The new Volt is part of GM's so-called E-Flex strategy to develop a family of electric vehicle propulsion systems. The plan is to match the basic electric-drive system with various recharging sources, including engines that burn gasoline, ethanol and biodiesel fuels as well as hydrogen fuel cells. "Basically, the drive side will be a black box that can get electricity from a variety of sources," Zielinsky says. In Europe, the car would be fitted with a diesel engine, whereas in Brazil the power plant would burn E100 ethanol. Meanwhile, the fuel cell variant would feature a smaller battery for energy-storage purposes, as GM's next-generation, high-energy density fuel cell stack will be able to provide sufficient quantities of electricity to the motor on its own.
The well-known limitations of battery technology kept the EV-1 from practical and market success--and continue to hinder the progress of battery-only electric vehicles--but GM's development of the Volt just might lead to a new film titled: Who Revived the Electric Car?
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Add CommentIf there is a movie , who revived the electric car, it won't be GM. Even though, the Prius isn't an electric car but a hybrid, I believe Toyota will be known as the auto maker to have made the choice to spend the money on research and development of the Prius for consumers. They didn't lease them to consumers, squash them because consumers like them and feared they wouldn't buy the rest of their gas guzzling inventory. Alas, I hope the Volt falls on it's butt, I hope GM does too and the retirees and employees get every dime they deserve before hand.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe this to be the greatest development since sliced bread and the ONLY possible way to energy independence. Go GM and the US Gov. should be giving 3 times the incentives for this development than it ever gave for oil drilling and production.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSteven Ashley's article reads like a press release and fails to accurately represent the important implications revealed by the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo watch the film see:
http://watch-free-movies.org/documentaries/who-killed-the-electric-car.html.
For a description of GM's weak rebuttal see:
http://www.naturalnews.com/021135.html.
There are more politics here than meet the eye, and a responsible journalist would have written a more balanced story. This is important because the management who misrepresented the history of the events related to the EV-1, and who downplayed the revelations of the documentary is the same management which drove the company into its present financial crisis and had to be shamed into a more cooperative posture during the Congressional hearings. IN my opinion, GM doesn't need new press releases, it needs new management with less hubris.
the ONLY way an electric car, or at least one driven with an electric motor, will ever be mass produced is if GM does it. Remember, "So goes GM so goes the world". My actual favorite electric car is the Teslar. This a true totally electric car. If I just had the $102,000 to buy it! The "Karma" is also good. It looks exactly like the GM concept Volt. But it is $80,000 and on back order until 2011! Unfortunatly only GM can make an electric car in large enough volume to catch on. I just wish they had kept the concept design.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou're right. The EV1 had a rather large waiting list when they took the cars back from consumers and crushed them all (which they were able to do because the cars were only available through lease). There were many protests against car companies' discontinuation of plug in vehicles. This technology was more than enough for almost all Americans' daily commutes when first introduced. Just think of how much they could've been improved if they had continued making them until now, 13 years later. If you ask me, I think oil companies had a lot to do with the EV's disappearance.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisToday's PR says that the Volt gets 240 mpg city EPA rated. ( as long as you don't drive over 40 miles a day) Hell if you don't drive over 40 miles per charge just throw away the engine /generator set and get better performance and mileage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnly Government Motors can afford to sell an electric car at a price that a normal person can afford to pay.
No matter what the volume an electric car costs twice as much to build as a fuel engine car.
Only the well to do can afford to buy an electric car because they don't have to borrow at a costly rate to buy or lease the car. Cost of operation pay back takes too long to work for most people.
i wonder if future versions will incorporate flexible solar panel technology into their body work ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi wonder if future versions will incorporate flexible solar panel technology into their body work ?
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