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VOLT is an old concept, an Electric car with a range-extending gasoline, diesel or other IC generator.
| The idea is that it can go a certain distance on battery power alone, and then use the IC genset for occasional longer trips. The only traction power comes from the electric motor, the genset only generates electric -- like a diesel-electric locomotive. A serial hybrid is rated by its all-electric range, for example, a PHEV-100 has an all-electric range of 100 miles (about 25 kWh of battery); a PHEV-10 has a 10-mile-range battery (about 3 kWh); a PHEV-140 has a 140 mile all-electric range. If you take the genset off, it's just an Electric car with the same range, denominated (for example) EV-100 (RAV4-EV) and EV-140 (GM 1999 EV1 with NiMH). Examples of an EV-40 abound; there are many, many conversions with 40, 50 or even 80 miles range using good golf cart batteries. So if you added a genset, these EV-xx plug-in cars would be, ipso facto, PHEV-40, PHEV-50 or PHEV-80. Alan Cocconi often added a genset mounted on a trailer -- dubbed the "Long Ranger" -- to make his EV-200 into a PHEV-200. He even had it as plug-and-play, you just plug in the EV to the Long Ranger. And he used CNG or other fuel to make the genset run, in some cases. So this is not anything new, it already exists, once you understand the terminology. EV-xx An EV with a range of xx -- all electric, of course; PHEV-xx An EV with a range of XX -- all electric, of course -- plus a range-extending genset. GM is claiming that they don't have the battery for a 40-mile-range serial hybrid. That's a PHEV-40. GM is claiming that they need to do research into a new battery, Lithium, and GM is ignoring the standard EV battery technologies -- NiMH and Lead-acid -- which have millions of proven miles in real EVs behind them. There are still more pure battery EVs on the road than fuel cell cars -- many times more, in fact. And there are infinitely more in the hands of owners, because about 300 Toyota RAV4-EV were sold, last in Nov., 2002, and are still running, still owned. There are NO fuel cell cars sold to the public, and there are NO PLANS to sell them. These existing battery EVs run, are proven, and work, can be viewed, driven, examined. Why not use the same batteries, then, on the VOLT? It's not rocket science, and it's already proven, already on the road, no research needed, no miracles or grants. These EVs run every day, with at least a 100 mile range -- EV-100. Add a range-extender, and it's a PHEV-100, more than twice the range planned for the VOLT. GM could make it now, heck, they already made an EPA-certified 140 mile-range EV1 using NiMH batteries ... all they need to do, if they were serious, is stop fooling around proclaiming they have a "new kind of hybrid", and get busy building it -- an EV plus a range-extending genset. But GM won't even acknowledge the existence of the EV1, except to crush it, and keep it from being driven as the EV that it once was. The "range extender" runs the EV when the batteries get empty. Our NiMH EV1 often got 160 miles on a charge; once, it registered 200 miles. That's much more than the VOLT's planned range. GM had a 110-mile-range lead-acid EV1, we had one and loved it. It plugged into a wall socket, or it could be plugged into 220. And GM had versions of the EV or EV1, dating back to 1969, that were "serial" hybrids, like the Volt, but actually existed ... like the Volt does not. So why the delay, now to 2012 or 2013, and why the new problems with the design, so that they won't sell it, but only lease the Lithium batteries, even if they ever are made to work? Current plans are to release the VOLT, if ever, only with failure-prone and too-expensive Lithium batteries. Lithium is expensive, doesn't last as long as NiMH, and is more expensive. And it can't match the life-cycle cost of good Lead-acid battereies. Lease the batteries, because they are too expensive to sell. Yet we drive each day on the 120-mile-range NiMH Toyota RAV4-EV, last sold in Nov., 2002, and charge up from our rooftop solar system. If GM were honest, they would at least acknowledge that the EV1 existed, and that the NiMH batteries work now, and that even Lead-acid batteries will take an EV over 100 miles. Yet GM won't even let the gutted, disabled EV1 "donated" to universities see the light of day. One GM phone call stopped the revived EV1 from appearning on the street, all they had to do was gently remind WWU of the conditions of the "grant" -- and perhaps of their power to confiscate and CRUSH it. Some fools say this was not a "cease and desist" order, but if not, where's the EV1? Not on the streets, that's for sure. Perhaps WWU is going to add a small generator, making it into a "hybrid", and perhaps trying to fulfill the conditions laid down by GM ... but GM still won't let them run it on the streets of America. Why not? What's the big sin that GM is worried about, one little EV1? So if GM is NOT honest about the EV1, and won't use the existing batteries to make an EV, why would anyone believe them about future intentions? =>In 2003, GM or the AAM claimed to CARB that they had to "wait for fuel cells" and should be allowed to CRUSH the EV1. =>In 2008, when fuel cells are revealed as a fraud and a lie, GM is claiming that they have to "wait for Lithium". =>In 2013, when they cancel the VOLT, they will no doubt proclaim the need to "wait for unobtanium" or for the Snipe Hunt to bear fruit. |
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