Electric Cars? Think again if we really want this.(Another lib myth shattered)

[edzo4]

i believe the volt is also a hybrid with extra batteries, you can charge it drive 40 miles using no gas then the hybrid kicks in to generate more power

[Hans]

It will have a little internal combustion engine that
can recharge.

[DmBarch]

There is a small gasoline engine that provides power and can recharge the batteries. If an area truly has all the power knocked out, the gas station pumps won’t work either.

[Goldsborough]

The Volt uses a small gasoline engine to generate electricity for the battery system that powers the electrical drive, but it does not aid in propulsion. Assuming the design comes out as penciled, it will travel hundreds of miles on a smallish tank of gasoline.

[steve-b]

Gas station pumps don’t work without electricity. Six of one; half a dozen of the other.

[NavVet]

The Volt will go about 40 miles on electricity alone, before the gasoline generator kicks in for a total range of about 640 miles on one tank.

Tesla Roadster all electric has a range of over 200 miles. Yes a golf cart could be problematic in escaping from a hurricane, but the electric cars being developed are far from golf carts.

[taildragger]

The Volt is a "Series Hybrid"

It is esentially an all electric drivetrain. The engine runs at a constant RPM when it is on to send the juice to the battery. If you charge it and run it less than 40 miles, the engine doesn't kick in. The braking has a regenerative mode, so you capture the loss energy of braking.

Same concept as a locomotive but with a battery added.

[toast]

The Volt will have the best of both worlds.
Electric for the first 40-50 miles, with a generator run by gasoline after the battery runs low. I think it is still supposed to get 40mpg while running on gas.

[bestintxas]

the difference here is a single generator can run the gas pumps to fill up thousands of vehicles with gasoline.

Don’t think each car owner needs a generator.

[SECURE AMERICA]

Electric Cars are a joke for America.
I can just see several hundred of them spread all over Interstate 695 Baltimore to Washington at morning rush hour when a 50 mile drive takes 2 and 1/2 hours.

Or your electric car chugging along for all its worth on a major highway as a half dozen tractor trailers come barrreling down on your from behind at 85 mile per hour.

NO THANKS...........

[wolf78]

the difference here is a single generator can run the gas pumps to fill up thousands of vehicles with gasoline.

The "difference" is irrelevant in the case of the Volt, as it can run on gasoline only. It just saves the equivalent of $3 per gallon when using electricity.

Also, what does electric vs. IC have to do with "liberal" vs. "conservative"? GM is offering a product that saves a number of consumers money. What the h**l should be wrong with innovation and consumer choice? Markets are driven by having alternatives, otherwise we'd still drive Ford Pintos.

[Kirkwood]

“If an area truly has all the power knocked out, the gas station pumps won’t work either.”

Gas stations can run off generators using the very same gas in the tanks that they are pumping. Quite a few gas stations opened soon after Gustav and days before electric was turned back on. Many only accepted cash though since phone lines were down to take credit cards.

[steve-b]

Hooking up a portable generator to a gas pump? I think I’d take a step back... actually, I think I take a great many steps back....

[mysterio]

Sure, electric should be one of the choices. The more choices the merrier. I'd like to see multi-fueling option cars. Gas too expensive today? Plug it in! Or make a biodiesel/electric car. You'd have three choices of fuel.

Sounds better than the "I have to pay whatever gasoline costs" model.

[bigbob]

Even a portable generator would recharge an EV.

[Kirkwood]

If it can’t travel at least 300 miles before needing gas, then I would not want to use it during an evacuation.

[BfloGuy]

Not terribly convincing. If there’s no power, the gas pumps don’t work either.

[yazoo]

If the libs have their way we will all be driving Fred Flintsone cars.

[marron]

The electrics are coming, but they won’t be primary transportation until you can go 300 miles on a charge. If you can’t get from LA to Vegas without stopping, or Houston to Dallas, then forget it.