Posted on 12/09/2011 9:50:04 AM PST by jazusamo
Working link:
http://nlpc.org/stories/2011/12/09/chevy-volt-uses-no-gas-%E2%80%93-unless-it%E2%80%99s-cold-out
As a man who had delt with big storage batteries and high voltage DC for a long time, this is the most (logical) thing I’ve learned about the Volt, maybe the only ligical thing I’ve learned.
Anyone with a modicum of common sense knew there would be major issues with this already flawed car in cold weather.
Hot weather too, running the heat or AC off the battery is going to seriously impact the already limited battery life.
Its true that in the "good old days" vehicle A/C was pretty much nonexistent (except for high-end models), and everyone did fine just opening the windows. But over the years its come to be almost a given that consumers will want some measure of comfort for driving in hot weather. If the vehicle doesn't deliver on that count, I'd imagine some customers will be less inclined to consider it.
What a complete piece of crap!
As an engineer, I feel sorry for the GM engineers that were stuck compromising their integrity having to work on this project. Probably won’t be on any of their resumes.
I don’t think most people really did fine w/o AC, they just did.
Yep, AC will be a drain on the battery which will mean the gas engine runs more.
Ah, well. There goes my North Dakota Volt dealership hopes............../s
The Volt and the Leaf simply cost-shift energy input from the gas pump to the local utility plant. It make no sense, but it makes the weak feel better, and really THAT’s what they're buying.
The Pruis gets what? 43 miles to the gallon? How many other vehicles built years (decades) ago got at least that kind of mileage? I know in 1988 I bought a Ford Festiva. That vehicle got 44 mpgs, equal or better than today's Pruis at 1/3 of the investment.
Even Toyota admitted that the Pruis made no real sense from an economic or cost standpoint, but because the Pruis had such an appeal to the weak emotional types that it was worth producing for them.
Except in very limited applications, battery operated vehicles make almost no sense. But we are a society that is now driven by emotions and not by rational thought. It's all about facilitating and keeping up the illusions of the left.
Why not just run the gas engine all the time, and store the extra energy in the batteries?
That would also save on 'recharging' time (and cost).
I totally agree, they are not practical from a cost standpoint, they’re a feel good thing for enviros.
I accidentally stepped on one the other day ;-0
Skrew the electric vehicles—PERIOD!!!!!
‘Twere BigBromoFo not involved at all, I might very well be of a somewhat different opinion, and American ingenuity would triumph on this too!
Way back around ‘62 or so, they began sticking their noses in our business by requiring a little PCV device in the line to carburetors. I didn’t like that, but everybody said it was no problem, only cost about 50 cents, and you could easily stick it in the line yourself, w/o assistance of a technician. Before this, they had started requiring seatbelts, padded dashes, etc.
Now I deeply resent all the pollution/electronic/environmental bs required, and the engine, etc. itself is designed around the requirements themselves and not for the best results and performance of the vehicle itself.
How nutso is that!
In addition, there is all the bs additional bells, buzzers, and whistles warning of this or that, the doors locking you in as you leave your driveway, etc.
Imagine, if you can, what great vehicles, the great gas mileage, we could have if we were free from bigbro’s requirements—but we are not, and I don’t even feel better bidging bout it anymore.
Mosta ya are too young to remember when we even thought we were free!
Semper Watching!
*****
Oh, its worse than that. The extra energy cost to make the "green" power systems in the first place is more than a typical gasoline engine will use in its lifetime.
I’ve been thinking the same thing. After enough of these silly alternative energy and EV projects fail and fail big, how many engineers will start to consider such projects to be career suicide missions?
The net:net I could see coming out of this is that the competent engineers give the entire market/field a wide berth and we end up with no forward progress in areas where we should be making gains.
To be filed in the same filing cabinet as:
"She is only a little pregnant."
"It was a minor amputation."
"Hope and Change."
“Hot weather too...”
The owner manual actually states that you should not park it in direct sunlight during the summer, unless it is plugged in.
This means that the batteries need air conditioning (which last tme I checked takes energy), even when the car is parked.
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