new Volt owner on morning local news
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Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Actually, this was the other focus of the seminar I attended. Half was about the Volt, and half was about adapting the utility grid for the future - smart grid, adaptive loads, the effect on infrastructure, how many "volts" would need to be purchased for night demand to equal peak demand, how to get the Volt to speak on SmartGRID where loads "request" access to the grid at a given load rating.
Pretty interesting evening.
It's awfully nice of Volt owners to be sacrificing their batteries for grid stability...hope that they get compensated for it.
As a 20 year+ professional engineer in the power industry, this is another pie in the sky "marketting" gimic...you know, those ones "marketted" to make things look more attractive ?
The peaks run through the day, and the off peaks at night.
Would you buy a car that charges during the off peak, then threw 10%, 20%, 30% of it's charge back at the grid first thing in the morning just as you were about to start your commute ?
Especially as you assert that the car can't charge on the fly, why would you accept anything less than full charge before setting off into the yonder ?
Then sits in a carpark during the rest of the peak, only to drive home...once again during the peak ?
Only people who state their commute at about 11PM, and are home by 7AM would ever have full range under such a "smart" system.
Power stations can run pretty easily from 35% right up to 100% plus as it is without the Volt's assistance.
Actually, this was the other focus of the seminar I attended. Half was about the Volt, and half was about adapting the utility grid for the future - smart grid, adaptive loads, the effect on infrastructure, how many "volts" would need to be purchased for night demand to equal peak demand, how to get the Volt to speak on SmartGRID where loads "request" access to the grid at a given load rating.
Pretty interesting evening.
It's awfully nice of Volt owners to be sacrificing their batteries for grid stability...hope that they get compensated for it.
As a 20 year+ professional engineer in the power industry, this is another pie in the sky "marketting" gimic...you know, those ones "marketted" to make things look more attractive ?
The peaks run through the day, and the off peaks at night.
Would you buy a car that charges during the off peak, then threw 10%, 20%, 30% of it's charge back at the grid first thing in the morning just as you were about to start your commute ?
Especially as you assert that the car can't charge on the fly, why would you accept anything less than full charge before setting off into the yonder ?
Then sits in a carpark during the rest of the peak, only to drive home...once again during the peak ?
Only people who state their commute at about 11PM, and are home by 7AM would ever have full range under such a "smart" system.
Power stations can run pretty easily from 35% right up to 100% plus as it is without the Volt's assistance.
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
The representative at the presentation I was at took us through the calculations when used 100% on electric power.
Using our electricity cost of ~5 cents per kWh (that's just for the electricity part, not all of the delivery, debt charge etc... charges that are also added) and our then-current gas price of $1.10/L electricity would have to go to 50 cents per kWh to approach the break even point. And gas isn't going down in price. It was a year ago, but he took us through the math.
LOL, did you buy the bridge that they were selling at the same time ?
Do you seriously believe they will be selling power to Volt owners at wholesale rather than distributed retail rates ?
When old people have to pay retail for necessities such as heating, cooling and cooking ?
I'd love to pay for my petrol are refinery gate prices...would improve my MPG (equivalent over my current spend) markedly as well.
What do you think will happen to (retail) power prices when tax revenue from gas goes down ?
The representative at the presentation I was at took us through the calculations when used 100% on electric power.
Using our electricity cost of ~5 cents per kWh (that's just for the electricity part, not all of the delivery, debt charge etc... charges that are also added) and our then-current gas price of $1.10/L electricity would have to go to 50 cents per kWh to approach the break even point. And gas isn't going down in price. It was a year ago, but he took us through the math.
LOL, did you buy the bridge that they were selling at the same time ?
Do you seriously believe they will be selling power to Volt owners at wholesale rather than distributed retail rates ?
When old people have to pay retail for necessities such as heating, cooling and cooking ?
I'd love to pay for my petrol are refinery gate prices...would improve my MPG (equivalent over my current spend) markedly as well.
What do you think will happen to (retail) power prices when tax revenue from gas goes down ?
JHZR2
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Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Originally Posted By: Shannow
In the volt, the IC engine can charge the batteries, like a Prius, or send power to the wheels using electric motors to control the other elements of the planetary gear set (like a Prius).
The Volt product team specifically told my group, over and over, that the engine CAN NOT charge the batteries in the volt. The ICE is for "range extension" only, until you can plug in and recharge. They couldn't have been more clear about this, and repeated it over and over when there were misunderstandings during the Q&A.
Do you have anything authoritative in writing indicating that it can, which isn't just "marketing grade" pictures which are subject to interpretation.
And the engineers specifically told me that the engine will charge the batteries up to a minimum SOC. Beyond that it is in the controls, and they said a full charge had to be done by plugging in.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
In the volt, the IC engine can charge the batteries, like a Prius, or send power to the wheels using electric motors to control the other elements of the planetary gear set (like a Prius).
The Volt product team specifically told my group, over and over, that the engine CAN NOT charge the batteries in the volt. The ICE is for "range extension" only, until you can plug in and recharge. They couldn't have been more clear about this, and repeated it over and over when there were misunderstandings during the Q&A.
Do you have anything authoritative in writing indicating that it can, which isn't just "marketing grade" pictures which are subject to interpretation.
And the engineers specifically told me that the engine will charge the batteries up to a minimum SOC. Beyond that it is in the controls, and they said a full charge had to be done by plugging in.
The problem with volt is GM promised one thing (serial hybrid) and delivered another thing (parallel hybrid), not that there is anything wrong with that (Prius), but they lied a lot to obfuscate the issue and confuse general public.
I would be first one to line up for Volt if it was actually available and below $30,000. I paid 21,000 for 2010 Prius and can get it converted for plug in for $10,000 (hopefully) if needed down the road.
I would be first one to line up for Volt if it was actually available and below $30,000. I paid 21,000 for 2010 Prius and can get it converted for plug in for $10,000 (hopefully) if needed down the road.
The Volt is a serial hybrid except in one limited scenario, high speed/high load then it starts asking the engine for help.
Drive like a sane person and you will probably never get to that point.
Volt is perfect for a lot of driving we do as a family the price isn't however. I'll wait another 3-5 years and see what the market brings out(IE VW diesel/hybrid).
Drive like a sane person and you will probably never get to that point.
Volt is perfect for a lot of driving we do as a family the price isn't however. I'll wait another 3-5 years and see what the market brings out(IE VW diesel/hybrid).
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