Like CEO Dan Akerson, Bob Lutz considers himself to be a conservative and a member of the Republican party. His negative thoughts on global warming are well documented, and yet, he finds no reason — unlike radical GOP talking heads Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and friends — to make a political punching bag out of the Chevy Volt.
You’re probably thinking that he gets paid not to say such things. However, he’s also on the board of directors for the electric vehicle fleet company VIA Motors, and claims the Volt was his idea all along. Its undeniable champion, he wrote in a blog post for Forbes. Lutz also pointed out that this is exactly how the misinformed conservatives would react to the Volt’s fire incident, calling it some sort of socialist “exploding Obamamobile” and blah blah blah, rabble rabble rabble. But he calls out his fellow party members for spreading false information, such as when O’Reilly, who thinks his show is some kind of “No Spin Zone” claimed that “several have caught fire”. Let it be known, that nobody’s Volt caught fire out there in real life, compared to an artificial crash test and total lack of follow-through. Well, there was that garage incident in Connecticut where a Volt was a fire casualty, but not a fire catalyst.
But, it has to be an Obamamobile! A car for commys! Something that the socialists want to shove down all of our throats! Because after all, it made its debut when Obama was in office, right! Sure. Obama and friends must have also been there in 2006, when its development was just underway. The socialists were probably there too when former president George dubbya Bush signed off on the first wave of rescue loans.
It’s a scary time we live in, where the masses ignorantly accept what the illuminating rectangles in their living rooms are preaching to them, trusting every word, rather than doing any form of independent research for themselves. *Sigh*. But of course, it’s an election year. Everyone needs a rabble stick. Or a fighter jet.
Moving opposite to market trends.
With four model years recommended for purchase.
This example is a former NCRS award winner.
Many automakers oppose right-to-repair laws citing cybersecurity concerns.
Breaking out the spec sheets for a comparison.
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Tune in tomorrow for another edition of: "As The Gas Prices Rise". Nobody expects gen I Volt to sell as well as Gen II and III Prius and it's offshoots did.
Volt out-Priuses Prius, but at a price too high for the sweetspot of Prius buyers. Lithium batteries just need to get less expensive and a bit more power-dense. If recent reports of new cathode materials pan out, and battery prices come down, PHEVs will be a very popular option. As is, the standard hybrid drivetrains available today will provide a stepping stone for buyers intent upon reducing their gasoline expenditures.
Ideally, GM would be where Toyota is with it's hybrid line - but Toyota started ten years before GM got the message. Unfortunately, most of what is happening today in getting off fossil fuels is motivated by legislature, not mankind realizing EVs and hybrids are a superior way toward national security and independence. We would think all of us would realize we just cannot keep on adding on horsepower+weight to make the commute to and from work 5 days per week - that it doesn't make for a better world for those who'll follow us. This is not what motivates the majority of humans - it's when it hits them in the pocketbook.
Gas prices draw customers to car dealers who sell hybrids like light draws mosquitoes to a campsite. Those buyers feel the pain at the pump, then their eyes are opened - yet experts have proven that Americans' memory of gasoline price spikes is 3 months. The price goes down, people resume buying SUVs, ponycars and fullsized trucks!
If gen II Volt can supply near or better what it delivers today in EV miles, CS mode mileage and quality throughout at a pricepoint nearer $28,000 - the Spring/Summer months will bring a flock of customers knocking and perhaps long waiting periods. If the current administration can turn today's EV/PHEV tax credt into a point-of-purchase rebate, this will also stimulate Volt sales significantly.
When is the Volt ll suppose to debut ? I read about some new battery technology, that has half the price with 400kw,I think that something like this would be my next car. Also was wondering why no super capacitors aren't being used for say a 'SS' volt.This thing would smoke anything out of the hole,maybe 2 second 0 to 60.
I'm having the enjoyment of driving a Volt this week as part of program through GM. I'd driven them in parking lots, but nothing at speed until yesterday. All I can say is wow, this is a nice car. I was hesitant to believe the handling claims after seeing the curb weight in specs...but it really does corner well. Super flat.
Last night I charged in my garage using 120V and drove 33 miles into work today, 90% freeway at speeds between 70-80 mph...and still had 5 miles or range to spare. I get to work and now can charge using the 240V chargers (free) so the trip home in the warmer afternoon temps should be a piece of cake. My drive today will cost me less than $0.02/mile. I couldn't beat that with a 250cc motorcycle.
I'll be leasing one this summer for sure now...though I'll admit, I'm tempted to just purchase the thing so that I can put as many miles on it as possible.
The Volt is one of those cars that makes perfect sense if you just get in and drive one. It's far and away my favorite car to drive, and although that surprises some people they usually change their mind if they get the chance to drive one.
I am all for alternative energy solutions but I am also not going to give up my classics and muscle cars. I will pay the $$$ at the pump for a car I only drive on the weekends and to shows. A hybrid would fit very well into my 90% city driving and I am very attracted to the Volt. But I also would rather not spend that much for a car. I have waited this long so I will wait a little bit longer for that lease returned Volt in a couple of years!! =)
Does anyone have experience with the Volt in very low temps? Like below freezing?
We drove our dealer demo (early production) Volt all winter. Never had any issues, and it handled well in what snow we had in MI this year.
I call myself a conservative Republican, but my beliefs on the enviornment (as well as other things) difer from other Republicans. I don't believe in government regulations on things like vehicles you drive, but I do believe that Americans need to consider stuff like this. You can't think of this as some Commymobile, it is a sure fire revolution.
i love the volt and ther is sooo many possibilities with that drive train
I used to get flustered at the Chevy Volt commercials, pointing out the obvious "battery with a generator idea." I wanted to know more about the Volt, down to the finest details.
As it turns out, even the "battery with a generator" is too hard for the public to understand, nevermind politicians.
From what it seems, drivers and owners of the Volt are more than impressed (the people that matter). Meanwhile, people like politicians just seem to look at other things.
It's a shame.
Exploding Obamamobile? Yes, because we all who own a Volt crash it and "And after weeks of sitting in storage, the vehicle caught fire." -USAToday.com. Oh, the misinformed.
o'reilly and friend they not the most light bull ,,,stupidity is not a disease .just ignorance what they dont no..
The whole "Volt fire" is perhaps the weakest card some people can play. To them, a Volt fire is a Volt fire, they'll never listen to the 3 week time span.
Even poltics have to be tied into this. If Obama didn't get elected, could the Volt still be distorted as "socialist"? I wouldn't think so, it's just a car that uses little to no gas. I simply can't understand why anyone would think a car being more efficient with it's fuel use AND being easier on someone's wallet could be spun as "socialist" or "communist".
To me, fuel is cost that has to be mitigated if you are to have trasportation. Some cars do it better than others, and some cars (say a tradesman's truck) have to balance their fuel costs on what it is they are being used for.
I just can't understand why going further on a tank of gas is somehow seen as wrong.
perhaps u forgot the Frontline episode a few years back when the Volt shut off and then could barely make it up the hill when it did, one of the engineers told the Frontline staf to "speed" up the footage to make it look like it's moving faster, this is ridiculous, it a "pie in the sky" idea that's hundreds of years in the future, there are no charging stations that operate fast enough to charge this cars, the batteries are absurdely expensive to replace, the resale value plummets tremendously, there are any number of cars that are half the price and look ten times better than the Volt, the car was supposed to be running on hydrogen, so much for that fantasy as well, so basically it's a nice idea that just can't compete with the internal combustion engine, plain and simple, oh yea and GM before the marxist obama took it over was going to cancel the Volt. end of story.
Frontline Volt was a prototype.
Next, you need to drop the idea of "charging stations". EV's won't such a thing if you have an conventional outlett. The conventional electrical outlet, found in every home in North America IS the "charging station".
On top of that, when you're sleeping, are you driving you car? Of course you're not. In the Volt and every other EV's case, you simply charge them when you're not using them. I don't intend to drive my car for the rest of the weekend, and if it was a Volt or some other EV, I wouldn't have to worry about your "not charging fast enough" nonsense.
Nobody knows anything about battery replacement on the Volt or any other EV, so how can you call them expensive?
in fact, PROVE TO ME that battery replacement on a contemporary EV car is prohibitively expensive. Go on, find the stats. Also, find the resale numbers for the Volt too.
Looks are subjective. Performance varries. Not all cars can do what the Volt does.
Never once was the Volt ever slated to run on hydrogen.
Also, it'll be easy for the Volt and other EV's to compete with ICE's...as gas prices keep climbing.
The Volt before "marxist obama took it over" was well over 80% complete and was approved during the "theocratic fascist bush" adminstration.
You really don't know jack.
u've obviously missed all the stupid commercials about the very same thing u told me to "drop" charging stations: cuz obama wants millions of electric cars on the road my 2015 hehehee oh I needed that laugh!! u have no idea what ur talkin' bout, not a one!
The exact same can be said of the first gen Prius!
ur a blithering idiot obama zombie, why am I wasting my time??? for one thing it's the magazines that do the math and the research on these idiotic tinker toys and the batts' that will eventually need replacing and the price is anywhere from 4 to 8grand depending on the hybrid, gas was 1.70 when obama took over and now it's 4.00 a gallon here in NY, and the muscle car/SUV's are still here cuz there's a demand for them, not for the Volt, and since u don't do any research at all, the majority of the Volts sold were bought by the gov't, so the gov't is buying up it's own stock of these cars, how the hell are u supposed to make money like that???!! the volt is going to be cancelled eventually, nobody is going to buy a plug in car when it's so cramped and underpowered and has the potential for burning down ur house or burning down itself. and sleeping when a huge battery being charged in my home would keep me up all night! I don't leave my laptop charging without me watching it so it doesn't catch fire, cells, laptops also can burn up, the heat buildup overwhelms the the batt it happens, and I wouldn't risk it for anything.
Seriously? Here is some data, from Fox Noise no less, to give everyone a little idea on how good we really got it here in the US. Let's see how many of you will actually read to the bottom of the article!!
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/interactive/2012/02/28/at-pump-recent-history-gas-prices/
Anyone who complains about the price of gas has the right to NOT BUY IT. Your decision. It is still a free country and I CHOOSE to drive what I do so I pay the price at the pump every time I fill up. AND I DON'T COMPLAIN. And if the price goes up and I can't afford it anymore, guess what? I will buy a more fuel efficient car or drive less! Quit b$*chin' people!
We have it good here is the USA, thanks to a lot of people over the centuries who gave their lives so we could have the right to do and say what we want. Cheap gas is NOT a right guaranteed by the constitution. Free speech is. However, I don’t have to *listen* to you. ;^)