “Only if you don’t want to accomplish anything but give yourself a big hug!”
July 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Solar on the roof. The cost is too much.. but the extra functionality. On a good day in Texas you can get only about 6 miles a day. However, cooling the cabin, keeping the battery topped up.
The Volt is much heavier
July 9th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
The cost of cells used for the solar racers are extremely expensive!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hurray! An EV-1 detractor!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
More EV1s questions. Oh, he is defending it. That is rare. He knows that new cars are much heavier (safety, consumer needs, etc.)
July 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
yes, tell us again about the ev1
gotta love the old days
July 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Texas, you know Pete?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
This play by play is fun!
I’m addicted.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
The electric motor is more like 137 hp.
Another fact check: EV1 was introduced in 1996, not the 1980’s.
OK, I’m done being the hall monitor.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I know Pete. He’s my husband.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Tagamet is on.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
“everyone this is Larry. Larry this is everyone”
July 9th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Joy, Pete did great.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Larry again?! Off peak electrical draw. Thus, we won’t need more power plants for the Volt.
Potential of version 2 and 3 of the Volt. V2G systems, Off peak computer draw.
Thanks to Larry comments made.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Was \VOLT Nation supposed to take over the show like this?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Way to go Lyle!
Very cool Larry! Nice job!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Ending comments. Caller is charged up.. Pun intended.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Crank up the Volts !
Houston, I think we have a problem.
Not enough Volts to go around.
60,000 volts is nothing. Time to RAMP UP PRODUCTION.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I have a bruise on my forehead because I keep slapping it every time I hear about the EV-1.
Caller was cut off. I needed to be.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Jim, Another EV1 comment. My God! All old information. Waste of time…
Are they going to sell the Volt. Answer, yes. They are going to sell it.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Ok, here is my fictional question, maybe Lyle could answer it after the show…a Q&A here would be fun:
“Mr. Wagoner has stated GM has enough cash to get through the end of this year, and credit facilities to continue on into 2009…and it is well know GM is losing approximately 3 billon per quarter, the stock has fallen over 70% this year.”
“Given all that about GM’s financial health, and the less than optimistic statement from GM’s own CEO, if the official list was opened up from GM…and required a $10,000 deposit to secure your vehicle, (I would assume as a doctor you would not worry too much about it)…however, for those who are suffering in this economy, still making a modest wage, but looking to replace their existing car with Volt for it’s practical gas saving abilities, would you suggest they put up $10,000 they cannot afford to lose?”
July 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Harry, EMF health problem question.
Does he fear trains? Cell phones next to his ear? Fans in his house?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Magnetic field question. Dr. Dennis said “no problem.” I (me - not Lyle) think you could turn it into an MRI machine.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Yes, the fields generated by the car are a horrendous risk.
Pregnant ladies and people with pacemakers need to avoid even looking at this vehicle. The electro-magnetic waves will work like an EMP destroying any electronics on your person.
Buy a Hummer instead.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Lyle is going to be driving the prototypes.
Lyle did a great job! Just finished. Nice plug for the website and the T-shirts. Lyle, next year might be time to hang up the medical charts for a while.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
All
Thanks for the comments you are right this was very fun, and hopefully we got the word out tonight - I kept up with you here as we went.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Interesting. I caught the very end here. Probably the best question was second from last, “Will GM offer the Volt as a lease-only vehicle?”. I have a feeling it will be. Has GM ever been asked this question directly?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
All done. That was really excellent Lyle. You did a great job. I think I would have screamed at some of those callers whining about the EV-1.
I can’t tell you how sick I am of that and the movie. Get over it already. It’s dead and in the past.
I wonder how long until Lyle is on the radio station again.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Thanks to all of you. Even though I was not able to catch the broadcast, I felt that I “heard” it all through you guys.
Thanks!!
July 9th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
#140 Lyle
Nice job. You were very professional.
Rocking the extra hour!
(In the future, I would just say, “Ev-1? Whats that? Never heard of it…next question)
July 9th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Lyle
I have done this sort of stuff many times. You did very GOOD!
Any time you get extended time wise you know you did GOOD.
Take Care
Arch
July 9th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
142 Rashiid:
I think Lyle and Nasaman will be invited on again in the near future, Dan Rea sounded kind of amused and surprised by the geographical spread of the callers.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Great job Lyle. I’m sure this will become more common in the future. Larry King Live? You bet! Us posters will be right there with you. Facts, quick answers, support, etc.
Maybe we should come up with a safe word. If you say that word we will flood the phone lines to crash the system. Then you can get out of there. lol.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
That’s good, really really good Texas I like it.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
If I am sitting on top of this powerful battery for 100-150K miles, that’s a lot of hours of exposure to the family jewels. Will I still be able to make babies ?
High Voltage and humans don’t mix !
I have known people that live next to power lines that are starting to act loopy after a few years. Could it be the voltage, who knows, but I suppose the government could hold-up production of the Volt until a thorough study has been done. It should only take about TEN years.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Guys, you were all great. This is the best thread yet. It was so much fun. Some of you guys were really hilarious tonight.
Well, it is 11:10 PM my time. I have to be up in 5 hours, so I’m off to bed. I usually go to bed at 8:00 but this was a very special occasion.
Good night all.
Thanks again, Lyle. I echo what Arch said.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
#150 Rashiid
Nite Rashiid.
I’m with you, time to sleep.
Very entertaining. We need to get Lyle more press mixers…not like he has anything else to fill his day up with right? Oh yeah…neurology. It’s all about priorities!
Are you married Lyle? Kids? They might not be speaking to you by the time the Volt is out, hehe.
/nite all
July 9th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Well done Lyle! You were very quick to help people through their misconceptions and reservations. GM is extremely lucky to have someone like you (& i guess by extension, all of us) as their independent advocates, It’s clear that there’s a lot of work to be done informing the public and your grasp of all the various issues and easy-to-follow but detailed explanations will go a long way toward fixing that.
Thanks again for the site, I’m here at least 3 times daily and on the waiting list somewhere in the 7000s.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Great job, Lyle!*
*And many thanks to Tagamet (Larry) for making this broadcast happen!
July 9th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I have recorded most of the show on MP3. I am not in a position to host the file, but would be glad to offer up the file for someone else to host it. File size is about 11MB.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Gary regarding how much the EV-1 “would have cost”….
The Volt would be just as much if they were essentially hand assembling them in small quantities. If they went ahead w/mass production like they plan for the Volt, 60,000 units 1st year, 100,000 2nd year, etc… the EV-1 I believe wouldn’t be much more expensive than the Volt, keeping in mind the EV-1 could go over 100 miles/charge.
Let’s also not forget the “range extended” EV-1 prototype from around 1999…. like the Volt it sat 4 (maybe 5?) and when the battery discharged below a certain state of charge, the on board generator came on to extend the range. Like the 1992 Volvo ECC it had a “flex fuel” turbine engine powering the generator. One problem with both the Volvo ECC and RE-EV1 was that they didn’t qualify under the then California’s ZEV mandate because they weren’t zero emmissions.
The EV1 lease was $600/month…. guess how much a Volt would cost to lease if MSRP is $40,000?
I also just realized something… if the Volt is $40,000 and GM offers 0% financing for 5 years (60 months), I think the montly payment would be $666 ($40,000 / 60).
In any case, he who does not know history is doomed to repeat it. That’s why we should not forget the EV1, as well as the other EV’s that died at the hands of major auto makers (for example, Ford killed Volvo’s EV and hybrid programs immediately aftering purchasing Volvo in 1999, Toyota killed the Rav4-EV, etc). It does not mean we can’t praise them, including GM, for their current efforts to bring EV’s back!
July 9th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
This really was the best thread ever! I wish I’d known about the play-by-play, but I was on the front porch hitting the redial button (lol).
Dan Rae almost always posted the show’s mp3, so just check the WBZ site.
Personally, I’m thrilled with the calls and Lyle’s “performance”. We couldn’t have a better Commander-in-Chief of Voltnation. A LOT of our passion was on display during the show. But it also showed how much MIS-information is still out there (on top of the outright ignorance of people who haven’t even heard of it yet).
Let’s get Lyle as many “spots” as he wants to handle (he IS married….currently).
Great job all the way around!
Be well,
Tag
PS I already emailed Dan Rae about the great show.
PPS Nasaman, your gravitas really helped convince this host. The shrink in me heard him change.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:47 am
The Diane Rehm show is favorable for this type of topic too. She did a show on hybrids not to long ago with no mention of a future Volt. I’m not sure how you get on her show.
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/
July 10th, 2008 at 6:05 am
#113 Rashiid Amul asks: “I thought the gas engine was 160HP. Did Lyle mess up that answer? I didn’t even realize that electric motor was 161 HP.”
————————————————————————————-
I believe the gas engine is around 70hp. This is the beauty of the series hybrid design (a.k.a. E-REV or REEV). The gas engine only has to supply AVERAGE power. The batteries and electric motor supply PEAK power for acceleration and uphill driving. Average horsepower is generally around half of peak horsepower.
For example, if you wanted to make sporty version of the Volt with better acceleration, you would need a bigger electric motor and larger batteries to power it, but you wouldn’t need a larger gas engine, since the average power is the same.
So the gas engine can be much smaller than a regular car, since it only has to supply average power. This is one reason the series hybrid is efficient running on gas.
Another reason the E-REV is efficient is that there is no transmission. This is because electric motors have a huge amount of torque at all RPMs, so no transmission is necessary. No transmission losses means better efficiency.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I’m peeved! I missed all of this but after reading this thread I feel liked I didnt….
This sounded like it was really good stuff…. good job to all !
Was watching Koppel’s special about Capitalism & China last night, which I also found very interesting.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Thanks Dave G #158. I thought I was confused. That seems to be happening more often lately.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Lyle,
Great Job!!!
I didn’t get to listen to the entire broadcast, but caught about 60% of it. I was happy to see that Dan Rea was very positive and didn’t let the detractors throw too many negatives or get off topic.
One interesting note, Dan wasn’t even sure what the EV-1 was! I think you may find this true for many Americans, as the EV-1 was basically a California car. The majority of Americans have never seen one, and probably most have never even heard of it.
I think this may be just one of many more similar type media events. Have you got an agent yet?
Thanks again for your devotion to this cause, and also thanks to Tagamet for making this show happen.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:30 am
#8 Hybrid Jihad
I am with you. The issue of getting off oil what drove (Pun?) me to this website a long time ago. The Volt is the way. It is terrible that GM is in such a poor financial shape. The stock is now well under $100.
#35 Static.
As a Chicagoan I tell you your Dad is right about ketchup on hot dog. Unthinkable.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:54 am
I meant under $10.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I’m looking forward to seeing Lyle drive around on video in his new Volt in 2010. I’d like to have a full video report. GM ought to definitely let Lyle get one of the first ones off the production line … at a very nice discount, if not free. Maybe Lyle could go on the TV and radio talk show circuit in 2010 when it comes out. Lyle on Larry King Live? The Tonight Show? Hmmm. Never know. Maybe Lyle and Bob Lutz could both go on some talk shows.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I am from Scotland and had never heard of Dan Rea. Well conducted, excellent show and might listen in again. Well answered on all points Lyle you are a real star and I have this site as one of my favorites.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
10 is well under 100. well, well, under
July 10th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
You can download the interview from the radio station web site as mp3 files. The interview is in two parts.
GM Volt Part 1
Dr. Lyle Dennis, founder of gm-volt.com, chats with Dan and his listeners about GM’s upcoming electric car, the Volt.
http://www.wbz.com/episode_download.php?contentType=36&contentId=2741241
GM Volt Part 2
Dan and Dr. Lyle Dennis continue thier talk on the GM Volt and other alternative energy vehicles.
http://www.wbz.com/episode_download.php?contentType=36&contentId=2741234
(from page
http://www.wbz.com/pages/113018.php
)
July 11th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Great show! I hope it really helps get the word out.
A suggestion to Lyle: When a caller asks a question, hit them with the answer in the first few words.
I noticed a several times he took the long way to the answer (way too long). One caller asked if there was something in the car to make it keep going after the battery runs out and rather than saying “Yes, there is an internal generator good for about another 300 miles” he wandered off into the fact that it was a “good question” and never really just said “yes.”
Yes or no, then get into the details. Answer the question first in the simplest terms and then you can go off into the philosophy.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Lyle, that was great! I just listened to the interview (I’m way behind in reading the posts).
We need more of this. And thanks so much, Larry G (Tag) for arranging it. Well done!