Comments on: Chevy Volt Needs Premium Fuel, But Why?

By: apex

apex — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:02:53 +0000

When GM unveil their plan to green the world’s electricity supply, I might consider buying one of these.

Government is the most financially undisciplined customer a business will ever have. Not surprising they pay big bucks to move pollution from one area to another. It makes people think pollution is gone.

Problem solved.

By: apex

apex — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:02:00 +0000

When GM unveil their plan to green the world’s electricity supply, I might consider buying one of these.

Problem solved.

By: WantingAVolt

WantingAVolt — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:04:14 +0000

Repeat after me… GM will only make about 12,000 Volts the first model year and will sell them not matter how much they charge for them. GM will make more volts in future model years where the price will fall as volumes increase…

By: WantingAVolt

WantingAVolt — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:04:00 +0000

By: cgrey8

cgrey8 — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:47:35 +0000

I suspect the premium requirement has to do with the fact that they actually expect you to not use much gasoline. They actually expect the fuel in the tank will sit and age for much longer than it would in a traditional vehicle’s tank. As gasoline ages (particularly in the summer), it looses octane rating. So while the engine is probably quite capable of running on Regular 87 octane, they don’t want the engine trying to run on “aged” 87 octane that has degraded to ~84 octane. So they recommend 91/93 premium octane, so if the fuel ages, it ages down to 87.

I don’t know this for fact, but I’m betting this is the deal.

By: cgrey8

cgrey8 — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:47:00 +0000

I don’t know this for fact, but I’m betting this is the deal.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:14:57 +0000

Yep, MaxHedrm is correct. That higher octane is going to allow for higher compression ratios, and intern will deliver more power. . Now in most cars you have different options of what to do with that. You can tune a car for performance or efficiency. In Christopher’s experience that has always meant more performance, but not here. This isn’t a traditional car engine. It’s a generator. You see the difference is your car engine has to go many different speeds and make a large range of power. The generator goes one speed, and it can be tune to run very efficiently at this speed. There aren’t the massive pumping losses that are present in car engines…

Okay, I could go on and on, but let’s just say they did if for efficiency, and that’s what it’s really all about.

And, Constantin, what’s with the shouting. Lets be productive here.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:14:00 +0000

Okay, I could go on and on, but let’s just say they did if for efficiency, and that’s what it’s really all about.

And, Constantin, what’s with the shouting. Lets be productive here.

By: PL

PL — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:35:46 +0000

Yea, with Chevy Volt’s stratospheric price tag just won’t make much of an impact where it is needed the most with the middle and lower class. Our society needs a very affordable 80+mpg car. Anything less is just for show and no go!

By: PL

PL — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:35:00 +0000