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Originally Posted by Supermans
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..
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I'm watching the video now...so I can't comment on things he's said, yet...I'm only1/3 of the way through....BUT...I've heard people at GM say they want all their cars to meet or exceed class leading numbers before...not sure if that's what he meant to say...that being said, sports cars are safe, imo...that average factor of CAFE saves them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Supermans
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).
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Yep...
very expensive. The Volt's Lithium battery technology runs about $1k for every kilowatt-hour. The Volt's battery is roughly $16k. However, it will only wear down roughly ~90% in ten years, iirc. This technology is expected, however, to drop in price rather significantly like other electronic devices in the coming years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Supermans
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?
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That's not an answerable question, sadly. :(. You can't just drop the Voltec powertrain into any car. The batteries run down a central, T-shaped cavity in the vehicle, and things like driveshafts and transmissions don't mean squat anymore. While there's the added burden of a couple electric motors. The car has to be engineered from the get-go for this powertrain. If this will happen, expect to see it in a sixth-gen Camaro based on a smaller, lighter RWD platform.
Second, weight a huge issue with these electric drive cars in terms of load and strain on the battery/motors. Just like turbochargers, electric motors canbe matched in size and capacity to a vehicle. If the Volt got a 230 city rating, I can't imagine a Camaro-sized/weight car getting any less than 150.
And 'slow' is quite the assumption. I imagine that if the proper motors were used, the car would be no slower than the V6 Camaro...these things have a LOT of torque.
