Jay Leno on the Chevy Volt

[Andy]

Seems alright, can see its appeal, but it does just seem to be dodging the prop shaft going from the engine to the wheels via a generator and motor
http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4b43ed21299a3036/4b391eb9fa6bf434/b6bbdce2/-cpid/e1c5ce8d68ac18ba"%20/><param%20name="wmode"%20value="transparent"%20/><param%20name="allowNetworking"%20value="all"%20/><param%20name="allowScriptAccess"%20value="always"%20/><param%20name="allowFullScreen"%20value="true"%20/></object>\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Jay Leno's Garage

[HardRockCamaro]

The point is that you recharge it by plugging it into the wall to get the 60 mile (whatever it is) range at highway speeds on battery alone, the engine is there to run the electric motor when the battery has been depleted so that you're not stuck if you "run out of charge" as it were.
As most Americans travel less than 60 miles per day they won't be using petrol on a day to day basis, instead they can charge it up overnight using dirt cheap electric, I think the cost works out at 5c per mile or something like that.
They will be selling it here as the Opel Ampera, and if I had a daily commute of around 60 miles I'd have one.  Well, I wouldn't as it's too expensive to buy at the moment, but I think it's a better option than a hybrid like the Prius which mainly uses the motor to assist the petrol engine, in fact you can only run a Prius on battery at very low speed (below 30) at low throttle for no more than 1/2 mile.
A plug-in Prius (with range extending petrol engine) is due sometime in the next couple of years I believe.

[EDGE]

thats a really nice car... i wonder what it'll cost though...

it sounds like its not a hybrid relly, its an electric car with a little petrol engine that drives a generstor which produces just enough power to move the car... good idea that.... and will recharge fully in 8 hours at 110V or 3hours at 240v - not sure if USA 240v is the same as ours though...

more to the point, he was speeding i rekon the whole way though and what was the yellow mopar drag car at the very end on the trailer !!!!

[Andy]

I think the only difference is the frequency, we're on 240v at 50 Hz, where I believe them to be on 240v 60 Hz.

I suppose I was disappointed, as I thought they managed to get the battery range to something like 200 miles as opposed to the 40-60 estimated in the video.

I reckon they just might win some folks over from the Nissan, just hope it doesn't flop on them.

[cuban pete]

Quoting: Andy

# Posted: 6 Jan 2010 22:45:11
Quote

I think the only difference is the frequency, we're on 240v at 50 Hz, where I believe them to be on 240v 60 Hz.

I suppose I was disappointed, as I thought they managed to get the battery range to something like 200 miles as opposed to the 40-60 estimated in the video.

I reckon they just might win some folks over from the Nissan, just hope it doesn't flop on them.

110/120 V 60hz    usa and canada......i think

[Fieldy]

Will be overpriced here no doubt compared to the market at least

[Andy]

Oh yes sorry, 110/120v, but i believe they have some domestic installations rated at 240v. I think its a big mix and match, unlike our 'harmonization' with the EU. I believe the current average output of a wall socket is close to 230v to match that of the EU.

[cuban pete]

yup , looks that way .  they seem to run 240v household and 110v for everything else......weird


 Harmonization in the eu , that caused some fun when it came in .

good page on it
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_the_US_run_at_120V_when_some_of_the_world_runs_at_240V\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_the_US_run_at_120V_when_some_of_the_world_runs_at_240V

[Andy]

Tell me about it, three phase, Red, Yella, Blue. Now, I think it's something like Black, Brown, Grey, running a blue neutral. While household electrics are the same as a plug, rather that just Red and Black.

It's crazy, unfortunately I passed just before the new wiring regs came out so I'm not up to date on other Harmonizing factors. Sure there are some stupid ones.

[cuban pete]

. they seem to come up with new rules every couple of years , just so they can sell more copies of the iee wiring regs and more courses

most sparks  shoved a phase up the neutral when they wired it wrong , twas dead easy to do.........invertors make a lovely bang  

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: Andy

Oh yes sorry, 110/120v, but i believe they have some domestic installations rated at 240v. I think its a big mix and match, unlike our 'harmonization' with the EU. I believe the current average output of a wall socket is close to 230v to match that of the EU.

did you know the only other country in the world to use our type of wall plug is Iraq!!

freaky eh?

[HardRockCamaro]

I hate UK plugs, they take up too much room, you can get some tiny mobile 4 way extensions leads for US plugs but ours are mahoosive by comparison.

[Andy]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

did you know the only other country in the world to use our type of wall plug is Iraq!!

That is great pub ammo, cheers!

[Fieldy]

So who would buy it if it was priced in accordance for the UK market/What would you pay for it?

I would, but I strongly feel this is all second rate stuff in the long run, water power is where it will be

I would buy it, for around £20k OTR

[Andy]

Quoting: Fieldy

water power is where it will be

Do you mean the hydrogen cars and that?

I like the way people think electric cars, particularly the G-Wizz is saving the planet. Its still using a fossil fuels, just from the power station. A Prius isn't much better, batteries only being made in Japan (iirc) which have to have the ingredients flown in from America and then it all shipped again to where it is being built.

[Big Mouse]

I'd buy one if it was under £20k on the basis that it is trying to solve a problem and it looks better than the prius

[HardRockCamaro]

The argument is a bit more complex than that.

While mining the material for batteries is not exactly kind to the environment neither is drilling for oil and transporting it.
As for "in use", you have emissions from petrol cars, plus the emissions used by vehicles to get the fuel to petrol station.  This compares to the emissions from producing electricity.  However electricity can be produced in a variety of ways, not all of it comes from fossil fuels, you have wind farms, hydro electric power, nuclear and so on.  And in any case I would have thought it was easier to clean up / replace a few power stations compared to cleaning up millions of cars.

It's an incremental improvement.  Even if charging your car at home and using that instead of petrol was only 5% better, 5% is still 5%.

Ultimately we can't keep burning oil, the natural replacement is an electric motor.  That electric motor needs to be powered so the question becomes do you produce electricity locally (in the car or even your house with perhaps your own fuel cell), or do you tap into the existing grid and have that powered by fuel cells?

There is no instant 100% impact free way of motoring, only improvement.

This is a step in the right direction, there will be subsequent ones.

[HardRockCamaro]

As far as I'm aware the projected price of the Volt will be $40,000.

That price will come down over time, as with any new tech it initially costs more to make.