I recently learned that it's not a true electric but rather a hybrid since it has an ICE backup. Was the original plan all electric? I actually like the idea of a gas engine as a backup.

I'm hearing a lot of hype since it's nearing its release date. Read that all preorders have been filled with a long waiting list (or something to that effect). Will it be any better than the current hyrbrids such as the Prius?

I think it looks way better than the Nissan Leaf.

Btw, my 1st-generation Honda Insight (CVT model) got a range of 511 miles with a 9.9 gallon fill-up. The average on the car's computer said 54mpg for that mileage. Time between fill up was 31 days, driving was 95% city with the usual stop signs/lights with speed between 0-45 +/-5. My higest mpg at one point was 76 mpg.

It's an interesting concept; we'll have to wait and see how GM implements it.

It was to have a small ICE from the initial design. The first 40 miles might be all-electric drive. If you live close to work, you could save a bunch of money on fuel. Of course the computation includes the additional electricity that you would buy, but electricity is very cheap compared to gasoline.

A few years ago, we used a generator for a week. The thing took about 100 gallons of gasoline to produce less than half of the power that we would have used, sans the outage. I know that a car engine is more efficient, but the generator costs a lot to run. The fuel cost almost $300 for one week. That's more than we usually pay for a month's worth of electricity.

I like how GM says that the volt is almost as good or something as their EV1.. Gotta love how they look back to something that was a good car and they killed it.

I would have rather seen a diesel in the volt.

If you mean by that, as a diesel ONLY and no hybrid drivetrain, I'd quite agree with you.

Been there, done that, with the electric only and hybrid vehicle scene. No thanks, I'll stick with diesels.

__________________
Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

I was thinking the same thing myself. For the price of the Volt, you could buy TWO Golf TDI's.

but the volt is electric.. kind of.. and it makes nature happy... and and it can go 40 miles on a single charge.. oh oh and it ****s granola

I don't believe the Volt is actually a hybrid, the gasoline engine is just a backup and it is not capable of recharging the battery; it's really a plug-in electric with a backup engine.

I imagine that these types of cars will only be useful as 3ed or 4th cars for most families.

I have an idea... sell an all electric car. If you want to drive to grandma's house 5 states over either buy a range extending trailer that is nothing more than a diesel generator to do the whole series hybrid thing or better yet, start a business renting these types of devices so the consumer/renter/leaser do not have to deal with maintaining, storing, and repair of the range extending trailer.

oh wait, that makes way too much sense.

and if any of you steal my idea.. I'll keeeeeeeel you

I thought it was the opposite. The gasoline engine only charges the battery. The drivetrain is electric.

The Volt has smug emissions that are triple that of the prius

All electric cars are fine, but they would need more range than 40 miles; the tesla has a range of about 150 miles, I believe, but they cost significantly more. The volt is definitely a first generation product, I assume they will only sell in limited numbers.

GM might as well have the gas engine charge the batteries if they're gonna put an ICE in there. It's a convenient thing when you can't plug it in, ya know?

Tesla? Gonna wait for the POrsche 918 hybrid! Funny how it defeats the purpose of saving money by paying for less fuel when the cost of the 918 is so ridicously high that it'll take forever to recooperate the cost of the car through gas savings Then again, I guess some people can say it's to leave a smaller carbon footprint.

I'll keep the $40K+ it costs, invested elsewhere.

This is the info I've found:

http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/future/volt.do?seo=goo_%7C_2009_Chevy_Awareness_%7C_IMG_Chevy_Volt_Phase_2_Branded_%7C_Volt_HV_%7C_volt