<VV> Chevy Volt

[Alan and Clare Wesson]

It's a plug-in electric, so when the battery runs down it can run on 
gasoline (no pollution or CO2 advantage at all when it's doing that then). I 
don't have a problem with its range on electricity - I accept that a large 
proportion of journeys are under 40 miles.

What I have a problem with is how the electricity is generated - it's a 
completely pointless exercise unless you get your electricity generation 
sorted out first (like the French have).

The point I was making was that, in the USA, plug-in electricity is just as 
(if not more so) a polluting power source as gasoline, because of the way 
the electricity is generated.

So all the Volt (and other electric cars, whether or not they can also run 
on gasoline or diesel) do, when they are running on electricity, is move the 
CO2 output to the source of the power generation rather than the location of 
the vehicle.

That's all.

Cheers

Alan



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Thesuperscribe at cs.com>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Chevy Volt


> Guys, the Chevy Volt is NOT a pure electric car, it's a gasoline-electric
> car. So its range is far greater than 40 miles. Below is a description of 
> the
> Volt's powertrain from the GM Media site.
>
> --Tom Berg in Ohio
>
> New era in automotive transportation
>       The Chevrolet Volt is leading a new era of electrification of the
> automobile by creating a new class of vehicle known as the Extended-Range 
> Electric
> Vehicle, or E-REV. The Volt uses electricity to move the wheels at all 
> times
> and speeds. For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt is powered only by 
> electricity
> stored in its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. When the battery's energy is
> depleted, a gasoline/E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides 
> electricity to
> power the Volt's electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the
> charge of the battery.
>       This mode of operation extends the range of the Volt for several
> hundred additional miles, until the vehicle's battery can be charged. 
> Unlike a
> conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Volt eliminates "range 
> anxiety," giving
> the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a
> depleted battery.
>       The Chevrolet Volt can be plugged either into a standard household
> 120v outlet or use 240v for charging. The vehicle's intelligent charging
> technology enables the Volt's battery to be charged in less than three 
> hours on a 240v
> outlet or about eight hours on a 120v outlet. Charge times are reduced if 
> the
> battery has not been fully depleted.
>       At a cost of about 80 cents per day (10 cents per kWh) for a full
> charge that will deliver up to 40 miles of electric driving, GM estimates 
> that the
> Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a cup of your
> favorite coffee. Charging the Volt about once daily will consume less 
> electric energy
> annually than the average home's refrigerator and freezer units.
>
> ***
>
> In a message dated 9/24/2008 11:04:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:11:15 -0400
>> From: Dale Dewald <dkdewald at pasty.net>
>>
>>
>> >Given the above and the power losses inherent in electric cars compared
>> with
>> >IC powered ones, how exactly is the Chevy Volt an improvement in
>> >CO2-generation terms over a Seat Arosa diesel or a VW Lupo diesel (both 
>> >now
>> >sadly discontinued)...
>>
>> A very good point.
>>
>> The Chevy Volt will have a range of about 40 miles.  Nuts!!  This is only
>> about double the range (though with greater comfort) than an electric car
>> built 100 years ago.  Until there is a big breakthrough in electrical
>> energy storage (think ultracapacitor), liquid hydrocarbons are going to 
>> be
>> the most efficient and reliable source of transportation energy.  ...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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