Chevy Volt vs. Prius Plug-in: Which are you more excited for?

not sure about the $8,49 but the Volt can go 40miles on a single charge then it'll use gasoline to power the battery so you can go further (I think the lastest estimate is about 300 miles)

Roof mounted solar panels to run the AC sounds pretty dope. I wonder if the strength of the AC increases due to the desert heat conditions in states like Arizona or Nevada?

I am very enthusiastic about the Chevy Volt.  I love how the designers have created a sleek looking vehicle while keeping to the electric vehicle concept.

EXCITED FOR BOTH:

Although I would love a plug in Prius....I was actually able to place an order for a new Volt.  Let's hope this is another revolution for GM.  They need it!  I have searched high and low for ways to order my new plug-in Prius.  So far, I have failed.

There is so much to love about the green car craze.   The most interesting factor is that "green cars" such as the Prius, Civic Hybrid, Smart Passion shatter any socioeconomic profiling based on what one drives.  Look at the long list of CEO's, CFO's, and celebrities that have green'd their fleet.   Jamie Lee Curtis now drives an FCX Clarity.  

KBB ANALYST:

EXCITED FOR BOTH:

Although I would love a plug in Prius....I was actually able to place an order for a new Volt.  Let's hope this is another revolution for GM.  They need it!  I have searched high and low for ways to order my new plug-in Prius.  So far, I have failed.

There is so much to love about the green car craze.   The most interesting factor is that "green cars" such as the Prius, Civic Hybrid, Smart Passion shatter any socioeconomic profiling based on what one drives.  Look at the long list of CEO's, CFO's, and celebrities that have green'd their fleet.   Jamie Lee Curtis now drives an FCX Clarity.  

 

Color me green with envy (okay, okay bad pun!) with regards to the Volt order.  I have to say that your comments about the socioeconomic profiling really spoke to me.  For too long cars have been a status symbol that people are judged by and although that will continue, it will be on a much different level.

$8.40 a day to charge a Volt - compared to gassing up a non-electric or non-hybrid car sounds like a winner to me. How many miles can you go on for $8.40? At today's prices, a non-hybrid or non-electric car isn't going very far!

Besides, I'm considering a PLUG-IN car so that I can utilize my PV SOLAR panels more completely. 

I just want the BACK-UP of the gas engine so that I can occasionally drive on a street that allows an electric-backed up car (which restricts an all-electric car from driving on a highway or expressway).

I mostly just drive neighbornhood short distances, which is why there is an NEV class, but I want the security of back-up if I happen to go beyond the distance of the day's charge--or in the case of visiting family/friends in a nearby town, to allow me to drive on an expressway OCCASIONALLY.

Again the above paragraph describes the EXCEPTION for me--and not the NORM. Basically, I want a plug-in electric car that has the security of extending the electrical charge and/or permits me to drive once in a while on highway or expressway. PERIOD. 85% of the time will be for short trips to the store to shop for food or other necessities.

NinerJan

 

 The $8.40 cost to "fill-up" is way off.  The battery accepts 16 kilowatt-hours of energy.  The cost for a kw-hr looks to be about 7 cents.  If the charging process were 100% efficient, it would cost $1.12.  Let's say the charging process is 90% efficient so a closer estimate would be $1.24.

Not bad for 40 miles of  real-world driving.  Sign me up.

Basically, I want a plug-in electric car that has the security of extending the electrical charge and/or permits me to drive once in a while on highway or expressway. PERIOD. 85% of the time will be for short trips to the store to shop for food or other necessities.

However, the problem with the VOLT is that GM is quoting a price of just below $40,000! That's fine for the monied class, but for the average "Joe/Jane" who wants an economic green car? That's not affordable!

I keep looking for the extended range EV that is below $20,000--not $40K. These are tough times; not everybody can afford extravagance! There needs to be TWO classes of the (Volt) EV--a fancier one at the $40K cost and a economic one at the $20K cost. As a retired person who has to be more watchful of my spending, I am in the latter category (not because I CAN'T afford the luxury model, but because I SHOULDN'T be paying that kind of money for a car when I no longer commute to work.

If GM can't put out models in 2 cost ranges, then I am no longer interested in a VOLT. 

NinerJan

P.S. The $8.40 recharge price that I posted was taken from the VALUE to charge the car (which I read and quoted). It's not my idea. Whatever the cost of electricity to recharge overnight, it's no way near the cost of gas to power the car instead.

 

 Neither vehicle offers any solution to the oil import problem. The "dolt" has a non oil based fuel range of of 40 miles and requires the use of the highly inefficient grid (up to 12% loss of energy in transmission) and the not ready for prime time Lithium batteries. Once that range is exhausted the battery is recharged using fossil based fuel.  While plug in hybrids have the same electric grid problem and use even more fossi based fuel.

Both vehicles are simply ways to stretch existing oil supplies and offer no solution to getting totally off energy imports weather it be oil for gasoline and diesel or nat gas for electrice generation.

If the "dolt" was a true fuel cell vehicle using hydrogen to recharge the battery it would be worth mentioning.  

  

 Hey Baffledu2

I read your posts. I am putting together a forum at www.helpbeinggreen.com I would love to have some people with knowledge help out. If there were a specific area you would be interested in being the unofficial moderator I would set it up and you could just check it out every now and then and help influence peoples perspective?

G.M. could be bankrupt in days and the "dolt" will never see the market. Neither the Prius or the "dolt" will be around long if America gets its act togeather and builds the hydrogen infrastructure. Lutz himself said the only reason G.M. has put its eggs in the electric basket is because America will not get werious about building a hydrogen infrastructure that is the superior technology. 

 Sidiov, thank you for you detailed post. I need help at

www.helpbeinggreen.com

I am trying to connect people who care and, who have ideas about what can be done, with people who care but don't know how or where to start. Anytime you can drop by and add your two cents would be appreciated.

Colin

Don't you think it's time we slow down our consumption of miles and put more hineys in the seats before we leave home or get a horse. Forget to pick up bread and milk on the way home then you must suffer. Thats the cost for action or non action.

That's not the solution. I think you are off the topic. We are discussing the new fuel efficient vehicles and revolutions, not going back to primitive life.

thats not the issue...fuel is here and its going to be here until we take control of it. Tax on gas is a gov't nessesity so don't think..any different. Until we learn to conserve and save and slow down no high dollar over priced vehicle is the answer..