I recently read this article
What struck me was the fact that the volt is a series hybrid, something I didn't know about the car until I saw this article. What grabs my attention isn't that the car isn't a true EV, that discussion is pointless and just a bunch of ammo for people with nothing to do.
My question became, of all the engines that GM could have put in this thing to power the series hybrid system, it's gone with what I would consider the worst of all options. Now, I know that you can't introduce a diesel powered car in the US and that using a turbine would be a recipe for disaster.
My initial impression of the Volt was that I might want one, but after having a look at how it works and what it's real MPG figures are, coupled with the massive price tag, I don't. At all. This thing seems like nothing but a PR gimmick by GM that gets worse gas mileage than most diesels and even many conventional gas powered cars. The electric range is too short to be useful to more than an urban commuter and the amount of weight you're hauling around when you run out of charge, coupled with the inefficiency of an IC to Generator to electric drive system, seems to affect the car to the point that it's inferior to all normal hybrid drive cars, and even some standard cars.
Now my question: I haven't kept up on the times of small scale gas turbines, but would the use of either a gas turbine or a diesel engine make this car a better platform? Wouldn't the use of either of these options enable you to use an engine that got better "miles per gallon" and at the same time allow enough excess power to charge the batteries whilst driving? The weight savings or extra efficiency alone seem to make it a much stronger contender.
What struck me was the fact that the volt is a series hybrid, something I didn't know about the car until I saw this article. What grabs my attention isn't that the car isn't a true EV, that discussion is pointless and just a bunch of ammo for people with nothing to do.
My question became, of all the engines that GM could have put in this thing to power the series hybrid system, it's gone with what I would consider the worst of all options. Now, I know that you can't introduce a diesel powered car in the US and that using a turbine would be a recipe for disaster.
My initial impression of the Volt was that I might want one, but after having a look at how it works and what it's real MPG figures are, coupled with the massive price tag, I don't. At all. This thing seems like nothing but a PR gimmick by GM that gets worse gas mileage than most diesels and even many conventional gas powered cars. The electric range is too short to be useful to more than an urban commuter and the amount of weight you're hauling around when you run out of charge, coupled with the inefficiency of an IC to Generator to electric drive system, seems to affect the car to the point that it's inferior to all normal hybrid drive cars, and even some standard cars.
Now my question: I haven't kept up on the times of small scale gas turbines, but would the use of either a gas turbine or a diesel engine make this car a better platform? Wouldn't the use of either of these options enable you to use an engine that got better "miles per gallon" and at the same time allow enough excess power to charge the batteries whilst driving? The weight savings or extra efficiency alone seem to make it a much stronger contender.