Hi, I'm new here, i'm a journalism student from Canada, and i am writing a piece about the Volt for one of my classes. i've been lurking around the forums for a few days reading, taking notes and researching and found it really interesting how some members find parallels between the Volt and the EV1.

i watched who killed the electric car, and i read "DRIVE: A Road Trip through Our Complicated Affair with the Automobile" (Penguin, 2008)--a great read!.

i havent been able to find solid paralels between the EV1 and Volt programs, other than the low production numbers already anounced... however many forum regulars claim there are more (in GM communications and releases)... would anyone please point me as to where to find this info, or if anyone knows anything that'd be great!

thanks again

Phil.

Phil_B

As yourself I am relatively new to this forum. My observation however is that this forum contains the most comprehesive information available on the Volt outside GM. I suggest you start on the Home page and read the listed posts and FAQ. Then the design related archives of the forum.You will get a hint of the comparison with EV1 but you might want to find another source for EV1 definition or ask specific questions here. Good Luck

The biggest difference is that they really want this one to work. The Volt will be available for sale, not just for lease. :)

I believe the outside conditions are the real difference. The low price of oil (and the belief that it will always be here) as well as a reduced worry about our oil independence or the environmental problems of burning fossil fuels made the environment less friendly for a range limited vehicle. Also, the hope of the hydrogen car put the last nail in the EV coffin.

Things are much different now. There are real concerns about our oil supply, people are worried about CO2 emissions, we all don't want to spend $700 billion a year to governments that don't like us, we know the hydrogen car is at least a decade away, we now have a much better battery technology (and nanotechnology solved the burning up issue) and finally people don't have to worry about the range of the car.

Thus, if you discount all of that then yes, the two programs are similar. ;)

Oh, I forgot that GM now understands how much bad PR they received with killing the EV1 and know that doing that again would be the end of them.

Now the bad news. The Volt just might end up being killed as well. Not because of the will of GM but from the realities of GM’s financial position. To say it’s horrible is an understatement. They are 3 to 6 months away from bankruptcy if Nancy doesn’t save them. Think about that. Thus, even if there are not many similarities with the two programs the result might just be the same - the promise and the pull. Hey, that would be a good name for your paper. Please use it if you wish. ;)

... i am writing a piece about the Volt for one of my classes ... have'nt been able to find solid parallels between the EV1 and Volt programs ... would anyone please point me as to where to find this info, or if anyone knows anything that'd be great.

Hello Phil_B & welcome to gm-volt.com

Some EV1 Volt Parallels:
-Both have onboard batteries charged from a home outlet.
-Both have electric drive
-Both utilize real aerodynamic styling
-Both have low rolling resistance tires
Many more probably, all I could think of off the top of my head...

However, the Volt mainly shares a parallel with an EV1 series hybrid prototype which had a similar arrangement.
Essentially, they had the Volt in the EV1 Series Hybrid Prototype, except the where the Volt will have an ICE range extender, the EV1 prototype would've had a turbine; otherwise the turbine EV1 prototype & the Volt are both Serial Plug-In Hybrids.

Some links & pics of both the EV1 & its Series Hybrid Prototype, hope it helps & hope to hear more from you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1#EV1_series_hybrid

_-=

The EV1 series hybrid prototype had a gas turbine engine APU placed in the trunk. A single-stage, single-shaft, recuperated gas turbine unit with a high-speed permanent-magnet AC generator was provided by Williams International; it weighed 220 lb (99.8 kg), measured 20 inches (50.8 cm) in diameter by 22 inches (55.9 cm) long and was running between 100,000 and 140,000 rpm. The turbine could run on a number of high-octane alternative fuels, from octane-boosted gasoline to compressed natural gas. The APU started automatically when the battery charge dropped below 40% and delivered 40 kW of electrical power, enough to achieve speeds up to 80 mph (128.8 km/h) and to return the car's 44 NiMH cells to a 50% charge level.

A fuel tank capacity of 6.5 gallons (24.6 l) and fuel economy of 60 to 100 mpg (3.9 to 2.4 L/100 km) in hybrid mode, depending on the driving conditions, allowed for a highway range of more than 390 miles (627.6 km). The car accelerated to 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 9 seconds.

im plenty aware that both are electric and all that... i wasnt refering to physical parallels as they are not relevant to the issue... i was refering to paralels in terms of policy and politics behind it, political and private interests, and all that.... not how they are made, batteries and things like that.

thanks a lot for the pointers texas!

i still havent beenable to find solid info on why the car is being produced in small numbers at first, does this have to do with re-tooling?

and whats the fuzz with the batteries? the electric car movie showed a guy who came up with the longer lastingbatteries, and GM bought the rights and.. (we've all seen it :P) whats wrong with these batts? all i can find is that GM says that the batts are not ready and are being tested for safety and what not, and being made by a different company too... how does this work?

thanks a lot guys!