From the Chevy Volt Website:

“We have devoted significant resources to this project: Over 200 engineers and 50 designers are working on the Volt alone, and another 400 are working on related subsystems and electric components. That’s how important we think this is, and that’s how much stock we place in the future of extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt.”

— Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director – E-Flex Systems and the Chevy Volt, General Motors Corp.

Thoughts??

It is paradigm shift/ transformation time.....

Whether they or their product are successful or not, at least they know it's time...

Related: I just read an article in my new Trailer Boats Magazine that did a review on a Tahoe Hybrid. Good towing power, and gets in the 20's MPG as a daily driver. The technology was researched/partnered by GM, Chrysler and BMW if I recall.

I can't wait for the day where I can buy a full production electric car. Then if electricity goes up I can make my own (solar panels). That will be fun.

With only a 40 mile range, the tow truck business is probably excited. It's a start but would not take me to work and back.

That's part of the problem right there, Andy. We drive too far to get to work. I don't understand that, either. But maybe I am weird, cause I drove 45k a year for work, I didn't want to drive to get to work!
40 miles would get me back and forth to work 4 days. Not bad.

Pretty typical sized all-new vehicle design team. In my opinion, they'll probably spend too much money and price it above the market. It'll look cool, but nobody that wants an electric car is willing to pay for cool. Then after it starts to fail, they'll get the price in line.

Just me, but I think they should have 50 people working on the electric powertrain and working on an 09 launch for an all electric Chevy Aveo.

This is what Toyota did with the Prius - they put the hybrid powertrain in an existing chassis - then brought the all new car out a couple years later.

I think the overwhelming majority of people drive less than 40 miles per day back and forth to work. Plug it in at night. It's a start, but I wonder how much it will tax an already loaded grid in some areas?

Back in the late 80's I had a subscription to Drag Racing magazine. In the back pages of each issue were several short stories about new feats, crashes, etc...

One of these stories was about some guy who built an electric drag cycle. Just going from memory so I don't remember EVERYthing, but I believe his 'engine' was some weird 20 hp low voltage industrial electric motor, and he had something like 24 12-volt batteries wired in 2 separate banks. He would launch using half the batteries, and kick in the second set at half track. Even with all the weight of the batteries and a low hp motor the bike would run in the 11 second range---

There's also the "Killacycle", worlds quickest electric drag bike (7.824 second 1/4 @ 168 mph) that uses nano-phosphate(tm) batteries, they describe as the same type used in DeWalt tools... They state the cost of one drag run, including burnout, is 7 cents...

Wonder if these guys are helping out with designing electric cars?

I wonder how the range is affected by things like A/C and lights. If sitting in traffic for 15 min with the a/c on is going to run the battery down, I just don't see it a user friendly and will never work in places like CA where you can sit in traffic for hours in 100+ temps.



Well in many cases, where we work is not a desireable place to live. Who wants to live among factories, or office complexes or industrial parks?

And concerning electric car engineering---does anyone know if any of these cars will be incorporating some sort of wind-charging fans or turbines to help generate power while under way?

Anyone can build their own plug in electric vehicle tomorrow for about $5,000-10,000 in parts.

If you took a brand new Honda Civic for about $15,000 - sold off the engine and exhaust for about $3,000 - 4,000 then put in an electric system for $7000 then you could have a brand new plug in electric for $19K - even less if you used a few year old economy car. While the Volt is supposed to be going for something like $40K.

The only challenges with conversions are Power steering systems and AC systems - an electric powered AC compressor would use a significant amount of your juice and reduce your range. I saw one guy who put in an "icebox cooler" which worked effectively as an AC on really hot days.

Do you ever read before you talk?

The car is equipped with an on-board, small gas engine generator when the batteries run low on juice. Infact, I believe it has about a 400 mile range on an 8 gallon tank, 40 from straight electricity, 360 miles from generation. Originally it started out with a 12 gallon tank and about 600 miles.

Current estimates show 50mpg after batteries are discharged.

Engines: Currently plans call for a 1.0L turbocharged 3 cylinder or a 1.4L 4 cylinder.

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Nice save Andy, probably best, but I totally agree with what you (had) said, needed doing IMO.



Whoa D-R. Way uncalled for! R-E-S-P-E-C-T, young pup.

Seems to me as though General Motors are doing a great job at hyping their new car.

I got my name on the Volt waiting list several months back, just to be there. I'm 13,3-- something on the list that supposedly has 30,000 or so names.

I don't want the car, but if it's a hit I may auction my number on ebay!

Oh young rude one...if you re-read your original post it says nothing about a gas powered generator. You may have read that from Volt's website somewhere, but you did not make any mention of it on this post. D-Rod I suggest you take a step back from your "I am a college kid so I know it all" attitude or you are going to get a major comeuppance when you are at your first job. Someone above you is not going to be as tolerant as we are and going to utter Donald Trump's statement....."YOU'RE FIRED!!!" Not many people I know in the workplace will put up with that kind of crap from a snot nosed kid who is fresh out of the hallowed halls of academia. There's too many highly trained and experienced engineers out there looking for work.

I have been mystified for a while now as to why it's so hard to add a battery charger to a hybrid? From what I see, that's the basic idea right? If I'm way off base, feel free to enlighten me.

GM is looking for this car to help them out of a slump. The Volt has a lot of promise. Like D-Rod said, it has an onboard generator that's powered by a small engine which give it a 400 mile range before it needs more gas. Maybe it's a Briggs and Straton engine (just kidding). GM added a nice style to help eliminate that problem of "If the car is a hybrid, it has no style". This car is sharp with an average of 100 MPG. If this car catches on, OPEC should be concerned.

The car will go 40 miles before the generator kicks in. If you want, you can plug it in at night to keep the generator from charging it the 1st 40 miles. Although, I'm sure Comm Ed will take profits on that idea.

I'm not sure I would want this car when it first comes out. I'll wait until they work out some of the bugs.

+1
I put my name on the list just to be there. I doubt very much if I would own one within the next 10 years, but I've always said "never say never".