Spontaneous "Volt" combustion...three weeks later...

[Rich Parsons]

Well, there is this little bit in the news...

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/11/headline_of_the_day_you_wont_see_anywhere_gm_bailout_costs_skyrocket.html



Read more: [URL]http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/11/headline_of_the_day_you_wont_see_anywhere_gm_bailout_costs_skyrocket.html#ixzz1e09FBDGQ[/URL]

It is not a loss until the sell. And at $23 to break even yes they would loss money today, but the already banked a profit. But then again this is the same organization that allows Fannie Mae to book a Loss when you refinance your loan because of loss of future income as they have to buy out the investors who bought into the old interest loan rate.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I dont disagree with you but you asked why people are picking on GM and thats why.
Why they are not picking on Chrysler I cant answer that maybe because other then the Jeep line Chrysler sucks or maybe its because GM is way bigger then Chrysler and is the face for the auto bail out. Maybe its because GM got more money then Chrysler. Maybe its because some still think GM didnt pay back its loan as they claim. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOaS2SymjQ4&feature=player_embedded#!

Yes it was a loan. Chrylser had loans before and this second time nothing bad. And yet, other than OWS, you really see nothing about the Banks and the bail outs they got which was a factor greater than any auto company.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Some of the areas that I'm not sure of the performance include response driving (not pursuit, since most agencies in my area prohibit pursuits in truck chassis vehicles due to stability concerns), space since I don't know how much space the batteries suck up, and whether they can handle the electrical load without ending up offsetting the fuel savings or killing the batteries. I absolutely think it's coming. I just literally don't know that it's there yet -- though Carol's mention of the agency using a Ford Escape suggests that at least some of those areas are OK. But, it looks like that is literally a couple of agencies using hybrids in a patrol capacity.

In a hybrid you get both electric motor and IC Engine propulsion to the wheels Lexus marketed theirs as a performance vehicle. So the acceleration is there.
Electrical load is an issue for police vehilces, but with a HYbrid you can have the high voltage battery be used to shed some to the low voltage side if needed. Or jsut turn on the engine. Also if you step on the pedal and request a certain level of response or torque, then the Engine also kicks on and it reacts like you have stepped on it from a stand still.

Also Cost prob being the biggest factor for departments the Hybrid is alot more expensive then a base model Tahoe used for police package.

Cost is a big issue. I stated this numerous times. Also we are just exchanging one precious commodity for another. Oil for Precious Metals.

And I don't think the hybrids are on the state purchase plan, which we generally buy off of.

I cannot speak to the state purchase plan.

I do know that based upon down time for repairs and oil changes and fuel usage the Hybrid busses paid for themselves in the first year. The big issue was they were actually down less. They needed have less vehicles in the fleet to make sure a certain number were always able and running well. They also had less oil changes (* less down time for maintenance *) and brake repairs which saved them money. Add in the engine of at stop and you saved lots of fuel while passengers were loading and unloading.

So a cost study needs to be done with the cost of extra vehicles on hand with cost for maintenance versus the of the new vehicle and the expected or projected values. Of course this will get better when more agencies pick them up and there is more actual ata to be shared and used in the above model.

 

[jks9199]

Another, often hidden or overlooked, maintenance cost for many fleets is training time for the techs/mechanics. While I'm sure there is some overlap -- I'm equally confident that there is a lot of hybrid-specific stuff to learn, especially in the switchover.

The nice thing about hybrids is that they're often being built on existing platforms, like the Tahoe. So a lot of equipment and gear is already made for them.

Like I said -- I'm confident that they're coming. You'll probably see them in real use (sorry, one car each in two departments isn't real use!) start in things like Support Services, investigations and specialties like SROs, or parking enforcement. Maybe for some of the brass...

OK, I take that back. Looks like NYPD is actually putting them in use, in patrol.

Gonna have to ask around about what people think...

 

[granfire]

Is greener yet though

 

[billc]

This is from the article, are any of the points wrong about the money that went to GM and the volt?

Umm, yes. Opponents like us.
Start with the $50 billion bailout (without which none of this would have been necessary), add $240 million in Energy Department grants doled out to G.M. last summer, $150 million in federal money to the Volt’s Korean battery supplier, up to $1.5 billion in tax breaks for purchasers and other consumer incentives, and some significant portion of the $14 billion loan G.M. got in 2008 for “retooling” its plants, and you’ve got some idea of how much taxpayer cash is built into every Volt.
Fantastic.
Explicably, the Volt isn’t selling. Less than 4,000 thus far in 2011 – putting it on pace for about 6,000 for the year.
Inexplicably, GM is in 2012 increasing production to 60,000 units.
Fantastic.

 

[Rich Parsons]

II hate Win 7 it jsut erassed everything with a double click. When I get the chance to do it again I will.

But the DoE money was not for the Volt, so there are errors and there arguement is not sound.

 

[ballen0351]

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...volt-is-drivers-favorite-topping-even-porsche

The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car is the most popular among owners, topping a perennial favorite that costs twice as much, the Porsche 911, and a recent addition, the Dodge Challenger, according to an annual survey published Thursday by Consumer Reports.

 

[Carol]

For the record, these fires took place days or weeks after extreme crash testing in which the Volt successfully protected occupants and earned the highest possible safety scores.

DAYS or WEEKS after the crash?

The lesson here is to get out of a crashed car within a few days, and be sure to turn off the lights when exiting. A gasoline car might not be as obliging in providing an opportunity to climb out before combusting.

:lol:
:

 

[billc]

On a positive note, GM has offered to buy back the Volt of anyone who doesn't feel comfortable with them. That is a decent policy, if they actually follow through.

http://biggovernment.com/publius/20...buy-back-chevy-volts-may-recall-entire-fleet/

General Motors will buy Chevrolet Volts back from any owner who is afraid the electric cars will catch fire, the company’s CEO said Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, CEO Dan Akerson insisted that the cars are safe, but said the company will purchase the Volts because it wants to keep customers happy. Three fires have broken out in Volts after side-impact crash tests done by the federal government.
Akerson said that if necessary, GM will recall the more than 6,000 Volts now on the road in the U.S. and repair them once the company and federal safety regulators figure out what caused the fires.
“If we find that is the solution, we will retrofit every one of them,” Akerson said. “We’ll make it right.”
The fires happened seven days to three weeks after tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And GM has said there’s no threat of fires immediately after crashes. GM also has said that no Volts involved in real-world crashes have caught fire.
Still, NHTSA has opened an investigation into the fires and has asked other companies that make electric cars for battery testing data. NHTSA said the safety testing hasn’t raised concerns about electric vehicles other than the Volt.

 

[Rich Parsons]

From: http://www.freep.com/article/20111201/BUSINESS0101/111201066/1205/BUSINESS01

[h=1]House fire investigators say Chevy Volt charger not to blame in North Carolina blaze[/h]

...
Garland Cloer, Iredell County’s chief deputy fire marshal, said it appears the fire did not start in the electric car. He wouldn’t say more about the fire’s origin, because investigators for several agencies and manufacturers are still examining the debris.
...

Duke Energy initially advised homeowners enrolled in the program to consider halting the use of their charging stations.

But a spokeswoman said it is clear now that the Siemens-brand charging station was not the cause. She said Duke reassured participants in its program shortly before Thanksgiving.
“We’ve notified customers they can continue using the charging stations if they want to,” said spokeswoman Paige Layne. “We don’t believe the charging station caused the fire.”

...

 

[billc]

This update on the GM promise to buy back the Chevy Volt from any customer who felt uncomfortable with the possible fire hazard...GM Spokes woman, Emily Litella....


Never Mind.

Thank you Ms. Litella.


(I knew it sounded too good to be true...and it was...).