Comments on: Saturn May be Dead but GM’s 2-Mode Plug-in Hybrid Program Lives On

By: PJK

PJK — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:10:38 +0000

The Volt technology is still the best going.

All GM needs is a level playing field… the Japanese market is still closed while they sell cars here and pay no US taxes. Our government created the problem by letting this unfair trade go on for so long. 30 years at least. We need a government that helps US industry not put it at a disadvantage by letting foreign companies have huge tax advantages while keeping our products out of their markets.

40 mile range is more than enough for me… I could do without the range extender. Would like to have that option and cost reduction.
The best vehicle I can think of is a 2006 Saturn Vue with Chevy volt technology… so with its larger size and weight it would only get 30miles per charge .. still enough for my 9 mile commute each way to work with stops to the store.

By: Jim Mbongo

Jim Mbongo — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:32:22 +0000

#117 solo2500nt

Solo2500nt,

Very convincing. Thanks a lot.
The true is that is such issues, no matter what other say, at tyhe end GM knows better. Again, thanks a lot.

By: joe obrien

joe obrien — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:23:37 +0000

Lemme guess, a Buick version, a Cadillac version, and…….. a Chevy version in a small SUV? Just a hunch.

By: Dan Petit

Dan Petit — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:01:07 +0000

Range anxiety is just one of the things that people will be uncomfortable with regarding BEV’s.
How about extended warranty anxiety if there is not one available?
How about very-expensive-to-service anxiety when lots of small-format cells begin to degrade (as opposed to the much larger format “brick” sized cells of a Volt, which would be far, far, far easier to service when they got very old)?
How about parts-availability-anxiety if the small firms that supply the parts become aware that their economies-of-scale might not “get there” as originally-projected, and, the smaller production economies-of-scale price increases come back to bit owners?.
How about putting all of your range technology in one basket? Meaning, you have no redundancy, or, backup functioning when more than, say, 6 percent of the cells need replacement (and you do not have a range-extender to kick in)?
How about a lack of a vast array of charging subroutine variations needed for the vast array of differing driving demands regarding traffic and weather conditions in a BEV as opposed to an EREV?
How about the sheer worry about the inconvenience of not having an established nearby dealership to support you immediately?
There are lots more questions like this that folks just are not asking when they compare a BEV to the GM EREV Voltec technologies.
But, as half the populace just needs to
*******
see
*******
a Volt to be able to believe in it (which is certainly OK by me), the overwhelming majority will immediately demand one.
And, I predict that there is a sheer-practical-wisdom of GM will be finally realized by everyone else, not by just us techs.
Dan Petit Austin TX

By: solo

solo — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:47:09 +0000

stas peterson Says:

I just hope that the UAW VEBA fund is obligated to eventually convert its equity to other investments, or the equity is either non-voting, or held by proxy by the government until the government is repaid. There is too much ease in voting itself raises, and approving them, that would put the companies back to the same problem they are in now.
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True.—–>

It’s also true there is too much ease in government officials (state and federal) voting itself raises and approving them also.

It’s also true there is too much ease in government officials (federal) printing dollars by the trillions to buy votes for the next election cycle regardless of the future consequences.