Getting an electric car soon.

[hubsonfire]

The gm-volt concept car is a win-win situation.  

The Volt doesn't even exist. It's a cockpit mock-up and a lot of advertising. As of a month or so ago, they didn't even have a running prototype. That's the last electric car I'd want to buy- built at the last possible moment at the greatest possible expense.

[soda72]

The Volt doesn't even exist. It's a cockpit mock-up and a lot of advertising. As of a month or so ago, they didn't even have a running prototype. That's the last electric car I'd want to buy- built at the last possible moment at the greatest possible expense.

I was referring to the concept of the car as a extended range electric vehicle being a win-win situation for environment issues and foreign oil dependency and was not referring to price or quality.  The Gm-Volt design meets the basic expectations Americans would expect from a vehicle that would not be met with a pure electric Vehicle.  As long as you can fill it up with gas it will go, just like every other car does today with  no restrictions, and no changes to our lifestyle.   However I do not disagree that if they can't price it reasonably I don't see it working here in the US.  The Toyota Prius will most likely be it's main competition and if they can't compete on price or quality gm might as well move on to something else.

[indy007]

The Volt exists. At least the battery core part of it does.

It's sitting on a machine right now, next to the original Volt battery, going through lifespan tests to meet CARB regulations. If it weren't for CARB, the car would be rolling out already.

[hubsonfire]

GM is already touting the car in TV ads, even though they don't yet have a working prototype. "The real trick on the car is software. The car needs to know where home plate is. So if you, for some reason, have gone from work instead of directly home, you've gone shopping, and you're starting to run out of battery on the way home, the computer will tell the gas engine, 'Look, he's five miles from home, only run for three minutes, because he only needs enough to get home,'" Lutz explains.

What about safety? In 2006, Dell was forced to issue the biggest recall in electronics history when its lithium-ion batteries burst into flames. Lutz says GM has solved that problem with its batteries, but they need a lot more testing to check how durable and reliable they are in extreme weather and real-road conditions. Still, Lutz insists the Volts will be in dealerships by 2010.

From Lutz' interview on CBS in October. Sure sounds like it doesn't exist, even if they have a battery design they're testing, although Lutz may not be that well informed as to what GM is doing. Maybe they busted their butts and the car now exists, but I would bet against Nilsen being able to buy one.

[indy007]

There's a 5+ page write up on it in either this or last month's WIRED. They're well into platform testing already, and pretty much banking the companies turn around on it. The main hang up is CARB testing takes 10 real world years (thank you Cali...  ). They're simulating it with what's basically a giant oven, heating & cooling, heating & cooling, to get 10 years worth of battery cycles in 1 year. Once they're sure they'll meet CARB requirements, and the project is viable, we'll see a lot more about it.

[airguard]

I got myselve a toyota yaris last month, it goes on 0,4 pr km to 0,6 pr km depending  if I drive in the city, or longer trips outside. mixed driveing leaves me on about 0,5 pr km. pretty neat...

exellent car for my use now, cheap to buy and drive it even got 5 in the euroknap secureity tests.

[drdeathx]

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS DEVELOPED 20 YEARS AGO. YOUR GOVERNMENT PUT A STOP TO IT

[indy007]

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS DEVELOPED 20 YEARS AGO. YOUR GOVERNMENT PUT A STOP TO IT

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS DEVELOPED 100 YEARS AGO. JAY LENO HAS SOME IN HIS GARAGE. THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, CONSUMERS DID.

[CAP1]

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS DEVELOPED 20 YEARS AGO. YOUR GOVERNMENT PUT A STOP TO IT

1913 by thomas edison. others have improvved on it since then

[soda72]

gm-volt is equal to a 250 hp V6 engine, 0-60 in 9 secs

Not bad for an economy car...

[CAP1]

gm-volt is equal to a 250 hp V6 engine, 0-60 in 9 secs

Not bad for an economy car...

MY GEO PRISM WITH  over 100k on it does 0 to 60 faster than that.

[straffo]

THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS DEVELOPED 100 YEARS AGO. JAY LENO HAS SOME IN HIS GARAGE. THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, CONSUMERS DID.

more than that

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamais_Contente

[soda72]

MY GEO PRISM WITH  over 100k on it does 0 to 60 faster than that.

Most models of the GEO prism have 0-60 times between 10 and 11 seconds..

GEO PRISM
HP: 105hp @ 5600rpm
Torque: 100 ft/lbs @ 2800rpm
0-60 in 10.9 seconds
Top speed: 110mph

The GM-Volt improves in all category's except for top speed(assuming the GM production version of the volt achieves what they show in the video).  However, until they produce it it's all speculation

HP: 250hp
Torque: 273 ft/lbs
0-60 in 9 seconds
Top speed: 100mph

[indy007]

more than that

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamais_Contente

Now that's cool. The really interesting part is, if you went into your garage to build an electric buggy, the motors & whatnot would look almost exactly the same.

[CAP1]

Most models of the GEO prism have 0-60 times between 10 and 11 seconds..

GEO PRISM
HP: 105hp @ 5600rpm
Torque: 100 ft/lbs @ 2800rpm
0-60 in 10.9 seconds
Top speed: 110mph

The GM-Volt improves in all category's except for top speed(assuming the GM production version of the volt achieves what they show in the video).  However, until they produce it it's all speculation

HP: 250hp
Torque: 273 ft/lbs
0-60 in 9 seconds
Top speed: 100mph

i'll time mine tonight to be sure. it isn't even remotly fast......i've never had it over 80mph, as it's screaming for mercy at that point. it doesn't take a full 10 seconds to hit 60 though. that is agonizingly slow.