Jay Leno Offers the Best Chevy Volt Preview So far
December 29, 2009 by admin · View Comments
I can’t wait for GM to finally get this car rolling off the assembly line. From watching the above video, it looks like they are getting very close to production. Jay Leno had the opportunity to test drive an advanced prototype that looks to be what next year’s mass produced version will look like.
The big takeaway? GM has produced an electric car that’s practical and won’t leave its users stranded at the side of the road. It’s sellable.
Some new things I learned from the video:
Hat tip to GM-Volt.com for the link.
Niche Player Tesla Motors Bashes Volt and Range Extension
April 6, 2009 by admin · View Comments
I like the Tesla electric vehicles a lot, but I don’t have much faith in the company’s ability to find more than just a niche audience for their vehicles. That belief was reinforced by an article today on the GM-Volt blog.
In the GM-Volt.com post, Tesla’s CEO and former Paypal founder Elon Musk was critical of range extension technologies found in GM’s upcoming Chevy Volt. Sadly Tesla is making nearly every mistake GM made ten years ago with the EV1.
Before we go any further, don’t even think about buying a Tesla unless you live in California. Tesla’s dealer infrastructure is slowly building (Chicago and New York dealerships are opening this summer), but right now you can’t buy a car unless you live reasonably close to one of their two California locations. They won’t even sell it to you if there’s no dealer nearby.
It’s probably with good reason. If the car runs out of juice you’re stuck for a very long time. Because of the massive amount of battery power the car needs to operate, you’re likely waiting for eight or ten hours (or more) just to limp home. 110 charging from a standard wall outlet on the Tesla is just not a feasible means of fast fueling. This same reason is exactly why the EV1 failed: people are not going to buy a car that has the potential to leave them stranded when the battery runs out.
And then of course is the hardware. Part of the Tesla package is for an electrician to come out and install a hefty charging station in the garage. It’s the only way to get enough juice in the vehicle to make it remotely feasible for daily use.
I really do want Tesla to succeed. But they are making every one of the mistakes GM made with the EV1 and assuming the market will go along with it this time. They’re even down on Shai Agassi‘s plan for a hot swappable battery infrastructure (something that would actually make the Tesla vehicles practical). They were so eager to criticize Agassi that their PR people logged into this low traffic blog to comment when I wrote about it a few months ago.
People simply won’t buy an electric car that can’t be quickly refueled. End of story. Anything else is going to be a toy for wealthy buyers who will drive it short distances as a secondary vehicle. Hopefully Tesla will wake up and develop a practical vehicle that will keep their innovative company operating.
New Chevy Volt Video
February 28, 2009 by admin · View Comments
My friend Antonio happened to be at the DC Auto Show and caught this glimpse of the Chevy Volt:
Chevy Volt Featured on the Today Show
January 8, 2009 by admin · View Comments
The Today show broadcast from GM today and put together a short package on what I hope will be my next car, the Chevy Volt:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Given the state of GM’s business, the fate of the entire company is now resting on the success or failure of this vehicle. NBC’s hosts were very impressed – hopefully domestic and international car buyers will be too.
Chevy Volt on NBC News
May 28, 2008 by admin · View Comments
NBC News had a piece on the Chevy Volt yesterday. It will be my next car just as soon as it comes out. Check it out here:
Chevy Volt in the Showroom by 2010
May 7, 2007 by admin · View Comments
General Motors today announced their intention to get the Chevy Volt hybrid concept car into production and onto showroom floors by 2010. This car has the potential to revitalize the domestic auto industry and could be the first real step to weaning us off of fossil fuels.
The Volt will come with a bank of lithium-ion batteries that will power the car for approximately 40 miles on electricity alone. It gets that power initially from a six to seven hour charge courtesy of a standard 110 wall socket you most likely already have in your garage.
Unlike other hybrids, the fossil fuel burning component is merely a generator that keeps the electric motor running. Current hybrids like the Toyota Prius still rely on a fossil fuel engine to move the car, with the electric motor only supplementing the work of the gasoline powered engine. The Volt’s motor is the equivalent to a 160hp vehicle, and has adequate acceleration for highway driving.
Research conducted by GM shows that most commuters who drive to work travel forty miles or less roundtrip, which means many Volt owners may only have to fill up in those rare times they are visiting family or making a special trip. The Volt will get approximately 50 miles per gallon after the batteries are exhausted, although it will achieve 150 mpg between 40 and 60 miles. In looking at my own travel habits, I’d probably only fill up once a month vs. every week now. I’m sure the hardware hackers out there will have solar charging kits available once they get their hands on the car.
The Volt’s design is modular, so at some point consumers will have the choice of flex-fuel, diesel, fuel cells, and other technologies to power the electrical generating portion of the car in the future. This is a slam dunk for GM, as they could offer special configurations based on what fuel technologies are most affordable in a particular market.
GM’s first attempt to produce an electric car failed because the car did not have a viable solution for drivers once the batteries died. Now that GM has an electric vehicle that can run indefinitely as long as the tank is filled they are sure to have a real winner on their hands. Sign me up!
Stuff I find interesting- Does the iPhone 4 hate the AT&T MicroCell? August 8, 2010
- FCC calls off net neutrality negotiations August 5, 2010
- The Nightmare Scenario August 4, 2010
- Long lived new windows June 10, 2010
- Vintage Apple II Sites June 10, 2010
