http://us.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/01/07/d...ept/index.html

 

I'm not selling my Prius nor holding up a future hybrid purchase on a "could." After all, we've heard so much BS about hydrogen from the same source that their credibility is shot.

My heartfelt sympathies for the Saturn VUE green buyers. Don't feel too bad, my wife and I once had a Chevette.

Bob Wilson

ps. On the Sunday evening news, the ABC commentator all but broke out laughing with the comment, 'GM plans to have it out in 10 years.' You know it is a sad day when even news reporters are trying to suppress laughing.

 

Sounds like GM is handicapping the Volt, before it even hits the marketplace. 40 miles (max)? The defunct EV1 was better than that, years ago.
It sounds conspicuously familiar - like they don't want it to succeed. Maybe the 3 cylinder gas engine will extend the range somewhat, but with a 40-mile range and a 6+ hour recharge time, they already KNOW there'll be ZERO real demand for this. Looks more like a "token" interest, to show the public that "GM is interested in EV." Yeah, right.
I hope I'm wrong, and that GM is actively looking to shore up this car's shortcomings. It's a good-looking car, at least

The following quote sounds promising, although I don't know how bright running out of battery power is (for long-term battery health): In the event a driver forgets to charge the vehicle or goes on a vacation far away, the Volt would still get 50 mpg by using the engine to convert gasoline into electricity and extending its range up to 640 miles, more than double that of today’s conventional vehicles.

 

I took a peek at the North American International Auto Show list of announcements and found the Saturn Aura had taken the journalism prize. So I began to wonder what auto journalists consider a prize winner:

Model: Saturn Aura, 2007, specifications
Trim: XR FWD V6 trim
Invoice: $22,389
ICE: 3.6L 252 hp L6
EPA: 20/28

So I wondered how it compared to a Camry hybrid:

Model: Toyota Camry, 2007
Trim: Hybrid FWD L4
Invoice: $23,310
ICE: 2.4L 187 hp L4
EPA: 40/38

The Honda Fit was also in the running but the web page I was using for specitifications does not list the Honda Fit (yet.) Regardless, the top three were:

Saturn Aura
Honda Fit
Toyota Camry

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/13/n...sts-announced/

Bob Wilson

 

What a great concept! If GM stuck with the EV1, it would have evolved into the Volt and be in production today.
Now we have to pray that GM can be profitable enough to realistically take on the money pit that will be the Volt.
Thank Jah for rednecks that will pay over 30k for a pickup truck.

 

Gee, if you spend an extra $900, you double your gas mileage? What a "no brainer" . GM is just a twitching corpse.

 

That was a terrible cheap shot... the AURA makes 65 more horsepower.

 

The GM volt? I don't get it.

GM wants to replace the ev-1 because it didn't have a generator? So they crushed all the ev-1s at the end of their leases? Now they want to sell a hybrid variant (ev-2?) that has the gas engine disconnected from the transmission?

Plus, they contracted with a Chevron subsidiary to produce the battery technology breakthrough by 2012 at the latest?

Does that sound wierd to anyone else?

"A technological breakthrough required to make this concept a reality is a large lithium-ion battery. This type of electric car, which the technical community calls an "EV range-extender," would require a battery pack that weighs nearly 400 pounds (181 kg). Some experts predict that such a battery - or a similar battery - could be production-ready by 2010 to 2012. " autobloggreen

 

Actually, GM didn't even wait for the leases to expire. They just stranded their customers at the dealer. You could have brought your EV1 in for a front-end alignment or some other repair and then be told that you couldn't have the car back. You'd have to call a cab to get home.

I also don't see why they can't just connect the engine to the transmission, use an array of NiMH cells, and sell the car THIS YEAR. In that configuration, you'd have a very robust "mild" hybrid. In other words, you'd basically have a GM version of a Honda Civic -- a hybrid that also gets 50 MPG.

 

Toyota is now pushing to get into the large truck segment, because it's very profitable. Their large trucks get the same mileage or less than GM's.

2006 standard Toyota Tundra 16/20 mpg
2006 standard Chevy Silverado 17/21 mpg