The former number one automaker in the world is promising a three times longer range with this car, whose combustion engine essentially serves as a generator to charge the battery pack. In optimum conditions, the Volt could travel up to 65 kilometres before the engine has to step in. According to Mr. Petsinis, that range largely exceeds the daily driving habits of most Canadians.
GM reportedly chose this approach in order to respond to consumer anxiety toward this new breed of cars. People seem to be willing to buy an EV, but they wonder if they’ll be able to return home at the end of the day or if the car will meet all their transportation needs. Mr. Petsinis thinks that the GM EV1 project answered many of those questions.
Battery size, the Achilles’ heel
While completely different in nature, the Volt and Prius PHEV perfectly illustrate the main challenges and limitations electric car manufacturers have to overcome, including battery size and available range in electric mode.
As the battery drains, it becomes a dead weight that ultimately increases fuel consumption. (Stephen Beatty actually compared the depleted battery on a hybrid or EV to a boat anchor!) Plus, a higher-capacity, longer-range battery is more expensive, which leads to a price increase and, consequently, reduced buyer interest.
Consumers don’t have elastic wallets, as pointed out by Nancy Homeister, Manager of Environmental Policy at Ford Motor Company. "We (at Ford) want to get to affordable solutions so we can maximize the buying of products in the marketplace to have a real impact on our goals for CO2 and fuel reduction," she said. "However, a survey that was done earlier this year by the University of Michigan, looking at the average consumer (not aficionados or electric car folks but ordinary people), they are very interested in battery electric vehicles for the purpose of fuel economy. That’s the primary reason for purchasing these. But the challenge is that they are not willing to pay for that! The good news is that about 90 percent of customers are willing to pay incremental to reduce fuel consumption. However, they are really only interested in paying about $3,000 more. And if you know anything about battery electric vehicles, that doesn’t get you even close to the increment involved in this type of vehicle."
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| The Volt’s architecture puts the engine/generator in front and the lithium-ion battery inside a T-shaped driveline comprised of a longitudinal section in the middle and a transverse section in the back. |
GM reportedly chose this approach in order to respond to consumer anxiety toward this new breed of cars. People seem to be willing to buy an EV, but they wonder if they’ll be able to return home at the end of the day or if the car will meet all their transportation needs. Mr. Petsinis thinks that the GM EV1 project answered many of those questions.
Battery size, the Achilles’ heel
While completely different in nature, the Volt and Prius PHEV perfectly illustrate the main challenges and limitations electric car manufacturers have to overcome, including battery size and available range in electric mode.
As the battery drains, it becomes a dead weight that ultimately increases fuel consumption. (Stephen Beatty actually compared the depleted battery on a hybrid or EV to a boat anchor!) Plus, a higher-capacity, longer-range battery is more expensive, which leads to a price increase and, consequently, reduced buyer interest.
Consumers don’t have elastic wallets, as pointed out by Nancy Homeister, Manager of Environmental Policy at Ford Motor Company. "We (at Ford) want to get to affordable solutions so we can maximize the buying of products in the marketplace to have a real impact on our goals for CO2 and fuel reduction," she said. "However, a survey that was done earlier this year by the University of Michigan, looking at the average consumer (not aficionados or electric car folks but ordinary people), they are very interested in battery electric vehicles for the purpose of fuel economy. That’s the primary reason for purchasing these. But the challenge is that they are not willing to pay for that! The good news is that about 90 percent of customers are willing to pay incremental to reduce fuel consumption. However, they are really only interested in paying about $3,000 more. And if you know anything about battery electric vehicles, that doesn’t get you even close to the increment involved in this type of vehicle."
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| "The Nissan Leaf opens a new era in the history of the automobile," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn during the car’s unveiling in Japan. |