Baldo

Jun 12 2012, 08:12 PM

So they are just doubling the gasoline engine hp in an electric car for what reason?

Baldo

Jun 12 2012, 08:12 PM

So they are just doubling the gasoline engine hp in an electric car for what reason?

Quote:

 

But what if Granny’s a skier living at Loveland Pass? How can that little 84-horsepower engine keep the 149-horse electric motor spinning all the way up? It can’t. Eventually a “Propulsion Power is Reduced” warning will flash, and cruising speed will drop to 40 mph by the crest of Loveland Pass (matching the semis’ speeds). But real cars go 70 at the top, and so can the Volt if you engage Mountain Mode via a switch on the console 10 or 15 minutes before you hit the grade. This bolsters the battery buffer from about 20 to 40 percent of the 16 kW-hrs—enough to allow the Volt to climb any grade in the U.S. at a steady 70 mph

Senior editor Jonny Lieberman and I managed to provoke that Power-Reduced warning while storming Big Tujunga Canyon and the Angeles Forest highway in Sport mode (quicker throttle response). It wasn’t the grade, but our aggressive driving that did it—braking hard to set up for corners (which were carved with minimal body roll but under loud protest from the tires) and exiting under full power. Even maxed at 4800 rpm, the engine couldn’t maintain the 20-percent buffer, so our max speed gradually fell.

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 08:18 PM

Baldo

Jun 12 2012, 08:12 PM

So they are just doubling the gasoline engine hp in an electric car for what reason?

I don't know why they are doubling it, but the current engine is too small.

Quote:

 

But what if Granny’s a skier living at Loveland Pass? How can that little 84-horsepower engine keep the 149-horse electric motor spinning all the way up? It can’t. Eventually a “Propulsion Power is Reduced” warning will flash, and cruising speed will drop to 40 mph by the crest of Loveland Pass (matching the semis’ speeds). But real cars go 70 at the top, and so can the Volt if you engage Mountain Mode via a switch on the console 10 or 15 minutes before you hit the grade. This bolsters the battery buffer from about 20 to 40 percent of the 16 kW-hrs—enough to allow the Volt to climb any grade in the U.S. at a steady 70 mph

Senior editor Jonny Lieberman and I managed to provoke that Power-Reduced warning while storming Big Tujunga Canyon and the Angeles Forest highway in Sport mode (quicker throttle response). It wasn’t the grade, but our aggressive driving that did it—braking hard to set up for corners (which were carved with minimal body roll but under loud protest from the tires) and exiting under full power. Even maxed at 4800 rpm, the engine couldn’t maintain the 20-percent buffer, so our max speed gradually fell.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1010_2011_chevrolet_volt_test/viewall.html

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 08:30 PM

Imagine if you have 4 people and all their junk in there...

The battery weighs about 500 pounds...

kbp

Jun 12 2012, 08:24 PM

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 08:18 PM

Baldo

Jun 12 2012, 08:12 PM

So they are just doubling the gasoline engine hp in an electric car for what reason?

I don't know why they are doubling it, but the current engine is too small.

Quote:

 

But what if Granny’s a skier living at Loveland Pass? How can that little 84-horsepower engine keep the 149-horse electric motor spinning all the way up? It can’t. Eventually a “Propulsion Power is Reduced” warning will flash, and cruising speed will drop to 40 mph by the crest of Loveland Pass (matching the semis’ speeds). But real cars go 70 at the top, and so can the Volt if you engage Mountain Mode via a switch on the console 10 or 15 minutes before you hit the grade. This bolsters the battery buffer from about 20 to 40 percent of the 16 kW-hrs—enough to allow the Volt to climb any grade in the U.S. at a steady 70 mph

Senior editor Jonny Lieberman and I managed to provoke that Power-Reduced warning while storming Big Tujunga Canyon and the Angeles Forest highway in Sport mode (quicker throttle response). It wasn’t the grade, but our aggressive driving that did it—braking hard to set up for corners (which were carved with minimal body roll but under loud protest from the tires) and exiting under full power. Even maxed at 4800 rpm, the engine couldn’t maintain the 20-percent buffer, so our max speed gradually fell.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1010_2011_chevrolet_volt_test/viewall.html

LMAO!

So they're going to ski and a slide blocks the road, as it often does. What heppens then, as they wait 3 hours to get it cleared before the real climb ...in the 14 degree weather?

This does not sound like a one-size-fits-all vehicle.

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 11:30 PM

I bet your 55hp car did not weigh 4K pounds and it had more than one gear.


I left a motor out of the Volt.

149hp - all electric mode motor.
74hp - motor/generator.
84hp - ice.

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 11:30 PM

I bet your 55hp car did not weigh 4K pounds and it had more than one gear.

. . .

comelately

Jun 12 2012, 11:43 PM

LTC8K6

Jun 12 2012, 11:30 PM

I bet your 55hp car did not weigh 4K pounds and it had more than one gear.

. . .

It was a '71 Corolla. Not a modern car, but still much better than the Volt!

Baldo

Jul 3 2012, 09:38 AM

Chevy Volt sales up 80 autos over May

June - 1,760

May - 1,680

GM Deliveries June 2012.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/6rk73bk

In the Green Auto Blogs there was high hopes and buzz that the Chevy Volt (HOV)high-occupancy vehicle qualifying version would boom Volt sales in California in June. Apparently it didn't. Try as they might, giving $7,500 Fed Tax Credit & State tax credit of $2500 & up along with the right to drive in the fast lane with only one passenger they are just not in high demand.

GM had estimated last year that they would sell 45,000 Volts this year before they revised it downward. So far they have sold 8,817 vs its twin sister, the gas powered Cruze, which has sold 113,884 for the year. There were shortages this month of Cruzes in dealers lots. Also the Japanese auto manufacturers recovered dramatically which hurt Cruze sales over last year at this time when because of the tsunami they couldn't deliver autos.

In general Chrysler rose as did Ford & GM.

The Big winner, still those darn Pickups. GM sold 45,000, Ford 55,000. Dodge Ram 23,000 - Try as hard as they can DC can't separate us from our love of pickups & guns

Yeehaa!

Baldo

Jul 3 2012, 06:10 PM

More Hinky Dinky accounting from Govt Motors(we own 33% of GM) on the Chevy Volt lease.

There has been some comment that the lease on the Chevy Volt is way too generous for a $40,000 auto.

$369 a month with $0 due at lease signing (via Ally Financial)

Some believe it should be 50% more.

So we own 33% of GM who owns 9% of Ally Financial who in turn is owned 79% by the US Treasury. Ally Financial gets cheap money from the FED.

Getting the picture? We subsidize the car, we subsidize the lease and still sales are low.