nismo dr Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Cost to operate a Chevy Volt Eric Bolling (Fox Business Channel's Follow the Money) test drove the Chevy Volt at the invitation of General Motors. For four days in a row, the fully charged battery lasted only 25 miles before the Volt switched to the reserve gasoline engine. Eric calculated the car got 30 mpg including the 25 miles it ran on the battery. So, the range including the 9 gallon gas tank and the 16 kwh battery is approximately 270 miles. It will take you 4 1/2 hours to drive 270 miles at 60 mph. Then add 10 hours to charge the battery and you have a total trip time of 14.5 hours. In a typical road trip your average speed (including charging time) would be 20 mph. According to General Motors, the Volt battery hold 16 kwh of electricity. It takes a full 10 hours to charge a drained battery. The cost for the electricity to charge the Volt is never mentioned so I looked up what I pay for electricity. I pay approximately (it varies with amount used and the seasons) $1.16 per kwh. 16 kwh x $1.16 per kwh = $18.56 to charge the battery. $18.56 per charge divided by 25 miles = $0.74 per mile to operate the Volt using the battery. Compare this to a similar size car with a gasoline engine only that gets 32 mpg. $3.19 per gallon divided by 32 mpg = $0.10 per mile. The gasoline powered car cost about $15,000 while the Volt costs $46,000. 1 Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The electric car is the second biggest "hand-job" ever perpetrated on the motoring public.It's the answer to the question that no-one has asked. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I guess your friends aren't going to want you to charge your car up at their house.:lol: What baffles me is that GM didn't want to talk to Tesla at all about batterys, GMs comment about it was something like, "there light years ahead of us", seems like that would be a good reason to talk to them about it. Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I hope you are not paying $1.16 per KWH, and only made a decimal point error. Your electric cost should be around $.116 per KWH. On another note, for every Chevy volt sold to the public, you can get a rebate of I think $7500.00, from the federal government. they are thinking of raising the subsidy to $10.000, per car. The average annual income of people who have bought Chevy volts so far, $170,000. Your taxes are helping people who make close to 200 thousand a year to buy this car! Top Gear, the British version does a test on electric cars. It has been in pretty frequent rotation on BBC America. Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I guess your friends aren't going to want you to charge your car up at their house.:lol: What baffles me is that GM didn't want to talk to Tesla at all about batterys, GMs comment about it was something like, "there light years ahead of us", seems like that would be a good reason to talk to them about it. Two things: 1)You need to google Tesla's battery problem 2)No-one is light years ahead of anyone when it comes to batteries-they haven't changed since inception Quote Link to comment
nismo dr Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I hope you are not paying $1.16 per KWH, and only made a decimal point error. Your electric cost should be around $.116 per KWH. your right, should have been cent sign not dollar this is from PGE On-peak - 13.266¢/kWh Mid-peak - 7.500¢/kWh Off-peak - 4.422¢/kWh Quote Link to comment
HRH Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I think electric cars have great promise if: You have less than a 30 mile round trip commute. If you have a solar panel charging system set up in your yard for free electricity and some form of storage capacitor. You have an uber lightweight electric car, like the size of a Mini, or B210. Other than that, ride a bike. Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The electric car is the second biggest "hand-job" ever perpetrated on the motoring public.It's the answer to the question that no-one has asked. Why such a troll? nismo dr's post if full of erroneous info, yet you still ride in on the coattails to troll about electric cars. Quote Link to comment
DRIVEN Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I'd rather have this: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/25065-my-bros-electric-car/page__st__20 Read post #39. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The car should be small like a Smart car maybe a two seater. Something like two bicycles bolted together. Light enough for motorcycle tires and wheels. Light plastic/wood body. No gas motor. You seldom drive with more than two people. Nor drive more than 10-15 miles a day. So get it just for commuting. Lightness shortens the stopping distance, handles better, increases mileage and range and you don't need heavy braking and suspension systems in fact everything can be lighter the lighter you make it. Get rid of heated steering wheels and mirror mind set. Get back to basics. You should be able to make one well under a thousand pounds. Quote Link to comment
nismo dr Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Why such a troll? nismo dr's post if full of erroneous info, yet you still ride in on the coattails to troll about electric cars. Yup, I got duped. I was actually going to seque into how great the Leaf is, but since I didn't fact check myself... 1 Quote Link to comment
strang3majik Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The problem with these cars and even the smart car...they put gas engines in them that are too far underpowered. A common misconception is that a low hp engine is better on gas, when in reality, if that engine is working its ass off to move that car, its going to get worse mileage then a higher hp engine that barely breaks a sweat. Because, despite the battery issue, when running on the gas engine, that car should get much better than 30mpg. Then there is the other issue that datzenmike stated...cars today are pigs. Look at the 80s, though a sad time in American cars, the little 4 bangers were breaking into the 40s in mpg. These cars were light, simple, and cheap. Chrysler even had their turbo cars in the mid 30s running with 175hp. Today, cars just don't get that...we have all this technology, yet we keep offsetting it by adding more and more to the cars, making them heavier and heavier. Theres no need a for a normal car to weigh near, if not more than 4000 or 5000 pounds. Basically...if they could take the cars of yesterday (even the 510s for instance), and put all the modern technology in it...we'd have fuel efficient, fast cars. The electric thing is being jumped on too quick...we need to make what we have better before we go exploring new technology. But, one thing that's quite interesting to think about.... back in the 1910s, electric cars out numbered gasoline engined cars...but, gasoline engines were cheaper to produce. Just think if we would've stuck with electric vehicles, what we would have today with the same amount of progression we made with internal combustion engines. Quite crazy to think about. I hope I didn't take that too far off topic...but, had to let out my opinion...hahah Quote Link to comment
danfiveten Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The volt compared to the leaf is a joke. Not only that, but add the random fires they have been having due to a organization issue under the hood. Car is a poor excuse, and its not even a true electric car. Im getting tired of people calling it that, because it is not one, its a half and half hybrid, a true electric car is ALL electric. I want a leaf, i have 3 datsuns, and 1 newer nissan, all use gas and can go on long trips, the other nissan id like to replace with a leaf for grocery shopping, wife goign to work, and all that jazz,b ecause with how much we drive it would save us a shitload. Anyoen who replaces their only gas powered car with a electric car is a idiot at this point in time, but if you have other cars that can take u a long distance, why not get somthing thats saving u money for a few years. I know with how much around town driving we do in a week, it would save us a lot of money a week. Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Why such a troll? nismo dr's post if full of erroneous info, yet you still ride in on the coattails to troll about electric cars. Shove your troll comment up your ass.My post is completely accurate.Don't like it?Tuff sh!t. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 The electric car is the second biggest "hand-job" ever perpetrated on the motoring public.It's the answer to the question that no-one has asked. My post is completely accurate.Don't like it?Tuff sh!t. Bill, it's a completely accurate personal opinion. Relax the sphincter. Yes, the Vega and the 350 Olds diesel are tied for first for the biggest POS car and diesel no one asked for, but got anyway. Quote Link to comment
albyneau Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPSWoZavsvU&feature=related ^^^^~The ONLY interesting part of this thread~! ^^^^:P 5 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Shove your troll comment up your ass.My post is completely accurate.Don't like it?Tuff sh!t. Ok, troll. There certainly is a place for electric vehicles, whether you like it or not, unfortunately. But I don't like to argue with people so out of touch with reality that they don't even believe in the smog of LA. lawl Quote Link to comment
king bee66 Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 im not advocate for the volt, but its really hard for me not to think that any study done by fox on this subject doesnt employ selective facts. bashing any obama given subsidy is one of their main talking points Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Bill, it's a completely accurate personal opinion. Relax the sphincter. Quote Link to comment
Shagy Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Smoke & mirrors...... Quote Link to comment
Hardwyre Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 The problem with these cars and even the smart car...they put gas engines in them that are too far underpowered. A common misconception is that a low hp engine is better on gas, when in reality, if that engine is working its ass off to move that car, its going to get worse mileage then a higher hp engine that barely breaks a sweat. Because, despite the battery issue, when running on the gas engine, that car should get much better than 30mpg. Then there is the other issue that datzenmike stated...cars today are pigs. Look at the 80s, though a sad time in American cars, the little 4 bangers were breaking into the 40s in mpg. These cars were light, simple, and cheap. Chrysler even had their turbo cars in the mid 30s running with 175hp. Today, cars just don't get that...we have all this technology, yet we keep offsetting it by adding more and more to the cars, making them heavier and heavier. Theres no need a for a normal car to weigh near, if not more than 4000 or 5000 pounds. Basically...if they could take the cars of yesterday (even the 510s for instance), and put all the modern technology in it...we'd have fuel efficient, fast cars. The electric thing is being jumped on too quick...we need to make what we have better before we go exploring new technology. But, one thing that's quite interesting to think about.... back in the 1910s, electric cars out numbered gasoline engined cars...but, gasoline engines were cheaper to produce. Just think if we would've stuck with electric vehicles, what we would have today with the same amount of progression we made with internal combustion engines. Quite crazy to think about. I hope I didn't take that too far off topic...but, had to let out my opinion...hahah 510 with a Leaf power plant? Quote Link to comment
Jesse C. Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Or a Leaf Blower with a 510 Power plant! Quote Link to comment
Hardwyre Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Or a Leaf Blower with a 510 Power plant! Isn't that what the first year 510 came with? Quote Link to comment
Creepy Cruiser Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 My buddy builds these. They friggin rock! They are super fast, and they handle unbelievable. Sparco interior, full roll cage, room for 2 people + groceries. Heat and A/C. And they kick the crap out of about any electric car out there. You should see the look on the little turbo honda boys, when they get their butts handed to them at the track, lol. 0 to 60 MPH, about 4 seconds Top Speed 135mph www.CommuterCars.com Quote Link to comment
Hardwyre Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 "To reserve a place for the high-performance T600 kit car, a $10,000 deposit is required. " So, how much is the actual price on these? Already sounds like it's more expensive than most options. $10k deposit? Final price of what? $40-$60? for what essentially amounts to a high performance go-kart? I like the concept, but an actual price on the website would have been nice. Quote Link to comment
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