For the Volt, How?s Life After 40 ( Miles)? [NY Times]

On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:07:41 -0700, Canuck57 fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Funny thing is - I believe the diesel civic has (or had) a GM-built Circle L engine.

(That's how I got a Honda engine in my wife's Saturn Vue.)

Reply to
PerfectReign
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I dont think the batteries have to be changed that often. With the protocol they developed, the batteries last much longer than normal. But I think the 40 mile range is ridiculous for most of us.

Reply to
hls

Once again our friend Canuck57 is telling us the sky is falling LOL

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Reply to
Mike Hunter

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Designed by Izusu. Made in Europe. Aquired by GM because they needed an engine they couldn't make.

Reply to
Canuck57

Hard to tell. All batteries have a finite charge/discharge cycle rate before they deteriorate. And loose the ability to hold a charge over time and use. While new, it might go 40 miles, but in 3 years, hardly likely. Maybe 5 or 10. I would want that deterioration spelled out in contract for warrantee purposes.

Laptop batteries have a similar drain-recharge cycle to cars. Generally they last about 1 or 2 years, starting out they work for 3 hours, then 2 hours, then 1 hour then 15 minutes. Lead-acid is worse, they only last

5-8 years because of the low discharge rate they usually get.

And no batteries chage well in cold weather. And fair really poorly if used for heat. Be interesting to see how the Volt behaves in Idaho, Montana or Minnisota...probaly liek the Smart car, it hibernates.

Reply to
Canuck57

Once again our friend Canuck57 is telling us the sky is falling LOL

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Reply to
Mike Hunter

On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:48:20 -0700, Canuck57 fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Um, GM and Izuzu have been making engines forever. IIRC, GM owns Izusu.

(That's how they got Joe Izusu to do those ads!)

They also supply Honda with the Passport and Acrua SLX.

They also sell (or sold) a rebadged GM-built pickup, the Colorado.

Your point?

Reply to
PerfectReign

Except the diesel electric can fully power the train without batteries. Unlike the Volt, if driven long enough it can't maintain full speed at say 65 mph for 3 hours.

And sounds like even if you stop 1.5 hours into a 3 hour drive, the gas motor does not charge up the batteries. So at some point sith a semi up your arse on an interstate, the speed will drove from $65 or a sustainable 40 mph or somehing.

These might no be safe on the hiways.

Reply to
Canuck57

Lets do some economics here.

Volt, $40,000. Needs a $4000 (or more) battery every 3 years, just like cell phones and laptops. TCO and maintained, $43,000 in 3 years. Residual value is probably $5,000.

F150 - V8 with full power A/C and heat, can haul boats, loaded with leather, $30,000.

$10,000 of fuel at $6 gallon and 20mpg is about 33,000 miles of fuel. But wait, Volt needs to tap onto your utility bill. With right of way fees, taxes and crap, most pay 20 kwh. How much does that equate to? Plus it needs gas.... F150 residual value in 3 years is guaranteed to be more than the Volt.

Volt is a very high risk purchase.

If you want green and economy, get a Tata Nano. Write Obama and ask him why you have to not only pay taxes for GM, but pay ten times the price to be green both at the pump and your pocket. And for $3700 the Nano even has A/C.

GM is playing Americians for suckers.

Reply to
Canuck57

The Volt is really a glorified expensive golf cart. Bet with A/C or heater on, if it has them, milage plumets like a rock, as does the top speed.

Bet it Texas in July or Canada north in January, these are not going to work. Even in Minnisota or North Dakota, I can envision dead people in January.

Tesla. Tell Obama he cold have given you $60,000 towards a Tesla in

2009 and it would have made more sense than the $60,000 taxpayers forked out in debt for each GM in 2009.

Agreed. And no one is talking how many KWH it takes to charge one. No one is taking how a CA resident might pay 35 cents a KWH and efficiencies in charging batteries are no where near 100%. 1 KWH at the wall outlet isn't 1 KWH of motion.

And that assumes the battery material that deteriorates doesn't go through the roof in cost. The batteries even have a seriously short shelf life.

The Obama Albatros.

Reply to
Canuck57

Nobody wants a nuke in their back yard, mind you 50 or 90 cents a KWH might change some heads. Probably costs more in legal and BS to build a nuke than the plant itself.

But I agree, nules using Thorium, much safe and less costly than uranium. But government loves high gas costs, more taxes.

Reply to
Canuck57

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