• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Government Motors’ brand new Chevy Volt already obsolete

zack991

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
1,535
Location
Ohio, USA
“Planned obsolescence” is a term applied to products designed to break easily or to quickly go out of style. GM has taken the concept to new highs (or lows.)

Green Autoblog reveals the Volt’s unplanned obsolesence:

CNN Money recently had the audacity to call the Volt’s technology “obsolete.”

CNN’s reasoning employs something called “math”: the Prius Plug-in goes 13 miles in electric mode, then swithces to hybird mode for 51 mpg highway and 48 mpg city. The Volt goes 35 miles in electric mode but on gas only 36 mpg highway and 32 mpg city. The raaaacists conclude:

On trips of 13 miles or less, the Prius plug-in and Volt deliver the same all-electric mpg: zero. On trips between 13 miles and 35 miles in length, the Volt beats the Prius. But after 35 miles, the Prius handily outscores the Volt.

Cost is the deciding factor:

…with a base price of $41,000, the Volt ain’t cheap. Pricing for the Prius Plug-In … is expected to start at approximately $28,000, meaning that it will likely undercut the Volt’s MSRP by more than $10,000. Yes, rebates alter that number, but CNN finds it difficult to justify the hefty premium for what amounts to less than 30 miles of added electric-only range.

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/government-motors-brand-new-chevy-volt-already-obsolete

http://green.autoblog.com/2011/06/29/cnn-chevrolet-volt-tech-obsolete-toyota-prius-plug-in/
 
Last edited:

thebigsd

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
3,535
Location
Quarryville, PA
I think I'll keep driving my $18,000 gas chugger and save the $10,000 difference to pay for the gas and more guns.
 

VW_Factor

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Leesburg, GA
A Prius is lucky to break 45mpg. A lot of my wife's family owns Prius's (is that right?)

Generally they'll average high 30s to low 40s...

Get yerself a TDI.

55+ around town, near 60 freeway mpg.

Suck my soot hybrids.
 
Last edited:

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
In 15-20 years, when privately-owned photovoltaic systems are made illegal, gasoline is over $15/gallon, consumer costs of electricity have increased by 1000%, and a Federal permit is required for interstate travel, it won't matter what your car uses for fuel...

Don't get distracted from the "big picture" folks. The "Volt vs. Prius" argument is about as productive and useful as the "9mm vs .45acp" argument.

Division = defeat.

Distraction = enslavement.
 
Last edited:

VW_Factor

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Leesburg, GA
Don't get distracted from the "big picture" folks.

The big picture is hybrids suck ass.

The government keeps controlling manufacturers and telling them what to build. The news will keep on saying, US auto makers aren't making hybrids or electric like the people want..

They are making EXACTLY what the public wants and demands. Trucks, pickups, etc. Not everyone wants/needs a small hybrid car. If trucks are selling, they are going to keep making trucks. Hybrids and fuel sipper cars not selling, they will resist the government mandates FORCING them to produce these vehicles.

My "opinions" and thought go way deeper than just this, however.. OCDO is not the place for such discussions.
 

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
SNIP The government keeps controlling manufacturers and telling them what to build.

Yeah. I read recently in the paper that the fedgov is/will be directing lending institutions to stall home foreclosures until a year's worth of missed payments.

Now, I have little sympathy for the big banks that raked in zillions and helped land us in the current depression (and got bailouts). But, what about smaller lending institutions that didn't play the fraudulent games? Here comes the government impairing contracts again. Just like they did when they favored the auto unions over the stockholders.
 

Kirbinator

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
903
Location
Middle of the map, Alabama
A Prius is lucky to break 45mpg. A lot of my wife's family owns Prius's (is that right?)

Generally they'll average high 30s to low 40s...

Get yerself a TDI.

55+ around town, near 60 freeway mpg.

Suck my soot hybrids.

I've spent a lot of time on this problem; my advice is also to get a TDI, or go over to Germany and drive a diesel-hybrid and bring it back.

The Prius has issues with the motors shorting or damaging coils when operated above 60 MPH for extended periods of time. Have you ever seen a Prius driver doing exactly 70MPH or under on the interstate? Then you've got the inverter or the battery to deal with in five years. While battery technology always gets better, the inverter may become an NLA part -- No Longer Available.

I'm kinda surprised we haven't made a "diesel" engine that runs on gasoline. That would be "friendlier" than a diesel engine. For one, you don't have to carry The Glove to fill up with (so you don't get diesel on your hands). And you don't have to worry about fuel spills because parts of it evaporate. On the other hand, you don't have to shut the engine off when you fuel a diesel because the fuel generally isn't volatile. And diesel has a better shelf life unless you get algae in the tank.

The only cars that The Big Five are making that people can really make use of are the VW TDI, and a full-size diesel pickup truck for towing. In the event of an emergency, it's much easier to tow a trailer into an area affected and set up recovery efforts. It's also cheaper, because RVs command a premium cost and have expensive insurance. Travel trailers are cheaper than RVs, and you can use the pickup truck as a runabout or carry more gear in the bed (if you haven't maxed out your axles). Price out a diesel pickup versus a gas pickup for hauling and you're looking at a substantial cost down the road just in fuel. One would almost be better off with a Hino or an NPR truck as a hauling platform. Ah, but we're American, we have to have a crew cab and A/C...
 
Last edited:

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
I get 44 mpg highway and 30 city with a 2000 dollar car. For that reason and many others, I believe whole heartedly that both the prius and volt are moronic.

If you're going to go the stupidly cost and weight inefficient route of turning to batteries to make a car move, at least go all out.

http://www.urbee.net/home/
 

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
I've spent a lot of time on this problem; my advice is also to get a TDI, or go over to Germany and drive a diesel-hybrid and bring it back.
You could go to the EU or elsewhere and try to bring back a car, but it'd either have to be 25 or more years old, a model already sold in the USA, or a model you pay big bucks with mega red tape to have modified to be approved here. Then there is the shipping cost. It is not by any stretch worth doing.

You'd be way better off taking an American TDI and bringing it closer to Euro specs by gutting the excess weight caused by US safety standards, then hopefully add a roll cage. Plus I'm sure some tuning would be needed.
 

sFe

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
139
Location
Laurinburg, North Carolina, USA
The Prius has issues with the motors shorting or damaging coils when operated above 60 MPH for extended periods of time. Have you ever seen a Prius driver doing exactly 70MPH or under on the interstate? Then you've got the inverter or the battery to deal with in five years. While battery technology always gets better, the inverter may become an NLA part -- No Longer Available.


Source?
 

VW_Factor

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Leesburg, GA
I've spent a lot of time on this problem; my advice is also to get a TDI, or go over to Germany and drive a diesel-hybrid and bring it back.

European diesels will not run on the fuel we have here in the states... At least, not very well nor as effectively. Beyond that, their emissions requirements are much different, and their diesels can return 80mpg (in some models) or more as they are allowed to run a bit dirtier.
 

stainless1911

Banned
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
8,855
Location
Davisburg, Michigan, United States
I dont care what makes the car go, as long as you can hear the dash board creek a little, and the sun visors dutifully swing to the rear when you step on it. Oh yeah, and you'll never be able to beat the sound of a gasoline V8 small block winding up, as the tires struggle to hold the hot pavement.
 

since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
My 1979 VW Rabbit diesel got 48 mpg, carried four adult passengers inside, four pair of skis on the roof rack, three days of clothing for each in the hatchback trunk, and enough gas (10 gal) to make it from Virginia Tech to Snowshoe, WV.

And back.

That was 32 years ago.

Why are people so excited about "hybrids" which are smaller, have less capacity, and worse gas milage?
 

stainless1911

Banned
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
8,855
Location
Davisburg, Michigan, United States
Its a fad.

You can only get so much weight to move over a certain distance on a certain fuel type. There are scientific laws that govern that. There is no way the average car is going to get 50-60 miles per gallon. 25 or 30 maybe, but anything more is a pipe dream. My festiva got 43 when it was new, thats just about the limit.

If GM Ford, or the other company could make a full size car like an old caprice or crown vic get 55 mpg, yet still perform they would do it. They would crush the competition for at least a few years until the competitor figured it out, made thier own that wouldnt violate patent laws, and then got it into production.
 

VW_Factor

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Leesburg, GA
Something as well, that some people seem to forget about cars that were made 20 years ago or more, and got high mileage numbers (the smaller cars anyway) is that back then, they were not burdened with nnearly as much government mandated safety equipment and emissions..

I am pretty sure that if our current generations of vehicles were not burdened with all this extra crap, we'd be seeing better mpg numbers. Yanno, a 40 mpg Crown Vic or something. Especially with how efficiently engines are running these days.

I agree with Stainless as well, if it was possible they'd likely already be doing it. Hell, Yota, Nissan or Honda or something would most certainly have it lol.

Anyway. We're off to go camping. See ya next week. :)
 
Top