Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragoneye
Re; cost of the Volt...nobody said fuel efficiency was going to be cheap. Over consecutive Model Years, they expect the Volt to lower in price...but it's never going to be the same price as a Cobalt, for instance. :(
And by "category" re: CAFE....I'm 99% sure he's referring to passenger vehicles / light trucks. Those are two distinct categories that CAFE allows different standards for. In other words, the Camaro should still be averaged with the Volt...But the Silverado won't be averaged with it.
|
In this case, I hope you are right. However Fritz did say all vehicles will meet or exceed CAFE standards for their classes and that GM has never missed the mark.. So that can be interpreted in a few ways. I just don't see how 16MPG city /25MPG highway rating muscle/sports cars (Camaro/Corvette) will escape a higher standard forced by the Government for much longer, no matter how many enthusiasts want the V8 down the road..
All these batteries used in electric/hybrid cars are very very expensive. I read an article that had Q&A with someone working on the Volt and there are plans to have the batteries recycled once they reach their halflife by selling them to a company that can use them later on "daisy changed" until they die completely. So I'm figuring GM must have a trade in program for the old battery since buying a replacement will cost a small fortune (the price of a Toyota corolla from the rumors I hear).
I wonder what would happen if they throw the Volt powerplant into the heavier Camaro? I wonder if it'll get at least 50mpg's even though it'll run slow as heck..Or perhaps the strain on the battery would be too great?