Comments on: Driving the MINI E Electric Car: The First 1200 Miles http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:11:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Avitable http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/#comment-135719 John Avitable Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:39:34 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1749#comment-135719 Okay, so I would like to ask a stupid question. I understand that there was an issue with the charger before BMW could release it without it being UL listed. Why aren't the chargers integrated straight into the car? It seems to me like it would make more sense, not to mention that it would really suck if you were caught somewhere without your charger. Also, I'm not sure how the home charger gets connected, but I do theatrical lighting so I often find myself near a rather powerful 3-phase connection which to me, seems like it should probably charge pretty quickly. Okay, so I would like to ask a stupid question. I understand that there was an issue with the charger before BMW could release it without it being UL listed. Why aren’t the chargers integrated straight into the car? It seems to me like it would make more sense, not to mention that it would really suck if you were caught somewhere without your charger. Also, I’m not sure how the home charger gets connected, but I do theatrical lighting so I often find myself near a rather powerful 3-phase connection which to me, seems like it should probably charge pretty quickly.

]]> By: ZR http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/#comment-128312 ZR Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:45:59 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1749#comment-128312 Hi, first time poster. The problem is not so much the connection. The problem is the grid capability. Which grid today is in a shape to handle hundreds or thousands (and eventually millions) of cars needing these types of power requirements? The picture you provide proves Dave G’s point. Quite clearly the grid can handle very few of these types “fast charges”. And then add in the strain of these “fast charges” turning on and then off hundreds of times a day. Quite clearly “fast charging” is not an option with-out some sort of buffer / electric reservoir separating the grid and the “fast charger”. And that’s why Better Place hasn’t got much to worry about “fast charges” making swapping obsolete, any time soon. Hi, first time poster.

The problem is not so much the connection. The problem is the grid capability. Which grid today is in a shape to handle hundreds or thousands (and eventually millions) of cars needing these types of power requirements? The picture you provide proves Dave G’s point. Quite clearly the grid can handle very few of these types “fast charges”. And then add in the strain of these “fast charges” turning on and then off hundreds of times a day.

Quite clearly “fast charging” is not an option with-out some sort of buffer / electric reservoir separating the grid and the “fast charger”. And that’s why Better Place hasn’t got much to worry about “fast charges” making swapping obsolete, any time soon.

]]> By: liion http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/#comment-126033 liion Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:56:03 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1749#comment-126033 The Mitsu IMiev claims even better efficiency : 100 miles on 16kWh and 63hp (certainly only urban cycle) :6.5miles/kWh ! On the other hand the car has been designed from scratch for EV application. 70 miles for the E-mini is if you use it at max power I guess, another comment says it can get 127miles/ charge which seems more realistic for 35kWh. difficult to compare ... The Mitsu IMiev claims even better efficiency : 100 miles on 16kWh and 63hp (certainly only urban cycle) :6.5miles/kWh ! On the other hand the car has been designed from scratch for EV application.

70 miles for the E-mini is if you use it at max power I guess, another comment says it can get 127miles/ charge which seems more realistic for 35kWh. difficult to compare …

]]> By: EVO http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/#comment-125858 EVO Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:32:24 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1749#comment-125858 "as you would not want to attract attention to the sound of your generator running while parked unintended in some neighborhoods." So GM intends to have a "gansta" mode? That would be blingy. “as you would not want to attract attention to the sound of your generator running while parked unintended in some neighborhoods.”

So GM intends to have a “gansta” mode? That would be blingy.

]]> By: EVO http://gm-volt.com/2009/07/08/driving-the-mini-e-electric-car-the-first-1200-miles/#comment-125857 EVO Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:30:16 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1749#comment-125857 A 1 kWh genset is underpowered and not recommended for high power cell recharging in any modern electric vehicle application that I'm familiar with. If you were a cultural anthropology major instead an EE, you would figure out that any choice involves tradeoffs, extra weight, space taken and complexity among them in this case. Having said that, I suspect the Volt engineers are actually trying to optimize their EREV app, with the intrinsically superior off the line torque, near linear acceleration and quiet operation of electric drive foremost in mind. A 1 kWh genset is underpowered and not recommended for high power cell recharging in any modern electric vehicle application that I’m familiar with. If you were a cultural anthropology major instead an EE, you would figure out that any choice involves tradeoffs, extra weight, space taken and complexity among them in this case.

Having said that, I suspect the Volt engineers are actually trying to optimize their EREV app, with the intrinsically superior off the line torque, near linear acceleration and quiet operation of electric drive foremost in mind.

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