Chevrolet is clamining today that their new hybrid electric vehicle will get 230mpg, a figure four times greater than it's competitor the Prius.

Coupled with electricity generated from renewable resources, this could mark a big shift toward electric vehicles.

Thoughts?

Full Article: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08...-volt-230-mpg/

Originally Posted by Fight0

Chevrolet is clamining today that their new hybrid electric vehicle will get 230mpg, a figure four times greater than it's competitor the Prius.

Coupled with electricity generated from renewable resources, this could mark a big shift toward electric vehicles.

Thoughts?

Full Article: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08...-volt-230-mpg/

Tesla Motors made their first profit since the company was created in 2003. Their cars are really expensive, but they have shown that people want electric cars and that it's possible to engineer very good electric cars all the while reducing their prices.

Will be painful to be a Volt customer on the bleeding edge...might want to wait a cupla years before the bugs are worked out.

Eventually I do want a hybrid. However this will depend on where I end up living...if you get a lot of snow I don't think you'll have enough power to get through drifts.

Originally Posted by lorend

Eventually I do want a hybrid. However this will depend on where I end up living...if you get a lot of snow I don't think you'll have enough power to get through drifts.

Tesla Motor's cars go 0-60mph in under 4 seconds... The car is actually speed limited so you can go over 125mph. You can go 220miles in one charge. Sure it's not practical for long distance driving, but most people don't drive long distances too often.

Originally Posted by lorend

Eventually I do want a hybrid. However this will depend on where I end up living...if you get a lot of snow I don't think you'll have enough power to get through drifts.

If you're living somewhere where snow fall is a huge problem, then it won't matter if it's a hybrid or not... cars generally won't get through thick and heavy drifts.

That's where you need an elevated vehicle with 4 wheel drive.

Originally Posted by MDCL

Will be painful to be a Volt customer on the bleeding edge...might want to wait a cupla years before the bugs are worked out.

I see the first few years of the Volt being very similar to the Smart Car. People will use it for city driving... beyond that, it won't be practical.

On a positive note, they're already building "charge stations" in the UK and large American cities, so it's only a matter of time before the infrastructure is there.

Originally Posted by Taunton

If you're living somewhere where snow fall is a huge problem, then it won't matter if it's a hybrid or not... cars generally won't get through thick and heavy drifts.

That's where you need an elevated vehicle with 4 wheel drive.

Meaning I'll need a truck, and there are only a few truck hybrids available right now. Making them more expensive than normal trucks.

Originally Posted by jhan523

Tesla Motor's cars go 0-60mph in under 4 seconds...

Was the acceleration stat for the Tesla meant to prove that it could accelerate enough to get through snow drifts?....Ever seen an overpowered rear-wheel drive in the snow?...its hilarious...

Originally Posted by MDCL

Was the acceleration stat for the Tesla meant to prove that it could accelerate enough to get through snow drifts?....Ever seen an overpowered rear-wheel drive in the snow?...its hilarious...

No, I'm pretty sure the Tesla cars aren't meant for snow. I'm pretty sure it's also rear-wheeled with the engine sitting in the back. Just saying that people underestimate the power of electricity.

Heh, I remember my chem teacher in grade 11 talking about hybrid vehicles. He was pretty much like "Ya, once we run out of oil, we're pretty screwed since jet airplanes won't work anymore". Everyone kept suggesting things like "what if someone builds a hydrogen/electric/nuclear/waffle powered airplane?", but he kept going "No.. that will never work for commercial/transport jets".

Not a very optimistic guy :p

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

Heh, I remember my chem teacher in grade 11 talking about hybrid vehicles. He was pretty much like "Ya, once we run out of oil, we're pretty screwed since jet airplanes won't work anymore". Everyone kept suggesting things like "what if someone builds a hydrogen/electric/nuclear/waffle powered airplane?", but he kept going "No.. that will never work for commercial/transport jets".

Not a very optimistic guy :p

Well let's not get down and start to suck each others d&cks quite yet...the back bone of the modern economy is, and will continue to be for some time now...oil. There's a big difference between a whack of people with disposable income up the ying yang tooling around in ultra low emission vehicles and converting an entire way of being to an alternative energy source. Likely your chem teacher knew that oil is the drug that pulses through our veins and there's gonna be some bad ass withdrawl symptons before we get to go on Oprah and share our feelings about how bad the rehab was...

Originally Posted by MDCL

Well let's not get down and start to suck each others d&cks quite yet...the back bone of the modern economy is, and will continue to be for some time now...oil. There's a big difference between a whack of people with disposable income up the ying yang tooling around in ultra low emission vehicles and converting an entire way of being to an alternative energy source. Likely your chem teacher knew that oil is the drug that pulses through our veins and there's gonna be some bad ass withdrawl symptons before we get to go on Oprah and share our feelings about how bad the rehab was...

I'm just waiting for the breakthrough that allows us to control a fusion reaction. Once that happens, we'll have unlimited clean energy, and we won't need dirty oil ever again!

Originally Posted by Taunton

I'm just waiting for the breakthrough that allows us to control a fusion reaction. Once that happens, we'll have unlimited clean energy, and we won't need dirty oil ever again!

It's nice to know there's a magical pixy fairy out there that grants gum drop wishes...interesting historical note...atomic energy in the 1950s was sold as unlimited clean energy for the future and beyond. There's no free lunch..everything comes with a cost...just because we can't see what the down side of fusion is, doesn't mean there isn't one.

Originally Posted by Taunton

I'm just waiting for the breakthrough that allows us to control a fusion reaction. Once that happens, we'll have unlimited clean energy, and we won't need dirty oil ever again!

We made quite a step toward it a few weeks ago. Although it was a small step. There are still so many questions that need to be answered in terms of safety. The last thing we want is a growing star on Earth.