What is Digg?93 Comments
- diggB, on 08/15/2008, -3/+29Volt, the car with potential.
- fossilnews, on 08/15/2008, -1/+21Go GM. I hope this car works.
- pikepace, on 08/15/2008, -2/+19FTA: "The Volt's chief engineer is on a tight schedule to figure out how the car will handle the batteries' weight, dissipate their heat and mechanically transfer their power to the wheels."
Shouldn't the release schedule be set after figuring out how to make the wheels turn? - kolinkoolface2, on 08/15/2008, -0/+13they are going to sell it below cost. I live in michigan and i hope to god this thing saves us. It's not just GM riding on the line, it's the revolution that will follow the guidlines of this vehicle for other michigan based auto-makers. If this doesn't work, Michigan is going to be in a real world hurt.
- tidu, on 08/15/2008, -0/+12Not only that, but the capacitance to seat five.
- newmodernist, on 08/15/2008, -0/+9There is already a fully electric car available for purchase...the Zenn car. It's Canadian made and was released last year. It needed some work though, as it takes a while to charge, and only goes city speeds. The new model, due for release in Fall of '09 called the cityZENN is planned to be a fully certified, highway capable vehicle with a top speed of 125 kilometres per hour (78 mph) and a range of 400 kilometres (250 mi). Powered by EEStor, the cityZENN will be rechargeable in less than 5 minutes, feature operating costs 1/10th of a typical internal combustion engine vehicle and be 100% emission-free at the point of use. A normal household outlet with 110 volt supply can fully charge the EESTor powered CityZENN in 4 hours for a 250 miles (400 km) range and a normal household outlet with 220 volt supply can fully charge the EESTor powered CityZENN in 2 hours for a 250 miles (400 km) range. CityZENN target price is around $25000 - $30000.
(thanks to wikipedia for some of the technical details) *yes I AM sourcing wikipedia
http://www.zenncars.com/ - diggB, on 08/15/2008, -0/+8That's the current design. I'd be shocked if they change it.
- aaronadms, on 08/15/2008, -1/+8Guess you didn't read the article..
- joegibes, on 08/15/2008, -3/+9Volt, the car that stores potential energy.
- MikeFallopian, on 08/15/2008, -0/+6They won't change anything; there would be too much resistance. I think this car is destined to be inducted into the auto hall of fame.
- chris4404, on 08/15/2008, -2/+8Why? They were great electric cars, I would buy one if I could.
- TheThirdLevel, on 08/15/2008, -0/+6http://digg.com/politics/John_Edwards_admits_to_ha ...
Well... yes. - joegibes, on 08/15/2008, -0/+6This is just Time Magazine crap. I recently attended a presentation by the VP of GM Global Powertrain, and they've already settled on a motor for the volt.
http://www.chevrolet.com/pop/electriccar/2007/proc ... - Enderz, on 08/15/2008, -0/+5How about instead of doubting you, we all ignored you. This article is about an electric car and you turned it into political crap you spew everywhere.
- chris4404, on 08/15/2008, -8/+13Why can't they just launch the EV-1 again?
- MikeFallopian, on 08/15/2008, -1/+5No, but the breakers might.
- scamper22, on 08/15/2008, -0/+4you'd think so, but working as an engineer for a while, this is how it goes.
Product Manger: wouldn't it be great to make product X. Let's make a feature list!
Marketing: Wow, that product is amazing. Let me show it to potential customers.
Customers: Yeah. For sure, get that out in the market and we'll buy it for sure.
Marketing: Sure, it will be out in 2 years.
Product Manager: Okay, engineers, you have the requirements... now build it.
Engineer: huh? So when did I say it was possible to design a car with 1000 MPG that runs off Marketing's hot air?
That's the development cycle for you :P - Wargalas, on 08/15/2008, -0/+4Not to piss on your parade, but do you know what an average 4 cylinder engine weighs? An electric "engine" can weigh significantly less, so I'm willing to bet that the "fuel" for the Volt with it's drivetrain and all weighs less then a standard car's fuel and drivetrain.
- rezonq3, on 08/15/2008, -0/+4Thank you for your mature and well thought out contribution to the comments.
- shagmin, on 08/15/2008, -0/+4And I suppose buying a Toyota is green despite the Tundra getting worse mileage than the Silverado? I'm curious about what he drives that's so green.
- AgmLauncher, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3The only thing more sad than a console fanboy is a toyota/honda fanboy ^^
- pinchduck, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3Really? There is another company out there that makes tens of thousands of electric vehicles per year? There are plenty of botique companies that have figured out how to make either really expensive electric cars that are almost (but not quite) to market, like Tesla. Or companies that sell glorified golf carts. I can't think of one company that makes a mass market electric vehicle that would appeal to your average family. GM Is grossly inefficient, but the folks that work there aren't stupid. That's why Toyota keeps hiring them.
- synik, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3You said "The Tesla can go 220 miles on one charge...so why is the Volt only able to make 40 miles?"
But you had already answered yourself: "albeit it does cost $100k". - skeeterbug84, on 08/15/2008, -1/+4The article says 40 miles. I work only 7-9 miles from home. So I would never have to fill up (except on trips, which I rarely take).
- Supawantastic, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3400lbs isn't so bad when you factor in that the motors to turn the wheels may only be a total 100lbs. The I4 powerplant of a Saturn is almost 230 lbs in addition to 150 pounds of gas in a full fuel tank. I'm no engineer, but I would think it would be easier to design suspension for this car knowing that the weight of the battery isn't going to changing or sloshing around as the tank empties.
- xdre, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3The Volt is a series hybrid and has a ~350 mile range. The 40 miles is what's expected by electric motor alone.
- zydeco, on 08/15/2008, -1/+4If GM called the Volt the EV-2, would that make it clearer?
- AgmLauncher, on 08/15/2008, -0/+3The public will be shocked when they realize they don't have to spend much money on gas.
- gvetterick, on 08/15/2008, -1/+4"The early concept, a low-riding, sleek silver hatchback, was uncomfortable to sit in and not very functional, Farah said. The new five-door hatchback version more resembles a normal car, a little larger than a Honda Civic."
There goes what I liked about the Volt... - whoomp123, on 08/15/2008, -1/+3i heard 34,520 people want one
- joeanon, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2Well BIG DEAL. We should have had an electric car 20 years ago and a push toward better technology. NOW the people have to suffer through 4 dollar a gallon gas, while the wealthy corporations we give trillions to over the decades, R&D for two more years.
I'm not impressed. The new battery technology basically still sucks when you consider the limited recharge time, limited life cycle, and the the fact you lose both charge and capacity over time.
These batteries have about 1/10 the energy density of gasoline. The only positive factor is going electric is like real-time minimalism in the sense you simply have less power at your demand than a gas vehicle.
Electric is offering little in the way of large vehicles such as earth movers, tractor trailers, ships, and planes.
On top of that it puts more demand on coal, which is already the fastest growing CO2 source in the US and likely world.
So, ok you FINALLY did something to get off foreign oil.... a couple decades late. Now what ? Retool all the transport fleets of the world ? With a fuel that has 10 times less energy in it ?
How is this all not sounding entirely practical ? Every little bit helps I guess, but you know if we had an organized effort, we could do much better than this. - aaronadms, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2What do you propose they sell us in the meantime?
- cawpin, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2You are just a plain and simple idiot.
- rthakidn, on 08/15/2008, -1/+3Well yeah, that's why the article isn't about the RELEASE schedule, just the design schedule.
- Thuktun, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2Perhaps one of the ones burying this comment could explain why.
- apeweek, on 08/16/2008, -0/+2More EVs for sale today or very soon:
Electric Mazda 3: http://www.voitureselectriques.ca/en/produits/prod ...
Saturn conversions: http://www.alanizcorporation.com/
The Miles EV: http://www.milesev.com/
Zap Xebra: http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric ...
Phoenix EV: http://phoenixmotorcars.com/
Do-it-yourself conversion kit (just $2280) http://www.e-volks.com/
More: http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car - AgmLauncher, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2It will get cheaper as mass production demands it and as GM starts using multiple sources for its batteries. Hopefully it can retain AMERICAN sources like A123 systems, rather than relying on Korean or Japanese resources.
A problem it will have is Toyota is developing an entire wing of its company for the sole purpose of manufacturing its own batteries and fuel cells. GM needs to do the same if it wants to compete in the long run. - cawpin, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2The version you saw is the current one.
- Marglar, on 08/15/2008, -7/+9I heard the battery pack alone in this bad boy runs 15,000$.
- honemasterT, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2Check out this months IEEE Spectrum magazine online:
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www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/6488
Battery Czar By John Voelcker
First Published August 2008
Denise Gray had to take a city bus to her first job at GM, but now she holds the company's green-car future in her hands
Carmakers really, really don't like to take chances. Not since the earliest days of the industry have they tried to develop a new body and chassis and a new energy storage and power delivery system, all at the same time and all for the same car. Yet that's exactly what General Motors is doing with its upcoming Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. And the stakes couldn't be higher.
Caught off guard a decade ago as rival Toyota launched and then refined its hybrid-electric-drive cars, GM has struggled to catch up. Within the last year, Toyota has equaled GM's global production—and announced the manufacture of its millionth Prius hybrid. But with the Volt and various other hybrid vehicles of its own, GM has mapped out a bold strategy that will pit it squarely against Toyota. The arena? Technology.
The executive at the center of this battle is an African-American engineer in her 40s—one of very few black women in the auto industry's upper ranks—who didn't even own a car when she took her first job at GM 28 years ago. Denise Gray, unofficially GM's “battery czar,” is the company's director of energy-storage devices. Her job is nothing less than overseeing GM's efforts to develop a new generation of batteries that will give it an edge in electric vehicles.
At the top of her to-do list is testing and approving the battery pack for the much-touted Volt, which GM is working feverishly to release in November 2010. The clock began ticking when the first battery pack was delivered last year on 31 October and won't stop until the first Volt rolls into a dealer's showroom. Until then, Denise Gray will be the executive to watch in the U.S. automotive industry.
It's hard to overstate how much GM has riding on the Volt. Decades of downsizing and dwindling North American sales have the company locked in a neck-and-neck race with surging Toyota for the title of the world's largest car company, which GM held for 70 years. With the radical Volt, GM hopes to leapfrog its rival's decade of experience in hybrid electric vehicles.
Technically, the two firms' approaches to electric drives could scarcely be more different. Toyota has built more than 1 million “power-split” hybrids, which use a battery with a storage capacity of 1 to 2 kilowatt-hours to assist the gasoline engine and store energy regenerated while braking. These cars travel only 1 or 2 kilometers on pure electric power.
By contrast, the Volt is an “extended-range electric vehicle,” which will take advantage of the new large-format lithium-ion batteries just now entering the market. Its 16-kWh battery pack will give the car a pure-electric range of up to 65 km, or 40 miles, with a small gasoline engine providing another 480 km, or about 300 miles, on a single tank of fuel. That gas engine, however, won't drive the wheels directly; it will power only a generator that recharges the batteries, which drive the electric motor that spins the wheels. The Volt will also have a plug that will let its batteries be recharged from any outlet; that's why this kind of vehicle is also called a plug-in hybrid.
With sales of big, gas-thirsty vehicles in free fall in the United States, GM has called the Volt its most important new car program. And success or failure will hinge on those lithium-ion battery packs; if they don't prove robust enough to last 10 years and 240 000 km (about 150 000 miles), the car will flop.
All Gray has to do is make sure GM picks the right lithium-ion system and then ensure that those battery packs are exhaustively tested. She'll have to navigate government safety-certification requirements in multiple countries and have the packs manufactured in large quantities and to very high quality standards. She's got two years to get it done. - pikepace, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2Thank you for this link. That is an informative page.
- dreicher, on 08/15/2008, -7/+9Let it go already.
- jhaj, on 08/15/2008, -0/+2I think you'd sell a hell of a lot more cars at $35K each than ones at $100k. Having millions of the $35K cars on the road vs. thousands of $100K cars would be better for the environment and and go further in reducing our oil consumption.
As for the price in 2010 - I would think GM is estimating the selling price they're now quoting based on what they expect their costs to be in 2010. - Marglar, on 08/17/2008, -1/+2I read the article. It is from Time, and their source estimates around 10,000 bucks
I watched a special called "Saving GM" and the official GM estimates were 15,000$.
But hey, thanks for having a conversation, or being quick to make a false acusation. - colorwindows, on 08/15/2008, -0/+1it looks like a penis car designed by a 4th grade boy
- samyoungguitar, on 08/21/2008, -0/+1Actually, I worked with a production company filming/editing the Demos and B rolls for GM's ad campaign for it. They were all very hush-hush about the actual mileage it gets and I did sit in it and push it and try to start it. It's a piece of ***** and I'm not lying. Not to mention it's GM.
- MothBoy, on 08/15/2008, -0/+1I hope the Volt is a success, but I think others such as Tesla and Mitsubishi are being short changed. Mitsubishi will be testing their iMIEV in fleets in California as soon as Q4 2008, and the Tesla is available now with a sedan available about the time the Volt comes out.
Personally, I am much more excited about the iMIEV than the Volt. Cheaper, sooner and a lot more creative.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/08/07/mitsubishi ... - apeweek, on 08/16/2008, -0/+1Most electric vehicles cost 1 to 2 cents per mile - you need to sign up for off-peak electric rates from your utility to get the best price.
And most EV battery chargers will charge at scalable rates. In other words, you can charge 220volts/50amps if you've got it, or 100v/15a if you don't - it will just take longer. - KaJuN4, on 08/15/2008, -0/+1Hybrids and electric cars are only bandages and things people buy to make them feel better about themselves. The sad reality is that these vehicles aren't doing much at all to help the current situation. A technology like hydrogen fuel cells looks a bit more promising right now.
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