3rdnlng Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/chevy-volt-still-not-selling_581956.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 http://www.weeklysta...ing_581956.html Are you anti-electric car? Does the fact that Hummer was discontinued due to lack of sales mean that gas cars are not viable? Better work on hydrogen or nuclear powered cars or we're all walking! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25hummer.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Are you anti-electric car? Does the fact that Hummer was discontinued due to lack of sales mean that gas cars are not viable? Better work on hydrogen or nuclear powered cars or we're all walking! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25hummer.html Since the bail out I can't stand GM so I'm not going like anything they do short of curing cancer. That said I think electric cars are interesting. I just wonder how all the environmental cause heads expect to power them as the EPA is on a campaign to shut down coal fired electric plants. If there is a market for them and it is viable I'm all for them. Personally I think they are a great idea for short daily commutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) gm has been disappointing here ....the volt was sposed to come in at 35k or less- not! on the other hand, tesla is building awesome products (very cool). i'd buy a roadster tomorrow if the price came down a bit and it will. rumor has it tesla's working with honda on a new crv electric with an extended range. gm needs to step up to the plate or they will get their just deserts. Edited August 3, 2011 by birdog1960 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 gm has been disappointing here ....the volt was sposed to come in at 35k or less- not! on the other hand, tesla is building awesome products (very cool). i'd buy a roadster tomorrow if the price came down a bit and it will. rumor has it tesla's working with honda on a new crv electric with an extended range. gm needs to step up to the plate or they will get their just deserts. That's the biggest issue...who can buy something that's basically a "cool toy" for $40k, particularly in this economy? Since the bail out I can't stand GM so I'm not going like anything they do short of curing cancer. That said I think electric cars are interesting. I just wonder how all the environmental cause heads expect to power them as the EPA is on a campaign to shut down coal fired electric plants. If there is a market for them and it is viable I'm all for them. Personally I think they are a great idea for short daily commutes. Not to mention the environmental damage of simply building the damn things... ...oh, sorry, forgot..."environmental damage" doesn't count if it's not carbon or nuclear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Good luck driving your electric car in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Good luck driving your electric car in the winter. outperforms in any conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 outperforms in any conditions Saw a Chevy Volt outperforming everyone on the side of I-91 today outside of Hartford. It was being loaded onto a flatbed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Saw a Chevy Volt outperforming everyone on the side of I-91 today outside of Hartford. It was being loaded onto a flatbed! I saw a brand new Lexus on the side of the road last week being loaded onto a flatbed. Clearly, you should not buy those cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 (edited) outperforms in any conditions There's more to electric cars in cold temps than getting them started. And hopefully you can plug those in at work in the winter so that magic little heater can continue to work and allow your car to charge and start. Edited August 4, 2011 by Joe Miner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 (edited) 2 months ago the GM CEO called for $1 increase in gas tax. Coincidence? So after everyone goes green and drives a Volt, what will offset all the "revenue" from the gas tax? The Electric Car Fee Edited August 4, 2011 by /dev/null Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 There's more to electric cars in cold temps than getting them started. And hopefully you can plug those in at work in the winter so that magic little heater can continue to work and allow your car to charge and start. You mean we'll have to build banks of electrical outlets??? How the hell are we supposed to overcome THAT technological hurdle? Time to move on from electric... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 You mean we'll have to build banks of electrical outlets??? How the hell are we supposed to overcome THAT technological hurdle? Time to move on from electric... And who pays for the juice at these charge stations? Where will the electricity come from to power these stations? For that matter, remember a couple months ago when Obama was yearning for the good old days before ATMs, airline kiosks, and other automated services? Back when people filled those roles? What will happen to the jobs lost when the corner gas station closes? Sure the big bad oil CEO loses his bonus, but so does the guys and girls working the counter. Eh, what am I worrying about? That's what 99 weeks of unemployment are for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 And who pays for the juice at these charge stations? Where will the electricity come from to power these stations? For that matter, remember a couple months ago when Obama was yearning for the good old days before ATMs, airline kiosks, and other automated services? Back when people filled those roles? What will happen to the jobs lost when the corner gas station closes? Sure the big bad oil CEO loses his bonus, but so does the guys and girls working the counter. Eh, what am I worrying about? That's what 99 weeks of unemployment are for. That's just the appetizer. Obama is focusing like a lazer on jobs, so extending unemployment benefits to his base is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 And who pays for the juice at these charge stations? Where will the electricity come from to power these stations? Solar cells. So you can only drive when it's sunny. (Y'all do know that the Volt has a gas engine, right?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 And who pays for the juice at these charge stations? Where will the electricity come from to power these stations? the people using the charge stations pay, obviously. systems have already been designed and in some places implemented. to me this problem seems much less complex than refining, shipping, storing and selling gasoline. right now the electricity would come mostly from coal, hydroelectricl and nuclear power. not very satisfying environmentally but would potentially result in a lot less dependence on foreign oil and stem a large outflow of dollars to the middle east. and then there's 0-60 in 3.1 secs! the idea of a nearly silent engine knocking my head into the headrest while accelerating from a stop sign is the best reason for moving ahead on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Miner Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 You mean we'll have to build banks of electrical outlets??? How the hell are we supposed to overcome THAT technological hurdle? Time to move on from electric... No, that's not what I mean. But continue being a smartass, it's working well for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 It's not like charging batteries is some revolutionary technology that we'll have to build some crazy infrastructure for. Tom, to be clear, the Volt has a gas generator which can be used instead an external source for recharging the batteries, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 It's not like charging batteries is some revolutionary technology that we'll have to build some crazy infrastructure for. Tom, to be clear, the Volt has a gas generator which can be used instead an external source for recharging the batteries, right? To be clear, it has a gas engine that drives a generator. All-electric drive train, though. Same basic idea they use in diesel submarines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 To be clear, it has a gas engine that drives a generator. All-electric drive train, though. Same basic idea they use in diesel submarines. It's a great system for those worried about range. For most people's driving habits, that's not much gasoline usage. Anyway, despite all the "insurmountable" obstacles that have been pointed out in this thread, the technology will improve and most of you will likely own an electric car someday. Taking an anti-electric car stance based on the technology being endorsed by hippies is !@#$ing childish. Not surprising, but certainly !@#$ing childish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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