Posted on 02/22/2019 8:10:01 PM PST by Olog-hai
As their company was swirling around the financial drain in the early 2000s, General Motors executives came up with an idea to counter its gas-guzzling image and point the way to transportation of the future: an electric car with a gas-engine backup that could travel anywhere. […]
… On Tuesday, the last (Chevrolet) Volt was built with little ceremony at a Detroit factory that’s now slated to close. Sales averaged less than 20,000 per year, not enough to sustain the costly undertaking.
The Volt wasn’t the first electric car, but it was the first to conquer anxiety over range at a reasonable cost. GM’s limited-range EV1 came out in the 1990s, and Tesla put out its 200-plus-mile Roadster in 2008 for more than $100,000.
The Volt was among the first plug-in hybrids, many of which can go only 20 or so miles on electricity and haven’t gained much popularity among consumers. …
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I guess Obama didn’t buy a fleet for his faily.
I understand completely. The technology isn’t there yet. It will be someday...
Well there are some good observations to be taken from the steam age. Those beasts were tough. And they did work.
I’m still unconvinced the complexity of computer controlled cars are worth it. In fact I think the whole intent they use in designing them are in our face insane. Reliability of computers controlling an engine is not that good.
In my books, simple works.
But nobody builds by that today.
...and drive it only when it’s 72 degrees outside.
Last summer we visited family near Palm Springs. I witnessed a very amusing sight of one of those $100,000 Tesla’s driving in 120 degree weather with ALL THE WINDOWS down. I finally realized that they did not have enough ‘energy’ and could not turn on the air conditioning and make it home. I laughed all the way to the gas station (air conditioning on full blast) where I filled up my gas tank with renewable energy (it renews to 100% every time I fill up the tank). L u
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