I don't think 99.9% of the population live in an apartment while having to park 1.5 blocks away. 50% is probably a little more accurate.

 

No. Most people live in urban areas, and even for those who do not live in apartments, theres still nowhere to plug in when they go to work, etc. So if you drove to work and forgot to shut down your headlights, you're getting towed home.

And for population that lives in the suburbs, the batteries simply do not provide enough charge for the long trips.

 

LOL. Yes, this is 1989, where you can actually leave your lights on and drain the battery. I cant remember the last time I was in a car that didn't either turn off the lights when the vehicle turned off or the lights turn off after X amount of minutes. Even dome lights today are on timers so you don't drain your battery. Surely a car that relys quite a bit on battery power will have safeguards. Probably will have a seperate, standard car battery that is seperate from the battery pack powering the car.

And that is why there is a gas motor, so you don't have to recharge. But the whole point of the Volt is to go 40 miles (your commute to work and back home) on electric.

Also recall that California has a network of charging stations for electric vehicles (for the EV1, Rav 4 EV, etc.).


You live a sheltered life if you think that only .1% of the US has access to an outlet in their garage or driveway. You are wrong. So if there are 300 million Americans (so not counting foreigners) then there are only 300,000 garages, driveways, etc. in this country. You are very wrong.

 

I wish my home had this, then I could daily drive my Tesla roadster. J/K...

 

Och's point is that for people that the target demographic for the Volt (people who travel less than 40 miles to/from work) are more than likely city folk or people who live relatively close to the city. Another problem with the 40 mile range is that is it's optimal output on a full battery. Traffic in the city will make your range less than 40. Most people who live in the city or close to the city live in apartments or condos because a house isn't that easy to come by in the city that isn't astronomically priced. People who own houses which they can plug their car into probably have very close to or over 40 miles to travel daily to get to work. I think of myself as having a fairly small commute and it's 20 miles total. The .1% I said is an over exaggeration but if you're spending all this money on a car that is supposed to help revive your brand you better be selling to the masses. I'm not knocking on new technology but you better improve it enough where people can use it feasibly.

I don't remember if the gasoline engine charges the car or not. I thought it only supplies enough power to generate electricity to use but not to charge it. If it can charge the battery than ok yea sure you don't need to ever plug it in but isn't that the whole point of the Volt? To not have to use gas only in emergency cases?

For whoever's point it was that if you live in an apartment you shouldn't be driving a $60k car: lots of people in the city do. Apartments can be considered condos too, the only difference between the two usually is buying versus renting. So get that out of your head quickly that people who don't live in houses can't afford $60k cars.

 

Ah, but the Volt has regenrative braking. And thusfar, thats where hybrid really shine. I pulled 38 MPG the other day in the 400h driving around town. Very satisfying.

 

Good point. How much gain do you return on braking? Anyone know?
Like x power used to get to y speed and braking from y speed to 0 returns z power?

We have a lot of Camry Hybrid taxis in Boston and the sound is strange when it brakes. It reminds me of the Dark Knight BatPod when the wheel flips over.

 

Obviously you've never lived in the city. I spend 40 minutes in traffic this morning on 1 mile stretch of Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Thanks God this road has electric outlets ever three yards so I was able to keep my plug in electric car charged

 

you should tell that to my neighbors. a z4m coupe and a gtr at an apartment complex.

 

I would to be honest. I know it's very expensive to live in CA and I have heard storys from my friends on how houses are overprice. So in LA I can understand, I even have heard people get judge by where they stay in LA.

Koma:
Apartment is Apartment it's not a condo. buying versus renting is a huge difference.
Totally two different thing.
I never said that people who don't live in houses can't afford $60k cars. I said people who drive 60k thousands shouldn't be living in apartment. Why not wait until you can afford somewhere to park that nice 60k car.

 

So what about the demographic of people who can afford those nice cars but choose to remain single and don't need all of the space that a house can lend them? Let alone those who can afford those nice cars but really don't want the hassle/responsibility/liability of owning a home? I know PLENTY of people who own cars which still make me drool and live in apts/condos simply because they choose not to take on all of the hassles of maintaining a house. For them, it is not lack of money/affordability. With their busy lives, they choose not to have to cut the grass, plow the walk, replace the roof, etc. as you will eventually have to do with a home. Others are just single guys/girls who ust don't need all of the space that a house affords them because it is just them. Apt living vs. home living is a personal choice based on individual needs and situation.

 

Here's my five cents for all its worth.

In the last five years housing prices were blown out so out of proportion that most people just couldnt afford them anyways, so many isntead just chose to blow their money on a car.

 

i want........

 

What don't you understand? That is the whole point of this car and hybrid cars in general. Stop and go efficiency. A battery pack and an electric motor, with regenerative brakes enable this. Not a hard concept.