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New Chevy Volt: An electric car that keeps going

3K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  solar_dave 
#1 ·
A well written summary. One of the better ones I've seen.

http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20110502tbc#

By PHIL BAKER, Daily Transcript Technology Correspondent
Monday, May 2, 2011
Baker is the author of "From Concept to Consumer," holds 30 patents and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Phil can be heard on KOGO AM the first Sunday of each month. Send comments to phil.baker@sddt.com. Phil's blog is blog.philipgbaker.com.



I've been trying out the new Chevy Volt, General Motors' new electric car with a back-up "extender" mode. The Volt runs initially off its lithium-ion batteries, and when they become depleted, the back-up gasoline generator takes over.

It's an exciting new vehicle on two fronts. First, it's the most technologically advanced automobile that's designed to reduce gasoline consumption. And second, it provides a sense of pride in showing that our country can still innovate in the automotive industry, an area where we've played catch-up for so many years. This is all the more commendable considering that the team that worked on the Volt did so under a cloud of uncertainty during the financial crisis that threatened to bankrupt their company.

So how does it work? It operates as an electric car using its battery to power the car for a range of about 30-40 miles. (In my use a fully charged battery provided a 33-mile range, but that varies based on the temperature inside and outside the car as well as the car accessories being used).

When the battery is depleted, the car enters its "extended mode" using a gasoline engine instead. That's the big advantage over the Nissan Leaf and other all-electric vehicles that run only off a battery and then need the battery to be recharged to go further. Other hybrids such as the Prius have both batteries and a gasoline engine, but are not designed to run only from the batteries; they always use gas.

How do you "fill it up?" An extension cord is supplied that connects to a port behind a door in the front left fender from any 120-volt outlet. A full charge takes about 10 hours. That's reduced to 3.5 hours using a 240-volt outlet.

The Volt has a very attractive, sporty, four-passenger hatchback design. While its back seats are somewhat small, the driver and front passenger seats are ample and very comfortable. The interior design is handsome with a futuristic styling. Materials are very high grade, and fit and finish are excellent. Door panels and the dashboard are made of leather-like grained vinyl, and trim pieces made of precision plastic moldings processed to provide a high gloss, non-scratch finish. There was ample storage space for phones, cups, and even a hidden shelf for an umbrella.

The car drove with a solid, grounded feeling. Handling was crisp with no play in the steering wheel, and the car was exceptionally quiet, even when running on gasoline. The switch between battery and gas mode was only noticeable when the instrument panel display changed; there was no sense of the switch while driving. In both modes the car accelerated quickly and cornered precisely.

The car is well equipped with few compromises other than the absence of a power seat. The Volt comes standard with 17-inch bright alloy wheels, keyless ignition (but not a keyless door lock), air conditioning, heated seats, free OnStar, a full navigation system, a terrific sounding Bose audio system, electric outlets, and a phone interface. Components such as the audio system and tires are designed specifically for their reduced energy characteristics.

The finish of the crystal metallic red paint on my car displayed a luxurious depth of color and an extremely high gloss. The outside panels fit precisely with only small gaps, as good as the top imported cars.

The instrumentation consists of two LCD displays, one facing the driver and a second 7-inch with touch in the center console. Below the center display are three-dozen touch sensitive buttons to control climate, audio, phone, navigation, etc. The center display can be set to show you your battery and gasoline use as well as displaying the navigation system. The other LCD displays speed in huge digits, provides trip information and displays a green ball whose position represents your driving efficiency. The goal is to drive in a way to keep the ball positioned over a cross-hair for maximizing mileage. One anomaly is you can't turn the radio off without turning off the center display. The workaround is to turn down the volume of the radio when you don't want to listen.

So, while the Volt will appeal to those desiring to reduce our gasoline dependency, and makes a strong statement as well, how much money can it save you?

It depends on your driving habits. At one extreme, if you only used the car for short trips using just the battery, you'll save a full year of gas, which amounts to about $1,500-$2,000 at today's gas prices, assuming you drove 10,000 miles per year.

If you drive longer distances, mileage varies widely. I took the Volt on a 50-mile trip from northern San Diego to Alpine. It ran off batteries for the first 33 miles and gasoline for the next 17 miles, averaging 76 mpg, and consumed 0.66 gals. When I completed the return, driving another 50 miles home all on gas, I averaged 52 mpg for the entire trip. On a shorter round trip from home to the airport, 46 miles, I averaged 109 mpg. In these cases the yearly savings would be $500 to $1,000.

So if you drove trips of similar distances, you would use about one-third to one-half the amount of gas. You also have to factor in the cost of electricity that costs about $1 to $1.50 per charge, or about one-third to one-quarter the cost of gas.

This Volt model I tested retails for $43,500, before a federal tax break of $7,500, which lowers it to about $36,000.

The car is available in a limited number of states, including New York, New Jersey and California, and will be rolled out to the rest of the country late this year.

The Volt has come a long way from its many years in development and, with GM's economic difficulties, came close to being cut. But based on my experience driving it, it's a good thing it survived. This exceptional car will likely become the showcase for GM and our country's technical capabilities.
 
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#3 ·
As has often been said, people who drive the Volt tend to like it and have very favorable comments. Those with an agenda (or plain ignorance) who have not driven it tend to hate it.
 
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