The gas tank in the
Chevy Volt is probably the least interesting thing about GM's hybrid concept, but it's causing some waves today, with reports that GM is trimming it in size, effectively dropping the vehicle's range from 600 miles to some 360. Apparently GM found that consumers rarely travel more than 40 miles a day (the range of the Volt's battery pack) and that longer trips didn't require a 600 mile range because "most bladders can't go 600 miles" -- so cutting down the 12-gallon fuel tank saves weight and cost. Sure, we can see that -- most of our cars can only go 300 or so miles before needing gas -- but it sure seems like the Volt is going from marvel of hybrid technology to just another hybrid in a much cooler skin.
[Via
Autoblog]
posted Jul 9th 2008 5:51AM
someone needs to increase the voltage
Good. They are shrinking GAS tank not electric. Maybe they expect some new battery tech in the near future so the electric range may even improve. Who needs bigger gas tank in Volt anyway?
BUDACHING!
...360 mile range, no problem. waiting till 2010, problem!
What a joke. They raise the price by 33% from $30K to $40K and now they are halving the range. Sounds like GM is trying to kill the electric car AGAIN. :)
How many times do we have to go through this? It's the Stone Cutters that hold back the electric car.
So doing something as esoteric as reducing the size of the gas tank is a deal breaker for you? WTF is up with that?
Look at it this way - GM just reduced the weight of the vehicle by something like 42 lbs - meaning that they improved the gas mileage, reduced the stopping distances AND improved the overall handling and performance of the car, without even slightly increasing the carbon footprint. If anything, I say that the move was little short of brilliant.
wasn't their main reason for killing the ev-1 that consumers wanted a car with a range of over 120 miles? now they admit that 40 miles is acceptable. what a bunch of pricks.
Are you stupid or something? The range is still over 300 miles and if your capable of pumping gas then the range is pretty much only limited by your wallet.
@Adam
Wow, you fool that racist accusation was totally uncalled for. Did some Indian "take" your job? A lot of people criticize GM ..no problem, but since Nilay's name sounds Indian he must surely also be a Tata motors spy and maybe works in a convenience store too part time. Is that how your brain works?
People of certain descents are not allowed to offer criticism of American companies without having their patriotism questioned?
That has to be it, cause I don't see you arbitrarily accusing other people who criticize GM of supporting Tata motors. Hey now maybe you'll accuse me even though I'm not Indian. Good.
Looks like someone can't take a joke...
Even with a smaller gas tank the Volt is nowhere near "just another hybrid." It is an electric vehicle with an internal combustion generator. And if that point of distinction is lost on you, then how about doing a bit more research before you dismiss what has the potential to be revolutionary.
It's very hard to believe that the weight of the gasoline and gas tank was an issue for the car's performance. The battery pack is going to weigh many hundreds of pounds, how much does half a gas tank weigh?
350 miles is right on the edge of being inadequate for long trips. Stopping for gas every 4 hours is not cool.
What about stopping for sightseeing every 4 hours? xD
1. You are supposed to stop periodically in order to rest - this greatly reduces the likelihood of an accident by human error resulting from the onset of fatigue.
2. The absolute majority of usage will be for short trips, which means that the fuel in the tank will be rarely used. It is therefore not only efficiency that is increased by a forced weight reduction, but also aids in the maintenance of the fuel which remains in the vehicle - petrol (aka gasoline) has a limited lifespan, much less than diesel, and if left unused in a fuel tank for too long it will 'spoil' and become useless.
3. Times are changing. If you need to travel longer distances then it may be not only more environmentally conscious to use other means of transportation such as trains, but also a more economically sound choice vs private motor vehicles.
4. Don't be such a party-pooper, just because others like it doesn't mean you have to dis' it.
If it had a 600 mile range, people would rarely use it to its full potential anyway - a lot of people can't go 8 hours without using the bathroom.
Gas weighs a lot actually. A tank of it is about 70 lbs. For fuel efficient cars, that's a lot more weight to account for - at least more than the battery packs.
Twitchy
You're right, we will make stops every 4 hours in any case. Its just sad to see something extraordinary becoming ordinary.
greygabe
Yes, weight reducing is great, but with 70 lbs you won't get enough efficiency to notice the difference. If their "making the car cheaper" would also make it cheaper for the customer, I'd agree that its good. But making it cheaper for production while making it more expensive to the customer is all about greedy manufacturer. Thats my opinion.
@ Twichy - agreed on all 4 counts
@ Shinigami - i wouldn't Say 'ordinary' but i know what you mean. however with your comment to greybabe 'not noticing the difference'... don't think of taking 70lbs off the car for 1 fill up (360 miles/580km) . it's 70 lbs off the car for 100,000 - 250,000 miles/kilometers.
and with regard to making the manufacturing cheaper? making a tank smaller isn't going to save GM all that much... if you want them to pass that savings on to you... you might see $10-20. it's only formed metal.
I like this idea, I live close to work, and would rather not need to by fuel stabilizers.
Stopping every 4 hours? That's 87.5 mph!
How much is half a gas tank in weight? Not much until you consider the 8lbs per gallon of gas.
I have a Civic Hybrid & generally drive alone or with just my wife & little boy. My parents came to visit. That added 300 lbs to my car. I could definitely feel it.
Cutting weight is one of the easiest ways to increase performance.
Aerodynamics are the other, more difficult, approach & this thing looks like style before substance in that regard so they had to make a choice.
1 gallon of gasoline = 6lbs.
If SUV's and 'trucks' (I use the term loosely, mom dad and the two kids in a truck with a 6 foot bed is not a truck) don't stop for gas every 4 hours on vacations I'll eat my shoe.
Why? Because families stupid enough to buy a 'truck' or SUV bigger than a CRV or Vibe usually drive about 85mph on the highway, and that speed they aren't going to be getting much more than 20mpg. Even with a huge fuel tank, 4 hours is cutting it close.
Twitchy -
You are the Nanny of the Nanny State.
First you tell me that I have to stop every 4 hours to "refresh myself" and if I don't, I'm dangerous.
Then you tell me that my gasoline will be useless anyway because it will be too old.
Then you tell me I'm IRRESPONSIBLE if I travel more than 350 miles in my own vehicle.
And finally you call me a "party pooper".
First, if I need to stop to "refresh myself" I will stop. I won't buy a car which FORCES me to stop whether I need it or not.
Second, gasoline lasts for a bare minimum of a year. You're both stupid and wrong.
Third, I live in a place where there is no reasonable long-range public transportation, AND you are not my God to decide if I am irresponsible or not.
So I have an idea. Why don't you take your moral superiority and blatantly wrong information, get in your ridiculously priced, ridiculously short-ranged Chevrolet Volt and then eat some cyanide.
That's the biggest contribution you can make to the world environoment.
"First, if I need to stop to "refresh myself" I will stop. I won't buy a car which FORCES me to stop whether I need it or not."
Good luck finding a car with unlimited range. 360 miles is pretty average for a vehicle.
As much as I disagree with LarryLarryLarry (why 3?)....and as much as I would low rank him...I really, really, think they should get rid of the stupid low ranked gray. I like the new blue for highest ranked..but really, if you low rank a post enough...maybe you should make it get deleted or something. Sigh...
That's sad because I drive 40+, one-way, to work everyday. If I knew I could get that kind of milage, I'd snatch one up in a second.
Well at least you'd get the equivalent of about 100+ mpg to work with the Volt. Forgetting that magical first 40 miles without any gas whatsoever, it's still a fuel efficient car.
you could just buy a Prius and buy the battery enhancement back from A123 Systems...
it nets you 100+MPG.
And you don't have to wait till 2010 =P
@Technophile
Being a Prius owner myself I've had the temptation to buy a Hymotion BRM, but this type of system won't match the Volt (if GM ever lets it materialize). For $9000 with the add-in you can go 40 miles at above 100MPG, but that's with assistance from the gas engine. The Volt is pure EV until its batteries are low. Yes, you can add a $2 EV switch from Radio Shack, but you can't exceed 34mph or else the combustion engine engages. The add-on for the Prius is just not suitable for EV except for around the neighborhood.
@Alan
Hymotion in combination with an Integrated Solar Roof for the Prius would be killer.
http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/05/31/putting-a-solar-roof-on-your-prius-go-20-miles-on-battery-powe/
Just another greedy company thinking of more ways to make profit.
I agree! My high school teacher use to tell me not to hand in work that was simply "good enough" but to strive to do the best I could do.
GM is making a hybrid that is simply "good enough" to be profitable.
If they CAN make a 600-mile car, why not strive for it?
I thought this Volt was a sign that GM is finally getting it. Sadly it's just business as usual with these guys.
To kal and shinigami, they're improving both the cost and efficiency of the vehicle at the cost of range. WTF do you mean, just another greedy company? They're optimizing their product.
If you're a proud American, don't buy sh!t, buy what you really want, something that satisfies your needs.
Damn.
I need edit button!!!!
Anyways.
If the product becomes cheaper for the company to produce and retail price goes upwards...
How is it making more efficient? Its business! And the purpose of any business is... yeah, making money. Making the car more "efficient" as it making more money off selling it is...
...
...just another greedy business.
@kal
If GM strove to make every car they made they absolute best it could be so that no one could complain about it ever either:
1) no one could afford them b/c they would all be $1M a pop
or
2) the would go out of business (faster) b/c they wouldn't make any profit on their cars
actually gm won't be turning a profit on the first generation volt because of the cost of the batteries.
Yep, because us Americans aren't ready for cars that go 600 miles or more between fill ups.
h
What a mistake!!
Just because my bladder will want a relief at 300miles does not necessarily mean that I WANT to also fuel of the car. And even if I only do 40 miles a day, I'd love for a tank of gas to last 15 days.
Just more proof that GM is in Cahoots with the oil industry.
By the time this thing finally comes out, with all these compromises, Toyota will come out with its improved hybrid technology and will kick GM's butt...leaving Lutz scratching his head and reciting his usual line, "I don't know why we're losing market share, but if you're a proud American, you must buy GM products anyways".
You forget that you would also charge it at night whilst at home, and as such would rarely ever use that petrol that is in the tank. Chances are that if you plug the car in every night when at home, the fuel in the tank would spoil before you had a chance to use it all.
@ Twitchy "You forget that you would also charge it at night whilst at home..."
Why would I want to charge it every night? Do you fill up your gas tank every night?! I want an electric car that can last at week without having to be "refilled." A 300 mile charge would just about fit inline with current mileage from a tank of gas. It would also fit inline with American's refuelling habits.
Furthermore, there is a very large number of people who rent, own, or otherwise live in apartments and condominiums that will have nowhere to "plug into," as they will only have parking spaces. Will the electric car not be for them?
It seems since there are tens of millions of people who don't have electrical outlets available near their car... that an electric car should be able to be charged quicker and less often. If not, electric cars will not be the answer!
Do you want a pizza maker with that car too? Quit whining.
@Jim
Do you only charge your cell phone once a week too?
The charging station is designed to be in your garage. You step out of the car, plug it in, go inside and sleep, then unplug it in the morning? Or are you just that lazy
>Just more proof that GM is in Cahoots with the oil industry.
Oh geez. Put down the tin foil hat already. Show me a battery that can drive a car for 300 miles between charges.... It doesn't exist. That would require something on the order of 100 kilowatt hours of energy!!! And don't tell me battery technology has been stagnated as another conspiracy... Battery research is HUGE for laptops and mobile phones. It just isn't there yet. Batteries for "minimal" Electric Car must.....
1.) must weigh in around 500 lbs or so.
2.) must hold at about 20 kwh of energy. ( to go 50 miles )
3.) must last for 10 years at at least 80% capacity. ( This is tough. )
4.) must cost less then 5 thousand dollars. ( Not there yet. )
We “barely” have a good enough battery for something like the Volt. It's a stretch, and a gamble, and GM knows it. I hope the testing works out. I hope GM can make it happen. I’ll be first in line to buy one.
It’s insulting, and downright mean, for you to belittle the hard working American engineers at GM. Their countless hours, and numerous innovations have built this country. I have little doubt that their intelligence, team work, and inventive spirit will once again be a shining example of what humanity can achieve when necessity knocks.
Well 600 miles were probably anyway for fuel optimal driving with
Well 600 miles were probably anyway for fuel optimal driving with smaller than 100km/h. When you drive faster the range will reduce quite a lot.
My guess is, at a moderate speed of 160km/h the 360 miles (576km) will reduce to something less than 300km which isn't really enough.
(hope comment isn't crippled again)
The "moderate" speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) will get you a ticket very quickly anywhere in the US (except maybe in the middle of nowhere where there are no cops). They're not building a car for Germany with its no speed limit autobahn. The highest speed limit that I've seen in the US was 70mph (112 km/h), with people going around 80 mph there.
I wonder why it has a top speed of 100 to 120 mph then.
@bloody german
thats only for looks, nearly all us cars spedomitors go up to 120 but that does not mean the car can go that fast
Americans wouldn't buy a car that couldn't go 100... That's the truth of it.
Even the trucks and SUVs need to hit the 100 mark.
It has to do with power. The ability to hit the gas and do something at 80mph means something. It means merging without hitting your brakes and causing 40 other people behind you anticipating and hitting their brakes. It means being able to pass people without a 14 mile lead to get up to speed in order to pass. Cars that can JUST do 80mph don't have the high end power to be able to avoid an accident by accelerating. And yes, there are times when it's better to just get on it and get ahead of a bad situation instead of braking and getting behind it.
If you think you are intended to drive at your car's top speed, then you, sir, are an idiot.
@John:
Funny, most people calling other people idiots are ... well lets say simple minded ;)
Admit it, you are just envious that we are allowed to go top speed with our cars in Germany. Well, depends on your car and the top speed it can go ;)
"hey're not building a car for Germany with its no speed limit autobahn."
Umm, actually they are - the GM developed drivetrain will be used by Opel to produce a PHEV for Europe
http://gm-volt.com/2008/05/02/gm-ceo-admits-to-dedicated-production-e-flex-opel-program/
@VB
The highest speed limit in the US right now is 80mph on I-10 in west Texas, and the avg in the west part of the US is around 75mph.
Maybe this is just part of them aggressively cutting the weight of the car.
By cutting the size of the fuel tank they are actually increasing the fuel efficiency of the car, since you have to carry less weight around. 12 gallons weight 88 pounds. Plus the weight of a larger tank thats close to a large child of small person you using fuel to move around all the time.
Most of you are idiots. They aren't halving the efficiency, they are halving the capacity. Thus, it's not going to cost you any more money in gas than it would have with a bigger tank. You'll just have to stop more often to fill up. Lets see, fill up 12 gallons one time for 50 bucks, or fill up twice for 25. I know what I would rather do.. And besides, most cars don't even go 300 miles per tank, let alone 350. So what the hell is the big problem? This doesn't make it any less of a technological advace just because they cut down the size of a gas tank. It still has the same efficiency, just not the same total range on one charge/one fillup.
The problem is the volt is now just another hybrid yes it works differently but now will not get that much better range than a prius if it all. Who wants a volt when they can get a prius for cheaper.
The volt was supposed to be much better then a prius but is slowly becoming a more expensive prius.
Someone said earlier, it's not a hybrid so much as it is an electric vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Comparing it to the prius is only useful if you compare it in aspects including carrying capacity performance, whatever.
Darth Abe
Will you consider a car being a hybrid or electric vehicle with internal combustion engine?
Nope, you'll just buy whatever you like. At least most people will.
majortom1981
You're right, its just a more expensive Prius.
If you want a fuel-efficient money-saving vehicle, go for Prius. If you want it to be cool-looking and don't give a damn about being fuel-efficient or money-efficient, go for GM vehicle.
There is a HUGE difference between a Prius and a Volt. The Volt gets 100+ mpg, but the Prius gets like 50. The Volt can go 40 miles on electricity only, can the the Prius do that--no. PLus the Prius is ugly. Volt looks waay better.
Most of you are idiots. They aren't halving the efficiency, they are
halving the capacity. Thus, it's not going to cost you any more money
in gas than it would have with a bigger tank. You'll just have to stop
more often to fill up. Lets see, fill up 12 gallons one time for 50
bucks, or fill up twice for 25. I know what I would rather do.. And
besides, most cars don't even go 300 miles per tank, let alone 350.
So what the hell is the big problem? This doesn't make it any less of
a technological advace just because they cut down the size of a gas
tank. It still has the same efficiency, just not the same total range
on one charge/one fillup.
damn the comment system here sucks ass!
"And besides, most cars don't even go 300 miles per tank, let alone 350."
I'm not sure about others, but I've never owned a vehicle that couldn't get 300+ miles per tank.. that includes coupes, sedans, and the suv my girl drives.
My car gets about 450 to 500 miles per tank (camry hybrid, 15 gallon tank).
As for my opinion on the tank issue, while I agree the cutting of 70 pounds may help efficiency a little, I disagree with you 2 tanks which would equate to one of the larger tanks. Gas prices fluctuate wildly, so your $25 fillup today, could cost you up to $30 or more the next time you fillup in a week or 2. I would rather just dump as much gas into the vehicle where a nice middle ground was found for weight vs efficiency.
Of course, this goes either way, gas drops in price, you just filled up your tank for the next couple of weeks for more then it would have cost to fill it up twice...
Its a gamble.. make it an option, give people the choice...
Well I can't wait to buy one. I just hope they don't screw up the looks getting it into production.
why do car makers mess things up sooo bad?
It it not just another hybrid for a key reason. If we are to believe GM's promise, which is getting harder to believe as the project rolls on, the first 40 miles are pure electric. Since most of Americans only drive 40 miles a day, you only need to buy gas on long road trips.
Lets think about that for a second. Let's say someone goes on a long drive once every two weeks and a serious road trip once every two months. That would absolutely mean NOT FILLING THE TANK, even if it is just a 300 mile range, FOR TWO MONTHS AT A TIME!!! Prius owners can't say that!
Plug-in Hybrid vehicles may very well be the future and should not be discounted. Screw hydrogen technology - it's cool, but it's expensive and the plug-in hybrids are already possible. Even the gas infrastructure can remain the same instead of trying to put hydrogen or ethanol stations across America.
Absolutely!!!
If the average driver drives 40 miles a day lets see what happens
[MONDAY - THURSDAY] 40 miles - we plug the cars in ever night.
40 x 4 = 160 miles no gas
[FRIDAY] 60 miles - Same as other weekdays but go out at night.
40 miles no gas
20 miles with gas
[SATURDAY] 80 miles (shopping, visiting, going out for dinner)
40 miles no Gas
40 miles with Gas
[SUNDAY] 0-80 miles (many people stay home one day a weekend oand go away the next / distance 'to' fun destination typically every other week)
40 miles no gas
40 miles with gas
That 380 miles, and only 100 miles using Gas.
Should take at least 3 weeks to use all the gas in the tank.
LAME!!!!!!!!!!!
would reconsider if the mileage is OVER 9000!?!?!?!
As these new high MPG cars are being introduced, I wish the manufacturers would publish a "Total Cost of Operation" (TCO) including average cost of the car, replacement of batteries, oil changes, cost of gasoline, etc.. MPG is just not representative of total cost and efficiency. It seems strange that so many people get excited about paying thousands more for a car that has a higher MPG that in the long run costs them more.
COOLER skin? It's fugly. It looks like some kind of attack animal. Who wants to project that, driving around? Do you wear a scary mask when walking around? Give me a nice friendly looking car, with big windows, anyday.
"It looks like some kind of attack animal. Who wants to project that, driving around?"
ummm...
/me raises hand.
I guess you and all the other people who low ranked me even though I'm just expressing my opinion (should have expected that) should get out your masks and show your neighbors what you think of them.
ENGADGET: It is not a 'hybrid' in the traditional sense of the word.
Hybrids use both a ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and an electric motor to power the wheels. Usually they use the electric motor to get the car up to ~25MPH before the ICE kicks in.
The Volt only has a ICE to power a generator which charges the batteries. There is nothing directly connecting the ICE to the power-train of the vehicle. It goes through a charging system to charge the batteries, and the electric motor is the only thing powering the car forward.
THE CAR IS FULLY ELECTRIC!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Volt
I predict that within about 6 months after the Volt is released, people will be putting Li-FePo batteries in every available square inch and extending the range of the batteries to 100 Miles before the engine kicks in.
I am also buying one as soon as it comes out.
GM is making a very big gamble on this one.....
They announced the Volt while the battery technology is still unproven. (refer to sony li-ion batteries and usable life of li-ion)
At 40k.. the price is too steep for people who want to buy this car to save money on gas...
And I don't know what GM plans to do when Toyota finally decides to use Li-ion on their hybrids and sell it for 24-27k
I don't trust a car company that says their product will do this and that... then bases it on technology which hasn't been proven yet....
Lithium batteries can be made to last a long time (thousands of recharge cycles) if the batteries are used optimally. Undercharging, and preventing complete discharge will greatly extend the life of the battery. In the Volt, the batteries will only be charged to 80% capacity, and discharge will be limited to 30% capacity.
Seems like most people would never need to fill the tank....which means the gas would sit in the gas tank for months and month w/o ever being used...processing old fuel can't be good for the engine
300 miles per tank?
HA...
My 04 Civic gets 380 to 400 on 10 gallons BABY!!!...if highway!!!
DITTO! :)
I thought the readers on this blog would be a little more intelligent with reagrds to automobiles than the average Joe, but sadly that's not the case or maybe its just the lack of reading comprehension. I'm surprised that only one commenter actually seems to have read the article and understood it. Not even the original writer seems to really understand what's what. My 3.5SE Altima could have a 1000 mile range if I increased the size of the tank to about 32 gallons. My mileage stays the same byt my range increases. That's all that is happening with the volt. the mileage and efficiency stays the same, the size if the gas tank just decreases. Just because you may now have to put in 6 gallons of gas once a week or so does not really change anything as far as the tech specs on the Volt are concerned.
Blah blah blah... regardless of range... where is it?!?!.. why is GM so far behind the rest of the industry... I bet there will be another delay in the release.
I personally think these are all just lame excuses that someone at GM came up with because they don't have the heart to say- we f-ed up and we don't know what we're doing.
But its GM, who is really surprised?
All I can say is we want a car that is ZERO omission. We are suppose to shy away from OIL not tied to the pump. I drive about 120 miles per day in my car and the average range for most of my friends who live in the burbs is around 85. If most Americans drive less than that what they considers a 40 mile then there would be no traffic jams around the US would there. I say check out greencar.com for cars you can buy today that are ZERO now.
A smaller gas tank is positively awesome. Any hyper-miler will tell you that they never fill up more than halfway, because gas is HEAVY.
If you're truly interested in high fuel economy, then a half-size gas tank is exactly what the doctor ordered. There is no reason one should carry around 75 extra pounds like that. I can barely drive 200 without a break; especially since there's no reason to not do so - stretch your legs, piss, and jump around to wake up.
On that note, I can't imagine the fatigue that results from driving an air-conditioned, sound-deadened, hybrid car with the windows up.
I get tired after about 150 miles, and I drive a gutted Integra with no power steering, A/C, sound deadening, carpet, etc. It doesn't even have an exhaust, and it's loud!
But yeah back on topic...this is an improvement, people, not a downgrade; it just might seem as such because it's CHEVY, and I sympathize with the haters in this regard.
Hyper-miler = Jason Statham as Frank Martin in 'the transporter'
:)
I think a smaller gas tank is better. Most people are going to run on all electric most of the time. So the Volt will have less weight to drag around most of the time. Having to stop at the gas station a few extra times is fine with me.
12 gallon tank and GM says 260 miles range. ZErr hang on I can do this math...nearly there...getting there... Right that's approximately 30 mpg.
What's so wonderful about that GM?
Actually if you read the article, you'll see that the fully charged range is 400 miles. Subtract 40 miles from battery charge and you get 360 miles.
360 miles / 8 gallons = 45 MPG
That's pretty good for something that's supposed to be full size, especially when you're ignoring the full potential of the vehicle, which is day to day driving back and forth to work, where in the majority of the cases it will not use any gas to power the generator at all.
Who doesn't want to drive back and forth to work and maybe over to the grocery store with only having to use fuel for 10 miles of your 50 mile round trip?
That 45 MPG quickly turns into 225 MPG.
If you're achieving that kind of mileage, you're 8 gallon tank will get you 1800 miles. Such a limited range...
When I get mine, I'll need to figure out how to re-wind the motor, and increase the drive voltage and current .. I want 300 HP!!!
When it comes to HP, too much is never enough
It's not my fault, I was a child of the muscle car generation, and 31 cent a gallon 100 octane gas :-)
Ha I doubt you'll pull 175 HP out of it, but 300 lb-ft of torque sounds like a reasonable goal - especially at 0 RPMs!
that looks very similar to the Scion Fuse concept from last year
http://www.diseno-art.com/images/Scion_Fuse.jpg
that looks very similar to the Scion Fuse concept from last year
http://www.diseno-art.com/images/Scion_Fuse.jpg
The range isn't limited, that's a misrepresentation. As long as there is a gas station you can keep right on going. You don't hear an internal combustion car advertising it's range.
I wish they'd kept the 600+ mile range because I think it made people excited to think they might only have to go to a gas station twice a year, but it's ok.
To all the GM bashers out there I'd say it's time to wake up. Not only didn't they kill the electric car, they're the largest developer of the EV. ACPropulsion, Tesla and most other start ups use technology GM developed. You can look at their own sites and bio's for the proof. AC Propulsion's starter was a GM employee working on the EV program.
They're responsible for the Variable Voltage AC motor, and a lot of the development for the battery controls. GM has spent more time and money than any other company.
The dropping of the EV-1 was a smart business move, the EV-1 wouldn't have sold in large enough numbers today if it was offered intact.
Once upon a time chevy had a fully electric car http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ev1 and they killed it and its fully 120 mile electric range, could have put a generator in that and it would have been the volt, and it was produced in 1996!
GM is a disappointing company, The volt started out as a great concept, 160 mpg would be great but i doubt we will see it, the company seems to think that 30mpg is awesome gas mileage from their Saturn line and their hybrids don't get much better economy than that.
We can only wait and see what this car turns out to be. The small companies are producing more and more promising ev's. I believe solar technology will become cheaper soon and every roof top will help us get away from fossil fuels.
Even if it is fully electric a large percent of electricity produced in the U.S. is from burning oil natural gas or coal....
It'll be 40 miles @ $40k and $60 miles @ $60k before we know it.
The solution to the "most bladders can't go 600 miles" problem couldn't be more obvious. But please dispose of your precious life fluids properly; highways ditches are already sufficiently littered with "pee bombs".
Yeah I can get about 350 in my 07 Civic...
But if this thing does what it says, I woudn't have used a drop of gas in the process... Which sounds pretty good to me.
I wish it was still around $30k... I'd start the financing all over again haha
That was supposed to be a response to Trent.
I tell you, for a gadget blog... you'd think they could do something about the comment system. I visit a few blogs and rarely see this problem anywhere else. Oh well...