AT LAST!!!!
There are a few 'rough edges' but the architecture is solid! Although it is not announcing a product on the showroom floor (it could be a 'feel good' release,) it reads like the Precept updated to reflect updated technologies only six years late. Still, it sounds better than what is on the showroom floor today.
This is not meant as a criticism as much as some of the rough edges of a press release essay that can be easily fixed if the vehicle is on the showroom floor:
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Originally Posted by GM_press_release
. . . When the battery is depleted, a 1L, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at a constant speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to create electricity and replenish the battery. . . .
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The Precept press release in 2001 described a turbo-diesel and I would have expected a computer controlled diesel to have resolved any latent problems. Also, driving to battery depletion may not be the best answer for battery life. I could see a system that 'learns' a common route and begins running the engine as needed to maximize battery life. Still, better late than never.
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Originally Posted by GM_press_release
. . . designed to run on E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Using E85, fuel economy of 150 mpg would translate into more than 525 miles per petroleum gallon. . . .
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From a total energy standpoint, I don't buy this claim until we see cellulose or other liquid fuel sources coming online. It is a fraud to claim there is only a petroleum shortage but it is a start.
This architectural change is really revolutionary and long over due:
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Originally Posted by GM_press_release
. . . The Volt is the first vehicle designed around GM's E-flex System. . . .
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This could be the first step to reducing 'planned obsolescense'. If it ain't broke, don't fix it but do fix the broken parts with an upgrade. We keep throwing out the majority of a vehicle because a smaller fraction needs replacement.
The challenge is to get these cars on the showroom floor and
NOT FOR LEASE and
NOT JUST A PRESS RELEASE and
NOT JUST DRIVING AROUND WASHINGTON DC. The EV1 taught a valuable lesson about 'leasing.' As for press releases, they are as believable as GM's past commitments to clean air (hydrogen fuel cell demos driving in DC) and energy efficiency (Chevette.) It will take product on show room floor before I'll believe it is much more than a 'feel good' essay. But it does read nice.
Bob Wilson
ps. Is this the first Democratic Congress change? At last we are seeing sensible engineering in GM press releases?