A Marriage Made In Heaven - My Explanation Of The Volt

[Steverino]

Very nice write up that covers a lot of ground. Thanks for sharing. In case you are intending this for wider distribution, there are some typos you may want to address:

• "They also wanted to make it to make it sporty,"
• "it has an electric motor with 270 ft/lbs of torque" It's 273. http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electr...eatures-specs/ and normally expressed as "lb.-ft."
• "a car that is more fun to drive that almost any car"
• "So what does it all mean." A question mark is called for.
• "Similarly emissions of gasoline engines vary widely depending on their efficiency, which ranges between 15% and 28%." Perhaps "Similarly, emissions of gasoline engines vary widely—ranging between 15% and 28%—depending on their efficiency."
• "Thus the most efficient engines are slightly produce slightly less"
• "some respects better as on any comparable car" instead of "as on" use than

[jbfalaska]

Faux News is really going to hate your story.

[saghost]

Very nice write up that covers a lot of ground. Thanks for sharing. In case you are intending this for wider distribution, there are some typos you may want to address:

• "They also wanted to make it to make it sporty,"
• "it has an electric motor with 270 ft/lbs of torque" It's 273. http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electr...eatures-specs/ and normally expressed as "lb.-ft."
• "a car that is more fun to drive that almost any car"
• "So what does it all mean." A question mark is called for.
• "Similarly emissions of gasoline engines vary widely depending on their efficiency, which ranges between 15% and 28%." Perhaps "Similarly, emissions of gasoline engines vary widely—ranging between 15% and 28%—depending on their efficiency."
• "Thus the most efficient engines are slightly produce slightly less"
• "some respects better as on any comparable car" instead of "as on" use than

Wow! I must have really been out of it when I read the original post. I'm usually meticulous about the details, and I don't remember noticing any of those. (I try not to be a grammar nazi here, but I usually see it, and as you did, I'd likely point some out in something like this that looks like it'll go somewhere.)

[Gary Norton]

Very nice write up that covers a lot of ground. Thanks for sharing. In case you are intending this for wider distribution, there are some typos you may want to address:

• "They also wanted to make it to make it sporty,"
• "it has an electric motor with 270 ft/lbs of torque" It's 273. http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electr...eatures-specs/ and normally expressed as "lb.-ft."
• "a car that is more fun to drive that almost any car"
• "So what does it all mean." A question mark is called for.
• "Similarly emissions of gasoline engines vary widely depending on their efficiency, which ranges between 15% and 28%." Perhaps "Similarly, emissions of gasoline engines vary widely—ranging between 15% and 28%—depending on their efficiency."
• "Thus the most efficient engines are slightly produce slightly less"
• "some respects better as on any comparable car" instead of "as on" use than

Thank you very much. Edits have been made. Boy I miss the days when I had a secretary. :-)

[bobchr]

If the EPA is equating 33.7 Kwh with a gallon of gasoline and rates the original Volt at 93 mpge then I'm assuming that equates to 2.76 miles /kwh. I think most people on this post are seeing more like 4 miles / kwh like I am. Especially in the southern areas which even on comfort AC settings are not seeing ranges of only 28 miles electric. In a very cold winter environment maybe but I think these figures should be amortized over a range of temperature and driving conditions. My Volt mpge rating is more like 141.5.

[saghost]

If the EPA is equating 33.7 Kwh with a gallon of gasoline and rates the original Volt at 93 mpge then I'm assuming that equates to 2.76 miles /kwh. I think most people on this post are seeing more like 4 miles / kwh like I am. Especially in the southern areas which even on comfort AC settings are not seeing ranges of only 28 miles electric. In a very cold winter environment maybe but I think these figures should be amortized over a range of temperature and driving conditions. My Volt mpge rating is more like 141.5.

The EPA rating is from the wall, including the ~20% charging losses. The EPA also attempts to factor in winter cold weather driving (if you use the heater much, you won't get that 35 miles...) among other things. It's supposed to be a universal refence number, and I think it is a reasonable one when you include the winter driving - if you just climb in the car, put the HVAC in comfort, and drive it like any other car. It isn't hard to do a lot better in decent weather with a little effort.