97camaross

iTrader: (6)

Today I got invited to a seminar and test drive at rice university over the new chevy volt. The car honestly drove real nice, I fit in it pretty good(Im 6.6). The seminar was about 45 min. here are a couple key things that were said... The price for the volt will start at around 41k(the only options for the car is a back up camera and leather everything else is standard) that's without the rebates; after the rebates it should come out to around 33k;it also comes with 5 years of on-star standard. The car was designed to last 10 years, the battery will have a 8 year 100k mile warranty. there are two ways to charge the volt (1) using a regular 110v home outlet and that takes about 10 hours to charge (2) using a 240v outlet (similar to the one used for a household dryer) that has to be professionally installed (at an extra cost) and it takes 4 hours to charge. The battery is designed to go 40 miles on a full charge; the cost to recharge the volt if it is fully discharged it about USD 1.50. One more fun fact the engine has to be running if you want the heater on full blast...

Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures.

bore.me

iTrader: (15)

Nice!

97camaross

iTrader: (6)

oh ya they should be on the show room floor in about 4 weeks. The only city in texas that will have them will be Austin....

Pipelayaz

iTrader: (2)

I like the front end the most.

charlie_gonzales

iTrader: (12)

That's be nice if you had an under 40 mile drive round trip to work...1.50 isn't bad...save you money in the long run for sure...even at 33k if you got all the rebates

zamora7

iTrader: (4)

Voltec! The new small block!

retardedpenguin

iTrader: (2)

40 miles though just isn't enough, that's going to get a lot of people in trouble. 80-100 miles would be perfect, enough to get where you need to go and not have to worry the least bit about be stranded. It would suck to go to work, come home and realized you forgot to get milk on the way home but you can't go back for 8 hours. What are you going to eat your cereal with the next morning?

Think of the consequences.

97camaross

iTrader: (6)

Its not a full electric car is what is called an extended range electric vehicle. It has a gas engine that on a full tank of gas(I believe 7 gallons) will last over 300 miles.The lithem Ion battery that Gm is using only uses about 1/3 of the power its capable of. they chose to make the range of the pure electric part 40 miles because 80%(actually78% to be exact) of Americans travel than less than 40 miles per day... In the seminar they explained if thy wanted to they could of made a car that could go 80 to 100 miles on a full charge like the first gen EV1(which was a full electric vehicle) they do have the technology but they explained it just was not reasonable...

Just realize that this is the first generation in the generations to come charging time will decrease and millage will increase.

No car like this has ever been developed let alone put into mass production.

retardedpenguin

iTrader: (2)

Oh ok, I thought the Volts were purely electric. Have no clue how these things work but I but I wonder if they could be made to move pretty quick with electrical mods like with an R/C car.

97camaross

iTrader: (6)

The computers are so advanced on the volt it will not except any mods and its not like your just messin with a 12 volt R/C car this Is a 300 volt system that without using the proper tools, knowledge, and precautions the normal individual that is not trained in the volt system can kill them selves real easy.

Also just realize that alot of the training and seminars that I have been to regarding the volt have been very specific. And im putting it simplest terms. (this is a very advanced vehicle)



oh some more info that I forgot to add:
-GM recommends that the oil be changed every 2 years.
-The fuel system is under a vacuum to protect/reduce the break down time
-every 45 days if the gas engine has not come on the computer will run it for a short period of time to run all the fluids through the eng.
-every 6 months if the gas engine has not come on the computer will turn it on and for an alotted time to use an allotted amount of gas so there is not bad gas in the tank(the volt has fuel condition sensors)

jmurray87

iTrader: (1)

Yeah once the battery is empty the gas engine takes over so you dont get stuck in the road or something.


I think 40 miles is rather impressive for a charge and more then plenty of people can use that and never use gas in a day so really the idea works and it looks great so I hope to see it do rather well.

minytrker

iTrader: (13)

40 miles is ok but hell I drove my lifted golf cart 20 miles on back roads @19mph Sat on a charge and it still had about 30% batt left when I got back. You would think with all the advances and technology in that car it could go further.

GTRACER88

I actually raced that exact volt down a track. Lol!! The car is always using the electric motor. The first 40 miles are purely electric with no gasoline power, then after the 40 miles the gasoline engine is used to charge and power the electric motor. So technically it will use the electric motor all of the time.

oChristiano

iTrader: (6)

Your also talking alot heavier of a car, with full creature comforts.

1c62nv

iTrader: (3)

Wrong forum!!! Our cars burn fossil fuels!!!!!!! JK!!

98Roller

iTrader: (1)

Why only Austin, or was you being sarcastic about the kind of people in Austin?

-Ross-

iTrader: (2)

If it can be had for $33k after rebates, it's really not a bad deal at all for someone with less than a 40 mile roundtrip to/from work.

slayer_taunu

iTrader: (3)

i got to sit in one of these at a GM open house at a dealership north of dallas. wasnt bad by any means, but absolutley didnt feel like a $41k vehicle. the Cruze LTZ at $23k was nicer on the inside. i was originally interested in getting one of these for a DD until i saw the price. if its not priced competitively priced with the prius, its not going to sell in any kind of volume. personally, i'm going to wait until they come out with the 2nd generation models before i seriously consider something like this.

97camaross

iTrader: (6)

no I was not being sarcastic they are only going to about 15 citys for the first coupple months...the only state that will have have volts at every dealer will be cali.

keep in mind that the prius is a hybrid and the volt is a extended range electric car... hybrid technology has been out for quite a while and is becoming "CHEAP".. while on the other hand this(volt) is the first vehicle of its kind...

Sales2@Texas-speed

iTrader: (5)

Bingo! It is a heavy vehicle with safety features designed to protect you in a crash it has to haul around, and it goes a bit over 19mph

I don't get what the "designed to last 10 years" means....what is designed to fail or only last 10 years on the vehicle?

I'd drive the crap out of this thing if it was priced a bit lower....it'd still take me quite a while to make up the 33K in gas savings!