Chevy Volt Tested: Goes 40 Miles, No Gas Expended

[Pete]

...it, Pete, CA has an infrastructure problem, a capacity problem. Rolling blackouts and brown outs have nothing to do with price; they are capacity issues. CA got behind on generation plants and transmission lines, both of which have limits.

Agree but because a few regions have allowed their infrastructure to be outdated does not mean the rest of the country has to put off advances. I say regions because I believe New England, particularly the corridor from NYC to Boston is not much better.

 

[Larry Gude]

Ok...

You haven't been in Maine in February

Been to Minnesota several times never noticed them there. Spent 8 months in Alaska and didn't see them there but I was in a remote area most of the time. In Anchorage they might have them but I didn't see them. If there were going to be any it would be Fairbanks. In Fairbanks we had them on base but I didn't get out in town much

...so I dreamed it; a post apocalyptic fantasy replete with electric cars, extension cords and debit card transactions to keep your car from freezing and your batteries from dying with a guy whose father was a Muslim as president and a 100 year war against secular despots who have this stuff no one wants anymore called oil that has to continue due to government contracts accidentally having two zero's added to the length and term.

There ####ing oughta be places to plug in your car. How about that?

 

[Larry Gude]

As...

Agree but because a few regions have allowed their infrastructure to be outdated does not mean the rest of the country has to put off advances. I say regions because I believe New England, particularly the corridor from NYC to Boston is not much better.

...California goes, so goes the nation. Auto standards, building standards. When there is a block of 50 some odd votes, a state tends to get legislation written their way.

 

[Larry Gude]

And...

You haven't been in Maine in February

...I never will!

 

[Baja28]

...that. I envision charging outlets all over the place so that people can charge up while at the mall. Credit card operated perhaps. People in colder climes have engine block heaters and plug in's all over town. So, the point being that the charging would be spread out throughout the day.

We installed an "Electric Vehicle Charging Station" on the project I just finished.

 

[aps45819]

Doesn't the electric car just shift the pollution to the power plant?
No. It's much easier to clean up one large stationary smokestack than millions of tiny mobile ones.

if that were true, our wise and powerful leaders in Washington would have mandated the cleanup of the large smokestack instead of something stupid like millions of expensive catalytic converters that use rare precious metals

 

[aps45819]

I was in Maine and I never recall ever seeing any outlets for public use to plug in block heaters anywhere.

The hotels have them

 

[Larry Gude]

Well...

We installed an "Electric Vehicle Charging Station" on the project I just finished.

...Pete hasn't seen it. It doesn't exist.

 

[Larry Gude]

Nope...

The hotels have them

...Pete hasn't seen 'em. Doesn't exist.

 

[Pete]

...Pete hasn't seen 'em. Doesn't exist.

...Pete hasn't seen it. It doesn't exist.

OK, let me clarify. You were speaking of wide spread public outlets for people to plug in block heaters IE: a plug in right by the parking meter on Main street or in the parking spot at Safeway correct?

 

[AK-74me]

How many Kv were required to recharge that sucker from the house ...... not a good choice is this day and age, with our Power Grid being so shaky ....





nice Articles you sent BTW

The power grid is not really shaky and it is not like 10 million units will be sold over night.

It would take up to 6.5 hours to recharge from a standard 120v outlet, I did some math eariler in the thread. Considering most would recharge during non peak hours I don't think it would affect the grid what so ever.

 

[Larry Gude]

No...

OK, let me clarify. You were speaking of wide spread public outlets for people to plug in block heaters IE: a plug in right by the parking meter on Main street or in the parking spot at Safeway correct?

...I'm speaking of having them EVERYWHERE except where you are.



Yes, I envision, from my dream, car charger plugs all over the place. Ideally, in my world, or dreams as the case may be, there could be some sort of slot in the parking space that makes contact so that you don't even have to plug in; you just, like a car wash, pull in, swipe your cc and go about your business, it automatically stops charging when you're 'full'.

 

[itsbob]

...I'm speaking of having them EVERYWHERE except where you are.



Yes, I envision, from my dream, car charger plugs all over the place. Ideally, in my world, or dreams as the case may be, there could be some sort of slot in the parking space that makes contact so that you don't even have to plug in; you just, like a car wash, pull in, swipe your cc and go about your business, it automatically stops charging when you're 'full'.

Well, if it's say 25 miles to work, and 25 miles to home, and you get 40 miles on a charge, wouldn't solar panels on the roof condition the batteries well enough to get you home after sitting for 8 hours? That and like rechargeable batteries in a camera the more you use them, the more times you recharge them the less efficient they get. A year later would you get 30 miles to a charge? 15 miles?

Of course no matter what you do, still have to break out the SUV to take the famly to Annapolis on the weekend.

 

[Pete]

...I'm speaking of having them EVERYWHERE except where you are.



Yes, I envision, from my dream, car charger plugs all over the place. Ideally, in my world, or dreams as the case may be, there could be some sort of slot in the parking space that makes contact so that you don't even have to plug in; you just, like a car wash, pull in, swipe your cc and go about your business, it automatically stops charging when you're 'full'.

OHHHHHHH those! Yea they have them everywhere except where I was, and where I went. I suppose they could have had them where I went a few times but they cleverly disguised them just before I arrived.

 

[Larry Gude]

Look...

OHHHHHHH those! Yea they have them everywhere except where I was, and where I went. I suppose they could have had them where I went a few times but they cleverly disguised them just before I arrived.

...I said I dreamt this all up. I will absolutely defer to your world travels over my limited forays from the outskirts of PG county over the years.

 

[GWguy]

Well, if it's say 25 miles to work, and 25 miles to home, and you get 40 miles on a charge, wouldn't solar panels on the roof condition the batteries well enough to get you home after sitting for 8 hours? That and like rechargeable batteries in a camera the more you use them, the more times you recharge them the less efficient they get. A year later would you get 30 miles to a charge? 15 miles?

Of course no matter what you do, still have to break out the SUV to take the famly to Annapolis on the weekend.

Probably not. The output from a solar panel is usually rating in milli-amps, less than an amp. You'd need huge panels to provide enough to make a difference.

 

[Larry Gude]

Sure...

Well, if it's say 25 miles to work, and 25 miles to home, and you get 40 miles on a charge, wouldn't solar panels on the roof condition the batteries well enough to get you home after sitting for 8 hours? That and like rechargeable batteries in a camera the more you use them, the more times you recharge them the less efficient they get. A year later would you get 30 miles to a charge? 15 miles?

Of course no matter what you do, still have to break out the SUV to take the famly to Annapolis on the weekend.

...I mean, however it works out. The whole issue is capacity and I don't know crap about batteries. Sam Spade talks about an air car. Some people think hydrogen is the way, hybrids, whatever, however. It's all good to me. The thing is, whatever it is, is infrastructure. Unless we put reactors, my personal choice, in cars, they're gonna need replenishment infrastructure. Cloudy days, nighttime, it has to be a machine that won't just leave you stranded or counting miles until you have to be home.

 

[Larry Gude]

But...

Probably not. The output from a solar panel is usually rating in milli-amps, less than an amp. You'd need huge panels to provide enough to make a difference.

...the sun is the whole ball game; it's the source that all others flow from.
Is it reasonable to imagine incredible advancements in solar technology? I mean, a sunny day is sunburn. Add a mirror or spy glass and you've exponentially increased that power.

I want inventions!

 

[Pete]

...I mean, however it works out. The whole issue is capacity and I don't know crap about batteries. Sam Spade talks about an air car. Some people think hydrogen is the way, hybrids, whatever, however. It's all good to me. The thing is, whatever it is, is infrastructure. Unless we put reactors, my personal choice, in cars, they're gonna need replenishment infrastructure. Cloudy days, nighttime, it has to be a machine that won't just leave you stranded or counting miles until you have to be home.

I agree the infrastructure would need to be upgraded if we did a wholesale swap of gas to electric.

 

[GWguy]

...the sun is the whole ball game; it's the source that all others flow from.
Is it reasonable to imagine incredible advancements in solar technology? I mean, a sunny day is sunburn. Add a mirror or spy glass and you've exponentially increased that power.

I want inventions!

I agree!!! I am sorely disappointed that we haven't been able to harness the sun to generate gobs and gobs of surplus power! There is a lot of heat energy to be obtained, but the technology is very poor when it comes to converting it to electric energy, at least in a package that can be utilized in a portable vehicle. Banks of stationary solar panels with vehicle plug-ins is definitely feasible.