http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01...s-the-chevy-v/

Its a plug in with an onboard 3cyl 1L ICE, but the ICE isn't connected to a drive train, meaning it can only function as a generator.

40 miles on a charge, 640 miles on a charge + 10 gallon tank.

The FE is stated interestingly:
If you drive 40 miles or less per day, your effective FE is infinite (or, rather, needs to be measured in a non-gasoline unit, like miles/kWh).
If you drive 60 miles per day, your effective FE is 150 mpg.
If you drive 80 miles per day, your effective FE is 100 mpg.

 

Updated link:

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01...chevy-volt-ev/

 

It's a Serial Hybrid - not far off the mark from what we've got laid out on our drawing boards for our Diesel-Electric Hybrid using lead-acid deep cycle batteries along with ultra-capacitors. The LE Batteries will give way to LIon batteries when the budget allows.

I'm glad that it looks like the auto manufacturers are working in this direction!

Oh - did I mention I liked the design? THe seats don't look too comfortable but for commutes / short trips should be fine!

 

Not sure < 40 mpd would = infinite FE since you are consuming some form of fuel to generate the electricity. Probably coal or in some states Nuclear.

 

Wonder what the cost of pluging it into a 110 outlet for 6 to 7 hours would be?

 

Worst case I'll assume it will draw about 15 amps.

15 amps x 110 volts = 1650 watts or 1.65 kwh each hour.
1.65 kwh x 6 hours is approximately 10 kwh.

At about 9 cents per kwh it would cost about 90 cents to charge it up and run 40 miles. Realistically, it will not draw that much. An outlet should not draw more than 80% of it's rated amperage if it's a dedicated circuit. Therefore a 15 amp outlet should not draw more 12 amps. And if it's not dedicated it should not draw more than 1/2 it's rated amperage. If that's the case we'll assume it draws 7.5 amps and only costs about 45 cents for those 40 miles.

I may have missed something, but it appears to me that it will cost a lot less to run the car on electricity than gasoline.

 

Interesting....about a penny a mile. Even someone with a 100 mile round trip comute would run about one dollar a day. I can hear the price of gas dropping.....listen....do you hear it?

 

And while some will rightly note that the environmental impact fom producing the energy has simply been shifted to the residential electricity provider, I know that at least in my area we have multiple providers offering 100% renewable energy contracts. We've been all-renewable at home for some time, and while it costs a bit more, I consider it cheaper as its got a reduced set of externalized costs.

And given I pay ~5.5 cents/mile with the TCH for fuel, I'd gladly accept a car that cost half as much, or better, for fuel.

 

A car of this size would consume aprox. 320Wh/mile, according to some experts I have talked to.

40 mile driving range would mean 12.8kWh in total.

I don't know what it would cost in US, but here i Sweden that would be "12.8 kronor" which is aprox. the same as 2 dollar in total.

 

Those numbers are based on the cost of running on electricity, assuming a roundtrip of 40 miles or less. With a 100 mile round trip you'd be using the ICE to charge the batteries, and now paying for gasoline.