Lots of talk and speculation have been going on about this car for quite some time. Chevy unveiled it this week, here are pics of it: Spoiler The controls are completely touch sensitive with that iPod-esque look to it. The car will run 40 miles on a charge (takes 4 hrs to charge) before tapping into it's gas engine which will propel it another 300 or so miles. Rumor has it that the government might offer a 7500 tax incentive to any purchaser of a car that boasts this amount of electrical capacity. Seeing as the Volt is the only car (other than the insane Tesla) that can do this, 7500 from the government would be a pretty powerful tool at getting these in the hands of consumers. Toyota is also already crying foul because they're plug in Prius concept will only run 10 miles on the electrical system they've developed and will not qualify for the rebate. The Volt is also ridiculously better looking. The way GM figures it, the average American doesn't commute more than 40 miles in a single day, so most people wouldn't be using much gas at all during the week. My commute is 15 miles one way, 15 back. Good to see an American car company releasing a standard of the world product.
no thanks, *you* go ahead and drive german so you can feel there isn't really an issue with your penis size. In order for cars to achieve the weight to power ratio to get the kind of mileage that this one gets, you sacrifice heavy materials in its construction. Let us know as soon as BMW releases a hybrid that isnt hideously over-priced and gets the mileage that this one gets.
My dad has a Prius. He told me there's an after market kit you can buy to turn it into a plugin hybrid that does exactly what the Volt claims, get 40 miles on a full charge before you even have to start using gas. I wonder why the Toyota factory version can only get 10?
No release on price yet, but rumors have it between 34-40k. That's when the electric-vehicle incentive comes into play.
How much electricity to charge it? That might end up costing a pretty penny over time. Electricity ain't so cheap either.
It would be nice if they could produce something like this in the 20-25k range. Not to derail the thread, but I wish this was a bigger issue in the presidential race. Our government needs to invest more in technology like this, and give out benefits to companies, and tax cuts to consumers who participate. I could drive for about 2 and a half days on one charge with this thing!
How many mpg's does get when it runs out of juice? Does the battery charge while being driven like other hybrids?
Nevermind, I found a FAQ on it. 80 cents(based on $.10 per kw/hr) for the first 40 miles, and 50mpg after. http://gm-volt.com/chevy-volt-faqs/ Chevy Volt FAQs Q: What is the Chevy Volt? A: The Chevy Volt is an electric car being developed by General Motors. It currently exists in prototype form only but GM reports they are fully committed to bring the car to production. In June 2008, GM’s board of directors voted to fund production of the vehicle. Q: How is the Chevy Volt different than other cars on the road? A: The car is a plug-in range-extended electric vehicle with an on-board gasoline generator. It will have a large battery that stores power from your home electric outlet and which is connected to an electric motor. The electric motor directly propels the car. The battery can last for the first 40 miles. After that, should one continue to need to drive, the on-board gasoline/E85 generator will power up to keep the battery from running out. Q: How is the Chevy Volt different than today’s hybrids, like the Prius? A: Today’s hybrids are called parallel hybrids. They use a small electric motor for low speed driving, but switch to a regular gas engine for acceleration and faster speed driving, hence both engines work side by side or in parallel. The Volt is a series vehicle meaning only the electric motor power the car at all times, the gas engine is just a generator, making electric to keep the batteries in a steady state of charge. Q: What is the driving range of the Chevy Volt? A: The car is being designed to drive at least 40 miles on pure electricity stored in the battery from overnight home charging. After that the gas engine will kick in and allow the car to be driven up to 400 miles on a full tank (6-7 gallons) of gas. Q: How many miles per gallon will the Chevy Volt get? A: A bit of a trick question. For the first 40 miles it will get infinite mpg, because no gas will be burned. When the generator starts, the car will get an equivalent of 50 mpg thereafter. One can calculate the average mpg per for any length drive starting with a full battery: Total MPG = 50xM/(M-40) Q: When will the car be available? A: As per GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz the plan is to have the car available for mass purchase in late 2010 (probably as a 2011 model year). As of 3/08 he was 94.5% confident of making that deadline. Q: What type of batteries will the Chevy Volt use? A: The car is being designed around an advanced battery pack which uses lithium-ion chemistry. This chemistry appears in cell phones and laptops. For automotive use the packs and cells will be more powerful and safe. Q: Is it a four or five-seater? A: Four Q: How much will the car cost? A: Goal is to be less than $30,000, but first versions might be closer to $40,000. Q: What is the cost of operation of the car A: With current average U.S. electric rates of ~10 cents/kwh it should cost 80 cents to drive for the first 40 miles, and then get 50 mpg thereafter using gasoline (market rate). Q: Why is the car taking so long to make? A: GM reports that the battery packs are not ready yet. They have to be thoroughly tested to ensure safety and reliability. Q: Who is making the Volt’s battery packs? A: Right now GM is evaluating products from a company called A123, working with Continental, and a company called CPI working with LG Chem. The best product will presumably be used. Q; Does the car use regenerative braking? A: Yes. This means when the car is slowed, the kinetic or motion-based energy will be recaptured as electricity stored in the battery. Q: How is the car different than the EV-1? A: The EV-1 had only an electric motor and older technology batteries, and had a 100 miles driving range. There was no onboard generator. Q: How long will it take to recharge the Volt? A: 6.5 hours using a 110 volt (standard home) outlet, and about 3 hours if you have a 220 volt supply. Q: Is GM recruiting test drivers? A: No. Q: Is there a waiting list for the car? A: No official waiting list, but we have an unofficial waiting list here on GM-Volt.com; the names will be given to GM when the time is right. Q: Is the concept car a working model? A: No it is just a design shell with a golf-cart motor under the hood. There are currently fully-operational prototypes on GMs test track, but they appear with late model Malibu shells. Q: Will the final car look like the concept? A: Bob Lutz says it will look unmistakably like the Volt, but there will be differences. Mainly it will be more aerodynamic with a rounded front end, tapered corners and a steep drop in the back. Q: What type of electric motor does the Volt have? A: A/C 3-phase Q: Will the Volt have a solar panel on the roof? A: Not expected to proved any reasonable amount of charge, a small one may appear to run a cooling fan. Q: Will tall people fit in it? A: Bob Boniface, chief of Volt design says the car is being designed to accommodate drivers from 5th percentile females up to 95th percentile height males.
$11,000 30MPG for weekdays + http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/812971469.html for weekends = $38000 ... if you want the hyundai new (otherwise ~ $35,000). you can also forgo the audi and walk around with a $27,000 gas credit. lets be serious, all prius/volt hybrids should be in the mid to low 20s. the cars don't provide enough value for the price they're asking for now.
Looks like GM ripped the front end design straight off the Acura TL. Still, props to them for pulling off something innovative instead of the same old stuff. With their size and scope, GM should be leading the charge towards clean air vehicles.
ugly.. Not feeling the space ship steering wheel. If I wanted that look, I'd buy an Acura TL or a TSX. Atleast theirs look good. The back looks like a typical Chevy-ish malibu/minivan.. You get the drift. Dash reminds me of a Xbox360. All in all, looks like a "2010 Saturn".
I think it looks cool. I got a 12 mpg gas guzzler with my BMW M5, so something like this would be great for rainy days and days I want to save mother earth (not very often cause I love my M5). But at $40k I don't think I can do it.
