lol. Hey I have no clue how to spell, nor do I care. I am only 14.

Correct. When the National Depth reaches 6 feet – the dollar will be dead and buried.

The Chevy Volt is a good. By giving GM and other automakers 25 bil, we have increased the price of the Volt in the USA. Good Job!
pjd493@gmail

Many thanks for your charming comment, as always. I continue to carry with me your brilliant comment so many months ago about the potential of the internet, and forums such as this, to bring the people of the world together beyond our traditional environment of our “leaders’” spin and obfuscation, to all of our great mutual benefit.

Never mind the scholarly and professional lessons on economics which you have provided for us.

On balance I amm bound to say that I have learned a lot more from you than you ever could hope to from me. Thanks again.

WASHINGTON — The $25 billion in low-cost government loans domestic automakers are banking on to retool plants to build more fuel-efficient vehicles may not be awarded until mid-2010, the U.S. Energy Department said Thursday.

“It appears that DOE is making excuses for its own anticipated failures,” said U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “…If DOE is asking for vigorous oversight to ensure it performs its duties, we will be happy to oblige.”

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/AUTO01/809260336/1148/AUTO01

In my comment 149 on the “One Step Toward a Cheaper Volt:Senate passes …” post, I pointed out that the Senate language could be found in S3478.

So weight is not a big deal for efficiency. Weight does affect acceleration though. This is why the Volt has a 150hp electric motor. Note that this electric motor is around 3 times the power of the Prius electric motor. Also note that larger electric motors are more efficient than smaller ones. This is the exact opposite of gas engines.

As for the Volt’s price, it will be around $30K after tax credits. GM’s CEO says the sticker price will be in the “mid to high 30s”, and the senate just passed a $7500 tax credit.

As for how much gas you save, let’s compare a Prius, a Plug-in Prius, and a Volt:
• Prius = 46 MPG
• Plug-In Prius = 70 MPG
• Volt = 314 MPG

Note that these figures are the average MPG you would get using a typical yearly driving pattern as follows:
• 30 days at 8 miles per day
• 50 days at 16 miles per day
• 240 days at 30 miles per day
• 30 days at 60 miles per day
• 3 days at 450 miles per day

So while the Prius is probably the most gas efficient car today, it will come nowhere close to the Volt and other EVs with range extenders. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a GM fanboy. I just hope Toyota sees the light and starts making EVs with range extenders as well.

It would be stupid for the volt to recharge its batteries because running the gas engine to recharge them costs 10 times as much as plugging it in when you get home. On top of that, electrical resistance losses used to put electricity into the battery, and then take the electricity out again does not make efficency sense.”

Gary, you’re missing the forest for all the trees. Before you go on accusing me of spewing drivel and whining – consider this:

You’ve seemed to lose your common sense in lieu of making a physics-engineering point about a car built and designed to travel 40 miles. The 400lb. MONSTER in the room here is that any number of current EVs can travel 40 miles and more on nothing more than lead-acid batteries, 60 plus on lithium – FOR $10-15,000 LESS.

Who the heck cares if once the Volt’s batteries reach 40% it can limp home to the electrical outlet? It makes absolutely no sense to spend $40plus grand for basically a commuter vehicle! It’s not gonna float! It’ll die an embarrassing financial death, and rather quickly.

You miss fact that the Volt will not fly with the American consumer.. As a Prius owner I understand weight and wind resistence are efficiency’s worst enemies. The Volt is not a light vehicle. Neither is it’s design practical. Seating four in cramped quarters and a golf bag. The Volt under gas-assist from it’s 1.4 litre mill and a full 12 gallon fuel tank and 400lbs.of batteries will be a slug. A major slug at that. GM quoted 30 mpg. on ICE powered electric on the highway. Do the math. My yesterday-tech NIMH Prius will continue to use full electric at times combined with ICE thrust on the 600 mile jaunt to grandma’s house. The Volt, on the other hand, will go 40 miles on battery and continue the next 560 miles on GAS! This is why it needs a 12 gal. tank!

Lose the engineer cap here for a moment and think what that means. It means a small, cheap ICE compact costing far under half what a Volt will set you back – will do a much better job getting you to work, It’ll carry all your stuff and you’ll have enough left in your wallet to buy gas for over a decade.

Now call that “drivel” and whining – I call it good old American common sense.

The Volt turns out to be a big buzz-kill joke.

ReVOLTing, indeed. Buy an Aptera instead – and if you’re like Lutz and filled with end-of-charge anxiety – get the Aptera hybrid. Still, you’ll save $8k over the Volt!

#85 Kyle – > ” Besides, why would they sabotage their much-hyped-and-anticipated Volt, whose success or lack there of may very well determine if GM survives?”

Kyle, it’s not about sabatoge. GM merely overstated the capabilities of the Volt from the outset. Now they’re lowering your expectations and eeking out the truth through contradictory press releases. Scroll up and read the reason: Try 6 – 12 BILLION dollars of our tax money alloted by misguided, naive Congressmen.

Bottom line: TOYOTA EXECS said before the 2007 Detroit Auto Show that GM’s claims re: the Volt could not be done. Mr. Lutz defended his position fully knowing they were playing to Congress to portray an image of a company who had answers to questions nobody can answer at this point in time. Toyota was right.

Future lithium-energized plug-in hybrid platforms will out-perform the Volt hands down. Even the next-gen 2009 Prius with it’s larger NIMH packs and no plug will go seven miles on all electric and achieve higher mpg. than the current iteration.

GM is playing you. Check this link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=132112

Also, autobloggreen reports a 6kWh minimum battery capacity, so this may have been amended as well:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/09/17/toyota-unhappy-with-current-phev-legislation/

Please know what you spew before you spew it. Japan buys a handful of other cars but no one sells many cars other than the Japanese in Japan.

The Japanese had a cute trick to get into auto business in the early 20th century. They said every maker, like Ford, had a few months to sell out to Japanese interests or they would be forced out of business, and they did, for a dime or penny on the dollar.

Its past time to return thye favor, I suggest that Toyota and Honda have one month to sell their American factories and sale and engineering businesses lock, stock and barrel, to an American buyer at whatever price was an American offered.

Fair is fair. One good turn deserves another.