Electric car sticker shock awaits U.S. consumers (Government Motors is a farce)

Reuters ^ | August 16, 2009

[Zakeet]

As American consumers abandon gas-guzzling SUVs for greener alternatives, they also face a new kind of sticker shock -- confusing claims about the energy efficiency of electric cars heading for showrooms.

Federal fuel economy standards and household budgets have been built around relatively simple measurements of how many miles vehicles can travel per gallon of gasoline, a number that features on a sticker displayed in the windows of new cars in U.S. showrooms.

So what should those stickers show for new battery-powered cars that will draw most or all of their power from the country's electricity grid?

General Motors Co GM.UL brought urgent new attention to the issue last week when it said its upcoming Chevy Volt would get an unprecedented 230 miles per gallon in city driving.

But critics jumped on GM's claim for the Volt as an example of brash marketing and fuzzy math.

Even electric car boosters concede there is room for confusion.

"The sticker problem has not been solved yet," said Felix Kramer, head of California-based CalCars.org, a nonprofit advocacy group for plug-in electric vehicles.

[Snip]

The automaker emerged from its fast-track bankruptcy in July under the majority ownership of the U.S. Treasury. Although the Volt is expected to lose money for GM, it remains the centerpiece of the automaker's effort to reinvent itself for skeptical U.S. consumers.

[Zakeet]

Government Motors New Management in Action: We don't know how long the Volt will work, we don't know if the car will even work, we don't know how well the Volt will perform on mileage tests, we don't even know how to measure gasoline mileage for an electric car, we don't know how much the Volt will cost to build, we don't know how much the car will sell for, we expect to lose money on every one of these contraptions we make -- but you can rest assured that we are confident the Volt will be such a commercial success that it will easily pay back all taxpayer bailout funds.

Furthermore: Our outstanding experience running Government Motors proves we are qualified to manage your healthcare.

[bigbob]

Electric cars are the four-wheeled equivalent of Algores mansion, and backed by the same kind of hypocrisy.

[pnh102]

Too bad the phrase “Found On Road Dead” didn’t originate with GM. Because that will sum up the Volt to a T.

[Berlin_Freeper]

The ones that jump early always get burned.

[Oldpuppymax]

NO PROBLEM!! Bawney Fwanks banks will be forced to provide the financing, so no one will have to PAY for the cars anyway!

[exbrit]

HA!! Until an electric car can tow my 4 horse trailer I think I’ll keep my “gas guzzler”

[Brilliant]

Doesn’t the fact that it costs so much tend to show that any savings on fuel is offset by the energy required to make it?

[FlingWingFlyer]

Okay, 230 mpg. Big deal. Where is the sticker saying what your utilities bill (Pre and post Cap'n Tax Bill passage) is going to be? The misnamed Volt should be called the Jolt.

No thanks! I'll stick with my "clunker".

[2ndDivisionVet]

I’ll bet you start seeing people plugging their electric cars in at closed businesses, vacant houses, empty churches and other places to get “free” electricity, rather than at their own home or workplace. This will cause a security nightmare for millions of places. Doesn’t this Chevrolet Volt charge in about half an hour?

[RavenATB]

Morons! Your bus is leaving...

[krb]

Although the Volt is expected to lose money for GM, it remains the centerpiece of the automaker's effort to reinvent itself for skeptical U.S. consumers

Well, I guess I hope they succeed!

[FlingWingFlyer]

...remains the centerpiece of the automaker's effort to reinvent itself...

Kind of like Obama's "centerpiece", ObamaCare and Cap'n Tax. I just made the final payment on my Ford. My next car will be a Ford also as long as you don't have to plug it in.

[listenhillary]

Not at 110 volts which is what you would find on outside outlets.

[niteowl77]

Where is the sticker saying what your utilities bill (Pre and post Cap'n Tax Bill passage) is going to be?

There will be no utility bill: you just plug the car into the government electrical receptacle in front of your government parking area at your government housing project (as of this weekend, Barney and Barry want you renting). The onboard government chip will make sure a fair amount is deducted from your government allowance.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Lots of vacant homes and businesses would have 220 on the premises, right? If they're already stealing copper wire, A/C units and whatever else, it's not a far stretch to taking “free” electricity, is it?

[FastCoyote]

230 miles per gallon makes no sense. A normal 4 cycle gas engine is 25% to 35% efficient (depending on tranmission). A good coal fired electrical plant gets close to 50% effeciency. That means, without regenerative breaking, maybe you’d expect 50 mpg equivalent from the hydrocarbon used. Say double that with regerative breaking and maybe you are close to 100mpg (I’ll believe it when I see it).

How the hell do they claim 230 mpg? Unless they totally omit the hydrocarbon equivalent gallons from running the electrical utility.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Well said and I bet you’re right.

[fanfan]

The ones that jump early always get burned.

Remember Beta and 8-Track? LOL.

[MamaDearest]

“Found On Road Dead”

We learned it was "Fix or Repair Daily.

Car acronyms