GM Didn't Kill It: The Future of the Electric Car

[bodizone1]

lutz the klutsz is responsible for the bankrupting of GM, among others, thanks you fat greeedy corporate wall street hog!!!!

[groundzerobuild]

America and the rest of Christian countries have to depend on Muslim oil for the rest of your life.And surely this will drain your economy and Islam will have a stronger foothold in North America...

[mre2u2]

For about this price you can get a REAL electric car.. the Tesla S model

[mre2u2]

GM DIDN'T KILL IT?? Read about the EV1 and decide. They could have made electric cars YEARS ago! $40 grand for a "chevrolet prius" is a bit much.

[ohmygod327]

Lmfao! I love how at the start of the beginning of the video, they keep pronouncing Wind Turbines as "Wind Turbans" Lol! xD

[emforty2]

blah blah blah blah blah

while Tesla motorcars sells all their 100K+ electric cars with no problem

[malgacho]

The Gas tank / filter needs to be serviced at the dealer every 3 months?! No thank you.

[jpmorgan187]

wind turbine on a car? the second he said that he IMMEDIATELY labeled himself as a moron.

geothermal powered by solar? wtf are you talking about? shut up hippy.

[elvisjonesus]

I produce lots of methane. Could I run my car on it ?

[travelbytommy]

How did you get into a meeting with Bob Lutz? He is one of the most inspirational car guys when you look at what sports cars and stuff he greenlighted over the years at GM.

[FluxCapacitor2008]

If we can get over 40 mile range with plug in battery power this will get the ball rolling and with keeping the gasoline motor in play we will have less pushback from the government (lost gasoline tax revenue) and the oil lobbyist. This is a big pill for them to take and we need to start somewhere and the technology has to be developed on an industrial scale.

So in short I say dont be a roadblock.

[travelbytommy]

We don't have to completely eliminate gasoline, the point is to go further on it. You will never eliminate gasoline 100% because there will always be older cars and vintage cars that run on them that need fuel. If we do anything, we need to make an alternative that runs in engines designed for gasoline. Algae seems like a great option as you can make many fuels from it that will run in engines designed for all sorts of oil based stuff, as well as hydrogen. It is still a few years away though

[n3sjh]

@travelbytommy Obviously we could never operate a gasoline engine on compressed natural gas. That would upset the order of the universe to use a cheap and plentiful American Fuel.

[travelbytommy]

CNG is another option, and I have seen multiple light trucks here in Colorado using it. I think the biggest problem with green fuels is you get these annoying tree hugger types designing them so you get cars like the hybrid prius that are butt ugly green fashion statements that people like me can't get behind. Make a hybrid that looks like a Shelby Cobra (they make an electric one) and give it 400hp, they might get gearheads into it, but instead they insist on forcing it down our throats.

[3089280288]

@travelbytommy The problem with natural gas is the extraction proccess. During the fracturing process, many chemicals are pumped into the ground and contaminates the water supply. Half of the chemicals are recovered and the rest stays in the ground.

[FluxCapacitor2008]

Chrysler is working on an EREV for 2010 that has a small high efficacy Fiat 2 CYL motor GEN set that will power the electric drive and charges the batteries at the same time for long trips over 100 miles. This is the way to go they need to decouple the gas motor from the drive train and start the motor only when needed.

[FluxCapacitor2008]

mark70214

I would not be found dead in a foreign car but you go ahead, I live and work in America and the automotive industry is one of the few industries the middle class has left that profits stay in the US, thats just me. But I will agree that we need an EV from one of the big 3, an EV without all the bells and gadgets that drive up the price. It looks like ford will have an all EV Fusion in late 2010 for fewer than 28K.

[starmon2]

The mention of solar panels on a car on the roof recharge the battery is ridiculous. PV is LOW-efficiency and would take a basketball court sized panel to recharge in a timely fashion, the usage while driving would use a charge up 5 times faster than PV could recharge batteries, especially with the state of battery technology today.

[mark2073]

Solar power is not at all ridiculous. If you covered the bodywork with thin film panels you could go 20 km a day if you park it in the sun. The issue is cost, which is dropping fast. Also, we don't have the EV's to power yet!

[starmon2]

What I'm saying is that a space that small of solar cells can't recharge a 3000 lb car's solar cells, in the space allotted it on the surface of that automobile, they aren't that efficient. I'm considering that there is less than 12 hours ro charge that car in order to operate it each day. Now, if you can tell me what solar cells can now do that in say a 14'x7' area (is that fair). Afraid I will have to stand by my comment. I only wish it were possible, I hate the cost of gas!!! TjT- Starmon

[Sandyhendry]

A friend of mine drives a Prius in Hong Kong and says it does everything it advertises. It is the best-selling car in Japan in May. I find it hard to believe that the Prius is dirtier than the Hummer if consumers in Japan, which imports all of its oil, haven't reached the same conclusion. Oh and China is about to ban the purchase of the Hummer by one of its companies because it wants more fuel efficient vehicles. Go figure.

[Sandyhendry]

Prius $22,000 available three years ago at least: 55 miles to the gallon. Volt $40,000 available 2011 and its not clear how efficient the thing will be. Why can't everyone just be given subsidies to go out and buy hybrid cars NOW. You could halve oil consumption by cars at a stroke. The bloody Hummer gets 10 miles to the gallon. Meanwhile GM talks about what it will do in 2 years after dragging its feet for decades.

[dvpriem]

Sadly, from a carbon foot print perspective, the prius car is far dirtier than the Hummer when one considered the mining of the nickel, send it to europe for refinement, sending it to china to make nickle foam, then sending that to Japan to make the batteries -and those have to be replaced twice during the car lifetime. From an oil use standpoint the prius is better but not by much when one considered the manufacturing.

[Sandyhendry]

Just checking on that. The source was an American organisation, CNW Marketing and Toyota rebuffed it. Of course it's inefficient in America now because the country isn't geared up for it. (Also it only works in cities so start taking trains for longer trips!)

[generalmotors4eva]

I'm sorry Volt is actually $35,000 and it will get 100mpg

[mack70214]

after decades of making crappy, unreliable, inefficient, expensive and down right troublesome vehicles, they expect me to pay $35,000 for an electric car they'll probably scrap again in 2011?

HAS GM LOST THEIR MINDS? by 2011, the prius will not only evolve but be alot more cheaper than the volt.

[goodnoah]

SAAB hade the plug-in year 2005. Cool guy bute thats inte.

[emforty2]

GM is the one complaining they need more of your tax dollars to make them work

please give me you bank account # so they can widthraw directely from our account

[dtim99]

You are just a bunch of complaining idiots! Nothing will ever be made good enough or cheap enough for any of you. If you want fuel economy that you don't want to pay for ride a bike and quit complaining!!

[FluxCapacitor2008]

People keep bashing GE for killing the EV but now they are building a good concept, but people keep beating them down, I for one think that an extended range electric EREV is the way to go. We need to decouple the gas engine from the drive train. Only a few people will buy all electric cars because of the plug anxiety. We need this type of car from all of the auto makers; this will drive down the price and lead to a long range all electric car.

[mack70214]

of course we're bashing GM for killing the EV-1 because if they didn't kill it, Toyota would be struggling to sell the prius right now. the EREV is going to cost nearly 50K. do you want to pay that much for a car that's going to be too expensive to sit in your drive way or are you gonna take that 50K, buy 2 priuses and still have enough money left to do whatever you want?

[emforty2]

wrong...msnbc article said GM admitted the gasoline engine generates electricity to run the electric motors and charge the battery.

they even apologized for not being upfront in saying that.

ask they keep saying the 1.4 liter chevy aveo engine 'charges' the battery "only".

[shmavedave2]

the volt is primarily electrically driven, the engine only charges the batteries.

it's not a "hybrid" like the Prius, which both the motor (electric) and engine (gas) can directly drive the wheels.

[85bmw528eguy]

All the automakers just don,t get it! It has to be affordable. What working person can afford a $40,000.00 car? If you guys at GM, Ford, Chrysler, and others can,t produce a decent electric vehicle in the $12-16 k range soon, YOU Guys will be Out of business. WAKE UP! Greed and inefficiency are killing you.

[emforty2]

the Volt is a PHEV=HYBRID

if you listen to what GM is saying on all the video they are skirting of using the 'hybrid' word or definition.

because volt PHEV hybrid=$40k  toyota hybrid=$25K

[TranCendenZ]

I agree. The Volt concept car (estimated $30K price) was cool, but the Volt production car (estimated $40K to $48K) is hideous and bland. Nobody is going to pay $40K to $48K for a vehicle that automobile critics have dubbed "Grandma's electric vehicle". You can get TWO Toyota Prius cars for the price of the one Volt.

[anthonycut]

I am DRIVING the answer....made 10 years ago...why waste all this money with HYPE...

I'm driving one of the 100 left of the model they tried to kill!

[sockosockosocko]

GM is pure evil. provided the EV-1 then withdrew it against the wishes of the drivers. they will push the fuel cell vehicle so they can make you buy hydrogen.  the big 3 automakers will likely not provide mass-produced all-electric vehicles. they are too efficient and cheap to maintain.

[alabamafilmfestival]

Why is that dumbass wearing shades in a building?

[jvmalum]

because that's what gangsters do

[xiaou2]

$40,000 lol! What a joke. Imagine the average joe worker who barely can afford $20,000 car? Even if he NEEDED the SMALL savings that the volt is supposed to give you... He wont save a thing. He will be paying enormous interest payments which will eat up any savings in energy. Its all a huge scam. E-cars can b made cheaper & more efficiently.

[LovePontiac]

At this point the Volt is mainly just a premium car. Very few fill ups (some people wont ever have to fill up), a silent motor, very little maintenance, and excellent performance... better than a gas car even.

The Prius is similar. That car even with it's great fuel economy doesn't actually save anyone money. All things considered its still much cheaper to just get a Yaris or Aveo.

Electric cars will save people money one day, but it's still a very new technology for this application.

[jvmalum]

By the time they build the volt, I will have bought a 20,000.00 fully electric car from a Chinese or Bangladesh builder. GM is just trying to keep everyone buying engines that are to complex for the average person to fix.

I have used electric motors all my life and rarely does anything go wrong w/ it and when it does, I fix it myself. GM cant handle the thought of that, and as has already happened, their greed is going to be their undoing!!!!!

GM is an embarrassment to the USA.

[xiaou2]

I Agree. The car industry is a joke. Its designed to keep the poor: stinking poor & turn the middle class into the poor. $60+hr for repairs! $120 for a pollution sensor?! Anti Freeze that eats thru your radiator?! F-That. Half ur life u spend trying 2 obtain a car, and the rest you are trying to repair it. All the while making the bankers pockets Fat from interest.. & polluting earth - poisoning yourself in the process... & speeding the climate crisis.

[enter321]

Hear, hear.

[DanFrederiksen]

quite a few nitwits at that table. long winded not so bright questions. but it's an eternal question, who picks the smartest..

[willberg1]

Wind Power to charge a sitting car, Not mounted on a volt.. gezz Do people really understand the meaning of free power vs cheap power.. Cheap power isnt so cheap!

[yorkiebell]

30 years ago a President installed Solar Panels on the Whitehouse. A visionary who foresaw the seriousness of the energy crisis...

Electric- Wind, Wave and Solar power;

Just think how far technology would have progressed by now--with wiser energy policies.

Interesting video,Thank you!

[jvmalum]

Don't kid yourself, Tech did advance far beyond this, its just being intentionally witheld. I saw technology 34 years ago, that you would still think imposible today.

[ronmann606]

I feel sorry that Lutz has to listen to this babbling jew. The guys an idiot.

[ellemenopee]

This jackass that starts babbling around 5:00 is soooo annoying. He just loves hearing himself talk. He drags the question along as long as possible... then cuts Lutz off while he's answering it! I wish Bob got up and punched him in the face.

[ellhow]

lol I think everyone was embarrassed by the outspoken guy at the beginning...."wind turbine on your car"....was this a prank?

[KnightChatX]

If you went to walmart right now could get battery, inverter, etc.. Same technology is in Black and Decker Electromate 400. Plug in a low wattage 13 watt light for example or a 27 inch 118 watt TV. Or charge cell phone or run PDA/Laptop. I do it all the time.

[KnightChatX]

The more useful and cheap and effecient it is the more people can afford it the more people implement the technology the more it spreds sooner than later. Just like a pencil and paper and cell phone. The more useful it is and accessible, the more people get it and the more it sales and becomes part of everyday life. If you don't have to plug it in to charge it at all then you've got something even better. Combining solar and wind turbine concept with alternator/battery, like RV.

[KnightChatX]

Think of it like the lightbulb, a pencil, and paper, a cell phone. Make something cheap and affordable that can work with existing vehicles today right now to cut costs down realistically. 50 to 100 year projections won't match the speed of problems today in terms of ever increasing costs. Solving energy problems should be one of the biggest though.

[KnightChatX]

The problem is the overall big picture, the majority of people need cheap cost effective solutions the majority of people can afford now. Looking at things realistically, billions of cars globally on roads worldwide. The majority can't go out and buy a new car $21,000 to $48,000, batteries still need replaced in time and that's alot of lead acid batteries that aren't cheap.

[KnightChatX]

Verticle wind turbines and solar to charge batteries and good inverters to output the wattag you need. Put excess back into the grid and get money back from power company.

[imsorryfortomorrow]

wind turbans

[jamesmmafisher]

we need more of this guy in the world

[Donelop]

9:04 LMAO WHERE DID HE COME FROM

[69slime69]

at 04:15 he is talking about government incentives to bring the price down .... LOL....

never trust a man who wears shades at a dinner table indoors!!!

What really happened to their other electric car called the "ev1" hmmmmmm the volt is just a ploy "maybe/maybe not". never will trust GM again! and alot of other people who has their eyes open knows what really happened to the "ev1"..... ........So do you know what happened???...Just google it "ev1" and decide for yourself!

[zupf]

Where is the Union of Concerned Scientist's hybrid car? Since you environmentalists are so "smart". Just sit around and complain in press releases.

[howdoiquityou2006]

by 2011 gas should be about $7.50 :>)

[reedallennapier]

To much eating for me.

[phillipah7]

Surge Technology: This is the way to go and most likely no other, Fuel cars are explosive; watch?v=Syc2Z9I_C8A

[cphellp]

interesting .....

[Eequality72521]

yayyyyy

[warhero721]

"your car can make you money" lmao very nice video :D

[davidsk8cat]

lol artifacts

[lostboykev]

SOLAR ROCKS!!

[thegamefanaticshow]

I would buy solar for my house if only the upfront cost was less.

[astrowolfflames]

Awesome