Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
I was just surprised by the claim that it didn't charge the battery with the gas motor, because it was counter-intuitive, but then the explanation made sense, and it is probably the correct behavior for a vehicle intended to primarily be a plug-in electric car.
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That was not the original design. Volt originally was suppose to have no engine - only batteries. But it did not do what was required - too late. So a motor was added afterwards - a
kludge. Without the tiny but complex box that would make it a hybrid.
I noted that both before AND so many years ago. It was a
kludge because GM engineers no longer design products. Engine was not in the original design.
Volt was so badly designed that when taken to a interview with PBS reporters, it was rolled out of the tractor trailer and would not move.
Biggest factor in home generation is changing loads. Economies of scale is a very popular myth promoted inaccurately by economists. Previous attempts to use an otherwise more efficient solution discovered other problems.
Example: over ten years ago, an airport operator was moving his entire facility off the grid. But that meant he could not have electric clocks, TVs that power on using a remote controller, etc. Because these thing draw power constantly (ie vampire consumers). Meaning generation must provide massive power to only power tiny watt appliances.
Just one of many reasons why single home power generation does not work.
Fiat tried doing same some 20 years ago (using Fiat engines). They discovered same problems. Electricity from fuel was most efficient when loads were constant. But loads vary massively in homes - subverting those efficiencies.
Hybrids do not have that problem.
Volt was suppose to be all electric. But its design ended up being so bad that a gasoline engine was added. Since that design had already taken too many years, then no time existed to properly implement a gas engine into a hybrid.
Apparently that author did not know many things. He did not know the engine could not charge its battery. He believed GM lies. And he did not understand that electric only cars still do not achieve the necessary 'less energy' requirement. And have numerous other compromises.
So Elon Musk is spending so much to still fix those problems.
A battery company A123 was not so successful - was not doing the necessary innovations. So they went bankrupt in 2012.
Too many problems still remain to be solved. Hybrids have not yet achieved their superiority. And are the future. All electric cars need maybe another 20 years of development.
Meanwhile, The Don is attacking GM repeatedly today. He will not admit why he has caused GM's necessary 15% employee layoff. He protected the anti-America steel manufacturers by doing what always destroys trade and jobs - tariffs. So GM's costs increased by $1 billion annually. Directly traceable to a president with micro intelligence and an excessive ego. Who then blames all other for disasters that he creates.
Volt is an early victim. Questions remain if a Chevy Spark may be the next victim.