1 ReVolting.

2 Government piece of crap.

3

Approaching and reaching are two different things.

I can approach a supermodel. I do not think I can reach her.

Same thing for 70 mph and the Volt.

4 precisely the sort of politically-engineered vehicle you would have expected.

Bad carma, in other words.

5 And they still want 40k for this thing. GM must certainly believe there is a sucker born every minute.

6 Volt. Smolt.

7 dOlt

8 Yeah...good luck with that IPO, GM. The Volt was federal government fuckery, nothing more. It was the bone thrown to the Unions, a sugary candy promised to the taxpayers if only they'd bail GM out. What you have is a $35-40K compact hybrid with about the same design and performance of a $15K gas-powered compact car. In other words: you have a car designed by and for the government.

9 Ben Franklin does not approve.

10

And the taxpayers are still on the hook for $7.5k for each and every one of them made. 

Congratulations on your purchase of the new GM Volt (even though you are buying them for other people).

I bet the Volt is suddenly the new choice of government fleets everywhere.

11 The Chevy Volt will be the first car to simultaneously qualify for a Green car credit AND Cash for Clunkers.

12 Damn. I was thinking about getting one for the trunk of my Town Car.

13 It doesn't matter. The backseat is still full of broken dreams and stale french fries. 

14 They can make all of these things all they want. How are we going to recharge them when the greenies won't let us build any new power plants?

15 I just don't "get" the Volt. Who the fuck is the target market? Fucking union loving libtards don't debase themselves by buying American cars. People like me buy the American cars, and I don't give a fuck about buying any Government Motors cars. Least of all their Chevy Metrosexual.

16 Listen, you need to buy a Volt okay? You don't want to make me look bad.

17 my message wouldn't post said it looked like spam

18
GM?


I'll go get my wallet.

19 19 maddogg dolts are the target market

20

The Volt may be a pos, but this is pretty cool, what?

http://tinyurl.com/2f6r9vf

Just think how much easier it is going to be to moon people!  I can't tell you how many times in the last two days I've almost crashed my car.

21 Until someone invents an electric car that can take me to see my parents (at least one way) without a "recharge," I'm not interested.  Since that's approximately 200 miles, I'm not holding my breath.

Also- screw electric cars.  Where's my flying car?  No, I don't want an airplane that can happen to drive on roads, I want a car that can take off from my front driveway and land in my office parking garage.

22 no one is allowed to plug in to my home to charge a stupid electric vehicle....

23 Someday they will build a car that's powered on tears & disappointment.

24 Oh, forgot, sent to the last link by Instapundit. (thanks Glenn)

25 Do they publish a battery-power/dollar ratio?  Maybe I should just stick to my AA Duracells.

26

Posted by: phoenixgirl at October 11, 2010 02:44 PM (eOXTH)

New Gov. Motors slogan: Be the first dolt to own a volt. Feel that nasty old penis shrivel up.

27 Even the premise is B.S. Electric cars don't eliminate emissions. They simply change where the emission occurs.
Since your modern car emits 98% water vapor, there may even be an increase in emissions. In fact, since higher electric loads bring dirtier plants on line, there would almost certainly be more and dirtier emissions.

28 You want a commuter car, get a diesel Jetta. Diesels just work. You  won't need to replace the $8-10,000 battery pack in 5 years either.

Let's be honest, are we really surprised that the product of a zombie company are sub-par?

29 Maybe if you remove the 375 lbs of batteries you can get a little better mileage.

30 I'm shocked.. shocked I say!

Who could believe the government takeover of any enterprise could make it cost more and run much less efficiently than if run privately??? 

It's.. unPrecedented!

31 My 98 Saturn SW2 gets 40 MPG if I keep it around 60-65.

Good to see Government Motors has made such massive improvements in 12 years.

/sarc

32 There was no lying about this vehicle's fuel economy because, starting in 2011, the current definition of a mile will be replaced by the definition of a half-mile. Voila! 2x fuel economy, here we come!

33 35 You want a commuter car, get a diesel Jetta. Diesels just work. You  won't need to replace the $8-10,000 battery pack in 5 years either.

Let's be honest, are we really surprised that the product of a zombie company are sub-par?

Posted by: Iblis at October 11, 2010 02:47 PM (9221z)

They are already getting 70+ mpg in Europe.

34
I just hope we can pay GM their lavish Union pensions.  I don't have a lavish pension.  Heck, most Americans don't have a pension.
But.  You know.  Screw us.

35 So, following the logic of U.S. District Judge Steeh, if Congress passed a law requiring everyone to buy a Volt or pay a penalty of the MSRP of the Volt, it would be constitutional because cars are necessary for interstate commerce.

36

 no matter how hard you flog it

nuff said!

37 Does the Volt come in black, the color of my heart?

38 This would be hilarious if it was not so tragic.

39 just like healthcare, they'll force us to buy a volt

40

Approaching and reaching are two different things.

I can approach a supermodel. I do not think I can reach her.

Same thing for 70 mph and the Volt.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy

 

You can, and you did. Never again.

41 It doesn't matter. The backseat is still full of broken dreams and stale french fries. 

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves) at October 11, 2010 02:42 PM (HaYO4)

Still remember your prom night, huh Joanie?

42 before you revolt...you must first volt

43 Saw a bunch of new billboards featuring 57 Chevys, 63 Corvettes and such. Nice stroll down memory lane but do these government motors idiots really think people will imagine their Volt/Cruz experience as being behind the wheel of a Sting Ray? No wonder GM went belly up

44 I missed something. Why are they mentioning gas mileage for an electric car?

45 I've always felt that electric cars are a stupid dead-end anyway. I can't for the life of me understand why engineers are still farting around with them. Work on more efficient/lower polluting diesel; work on hydrogen fuel-cell power; work on natural gas engines. *Anything* but electric. Why? Batteries. Our battery technology just isn't good enough, and due to the physics of batteries, they may *never* be good enough for cars. Also: I don't want to depend on a car that takes 10 fucking hours to recharge before I can drive it again. If you live in a frigid northern clime -- like, oh, say, Minnesota -- your battery life is going to suck, and I'll bet you that the life of the battery is substantially less than GM is saying.

46 So is this another Occomplishment?

47 Let's hear it for the GM Trabant, comrades.  Soon to be mandatorily available for your required purchase at your nearest Government Motors dealership.

48 Dear Leader will probably buy one for Moochelle so she can drive to the WH garden and pick up fresh arugula.

49 Look.  You guys quit picking on the UAW.  They worked hard for the benefit to smoke pot and drink beer on their lunch breaks.

50 @52- Because it still has a gas motor.  The theory was that the motor was just supposed to recharge the battery (fuel-cell, actually, I believe) so it was supposed to get some absurd gas mileage.  Now, we're finding out it's just a Prius made by a union shop and designed by the government: not exactly a ringing endorsement.

51 Plug-in hybrid.  There have been conversion kits for Priuses (Priii??) for years.

How about we all get government supplied scooters.  They get great mileage.   And they look sexy!

52 55 Let's hear it for the GM Trabant, comrades.  Soon to be mandatorily available for your required purchase at your nearest Government Motors dealership.

Posted by: Moose4 at October 11, 2010 02:53 PM (mAhn3)

Free soylent green with your purchase.

53 You have to buy a Volt to find out the mileage you get.

54 Another Occomplishment.

55 RELEASE TOP GEAR UPON IT

56 GM is the worst car company on the planet and should've been allowed to go out of business.  It's a joke.  Now we own it......rat bastards.

57 Damn.

58

"Still remember your prom night, huh Joanie?"

I don't remember a damn thing. Thank God for photography.

59 I've always felt that electric cars are a stupid dead-end anyway. I can't for the life of me understand why engineers are still farting around with them. Work on more efficient/lower polluting diesel; work on hydrogen fuel-cell power; work on natural gas engines. *Anything* but electric.

Why? Batteries. Our battery technology just isn't good enough, and due to the physics of batteries, they may *never* be good enough for cars.

Posted by: Monty

 

This. I always point out the nuclear navy whenever people prattle on about this. The leaders in submarine technology (Kriegsmarine) abandoned batteries in favor of diesels with snorkels and then hydrogen peroxide. Post war everyone took on and solved the problem of running a nuclear reactor in a sub. Diesel electric subs are back where they were 70 years ago; in coastal waters with limited duration.

60 63 RELEASE TOP GEAR UPON IT

Posted by: Filly at October 11, 2010 02:56 PM (r1Xxg)

Or the butt kraken.  Your choice.

61

"Still remember your prom night, huh Joanie?"

I don't remember a damn thing. Thank God for photography.

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves)

 

You're bringing those to PuddingCon, right???

62 I bet the Volt is suddenly the new choice of government fleets everywhere.

I remember when Dad was in the Army, and the motor pool fleet consisted of AMC products. Not the cool ones like the Javelin, either. We're talking the Ambassador.

History repeats.

63 I don't care if GM lies about the Volt. The kind of people who would buy one deserve all the delicious disappointment.

64 I have no particularly great love for the Volt, but Jalopnik is written by innumerate fuckwads.  The 230 mpg claim originally quoted by GM was the expected gas-mileage equivalent of the EPA's city loop run on battery power alone, which the Volt can do. The PM article specifically says the 37.5 mpg is when the battery's down and the gas engine is recharging the battery. GM's always said the expect about 40 mpg with the Volt in this mode. Jalopnik is comparing apples to oranges.

65 The original concept of the Volt was all electric. It stayed that way all the way up through bankruptcy. Before they went bankrupt the estimated price was 50K and they were still way off with the battery.

The car was NEVER really intended to be marketted. It was a "subsidy project". It was the same thing as the "clean coal" technology scam that started back when Carter was in office.

In any case, after bankruptcy government motors now had to "produce" and it was retooled to be a more expensive Prius and a pos.

It will never sell and BOTH GM and Chriysler will be looking for another bailout and back in bankruptcy again.

Why? because they never fixed the underlying problem. The unions.

66 You're all haters. Since electricity is free, complements of the sun, electric cars are the wave of the future, and the wave of the present for all of us who love the earth. But don't worry, we'll be coming for your gasoline-powered cars soon enough.

67 RELEASE TOP GEAR UPON IT

Posted by: Filly at October 11, 2010 02:56 PM (r1Xxg)

One of the funniest auto reviews I've ever read was Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Smart Car. It was brutal.

68
GM is a pension company that makes vehicles on the side.




And the Volt is a government subsidy magnet that can occasionally be driven on the side.

69

You're bringing those to PuddingCon, right???

Posted by: Blue Hen at October 11, 2010 02:58 PM (R2fpr)

A separate break-out session:  Joanie's Prom Pictures--The Backseat of Broken Dreams  (Rated R)

70 The original concept of the Volt was all electric.

No it wasn't.

71 I don't remember a damn thing. Thank God for photography.

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves) at October 11, 2010 02:56 PM (HaYO4)

 

Link?

72 A damned electric Edsel.
If you can find a better built small car, buy it.  Wait...I didn't mean that, exactly...

73 I don't care if GM lies about the Volt. The kind of people who would buy one deserve all the delicious disappointment.

Posted by: Original Mikey

 

If you are a tax payer, then you are a buyer. Happy motoring.

74 A great car concept would be to run off of Democrat bullshit.  There's tons of it.

75

One day we will thank Barry...

for showing us once and for all, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that the government is absolutely the worst possible entity to choose to do virtually anything...

except perhaps those things specifically enumerated by the constitution...

at least until the commerce clause became the potpourri amendment.

76 If you like your non-GM car, you can keep your non-GM car.

77 If you read the fine print -- and in my (now apparently former) career I did a lot of that -- GM didn't exactly "lie" about the Volt. They simply put the best face on the situation by picking-and-choosing the "facts" they presented.

Look carefully at some of the Volt "road tests" hitting print right now. The "testers" got an afternoon (at best) with the car. Most got in right after the batteries had been charged, so had a "full tank" to play with. Some reported that the car switched to gasoline engine-generator mode after about 40 miles, which seems about right.

None actually tested the cars in terms of measuring any performance figures. They reported their impressions, which are, at best, relative, and are definitely affected by newness and techno-geekery enthusiasm. I can tell you from experience that a Smart car feels downright speedy, even though it isn't.

I can also tell you a Corvette ZO6 gets 26 mpg on the highway, which isn't that much worse than the Volt's real-world performance. But the ZO6 will reach nearly 200 mph.

When someone spend a week with a Volt, and drives it the way one drives a real car, the impressions will have meaning. Until then, meh.

Yes, the Jetta Diesel is a better deal. So are a number of Euro-diesels we can't buy in the USA.

But Osama Obama wants us all to drive Volts, so there's that. When he gives up his gas-guzzling pimpmobile (a GM truck disguised under "Cadillac" body panels) for a costly, inefficient (by real-world standards), cramped "economy" car, he might almost sound credible.

If I had any money for a car -- which I don't -- I would probably be thirsting for a Ford Fiesta Diesel. Oh wait, we can't buy those here, either.

78 Second look at Geo Metro?

79 Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 02:59 PM (/jbAw)

"Clean coal" was really a publicity stunt. Gassification was the only rational technique at the time, but the eco-loons wouldn't let the test plants go on-line, so real-world testing was a joke. ConEd (NY) showed that emissions were identical to the cleanest oil-fired plants and some gas-fired plants, but the fascists still wouldn't let them fire it up, because

COAL IS EVIL! STRIP MINING! BLACK LUNG! DIRTY! (american)

80 Top Gear took on the Prius. You can find it on YouTube, they had the Stig drive a prius for 10 laps around the track as fast as it could be driven and followed it with a 400 horsepower M3. The M3 got 19 MPG and the Prius got 17. It's true because I saw it on the internet.

81

You're bringing those to PuddingCon, right???

Posted by: Blue Hen at October 11, 2010 02:58 PM (R2fpr)

 

Sure! Prom photos & 300 pictures of my cat. (I said cat, not pussy)

82 If they were really serious about having an "electric" clean car for local driving they would relax the "slow vehicle" safety standard (DOT standard 500) and allow electric golf carts to be driven on public highways in and around town. I saw one advertised that had a solar array for the top that claimed a range of 50 miles between recharges.

But the entire eco-bullshit thing that the Dems and Obama has really has nothing to do with saving the planet and has everything to do with advancing communism.

83 In my books, it makes no sense to by a Volt.  My taxes are already going to subsidize the pos.  If I actually buy one, it will be like paying twice.

84 I'm trying to figure out who in the hell the market is for the Volt. The hippies already have the Prius; the hardcore all-electric folks have the Nissan Leaf; us poor schlubs who just want decent mileage have a plethora of compacts and subcompacts to choose from. (Few if any of which will set you back $40K.) In fact, you could just buy a Cruze for a lot less money and get similar mileage. I smell a replay of the EV-1 fiasco.

85 No it wasn't.

Posted by: Waterhouse at October 11, 2010 03:01 PM (tTfVO)

Yes it was

86 Much ado about nothing. I think the car looks snappy and it is real peppy when you get behind the wheel. I know with certainty that our fleet drivers are excited to give this vehicle a workout.

87 So the Volt fails to live up to its expectations, its supporters have come to realize too late that they were sold a bill of goods, its manufacture was totally dependent of government subsidies...

... all told, that makes it pretty much the ideal car to represent this Administration.

By the way: comment number 12?  Threadwinnah.

88 Lies of Omission are still lies.

89 I for one will enjoy speeding past these overpriced under-performing faux-eco-friendly Detroit rust buckets on my way to work every morning. Toyota and Nissan have to be laughing their collective asses off at this 'competition' from Government Motors.

90

You're bringing those to PuddingCon, right???

Posted by: Blue Hen at October 11, 2010 02:58 PM (R2fpr)

 Sure! Prom photos & 300 pictures of my cat. (I said cat, not pussy)

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves

Why not. We're going to a brewery, so at some point in the evening, somebody will find them enjoyable.

91 With the kind of quality automotive electronics Delco Reynosa has been producing for the last decade, now under Government Motors management, it's not hard to see the Volt as an electric Trabant.

92 "I bet the Volt is suddenly the new choice of government fleets everywhere." Good to know we can at least outrun Obama's "Citizen Security Force"...

93 Let me at it.  I can have a commercial out in a month, and these things will be flying off the showroom floor.

94

Sure! Prom photos & 300 pictures of my cat. (I said cat, not pussy)

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves) at October 11, 2010 03:04 PM (HaYO4)

 

As long as they're pictures of things hairy, the morons will love it. 

 

 

95 Did GM "Lie" About The Volt?

Does the Pope wear a big hat?

Does a bear shit in the woods?

Does Chatty Cathy have a plastic pussy?

96

Mean Jean Schmitt (R) OH-2 just came a knockin' on my door doing some retail politcking and I had an interesting conversation with her, She was adamant in saying that the Jackassocrats will try to push legislation during the lame duck that will allow Ogabe to nationalize our 401Ks to shore up union pensions.

It sounds fucking nuts...and it'll never pass, but she said they are going to try especially since the porkulus failed.

I remember reading about this idiocy when Ogabe got elected. Certain left wing think tanks (an oxymoron, I know) were pushing this in order to keep state and local governments solvent.

The public unions were able to get it codified where their pensions were obligated to be funded no matter what. California is a prime example. This is the reason they are in so much trouble

It's fucking crazy, but they will try it...andwe have some RiNO fucking idiots who would probably vote for it

 

97
Bright side, at 80mph those batteries will kill you right away.  So, there's that.

98 What the Democrats are really craving is an all-electric  zero emission chicken.

99 I suppose the only benefit to owning one of these jalopies is that no self respecting thief or desperate crackhead would ever consider it worth stealing,

100 There is a real electric (no "backup" gas engine) car available- the Tesla Sportster- but it's expensive as all hell ($100k).  They're coming out with a 5-seat sedan next year that goes for about $50k.  Sweet looking cars- and practical as well, if their spec sheets are accurate.

101
Ogabe to nationalize our 401Ks to shore up union pensions.

Good think my 401k is now worthless...

102

"We're going to a brewery, so at some point in the evening, somebody will find them enjoyable."

Wait, is there a Philly/Delaware thing coming up that I'm not aware of?

103 Ah, but the Chevy Volt 2.0 is where things really get good. Instead of a gasoline engine, wind turbines on top of the car will use its own motion to recharge the batteries!

104 Did I mention it has 8000 ft-lbs of torque?  What about the 1250 HP?  The genital massager?

105
You whiny conservatives should be more supportive of the Chevrolet Volt, and with my experience in the auto industry, I understand the need to transfer our effort into electric driven transportation instead of the out-modded carbon concept.

106 It's Officient!

107

Oh please please please do a post on this??

After all, we all be leaning forward on election night. Probably the only time though. (Except for Mallamutt. The masochist actually watches that network).

108 My 10 year old Honda gets better gas mileage than this hideous pile of shit and it was made without supporting union thugs or raping the taxpayer. 

109

My twenty-year-old Chevy S-10 pickup with 229K on the odometer gets 23 mpg around town with a 4.3 L V-6.

It's been paid off for 16 years.

110 Posted by: Obama Motors at October 11, 2010 03:15 PM (FcR7P)

When did Newton's Second Law get repealed?

111

Drudge needs to change his picture, like NOW!

I can't decide which is worse -- that pic or Favre's junk shot.

112 You can win a Volt right now on The Price Is Right

113 OT:  Right on time:  "Oh noes!!  Milisha!!"  http://tinyurl.com/338ccml

114 When did Newton's Second Law get repealed?

Posted by: AllenG at October 11, 2010 03:19 PM (8y9MW)

When I signed the executive order!

115 How can the government justify exceptional tax rebates on these things?

116 It's the new 2012 Chevy Volt. Now with optional parasail drive for those long freeway jaunts...

117

Did a car company lie about something in order to make you want to buy a car?

From such an ethical industry?  Really?

118 Sweet looking cars- and practical as well, if their spec sheets are accurate.
Posted by: Bob S at October 11, 2010 03:14 PM

When Tesla actually builds one of these wonder-cars and it actually lives up to all the hype being spewed about it, that will be the time to think about it.

Tesla is another fiasco existing on gubmint money and gullible investors. To my knowledge, the sedan has gone through none of the tests necessary to allow it to be sold to the public, and with less than a year to go before supposed on-sale time, I would doubt the necessary engineering work is anywhere close to being done.

The endless stream of lying, pie-in-the-sky-bye-and-bye bullshit that comes from the Mohammedan Mouthpiece's regime is hard at work in the automotive world, too. Sadly, too many people eat it right up.

119 Inside baseball stuff:

Everyone knew that the Volt was a farce when they chose the battery pack for it.  GM drug it's feet for far too long choosing what batts were going into the Volt, which led to some speculation about whether they actually had the engineering worked out in the power-train.

That and the fact that they ended up picking shitty batteries for it after the 18 month "decision" process.

The V in Volt stands for vaporware.

120
Hagiographer.

Howie Carr just used this word to describe Mark Halperin writing about Obama.

Heh.

121

it centers around the Countdown host sitting at his computer, writing a Special Comment. We see him type, edit, and eventually see a clip of the finished product on-air.

Posted by: laceyunderalls at October 11, 2010 03:17 PM (pLTLS)

Be still my beating heart!

I shall prepare for the dazzling excitement by doing something equally as dazzling and exciting. I'll replace the wax ring on my toilet.

122 Take my name offa this f*ckin' obamination!

123

I am thining about getting a new car and millage will play a big part in what I buy.....................

 

 I'm doin a coin toss between the Dodge Challenger with the Hemi with a six speed or the Shellby GT 500 with a six speed..............

 

.......okay, so I don't give a shit about the millage. Sue me.

124 The Volt is a full-time electric vehicle, and GM has paid off all of its government loans in full, with interest.

125 I'll wait for the Prius plug in

126

 I'll replace the wax ring on my toilet.

I pay proper homage to Keith -- I'll scrub my bathtub!

127 OT:  Oh My.

128 Tesla is another fiasco existing on gubmint money and gullible investors. Aptera is another one. I've been hearing about their incredible trimaran for about four years now. Without government money, they'd have been out of business long since.

129 Does anyone really think that the Volt was developed after Obama was elected?  Please.  It takes years to bring a car to market.  The Volt is a response to emissions and fuel economy standards imposed by congress and the EPA.  So yes, it is a government car, but not in the way most people think.

Sure, it's still a pig in a poke, but it's the creation of all of Washington.

130

Oh please please please do a post on this??

After all, we all be leaning forward on election night. Probably the only time though. (Except for Mallamutt. The masochist actually watches that network).

Posted by: laceyunderalls at October 11, 2010 03:17 PM (pLTLS)

 

It looks like a take-away from Beck's "Insider Extreme".  Fucking posers. 

131 Ow. Ow. Ow.

132 Put the Chevy Volt in a C130...fly to 30000ft agl. Push Volt out of airplane. This car will accelerate to over 100 miles an hour and cruise there while using NO electricity or gas, for several miles.

133 I'm doin a coin toss between the Dodge Challenger with the Hemi with a six speed or the Shellby GT 500 with a six speed.............. I drive a Challenger RT 5.8L HEMI with a cold-air intake. It's not the monster 6.1L HEMI, but it has some hustle to it. It's also probably the last Chrysler/GM product I will ever buy in my life, so I wanted to make my farewell purchase a good one.

134 We just need more laws passed. Mandate 85 mpg by 2020 that should do it. Also maybe a law that it emit negative pollution. I'd also like Obama to pass a law to make my shit not stink.

135 OT:  Right on time:  "Oh noes!!  Milisha!!"  http://tinyurl.com/338ccml

Posted by: Herr Morgenholz at October 11, 2010 03:21 PM (5aa4z)

I knew it! We called this exact shit two months ago! Ohio militias (and they are a scary bunch, truth be told) will be trotted out as evidence that Tea Party wants a violent overthrow of the gubmint.

I didn't read the whole article but it's obvious that these lefty cocksuckers are getting way too predictable.

136 Whenever the Volt comes up a lot of ideas get conflated that should be treated separately.

The 230MPG number is what they want for an EPA rating.  The only reason the Volt exists is for its contribution to GM's CAFE numbers.  Selling one 230MPG Volt buys them the CAFE headroom to sell a dozen 14MPG Suburbans.

It has nothing to do with what you'll get in the real world if you never plug it in.  It's a number based on some substantial percentage of Volt operation being done as a plug-in. 

For people who drive 40 miles a day mostly under 70mph and remember to plug it in, and doesn't pay a fortune for electricity overnight, that 230MPG number might be a perfectly reasonable thing.

Everyone else who cares about operating cost ought to be buying Jetta diesels anyway.

137
The whiny conservative class continues sniping about General Motors, but with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt and the impending IPO, GM will once and for all silence these naysayers of doom.

The IPO will be a resounding success, and President Obama will be lauded as the leader of the free world who saved GM from a fate worse than death. President Obama did it without the support of the obstructionist republicans.  And, Dick Cheney.

138
I'll stick with pick-up trucks.
Won't do a pick-up hybrid.
More shit that can go wrong.

139 The Volt weighs 3960 lbs! About 1000 more than a Prius. I'm thinking the lawsuits over the damage caused by "computer malfunctions" are going to be epic. "Your honor, they can afford to pay. They're just gonna print the stuff anyways."

140 Posted by: Old Hippie Vet at October 11, 2010 03:23 PM (OefT/)

The new Mustang has a variable -- pretty much everything -- engine that has some great low-end torque and impressive overall performance. But, because of the new electronics can be driven as an econobox too.

141

Somebody please explain to me the point of this car is?!

My 10 year old well maintained VW Passat gets 35mpg all day long on the highway.  Well over 400 miles a tank.  The volt gets 35-40mpg best case??! and only 30 miles before you have to recharge it?! WTF?

and oh by the way greenies.. dont give me the 'electric power' bullshit.  When you plug it in, that energy is coming from coal fired plants.  Much worse than gasoline. 

 

You greenies are despicible people who follow this faux movement for your own VANITY.  Yes my friends.. its all vanity.  You couldn't care less about the planet.  The real sick thing is that if CA fails to pass prop 23, gas and diesel prices will increase up to $9 a gallon in next 10 years.  That means probably an increase of 75% to cost of all goods.. including food.

 

3rd world here we come!!!  If we don't do something fast to stop these religious fanatics, its over.  OVER.

142
Does anyone really think that the Volt was developed after Obama was elected?

Posted by: cranky-d at October 11, 2010 03:26 PM (r92xs)

Correct, it wasn't started by Obama, but when you take ownership of the Volt, you own the ride lock, stock, and barrel. 

143 How can the government justify exceptional tax rebates on these things? Posted by: MayBee

You mean besides union campaign donations?  I'm sure they'd offer up a few vacuous catch phrases like 'sustainable energy' or green jobs or 'investing in the future.' Eventually one of them will play the liberal hawk card: "We'll be able to get off Saudi oil!"

There hasn't been a more fitting metaphor for Leftist governance since the Traubi. The first sales numbers are going to be too embarrassing for GM and the Oministration to be released without lying through their teeth.

144 <sup>If they were really serious about having an "electric" clean car for local driving they would relax the "slow vehicle" safety standard (DOT standard 500) and allow electric golf carts to be driven on public highways in and around town. I saw one advertised that had a solar array for the top that claimed a range of 50 miles between recharges.

But the entire eco-bullshit thing that the Dems and Obama has really has nothing to do with saving the planet and has everything to do with advancing communism.
Posted by: Vic</sup>

They are already out. There is one in my neighborhood, and as long as it has tailights, headlights, seatbelts, windscreen, wipers, turn signals and can reach 25mph, it can be street legal.

F'n thing is annoying to be behind though.

145 Chevy Obama

146 and doesn't pay a fortune for electricity overnight That's another thing: it's going to set you back about $1.70 to $2.00 per night to charge the thing on a 110V outlet, depending on where you live and what the rates are. You need to factor the hit into your monthly electric bill, because if you buy a Volt, your bill is going up. A lot.

147
incidentally, I just had ceramic pads installed on my Navigator.

Love them. No black brake dust. Nice stopping power.

148 139 OT:  Oh My.
Posted by: CUS at October 11, 2010 03:25 PM (wOGfT)

Fap. fap. fap. fap-fap-fap.....

149

Oh please please please do a post on this??

After all, we all be leaning forward on election night. Probably the only time though. (Except for Mallamutt. The masochist actually watches that network).

Posted by: laceyunderalls at October 11, 2010 03:17 PM (pLTLS)

Lean forward.  Or in the Obama vernacular, bend over.  Now smile.  You're not smiling!  A little further.  And you thought you wouldn't enjoy anal sex.

150 They are already out. There is one in my neighborhood, and as long as it has tailights, headlights, seatbelts, windscreen, wipers, turn signals and can reach 25mph, it can be street legal. And if you get into an accident with it, they'll pick up your remains with a sponge and bury you in a pill-bottle.

151 But is Carpet Standard?

152 Top Gear took on the Prius.

Last night Colt and I watched the episode affectionately known as "The Slow Race," in which the guys had like 20 hours to get from Switzerland to Blackpool on a single tank of gas. Jeremy hated the whole idea and wanted to run out of gas near his house, so he got a Jag and blasted the A/C, charged his phone, and heated the passenger seat at 80 MPH all the way through France, but the damn thing just kept going.  So then he decided to be in the race for reals, and shut it all down and started going 30. 

Hammond, meanwhile, drove a super-eco car which supposedly got 70 MPG and drove very carefully the whole way.  He did win--by like 15 minutes or so.  Clarkson came right after him and there was STILL gas in the tank to go another 100 miles or so. 

Eat it, watermelons.

153

I drive a Challenger RT 5.8L HEMI with a cold-air intake. It's not the monster 6.1L HEMI, but it has some hustle to it. It's also probably the last Chrysler/GM product I will ever buy in my life, so I wanted to make my farewell purchase a good one.    Posted by: Monty at October 11, 2010 03:27 PM (4Pleu)

I'm thinking I'll go with the Challenger Monty. Stuff the biggest sonofabitch they got under hood and write my last will and testament. LOL

154 incidentally, I just had ceramic pads installed on my Navigator.

Love them. No black brake dust. Nice stopping power.

Posted by: Soothsayer at October 11, 2010 03:31 PM (7UuG

What's a set of ceramic pads going for these days?

155

If a car runs on alcohol and emits pollution, there is an easy fix:  Have it run on pollution and emit alcohol.  Problem solved!

I'm not sure a car currently battery-powered and then subjected to this simple engineering process would be safe at highway speed.

156 Is the Volt the new electric car where someone has to sit in back and shovel in coal to generate the Green non-polluting electricity?

157 Those numbers look fine to me.

158 Sure, it's still a pig in a poke, but it's the creation of all of Washington.
Posted by: cranky-d at October 11, 2010 03:26 PM

Yes, the Volt was conceived before the Mohammedan Mouthpiece regime, but "in fairness" to GM (as "Poppin' Fresh" would say) -- a corporation I despise, because most of their products are crap -- it began as a "concept car," meant to be built when technology had advanced sufficiently to make it worthwhile. Ford, after all showed an "atomic" car back in the 1950s, and you can bet they would have produced it if it were possible.

You can thank every friggin' political hack in D.C. who has ever pimped for Crap and Tax and "green power" for the Volt. But Osama Obama his own blessed, omnipotent self gets the blame for elevating it to some sort of mythic, "saving-the-world" status, just like every one of his bullshit pronouncements.

159

VFW ENDORSES BOXER?

 

are you f*cking kidding me? Barbara Boxer?

 

I know there are a lot of vets here, i don't know if you belong to the VFW, but if you do, please call them and give them a piece of your mind.

 

160 148OT: Right on time: "Oh noes!! Milisha!!" http://tinyurl.com/338ccml

Posted by: Herr Morgenholz at October 11, 2010 03:21 PM (5aa4z)

Extreme. Barry. Ayers. Assembly.

161
it's going to set you back about $1.70 to $2.00 per night to charge the thing on a 110V outlet...

Posted by: Monty at October 11, 2010 03:30 PM (4Pleu)

And $490 to purchase the charging unit, and estimated $1750 for installation.  But, but it's so inexpensive.

162 Posted by: EcoTerrorist at October 11, 2010 03:28 PM (LH6ir)

Another Plus:  It's not GM or Chrysler, but is still an American Owned Company.

I'm not bashing Toyota, Honda, etc. (I own a Toyota and a Nissan), but nobody except Aston-Martin can do the muscle car quite like we can.

Go with the GTO.  Shelby if you can get it.

163

3rd world here we come!!!  If we don't do something fast to stop these religious fanatics, its over.  OVER.

Posted by: John Frum at October 11, 2010 03:29 PM (aMnKS)

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? What the fuck happened to the morons I used to know?

164

Posted by: EcoTerrorist at October 11, 2010 03:28 PM (LH6ir)

If I go with the Pony it will be the GT500 but the Challenger is lookin real good at this point.

165 I heard that the military is practicing bombing runs on Iran using the biggest bomb ever made in America ... the Chevy Volt.

166 Call me when it can fly!  They promised us a flying car in the early 60's!  Bastards, all.

167 Obama's book thrower a supporter!  As some speculated it was a friendly fire incident.  The book was thrown at Obama because the book's author wanted Teh One to have a copy.

168 Call me when it can fly!  They promised us a flying car in the early 60's!  Bastards, all.

Posted by: dfbaskwill at October 11, 2010 03:39 PM (71LDo)

God forbid! There's enough assholes on the road, I sure as hell don't want them up in the air!

169 Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at October 11, 2010 03:40 PM (u/QGC)

170 180 Obama's book thrower a supporter!  As some speculated it was a friendly fire incident.  The book was thrown at Obama because the book's author wanted Teh One to have a copy.

Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at October 11, 2010 03:40 PM (u/QGC)

So.  He was mimicking monkey behavior.  Figures.

171

"We're going to a brewery, so at some point in the evening, somebody will find them enjoyable."

Wait, is there a Philly/Delaware thing coming up that I'm not aware of?

Posted by: Joanie (Oven Gloves)

 

Yup. PuddingCon. 11/06 at Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington DE. All Delawarean and neighboring Morons/Moronettes are welcome.

172 If I go with the Pony it will be the GT500 but the Challenger is lookin real good at this point. You can also get zero or near-zero financing through most Chrysler dealers. They're trying to move stock ahead of the Fiat merger, I think. (Weird thing: my loan was done by...GMAC. Or Ally, as they call themselves now. I guess Cerberus finally wound up Chrysler Financial and killed it off.)

173 Go with the GTO.  Shelby if you can get it.
Posted by: AllenG at October 11, 2010 03:36 PM

Unfortunately, I think the pony-car world is going the wrong way right now. Rather than stuffing in a big engine that screws up the car's balance and gets shitty mileage, why not do what Shelby did with the original Mustang GT-350: yank out as much weight as possible and develop the small engine to make maximum power?

A "Shelby" Mustang with aluminum body panels, all the extraneous crap removed and an amped-up 5.0-liter would be a helluva lot more fun, and would run rings around the current bloated piece on a road course.

174

VFW ENDORSES BOXER?

 

are you f*cking kidding me? Barbara Boxer?

 

I know there are a lot of vets here, i don't know if you belong to the VFW, but if you do, please call them and give them a piece of your mind.

 

We had this discussion the other day.  My take is that the VFW is full of liberal/alcoholic/addict vets who lie more than tell the truth about their service.  Much like our favorite liberal vet; John F'n Kerry.

 

 

175
about $50 just for the pads, Erik

176 They are already out. There is one in my neighborhood, and as long as it has tailights, headlights, seatbelts, windscreen, wipers, turn signals and can reach 25mph, it can be street legal.

Yes, these are nothing new. A friend of mine who used to live down the street from me had one, but it had a gasoline engine. The safety standard pretty much forces you into a gasoline engine because it requires headlights, taillights, signal lights, side reflectors, a windshield, seat belts, et al.

We used to drive it to the golf course down the road from us.

The problem is with batteries if you load all that other BS on them the mileage will drop to NOTHING fast. Also, all that other crap makes them expensive as hell. My friend paid 8K for his used and rebuilt. (and that was years ago)

177 The Volt weighs 3960 lbs! About 1000 more than a Prius. I'm thinking the lawsuits over the damage caused by "computer malfunctions" are going to be epic.

That is funny.  That means it weighs around the same as the new Camaro.  Heheh.  GM Sucks.

178 How embarrassing.  Premature postulation w/ a sock...

182 Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at October 11, 2010 03:40 PM (u/QGC)


Ponder how stupid one must be to throw anything at a POTUS.  Friendly or not.

179 Let me see if my physics is up to speed.

Without drag,

It takes approximately 0.007554 Amp Hours in a 12V system to accelerate one pound to 60 MPH.

For a 4000 lb Volt that is 30 Ah


Using .5 m² for C_da because Chevy is not forthcoming with that info;
maintained speeds of 60mph at chews up

50 lbs

or

6kw

or

500 A in a 12V system

or

8 Amp-Hours a Minute

1 car battery usually has about 40 Ah. Usually weighs about 25lbs. most of that is lead and electrolyte. Has enough power to accelerate and hold an automobile at 60mph for 1 minute.

Compared to a gallon of gasoline. Weighs 6 lbs, and can accelerate and hold an automobile at 60mph for 20 minutes or more.

Who killed the electric car?

Grandpa Physics.

180 @186 - Yeah... the muscle cars of old were much cooler than today's.

My dream car is still a '76 Vette.

181

Bitches.

182 Uh, the quote has a pretty glaring error. Car and driver was giving RANGE numbers. not MPG. So the range is piss poor, but if you stay below that on a commute the mileage is pretty good since it only burns gas when the batt's run dry, you stomp the pedal, or one tank a year minimum to keep the gas fresh.

183 Obama's book thrower a supporter! Went to the link, is that picture real? Some awesome reflexes on display. Hate to have him driving a Chevy Volt behind me.

184 2000 Mustang GT, Baby.  Heavily modded.  20mpg.  GM can suck my tailpipe.

185 My dream car is still a '76 Vette.
Posted by: AllenG at October 11, 2010 03:46 PM

Among 'Vettes, my all-time dream ride is still a '66 427, one of the scariest cars to ever need a washable driver's seat.

Not quite as white-knuckle frightening as a 427 Cobra, but still plenty damn fast.

If we're going for if-I-won-the-lottery cars, though, an original Ford GT would still be my #1 choice. Damn, those things are fun!

186 Haven't the reports (as opposed to press releases) always been that the Volt was a flop?  There was stuff out a long time back that said it could never get more than about 40 miles on its battery and that its performance otherwise was "Meh!" at best.

187 If you're complaining about the range you get from your Volt, you're not using a long enough extension cord.

188 The Challenger is a great road car and straight-line cruiser, and it'll boil the road in first gear -- gobs of low-end torque. The 'stang is what you want if you do a lot of twisty-turny driving, and it has a really great power band across the RPM range. It was a tough choice between the two, actually, but I went with the Challenger just because it's more comfortable to drive on the highway for longer distances. (What I really wanted was one of those hotrod Roadmaster Buicks of old, but alas....)

189
any sales figures, yet?

Funny how the govt was doing a witchunt on the Prius at about the same time the Volt was coming out.

190
2000 Mustang GT, Baby.  Heavily modded.  20mpg.  GM can suck my tailpipe.



My beat-up, ill-maintained rattle-trap bone-stock 1995 Mustang GT convertible gets 19-20mpg. Consistently. And even with my haphazard maintenance habits, it's the most reliable car I've ever owned.

Reliability, range & usable power beats mileage every time.

191

We had this discussion the other day.  My take is that the VFW is full of liberal/alcoholic/addict vets who lie more than tell the truth about their service.  Much like our favorite liberal vet; John F'n Kerry.

 

 

Posted by: Soona at October 11, 2010 03:44 PM (hBuJc)

I've spent more than a few hours drinking in VFW's. The stories you would hear would make Barney Frank blush. I'm not ex military but my squid buddy would usually end-up excusing himself from the bar in fear that he couldn't help but call them out on their BS.    

192 So the Volt gets considerably less mileage than a VW Rabbit Diesel which you can't buy anymore in the US because of diesel regulations imposed by the California Air Resources Board which it turns out were based on faulty data, is that about the size of it?

193 2000 Mustang GT, Baby.  Heavily modded.  20mpg.  GM can suck my tailpipe.
Posted by: SurferDoc at October 11, 2010 03:50 PM

Back in '98 (I think it was) I drove a Mustang Cobra R. A vicious beast, with no a/c, radio, back seat or sound insulation. I'll never forget getting it sideways and keeping it there on freeway on-ramps. A nasty, uncomfortable little device that still got decent mileage if you could keep your foot out of it.

Wish I had one.

194
The best part about the Volt is that I get to flip the middle finger to something other than Obama bumperstickers, which are becoming scarce nowadays.

195 Hold on -- the Government lied to me and GM is building a crappy car no one wants? Dude. My suggestions for model names: Onprecedented P.O.S. Unicorn The Barney F (you can only use the rear entrance) M'chelle (twice as wide as a Hummer and uglier) The Pelosi (makes yipping sound and just goes in circles) The Reid (sounds like Droopy Dawg and goes nowhere)

196 some people have no shame about lying.

197 which you can't buy anymore in the US because of diesel regulations imposed by the California Air Resources Board which it turns out were based on faulty FRAUDULENT data, is that about the size of it?

FTFY

198

GM lied, Gaia died.

 

 

199

Unfortunately, I think the pony-car world is going the wrong way right now. Rather than stuffing in a big engine that screws up the car's balance and gets shitty mileage, why not do what Shelby did with the original Mustang GT-350: yank out as much weight as possible and develop the small engine to make maximum power?

A "Shelby" Mustang with aluminum body panels, all the extraneous crap removed and an amped-up 5.0-liter would be a helluva lot more fun, and would run rings around the current bloated piece on a road course.

That is exactly what Ford is doing with the upcoming Boss 302.

200 Has anyone made a "Voltswagon" joke yet?

201

192 Let me see if my physics is up to speed.

Without drag,

It takes approximately 0.007554 Amp Hours in a 12V system to accelerate one pound to 60 MPH.
------

If you accelerate at Amp Minutes (or better yet, Amp Seconds) the numbers get much better.

202 Ah, but the Chevy Volt 2.0 is where things really get good. Instead of a gasoline engine, wind turbines on top of the car will use its own motion to recharge the batteries!

Lisa: Dad, look, I built a perpetual motion machine!
Homer: Lisa, in this house, we obey the LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS!

Best.Simpsons Episode. Ever.

203
Driving a baby blue Prius with the rainbow or Save the Whales bumper sticker identifies the owner as a fag.

Driving the Volt with the Obama or Biden bumper sticker identifies the owner as a complete fucking liberal idiot. Your mileage may vary.

204 I call bullshit. First of all, the mpg numbers treat the thing like a hybrid but there is no dispute that it will drive all electric for short ranges (30 miles) as long as you don't drive it like a rental. C/D claims about 35 mpg in all gas mode, which is not great, but not a surprise. The MPGe number they got was around 75 and that is how much mileage it gets on electricity based on calculating the energy. The early marketing number of 230 was a bullshit number and everyone who understood hybrids knew this since it was based on how much gas you burn when driving it in electric mode (zero). The other complaint, and the core of the jalopnic link, is that the engine drives the wheels directly when needed. Sure, they could have gone through the generator, batteries, motor and done the same thing, but what is the point in that?

205 One night, my second oldest stepson came to my wife and me and asked if we could buy him a Chevy Volt for his college graduation gift.  I laughed in his face and said, "If I'm going to drop $40k for a new car, it'll be a new G37 for me!  GET A JOB AND BUY  YOUR OWN DAMN CAR!"

206 The best part about the Volt is that I get to flip the middle finger to something other than Obama bumperstickers, which are becoming scarce nowadays.

You can always tell the Pious drivers that "they are #1!", instead. It's a favorite game of mine. Count the anti war stickers too. I can't wait to see all the new bumper stickers coming out after November. The libs haven't had anything to complain about for 2 years, now.

207 I have a little toy car that I pull backwards with the wheels on the ground for 1/2 inch and then it travels really fast for about 17 feet.  How come we can't traslate that energy transference into a bigger car and how come I was hungover in college physics class in 1993 to remember if I was ever told why this would not work.  Has anyone tried to pull the Volt backwards a foot or two and see what happens?

208 All this talk of the old cars makes me yearn for the old days when you could walk into the showroom floor and buy a Barracuda with a 426 ci Hemi.  Your car payments wouldn't be bad but your insurance would eat you alive.

I read a hot rod mag a few years ago that my little brother had where they had obtained a number of the old bad ass engines from 1969. They rebuilt them back to straight factory specifications and then ran them on a dyno to get actual HP vs rated HP of the time. Everyone knew back then that they were underrated for insurance purposes.

Well it settled forever the argument about which was badder among the old '69 engines. The hemi cranked out nearly a thousand HP, the 427 chevy came in at about 500 and the 427 ford was just under 500.

209 You mean besides union campaign donations?  I'm sure they'd offer up a few vacuous catch phrases like 'sustainable energy' or green jobs or 'investing in the future.' Eventually one of them will play the liberal hawk card: "We'll be able to get off Saudi oil!"

There hasn't been a more fitting metaphor for Leftist governance since the Traubi. The first sales numbers are going to be too embarrassing for GM and the Oministration to be released without lying through their teeth.
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous

Sadly, the sales of the Volt will be good. Why? Local/State/Government fleets. They eat this crap up, and you know there will be some kind of Federal grants to purchase these "types" of cars.

Our city bought a bunch of E85 vehicles because of the green bullshit. Now they have these, but E85 is not sold in this area, so a lot of good it did, but they felt good about themselves.

210 You people, you know nuzzing.

211 Loved my diesel Rabbit. Got 65+ MPG with that thing. Wish I still had it.

Loved my 1970 Riviera with a 455 more. Still had the sticker on the radiator that said "use no less than 103 octane". It was fun to put some aviation gas in it, and the engine wouldn't ping so much.  That 5000 pound car could fly, I tells ya.

212

So, we're basing this entire thingy off of one twitter message from a journalist?  Really?

First off, no one ever claimed it was all-electric.  It was always a series hybrid.  And it seems like a ton of you don't understand how it is supposed to work.  It's supposed to run entirely off of the battery for 25-50 miles (apparently they couldn't reach their targeted minimum of 40) and then the range extender kicks in...the range extender being basically a gasoline generator.  Popular Mechanics claims its top speed is 101 mph.  Faster than 50% of you have gone, I'm sure.  The 31 mpg figure is the figure AFTER the battery's initial charge is depleted.

So, after a charge, you get 30 or so free miles, and then after that it gets 31 mpg.  Worse than I had hoped for, but not too bad.

People suggesting HE diesels are probably correct.  Those get better gas mileage...UNLESS you happen to live in the city, and mostly just go to and from work and minor errands.  Then, it'd be a huge savings.

213 223 You people, you know nuzzing.

Posted by: Dr. Ferdinand Porsche

You do know that Dr. Porsche invented the hybrid over 100 years ago, right?

214 Third post on this issue Just so you know where i'm coming from, when i lived in CA i drive a '62 new yorker with a 440 big block just to piss off the tree huggers i worked with. Car sat 9 adults on the bench seats, and 4 more in the trunk if they were passed out. But to say GM lied is bullshit. Read the C/D review and you will see it is pretty much as advertised - and expensive, complicated, hybrid with 30 miles all electric range.

215 Popular Mechanics claims its top speed is 101 mph.  Faster than 50% of you have gone, I'm sure.

Hahahaha, you forget who your audience is here. I have been over 135 mph in a car many times and 145 pph on a motorcycle.

I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

216 MPH on the mnotorcycle damnit

217 @223 You people, you know nuzzing.

Posted by: Dr. Ferdinand Porsche at October 11, 2010 04:07 PM (5aa4z)

------------------

Got a spare Tiger I that I could borrow?  Yeah, the top end is slow and the gas mileage sucks, but my commute would probably faster, since I wouldn't have to stop for anything.

218 And here it is again, in case you missed it the first time:

Chevy Volt from Iowahawk

Art imitating life (or vice versa. . .hard to tell in this case).

219 It wasn't a lie-lie. 

220 Yes my 1965 built when steel was cheap Mustang, weighs half as much as this thing, has a drag coefficient that would make an aero-engineer cry, pushes 250 Hp and still gets 20mpg.

I have to congratulate GM. They have, once again, artfully melded the elements of inefficient and nonperforming while diminishing neither.

221 ^{And if you get into an accident with it, they'll pick up your remains with a sponge and bury you in a pill-bottle.
Posted by: Monty}

Pill bottle may be too big. Probably a contact lense case, you in the "L" side, your passenger on the "R" side.

^{You can also get zero or near-zero financing through most Chrysler dealers. They're trying to move stock ahead of the Fiat merger, I think. (Weird thing: my loan was done by...GMAC. Or Ally, as they call themselves now. I guess Cerberus finally wound up Chrysler Financial and killed it off.)
Posted by: Monty}

I thought Cerberus bought GMAC years ago when GM spun it off? I think they had both, and just merged them together then told the Feds they needed some of that sweet, sweet TARP.

222 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Heh. I hopped a cattleguard in New Mexico  on my Yamaha XS 650 at around 105 mph. Bald tires and two spokes missing from the front wheel. Felt the frame flex when I landed around 50-60 feet beyond the cattle guard. Decided right then and there I wouldn't do that without a helmet again...

223 They also parrot GM's new line of 25-50 miles of all-electric — a far cry from the 230 MPG they originally marketed — that the "Volt provides 25-50 miles of real-world electric operation no matter how hard you flog it." This sentence makes NO sense. One minute their talking miles per electric charge, the next, miles per gallon. It's gibberish.

224
What's this?

Harry Reid was asked who the two greatest living Americans were and he answered, "Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd."

225

GM mentioned the Volt about 20 times in their pre-file assessment of their company.  The President NEEDS GM to succeed and by extension, the Volt must be a "game changer."  

So who are the real directors of the company?  Who will be named when the inevitable lawsuits start flying after the stock drops 40% below the IPO price?  It's an easy lawsuit to see coming, "the US government told investors that GM had the most amazing product ever which resulted in millions of investors losing billions of dollars..."

226 I spend tons of money of expensive SUV's and fuel JUST SO I CAN PISS OFF A LIBERAL!

/not Einstein

227 <sup>What's this?

Harry Reid was asked who the two greatest living Americans were and he answered, "Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd."

Posted by: Soothsayer</sup>

Of course, and they both will be voting Democrat on November 2nd.

228 239 What's this? Harry Reid was asked who the two greatest living Americans were and he answered, "Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd." Posted by: Soothsayer at October 11, 2010 04:19 PM (7UuG At least he didn't say, "Kirsten Gillibrand."

229 Faster than 50% of you have gone, I'm sure.

Bwahahahaha!

135mph automobile.
153mph motorcycle.

Just out of curiosity. What is the real efficiency, of generating power in a power plant at 35% efficiency, putting it through electrical distribution at 50% efficiency, then charging an 80% efficient battery, to drive a 70% efficient motor? All to move a vehicle that weighs twice as much as it should?

230 ^{And if you get into an accident with it, they'll pick up your remains with a sponge and bury you in a pill-bottle.
Posted by: Monty}

Pill bottle may be too big. Probably a contact lense case, you in the "L" side, your passenger on the "R" side.

Actually since the law only allows them on roads with a speed limit less than or equal to 35 mph accidents should be too much of a problem.

231 Can some engineering moron tell me how many cubic feet it would take to create a one man blimp with max lift of 220lbs. 

I think helium is somewhere around 15-20 cubic feet per pound at sea level. 

232

First off, no one ever claimed it was all-electric.  It was always a series hybrid.  And it seems like a ton of you don't understand how it is supposed to work.  It's supposed to run entirely off of the battery for 25-50 miles (apparently they couldn't reach their targeted minimum of 40) and then the range extender kicks in...the range extender being basically a gasoline generator.  Popular Mechanics claims its top speed is 101 mph.  Faster than 50% of you have gone, I'm sure.  The 31 mpg figure is the figure AFTER the battery's initial charge is depleted.

So, after a charge, you get 30 or so free miles, and then after that it gets 31 mpg.  Worse than I had hoped for, but not too bad.

Posted by: seguin

So I'd be dragging around a U-boat surplus battery after 50 miles. And has anyone proven that the combined total costs (plugging this thing in and the 'gasoline generator' AND replacement of the aforementioned U-boat battery after x years) will be offset by the 'enhanced' efficiency? Cause if the answer is no, then WTF does this thing exist?

Gasoline cars exist that get 30+ mpg. Diesels exist that do far better, and neither require the outlay in batteries, complexity of design and the demand upon the power grid.

233 240 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph. Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw) And I'll bet not too many of the morons here have ever been above hemline in the backseat, either, IYKWIM.

234
it's true, Harry Reid said it

235 I want to take a blimp to work.  Seems like the safest air travel possible. 

Only if your lifting gas is hydrogen. 4 times the lift you know.

236 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Me and my buddies used to race around the I-270 outerbelt that circles Columbus and there's a long straight-away on the west side north-south corridor. I drove an '89 Grand Am that was a fricking rocket and we regularly topped out at 120.

Of course, the Grand Am started shaking at 110 but I was too young and stupid to care.

237 So, after a charge, you get 30 or so free miles, and then after that it gets 31 mpg. Worse than I had hoped for, but not too bad. Posted by: seguin For a $40K car?

238
It's not the truthfulness of GM's claims, it's the underlying intent to improve America's transportation needs that's important.

239 I've got a Honda Fit. It gets 40 MPG with a straight internal-combustion engine, no electric hoo-ha, no banks of batteries. I can put my wife, my kids, and the dog in it, and I can pass other cars going uphill with the air-conditioner running. Why the FUCK can't GM build a car as good as a low-end Japanese econobox?

240

So, after a charge, you get 30 or so free miles

 

If I'm paying to charge the beast( off the grid or off the gas generator, motor, chipmunk, whatever), and I'm paying to haul the weight of the battery, how is this in any way 'free'?

241

So, after a charge, you get 30 or so free miles...

FREE MILES!!! Now I'm on board.

242 I think what seguin is saying is, GM managed to produce a $40K glorified hybrid Prius that Toyota sells for $23K. Great going.

243 Heh. I hopped a cattleguard in New Mexico  on my Yamaha XS 650 at around 105 mph.

LOL, the craziest shit I ever did on a motorcycle was on a Honda 360 going through downtown Alameda, CA (Webster St. ?) at 4 am, face on the speedo and feet on the tag, drunk as a hoot-owl, through flashing yellow lights at 115 mph. Engine was singing. Slowed down a little and went through the Alameda-Oakland tunnel at 90 mph. Every time I hit a section break the little bump would move me closer to the wall because the damn tunnel curved. 

244 And how much is the diesel jetta or passat? And what possible reason would I have to pick the Volt over one of these?

245 OT - Christine O'Donnell debates Chris Coons Oct. 13

Audience tickets went on sale today at the University of Delaware's Trabant Center's box office (and by telephone) and sold out in 10 minutes.  LINK

Based on the linked report, O'Donnell can expect an overwhelmingly liberal crowd.  Lots of line cutting, interviews with registered Democrats, etc., etc.,

Wolf Blitzer will be the moderator.

246

What I really wanted was one of those hotrod Roadmaster Buicks of old, but alas....)   Posted by: Monty at October 11, 2010 03:55 PM (4Pleu)

If I could get what I wanted it would be my old 65 Vette. Had a built LT1350 and a couple of Holley's sittin on top with a custom built Rock Crusher. Good times I tell ya.

247 Who killed the electric car?

Grandpa Physics.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at October 11, 2010 03:46 PM (0q2P7)

Wish I still had the doc... but a couple of years ago I researched the amount of OIl used for transportation.... converted the energy from Barrels of il to Kilowatt hours... then compared that to the Amount of Electricity generated yearly on the National Grid.

Turned out we would, with PERFECT Electricity grid transmission... need to increase our Electricity output by about 115% to cover transportation...

Yep, we'd have to more than DOUBLE our electircity generation capability, and transmission.

I sure don't see that happening...

248 Does Bill Murray drink a warm glass of milk to help him fall asleep at night?

249 Wolf Blitzer will be the moderator.

Posted by: mrp at October 11, 2010 04:28 PM (HjPtV)

Now that was not smart agreeing to that.

250
Yea, sure the Volt is in competition with the Prius, but the awesomeness of driving a General Motors car produced by the UAW and steered to completion by President Obama makes it a very worthwhile investment in America's future. 

251 ^{Actually since the law only allows them on roads with a speed limit less than or equal to 35 mph accidents should be too much of a problem.
Posted by: Vic}

Ford Expedition at 35mph head on into that thing going 25, the contact case would be too big.
To give you a small picture of that wreck, I give you Mercedes S Class versus the Smart4Two.

252 OT - Christine O'Donnell debates Chris Coons Oct. 13

Audience tickets went on sale today at the University of Delaware's Trabant Center's box office (and by telephone) and sold out in 10 minutes.  LINK

Based on the linked report, O'Donnell can expect an overwhelmingly liberal crowd.  Lots of line cutting, interviews with registered Democrats, etc., etc.,

Wolf Blitzer will be the moderator.

Posted by: mrp

 

It'll be a frickin' zoo. I ws a student there, and went to speeches there as well. They were kinda stupid then, but no riots or violence like at some other places. Wolf Blitzer is coming here? And Rachel Maddow was supposedly here last week. If it's run by the same clown that published that poll, it'll be bad. They had the nerve to use 'random sampling of adults'. That's it.

253 38 My 98 Saturn SW2 gets 40 MPG if I keep it around 60-65.

Good to see Government Motors has made such massive improvements in 12 years.

/sarc

I've got an '01 SC1 with 242,000 miles on it and it gets 38 to 40 mpg.

254 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.
Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM

My "personal best" -- though the Highway Patrol would disagree -- was 203 mph on a desert highway in CA in a "slightly adjusted" Corvette ZO6. I've spent many happy hours above 150 on German autobahns.

None of those occasions were as terrifying as 68 mph on an L.A. freeway in a Citroen 2CV.

255 240 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Rebuilt 1977 Z-28... 142...

Ninja 900... 125...

Heck... been 120 in my Supercharged Durango RT....

256 They are already getting 70+ mpg in Europe.

Remember that the imperial gallon used in Great Britian is larger than a US gallon- an imperial gallon is about 1.2 US gallons.

That same exact "70mpg" car actually gets 58mpg by US standards.

The fact that it'll be a tiny car with a tiny engine that probably wouldn't meet US safety and environmental standards is another matter.

257 Ford Expedition at 35mph head on into that thing going 25, the contact case would be too big.

Assuming the normal driving speed of 35 mph or less there would be almost zero accidents with a terminal speed of 35 mph. 99% of accidents in town or small fender benders.

Its only when you get the drunks like me (back then) doing 115 mph through town that you get the big accidents.

258 Without our nuclear power generation being exponentially expanded it's all a big circle jerk. Somehow, despite meeting both economic and "environmental" concerns in every major way, the topic remains mired in stalling and stupidity. "Silkwood" may have done more to destroy the planet than all the internal combustion engines that have ever existed.

259 Meh, GM has been trying to bring this car to market for 5 years. They were trying to "one-up" Toyota in the green car segment. It was originally touted AS a "plug-in" hybrid, which Toyota didn't and still doesn't have; but marketing went a little too far with the "electric car"  and 230 MPG BS. Although if you have a 25 mi one-way commute, you could conceivably only need the gas engine for 15 miles of that on a two-way trip day. 100 MPG realized by commuter assuming the gas engine makes 30 mpg when running. Long trips the mpg goes down towards regular car gas-engine mpg, shorter trips go higher. If one could charge while at work, one may not use gas engine at all that day. Unless they go over 70 mph.

260 Hasn't Obama decreed that autos get 62 mpg by 2016?

261

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:28 PM (/jbAw)

I got pulled over for riding that same Yamaha at 65 in a 35 zone. Cop asked me if there was an emergency to justify my speed. Being a sharp kid with a lightning quick mind I said "Yeah, I'm almost out of gas and I was in a hurry to get to a gas station".  The cop didn't laugh right there. Just wrote me the ticket.

262

Posted by: MrCaniac at October 11, 2010 04:32 PM (aaULJ)

I wasn't expecting the Smart4Two to bounce off the Mercedes like a beach ball!

263

Harry Reid was asked who the two greatest living Americans were and he answered, "Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd."

Posted by: Soothsayer

When told that both were dead, Harry, with a dumb look on his face, said, "Really?  Why I was just talking to them".

264 So in determining the miles per gallon, do they take into consideration the fuel it takes to generate the electricity that recharges the battery? 

265 Unless they go over 116 Km/H keep those POS's in the States.

Can't do those tricks at slow speeds. Google us and watch in awe.

266 I'm seriously considering shorting the GM stock at IPO.

I'd love to buy puts, but I don't know if they'll be available, and at what term expiration.

267 It'll be a frickin' zoo. I ws a student there, and went to speeches there as well. They were kinda stupid then, but no riots or violence like at some other places. Wolf Blitzer is coming here? And Rachel Maddow was supposedly here last week. If it's run by the same clown that published that poll, it'll be bad. They had the nerve to use 'random sampling of adults'. That's it.

--

It's in Memorial Hall, which holds maybe 400 people. I saw Slow Joe do Hardball's "College Tour" there back in 2003, and got with an argument with him outside (for about 10 seconds until I was "escorted" away) over packing the room with his supporters. That was a total mess, with about 1000 people trying to get in. So this will be way worse.

Also good to see Ralph Beglieter still knows how to weasel his way into an article. UDel outbid Harvard for his "services" when he retired from CNN in the late 1990s, and he is nothing but a smug overconfident story-teller at ~$250k/yr.

268 The fact that it'll be a tiny car with a tiny engine that probably wouldn't meet US safety and environmental standards is another matter.

Safety vs. higher mpg?   Which argument wins with the Obamanauts?  Surely you jest ...

"We make up the rules as we go along ..."

269 These "electric vehicles" are supposed to run while saving the "environment".  It shows how stupid the entire thing is.  I guess electricity is produce by two hamsters paddling a wheel around.  It doesent come from some energy plant that burns coal or even the 'China Syndrome" nuke plants. Or nature destroying damns.  No, it must be hamsters.

270 "PuddingCon. 11/06 at Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington DE" Oh! I gotta try to make that.

271
None of those occasions were as terrifying as 68 mph on an L.A. freeway in a Citroen 2CV.




Surrender one corner of your ManCard for driving a Citroen.

Surrender your ManCard in toto if you owned a Citroen.

272 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Hah! 145mph (in a Mustang SVO. Anyone remember those?) on Highway 24 east of the Caldicott. I was chosen as designated driver because I had drunk the least.

In retrospect it may not have been wise, but it certainly was fun.

273 < OMGWTFBBQ! >

new shock poll

AZ-7
McClung (R) 39
Grijalva (D) 37
Summit (R)
10/4-10/5 1807 LV

This deserves its own thread as a followup to last night's post.  The rocket-scientist is leading?!  With being outspent 10 to 1...

http://www.opensecrets.org

That 1800 sample seems crazy high, though.

</ OMGWTFBBQ! >

274 None of those occasions were as terrifying as 68 mph on an L.A. freeway in a Citroen 2CV.
Posted by: MrScribbler at October 11, 2010 04:34 PM (Ulu3i)

Down hill I assume?

275 ..and Ace, who cares about the dumbass Volt.  I am more into when and if they are going to build the Z28 version Camaro.  NOW your talking about manly stuff.  Your not talking CJ's bike riding without a seat.

276

People suggesting HE diesels are probably correct.  Those get better gas mileage...UNLESS you happen to live in the city, and mostly just go to and from work and minor errands.  Then, it'd be a huge savings.

Posted by: seguin at October 11, 2010 04:10 PM (LP6hc)

The new diesels are better in every way than plug-ins, cost, performance and efficiency.  If plug-ins became popular, electricity costs would skyrocket and the grid would become as reliable as in rural India.  Eco-nazis fight every attempt to build new power plants, they even fight solar plants in the desert... as they fight against anything that helps humans.

277 292 poly..    Damn! I did not think of that!.  My bad.  I stand corrected.

278

Hahahaha, you forget who your audience is here. I have been over 135 mph in a car many times and 145 pph on a motorcycle.

I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.

Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

My Dad used to bury the speedometer racing B-52s as they took off from Eilson. No seat belts involved.

You have to have a combination of the right road, right car and right conditions to go 135 mph. The best I can remember personally getting up to was about 115. Lots can go wrong if your vehicle isn't up to snuff for those speeds. A slightly out of balance wheel that can't be noticed at 55 mph turns into a bad shudder at 110.

So it's best that few morons danced with death driving an automobile over 100 mph.

279
Central planning in my administration has been a resounding success.  For instance, General Motors is rolling out the Chevrolet Volt, destined to become the most important break-through in electric powered personal transportation since the invention of the automobile.

Also, for the naysayers who denounced my administration, the right people have been in charge and that's why we have been such a success.  Just because it didn't work in England or Canada doesn't mean it isn't working in America.  My health care bill will demonstrate once and for all, that when the smartest people on the planet are given areas of responsibility with little to no oversight, they can accomplish feats previously unknown to man.

280

I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.   Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Beaverton PD clocked me @143 on Hwy 26 one night. They closed it down so I could make the pass and they could check out their new radar guns and see just what my Vette would do. It took 3 days to get my underware out of my ass after that stunt.

281
I spend tons of money of expensive SUV's and fuel JUST SO I CAN PISS OFF A LIBERAL!



Pissing off liberals with a Ford Earthfucker is just about the sweetest thing on earth.

282 We need to replace oil transport with horses.  Then we can save the planet!.  (although, do they have horses that dont eat?)

283 I cannot in my wildest dreams ever imagine buying anything at all from GM, let alone an overpriced boondoggle like the Volt. Another issue being ignored on the Volt is the electrocution risk to First Respondersl GM is training about 500 of them to learn to avoid electrocution. So it's not an imaginary problem. If this were any other project like say a Happy Meal, there would be giant orange warning labels on every surface of the car.

284 I've been seeing the new GE commercials with the goofy futuristic plug-in stations on TV.  Exactly how long do they think they will stay up in inner-city neighborhoods? Yeah, think phone booth but add in high voltage sparking for extra vandalism fun!

285

"I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph. "

183.1 MPH.  Top that, b*****s, and no batteries were harmed...

286 305 DaMav   I guess pouring water on a burning car wont work well either?

287 We need to replace oil transport with horses.  Then we can save the planet!

Horses, FUCK YEAH!

288 Down hill I assume?
Posted by: EcoTerrorist at October 11, 2010 04:47 PM

Nope!

The ideal technique is to draft 18-wheelers, just like the NASCAR boys do with each other. When you're close enough to tell whether the screws are Phillips or slotted on the aft trailer, you can pick up 3-4 mph, then slingshot the truck when he has to lift.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at October 11, 2010 04:44 PM

Dude, ya gotta have fairly hefty ones to drive a Cit and stay up with traffic at the same time. My Man Card is intact, and is gonna stay that way.

289 But that will work well on firemen.  The rubber boots.  If you are in the car?  Not so much.

290

Hah! 145mph (in a Mustang SVO. Anyone remember those?) on Highway 24 east of the Caldicott. I was chosen as designated driver because I had drunk the least. In retrospect it may not have been wise, but it certainly was fun.Posted by: EcoTerrorist at October 11, 2010 04:45 PM (LH6ir)

LOL Back in the day who ever found the car first while still walking was the driver.

291 Why wouldn't we lie about the Volt, we lied about repaying our debt too.

292 I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph.   Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)

Does on foot in heels in an evening gown and support garment count?  I'd had like 3 glasses of wine with dinner and it was a long-ass drive to the dance.

293 Posted by: MrScribbler at October 11, 2010 05:03 PM (Ulu3i)

Can't argue with that. They are scary little things. It's the only car I have ever been in that was flexible.

294 Posted by: EcoTerrorist at October 11, 2010 05:06 PM (LH6ir)

F*cking sock.

295   Heh. If we want mileage, we use the transportation module--aka Toyota Camry--it routinely turns in 37mpg, with no particular attention to actually driving sanely.

   For enjoyment I drive a brand new 68 Plymouth--which turns 12 second quarter miles all day long.

  Best of both worlds,imho.

296 $40,000 each?

So how does that life cycle cost analysis work out for the average commuter?

I guess it'll break even in about thirty years, about three times the useful life of a new car. Way to go green enviro-nazis.

297

183.1 MPH.  Top that, b*****s, and no batteries were harmed... Posted by: Jess at October 11, 2010 05:01 PM (eqsrg)

Track or road? Cause if we are talkin track I got somethin for ya.

298

Know that braging is going on,  I once went through DC traffic and the idiots there pissed me off, I started speeding 80 or 85 mph to get the hell away from the DC wrap-around.  I got really pissed when a state trooper pulled out behind me with his lights on.  No problemo with the idiot drivers, just a bigger ticket (tax) for speeding.  I cant brag about the top speed 'cause the speedo only goes to 140. but I left him well behind.

But again, having raced with an SCCA liscence,  i did it in pretty much light  traffic coming out of DC.

299 321 old hippie vet  Track?  A road course or drag strip.  There is a big difference.

300

Road.  Not in North America, though, and seldom saw that kind of velocity on the track...

301 I would feel safe to assume then that the average Moron has been above 100 mph in a vehicle.

And it really isn't that "unsafe" in a well maintained car unless you have underrated tires and go significantly above 100. (that is assuming you are not in traffic and are not drunk)

302

Track?  A road course or drag strip.  There is a big difference.   Posted by: Hous Bin Pharteen at October 11, 2010 05:15 PM (nRF6+)

I should have said street. I used to drive 1/4 mile and road....back when I was young, had money and was stupid. Now I'm old and broke and drive a Civic but I might be gettin some money soon.................LOL

303 How is it ever going to meet Zero's dreamm of the 62 MPG CAFE standards? Never ever would I buy a GM product, unless I bought a septic cleaning company.

304 Actually since the law only allows them on roads with a speed limit less than or equal to 35 mph accidents should be too much of a problem.

Clearly, since it is impossible for some 17 year old busy sexting one of her friends, while driving Mommy's Suburban, down a "boring" straight-away in the neighborhood, not to notice the speedometer creeping up past 45mph.

305 Clearly, since it is impossible for some 17 year old busy sexting one of her friends, while driving Mommy's Suburban, down a "boring" straight-away in the neighborhood, not to notice the speedometer creeping up past 45mph.

I guess we will have to organize a new group DATD, dad's against texting and driving. We will get young girls locked up for 25 years and call it a felony if they have a wreck while using a phone and someone gets hurt, including themselves.

After a few of those the "texting" will stop.

306 My '93 Civic, with 100K+ miles on it,  would routinely deliver 44 mpg at Interstate Highway speeds. So what's all the excitement about?

307 Obama lied, electrons died!

308 Color me un-shocked.

309 Oh, one other thing, we will raise the age of ownership for a cell phone to 21 since these young people clearly do not have the maturity to own one.

310 the Chevy Volt would get 230 MPG in city driving conditions. I think there's confusion about the mileage estimates and how the Volt works. Think of the Volt as exactly the same kind of car as a Prius EXCEPT that you can charge the battery with line current. That charge is enough to run the car WITHOUT the gas engine for 25-50 miles. If you drive the car for 60 miles (and the battery lasts 50) then you'll be using the gas engine for just 10 miles - maybe burn a 1/4 gal of gas. 1/4 gal gas and 60 miles = Two Hundred and Forty Miles per Gallon If you drive 300 miles in a day, the battery will help out for only the first 25-50 then you have a car that is functioning just like a Prius - the battery just saves whatever energy you recover when you brake or go down hill or something. The engine will be charging up the battery when you're waiting at a stop light - just like a Prius. If your usage of the Volt is 50 miles or less a day, you would buy very little gas. * The Volt is NOT an electric car. It's a "plug-in" hybrid. I think you can get a Prius that works like that in Japan - some people in the US modify their Priuses to work that way but the manufacturer doesn't recommend it. *yeah, that's a damned expensive car if you normally drive 50 miles or less a day.

311 I thought the whole purpose of the Volt was as a regulatory gimmick.  If they sold enough of them at a loss, the 230mpg would push GMs corporate mileage score down so they could sell more trucks and Hummers.

In a somewhat related question - Has anyone considered the net loss in value the regular consumers of new cars and the car companies will be when all of these hybrid vehicles depreciate dramatically in value at battery change time.  Making trade-ins impossible; and thus sticking the hybrid buyer with a loss that may determine how much they are willing to to outlay for a new vehicle or the level of incentives the car companies will have to offer to get those hybrids off of the road and those returning customers into new vehicles?  Toyota should be seeing the front end of this wave soon; maybe the other makers didn't sell enough to matter?

312 These "electric vehicles" are supposed to run while saving the "environment".  It shows how stupid the entire thing is.  I guess electricity is produce by two hamsters paddling a wheel around.

It better not be!

We'll have your asses in a sling over all the negative PR we can generate for you!

It'd be the equivalent of the slave labor in Auschwitz, that's what it would be.

313 Oh, one other thing, we will raise the age of ownership for a cell phone to 21 since these young people clearly do not have the maturity to own one.

Nah.  It was meant more as a comment on the inexperience of new drivers which has some to do with maturity and judgment, but not all.

Reaction times and whatnot, I am for a fact a better driver at 37 than I was at 17.

For two major reasons.

1.)  I never had to deal with the distractions of carrying on a phone conversation, much less typing one, when I was 17 and new to driving.

2.) I live far enough away from Lower Wacker Drive now that I'm 37 that it's really not as much of a temptation to pull some really stupid shit in a 1980's ex-fleet Caddy late at night.

314 Deety, that was meant as sarc attacking MADD. It wasn't a serious comment for your comment.

315 You know what GM? You keep that POS. I'll stick with my 420HP V8 import that only gets 19-20 MPG.

I'll have more fun, it'll be better equipped, and it's not made by the UAW.

316

I hear they're coming out with a new version, tentatively called the "Voltswagen."

Ja Volt!

317 Deety, that was meant as sarc attacking MADD. It wasn't a serious comment for your comment.

Huh.

I suck for missing that!

Generational differences, I guess.

MADD and it's agenda and tactics have been a part of my reality since as long as I can remember.

I kind of take some of these suggestions as seriously offered.

Not seriously, mind you, but at least as sincere and wrongheaded.

I still suck though!

(In my defense, I picked up a Guardian UK article that mentioned my particular congressional race in AZ that was mostly about trashing the Tea-Party and I read 50 or so comments, just before posting here in the comments.)

318

hell , i'm a progessive/nazi and i wouldn't buy anything from the goons that brought us obama!

ps- and i'm smarter than you goon rethugs and quite a poofer

 

319 I've been seeing the new GE commercials with the goofy futuristic plug-in stations on TV.  Exactly how long do they think they will stay up in inner-city neighborhoods? Yeah, think phone booth but add in high voltage sparking for extra vandalism fun!

If the boyz n' da hood don't trash them for fun, every hobo and crack head will have rigged them to run hot plates and drug labs before you can say BAILOUT!

320 the hoodrats aint gots no need for electric cars n shit, yo...and most people able and willing to shell out ridiculous money for a glorified golf cart will never go to the hood.

But there could be some fun pranks with plug-in stations....or lots and lots of electrocutions.

321 The Volt project was originally intended to develop an All-electric driveline to go with the new 500 mile battery pack that could be recharged in 15 minutes or hydrogen fuel cell or Mr. Fusion whenever one of these showed up. Originally, they were testing on battery power which sharply limited test time until some shade tree mechanic hooked up a trailer carrying a gen-set. It didn't take long before GM realised this might be practical as an automobile. In theory, it is. The advantage is that the gen-set can run at the one speed at which the engine gets best economy. Still, I'm concerned that electrical losses might offset any gains. Something that no one is talking about is the fact that this will be an all-electric, electronically controlled drive-line. If you think Toyota had problems with an electronic throttle, wait til this turkey hits the road. Worse yet, GM traditionally has the most problems with electronics & electrical equipment. This has every possibility of making the Easel look like a wild success.

322 That kind of cash should buy you at least a decent used Escalade...bullet holes and garish rims optional.

323

GM was forced to go forward with the Volt. They knew it was a turkey. But they're driven half by the bottom line, half by the White House politics, and half by the union's demands. Is that three halves? Why yes, it is. GM's screwed.

324

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine the other day about "alternative" energy. I related a story of being in 3rd or 4th grade (that would have been the early 70s - yea, I am old, shot me) and recalling textbooks talking about wind power and solar power and how that would be the next wave of energy development. Came complete with pictures of windmill farms and big old solar panels.

Fast forward nearly 40 years later and we are, for all practical purposes, where we were in the 1970s regarding alternative energy. Now, name one other technology, product, industry that is still puttering around at 1974 levels. Computeres - no, cars - no, phones - no, food...you would think that would be yes, but with hybrids, growing techniques, etc. - no.

Now, I am sure that the alternative energy field has changed in 40 years. But, think of the progress in every other sector and think of where we are re: alternative energy. Isn't, just maybe, the time to start asking one basic question: does this stuff work?

Posted by: Mallamutt at October 11, 2010 04:53 PM (OWjjx)

When I was in High School in the late 70s and had to do that same stupid alternative fuels paper I did mine on Coal. Found information on how to use rescrubbing and new generator technology to obtain great efficiencies and incredible cleanness out of even crummy coals. Got a decent grade on the paper because my teacher wasn't a green Zealot.

325 My 12 year old standard shift 5-speed VW diesel gets over 50mpg city OR highway. 

The Volt is a joke.  The prius is a joke.  All these hybrids/electrics are jokes.

326 Surrender one corner of your ManCard for driving a Citroen.

Surrender your ManCard in toto if you owned a Citroen.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at October 11, 2010 04:44 PM (P9+0W)

In my automotive past: 1963 2CV, 1963 ID19, 1966 DS21 Pallas, 1972 GS 1220 Club, 1973 GS 1220 Pallas, 1977 Dyane 6, and the current one is a 1986 CX 2500 Prestige. I make wiring harnesses for US-market Citroen DS'.

To counter all that, I've electrified some pretty hairy streetrods, along with limos, hearses, custom trucks, restorations, and armored cars. My first car was a '55 Chevy 150 2-door.

You can have my Man Card if you come get it.

327 "The good news is that I'm surprised it can approach these speeds." I've seen the engineering test cars doing freeway speeds in Michigan pretty regularly. The Volt is a lot bigger than I expected too.

328 You know liberal morons are easy to spot once they open their mouths, the volt and with its owners inside will enable us to spot them a mile away, or in GM terms 100 miles away.

329 "I'll bet not many of the Morons here have never been above 100 mph. Posted by: Vic at October 11, 2010 04:12 PM (/jbAw)" Ooooh... on four wheels... pussies!

330 Old hippie..  I have done both.  Drag racing on a NHRA strip against other punks when I was young, and road couses when a matured with the SCCA.  Road coursed where alot more fun.  They last longer than 15 seconds.

331  designer handbags