GM dropping Volt's range from 600 to 360 miles

[Elie]

The gas tank in the Chevy Volt is probably the least interesting thing about GM's hybrid concept, but it's causing some waves today, with reports that GM is trimming it in size, effectively dropping the vehicle's range from 600 miles to some 360.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/09/gm-dropping-volts-range-from-600-to-360-miles/

I didn't know they were suggesting it would travel 600 miles on a full charge, I guess that changed quick.

[Dr Mordrid]

Old news to those following Volt. I posted on this a few weeks ago.

The original range was actually 640-700 miles, but there was a problem: it uses so little gas in day-to-day driving that the gas would go bad in a large tanks. Same problem you have when storing a car for a few months.

Two fixes: a smaller tank (360-400 mile range) and it's to be hermetically sealed. There is also some scuttlebutt about a timed agitator (prob. magnetically linked to an external motor) to help prevent stratification.

[az]

GM Europe's CEO said that an electric Opel may cost as much as 10000 EUR more than a comparable ordinary ICE model.

[Dr Mordrid]

We're hearing a premium of about $7K, but there is talk from Congress of $5K to $10K tax credits (extra money on the tax refund) for EV's and some states are talking of them too so...

That of course is based on LiION tech. If the coming 3rd party evaluation of the EESTOR barium titanate/aluminum oixide/glass tech is as they say it will be that could be drastically reduced; 10x the storage of lead acid in a package 1/10th the size and they have funding and some interesting partners - Lockheed Martins space and military divisions for starters.

Here's their published specs for prices @ mass production;

Energy density (Wh/L): 1513
Specific energy (Wh/kg): 682
Price (USD/kWh): $40
Price (52 kWh/vehicle): $2,080

Such a storage system could cause a massive decoupling from oil and LiION battery tech to EESTOR, and Canada's ZENN bought up the licensing rights for automobiles.

If it works it changes everything.

[KRSESQ]

And if it works you'll see an 'electric vehicle recharge' tax on your electric bill.

That in addition to the highway tax you pay zapping up at a commercial recharging station.

All to replace the highway funding they lose from falling gas tax revenues.

So the federal tax credit will literally be going in one pocket and out the other.

THAT much, at least, won't change.

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

What'll change is that if Obama's elected that highway tax will be higher

As for charging: there are two things that could make that free after getting the gear

1. Nanosolar thin film printed solar cells. Projected price less than $1/kWh

2. MIT's dye impregnated solar concentrator panels. Put the solar cells just on their perimeter to make the panels even cheaper.

3. Vehicle to Grid (V2G); a system being developed that would, combined with the above solar technologies or later fuel cells, enable a system in which power can be sold to the electrical power grid by an electric vehicle that is connected to the grid not in use for transportation. Alternatively, when the car batteries need to be fully charged the flow can be reversed and drawn from the grid to charge the battery. A V2G study by Kempton, Tomic, Letendre, Brooks & Lipman from the Universities of California at Berkeley and Davis found that a participating EV owner could net as much as $3,000 a year in extra income, which could go towards paying for the vehicle.

V2G is waiting for a high powered tech like EESTOR's, so if it works out expect it to be a very big deal.