Volt

You can read the Chevrolet claims at:

|_2009_Chevy_Awareness_|_IMG_Chevy_Volt_Phase_2_Branded_|_Chevrolet_Volt_|_chevrolet_volt A few of the Q&A:

Volt is an electric vehicle with a range extender. Well, what does that mean? It means Volt runs on electricity from its battery, and then it runs on electricity it creates from gas. Let's assume you have a fully charged battery. Now, depending on the weather, the electrical features that are turned on and how you drive, you can drive up to 40 miles on the electricity stored in the battery - totally gas and emissions free. After that, its gas-powered, range-extending generator automatically kicks in to provide electrical power. So Volt can go for several hundred additional miles, until you can plug it in or fill it up again.

Will I always get 40 miles on an electric charge?

No. Like any electric vehicle, Volt's electric miles per charge will vary. Like all vehicles, electric vehicles are less efficient in extremely hot or cold temperatures. In addition to outside temperatures, use of features like air conditioning and heat, personal driving style, additional cargo in the vehicle and the age of the battery will affect the electric range.

What happens if I travel more than 40 miles?

Once the initial electric charge is depleted, the range-extending gas engine will kick in to seamlessly generate enough energy to continue to power the car for hundreds of additional miles.

What happens if the battery is not fully charged?

You won't have to worry about having enough time to fully charge Volt. A partially charged battery will work until it runs out, then the gas-powered electric generator will seamlessly kick in to provide electricity and extend your range up to 300 miles until you can plug in again or you can refuel.

How much does Volt cost to charge?

Electricity is an extremely affordable way to power a car - the average American pays less than 12 cents per kilowatt hour. If the average American drives less than 40 miles, it will cost about $1.50 a day for electricity. That's about the same annual cost as running a common household appliance. To save even more, some utility companies recommend charging overnight for off-peak rates and may even offer incentives to customers who do so.

What happens if I never charge the battery?

You'll probably spend more money on gas than you need to, but Volt will run just fine. Just remember that you'll only get the full benefits of owning a Volt if you charge it routinely.

How long does Volt take to charge?

In about ten hours, you'll have a fully charged Volt waiting for you, ready to go. You can also install a 240V outlet, which can charge Volt in as little as four hours.

How much interior room does Volt have?

Volt will carry four adults comfortably. The hatchback design provides surprising flexibility for larger cargo.

What makes the Volt battery unique?

The Volt battery is designed for long life and to be reliable. Each battery pack is made up of more than 200 rectangular cells arranged in a series-parallel configuration. Computer systems monitor the battery cells to make sure everything is working correctly.

In message , Tom writes

I don't think anyone is trolling, it's just that there is no proper information out there, so everyone has to guess at what might be. Perhaps it would be better, as with a lot of petrol or diesel cars, to put out the electric motor bhp and the wheel bhp when being driven by the engine as electric transmissions on locomotives are only 85% efficient so I suspect this might be.

In message , C. E. White writes

As this car is released in Europe next year called the Opel Ampere or here the Vauxhall Ampere, the question that I'd like the answer to is, What happens if I only normally use the car around town and the internal combustion engine never starts, then I suddenly want to go on a journey that takes me farther than the batteries, how do I know the engine will start after a prolonged period of being stationary? Does any one know if it's possible to start the engine to test it or keep it freed up in the case where it isn't used for extended lengths of time?

"C. E. White" wrote

OK so now we only get 30 miles or so and need a charge. They claim $1.50 a day, but here in New England, it is closer to 18¢ or more for that kWh. The

1.50 becomes 2.25 to go 30 miles. Many cars can get 30 mpg so it is about the same as paying 2.25 versus today's gas of 2.70 here. or a savings of 45¢ a day. If you commute 30 miles a day, 5 days a week you save 2.25 a week or $113 year. The premium for a Volt over other 30 mpg cars is easily $10,000. Wow, the payback is a mere 88 years.

Wow, seems odd that the cost per KWH in New England is twice that of Pennsylvania or Delaware. Massachusetts must be taxing its utilities to help pay for their healthcare system. ;)

I think that is because total MPG is a statistic that can be manipulated to give any sort of number you want to hear.

Why not look as $ per mile driven, or something like that which should take the ambiguity out of the numbers?

Part of the problem is GM isn't releasing real hard assed factual numbers, just hyperbole. For example, do you have the precise terms for the battery warranty? Like what happens if the battery only holds a 5 mile range charge? Or consumes too much electricity to be economical but otherwise works? At precisely what point will GM replace the thing?

In technical point, my 6 year old laptop battery still works. It lasts

10 minutes, required 4 hours to charge. Waste of weight really. But so sad, no warranty here.

Then we can get into issues such as behavioral issues. Ok, you drive 20 miles on an old battery, the engine kicks in byt you drive another 100 miles.

At what point can we expect the vehicle to slow down from normal freeway speeds? Th generator is incapable of providing the wattage needed to maintain full speed, so what happens when the battery hits a zero reserve? Does it come with a pull cord to start the gas engine if the batteries go right out? Especially important as I thought I heard, correctly or not, the gas engine cannot charge the batteries.

Think, next up will be lawsuits. Well GM didn't say if I was going

75mph on I75 that the vehicle would suddenly drop to 45mph -- oops -- lawsuit.

GM will give you a governemtn supplied $500 pull cord to start the gas engine. You know, the kind found on Muncie engines circa 1950's and

1960's. Relics you can cherish long fter the Volt is gone.

Me, I look at TCO, total cost of ownership. It includes everything from tires, maintenace, electricity, fuel, usability and utility.

If I have to rent a car for $100/day so I can drive around Vegas and vicinity for a week, becase the Volt's A/C is NA... get the drift?

Cheaper to own a F150, the first 100,000 miles of fuel is free for capital cost differnece alone. Resale is even better and A/C and heat actually work. And charges faster with gasoline, get 450 miles to a charge no problem.

In message , Canuck57 writes

No, it doesn't, the Tata Nano cannot be imported into Europe because it not only doesn't meet crash standards of 35mph over half of the front of the car, it also doesn't have the safety kit like airbags etc. It is rumoured that to get into Europe, it's cost will at least double.

GM now says 350 miles before a recharge is needed, or you refuel for the generator.

The Jap car buyer like to refer to TCO. What the fail to understand is one of the factors to determine TCO is MSRP. Industry statistics have show fro years that the typical import buy pays a whopping 20 to 30% MORE to drive home the vehicle than of the had purchased a domestic vehicle of similar size and equipment. I know that when I was in retail we charged a much higher shop rate in our foreign band name stores as well. ;)

Except that the charging electricity is, apparently, of divine origin.

GMs web site says 350 combined mileage before it becomes necessary to re-charge and refuel

In message , Mike writes

The British "What Car" magazine has done a test drive and claims 40 miles on battery and 310 on a tank of fuel.

DUH! If one added 40 and 310 what do you believe would be the total, dummy? LOL

More accurately, what do you get after say 5 years for a Toyota or Honda versus a GM?

GMs resale is the worst, second worst only to Chrysler.

So if I pay $5k more for a new Toyota or H> The Jap car buyer like to refer to TCO. What the fail to understand is one

SCREWED! Just like you did when you paid 20% to 30% more to drive home your Toyota or Honda when you could have driven home a GM brand, of the same size and with the same equipment, for that much less! LOL