Obama’s Dirty Little Secret: Chevrolet Volt is expensive to own and operate!

[James Cessna]

Who would have guessed the Chevrolet Volt would be more expensive to own and operate than a very reliable gasoline-powered Honda Civic?

Besides this problem,  there are at least three other major problems with electric cars.

During cold weather, like we have had recently, the overnight battery charge does not last long when you must use the heater to keep the interior of the car warm.

Second, the battery itself must be changed out every three years at a cost of $9,000 a pop! You can buy a lot of gasoline for $9,000!

Third, the battery takes up a lot of space and consequently the trunk space is very small.

During its time with us, our 2011 Chevy Volt tester consumed energy at the rate of 39.0 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles when in electric-only mode and averaged 31.1 mpg in gas engine assistance mode. We paid an average of $0.31 per kilowatt-hour of electricity and $3.31 per gallon of 91 octane swill, so the magic of arithmetic tells us that each one of the Volt's miles driven on electricity cost us more money than if it'd simply consumed gasoline instead. That's due in part to our high electricity rate - had our rate dropped to $0.24 per kilowatt-hour, we'd have reached parity on a cost-per-mile basis between electrons and dinosaurs.
 
It should be mentioned that the base rate for electricity in the Volt's early roll-out states is $0.16 per kilowatt-hour and many areas of the nation charge significantly less than that. So, we're still going to assume e-miles are cheaper than gas ones, but we do know this is not always the case."

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/11/11/inside-line-our-chevy-volts-battery-miles-cost-more-than-the-g/

[James Cessna]

Here is some great information on the Chevrolet Volt from Consumer Reports.

Semes like the Volt is not all it is cracked up to be. It is overpriced and takes too long to charge. Please check out the video in the following report.

"NEW YORK (WABC) -- Electric vehicles are being touted as the car of the future. The Nissan Leaf has just arrived in showrooms. And the Volt went on sale a few months ago. At the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, testers have checked out the Volt, which has a backup gasoline engine, and the Nissan Leaf, which is 100 percent electric.

Range (how far an electric vehicle can go on a charge) is a big issue. Testers have found that cold weather is a problem. The Nissan Leaf can go about 100 miles on a charge in ideal conditions. But in Consumer Reports' experience, driving in cold weather can easily shorten that to about 65 miles.

The Volt, in low temperatures, has trouble fully heating the car. It can go anywhere from 25 to 50 miles before the gasoline engine kicks in, which can take the car up to 300 miles. But the added gasoline engine makes the Volt expensive, and on long drives you may use more fuel than you would in a conventional hybrid such as the Prius.

As for recharge time, the Volt takes about 4 to 5 hours using a 220-volt charger installed in your home. The Leaf takes about 8 hours on average.  The Leaf is less expensive, costing about $35,000. The Volt is about $45,000. But even with federal and state tax credits, Consumer Reports says that neither is likely to save you money.  

If you're interested in a car that will be kind to the environment and save you money, Consumer Reports recommends the Toyota Prius."

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/consumer&id=8003858

[Rebel]

Second, the battery itself must be changed out every three years at a cost of $9,000 a pop! You can buy a lot of gasoline for $9,000!

Actually, I think it would only be fiscally feasible to change it once. After 6, a 9K replacement battery would probably be more than the car was worth, essentially totaling the car.

Altimas, Civics, etc., are the best way to go. ...oh, and I gotta throw in scooters. They're the new Harleys.

[FreeBorn]

Hey, Waaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiit a minute...

We were promised all sorts of cool stuff "By the year 2000", well? What's up with all that???!!!

I want my Jetson's sky car, dammit. They promised!

[youtube=425,350]FyinD6ZDqeg[/youtube]

[Texacon]

Actually, I think it would only be fiscally feasible to change it once. After 6, a 9K replacement battery would probably be more than the car was worth, essentially totaling the car.

Altimas, Civics, etc., are the best way to go. ...oh, and I gotta throw in scooters. They're the new Harleys.

My question on changing the battery every 3 years would be; is this based on time alone or is it based on mileage.  If it is based on mileage are they using the unrealistic mileage of 15k/year as an average.

KC

[thelaughingman]

Dear President Obama,

You buy one first.

Sincerely,

The American People

[DumbAss Tanker]

My question on changing the battery every 3 years would be; is this based on time alone or is it based on mileage.  If it is based on mileage are they using the unrealistic mileage of 15k/year as an average.

KC

Both, really.  Number of and thoroughness of recharging cycles, as well as internal chemical degeneration of the battery over time, both play into total battery life.

[Texacon]

Both, really.  Number of and thoroughness of recharging cycles, as well as internal chemical degeneration of the battery over time, both play into total battery life.

So if one were averaging 25k/year you could expect to replace the better every 1 1/2 years?

KC

[DumbAss Tanker]

So if one were averaging 25k/year you could expect to replace the better every 1 1/2 years?

KC

Hard to say, that kind of precise information is closely-held by the manufacturers.  But at an educated guess I would say that might undershoot it a bit, more likely you'd get about two years out of the battery pack instead of three.

[JohnnyReb]

Another Obama idea that doesn't work on paper much less in reality.