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Mortanis posted:Congrats! Electric cars are the surefire way to expose just how ignorant most people are of electricity. My favorite one so far with my Volt has been, "So it charges itself when you hit the brakes, right? How many times do you have to stop to fill the battery?" 
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Sep 11, 2013 18:21
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Mathhole posted:My favorite thing about my (non EV) Honda is the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). I imagine it feels a lot like a fixed gear. Does anyone have enough experience with both to comment? CVTs are wierd. Not uncomfortably so, just wierd. Single gear electric motors are not. It's like a magic hand that never flinches. (My frame of reference includes mostly GM RWD automatics, and T-56 (and derivative) six speeds.)
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Sep 11, 2013 23:40
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My parents had a Dodge Caliber for awhile with a CVT... ... ...and paddle shifters. 
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Sep 12, 2013 12:47
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Powercube posted:...like when some rear end in a top hat parks in the EV charge spot all weekend... If I drove a pure electric, that motherfucker would get a big old glob of two part epoxy in the fuel filler neck.
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Sep 16, 2013 14:50
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If you can't charge it regularly, you're probably better off with something else, like a Prius, or a TDI Volkswagen. Your commute is inside the full-charge range, though, so if you can commit to plugging it in every night, you could easily commute on 100% electricity, and only use gasoline for longer trips. For me, this is critical, since 90%+ of my driving is my commute, I save quite a bit by buying my energy from the grid, instead of from a gas station. Don't worry about a 220v charger, either. As long as your intended charge circuit can handle 110v @ 12a sustained, you'll have a full charge almost every morning. (Volt has a 12 amp and an 8 amp charge setting. 8a is for suckers.) The gas-only fuel economy isn't bad at all, but you can do better, elsewhere.
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Sep 16, 2013 22:11
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Thwomp posted:My parents have a Volt and just got a level 2 charger installed. Being in South Florida was a big part of my purchasing decision. It would have been harder to justify in a part of the country that actually gets cold.
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Sep 17, 2013 13:44
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Mortanis posted:Well, my boss has given permission for me to charge at work. This makes everything a hell of a lot easier for me now. I have a 44 mile round trip to work and home, all of that at 55 mph highway with stoplights all along the way, really chewing up my battery. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I don't get home until 10PM with a 7AM depart time the next morning, and only have a 110 charge option at home, so I don't get back up to 80% charge the next day and coast in on (electric) fumes. Now that it's getting colder, I'm having to use the heater and that's probably going to make it impossible to actually drive to work on Wednesday/Thursday. If I can plug in at work, even on 110, that's a savior. If your main breaker box, or even better, your meter and box, are in your garage, running a dedicated 30a 220v circuit for a charger is child's play. I considered doing it in a rental property, due to the ridiculous proximity of both the main box and the meter to my charging location.
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Oct 11, 2013 22:24
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Michael Scott posted:I didn't mean a luxury vehicle, I'm talking like Civic and Corolla prices. An electric A to B car, perhaps for a younger audience, with a relatively long range. It could have a revolutionary design or lack some of the amenities that current vehicles have but if it could be priced low enough (like under $15,000) it might be a huge hit. It could negate the negatives of a loss leader and invigorate the EV industry. Manufacturers are already hard pressed to build and sell a conventional gas car at that price point, and make a profit, due to higher levels of expected standard trim/options, and increasing safety, economy, and emissions regulations. What you're describing is currently impossible, at a low price point, so the OEs then up-content the vehicles so that people are a bit more amenable to the high price. As battery prices and/or efficiencies go down/up, the vehicle prices will come down, but it's going to be some time. I do think that the tipping point for continued growth of the EV market has been reached, though. They're not going away, this time.
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Oct 18, 2013 21:38
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Goober Peas posted:Does anyone have an originating source for the "GM is losing $50k on every Volt" statement? I've searched and cannot find a factual source for the statement -- it gets thrown around a lot in the media and I've seen where the media quotes itself. Would be interested to know where it comes from. Exactly. The Volt is just as much an enthusiast car as a GTO or ZL1 Camaro. People who don't understand the tech aren't going to get the most out of the vehicle, and are going to have a hard time justifying it against a full electric, or a conventional economy car. Much like you, though, I paid [b]way/[b] less than $30k for mine, I no longer burn gasoline for my daily commute, and it's about as much fun as an economy car can be.
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Oct 19, 2013 16:39
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Advent Horizon posted:They've offered a test rate to the first 10 people who own an electric vehicle and apply since January 2012. I got my paperwork in yesterday, snagging space #9, and the person who walked in the door after me got space number 10. Glad I didn't wait any longer! In exchange for having a smart secondary meter installed, and filling out a yearly usage survey, I get half-price electricity from 10pm to 7am and $1000 reimbursement for the EVSE/install. Seems like a pretty sweet deal, but I am out a couple hundred extra bucks to have the meter box added to the circuit until they reimburse me when I fill out my first survey. That's a screaming deal. I'm jealous.
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Oct 25, 2013 20:52
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Thwomp posted:I worded that weird. If you asked 90% of drivers "Did the feel of the engine/transmission package have any bearing on your purchasing decision," half would say "LOL I BOUGHT THE GREEN ONE," and the other half would say "no, but I got it for $195 a month!" 128 month financing at 19% APR.
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Nov 18, 2013 22:53
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grover posted:For long distance driving, the convenience point will be at least 200 miles range. I don't want to have to make a stop every 60 miles, no matter how brief. I don't see batteries EVER getting to the same level as gasoline, in terms of charge speed versus filling a fuel tank. Range, possibly, but charge speed, no.
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Nov 20, 2013 23:21
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Mathhole posted:Battery swapping doesn't count? That would count, yes, but I don't see that ever becoming a thing, either, for entirely different reasons.
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Nov 20, 2013 23:25
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Mathhole posted:Tesla is doing this, though. The technical ability to do a thing is not in any way related to the economic viability of that thing. To make the battery-swap scheme work, you'd essentially need most of the gas stations in the US to install the required infrastructure, and to hold two or three (or more, in very densely populated areas, with lots of Teslas) batteries in stock at all times, if you wanted 100% availability of charged batteries. Its a loving SPLENDID plan if you're Tesla, or Tesla's subcontractors, making batteries, but it just isn't realistic. Then, you still run into the issue of trip planning. What happens if you get to your planned battery-swap out in podunk, nowhere, and some other guy in a Tesla just drove away with that stations only swap battery? Even assuming the battery station charges via the same method as Tesla's Superchargers, you get to wait an hour and fifteen minutes before you can resume your trip. This doesn't begin to get into the issue of Tesla battery swapping being specific to Tesla cars. I don't see anyone besides Tesla dealers installing the required equipment. I hope Tesla changes the automotive world, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Nov 21, 2013 00:22
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Mathhole posted:I didn't realize you also wanted charge/swap stations to be as plentiful as gas stations. That's certainly hard. It's also fairly ridiculous with proprietary technology. Of course you wouldn't need them at EVERY station, but to be convenient enough to make an impact, you would certainly need more than just a handful. Tesla's own website shows nation-wide range coverage of the continental US by the end of 2014, using a relative few supercharging stations. With that format, yes, you can drive the thing almost anywhere, but it's still far from being as convenient as a fossil fueled car. I don't even think that's a drawback though. I just feel that efforts need to be made to introduce electric cars as a different sort of transportation, rather than pushing for a one-for-one replacement of ICE vehicles. For instance, what is the custom when you visit a friend with your electric car? Is it rude to ask to plug in? Is it rude to deny someone else plugging in at your home or place of business? What are the rules for public charging stations, particularly in residential parking garages?
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Nov 21, 2013 02:59
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West SAAB Story posted:A (former) coworker ended up with a Volt, and as Chevys' site shows by CURRENT data,it gets about 38-40 on a full charge. Best case. Mine gets 42-48, depending on traffic. Heavier traffic results in better electric range; Electric range plummets over 55mph. Not living in a frigid wasteland helps, as well. I have a 44mi round trip and make it on 100% electric about two thirds of the time. The other third, I use less than a tenth of a gallon per commute day. Plus, when you do run out of charge, you... Drive the rest of the way home. A (very) rough calculation shows that my Volt costs me ~$200 more per month than my paid-off 2006 GTO was costing, and the majority of the cost is going towards the payment, rather than into the fuel tank, like it would have with a regular gas car. I certainly won't get that back in investment terms, but vehicles depreciate a lot slower than combusted gasoline. I probably could have gotten a lower overall cost of ownership with a Corolla or Elantra, but the Volt is honestly a nicer, better optioned car. And it satisfies my desire for something that ISNT a godamned Corolla.
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Dec 19, 2013 05:40
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Ryand-Smith posted:For people in here who have a volt, how does it drive. Payment wouldn't be a problem, but I'm curious on A: how does that tax credit thing work, and B: how does it drive on highways. Right now I have a gas car that gets 25-30, but I do a lot of 300-500 mile stretches (not by choice!), and the idea of an electric car with a little more gas combined with stopping at charging stations sounds somewhat tempting. Get a TDI. The range-extending mode mileage of the volt is kinda lousy, (~40mpg) and EV mileage sucks above ~65mph. (It gets the rated 38 miles at 65 or so, more if you go slower, a lot less at 75.) The Volt is great if it's operational limitations fit your life, but when operated outside those limitations, it's just another car. Being able to say that, though, is loving amazing to me. It really is an awesome technological achievement. You could never charge it, run it on gas all the time, and enjoy it, it just wouldn't make financial sense.
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Jan 4, 2014 04:02
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Goober Peas posted:As far as the tax credit, you have to have at least $7500 of taxable income to get the full credit, otherwise you only get back your tax liability before deductions. And its only good in the year you buy the car, you cannot carry any credit forwards to the next fiscal year. Its so poors can't afford to buy them, as far as I can tell.
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Jan 4, 2014 17:30
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Chevy Volt realtalk: I was on break, taking a walk around the parking lot, walked right past my own car, AND DIDNT EVEN NOTICE IT WAS THERE. gently caress me, it's boring.
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Apr 13, 2014 22:58
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parid posted:Your boring scale may need recalibrating. Have you driven an early 2000nds Toyota lately? I did dry heave a little when I saw this commercial for the first time, if that counts.
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Apr 14, 2014 01:32
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angryhampster posted:Why is the LFA in this advertisement? It hasn't been sold in a couple years.. It's the only thing about Lexus that is remotely exciting? (Even the LFA, possibly one of the best supercars ever built, manages to be boring.)
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Apr 14, 2014 01:41
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The only really, actually annoying thing I've found with my Volt so far is the goddamned default 8A charge mode. You can force it to charge at 13A, but every time you shut it down, it reverts to 8A. It's an annoyance mostly because I hate it when things are catered to the lowest common denominator. (IE: the retard that plugs their car into a 10A circuit, wonders why the breaker keeps tripping, forces the breaker closed, and burns their house down.) My '13 has a Volt logo on the main display when the stereo is off, and all the other screens work as normal, for what it's worth.
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Jun 7, 2014 03:46
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Hillridge posted:Does the stereo have to be on to show anything other than the volt logo on the main display? Of course not.
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Jun 7, 2014 05:36
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blugu64 posted:I've been wondering this for a while now, I've seen Tesla's driving around and have been wondering why they have a grill on the front? It looks like it's 90%+ covered by black plastic already, so what's the deal? Is it just for show/familiarity or does it actually do something? In addition to what's been said about A/C and battery pack heat exchangers, cars without grilles always end up lookin kind of dorfy.
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Jun 14, 2014 03:12
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Platystemon posted:Counterpoint: the Volkswagen Beetle Nope. They pretty much prove my point. I love Beetles, but they're the godamned embodiment of dorfy.
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Jun 14, 2014 17:10
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Boten Anna posted:I'm strongly considering leasing a leaf, but the only thing I'm worried about is if living in a rental house will be a problem. There's a 240v plug for the dryer in the garage so I don't think there'd need to be any modifications made, but I can't find solid info on what's involved in the home charging station. 220V socket chargers tend to be a little more expensive than an equivalent hard-wired charger, but otherwise, no.
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Jun 17, 2014 13:31
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http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:154452
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Jun 27, 2014 04:07
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Hillridge posted:It's based off of that one, but this is the one I printed: I have a friend trying to get some time in on the maker bot where he works. If that doesn't pan out, mind if I bug you for one, as well? It's one of those forehead slapping why didn't I think of that things that I didn't even know I needed. Also, they guy who made the design wants $48 for them. 
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Jun 27, 2014 16:33
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Ola posted:Test drove the e-Golf the other day. It was excellent. Great to have adjustable regen braking as well. You move the shifter sideways to select three leves of regen. Then if you pull it towards you, you get a fourth level with a lot of regen. Perfect for long downhills. If it's braking a little bit too much, just give it a bit of gas. Is this common for all EVs? Volt has a "low gear" detent that provides more regen with no brake input. I'd really like something like what you describe, though.
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Jul 6, 2014 21:53
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Hillridge posted:I can't tell for sure on m Volt, but judging by the regen numbers shown, it looks like slight brake pedal pressure ups the regen amount. The window is small between that and applying normal brake pads though. Is this correct or am I making stuff up? Even in "L" mode, you still have a bit more regen available with the brake pedal. Not much, but its there. (At higher speeds, and on inclines, you have a great deal more reserve regen available.) And agreed with everything regarding stoplight creep. Engineering to the lowest common denominator, there. MrYenko fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Jul 7, 2014 |
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Jul 7, 2014 20:18
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An idiot posted this.
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Jul 7, 2014 20:19
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Mortanis posted:I can understand using B-mode regen breaking in the city, but surely you guys don't use it for freeway or highway? It seems to me it'd be better to have it off, so that you slow less when your foot comes off the accelerator and you preserve more of your speed - less energy to speed back up again. I use it in traffic, basically. I also drive almost exclusively with the cruise control. It's a lot more precise and thrifty than I am.
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Jul 7, 2014 21:01
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Hillridge posted:Here's some real world numbers from my first month of Volt ownership: I have a 22.3mi one way commute, and generally end up doing about 55mph on the way to work, with the return trip at 60-70, depending on traffic. If I hold it 55 both ways, (I'm that guy in the right lane, there's two passing lanes on my left, go gently caress yourself,) I can make the trip about half the time on electric-only. I generally end up using about a tenth of a gallon of fuel, though, according to the on-dash display. Note that this is with the AC on Eco, but set to 74, in south Florida, in the summertime. In the spring, fall, and winter, I seem to get better range, AND use less AC. I can make it electric-only almost every day if I want. I had one day where the charge page showed 49mi of electric driving before it went over to the engine. Also, sport mode is dumb, it just changes the accelerator pedal curve to be extremely front-loaded, which just makes it more difficult to modulate.
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Jul 17, 2014 14:07
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watwat posted:Ah yes. Thanks for going dangerously slow on the highway and putting everyone at risk because you need to save a couple miles on your charge. The speed limit varies between 60, and (I wish this was an exaggeration please go gently caress yourselves Miami-Dade Expressway Authority,) 45. What's terrifying is that, at 55, I routinely PASS people puttering along at forty-five in the left and center lanes, while everyone else is forced to lane dance around them. There's a short section of turnpike with a 65mph limit, but it also has a pretty significant four to three to two lane merge that drops the speeds to about fifty five, anyway.
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Jul 18, 2014 12:12
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Hillridge posted:My biggest complaint about the door locks is that you can't lock the car using the handle button unless all the doors are closed. So if a passenger is taking a while you have to wait until they shut their door, then you can lock it. I haven't checked to see if the remote does the same thing because I never take my keys out anymore. If you turn on auto-lock, the doors lock automatically when they're all closed and you walk away from the car. The only time I manually lock the doors is when I use remote start.
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Aug 24, 2014 11:53
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ssjonizuka posted:Finally managed to get a little seat time (aka 2 5 minute trips) in a volt. It is a very eerie feeling to moving in a car, but not in a vehicle which has a transmission/motor that I've so commonly used as a speed/movement gauge. The regen/friction brake tuning, particularly the transition between the two at low speed, is my only real complaint with the car, dynamically. It's just a little balky under light deceleration to a stop, as the regen stops and the friction brakes engage. Other than that, it's a magic carpet of quiet smoothness. I've driven a gasoline Cruze, and those cars are remarkably quiet and smooth, for the price point, as well.
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Sep 14, 2014 14:43
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ijustam posted:I can't imagine a solar panel is going to make a dent in the high voltage battery, given the limited amount of real estate on a roof. It's not, but every little bit helps. That said, being from South Florida I'd love to have one to run a circ fan when the car is parked, to keep the interior temps under a thousand degrees Celsius.
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Oct 14, 2014 16:27
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DJ Commie posted:I bought a 1974 Fiat X1/9 that someone jammed in old forklift parts to convert it to electric power, should I post about it here? The answer is always  .It's doubly so when you're talking about a half-assed conversion of an Italian car. Only amazing things can happen.
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Dec 20, 2014 01:42
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Collateral Damage posted:And by amazing we mean an electrical fire. I said Italian car, didn't I?
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Dec 20, 2014 05:44
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Hillridge posted:I'm surprised at how often my Volt kicks on the engine when it's really cold out (sub 20°F) even when I have a full charge. I gather it has to do with being more efficient for climate control, but I feel like I should be able to force EV only if I want to. Also cold temps murder battery range. I've lost an easy 10 miles since the first freeze. It comes back on warm days, so it's not like the heat+leaf issue. On 2013s and on, there's a setting in vehicle options for engine assisted heating. I don't think you can turn it completely off, but you at least have some control over it. I just wish they'd give us the option to turn off the slow speed creep "feature." If I want the godamned car to move, I have a pedal for that. 
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Jan 13, 2015 13:05
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