Posted on 10/24/2010 7:31:35 AM PDT by 6SJ7
When I embarked on the Volt press launch, I made a public promise to keep my impressions of the car itself separate from concerns about its overall viability. My review of the Volt is coming on Monday, but a new issue is already raising its head to confront GM’s extended-range electric car. The Volt’s home charger costs $490 on top of the Volt’s $41,000 (pre-tax credit) price, and costs another $1,500 to install. But, according to BNet’s Jim Motavelli, money isn’t the only obstacle to obtaining the home charger that’s necessary to tap the Volt’s 40 miles of electric range. EV advocate and Volt Customer Advisory Board member Chelsea Sexton, of “Who Killed The Electric Car? fame, is one of the first Americans to live with the Volt, and despite enjoying the backing of GM, she’s run into a problem that she and other EV advocates worry will blunt enthusiasm for home-charged EVs like the Volt: she needs a “time of use” meter.
Motavelli explains the conundrum
California puts its electricity users in pricing categories based on their usage patterns. Since Sexton uses a stunningly low amount of electricity, shes on the lowest tier. But the addition of the Volt would push her into a higher bracket, making it likely that EV charging would be more expensive than putting gas in my Saturn. With the time-of-use meter, the EV is billed separately and doesnt count as part of her home use.
But Californias public utilities commission requires all of its customers electric meters to be grouped together, and that meant running a one-inch thick metal conduit along the face of her building. The other option is to punch through three neighbors walls. I can just see the homeowners association going for that, she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at thetruthaboutcars.com ...
why not just make the thing compressed gas vehicle CGV? what a bunch of idiots with GM and the government. It is like buying a 24V lithium battery charged weed whacker for 149.99. in the small print you must buy the charger for additional 149.99 and the battery for an additional 249.99. What a savings? Sounds like the math at Harvard 2 +2 = 560.
1890 Morrison-Electric - Seating like mini-van RANGE 100 MILES...
Anyways, we have a friggin' thruway with plenty of adjacent lands along the way.
If they're not going to use the thruway right of way lands, then let them build another Nuclear Power Plant.
I think the real object is to make all the Great Lake AND ALL the windmills "Federal"...so we get taxed by the Feds for maintenance and by the states for use.
They cost $250k each to build in 1996. Solely to charge the GM EV1 for free.
I have never seen a single car use the one at Topanga Beach and I was there nearly ever day for from 1996 thru 2000 when they were on the road.
Now here is the hitch I couldn't plug my golf cart or a Corbin Sparrow into these stations as the plug was GM EVI only.
Wonder how much juice this thing sucks up when charging?
Actually, there will be an alternative energy support tax on everyone's bill that will be used to further subsidize electric vehicles, a traditional fuel assessment tax to penalize those who aren't using electric power for recharging an EV and then the highway fed/state/local taxes on electricity that is used to charge an EV.
“I can’t stand sloppy reporting. There is no such thing. I’m guessing they meant “one inch diameter” conduit. (Which is actually 1.315” if they require rigid. ) “
Well, at least give her credit for using the word “conduit” instead of pipe!
“About 1/2 of he electric power in the US comes from coal, so an electric powered car runs on coal.”
Yep, and all of us here need to be prepared to tweak anyone we know who buys an “electric” by asking them why they chose to buy a coal powered car: “Oh, I see you bought a coal powered car!”
“Although Im betting this means a LOT of Volt customers are NEVER going to use their car as electrics, and it just becomes a very expensive and less-efficient hybrid car.”
Yeah, they’ll probably just park them and leave the engine running to charge the batteries! You know, I bet that will actually happen. A lot.
1. Don't buy the car.
2. Buy the car and move.
3. Live in the car and plug it into an outlet at the EPA Building.
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