Two-and-a-half years after Chevrolet delivered its first Volt electric car, its owner from New Jersey says the vehicle has gotten the equivalent of about 450 miles per gallon.

The Volt has an on-board gasoline generator that makes electricity when the plug-in charge runs out after about 36 miles, but Jeff Kaffee, a retired airline pilot, said he rarely drives more than that before he recharges.

Kaffee said he has had to fill up the generator only three times over 13,700 miles, with a total of 30.2 gallons of gas.

"The wave of the future is here," said Kaffee, who noted that he will probably buy his wife a Volt in another year or two.

Kaffee said he appreciates electric cars both because they have less of a negative impact on the environment than traditional cars and because they don't funnel American dollars into unstable, oil-producing regimes.

Sales of electric cars have fallen short of what enthusiasts had hoped for, including President Obama, who predicted a million would be on the road by 2015.

GM said it sold 23,461 Volts in 2012, and while Volt sales are up 8.4 percent in the first quarter of this year, the company also admitted in a statement that a recent study showed "drivers are only marginally aware of electric vehicles."

The electricity uses fossil fuels, such as fuel oil, coal, natural gas. Volt is rated 100 mpg-e at the pump. If you take into account the inefficiencies upstream, the final mpg is closer to one-third of that.

ex-Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The electricity uses fossil fuels, such as fuel
> oil, coal, natural gas. Volt is rated 100 mpg-e
> at the pump. If you take into account the
> inefficiencies upstream, the final mpg is closer
> to one-third of that.


They sell home solar charging stations for the Chevy Volt, Prius, etc... The cars can be charged off the grid.
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The break-even period to offset the high purchase price for owning Volts versus conventional cars is around 15 years, 8 with the government tax break. If you install solar panels for charging the car, how much longer will it take for the savings from gas to make up for the added cost? Also, you need an extra car for the extended period of time that an electric car is having to be recharged.

ex-Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The break-even period to offset the high purchase
> price for owning Volts versus conventional cars is
> around 15 years, 8 with the government tax break.
> If you install solar panels for charging the car,
> how much longer will it take for the savings from
> gas to make up for the added cost? Also, you need
> an extra car for the extended period of time that
> an electric car is having to be recharged.


And it's a Chevy, so it won't even last the long.

As long as you dont drive more than ten miles from home or a Chevy dealer its a great car.

I like how nobody with GM mentions the fact that batteries dont last forever. In fact 5 years would be a long time. So in about 5 years you are going to get hit with a major bill for battery replacement. Of course the car will have fallen apart in 3 years so it's probably a moot point.

ex-Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Also, you need
> an extra car for the extended period of time that
> an electric car is having to be recharged.


I don't think you understand what a hybrid is. On short trips under 40 you don't have to use any gas when the car is fully charged. You can still unhook a partially charged Volt and use it. Same as a cellphone.

Most trips in a car, the grocery store, work, gym, restaurant, etc... are under 40 miles. So you don't use any gas.

If you EXCEED 40 MILES THE GAS ENGINE kicks in.

Blowtorch999 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I like how nobody with GM mentions the fact that
> batteries dont last forever. In fact 5 years would
> be a long time. So in about 5 years you are going
> to get hit with a major bill for battery
> replacement. Of course the car will have fallen
> apart in 3 years so it's probably a moot point.

Replacement batteries are covered for life under the warranty.

Voltaire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Blowtorch999 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I like how nobody with GM mentions the fact
> that
> > batteries dont last forever. In fact 5 years
> would
> > be a long time. So in about 5 years you are
> going
> > to get hit with a major bill for battery
> > replacement. Of course the car will have fallen
> > apart in 3 years so it's probably a moot point.
>
> Replacement batteries are covered for life under
> the warranty.


And what happens then?

Voltaire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Replacement batteries are covered for life under
> the warranty.

Whose life?

Fuck the Volt...I'm going to start buying GM smoke detectors.

We're killing the planet replacing those batteries every spring and fall!!!!!

Voltaire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ex-Lester Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Also, you need
> > an extra car for the extended period of time
> that
> > an electric car is having to be recharged.
>
>
> I don't think you understand what a hybrid is. On
> short trips under 40 you don't have to use any gas
> when the car is fully charged. You can still
> unhook a partially charged Volt and use it. Same
> as a cellphone.
>
> Most trips in a car, the grocery store, work, gym,
> restaurant, etc... are under 40 miles. So you
> don't use any gas.
>
> If you EXCEED 40 MILES THE GAS ENGINE kicks in.

The point is the Volt is a plug-in hybrid. If you use it for commuting, you'll need to charge the batteries every night. If you have to use it at night for some reason, you won't have it fully charged the next morning.

ex-Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The break-even period to offset the high purchase
> price for owning Volts versus conventional cars is
> around 15 years, 8 with the government tax break.
> If you install solar panels for charging the car,
> how much longer will it take for the savings from
> gas to make up for the added cost? Also, you need
> an extra car for the extended period of time that
> an electric car is having to be recharged.


wow, umm what do you think a gallon of gas will cost in 15 yrs? Your break-even line slopes downward every second of every day of every week of every month of every year, Mr. Calculus.

Arguing against using the sun to power things is trolling at it's finest

Voltaire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ex-Lester Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Also, you need
> > an extra car for the extended period of time
> that
> > an electric car is having to be recharged.
>
>
> I don't think you understand what a hybrid is. On
> short trips under 40 you don't have to use any gas
> when the car is fully charged. You can still
> unhook a partially charged Volt and use it. Same
> as a cellphone.

So if you get 40 miles from home a gas engine kicks in on your cell phone?

Volt drivers are gay as hell.

irsosmrt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ex-Lester Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The break-even period to offset the high
> purchase
> > price for owning Volts versus conventional cars
> is
> > around 15 years, 8 with the government tax
> break.
> > If you install solar panels for charging the
> car,
> > how much longer will it take for the savings
> from
> > gas to make up for the added cost? Also, you
> need
> > an extra car for the extended period of time
> that
> > an electric car is having to be recharged.
>
>
> wow, umm what do you think a gallon of gas will
> cost in 15 yrs? Your break-even line slopes
> downward every second of every day of every week
> of every month of every year, Mr. Calculus.
>
> Arguing against using the sun to power things is
> trolling at it's finest

I would expect they incorporated an inflation adjustment to the cost of operation.

I also expect that battery replacement cost is also included in the breakeven calculation.

About 70% of the electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. Solar is very small. The other main source is hydroelectric power.

There's a reason the car companies are starting to bail out of electric or hybrid gas-electric cars. Their range is limited. People don't want to pay the extra cost. After awhile, they'll get tired of the inconvenience of the overnight charge and just use the gas engine.

ex-Lestet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Voltaire Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ex-Lester Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > Also, you need
> > > an extra car for the extended period of time
> > that
> > > an electric car is having to be recharged.
> >
> >
> > I don't think you understand what a hybrid is.
> On
> > short trips under 40 you don't have to use any
> gas
> > when the car is fully charged. You can still
> > unhook a partially charged Volt and use it.
> Same
> > as a cellphone.
> >
> > Most trips in a car, the grocery store, work,
> gym,
> > restaurant, etc... are under 40 miles. So you
> > don't use any gas.
> >
> > If you EXCEED 40 MILES THE GAS ENGINE kicks in.
>
> The point is the Volt is a plug-in hybrid.
> If you use it for commuting, you'll need to charge
> the batteries every night. If you have to use it
> at night for some reason, you won't have it fully
> charged the next morning.

The Volt charges full in 6 hours. You can still drive it in gas mode when the battery is down. The batteries can also be charged from the engine.

ex-Lester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> irsosmrt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ex-Lester Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The break-even period to offset the high
> > purchase
> > > price for owning Volts versus conventional
> cars
> > is
> > > around 15 years, 8 with the government tax
> > break.
> > > If you install solar panels for charging the
> > car,
> > > how much longer will it take for the savings
> > from
> > > gas to make up for the added cost? Also, you
> > need
> > > an extra car for the extended period of time
> > that
> > > an electric car is having to be recharged.
> >
> >
> > wow, umm what do you think a gallon of gas will
> > cost in 15 yrs? Your break-even line slopes
> > downward every second of every day of every
> week
> > of every month of every year, Mr. Calculus.
> >
> > Arguing against using the sun to power things
> is
> > trolling at it's finest
>
> I would expect they incorporated an inflation
> adjustment to the cost of operation.
>
> I also expect that battery replacement cost is
> also included in the breakeven calculation.
>
> About 70% of the electricity comes from burning
> fossil fuels. Solar is very small. The other
> main source is hydroelectric power.
>
> There's a reason the car companies are starting to
> bail out of electric or hybrid gas-electric cars.
> Their range is limited. People don't want to pay
> the extra cost. After awhile, they'll get tired
> of the inconvenience of the overnight charge and
> just use the gas engine.

A lot of companies bailing out of the hybrid gas-electric cars?

NOPE, most companies are slowly converting all their cars to hybrids. It just makes sense as the technology becomes cheaper and more stable.

Almost all the major car companies now offer at least one hybrid model.

The new Mercedes E400 HYBRID

Two of the world's most fuel-efficient gasoline-engine luxury sedans each combine an efficient, ultralow-emission V-6 with an advanced battery-electric drive assist. Depending on the circumstances, the S400 HYBRID can use both power sources in varying proportions to maximize performance, efficiency and cleaner emissions. The new E400 HYBRID can even travel short distances on electricity along. Further, both vehicles recover energy during braking to recharge their battery and assist in slowing the car. The result is stirring acceleration with stunning fuel economy.
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Volvo tests new Hybrid Flywheel system


About two years ago we told you that Volvo was about to commence testing of an innovative flywheel-based kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), not in motorsport but in the realm of production cars.
The basic setup called for a flywheel KERS to be fitted to the free axle of a car.
When approaching a red light, the driver would hit the brakes like normal.This would cause the flywheel to spool up and keep spinning until the lights turn green and the driver hits the accelerator.
At this point, the flywheel's rotation is transferred to the rear wheels via a specially designed transmission, giving the car a little boost of energy off the line.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/04/25/volvo-completes-tests-flywheel-hybrid-system/#ixzz2RbX7NY00

Lexus now offers 6 Hybrids

As part of the Toyota empire, Lexus was one of the first carmakers to realize the potential of hybrids, and the company now has a wide range of hybrids, competing in several market classes.

So successful has Lexus's hybrid range been, that the company has now sold over half a million--and with new models on the horizon, their popularity is only set to continue.

We've written about all of these vehicles here on GreenCarReports, so we've compiled information on each vehicle for a handy guide to the Lexus hybrid range.
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