I thought Lithium batteries were about 100 W-hr/lb; which would make the Volt battery about 160 lbs. So why is the curb weight 3780 lbs? That's 300 lbs more than my Mercury Sable Station Wagon!
One suggestion is to minimize the gas engine. Driving at 70 MPH takes about 25 kW (33 HP), so can't I easily run all day with a 40HP engine and 30kW generator? At 54 kW (and 85 HP) it all seems overspec'd by about 100%. How about a new model optimized as a 2nd car for commuting. Then those who commute over 80 miles or absolutely must tow a trailer can get the standard model?
An awesome solution would be to use a small air-cooled motorcycle engine running at 4000 - 8000 RPM; Horsepower = 5252*Torque (ft-lbs) x RPM. Making torque requires more weight (for engine AND generator), so max out the RPM. With a little balancing and a tuned muffler it could be pretty quiet.
With $40,000 invested in this thing I'm glad GM has been so cautious, but after several million customer miles I hope they can lift their restraint a bit and fully realize the benefits of the Volt concept.
One suggestion is to minimize the gas engine. Driving at 70 MPH takes about 25 kW (33 HP), so can't I easily run all day with a 40HP engine and 30kW generator? At 54 kW (and 85 HP) it all seems overspec'd by about 100%. How about a new model optimized as a 2nd car for commuting. Then those who commute over 80 miles or absolutely must tow a trailer can get the standard model?
An awesome solution would be to use a small air-cooled motorcycle engine running at 4000 - 8000 RPM; Horsepower = 5252*Torque (ft-lbs) x RPM. Making torque requires more weight (for engine AND generator), so max out the RPM. With a little balancing and a tuned muffler it could be pretty quiet.
With $40,000 invested in this thing I'm glad GM has been so cautious, but after several million customer miles I hope they can lift their restraint a bit and fully realize the benefits of the Volt concept.