by Outcast_Searcher » Mon 10 Aug 2009, 21:47:10
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('timmac', 'U')nless GM surprises us all come Tuesday, if they can only go around 40 or so miles on a charge that is not very good unless it cost $10,000 or less, my Taylor-Dunn can do about 15 miles per charge and I paid $2500 for it used..
There 230 add has to mean something good I would think ??

timmac, by the context of your comments, you may be missing one aspect of the Chevy Volt. The volt is a HYBRID electric/gas vehicle. (This has been well established via a number of press conferences with folks like Bob Lutz along with demos of the cars, including a recent one with Maria Bartiromo on CNBC). They have been cagey about the price, but $40K seems to be a widely reported figure analysts' estimates cite.
The battery is designed to run the car for about 40 miles. Then, a gasoline engine runs a generator, which charges the battery for any further mileage. (The car only runs on the electric battery). Since it is a hybrid fuel vehicle, and since it has to drag around the extra equipment to handle that, AND since it appears to have the comfort/convenience/size features (more weight) of a smallish "real" car, meant to compete in today's car market, it's not surprising that you only have the 40 mile range before you charge on gasoline, with today's battery technology.
Nissan's Leaf, per the articles I've seen, looks like a pure electric vehicle in the small car class, with a planned 100 mile range. Problem there is, when the battery dies, you stop. Likely cheaper and perhaps more reliable - but less utility, though fine for a local vehicle of course.
For $2500, your truck may well have been a bargain, but clearly the utility there is limited to short haul local. I can't even make my twice-weekly trips across town to help my mom out in a small city with that type of mileage range.
Hopeully tomorrow we'll know more about the Volt, via some REAL hard data that they will provide. Hopefully if Nissan, Hyundi, and others are on time with some of the electric, plug in hybrid, etc. offerings they plan, we'll know a LOT more about the real world competitive landscape by before 2014.