Chevrolet Volt Integration Vehicle Assembly has begun

[brblx]

on another note, go fuck yourself.

edit to clarify- why are the people who condescend usually the stupidest? sorry i don't have your ivy league education. :roll:

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

All speeds. The actual drivetrain is completely electric. The motor on board is purely a generator to power the drivetrain when the battery is spent.

But 40 miles at 20mph takes less energy than 40 miles at 70mph.

 

[brblx]

not necessarily?

with gas/diesel cars, that's a function of engine efficiency at different speeds (and aerodynamics, of course). there are many cars that achieve their highest economy numbers at 55mph or so, some even higher. even if you're talking about an electric car with a single forward gear, you have to consider that while the motor is using more energy to turn faster, it's being run for a shorter amount of time. multiple gear ratios complicate things further.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: brblx
wait...so, they've been telling us that this car is due out in the 2010 model year for...how long now? and they havn't even had a functioning semi-production vehicle?

would anyone like to invest in my 2015 chevrolet invisible flying magical time machine?

Exactly how long do you think it takes a car to go from an idea > concept > to full working prototype > production? The problem here is GM letting everyone know about the Volts progress every step of the way to garner support.

Toyota did it in 10 months with the Prius. Government Motors is teh fail.

 

[CupCak3]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: brblx
wait...so, they've been telling us that this car is due out in the 2010 model year for...how long now? and they havn't even had a functioning semi-production vehicle?

would anyone like to invest in my 2015 chevrolet invisible flying magical time machine?

Exactly how long do you think it takes a car to go from an idea > concept > to full working prototype > production? The problem here is GM letting everyone know about the Volts progress every step of the way to garner support.

Toyota did it in 10 months with the Prius. Government Motors is teh fail.

lol.... your "fact" is teh fail.

hawt failsauce

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: CupCak3

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: brblx
wait...so, they've been telling us that this car is due out in the 2010 model year for...how long now? and they havn't even had a functioning semi-production vehicle?

would anyone like to invest in my 2015 chevrolet invisible flying magical time machine?

Exactly how long do you think it takes a car to go from an idea > concept > to full working prototype > production? The problem here is GM letting everyone know about the Volts progress every step of the way to garner support.

Toyota did it in 10 months with the Prius. Government Motors is teh fail.

lol.... your "fact" is teh fail.

hawt failsauce

Hahahahaha, oh man, the ownage is just too delicious. :laugh:

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: brblx
my biggest wonder was why they didn't go with a diesel generator. so far VW has been the only one with balls enough to basically say that americans don't know what the hell they're talking about when it comes to a modern diesel (i.e. 'it's too dirty,' 'it's too noisy'). all they'd need is basically a big truck APU.

working for volvo, it pained me to see the plethora of efficient engines available in europe, and all they give us is turbo 5 and 6 cylinder gas engines.

and i agree that shifting the load off on the power grid is not really helping anything. if they want to do something that's not just a marketing ploy, why not cover the top of the car with solar panels or capture energy from a wind turbine at highway speeds (i've been wondering about the feasability of that for a long time- surely with the right design you could make a good bit more energy than what is lost in drag). this is my main problem- no one at GM thinks, they just do what they think the market wants. and fail, typically.

mmm...after thinking some more, wind turbine would be a perpetual motion machine, wouldn't it? this is why i'm not an engineer. but still, come up with SOMETHING new. or we can just hope we've got enough cheap oil to get us to the point where fuel cells are cost feasible.

1) GM already has an established small engine that meets US specs can be tuned specifically for application in the Volt. no need to spend time and money needlessly complicating the project by developing a new engine (or modifying a current one) solely for 1 model.

2) europe has different emissions standards than US

3) wind energy is not perpetual motion. work is done by expanding the gas passing by the turbine blades (pressure is the driving force for work(.

4) as far as electricity goes, there's no way to bridge the gap between completely "clean" and what we have now unless people figure out that nuclear is an absolute necessity.

5) come up with something new? that requires something called money. and lots of it. the typical engineer problem comes down to three contradictions:

price
performance
weight

pick any two.

the volt is new and the only series hybrid, and so it has performance and weight on its side. the downside? its $40k pricetag, obviously, but even that is excellent for a mass-production vehicle.

new cars require billions of dollars and millions of man-hours. but maybe you can bring us something new by laying off the hookers and blow and generously donating your superior intellect for a few seconds?

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

GM really has done a shitty job explaining what the Volt is.

The Volt will be driven by the electric motor at all speeds. The battery will power the electric motor at all speeds. The gas engine will turn on and produce electricity so that the battery won't fall below a 30% charge.

For all intents and purposes, the Volt is essentially an electric car that comes with a gas powered generator (it's really what it should be called) for when the battery gets low.

I think their first mistake was describing it as a hybrid. Too many people seem to think it's just a Prius that can be plugged with a shitty range.

So basically its like the Honda Clarity?

except Gas engine instead of a hydrogen system. Pftt the Volt is going to be another piece of garbage from GM imo.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

GM really has done a shitty job explaining what the Volt is.

The Volt will be driven by the electric motor at all speeds. The battery will power the electric motor at all speeds. The gas engine will turn on and produce electricity so that the battery won't fall below a 30% charge.

For all intents and purposes, the Volt is essentially an electric car that comes with a gas powered generator (it's really what it should be called) for when the battery gets low.

I think their first mistake was describing it as a hybrid. Too many people seem to think it's just a Prius that can be plugged with a shitty range.

So basically its like the Honda Clarity?

except Gas engine instead of a hydrogen system. Pftt the Volt is going to be another piece of garbage from GM imo.

and what do you think of the current prius and insight?

they're just cars with standard gas engines that have a battery assist them at low speeds

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: brblx
on another note, go fuck yourself.

edit to clarify- why are the people who condescend usually the stupidest? sorry i don't have your ivy league education. :roll:

capture energy from a wind turbine at highway speeds (i've been wondering about the feasability of that for a long time- surely with the right design you could make a good bit more energy than what is lost in drag). this is my main problem- no one at GM thinks

When you say something like that about wind turbines people it's pretty obvious you don't understand what is really involved with car design or basic engineering. You're acting like everyone else is stupid for not agreeing with you but what you're saying isn't anywhere close to reality. It's easy to say something is simple when you don't understand the real problem.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: brblx
capture energy from a wind turbine at highway speeds (i've been wondering about the feasability of that for a long time- surely with the right design you could make a good bit more energy than what is lost in drag).

LAWS OF PHYSICS!!!

anyway...

the volt is a totally new platform, the only vehicle of its kind.
Who devolved the first hydrogen fuel cell car? 1966 GM electrovan.
hybrid cars? gm built one in 1969.

these ideas have been around for over 100 years. none of this is new, we just have some more tech now to make it viable.

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: thescreensavers

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

GM really has done a shitty job explaining what the Volt is.

The Volt will be driven by the electric motor at all speeds. The battery will power the electric motor at all speeds. The gas engine will turn on and produce electricity so that the battery won't fall below a 30% charge.

For all intents and purposes, the Volt is essentially an electric car that comes with a gas powered generator (it's really what it should be called) for when the battery gets low.

I think their first mistake was describing it as a hybrid. Too many people seem to think it's just a Prius that can be plugged with a shitty range.

So basically its like the Honda Clarity?

except Gas engine instead of a hydrogen system. Pftt the Volt is going to be another piece of garbage from GM imo.

and what do you think of the current prius and insight?

they're just cars with standard gas engines that have a battery assist them at low speeds

But the Volt is 100% electric with the gas engine working as a generator. This is nothing new or ground breaking. I don't see whats so special about this car at all. Plus its another GM product which will probably have tons of headaches.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
But the Volt is 100% electric with the gas engine working as a generator. This is nothing new or ground breaking. I don't see whats so special about this car at all. Plus its another GM product which will probably have tons of headaches.

the volt is more groundbreaking than the prius or insight because of that fact alone. it is a series hybrid, not a parallel hybrid (all current hybrids) where the gasoline engine is supported by batteries.

the fact that you can charge the battery pack and go 40 miles without using the generator at all is what makes this so different.

there are tons of engineering challenges in creating any hybrid (series much moreso than parallel, obviously).

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
But the Volt is 100% electric with the gas engine working as a generator. This is nothing new or ground breaking. I don't see whats so special about this car at all. Plus its another GM product which will probably have tons of headaches.

It's new and ground breaking because there has been nothing on the market like it before... ever.

There are couple key differences between the Clarity and Volt. For one, you'll actually be able to buy a Volt. As opposed to a handful of hand-made million dollar prototypes leased to a select few in California.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

too bad nobody will buy this vehicle. its actually nothing great for the economy... the volt was "forced" into production. GM didn't really want to make it. GM hasn't even mastered making "normal" hybrids that can compete w/ the prius, how can you trust them with this?

-its NOT going to drive well for the price (all of what the car is about)
-fuel economy isn't going to be AMAZING, definitely not worth the price premium. The volt will cost $40,000. (think same discussion as civic lx MPG vs civic hybrid mpg + $6k price tag)
-corner would have been cut in production due to GM's budget cuts everywhere and having to allocate R&D funds elsewhere.
-service will be a bitch since you will ONLY be able to bring it to the GM dealer which will rape you a new hole when something goes wrong when you're out of warranty. or if warranty will be around for that matter. service will also suck since those "well trained" GM technicians dont have any experience fixing problems with the volt
-predicted MPG is an estimated 50mpg. release date is november 2010 as a 2011 model. u think 50mpg is going to be hot shit in 2011????? the plain jane civic gets about 35-40 and has been since the 2000's

i'd rate the volt (with all current information) a 5/10. we dont care how they get the fuel efficiency... we just care about the end results and a $40k NON LUXURY car w/ 50mpg is nothing to brag about.

 

[Bignate603]

I was wondering how long it was going to be until Louisssss showed up.

 

[LTC8K6]

An Insight EX with Nav is $23K

A very loaded Prius is $27K

Who is going to pass that up to buy a Volt for so much more $?

By the time the Volt is for sale, you'll probably be able to plug in the hybrids and charge their batteries.

I just don't see it, but maybe I am missing something.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
An Insight EX with Nav is $23K

A very loaded Prius is $27K

Who is going to pass that up to buy a Volt for so much more $?

By the time the Volt is for sale, you'll probably be able to plug in the hybrids and charge their batteries.

I just don't see it, but maybe I am missing something.

Plugging in a current hybrid isn't the same as plugging in a Volt. A Volt will recharge the battery so that the gas engine won't have to be used. The electric motor on a Prius is powered by a separate generator that only powers the wheels at low speeds (not sure if Toyota has it assist at higher speeds).

Technically, you could never use any gas when driving a Volt. You're still using gas on a Prius.

 

[Synomenon]

The point is price. When you can get a loaded Prius or Insight EX for more than 15K less, why would you get a Volt?

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
I was wondering how long it was going to be until Louisssss showed up.

He's a real breath of stale air isn't he?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
The point is price. When you can get a loaded Prius or Insight EX for more than 15K less, why would you get a Volt?

the same reason celebrities drive priuses - to make a statement (and god forbid someone actually like it). it just so happens that the volt is the next iteration of the hybrid, and due to its complexity, is significantly more expensive.

if other major manufacturers can make a series hybrid like the volt for cheaper, i'd be rather surprised. as always, cost will come down with time

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
The point is price. When you can get a loaded Prius or Insight EX for more than 15K less, why would you get a Volt?

For the same reasons people were buying Prius' for 25k vs a 15k Civic. Image. The Prius didn't used to make ANY financial sense before either.

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
The point is price. When you can get a loaded Prius or Insight EX for more than 15K less, why would you get a Volt?

I think the volt is a larger car than either a prius or an insight. The volt can use 0 gas. The volt is the newest shit.

Anyway, I don't see why hybrids are required to pass some crazy cost benefit analysis that no one applies to other cars. The hybrids have high technology that regular cars don't have. The volt has the highest level of technology seen in any hybrid car yet. Of course they cost more. The technology is worth it to some people the same way expensive luxury or sports cars are worth it to others.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

All speeds. The actual drivetrain is completely electric. The motor on board is purely a generator to power the drivetrain when the battery is spent.

But 40 miles at 20mph takes less energy than 40 miles at 70mph.

Ah...I gotcha. Yes...that has not been specified. I would assume that they are expecting normal driving speeds with some braking mixed in....but assuming is always a really bad thing.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
so the 40 mile battery works for under what speed 35? 45?

GM really has done a shitty job explaining what the Volt is.

The Volt will be driven by the electric motor at all speeds. The battery will power the electric motor at all speeds. The gas engine will turn on and produce electricity so that the battery won't fall below a 30% charge.

For all intents and purposes, the Volt is essentially an electric car that comes with a gas powered generator (it's really what it should be called) for when the battery gets low.

I think their first mistake was describing it as a hybrid. Too many people seem to think it's just a Prius that can be plugged with a shitty range.

So basically its like the Honda Clarity?

except Gas engine instead of a hydrogen system. Pftt the Volt is going to be another piece of garbage from GM imo.

Oh...except for the point that they won't cost GM half a million a piece. You're as bad as LOUISSSSSS.