The Chevy Volt

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If Obamacare is constitutional, then what is to stop Government penalizing you for not buying the Chevy Volt? People are not buying that particular car because quite frankly it is a piece of junk, but you are arguing that Government can come in and fine people for not buying a car they don't want.

It is penalizing someone for not participating in commerce.
What next we are all required to buy the Chevy Volt?

Too expensive. If they ever get prices down close to $20,0000 maybe; but 33,500 after a 7,500 tax break is just too much, for anyone that currently can't afford gasoline prices.

The Nissan Leaf is supposed to be around 25,000 after the tax credit. So their making progress. The volt looks like every other sedan, but this one is definitely unique. It's weird, I kind of like it and I kind of hate the way it looks. Not much car though for 25K.

If gas prices go above $6 or $7 a gallon, people might start giving the lease for around $350 per month a second look.

Until then I don't see it actually helping many people that can't afford the price of gas.

It is a mystery to me how running a car off batteries - even today's batteries - instead of petroleum byproducts

When it is probably still using and leaking petroleum byproducts for various lubrication purposes.

And when in 99% of all cases the thing will need to be charged by plugging into the grid even with access to today's solar and wind resources,

Which grid UNLESS we relent on nuclear which has its own problems and is just as fossil though different

Will be consuming petroleum byproducts OR fossil and dusky coal OR modern vegetable byproducts which while in theory renewable up to a point come with theier own costs

is going to save us from consuming fossil resources and emitting carbon.

Of did I miss the part where we learn to tap into the Universal Energy [which has been done by the Saucer Folk which is why the galaxuy is getting clogged with Dark Matter which has already affected the Entropic Constant and interferes with Healing Mind Contact.

This can only mean one thing: that Inuyasha's favourite commentators have been bashing the Chevy Volt, most likely using the same terms.

Sure enough, a Google search of either Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck plus Chevy Volt reveals that both (especially the knucklle-headed Limbaugh) have been unleashing horrible tirades against the car.

So, does anyone have any opinion about this car, other than "Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck say it is bad, and all I know how to do is parrot what they have to say about everything, no matter how absurd?"

The Chevrolet Volt represents a voyage into uncharted waters for both General Motors and automakers in general. A so-called plug-in hybrid, the front-wheel-drive Volt is a four-door, four-seat hatchback that's motivated primarily by a 149-horsepower electric motor.

The motor is coupled to two power sources -- an advanced lithium-ion battery pack and a four-cylinder internal-combustion engine. According to Chevrolet, the former is good for up to 35 miles by itself, while the latter can extend the car's range by as much as 340 miles. You charge the battery pack from either a regular wall outlet or a specialized charger when the car is parked, and you refill the engine's fuel tank as necessary.

So what's the big deal? Well, Chevrolet is the first automaker to try this formula in a mass-market car. The advantages are clear -- the Volt uses no gasoline on short trips and is frugal with the stuff (up to an estimated 37 mpg) when the battery pack runs out of juice and the engine comes on line.

Time will tell whether consumers can swallow the Chevy Volt's $40,000-plus price tag, though current government incentives knock that down by about $7,000. There are also other green-oriented alternatives, from standard hybrids to Nissan's new, all-electric Leaf to Toyota's upcoming plug-in Prius. But we can be sure of one thing -- this plug-in Chevy is a milestone in the march toward a more efficient automotive future.

Current Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt debuted for the 2011 model year. A plug-in hybrid, it utilizes two electric motors -- the first is rated at 149 hp (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque and the second is a 72 hp (54 kW) unit that can provide propulsion or act as a generator via the gasoline engine. A 16kW-hour lithium-ion battery pack supplies electrical power to the motors until its charge is about 60 percent depleted (that's good for about 25-40 miles of electric-only driving). At that point, the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine, which runs on gasoline, comes to life to maintain the battery's state of charge and provide mechanical propulsion assistance. Drive force is sent to the front wheels through a specialized planetary gearset.

Standard feature highlights include a fixed glass sunroof, a full complement of airbags, stability control, keyless ignition/entry, OnStar automatic climate control, a split-folding rear seatback, Bluetooth, a voice-activated navigation system and a Bose six-speaker sound system. Leather upholstery and heated front seats are optional. A Volt owner can monitor the car's status and set charging times through an online Web portal or a mobile phone app.

In our reviews, we've found that the Chevrolet Volt has satisfying zip at low speeds thanks to its electric motor, which offers abundant torque. The overall driving experience is a bit bland, as one would expect from a car designed to maximize energy efficiency. But the Volt certainly isn't a laggard, and overall performance is similar to what you'd get from a normal four-cylinder-equipped family sedan. As with other hybrids, the brakes are regenerative to help charge the battery, but pedal feel is quite normal. Around town and on the highway, the Volt is exceptionally quiet.

Inside, the Chevy Volt features a unique dashboard layout that's part spaceship, part iPod -- and pretty darn cool. There's a high-tech gauge readout behind the steering wheel and a swoopy center stack that looks like an oversized high-end electronic device. The rear seat is adequate for two adults, but there's no middle seat thanks to the T-shaped battery pack, which occupies this slot as well as part of the trunk. Cargo capacity is limited due to the Volt's rakish roof line and that hefty battery pack, though the rear seatbacks do fold down.

What Edmunds Says

The 2011 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is arguably the most fuel-efficient car on the market, but it's pricey for what you get.

Pros
Low monthly fuel cost in normal driving; useful 300-mile maximum range; appealing standard features; high-tech cabin.

Cons
Questionable value; small backseat for two people only; touchy brakes; no power front seats; home charger is a necessity.

What's New for 2011

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is Chevy's much-anticipated new plug-in battery/gasoline hybrid, featuring an electric-only mode with a range of up to 40 miles.

Introduction

So what exactly is the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? It's a question we get all the time. A confusing array of claims and rumors have been swirling around this car since it debuted as a concept a few years back, so we're not surprised that people aren't clear on what the Volt is all about.

Here's the long and short of it: The Volt is a four-seat, four-door "series-parallel plug-in hybrid" hatchback with a lithium-ion battery pack that can power the car's 149-horsepower (111-kilowatt) electric motor by itself for an estimated 40 miles in the city. After that, the gasoline-powered inline-4 engine primarily supplies electricity to the motor for as many as 300 additional miles. All told, the Volt is the most advanced hybrid to date and quite possibly the most fuel-efficient car you will be able to buy.

We say "quite possibly" because you can't measure the Volt's fuel economy in any standard fashion. It all depends on how you drive. Suppose you have a 20-mile round-trip commute, and you plug in your Volt every night when you get home (a full charge requires as few as 3 hours). Congratulations! Your fuel economy is infinity, because you'll never run the battery pack down all the way. But if you have a 100-mile commute, you'll be driving at least 60 miles a day under gasoline power, so you'll have to refuel on a regular basis. And in an Edmunds fuel economy test of a Volt with its battery depleted, the car returned only 31.4 mpg in mixed driving. That's far below the typical fuel economy provided by regular hybrid vehicles.

Obviously, how far you routinely drive will play a key role in how thrifty the Volt will be. We think most potential owners will be able to take advantage of its electric range. And electricity costs for recharging are but a fraction for the equivalent amount of gasoline. What's not clear is whether those savings are worth what you'll have to pay at the dealership. Even with a $7,500 federal tax credit, a base Volt will still cost $33,500 -- and that's without the home charging station that's essentially mandatory for a plug-in hybrid like the Volt. There's also a strong likelihood that dealers will try to gouge early customers with sky-high markups.

Still, there is no denying the Volt's technological promise. Most importantly, it has the ability to keep on going when its battery runs down (say, on a road trip), whereas an all-electric vehicle like Nissan's Leaf does not. If you want an intriguing yet practical taste of a greener automotive future, the 2011 Chevy Volt might be just what the General ordered.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is a midsize five-door hatchback sedan with seating for four.

Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, keyless ignition, remote ignition, automatic climate control, cruise control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, six-way manual front seats, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cloth upholstery, Bluetooth, OnStar, a navigation system with touchscreen, voice controls and real-time traffic, and a six-speaker Bose stereo with CD/DVD player, auxiliary audio jack, iPod/USB interface and 30GB of digital music storage.

The Premium Trim package adds leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats. The Rear Camera and Park Assist package adds a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Powertrains and Performance

The front-wheel-drive 2011 Volt is primarily powered by an electric motor rated at 149 hp (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque. This motor draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted. At that point, the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine, which requires premium fuel, comes to life as a replacement power source for the electric motor. Under certain higher-speed conditions, the four-cylinder can also help power the wheels directly.

The battery can only be completely recharged through either a 120- or 240-volt outlet, but regenerative braking and the engine generator can replenish it slightly. In Edmunds range and fuel economy testing, we found the Volt had an electricity range of between 30 and 39 miles in mixed driving. When the battery is depleted, it returned 31.4 mpg. However, the term "your mileage may vary" has never been so true.

In Edmunds performance testing, the Volt went from zero to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds in electric mode and 9 seconds flat with the engine generator. Both are fairly quick times for the traditional hybrid segment.

Safety

Safety features on the 2011 Chevy Volt include antilock brakes, stability control, front side airbags, front knee airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the Volt came to a stop in a respectable 124 feet.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt's distinctive center stack appears to have been modeled after various personal electronic devices with touch-sensitive buttons. It looks less like an automotive control panel than an oversized iPod, which we applaud; after all, if you're spending this much money on a vehicle, you'll likely expect a little something special inside. Overall interior quality is also high, with materials that seem to be the best yet from recently improved Chevrolet.

There's plenty of technology involved, too, including a standard color display with a built-in hard drive. In terms of functionality, the Volt's main controls are fairly intuitive, and the futuristic gauge readout is easy enough to read at a glance (though it washes out in sunlight). There's also a nice little ball -- sort of like the bubble in a water level -- that helps you stay in the most energy-efficient driving range. It's big and green when you are conserving fuel or battery energy and smaller and angry orange-yellow when you're not.

Space and comfort is a little disappointing. There is no power driver seat option, which limits adjustability and seems like an oversight in a car that costs $41,000. In back, there are just two seats, and they lack both headroom and legroom; adults will likely feel cramped.

The Volt's hatchback design is convenient for loading cargo, but the swooping rear roof line and battery pack location limit maximum luggage capacity to just 10.6 cubic feet with the back seats up. The rear seats fold down to expand cargo capacity, but overall practicality is below that of a Prius.

Driving Impressions

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt accelerates quickly from a standstill and is very responsive at moderate speeds as well; it's the kind of performance that's typical of electric vehicles.

In all-electric mode, the Volt is as quiet and smooth as any EV we've driven -- and it's still a competent vehicle when the engine-generator kicks in. The change-over from battery charge to generator power can be difficult to notice, though once you inevitably do, it may take a while to get used to the engine revving regardless of engine speed.

The Chevy Volt feels slightly nose-heavy when you bend it around a corner, but it makes its moves with little body roll. Indeed, from the compliance of its ride quality to the weight and response of the steering, this Chevy Volt drives more naturally and feels more substantial than hybrids like the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. One problem area is the brake pedal. It is quite touchy and can be difficult to modulate, though stopping distances are good.

Okay, maybe we should just get out of the car business and let the Japanese take over completely.

The weakness of electric cars at this juncture is the battery. The Energy/Weight ratio of current batteries is way too low. When batteries or other means of storing energy aboard the auto is improved the range of driving will increase and the price will come down and more people will buy them.

One possibility of energy storage is the flywheel. Not the big iron kind by flywheels made from carbon composites. Very strong, very light and capable of being spun up to very high r.p.m. say 10,000 rpm. Such devices can produce electricity to run the auto's motors.

Hydrogen fuel cells are another possibility, but the price has to come way down. Fuel cells have been successfully used in manned space craft. They were used during the Apollo Program.

In any case, the current storage battery technology is insufficient and that is one reason why electric cars are going nowhere fast.

ruveyn

Think again. The Japanese incrementally improve and package systems invented outside of Japan. The Japanese have not provided the breakthrough in energy storage that is required to get rid of gasoline and diesel powered vehicles.

What is likely is that the Tesla company (a startup) will make the break through and the Japanese will buy them out.

ruveyn

I don't really see the range being that big of an issue to Americans buying it. Most people don't even drive 40 miles a day, so the 100mile range meets most consumers daily needs.

I don't think Hydrogen is a good route - though I need to read more on it - because It is not a renewable resource. There are plans in India to make hydrogen as cheap as a dollar a gallon, much like their plans to make air-travel as cheap as 1 rupee. Only 3% of of the water on this planet is freshwater, and an even smaller percentage of that is drinkable, so I hopefully they figure out a way to source hydrogen sustainably. It also uses up a lot of energy just to create energy so that's also to consider.

Several times already, Inuyasha has expressed a disdainful attitude towards the Chevy Volt.

For example:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/posts158790-start45.html


and

http://cdn.wrongplanet.net/postt155303.html


This can only mean one thing: that Inuyasha's favourite commentators have been bashing the Chevy Volt, most likely using the same terms.

Sure enough, a Google search of either Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck plus Chevy Volt reveals that both (especially the knucklle-headed Limbaugh) have been unleashing horrible tirades against the car.

So, does anyone have any opinion about this car, other than "Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck say it is bad, and all I know how to do is parrot what they have to say about everything, no matter how absurd?"