2010 Chevy Volt: In Person [Pics]
Only four Chevy Volt models are actually built and out in the world, and I had the pleasure of seeing one in person at the 2009 Aspen Environment Forum. As I’m a blogger, not a photographer, you’ll have to excuse my photos - these are the best of about 25 I took when the car was on display inside (not the best lighting).
- » See also: Is the Renault-Nissan Alliance Going in Two Different Electric Car Directions?
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The latest buzz is that GM will begin building the 2010 Volt by June 1, with 10 a week being built until a fleet of 80 has been manufactured. The price is still to be determined, but the word is somewhere around $40,000.
They didn’t let us drive it, and weren’t too keen on even letting us sit in it, but we all got free espresso drinks…
The Voltec Electric Propulsion System has a range of 40 miles on a full charge, using no gasoline or tailpipe emissions, and a FlexFuel powered generator can extend the range for several hundred miles. The battery charges with either 120V or 240V via the plug shown above. Charge time on 120V is about 8 hours, and on 240V is less than 3 hours.
Mark & Al H,
Some people just don’t read I guess. Al, you can travel 50 miles before it uses gas, not total 50 miles. It’s a plug in Hybrid! If you travel more than 50 miles, only then does it need its gasoline engine.
And for you Mark, I leave you to research just how many hybrid vehicles GM has on the road today
(hint: it’s more than Toyota or Honda).
I find the uninformed mindless dribble of several bloggers on this sight such as Mark comments made on 29th of march 2009 at 8:01, to be typical of the brain washed and misguided intellect of current so called citizens of our country. They still refuse to get with the program. Our country has to unite as one and start supporting our industries here in the US. Companies like Toyota and Honda have being brain washing Americans in to believing that the technology they us in there American sold units are of some great technological feet that they came up with on there own. RUBBISH!!! The tech they so proudly display as there own has come from the suppliers of the same origin. That origin is American suppliers of American companies ,that have all there profits stay here in America, not sent back to Japan for there countries enjoyment.
And as far as his comment that it will be 10 years before they make a enough vehicles. They demand for said vehicles here have being proven to be well below the numbers that even Toyota had hopped for. Why Produce more vehicles than you have demand for. While I’m economy 101, let’s deal with the thought that we need non fosal fuel consuming vehicles all together. 90 percent of refinment and prouduction of light crude oil is owned by a cartel called OPEC. Our country and all most all of the world is financial dependant on the succes of this cartel. Hense we as a world can’t just suddenly stop using fossil fuels on a drop of the hat. And what about plastic, what’s going to replace potrulium in the pruduction of plastics that hold the batteries that run this electric cars?
These few of many examples I have used proves that this isn’t a problem so easily solved or it would have being done already. So before you go spouting of at the mouth about how companies like GM are just in it for fun, keep in mind that for the last 12 years they have being the instrument from wich the tech behind those batteries have being financed and developed. Instead of Damning them to hell we should applauding them for there direction and effort. Oh ya, the Prius gets 48 miles to the gallon and the Volt gets approximately 125 rough estimate hence possible twice the price tag.
If you want to here more of the truth I’m available here I’ll be waiting for your comments.
In response to yet another miss informed so called American. Troy comments made on March 30th of 2009 at 6:39 PM. The Tesla’s starting price point is $50,000.00. You will have to shell out $5000.00 in cash to order one that won’t be available until 2012. By a company dependent on GM’s battery technology to preform the way they claim.
Most Americans can neither afford or have use for a vehicle of it’s type or everyone would be driving one like it already. The concept is as old as the hills. The ability to use it or want it, still remains to be seen. It’s range is limited to 220 miles and it can’t be just simply plugged in to an every day socket like the Volt. The car requires there extremely expensive and very bulky charging system and adapters. You can’t even fit the thing in the trunk. The company does not bother telling the general public that the charging system is estimated at an extra cost of $4300.00.
The Volt uses it’s FLEX Fuel or gasoline engine to recharge it’s battery packs almost indefinitely. Currently in the US the most widely used product to produce electricity is OIL. Until this fact changes we are still dependent on it. Even if we all go out and buy an electric vehicles. Which incidentally the products used to produce the entire vehicle are derived or produced by OIL.
So if you didn’t know before, you know now!
Yes, Ignorance is Bliss!
Finally Brian with a brain. It’s refreshing to hear some one else you has not just listened to the politically motivated garbage of the media and the mindless ad campaign forced upon our society buy Toyota and Honda.
People you must investigate before you report or you are just part of the problem and not the solution.
I believe the purpose of this site and many like it is. The belief that advancements in chemically produced bio fuels, the dedication to alternative fuels like wind and solar are the answer to the Revolution not the simply stop gap solutions that are planet needs.
Frank, I agree with you a bit in terms of the sheer volume of coal-generated energy in this country and more attention needs to shift toward renewable power sources. Mountaintop removal coal mining is unfortunate, but there have already been bills to reinstate the parts of the Clean Water Act that were quietly repealed during the last eight years. We are on our way to sweeping out mountaintop removal. Anyway, I feel it is still important to embrace these new technologies because there’s high potential that it will become truly clean in the future. We should be developing these technologies now rather than waiting for the power companies to catch up.
A follow up to my earlier comment:
Can the average American afford it. Can he or she wait that long. Will Tesla still be able to offer the vehicle at that price. Will it really do what they say it will. Will they be around still.
Read there web sight. Click on there buy tab. Then pick your country. Choose the Model S. Under Availability:(0n the right hand side of the page)
Deliveries to begin in 2012
Refundable Reservation $5,000
And while your at it. Check out the foot note next to the price of $49,900 indicated by an *’s.
It says: The anticipated base price of the Model S is $57,400. Price includes $7,500 US federal tax credit.
All Tesla vehicles qualify for the full $7,500 US federal tax credit on battery-powered cars.
Tesla’s also qualify for state incentives, sales tax waivers and rebates.
How many changes in the next 3 years is our countries Tax Credits going to go through before you can apply it to your Model S.
If you take the example of Tax Credits that Toyota customers were receiving for there vehicles; That they are all out of credits for now. Apply that to your equation and watch the possibility of you cost of ownership rise.
By the way the Model S only get about 122 miles on a charge. It is the Model S Premium,Roadster and Roadster Sport that get the longer intervals.
Read the pricing and Refundable Deposits on those models and see if you can afford it or use it or want it!
$100,000.00 Plus
Why do you think they need these deposits. It’s so they can invest and build and buy the batteries and other components they need.
At least I hope that’s what they need it for. Hopefully its not to retire on, in a non-extraditing country to leave in.
Again, no guarantee only wishful thinking.
What do you think?
Another piece of great info about Tesla Motor’s. I just found this while still trying hard to find some solid info on an exact production model in existence. I provided a Website: Copy and Paste http://earth2tech.com/2008/07/15/teslas-former-pr-director-files-lawsuit/
I don’t know whats wrong with the Anti-GM people here. Especially the silly man and his wife below me (heh.) Maybe they forgot an oil change. I’ve owned my Silverado now for awhile and I love it. Its a nice vehicle and still runs just as well as when i bought it a few years ago. Care of a vehicle directly affects its longevity. I’m sure this one will do just fine, just curious about its MPG on its flex fuel engine.
Alfonso It is very hard to give exact MPG’s on one portionof a Hybrid Electric vehicle. The system on the Volt uses a combination of electric and fuel engine during most of the vehicles opperation at the same time so calculating the exact amount of one poryion is not the real issue. It’s overall MPG is around 120. Thats on the low side.
However the numbers when the EPA decides to mark them might be lower. They are discussing weither or not to take an avarage of oil produced electricity and equate that in as a factor.
At any rate the Volt will be the longest ranging highest fuel millage vehicle on the road.