Comments on: Chevy Volt Test Drive: How GM's Electric Car Works [+pictures]

By: The Idiot’s Guide to Cars for Idiots! « Todays Rant

The Idiot’s Guide to Cars for Idiots! « Todays Rant — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:05:19 +0000

[...] with MSN writer Lawrence Ulrich, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen has said that the Chevy Volt will fail and that anybody who buys the car is an idiot. Not only that, de Nysschen has lumped [...]

By: OT: GM corporation finally gone. - AACA Forums

OT: GM corporation finally gone. - AACA Forums — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:33:58 +0000

By: Guest 2

Guest 2 — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:12:07 +0000

That’s a great point Jesse. I am sure they do some kind of validation and testing in house. Basically the battery pack is the electronic version of a gas tank, so its safety has critical. No one want a repeat of the laptop battery incidents with a 100 cell stack.

By: Jesse Batsche

Jesse Batsche — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:45:57 +0000

It’s important to note that to FULLY evaluate battery packs at a facility such as this, several different styles of testing would need to be performed:
One level of testing would be needed to evaluate the performance of the Lithium Ion cells themselves to evaluate charge/discharge characteristics, energy density, and thermal behavior.
The second (more complicated) level of testing is evaluating the BMS, that is, the Battery Management System circuitry that monitors the state (voltages, temperatures, etc) of individual battery cell modules and of the full battery pack as a whole. Correctly performing this these tests usually involves simulating and controlling all inputs the BMS encounters in normal vehicle operation, subjecting it to any possible conditions it would encounter in the real world, and making sure it responds correctly in all cases.
An example of this approach can be found here:
http://www.dmcinfo.com/Case-Studies/View/ProjectID/236/Battery-Management-System-BMS-Test-Stand-2nd-Generation.aspx
The third level of testing is to validate all functional and performance characteristics of the battery pack as a whole (ie once the cells have been fully assembled into the completed pack that will go in a vehicle). This includes testing the diagnostic (CAN) communications between the pack itself (from the BMS) to the vehicle’s Engine Control Unit (ECU), and all operational characteristics (things like contactor operation, safety fault monitoring and reporting, electrical wiring and isolation, etc). Additionally, high power cycling of the pack needs to be performed to simulate actual real world drive profiles to determine qualities like the battery’s energy capacity, which in turn is directly related to the vehicle’s range it can travel on a single charge. An example of an automated test system for this level of testing can be found here:
http://www.dmcinfo.com/Case-Studies/View/ProjectID/121/Hybrid-Electric-Vehicle-Battery-Test-System.aspx

By: The Genius

The Genius — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:48:11 +0000

How about this.. Take the crapy gas engine out, and replace it with ANOTHER Generator and ATTACH them BOTH to the REAR wheels and use the battery to move the car until the car reaches lets say, 10 MPH. Now as the car is MOVING IT WILL TURN the 2 Generators and RECHARGE THE BATTERIES and YOU will never have to CHARGE the STUPID THING AGAIN.. OR STOP FOR GAS.. WHOS THE MAN>>>>>>> EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT THE PATENT>>

By: The Genius

The Genius — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:48:00 +0000

By: Michael C. Robinson

Michael C. Robinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:00:54 +0000

I think that BEVs are a mistake and always will be a mistake.

A practical car has a 300-500+ mile range fully fueled. Whether that fuel is electricity stored in a battery or hydrogen stored somehow is irrelevant. The $100k totally impractical 2 seater Tesla Roadster cannot go 244 miles if only 70% of the quoted range is guaranteed. At 70% of quoted, you are talking 170 miles to depletion of battery.

Between platinum nanowire and other technologies, the cost of fuel cells and the size of them is dropping rapidly. It’s possible to build a compact fuel cell car now.

The Volt’s battery I hear isn’t 400 pounds, but 450 pounds.

That battery is evidently $15k to produce. At $20k you are

talking what most people want to pay for a new car. The

Volt’s price won’t be under $30k, it will $45k+. Government

rebates just hide the actual cost of the Volt, these are rebates you pay for in your taxes.

There is a better way than the Volt barring a breakthrough

in wireless transmission of electricity or a substantial increase in battery energy density. That better way is

fuel cells. We need to start building hydrogen refueling stations now. Even if the primary source of hydrogen is methane, that is a huge improvement over gasoline.

Even if the $15k price tag for the Volt’s battery is cut

in half, that only drops the price of the Volt down to

$37,500. That would be great, but I don’t see it happening

and even if it does the Volt would still be too expensive.

2015 is going to be the year for fuel cell cars and Daimler

at least says that they’ll sell a fuel cell car for $30k.

For most of the major automakers to say 2015 is the year for

fuel cell cars, that isn’t much time. That’s only 6 years away. Toyota has a prototype fuel cell SUV right now developed in 2008 that has a 518 mile range using 10k PSI hydrogen tanks. Honda has the Clarity which can go 270

miles on a 5k PSI hydrogen tank. For GM, there is the

Chevy Volt hydrogen and the Sequel. The Sequel isn’t very

impressive, but then I haven’t seen a release that uses GM’s

most advanced fuel cell technology.

By: Michael C. Robinson

Michael C. Robinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0000

I think that BEVs are a mistake and always will be a mistake.

Between platinum nanowire and other technologies, the cost of fuel cells and the size of them is dropping rapidly. It’s possible to build a compact fuel cell car now.

The Volt’s battery I hear isn’t 400 pounds, but 450 pounds.

That battery is evidently $15k to produce. At $20k you are

talking what most people want to pay for a new car. The

Volt’s price won’t be under $30k, it will $45k+. Government

rebates just hide the actual cost of the Volt, these are rebates you pay for in your taxes.

There is a better way than the Volt barring a breakthrough

in wireless transmission of electricity or a substantial increase in battery energy density. That better way is

fuel cells. We need to start building hydrogen refueling stations now. Even if the primary source of hydrogen is methane, that is a huge improvement over gasoline.

Even if the $15k price tag for the Volt’s battery is cut

in half, that only drops the price of the Volt down to

$37,500. That would be great, but I don’t see it happening

and even if it does the Volt would still be too expensive.

2015 is going to be the year for fuel cell cars and Daimler

at least says that they’ll sell a fuel cell car for $30k.

For most of the major automakers to say 2015 is the year for

miles on a 5k PSI hydrogen tank. For GM, there is the

Chevy Volt hydrogen and the Sequel. The Sequel isn’t very

impressive, but then I haven’t seen a release that uses GM’s

most advanced fuel cell technology.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:41:24 +0000

Very balanced reporting. But one issue, “stops working after 40 miles”.

As someone who has on occaision (so I’m a bit absent minded…)run out of gas, let me say that gas cars can also “stop working after 15 gallons”.

Just needs to be plugged in after 40 miles, is the equivalent of “need to stand in a smelly gas station and ….”

Actually, plugging in takes a second. Refilling takes 5 smelly minutes.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Very balanced reporting. But one issue, “stops working after 40 miles”.

As someone who has on occaision (so I’m a bit absent minded…)run out of gas, let me say that gas cars can also “stop working after 15 gallons”.

Just needs to be plugged in after 40 miles, is the equivalent of “need to stand in a smelly gas station and ….”

Actually, plugging in takes a second. Refilling takes 5 smelly minutes.