Electric Car in the Making

Imagine traveling 40 miles without using a single drop of gasoline. The Chevy Volt offers innovative green engineering.

Man-Made: Chevy Volt : THU MAR 25 8P et/pt : http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/man-made

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Ultimate Factories: Chevy Volt
• video
• green automobile
• electric car design
• national geographic

[Gaobdgao]

Electic Car vs Air Car...

who wins?

My Bicycle...100% Free Energy...

[stopcrazypp]

For pp posting about coal & the electricity bill. Do calculations before spouting.

The Volt takes 8kWh per 40 mi. Let's assume we lose 20% to grid+charging so use 10kWh (better IRL). Electricity is $0.12/kWh avg. Works out to 3 cents/mi. Gas is $2.75/gal so equivalent to 92mpg car.

Avg US electricity CO2 emissions are 1.329lbs/kWh. Given gas is 19.4lbs/gal, this is equal to a 58mpg car. In CA, emissions are .724lbs/kWh = 107mpg car. So there are huge emissions saving potential.

[lolsmileyface]

@EVpowered pure battery electric vehicles ( BEVs ) are great ways to commute or do your regular everyday chores that DO NOT require a one-way trip more than 40 miles. The only viable 100% electric car on the market today is the Nissan LEAF. Soon it will be joined by the Ford Focus EV and Mitsubishi "i".

THE PROBLEM with pure electric cars is they have too many severe limitations. As the tech stands today a pure EV serves most best as a 2nd or 3rd car.

[IAMDAVEAMI]

oi

i like the volt and i like the front of it and looks awesome but the back jus looks gay hahhaa

its like the back was worked by japinese people and the front by us people hahahha

the end

:P

[beancube2010]

We don't need close system technology. We want open source technology so that auto industry is not hijacked by capital withhold oil giants lobbyists. We want open management or we'll have to resort to drive wikileaks to become a free cross fields technology portal. Twisted capitalism and commercialism rely too much on insider secrecy and monopoly govt protections which become anti-humanity evils blocking evolutions and diversity. We want good wills and open technologies to evolve humanity.

[jeffcity]

It's hilarious. Ten years ago, they were building a full electric which would have a range of 200 miles with today's lithium ion batteries. You'd think the Volt they're building now has warp drive or something.

[kaaytie84]

Ill stick with my gas engine. Until the god in the white house takes away all our right and I get thrown in prison for driving a gas engine car.

[lolsmileyface]

@sarahbarah4562 The problem with the Leaf that the Volt does not have is -- once the battery pack is depleted, you're stuck! EREVs or EXTENDED RANGE electrics like the Volt will go as far as a conventional "infernal combustion" car can - but your first 40 miles is pure electric - when you get home, or to a plug ( perhaps at work ) you can plug in. Pure BEVs like the Leaf are limited because of this "range anxiety" - and it's expensive to own as a second or third "around town" vehicle.

[lolsmileyface]

@EVpowered What happens in a pure BEV when your trip is longer than the charge you have left in your battery pack? This is why the Volt is FAR SUPERIOR. A Nissan LEAF or any pure battery powered car is a nice thing to have if you want to spend $30,000+ for a second or third car for around town as an urban commuter.

[GhostDog65]

Bush has nothing to do with all this crap. The world as a whole does not give a shit about how the world is being taken care! No nation is going to do anything eco/green that is going to cost them money. 90% will not give the eco car crap the time of day. Nice thought but that is where it ends.

[sarahbarah4562]

anyone seen the Nissan Leaf? it can go 100 miles on a single charge and is less than 28,000$. I personally think it is better than the Chevy Volt.