Comments on: GM begins testing preproduction Chevy Volt prototypes [Video]

By: U-180

U-180 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:39:08 +0000

Volt
Front Track : 1535 mm
Rear Track : 1545 mm
Leght : 4540 mm
Widrth : 1750 mm
Wheelbase : 2640 mm
MAX 1400 kg
Wegth 1300 kg
Rear suspension : Torison beam
TEST : OVER STREET

By: JP future Volt owner

JP future Volt owner — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:50:38 +0000

Why has it been so long since someone left a comment?
I disagree with the hybrid thing. Wiki can define it any way they want to; but a hybrid is a hybrid ONLY if it drives the wheels. The Volt will ONLY start the engine if the charge gets low enough. THAT is what makes it an EREV. It only BECOMES a hybrid (if you must go there), when the engine is running. Until then, it’s an EV.
Next, not a SINGLE person spoke of the already approved tax credit of $7500. Therefore, the Volt will be $40K-$7500= $32,500. Is this expensive? YES!!!! Is it worth it? YES!!!! It will only cost 40 cents a day to charge it. If not driven over 40 miles a day, this equates to the 230 MPG that GM has announced. If you do the math, a Prius will cost you about $2.00 a day at the same 40 miles. However, WHEN gas prices go up, the Prius will cost more and the Volt will be getting charged by my solar panels at home.

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:04:34 +0000

GM. AN American Revolution

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:04:16 +0000

Because the Volt is gorgeous and the imports are fockin ugly. The imports don;t want you to be able to identify them when they’re on the back of a towtruck for the umpteenth time either.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:29:45 +0000

^^good point. Maybe they can’t afford it.

By: reedfast

reedfast — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:48:32 +0000

BTW how come this prototype has no camo at all, but the EURO and JAPAN imports are ridiculously camoed?

By: reedfast

reedfast — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:41:45 +0000

i can at least do that

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0000

I’m only a fan of his music, but not his behaviors, and i do not support the choices he has made. But the guy just died and everyone is in shock so lets at least show some respect right now.

By: A.J.

A.J. — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:08:14 +0000

BACK ON TOPIC. (sheesh)

While the Volt is revolutionary, it won’t get every single Prius/Insight buyer (but it will probably get some) into its driver’s seat. $30-40K for a base price isn’t that appealing, especially for the “mainstream” Chevrolet brand. But, I’m sure with each generation the price will go down and it will attract more and more buyers. Also, they moved the charging port! I hope that the new setup will still have plugs on both sides of the car.

On a side note, if the Volt goes 40 miles (completely) electrically for $35K (split the diff. between 30 and 40), and the Tesla ROADSTER, basically a rebodied Lotus inside and out, can go about 220 miles for $100K, I’m not sure if the sedan, a bigger, more technologically demanding vehicle can come out at $50K, tax breaks or not. It just doesn’t make sense…

By: reedfast

reedfast — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:55:59 +0000

it was a bit crude, but i just could not resist. I think we have found our resident MJ fan boy.
Now we have:
need more oil for GM
Need more oil for MJ

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:33:36 +0000

Sure as f*ck was. Damn shame I wasn’t looking sooner or I might have written it myself.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:18:38 +0000

^^That was terrible and not funny at all!

By: reedfast

reedfast — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:45:21 +0000

not yet, they say that his organs are not shut down yet, maybe the volt’s battery pack can shock him back to life in a huge publicity stunt, sending millions of people to GM dealerships, maybe with money, maybe with pitchforks.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:19:41 +0000

I know that this has nothin to do with cars, but Michael jackson has died.

By: cocojoe53

cocojoe53 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:09:18 +0000

Carstuff,
The Camero appeared in “production ready” form in 2005. If you consuder that this is basicly a reskinned Holden, not an all new design, that is a very long time. You are missing the entire point.I continually read about new GM products that are yet to appear, or for that matter are even close to appearing. Where the hell is the Cruz???? Been reading about that here for 3 years. The same old Colbalts are collecting dust at the dealerships. I saw a G8 3 years (At SEMA) 3 years!!!! before it made it to a dealership. GM spent 10 times the money promoting the car before it was available then they did after it finally arrived here. (DOA). GM has a long history of telling people to hold on, things are going to get better. I don’t want to see GM disappear. But compared to the way Alan Mulully has brilliantly restructed Ford, its hard to see how things are going to improve. (Hey Alan, by the way…They need you back at Boeing)

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:42:43 +0000

Thank you hoosierhero.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:40:55 +0000

I am a GM supporer but, they said the Traverse and the Malibu would beon top of the charts, but they are not, and they say the Equinox and the Cruze will burn up the charts, but are we sure? The Volt was to be a top seller in the hybrid/electric class, but we alll know that is not going to happen. The reality is the public is too stubborn to accept GM. My uncle works at Weber Chevrolet, and saus that sales are just as good as ever, and the bankruptcy isn’t effecting sales at all. He thinks that the Volt will pull through and sell good. But then again, Weber is a pretty popular dealer, and the one he works at in is a rich community. They have recieved orders for all three ZR1′s they will get and the people who bought them paid for them in cash. That will probably be the same for the Volt there too, but we will see.

By: iluvamcars

iluvamcars — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:42 +0000

carstuff, this is not a PR stunt, it is going to go on sale next year! GM has spend way too much in this just to say it was for kicks!

By: TL

TL — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:48:12 +0000

Wow. “Need more oil for GM” is back. * gasp *

The price of the car is very unattractive. I have to go with a Camry hybrid or Altima hybrid. Both sedans look stellar (well, at least compared to other well-known hybrids) and both start at a more reasonable price.

By: carstuff

carstuff — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:09:26 +0000

coco, could you try and prove what you just said about the longest development time, or are you just running at the mouth again?

By: HoosierHero

HoosierHero — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:53:18 +0000

Need more oil for GM must have been a part of the bailout. Grats!

I’m still not paying anywhere around the $40K rumored for a hybrid. No matter who is selling it.

By: Borat

Borat — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:57:47 +0000

NMOFGM, why buy it? We already own it! We paying for it either way.

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:57:41 +0000

“us” is the millions of faithful GM owners and their rabidly loyal fanbase. Get with the times.

By: foamypirate

foamypirate — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:55:35 +0000

Convince “us,” eh?

Clearly he is schizophrenic, too.

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:16:17 +0000

Get some glasses coco, you were at the Toyota or Honda dealership. What ou saw were the millions of rejected imports ready for the scrapheap. GM is the most respected name in the business. No BS ignoramous is going to convince us of anything otherwise. Get a clue.

By: cocojoe53

cocojoe53 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:06:18 +0000

They are already lined up at the door……..The door to the service dept, bringing there new Camero’s back to fix the ever expanding list of defects in a car thet set a record for the longest amount of time in development….

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:04:05 +0000

^ With the Prius and Insight, you get neither. All you get is ugly.

GM. An American Revolution

By: CADDY-V

CADDY-V — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:03:05 +0000

nmofgm:
I didn’t realize how much I missed yor comments till I read that last one. Your like 1115 but for GM.

By: Lawnchair88

Lawnchair88 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:00:30 +0000

It has been stated many times that you can have a Volt that looks great or you can have one that has great aerodynamics, not both.

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:46:06 +0000

No, the Prius costs less but that’s because you are buying the low quality and reliability that comes with every Toyota product. At 40 thousand dollars, you are getting an American vehicle built and backed by the #1 vehicle maker in the world. General Motors. They will ensure you that like any other GM product, the quality and reliability will be unsurpassed by anybody.

When you step back and take a look at the quality of this vehicle and the hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles that it will provide on ZERO gasoline, 40 thousand dollars is a bargain.

Don’t be a fool. Americans will be lined up out the door to get their hands on one of these hot new Volts. Everyone would rather drive a GM vehicle and the Volt promises to deliver.

Buy American. Buy GM. It is your patriotic duty

By: reedfast

reedfast — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:38:29 +0000

I would be fine with 2 mpg less for a car that i could drive in public.
And isn’t the prius even more expensive than this at something like 50k?

By: reedfast

reedfast — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:37:16 +0000

I would be fine with 2 mpg less for a car that i could drive in public.
And isn’t the prius even more expensive than this?

By: AFSOCSARGE

AFSOCSARGE — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:21:31 +0000

Flippo789
It is cool I you were 100% correct and I didn’t want anyone to dispute you. I just have an issue with some who never research something before they claim something and that is all there is. Using Period and having nothing to validate it or substantiate it is simply wrong.

-Sarge

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:19:39 +0000

An interesting car… but at nearly $40k they are not going to sell as well as Insight or Prius. Is the general public willing to pay $40k for a Chevrolet that isn’t a Corvette or Silverado?

By: leftwingagenda

leftwingagenda — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:11 +0000

the shape of the volt, as well as the insight and prius, is due simply to aerodynamics…that’s the most slippery shape for a car that has room for 4 adults and a trunk…it’s wedge-like, but it is what it is…don’t fool yourself into thinking they had the option of making the shape any different…they need the most aerodynamic shape as possible for efficiency, so you’re looking at it…if you can’t accept that, you’re not being realistic…

By: Flippo789

Flippo789 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:04 +0000

Thanks Sarge…..I agree…..but I think we already got that point worked out. Good explanation though.

By: moparsalesman1

moparsalesman1 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:02:35 +0000

I bet NMOFG wacks off on his race car bed with his chevy bed sheets while watching Transformers. That guy is completely dillusional and requires a fair amount of psychiatric med/treatment. Good luck to him and godspeed

By: carstuff

carstuff — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:02:02 +0000

Who cares what they call it.

The important thing is that 80% of whoever buys it will rarely if ever hear the engine run. Little to no gas will ever be used. Electricity will be MUCH cheaper, no matter what happens with cap and trade, than running with gasoline. The price of the vehicle will quickly drop (2-3 years).

And to the person who said that GM continues to work on it is because the government gave GM money is incorrect. The government just bought into GM starting 6 months ago. The Volt has been worked on continuously since the concept with no slowing down and is in fact 6 months ahead of schedule.

By: AFSOCSARGE

AFSOCSARGE — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:53:19 +0000

It is a Hybrid ! There are different Types of Hybrids 1. Parralell 2. Series 3. Series-parallel hybrid The Tesla is not a Hybrid it is an Electric Car. If it has a Fuel powered engine On-Board that creates Energy it is a “Hybrid”. Lets not fall victim to a “Marketing Ploy”.

Here are The Facts:

1.Parallel hybrid systems, which are most commonly produced at present, have both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor connected to a mechanical transmission.

2.Series or serial hybrid have also been referred to as a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV); however, range extension can be accomplished with either series or parallel hybrid layouts.

Series hybrid vehicles are more like a battery electric vehicle in design than an internal combustion vehicle or parallel hybrid. In a series hybrid system, the combustion engine drives an electric generator instead of directly driving the wheels. The generator both charges a battery and powers an electric motor that moves the vehicle

3.Power-split hybrid or series-parallel hybrid systems have features of both series and parallel hybrids. They incorporate power-split devices allowing for power paths from the engine to the wheels that can be either mechanical or electrical. The main principle behind this system is the decoupling of the power supplied by the engine (or other primary source) from the power demanded by the driver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_hybrid#Series_hybrid

The Chevy Volt is A Hybrid Period !

They are marketing it as a EV to get less Pressure from the Federal Government and a Higher MPG rating, regardless it is a Hybrid, if it has a Fuel powered engine that creates Energy in any type of form it is a Hybrid.

-Sarge

By: DenverGuy217

DenverGuy217 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:34:57 +0000

It definitely looks better in a dark color than the usual silver they show. And from the side, the center of the car looks a bit like the former VW Jetta 4-door. Now if they can figure out how to lop $8-10k off the price. Once the Cruze comes out, people shopping the Chevy dealers will say ‘why bother’ to the Volt…except for those GREEN Hollywood celebrities….

By: rpiotr01

rpiotr01 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:34:30 +0000

Has anyone done an analysis to see how much extra charging this thing up every night is going to add to the average American’s electric bill? Won’t cap-and-trade laws make this even more expensive to juice up? What are the real environmental benefits, since coal is still burned to create the electricity to juice it up, and isn’t a sizable amount of that energy lost in transfer from the plant to the car, thus greatly reducing overall efficiency?

By: Donfuy

Donfuy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:32:35 +0000

I am still not very fond of that rear. To me, it would be better if it had a conventional rear end, but I guess that’s what every hybrid/electric design has to have :/

Well, it definitely looks better than Prius and Insight.

Will it come to Europe, any day?

By: reedfast

reedfast — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:19:59 +0000

I wish it was true Need more oil, i do, but the fact is that GM is bankrupt and toyota is still selling way too many cheap vehicles to ignorant people who look at the price tag and nothing else.
Also, the rear visibility for this prototype looks awful, i mean the driver is going to have like, 5 inches to see out the back. I wish there were some way to make electric/hybrid vehicles look better.

By: idrinorbarsaku

idrinorbarsaku — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:15:44 +0000

sj79,
no doubt that 40 miles will go higher in the times to come, but at $40k, this won’t be just a grocery getter car like the cobalt was, this will replace most 1st cars that people have, regardless of what people at GM say!

What I want to know is, is it more efficient(mpg) to have a generator create electricity that powers the wheels, or an engine that powers the wheels(like the prius)?

By: MercMark

MercMark — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:05:19 +0000

Too expensive, plus it will get killed off in a year or so.