Chevrolet Extended Warranty
Don't Get Too Excited About The New Chevy Volt
Chevrolet, a subsidiary of Government Motors, is seeking a lot of press time to hype its upcoming foray into the electric car business. The whole thing is going to be a disaster and will just be another footnote in the long list of bad decisions made by GM.
The Chevrolet Volt has been in development for several years now and the company's brass has promised the finished car by 2010 (or 2011 or 2012 or 2013). It began as a purely electric concept vehicle but has now evolved into a "plug-in hybrid." It's not a bad looking car at all but it makes no real practical sense to own one. It is estimated to cost around $40, 000 and get 230 miles-per-gallon. While that first number is a shocker, the second number is ridiculous. It is based on a new EPA computation for fuel economy as it relates to the Extended Range Electric Vehicle class of new cars. It takes into account the fact that the Volt is mainly a plug-in electric car but it also has a small gasoline piston engine that can automatically start and run a generator to help recharge the battery pack if the electric range of 40 miles is exceeded. That's correct.....a whopping 40 mile range! Chevy claims that 75% of people drive about 30 miles per day so those owners making those trips would naturally not burn any gasoline. People taking longer trips would use the gasoline engine to extend the vehicle's range to approximately 400 miles (limited only by the small gas tank onboard). Nice idea and the tree-huggers out there are all up in arms about how this car is going to be a "game changer." However, it's all just an illusion. In the beginning of automotive history, electric cars started to be produced about the same time as gasoline cars in the early 1900's. There was even a time period where it seemed that the electric car would win the design battle. The electrics were quiet, actually a bit faster, and were dependable. But they were heavy and had limited range. On the contrary, gasoline cars were noisy, smoky, and owners had to nearly always drive with a mechanic onboard to make the constant repairs. But as technology moved forward, the gas cars became more dependable and easier to drive so they won out and electric cars went the way of the Betamax. Now, 100 years later, we are still facing the same fundamental problems with the new electric cars as they faced back then - mainly the issue of range. Cost, weight, and safety are also very real concerns but the range issue is in the forefront. So, Chevy is now asking us to get excited about paying $800 a month for a car that can only go 40 miles on a charge. That 40-mile range will be dramatically reduced by adding additional passengers, using accessories like the air-conditioner, and using headlights, etc. Let's assume that the real-world range gets chopped down to 20 miles, at which point you would have to plug in somewhere if you want to remain at zero emissions. The Volt will use Lithium Ion batteries which are like the ones in your laptop and your cell phone. We all know what can happen to an over-heated Lithium Ion battery and the ensuing fire. Even iPhones are still having issues with their Lith-Ion batteries. This concern is still real and Toyota (with its Prius) has decided to stick with Nickel-Metal Hydride battery packs rather than the Lith-Ion to avoid the concern. When President Clinton gave the battery industry a big check to find us a new battery, they struck out. The physics and chemistry just hadn't arrived yet. Even now that President Obama is sending $2.4B out to find that magic new battery, I wouldn't hold my breath. By John Kelly - I am a retired automotive technician / instructor who now works as a computer geek and lives on the beach. I have vast experience with automobiles, boats, computers, sunburns, and travel.Next page: Cadillac Extended Warranty
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