Why do some EV's like the Volt only go 40 miles before their little gas engine kicks in. You gotta do better than that GM. I think Ford has a better idea ... concentrate on designing a good all-electric car. The company that does that (foreign or domestic) will win! The car will have to go at least 300 miles before needing a charge before the general public will buy into it.
Tim
The idea here is to not have insanely expensive batteries taking up room and adding weight to the vehicle that we are rarely if ever using. We want to buy the smallest battery that still gets us through our commute and daily errands. GM thinks 40 miles is about right.
Consider that most people only drive out of state about twice a year. Do you really want to pay $35,000 for a 70kWh battery that takes up half the volume of the car, adds a few thousand pounds and gets used once or twice a year? And even if you could offer 300 miles of electric range, the vehicle is still not going to work for road trips unless you are traveling less than 5 hours and are sure you have somewhere to plug in on the other side for a few days (if not, you are limited to about 2 hours from home).
Keep in mind, adding the engine for the Volt only costs GM about $2,000, frees up a lot of battery costs, and gives it unlimited range and most Volt owners will probably be able to count the gallons of gas they burn a year on their fingers and toes except for those road trips that they'll take a couple of times a year.
Consider that most people only drive out of state about twice a year. Do you really want to pay $35,000 for a 70kWh battery that takes up half the volume of the car, adds a few thousand pounds and gets used once or twice a year? And even if you could offer 300 miles of electric range, the vehicle is still not going to work for road trips unless you are traveling less than 5 hours and are sure you have somewhere to plug in on the other side for a few days (if not, you are limited to about 2 hours from home).
Keep in mind, adding the engine for the Volt only costs GM about $2,000, frees up a lot of battery costs, and gives it unlimited range and most Volt owners will probably be able to count the gallons of gas they burn a year on their fingers and toes except for those road trips that they'll take a couple of times a year.
Tim,
The tiniest of pure EV's with 70+ miles of range currently cost $47,000. The Tesla Roadster, which has conventional proportions and utility, costs $100,000 - $130,000, depending on drivetrain and other options.
The Volt will cost $32,500 with the government subsidy, and allow people to still drive very long trips and rapidly refill their tank at a gas station - that is the value proposition.
The tiniest of pure EV's with 70+ miles of range currently cost $47,000. The Tesla Roadster, which has conventional proportions and utility, costs $100,000 - $130,000, depending on drivetrain and other options.
The Volt will cost $32,500 with the government subsidy, and allow people to still drive very long trips and rapidly refill their tank at a gas station - that is the value proposition.
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