The Chevrolet Volt, and to a greater extent, plug-in hybrids, remind me of the combo VHS/DVD players from over a decade ago. Back then, many people were invested in their VHS tape collection and were hesitant to embrace the better, but more expensive DVD technology. The electronics companies noted this slow adoption rate, and released these VHS/DVD hybrids as a stop-gap measure. They offered the best of both worlds.
One day, we'll look back on plug-in hybrids as the automotive equivalent of the combo media player. We'll tell our grandkids, that back in the day, some people were afraid that their electric car would leave them stranded, so they bought cars with a back-up gas engine to extend the range.
Some people are quick to dismiss the Volt for not being more a pure EV. But the truth is that not everyone is willing to go all-electric. I wonder if having a gas station on every corner is the equivalent of having a big VHS collection -- it reinforces a fear of taking a risk on a new format.
We need stop-gap technology like the Volt to bridge the gap until we have a more extensive charging infrastructure -- or until more people can get past their range anxiety.
What are your thoughts on the future of plug-in hybrids and EVs?
Ron Montoya, Consumer Advice Associate
texases says:
02:10 PM, 02/ 6/12
I was following a Leaf last weekend when WHAM we got stuck in a surprise traffic jam. I can imagine really sweating it out in a Leaf had this been the middle of Dallas summer, with the 'range' gauge constantly dropping ("Damn, wish I had topped it off this morning!"), with no traffic movement in sight.
I don't think the pure EV is the end result at all. Given the coal needed to fuel them (don't kid yourself) and the high cost of acceptable range I think an hybrid or PHEV may be the right answer for many years to come. The EV may just be the Betamax...
acbayard says:
02:24 PM, 02/ 6/12
Both electric cars and hybrids are stop gap technologies.
Batteries are simply not environmentally or cost effective for most applications or sufficiently energy dense.
Consumers who want a vehicle with certain features that'll make a vehicle quite heavy - OTOH, no one wants to drive a snail - IOW, electric motors will need to be large and heavy, and the battery will also need to be heavier and larger (requiring a heavier and bigger motor, which requires a bigger battery, etc). It is like launching the space shuttle - you carry fuel so you can move more fuel to extend the range (and unlike conventional fuels - you're stuck with dead weight when cells are partially discharged and no longer powering the motor).
greenpony says:
02:34 PM, 02/ 6/12
texases, the nice thing about having an electric vehicle when getting caught in that traffic jam is that it uses basically ZERO energy sitting still, while the guy next to him in a pickup truck idles away at a gallon per hour.
bryan__t says:
02:54 PM, 02/ 6/12
Greenpony, I think that's why Texases mentioned it would be a problem in summer, since AC involves a lot of energy...
mercedesfan says:
03:06 PM, 02/ 6/12
@abcayard,
Actually, electric motors are much more efficient than IC engines. As a result, you can have a much smaller electric motor to produce the same power as a larger and heavier gas engine. However, the issues with batteries remains. There are a lot of exciting technologies on the horizon, but I agree the current crop of batteries (aside form lead acids which won't do for cars) are simply too expensive and the resources are too limited.
acbayard says:
03:23 PM, 02/ 6/12
@mercedesfan: I don't think I criticized the energy efficiency of electric motors. The limitations are and always will be batteries.
brn says:
03:59 PM, 02/ 6/12
I completely agree with Ron. The Volt is a stop gap measure, which is exactly what we need right now.
ed124c says:
04:15 PM, 02/ 6/12
OK, then, where does Diesel fit in? In Europe, the majority now drives diesel cars. How will they move on to non-fossil fuels?
majin_ssj_eric says:
11:00 PM, 02/ 6/12
I'd rather we invested our resources into finding more oil and more efficiently bringing it to market (getting rid of all of the different blends and investing in new, more modern refineries). Electric motors should be used to roll the windows up and down, not drive the wheels....
bimmerjay says:
11:46 PM, 02/ 6/12
"I'd rather we invested our resources into finding more oil and more efficiently bringing it to market (getting rid of all of the different blends and investing in new, more modern refineries)."
This is a rather short-sighted view. Oil is a finite resource and we need to be prepared with viable alternative technologies to replace it. What we have right now might not be great but you have to start somewhere.
It may not be right for me now either but I applaud the innovators that take risks with new technology, which foster the investments that improve it for the rest of us.
lostboyz says:
03:48 AM, 02/ 7/12
@bimmerjay if it were actually new technology that would be great. Series hybrids have been around, just not in a car. Having volume production of cars like these with the battery tech we have now is irresponsible. Rare earth metals cost a lot of energy to acquire and even moreso to repurpose. Keep in the R&D department with low volume test fleets until it's ready. The only reason they exist are because of the halo car status for the brand, but moreso tax dollar grants to produce them.
hermperez says:
05:44 AM, 02/ 7/12
Obviously a Leaf is not for a single-car household, an apt dweller, someone with an unusually long commute, or someone that despises non sporty cars.. a Volt would fulfill those duties better.. but many Volt owners are finding out that they use very little gas in thousands of miles, so perhaps they could have done with a Leaf or iMiev instead and avoided gasoline completely.
The AC system consumes very little power (more than a day of running time on a fully charged battery in 95° F temps) and there is no idling to waste power.. but its a very different story in cold weather if you have to run heat. The heater could potentially empty the battery in 5 hours if taxed to its maximum output levels.
None of the current generation of electrics uses toxic batteries, and no one is going to dump a $10k battery in a landfill anyways.
bankerdanny says:
07:59 AM, 02/ 7/12
I'm going to renew my assertion that cars like the FCX Clarity are a better example of the future. Just as clean as a Leaf with (subject to some infrastructure work) the ability to refill in minutes like a Volt.
Now I understand that Hydrogen has to be produced and delivered, and infrastructure is still an issue, but hydrogen fuel cell technology still seems like the best option for emission free limitless range vehicles to me.
eidolways says:
11:15 AM, 02/ 7/12
I'd like to take *slight* issue with the analogy here. The Volt is not like the combo VHS/DVD player pictured because DVD was better than VHS in every conceivable way, from quality to longevity and right on down to never needing to rewind a tape again.
No, the device above would be more true to the Volt's character if DVD's first incarnation could only hold 30 minutes of video, forcing you to fall back on VHS every time you wanted to watch a full-length feature film.
So it's more like a combination VHS and Video CD player.
THAT's a more fitting analogy.
brn says:
06:39 PM, 02/ 7/12
ed124c: "OK, then, where does Diesel fit in?"
It doesn't. Diesel can never be as plentiful as gasoline. The more we shift to it, the more we drive its price up.
Bio-diesel still has possibilities.
brn says:
06:42 PM, 02/ 7/12
eidolways: "The Volt is not like the combo VHS/DVD player pictured because DVD was better than VHS in every conceivable way"
I can conceive at least two:
- DVD players won't play your old VHS tapes
- DVD players (of the day) couldn't record