BROWSE CAR REVIEWS BY:
MAKE
MODEL
Click on a car body type for search results.
 |
 |
| SUVs (two rows) | SUVs (three rows) |
 |
 |
| Crossover | Minivans |
 |
 |
| Sedan | Hybrids |
 |
 |
| Wagons/Hatchbacks | Just for Fun |
L.A. Auto Show: Chevy Volt’s Generator Relieves Range Anxiety
Nov 25 2008 by Sara Lacey
The 2010 Volt is Chevrolet’s most hyped and promising alternative-fuel car; it’s a plug-in hybrid that will go 40 miles on a single electric charge. At the L.A. auto show, I interviewed a couple of people about the Chevy Volt, and trust me, they were excited to talk about it.
One of the biggest issues surrounding the Volt is “range anxiety,” according to Tony Posawatz, the Volt’s vehicle line director. People new to electric cars (like, um, everyone) have a fear of getting out in the world and then running out of charge. That’s why the backup generator or “extender” is incorporated into the Volt; it’s a gas generator that kicks in when you’re out of charge. And ideally, the gas that you use in the extender won’t necessarily be regular ol’ gasoline; you could use diesel or biodiesel in the future. I’m just glad range anxiety doesn’t require medication.
Tony said that Chevy’s engineers had to consider other potential problems during the Volt’s development, such as what if the car’s still plugged in and you drive off? Well, the solution is to stop it from starting when a plug is detected in the Volt’s outlet. (At this time, I was trying to picture a giant outlet cover to keep kids from sticking forks in there.) He also talked about a charging station that would work like a sprinkler system with a timer; you could program it to charge your car when electricity costs are at their lowest. In addition, there was the challenge of making a lightweight and efficient car while maintaining its storage options, too. People like their nooks and crannies in their cars, and the Volt had to strike that balance.
Britta Gross, GM’s manager of hydrogen and electrical infrastructure commercialization, gave me another reason to like the direction electric vehicles are headed: No more trips to the gas station. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it’s worth repeating. She said that a big reason she likes EVs (that’s electric vehicles, y’all) is that she’ll never have to go to a gas station again. Can you imagine that, moms? Just think about that time you tried to pay at the pump, only it didn’t work, and you had two kids in the car who were napping for the first time in days. And the very idea of waking them up to go PAY FOR GAS made you want to strangle yourself. Or that time the gas splashed all over you and got your only clean pair of matching sweats all dirty and stinky? Never again — well, unless you use your plug-in’s extender a lot.
My only concern now is if I never go to a gas station again, when will I ever get to indulge in Red Bull and beef jerky?
