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AZEqualizer
02-01-2008, 10:40 AM
So what do you think GM's direction and motives are.... Will their effort hinder or help?
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The Volt is radically different than any on the road today. Although agreement about definitions vary, GM doesn’t not consider it a hybrid. Current hybrids cars (http://www.gm-volt.com/about/#), such as the Prius, are defined as parallel hybrids, meaning they have a small electric motor that moves the car when it is going slowly, but when speed or acceleration increases, a gasoline motor kicks in. The Volt, however, is considered an extended-range electric vehicle (http://www.gm-volt.com/about/#) (E-REV). It has a very powerful all-electric 161-horsepower 45KW (53 KW peak) motor that is the only engine to power the car at all times. This engine should be capable of moving the car from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds, and have a top speed of at least 100 mph.
The electric engine gets its juice from a very powerful high-voltage battery pack that can store enough energy to drive the car up to 40 miles in standard driving conditions.

$40K, 40Miles in all electric mode - "We're talking about large numbers -- in the tens of thousands,....It's not a niche market." GM VP Jon Lauckner.

Source {GM press release and GM-Volt.com (http://www.gm-volt.com)}

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2003/2173195022_76e6cc7a7a.jpg?v=0

Mark Tomlinson
02-02-2008, 02:38 AM
GM's efforts will help.

They appear to be completely serious about the Volt, or at least the E-Flex platform. The fact that Johnson Controls just opened a plant in France to build batteries for GM and Chrysler EVs underscores the point.

Regardless of whether the Volt competes with the Tesla WhiteStar or Miles or whomever, they are in the sedan marketplace. I don't see them as a competitor to the V1. I full well intend to park my V1 next to my WhiteStar.

Getting a major American automaker in the xEV marketplace is going to drive battery costs down and performance up. And that can only be good news for Venture.