[The Great RJ]

Basically the difference between the Volt and any of the hybrid vehicles is that is is initially charged by plugging it in overnight.

My wife's hybrid Mercury Mariner goes about 20 miles on level roads mostly on battery power especially in stop and go driving. However, battery power drops off sharply in cold weather ...about a 20% reduction in gas mileage at temperatures below 35 degrees. I would assume the Volt will have the same problem.

My question is what type of electrical hook up will consumers have to provide for this recharging? If the Volt is parked in a public garage then what? How long can the vehicle sit uncharged before becoming undrivable?

I hardly see the Volt as being a big seller.

[thackney]

As long as you put gasoline in the tank, you need never plug it in.

Of course you would be inefficient, but not stranded.

[rom]

Make no mistake, this is an awesome car.

Two drawbacks:
* Government Motors (sigh)
* $40k price tag would buy LOTS of gas.

You can recharge it via any household plug(!). I was seriously thinking of getting one before the government bailout.

I could go to work and back without a single drop of gas! I wanted to have our parking lot at work have a couple of plugs where you could (for maybe $1) charge your car for the 8 hours you are at work. It’d be sweet.

I think it came out to about $0.40 (40 cents for those in Rio Linda) to recharge the batteries according to GM. For $1.00 a day I could drive to and from work. That’d be $20 a month!

I’d spend about $40 a week in gas right now.

But that $40k price tag? I could buy a whole lot of gas for that. If the price hit $29k I’d start to get interested. No sooner.

But this is one very sweet drivetrain. Serial hybrids like this one are the way to go.

[ltc8k6]

The Volt is driveable with a discharged battery. If the engine is running, then the battery is dead and it will stay dead until you plug it in.

Remember, the onboard gen will not recharge the battery pack above the 30% design level. Only plugging it in will recharge the battery to it’s “full” 80% design level.

If you went on a 640 mile trip in the Volt, the last 600 miles would be with a fully discharged battery pack.

[BP2]

I hardly see the Volt as being a big seller.

They aren't building more of these because of cost and environmental
concerns

What's going to happen when MORE people turn to the ELECTRON to
power their car?

... Supply and Demand ...

The cost per kWh will go up, as will EVERYONE'S electric bill:

BUT, it makes the buyer FEEL GOOD that he's helping the environment ... yeah, right...