When asked to create a “dream car” from GM parts, the company’s North American President, Mark Reuss, described a hybrid vehicle in which no mention was made about mpg or emissions.
Although the hardware he’d drop in place of the 7.5-liter V-12 gutted from a 2002 Cadillac Cien concept would be green, the car Reuss spec’d was distinguished by still-significant gas-electric horsepower and torque in the mid 400s and blazing lap time capability.
Not actually built, this is what Reuss would do.
The opportunity for this brainstorming exercise was a discussion with Car and Driver, and while no hint was made that the Cadillac ELR would echo these themes, it at least shows the proclivities of one key executive at GM. While the 2009 Converj was beautiful, Reuss said he loves the 2002 Cien whose angular body “defined” Cadillac for him.
So as an ultimate, he picked his favorite Cadillac and sketched it out sensibly enough for today’s environmental and fuel efficiency conscious times, but stacked the deck decidedly in favor of power to weight so the fun-to-drive factor was definitely not left out.
The Cien’s carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and body comprised the one car that most inspired Reuss, Car and Driver says. So, why not convert it into the ultimate Volt?
Indeed, if his wish list is at all accurate, it means GM knows how to make an all-wheel-drive hybrid vehicle weighing within a few pounds of the Volt but with triple the horsepower and approaching double the torque.
As Car and Driver observed, Reuss knows full well what GM could concoct if its engineers were turned loose. Before his present role, he led architecture engineering, launched GM’s performance division, oversaw global virtual development, and ran Holden in Australia.
So when people talk about wanting to see a Volt SS, or other high-performance variants, here’s one more proof that GM understands, even if it is playing cards close to its chest.
But what do you think? Is this “parts bin special” the best GM could do? Or do you doubt it could be done? If optimistic, what do you think a car like this would cost? Could you come up with something better? More power? Lighter but less powerful than the 3,800 pound vehicle here? Different body style? How would you balance the equation?
Fisker Karma? Tesla Model S? GM’s president says from existing parts he could build an EREV like this that would trounce either in the quarter mile or around a race track.
And, more importantly, will there ever come a day when GM would create something like this? Perhaps after several more years when the electrified vehicle shakeout has had some time to run its course? How close do you think the Cadillac ELR will come to this imaginary benchmark?
Naturally, many more economical and practical Voltec designs could also be built, and likely would come first, but we thought it revealing to see what kind of vehicle GM’s president would envision as most entertaining for himself.
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+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (6:44 am)While others still dream of super performance with a super price tag that only the rich can afford, my dream Voltech vehicle would be able to trickle down to the middle class and actually help in building out a smart grid system to phase out the need for running our huge fleet of vehicles on fossil fuels. All that without the need for a government plan.
How can this be done? Combine two of the best ideas for EVs – Voltech and Better Place. While BP’s battery switch system is about to go live with customers in the next few months in Israel and Denmark, it is not likely that the company can find enough private capital to “wire up” the US in order to have a system that allows drivers to traverse the entire country.
How can my super dream plug-in help build out the infrastructure? The vehicle can run just like a normal Voltech using only a home and work charger and existing gas stations. As enough of these vehicles are put in a given area, the business justification for a battery switch station becomes evident. Why stop at a gas station when you can stop at a battery switch station for less cost per mile? The Better Place model is already cheaper per mile compared with current gas prices. We can only imagine what those prices will be in the future, now that Iran is rattling its saber and threatening to shut down the supply of oil from the Middle East. Resource wars in the future look more likely than not. The more the West needs it, the more we are forced to protect the global supply.
Since the gas generator is more or less a temporary system, the fancy electro-mechanical transmission can be axed for a more pure, Fisker Karma-like serial system, saving manufacturing costs, even though the vehicle efficiency goes down a bit – more reason to use the charging and swap stations.
1) Get the genset as simple and small as possible.
2) Work hand-in-hand with Better Place to prevent reinventing the wheel – they already have a Renault vehicle in near volume production – most of the testing is already complete.
3) Install about 10 swap stations in very high volume areas to get things started.
4) Have both high-end and low-end offerings to exploit the halo yet get the volume.
5) Employ new light-weighting technologies to optimize weight, performance and cost.
The Better Place system is going to be getting a lot of publicity early next year and if most of that is positive, the above proposal should be seriously considered.
The genset can be extremely useful in many extreme weather locations, even with a full electric grid in place because liquid fuels have 40 times the energy density of even the best battery packs. It keeps things cold or hot for much longer. Designing the genset to use different kinds of liquid fuels would be even more useful if supply issues arise, a likely situation in the not too distant future.
Looking at our current economic and resource problems, a simple, low-cost transportation system seems a bit more practical than a super EV that only a few old rich guys can afford.
+15
Dec 29th, 2011 (7:16 am)I agree with Texas. I don’t really care about toys for the rich. We are looking down the barrel of peak oil and we are dawdling with a concept car that, if it if came into being, would be produced at very low volumes and would not impact the future one iota.
Yes, it’s cool looking and an interesting car. If I won one in a lottery I wouldn’t turn it down but it’s not a serious car and would face the same fate as the much hyped Roadster.
+10
Dec 29th, 2011 (7:30 am)If it’s true that this car could be made from “existing parts”, it should be feasible to actually build
a concept car (“Cien II Concept”?) like this to show at the world’s major auto shows —just as was done with the Volt Concept.
Then if Tesla S, Fisker Karma, BMW i8, etc EREV super car sales happen to really take off, Cadillac would at least have some skin in the game to help assess public interest!
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:15 am)Much of the EV growth in China will be …. Electric bicycles and scooters. Along with their growth in the auto segment with BYD, SAIC and others. By replacing bicycles with 20-mph and 20-mile range electric bikes, commuters can expand their range without having the funds to buy the whole automobile. Places like Vietnam, Indonesia and other spots thrive on small 50cc or so scooter traffic due to high prices of petrol and once infrastructure supports it, electric cycles.
In the US, we have seen efforts like Fisker and Tesla produce $70-110K autos out of the block. We really haven’t strived to look at the lower-end yet. I’ll be important, like Kup says, to not build these toys for the rich but bring out coupe and sedan EV models (hopefully more EREVs) for the common man. The common man will need one car (and not two) which is why both EREVs and BEVs will grow in tandem – no clear winner, just options for consumer choice. We still don’t see viable electric bicycle dealerships in the USA just yet. The only folks I see riding electric bikes are Chinese food delivery guys in NYC. (and there are a lot of them)
We’ve read numerous stories of Volt owners here that say: “I gave demo rides to my friends and many have said that they would buy a Volt once the price comes down…” That’s the goal-line – EREVs will thrive once the price is right.
+15
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:18 am)That’s nice. Although he probably won’t answer, I’m much more interested in hereing about Mark Reuss’ dream path to 1 million Voltecs per year production. Hopefully it doesn’t begin and end with only small 2+2 hatchbacks with one battery size option. The Volt is a fantastic start but GM needs to proliferate the use of this drivetrain.
The best value opportunity for high efficiency personnal transportation is improving vans, minivans, pickups, CUVs, and SUVs.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:42 am)Agreed except I believe the last sentence has more impact reading:
“That’s the goal-line – EREVs will thrive once the value is right.”
It is a subtle difference but can make a huge difference in how GM approaches the issue. Their marketing of and responses about the the Volt show they want the potential Prius and Leaf buyers, which is fine, but the best value is for the potential BMW 1 & 3 series, Mercedes C class, Lexus IS, etc buyers. The is most comparable and competes on a value basis even better against the low end luxury market than than the economy high efficiency or 100% EV markets. This seems to be lost on GM’s marketers and upper management, which is odd since they are the ones that chose the tagline “more car than electric”.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:53 am)Sure, Value is one better way to put it. An off-lease Volt with 30K miles and 3-years experience at $20K will have better value for the purchaser and it’ll be nice to see more EREVs dropping down into the used car market eventually.
People also have to value their own role in the reduction of oil usage, using a more efficient means of transportation and enjoying being part of the newest generation of autos. Like the Model-T Ford, the Volt and Leaf are the first mass-produced units of their kind in a long future of electric cars.
+5
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:53 am)The Tesla S is not a two passenger car. GM better seriously start thinking about making a Tesla S competitor.
Volt#671
NPNS!
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:05 am)We are waiting to see if Tesla survives their first round of car-builds. They need to have a 50,000 or more unit sales through 2020 to be a viable company through 2020. They have sold 2500 roadsters over 3 years. Fisker, who knows what’s to come…
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:09 am)This is not a Voltec drivetrain.
The ELR will not resemble this drivetrain configuration at all…..
but it sure looks like fun for 100K$ ++ (If you have that kind of money)
+7
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:18 am)Exactly,
MPV w/ latest and greatest battery chemistry which allows about 1/3 the Volts current battery, Eliminate liquid cooling, add Atkinson Miller Cycle ICE=lower wt, lower cost, better fuel consumption, more usable interior space.
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:27 am)That’s how the Volt competes now. so I’m not sure what you are saying Koz.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:33 am)Like the body styling, see no point in the performance. Does not seem that anything learned from that type of super-car EREV would help reduce the costs or improve the efficiency of the Volt and lower-costs systems, which is what the world needs. Other than AWD, there is nothing useful in the design. Fun maybe, useful no. If GM wants to build a concept car or a handful of such super-cars to prove their abilities, and can sell them at a price-point to make money fine, but I’d rather see the intellectual efforts focused on making the Voltec a platform for the massess, not yet another massive overkill exotic platform for the massively well off. (Note: I could easily afford a Karma, but chose a Volt.. I already drive the Volt too fast at times, a Karma or something like this would just be asking for trouble. )
+5
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:38 am)Volt SS!!
Some of us aren’t into the whole peak/AGW/economy space. There is a real market for 400/400 hp-lbft cars.
+5
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:17 am)The ELR is a segment-expanding upscale trim job on the basic themes of the Volt. I would have bought one if it were available at the same time as the Volt as two-door coupes remind me that I was young once.
This Reuss dream car would put EV/hybrid drivetrains into the buying realm of decision makers. Not many people buy CTS-V’s, but that hyper-performance line gave street cred to the entirety of the Cadillac brand. Show them that a high performance, mid-engine supercar has a two-mode hybrid transmission and suddenly all the two-mode-equipped hybrid SUVs in GM’s stable have credibility. Show that an automotive object of lust and desire has the Volt’s traction motor powering half its wheels, and energy from the Volt’s battery pack, and suddenly the Volt isn’t a tree hugger’s toy anymore.
It’s all about perceptions engendered by a halo car.
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:19 am)That is part of what I’m attempting to convey. The Volt does compete very well in the low end luxury space, even now when looked at from the right perspective. It has good relative value there. The rest of my point is that GM doesn’t seem to fully grasp this. They have somewhat punted on the value equation and are mostly marketing the halo value or capturing/expanding the high efficiency early adopter pool. My argument is that they should be focusing more on convincing the low luxury buyer that the Volt is a higher value solution for them.
IMO, the Volt will still capture it’s share of the high efficiency buyers even without much marketing effort.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:51 am)Seems like marketing WOULD be where you want to focus…. or are you saying to make hardware/software changes to appeal more to the BMW 3 series crowd?
I guess I don’t see a lot of hardware/software changes that need to be made to appeal to that group.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:58 am)#4 Plugless power. I want this. Make it happen Mark
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:17 am)This car looks pretty good. I’m not a big fan of the headlights and tail lights though. The modernized Cadillac stacked headlights thing.
I’d rather see GM make a Voltec super car that looks a bit like the 2012 Aston Martin Vantage. I think that’s the coolest looking sports car in the world. The face of this car looks really nice. The rear lights look good too.
http://www.prestigeluxuryrentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2012-ASTON-MARTIN-Vantage-GT3.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NlXLy36jo0g/TTCTZoM8UUI/AAAAAAAAPVM/PcViMcCNUI4/s1600/02-2011-aston-martin-v12-vantage.jpg
+9
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:17 am)Meh. This is really trying too hard and yet another EV supercar is a yawner. How many Audi E-trons do we need? Give me a more upscale Volt with a 60 mile range and a 0-60 time of 6 seconds for $15K more. Even better, give people a downscale Volt with a 40 mile range for $10K less.
The only things from this that are appealing are the inductive charging and the night vision/display/cruise control/cameras.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:22 am)Well, I’ll bite. Based on costs for Fisker, Tesla, and Corvette, I’ll guess $130,000 to 140,000.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:28 am)Heck, if GM could somehow design a Voltec Corvette that looks a lot like the 2012 Corvette ZR1 that would definitely work for me.
This modified 2012 Corvette looks ULTRA COOL. Exactly what I would like to see in a GM Voltec super car if possible.
http://2012-corvette.info/images/2012-corvette-zr1-1.jpg
+3
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:32 am)Well said. After watching the Jon Stewart video of 6 US Presidents (starting with Nixon) proclaiming the need to get off oil addiction and setting goals that are never met, it’s time for individuals to step up and do it themselves by buying a Volt, or Leaf, or Ford Fusion electric, etc.
We can change the situation one car at a time. But I also think many more will be sold when the price drops. We may see how that plays out with the Mitsubishi i-miev (as low as $21,625).
+6
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:45 am)yes and add MPV for people that need a little more utilitarian vehicle.
+3
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:56 am)Cars need to be replaced someday. This 2 seat concept would do a fine job of replacing my Cadillac XLR if it could include the XLR convertible top. Having the occasional rush of speed is a thrill, but most times the car is stuck in traffic where electric propulsion would save fuel and money. It’s great to see that GM management is not resting on their laurels.
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:08 pm)But how much would it cost? Green super-cars are interesting and all, but except as a place to develop new technologies it doesn’t have much impact for the average driver. You could make all the super-cars in existence vanish today and I’d bet the air quality impact would be undetectable.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:19 pm)The only thing that I’d change with this concept is the front end styling – this car is too cool to be trying to integrate into the styling an eggcrate grille which it seems GM thinks is a Cadillac trademark. If anything, it’s a distraction; it turns the sheer artistry of the design into a corporate statement.
All it needs is the Cadillac badge with the old ‘V’ underneath.
+6
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:24 pm)With just a few body panel changes, that could be the next Corvette STINGRAY !!!!
O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please-O-please!!!!!!
+5
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:35 pm)My Volt is the only electric in a 150 parking garage full of Porche, BMW and Mercedes (no Corvettes). I personally switched to Volt from Mercedes and BMW because I thought the engineering of the Volt was of high enough quality and the chance to be a front runner for electric. I like the Volt but hate the styling and exterior design – its just too Plain Jane American. For my money (and I mean that literally), Volt has to ramp up the exterior design and extend the electric milage. Until the US builds Autobaun freeways the speed is irrelevant.
+5
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:47 pm)Remember this Simpsons episode.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:50 pm)This is a really good looking Caddy… but I will never be in that market…
Where’s the Voltec .. practical… no nonsense CUV with seats that come out to save weight and make for huge cargo space like my Buick CUV?
I want basic… well built, practical transportation via Voltec.
galvanized bodies .. and stainless steel exhausts speak more to me than fancy interiors and high end radios.
+3
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:52 pm)#2
I’ve gotta put in with you there. +1
+6
Dec 29th, 2011 (12:54 pm)#5
Me too. +1
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (1:14 pm)I would rather see a Volt SS option with; shall I say “bigger ball bearings”. GM could simply: add direct injection, have a SS mode which could on the fly change when the ICE engages for combined power, change electronic performance settings for the ICE, electric motor performance and battery output performance. Having a SS mode button would give you the best 2 performance modes. I would also try to lower the total weight and add run-flat tires.
+8
Dec 29th, 2011 (1:15 pm)I agree that this has value as a show car to gauge interest, and perhaps as a way to develop new technology; but I also agree with those who say that this represents outreach in the wrong direction. We need affordable EREV, and we need it yesterday.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (1:18 pm)Ughhh….did I really type “hereing”? Could be a cool word though as in “living in the moment”. Ha!
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (1:27 pm)Yes, Marketing of the current Voly is what I was referring to. That and the sales and upper management that have chosen the same direction. I believe it is appealing enough aesthetically and from a performance, quality of ride prespective to be a good value proposition for the lower luxury market. The biggest drawbacks from attracting more of those buyers isn’t the car itself but rather GM’s marketing efforts and overcoming the stigma many luxury car buyers have against a mainstream brand like Chevy.
Sad to say but if you put a Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, or Cadillac emblem on the grill and a lot of those buyers would be climbing over each other to buy the Volt in its current form and price.
Dec 29th, 2011 (2:20 pm)I think the ELR has a lot more potential to be a great car than Reuss’ dream car above. But what I’d like to see added to the ELR is a part-time rear wheel motor setup to make it quasi-AWD (for heavier throttle and low-traction situations), maybe as little as 50hp at the back would do what it needs to do. Bump total output to at least 250hp, keep a weight limit of 3500 pounds, use a quieter and smoother ICE, and get EPA EV range above 50 miles. That would be my idea of a relatively affordable, sensible, and most of all practical (as in one they can build now) supercar for the 21st century, especially until the U.S. builds Autobahns, which I really don’t think will be in my lifetime.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (2:22 pm)I think a high performance electric or EREV Corvette would be cool, fun to drive, and terrific at everything a sports car should be.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (3:31 pm)It’s STILL all about battery vs gas prices.
At current gas prices, a $10k-$20k premium for Voltec just isn’t enough of a draw for enough people. Now, only a $5k premium, which implies a 3 or 4 year payback, would be VERY interesting. ICE Cruze for $20k, Voltec Cruze for $25k. ICE Malibu for $25k, Voltec Malibu for $30k. ICE SUV for $30k, Voltec version for $35k.
That being said, my 2012 prediction: sometime during the year, we’ll see gas prices spike, which will drive a big jump in Volt sales.
Last thought: what’s the update on GE’s purchase of 10,000 Volts? That’s a biggie that seems to have been forgotten.
Dec 29th, 2011 (3:37 pm)#36
Don’t sweat the little stuff, LOL. +1 I never even noticed it. I make more typos in one day than you do in a year, LMAO.
“The King Of The Typos”
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (3:40 pm)#35
Amen! +1
Dec 29th, 2011 (3:42 pm)#17
Brain transplants maybe, LOL?
Dec 29th, 2011 (4:09 pm)Yes if Iran closes the Straights of Hormuz, that should get peoples attention again. WSJ article today talking about how Iran really won’t do it.
But I would not put it past them.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (5:44 pm)GM should call it the “Electric Ray”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_ray
This can “shock” the luxury sport vehicle market (Porsche, Ferrari, etc.) since it can run faster than most of them, and get over 40 MPG, too!
Raymond
Dec 29th, 2011 (7:13 pm)Ahh Raymond I looked at the link.
Are you sure??
Or is this some sort of a Dream of an EE?
Dec 29th, 2011 (7:38 pm)Me, either. And there are a lot of other negative scenarios for oil supply, as usual. But, glad to see GM finally having a better-diversified supply of vehicles. Gas prices go down, they sell a lot more SUVs and trucks. Goes up, they sell a lot more of their better mileage stuff. Of which at least they have some legitimate choices available now.
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:32 pm)Whatever happened to the Xmas Miracle called EEStor ? Are they still a player?
Dec 29th, 2011 (8:44 pm)The real problem w/ limited oil supply is that…. there isn’t a problem. …
Big oil has lots of money.
They have expanded their onshore US production of both shale oil AND natural gas to give us another 50- 100 years of supply.
In addition, they are promoting this as energy independence because it reduces our need for oil thru the Straights.
So basically we are screwed unless Iran closes off Hormuz.
+1
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:25 pm)Shale oil is a bit player:
Rising output from shale formations may reduce U.S. imports of low-sulfur crude oil by 500,000 barrels a day within five years… Shale production should rise to about 900,000 barrels a day by 2015 and to more than 1.3 million barrels daily by 2020
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-15/u-s-shale-oil-production-to-curb-imports-purvin-gertz-says.html
Gee, 1.3 million barrels/day. That’s great, if the money from sales was going to my bank account – but as a replacement for cheap, easily pumped oil for world consumption, it’s a desperation move:
Cantarell Field is an aging supergiant oil field in Mexico. It was discovered in 1976 by a fisherman, Rudesindo Cantarell. It was placed on nitrogen injection in 2000, and production peaked at 2.1 million barrels per day in 2003. In terms of cumulative production to date, it is by far the largest oil field in Mexico, and one of the largest in the world. However, production has declined since 2003, falling to 464,000 barrels per day by the end of 2010.
1.3 million barrels/day TOTAL from U.S. shale by 2020.
1.636 million barrels/day LOST from 2003 to 2010 – in just one large oil field.
Oil from shale is time and energy intensive. Cheap, fast oil from pumping out of supergiant fields – that’s going away – hence “the problem”.
As for fracking and ruining groundwater to produce more natural gas – that’s another topic.
+4
Dec 29th, 2011 (9:56 pm)Holy crap! We agree! I voted +1 for him. That’s a sign of the rollout year coming to a close.
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:16 pm)My rental car this week was a Cadillac SRX (loaded). Just put Voltec in that, and many would be happy (and it wouldnt cost $100K).
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:18 pm)They are as real as Santa Claus
Someone should write the EEStor poem.
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:19 pm)I saw it today. $2.99 in Alabama, landed in Detroit, $3.49.
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:20 pm)Well, you’re half right.
I think most of us here always wanted an affordable form of this technology. Where you seem to differ is the realization that this goal must await economies of scale, technology and actual road experience; all of which are prerequisites. You wanted the affordable Volt (or it’s Toyota equivalent) right at the beginning, finding anything short of this unacceptable. This was never a reasonable expectation; the initial offering was never going to be as affordable as we’d like.
What I find disquieting in today’s post is learning the direction the boss’s imagination likes to take — the wrong one, IMO. I look at the roll-out year Volt as the high-priced prerequisite for the more affordable car to come, not as a stepping-stone to a much more expensive model.
+2
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:40 pm)In the spirit of the “Dream Car” theme, my no-holds-barred EREV would carry a much larger pack (at least 24kwh), with a smaller-than-Volt auxiliary engine.
Long-time readers will recognize this approach: the EREV100 with a small, constant speed engine. The AER is set by what might reasonably be recharged overnight in a home garage. The small engine would be used far less often than the Volt’s.
To solve the stale fuel issue, I would include a bay for two removable 20lb Propane tanks; with no provision for burning gasoline. The propane can sit in the tank almost indefinitely, and isn’t even cost prohibitive in a lot of places. In normal practice, you would only carry one tank to eliminate Range Anxiety. You’d pick up a second whenever you know that you will take an extended trip. Less convenient than a gas fill-up maybe, but a lot more convenient than public EV charging.
This would require batteries capable of several times the duty cycles of the current LG Chem cells, and would no doubt be more expensive. This is because the difference between the generator’s output and actual road demand must be buffered to an extent greater than with the Volt’s larger, heavier engine (in CS mode). This buffering would use up more duty cycles. Perhaps sufficiently durable batteries could be provided for demand-buffering in a small pack separate from the bulk of the energy storage (using less expensive batteries) in a larger pack.
This wouldn’t actually be cheaper, but it would extend the tech in a much more acceptable direction: not off-the-mark performance, but practical use, and range. Lessons learned here would more likely transfer to the “affordable” version than some EV Hot Rod pipe-dream of Mark Reuss.
On the other hand, I suppose we should feel lucky that he chose an EREV variant as the basis for his dream car; and to be fair, my concept would require new parts.
Dec 29th, 2011 (10:54 pm)Ideal electric vehicle:
1) 300 mile real world range @ 70 mph in 15 degree weather
2) Can charge in 8 hrs max (and wireless charging)
3) $40K or less
4) 0-60mph in 6.0 sec or less
5) battery that lasts 10 years
6) all the bells & whistles (I like the geeky stuff)
Will I see this in my lifetime…? Hopefully.
Dec 29th, 2011 (11:05 pm)Perhaps you could have an on-board tank of fairly large capacity, with a bay for a single 20lb (barbecue grill size) tank. The ability to refill on-board Propane is probably limited to companies which service motor homes and commercial conversions; but the small tank is available nearly everywhere. (Does anyone have concrete information about the availability of in-vehicle Propane tank refueling?) Maybe you could look at the 20lb tank as day-to-day emergency fuel, using it (if necessary) to reach the less-common Propane vehicle fueling stations. You would refuel the main tank only when you know that you will take an extended trip (saving the weight of the fuel). The disadvantage is the size/weight of an internal tank which ideally is empty most of the time.
+1
Dec 30th, 2011 (10:26 pm)Sweet looking vehicle, but a two-seater? Given all the slings and arrows the Volt took for only having 4 seats….
Be well,
Tagamet
Jan 1st, 2012 (8:19 am)I believe the need is the next tech step. In wheel electric motor/brakes with only a secondary mechanical parking brake. This removes a lot of weight complexity and cost. Can be done now, but needs changes in vehicle regulations. With the coming inprovments in batteries and a small on board genset I think the cost of a Volt style vehicle could be reduced by 50%.
Note In the UK we once had more electric vehicles on the roads than any other country in the world.
Called a milk float used to run round every morning delivering fresh milk on door steps bit like paper delivery. Slow but carried several tons of milk. Times have changed not so commom now.
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/electric-mini-0-60-in-4-seconds-it-has-motors-in-its-wheels.html
http://www.pmlflightlink.com/
A genset based on this engine would do the job.
http://www.ecomotors.com/
Jan 4th, 2012 (9:49 am)Hi everyone –
I enjoyed reading all of the comments here on my fun brain expanding car. I want to make sure you all had the conceptual context in which this was written—for Car and Driver–and it had to be current technology–so I could not dive into what we are doing next– ie more affordable Voltec etc. So, I could not style a future entry like next gen Volt, I could not discuss range enhancement or price decreasing future batteries and so on. I want nothing more than to accelerate broader Voltec experience for people around the world–but this was just a fun brain experiment on what I like that we have done in the past–from seats to night vision to Voltec –only applied in new ways. Believe me I had to restrain myself here from leaking what we are doing in the next 5 years….and the priorities and focus we have on reducing dependency on oil. Thanks for your understanding–mark