Would you buy an electric car?

[TiE2000]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Ironically enough I just gave a speech about this very topic on Tuesday in Communications class.

930 words, 5 minutes, 46 seconds.

This I did not know about the volt... to be honest, I don't do much following up with any electric cars.

So lets call me foot in mouth

[Camaro_Corvette]

Originally Posted by TiE2000

This I did not know about the volt... to be honest, I don't do much following up with any electric cars.

So lets call me foot in mouth

LMAO, Now you know Love the volt, and I can't wait for it to hit the market. I hope it sells. But is it for me, not at the moment. There are a bunch of cars on my list right now, and the volt is not even making the page.

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Ironically enough I just gave a speech about this very topic on Tuesday in Communications class.

930 words, 5 minutes, 46 seconds.

Could you clarify a line from this: Features such as dynamic climate control of the battery pack help extend the service life of the Volt and its battery to an estimated 10 years or 100,000 miles

Is 10 years/100K miles the warranty on that, or is that the general life expectancy. If it is life expectancy, that is unacceptably short. I for one would never buy a car without a reasonable expectation of getting more than 100,000 miles out of its powertrain, particularly if it cost $40K.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

Could you clarify a line from this: Features such as dynamic climate control of the battery pack help extend the service life of the Volt and its battery to an estimated 10 years or 100,000 miles

Is 10 years/100K miles the warranty on that, or is that the general life expectancy. If it is life expectancy, that is unacceptably short. I for one would never buy a car without a reasonable expectation of getting more than 100,000 miles out of its powertrain, particularly if it cost $40K.

Not sure about the warranty, but no, that isn't the general life expectancy, and I probably should've worded that clearer.

Basically, the Volt's battery will hold full charge until that time. Think of it like a laptop's or cell phone's battery, eventually it'll start losing charge as it ages. Once the Volt hits around 10 years/100,000 miles, you may start seeing less EV range as you go. So after 15 years, you'll get maybe 30ish miles on one recharge instead of 40. Your Volt will still function, just not as well as it did when it was new.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by TiE2000

Never! Electric cars are a step back IMO, Hydrogen is the way of the future.

I don't know about any of you, but some of my best memories are long road trips with family and friends. Electric cars just don't have the range.

Sure you can recharge them... but who wants to recharge every 200 miles or so... usually waiting up to 3 hours to get a full charge.

The most efficient way to use hydorgen is as a fuel cell vehicle, in which case it is still an electric car, you're just using a different sort of battery. They will still need the same sorts of electric motors and accessory systems (like electric A/C). Pure electric cars would be a stepping stone. Besides, it will take at least 50 years before there is a decent hydrogen infrastructure built. Something needs to be done in the meantime.

Originally Posted by CaniacFan

No way, my daily commute is almost 40 miles and most can't go that far on a single charge. Maybe in 5 yrs when we can see how everything shakes out. But again, I really love my manual transmission and I envision an electric like a "fancy" golf cart. Plus, originally the Volt was going to cost over $40k...

Every electric car I've ever heard of has a range of at least 40 miles. And the hybrid Volt might cost around 40k, before the tax credits come in. Expect to start paying in the low 30's

Originally Posted by rmnc3r

Nah, I hate paying the Electric Company any more than necessary; they overcharge in order to pay bloated union wages and benefits as well as redistribute wealth in the form of 'subsidies' to pay for 'energy saving retrofits' and siphon off millions of dollars to municipalities
Use less gas, yes, but one will wind up paying far more for electricity. It's a misguided and false panacea.

Not to mention the potential for real hazardous and toxic waste from the spent batteries.

Perversely, the Utility Companies use the excuse that lower usage necessitates rate increases because
usage and therefore revenue is down.

Oil companies are railed upon as 'Evil' - I think Electric Utility Companies are more far more insidious.

Yeah, supporting jobs in your own country is a lot worse than sending money to Venezuela or Iran for oil

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

Could you clarify a line from this: Features such as dynamic climate control of the battery pack help extend the service life of the Volt and its battery to an estimated 10 years or 100,000 miles

Is 10 years/100K miles the warranty on that, or is that the general life expectancy. If it is life expectancy, that is unacceptably short. I for one would never buy a car without a reasonable expectation of getting more than 100,000 miles out of its powertrain, particularly if it cost $40K.

That is the guaranteed life expectancy. After 10 years/100k the battery will still deliver its full charge and get you the 40 miles (give or take) of electric range.