GM reveals new Ampera plug-in hybrid

[glimmerman]

http://www.motorauthority.com/...geneva-motor-show.html

Looks very promising - better than the Volt i think.

 

[ElFenix]

euros get all sorts of good looking stuff that we don't. i guess that's what happens when you have to sell cars to people in trucker hats and nascar shirts

 

[Bignate603]

Eh, I bet that it ends up looking more pedestrian when it gets finished. The volt had much more distinctive styling until they actually had to make it into a real car.

 

[Black88GTA]

Looks like a Honda / Acura product. In fact, were it not for the lightning bolt Opel badge on it, I would have bet money that's what it was.

And i agree with whoever said that the final car won't look like that. The Volt concept looked cool too, until they turned it into just another aerodynamic egg to improve mileage.

 

[SickBeast]

I'm wondering what the fuel economy is like for these cars once they go beyond 40 miles and start using the gas motor.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I'm wondering what the fuel economy is like for these cars once they go beyond 40 miles and start using the gas motor.

Still significantly better than a gas only vehicle and arguably better than a typical hybrid. If you can completely disconnect the wheels from the engine you can optimize the engine for one rpm at a certain amount of load. That optimized engine will run very poorly at any other performance point but its efficiency will be amazing at that one point. The gain in performance is enough to offset the losses from using a generator to create electricity, storing it in batteries, and then using it in an electric motor.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I'm wondering what the fuel economy is like for these cars once they go beyond 40 miles and start using the gas motor.

Still significantly better than a gas only vehicle and arguably better than a typical hybrid. If you can completely disconnect the wheels from the engine you can optimize the engine for one rpm at a certain amount of load. That optimized engine will run very poorly at any other performance point but its efficiency will be amazing at that one point. The gain in performance is enough to offset the losses from using a generator to create electricity, storing it in batteries, and then using it in an electric motor.

You would think they could use it as a straight-up generator and bypass the batteries. If the gas engine is small enough, and can keep the car at 60mph while idling, then it should be able to get some insane fuel economy.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

You would think they could use it as a straight-up generator and bypass the batteries. If the gas engine is small enough, and can keep the car at 60mph while idling, then it should be able to get some insane fuel economy.

likely performance would be substantially reduced. the power needed at 60 mph is so low that even the small motor can recharge the battery at that speed. doing burnouts, though, will take more than that generator can put out.