Yep. Some aspects of the EV1's design made it into the Volt, e.g. the battery configuration where the cells run down the centerline of the vehicle.
EV technology has moved on since the Volt went to the drawing board circa 2007-2008 though that topology is obsolete, it compromises interior space, the rear seating is rather small for a car that size and
5th seat basically non-existent.
I think they made this half/half electric/range extender configuration about as good as they could for the budget at this point, but it's already "long in the tooth." If you were going to take it further a decade on you'd do a clean-sheet, you wouldn't design a car like that now the way you would ten years ago.
They stuck with that topology to start with the first generation likely in part because the lithiums available at the outset had somewhat less energy density, and they oversized the pack on top of that, maybe by 20 because long-term degredation of packs that size was an unknown.
Turns out reliability concerns were overblown, the statistics show that the Volt batteries have been extremely reliable and figures of 50% range loss at 100k miles were absurd overestimates. More like 2-3%
For those interested in the technical aspects of the design here's a YT video with an animated cutaway of the different operation modes on the Gen 1 Volt:
The second generation had a number of improvements:
Volt, Prius and other hybrids are just short term solution. Eventually, th ere will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas. GM is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, driving range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately seeking re charging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an EV for a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand charging a t every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 6:27:45 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wro te:
there will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas. GM is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, drivin g range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately seeking recharging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an EV for a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand charging at every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
What do politicians have to do with charging electric cars???
Chargers will happen as the market progresses. I have a few personal reque sts for new chargers, but there is one going in at a location on my route t hat will do the job in a pinch.
I wouldn't characterize charging as "desperate". You do need to plan for i t, but tools are available for that even while driving. All in all it is f airly civilized. I would avoid North Dakota unless you are just traveling through. Most populated areas are easy to visit on a trip. Otherwise most people charge at home. Even JL's trip to Truckee is a snap requiring no c harging until you get there.
On Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 6:27:45 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wro te:
there will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas. GM is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, drivin g range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately seeking recharging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an EV for a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand charging at every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
I charge mine at my home and at the Starbucks down the street, sometimes. I go further than ~50 miles from home maybe once every three months when precisely would I have time to do otherwise? I'm _working_
55 hours a week and I have to sleep sometimes, too! Like most people in their 20s and 30s.
Where y'all going so often that you need ~200 miles of range off a single charge or you feel put upon? Another golf trip? Gosh, try not to work too hard! ;)
, there will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas. G M is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, driv ing range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately seekin g recharging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an EV fo r a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand chargi ng at every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
Actually work has been intruding on my personal life. I live in more than one place. I travel between them every week. Sometimes this way, sometime s that way. The short trip is 120 each way with no good charging anywhere along the route. That will end soon with a new charger going in shortly, b ut not at the destination, about in the middle. I'm good charging here for several days off 120 volts. But when at the other end there's just nothin g very convenient. Superchargers are ok, but 25 miles away. If I don't dr ive too much at the other end I'm ok to make it a round trip, but now that winter has set in, the range is a bit reduced.
The new Supercharger will be great. I can hit it for 10 minutes each way a nd add 100 miles to the 250 I normally have and not need to charge until I' m back here.
The long trips are like any other trip. I have to stop once or twice to ch arge. One location has a Supercharger less than 10 miles away in a mall. The other is a bit remote like here and the charging is from the house. Th at's ok. I expect to have 240 volts soon so I can precondition the battery before I leave and get full range.
There's about 14 months left on my Volt lease, it'll be at around 40k miles at that point. Since it'll be a discontinued model I'll see if they want to make a deal on recalculating the residual and buying it out at that point. A lot of times you don't save anything vs. just finding a similar used one on the open market but I figure the leasing company may want to move it to a current owner rather than try to sell it off on a dealer used car lot at that point.
I prefer sedans I'm not particularly interested in the Bolt, I'll also check out what Model 3 prices are doing at that point and if I can lease a base 3 at that point off at around 35k cap cost it'll be a no-brainer, supercharging ability was never a primary concern for me but it's a nice feature.
My SO lives and works in Rhode Island the Volt is a perfect car for that state, maybe I leave it there. it's only about 50 miles across at its widest! It would fit inside the Houston metro area.
ly, there will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas. GM is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, dr iving range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately seek ing recharging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an EV for a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand char ging at every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
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han one place. I travel between them every week. Sometimes this way, some times that way. The short trip is 120 each way with no good charging anywh ere along the route. That will end soon with a new charger going in shortl y, but not at the destination, about in the middle. I'm good charging here for several days off 120 volts. But when at the other end there's just no thing very convenient. Superchargers are ok, but 25 miles away. If I don' t drive too much at the other end I'm ok to make it a round trip, but now t hat winter has set in, the range is a bit reduced.
ay and add 100 miles to the 250 I normally have and not need to charge unti l I'm back here.
o charge. One location has a Supercharger less than 10 miles away in a mal l. The other is a bit remote like here and the charging is from the house. That's ok. I expect to have 240 volts soon so I can precondition the bat tery before I leave and get full range.
Personally, I've never seen the attraction of a lease. It's like having a car payment, but you don't end up owning anything. I found it very odd tha t you even have to make a down payment up front! I owned my previous vehic le for 20 years. I would have hated having a lease or car payment all that time!
Compared to a Volt, Supercharging is no advantage. Compared to a Bolt it i s the difference between being able to make trips practically or not. I se e Teslas on the highway often. I've yet to see a single Bolt at all. Heck , I've asked around and can't even find them at the dealerships, but that i s a different issue, a total lack of interest on the part of GM. Many Chev y dealers can't even service them.
I didn't realize that if you lived in Rhode Island you weren't allowed to d rive outside the state. Yeah, RI seems the perfect place to have a Volt th en, or a Leaf or any of the short range BEVs.
ally, there will be charging stations at every corner and we don't need gas . GM is looking to the future and moving ahead with the Bolt. Right now, driving range bound EV is like driving gas car in the 1800s, desperately se eking recharging all the time. We should force all politians to drive an E V for a while. Perhaps we need an AEA (American with EV Act) and demand ch arging at every blue spot. I feel handicapped with an EV now.
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than one place. I travel between them every week. Sometimes this way, so metimes that way. The short trip is 120 each way with no good charging any where along the route. That will end soon with a new charger going in shor tly, but not at the destination, about in the middle. I'm good charging he re for several days off 120 volts. But when at the other end there's just nothing very convenient. Superchargers are ok, but 25 miles away. If I do n't drive too much at the other end I'm ok to make it a round trip, but now that winter has set in, the range is a bit reduced.
way and add 100 miles to the 250 I normally have and not need to charge un til I'm back here.
to charge. One location has a Supercharger less than 10 miles away in a m all. The other is a bit remote like here and the charging is from the hous e. That's ok. I expect to have 240 volts soon so I can precondition the b attery before I leave and get full range.
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a car payment, but you don't end up owning anything. I found it very odd t hat you even have to make a down payment up front! I owned my previous veh icle for 20 years. I would have hated having a lease or car payment all th at time!
it only makes sense if you want a new car every couple of years, then it'll cost roughly the same either way
My lease payment is around $220/month, capitalized cost on the car was around 26k.
Drive about 1,200 miles/month at a total fuel cost of about $20 monthly gas + charge (charge is often "free.") Down payment is covered by the $2500 incentive check I got from the MA state government with about $1500 left over to pay off three years of excise tax. My insurance (comprehensive 100,000k/300,000k, $500 deductible, no deductible on glass, rental coverage, $25,000 payment if you have to be hospitalized for any amount of time) is around $50/month but I prepay so get a 15% discount on that.
It's about the lowest cost-to-operate long term rental you can get, there are people with cable TV bills larger than that.
It makes more sense if you like cars that happen to be extremely expensive to repair, e.g. BMWs or Mercedes. That way you're always under warranty.
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com
It's the only way for a lot of younger drivers to drive a modern car with modern safety features; used cars hold their value better than they once did. Any decent "creampuff" say 4-5 years old with any amount of comprehensive warranty left on it is going to be around 10-12k minimum; used car financing is also not a particularly good value and most people in their 20s and 30s don't have 10-12k of their (own) money just sitting around for an outright purchase like that, it's going out for rent and health insurance and student debt and utilities and...
Even for someone like my girl friend making 55k/year in a white collar job car "ownership" is just a set of least-worst options, they're money pits.
A single good-quality replacement tire is $200 parts + labor all it takes is one misplaced nail out there on the road somewhere to blow a month's food budget.
Some financial commentator on CNBC maybe it was going on about how an average 28 y/o should have an emergency expense account of between 10 and 30 thousand dollars. Ha ha ha who "emergency" fund is that, Donald Trumps? talk about out-of-touch
You mean the lessors make no money? I find that hard to believe.
The reality is that leases make it so people can drive more car than they can afford. They make sense for some businesses but *rarely* for individuals.
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