Car Thread

[v8vega]

I saw a Chevy Bolt electric car on the freeway, 1st one. They're kind of small, won't win any styling awards, won't be a classic 25 years from now. Never get behind a electric car, the battery can and does go dead at any time.

[E7]

Usain is Bolt, Chevy is Volt!

[HONDO74]

Usain is Bolt, Chevy is Volt!

The Chevy BOLT.
http://www.chevrolet.com/bolt-ev-electr ... gJDqvD_BwE

[E7]

Usain is Bolt, Chevy is Volt!

The Chevy BOLT.
http://www.chevrolet.com/bolt-ev-electr ... gJDqvD_BwE

Well slap my face! My BAD! Not only a Volt, but also a Bolt. I'm going to give Usain a call and see if he wants to lawyer up and sue!

I notice the Bolt is a sedan. I can only imagine the back seat!

[rogruth]

237 miles on a charge?
How quick does it recharge fully?
To go to my daughters house in Kentucky would take three charges counting the initial charge.
To drive my Ford Flex I would need to fill up once on the way. That would add 10 minutes to the time.
Not counting the first charge the electric would need two more charges. How long would they take?
For me, if it was an hour or less that would be a good time to eat or something.
My wife would NOT like that. She wants to go now and be there yesterday.
I probably will never have an electric car ( mostly because I'm an old dude) but the distance per charge
is the only real drawback I see.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Hi Roger, I have heard it takes several hours - 12? - to charge one up, but I could be wrong (It's happened. Wayne can tell ya ). However, what if a driver is caught in traffic? Wouldn't that suck-up the electric charge, esp. if the car had its AC or heater on?

I would not accept such a vehicle even if they gave me one, because I would not take the chance of getting stuck/stranded, and getting isolated in places like around the NY-NJ area would not be a healthy prospect, not to mention getting trapped out in a desert or forestry-type of place.

[Roy]

The Chevy Volt(with a V) has an auxiliary internal combustion engine that runs when the battery is dead. It not only provides power to drive the car, but also recharges the battery. I think the engine is also designed to run on non-polluting fuels like pure ethanol, as well as gasoline.

[rogruth]

The Chevy Volt(with a V) has an auxiliary internal combustion engine that runs when the battery is dead. It not only provides power to drive the car, but also recharges the battery. I think the engine is also designed to run on non-polluting fuels like pure ethanol, as well as gasoline.

If the engine recharges the batteries they should not go dead ( unless the car had not been used for some time).

[MurphOnMillerAve]

PLUS, I've heard somedamwhere that Mercedes Benz (!!!!!) and BMW (!!!!!) are working on bringing out an electric car, SOON (enough). Egad.

That was actually part of my motivation in replacing my 2015 with a new 2018 Benz ML. I want a dependable gasoline-powered car, and this is likely the last car I'll ever buy, anyolways.
(The ML is now rebadged as the GLE-somethingorother.)

P.S. Today , I just completed removing all my personal items and gewgaws from the ML to be ready when the dealership calls to say the new buggy has arrived and is ready to be received by me. I must admit, much as I really like my present vehicle, I am looking forward to this new adventure.

[Roy]

If the engine recharges the batteries they should not go dead ( unless the car had not been used for some time).

The engine doesn't run all the time. Only as needed. Most folks charge their batteries every night, and the engine will only come on if one drives more than the 200(or whatever it is) miles in a full charge. For most folks, it dramatically reduces their gas bill.

I should point out that the Volt is not a hybrid like the Prius, which has it's engine and electric motor both in the drive train. The Volt is more like a diesel-electric locomotive with batteries. The engine turns a generator; only the electric motor drives the car.

[webenda]

That was actually part of my motivation in replacing my 2015 with a new 2018 Benz ML.

Not my style, but I do like Mercedes trucks.
I miss my old Mercedes F-280.

1960 Mercedes F-280.jpg (112.39 KiB) Viewed 3738 times

Currently, I am driving a 2012 Mercedes F-150.

Mercedes F-150.png (119.09 KiB) Viewed 3738 times

The one I am waiting for is the 2018 Mercedes F-class. The dealer is not taking orders yet.

mercedes-benz-F-150-concept.jpg (116.53 KiB) Viewed 3738 times

But I have hope. Reuters says Mercedes is considering bringing pickups back to America.

The Mercedes-Benz F-Class may be the most highly anticipated pickup truck in recent memory. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz Vans — the division of the the German automaker responsible for the F-Class — has made it very clear over the past year that it has no plans to bring the model to the US. That is until now.

On Friday, MB Vans boss Volker Mornhinweg indicated that his company is looking closely at US demand for mid-size trucks like the F-Class,
Reuters reported.

Come on Volker, I have the cash waiting for you. Bring it on!

Reference: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-daiml ... SKBN163158
https://youtu.be/PqLt7MnSyNY

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Seems dubious. Not demented, no. Just a bit out-of-something-or-other. Yet, darn clever artwork.

[healey36]

Assessment of the Chevy Bolt:

http://www.businessinsider.com/bi-2017-car-of-the-year-runner-up-the-chevy-bolt-2017-11

Charging an electric car is an agonizingly slow process which, together with limited range, precludes most over-the-road usage. Bop to the grocery store or drive five miles to work...no problem. Drive from Baltimore to New York...yeah, not so much.

[robert.]

One of the guys i ride bicycle with has a battery business. I rebuilds dead batteries. Then sells them to used car lots. About 3 years ago one dealer wants to know if he'll to batteries for all these electric cars on his lot. This dealer was stuck with half a dozen with bad batteries. Then can run $5,000+ for a battery pack. Watch out when buying a used electric or hybrid.
Bob the battery guy went to a few tech class about rebuilding these packs and decided against getting into it. Said " he walked away from what could be a great growing business. He had some real fears about those battery packs.

[Roy]

...this is likely the last car I'll ever buy, anyolways.

In that case, why not treat yourself to a Shelby 1000 hp Mustang?: http://www.shelby.com/?topic=vehicles&art=Shelby1000