[phsdv]

Earlier this month, on October 7th, the dutch forum for the Volt and Ampera organized an event to try to break the record for most electrical cars charging at the same time! We managed to get 9 Volts and 51 Amperas, in total 60 together and all charging using 230V, 6 or 12A.

Also reported by the Dutch Chevrolet web site and the Dutch Opel lease web site (both in dutch, no translation available, sorry)

Here are some pics:

 

[JulieJoule]

Hope all those windmills don't spin out of control!

 

[Ladogaboy]

Look at all the trip-fall hazards!

 

[Sharkonwheels]

That. Is. Awesome!

Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Raymondjram]

Hope all those windmills don't spin out of control!

You may be thinking of wind turbines because a "windmill" is for milling wheat or other grain (and they don't mill wind).
Second, the Dutch used those supposed "windmills" as water pumps to drain their low-level lands (that is why their official name is Netherlands) behind the dikes. Now the original "windmills" or water pumps are just tourists sites. The Dutch are using much better water pumps and larger dikes.

 

[tboult]

Awsome. How big a supply circuit was that using?

Does seem like same energetic Netherlands I recall from my visit to my sister..
But no orange Volts?
No bands playing?

Maybe all the energy was going into the batteries..

 

[f_carter]

Love the idea. More power to them! They really got a charge out of it! The atmosphere there was electrifing! How shocking!

 

[RobbertPatrison]

In September 236 Amperas and 57 Volts were sold in the Netherlands. Since its a much smaller country, the equivalent US sales figure would be 5171. So it sells almost twice as well in Holland as in the USA.

The list price of the Volt or Ampera easily pushes 45K Euros, incl. Tax. At that price its only feasible as a business lease car. Details on the Dutch Opel site show that the net price after all (business) TAX incentives is E 20.5K ($26K). That is a sweet price, especially since gas runs at about $8/gallon over there.

Notice how Chevy claims an electric range ('actieradius') of 80km (50 miles) in the technical specifications. The US EPA does not let them get away with such an optimistic 'up to' value. The spec does not even make sense, since it also lists efficiency at 16.9 kWh/100km, which at 10.3 usable kWh in the battery equates to only 60km electric range (which is more realistic).

 

[tboult]

Notice how Chevy claims an electric range ('actieradius') of 80km (50 miles) in the technical specifications. The US EPA does not let them get away with such an optimistic 'up to' value. The spec does not even make sense, since it also lists efficiency at 16.9 kWh/100km, which at 10.3 usable kWh in the battery equates to only 60km electric range (which is more realistic).

EU range is based on the EU test cycle which is gentler and kinder the agressive American EPA.
The Volt/Ampera official did 82km on that cycle.

 

[phsdv]

Awsome. How big a supply circuit was that using?

We used about 138kW at that moment

 

[cruiserlarry]

I love hearing about "current" events - very "amp"pressive !!!