Terry Blanton wrote:
The analysis is flawed. 40 cents will buy about 4 kWh.
They do seem to have the numbers mixed up. I expect the graph from
the EIA is right. Those people are careful.
The analysis said this is for off-peak power in Detroit. I get
off-peak electricity at 4 cents/kWh. It costs me 18 cents during peak
hours, 1 to 7 pm in the summer.
The article says:
"The battery needs about 8 kilowatts, and most consumers would pay
about 11 cents a kilowatt hour, or 88 cents."
I assume they mean "the battery needs about 8 kilowatt-hours." That
works out to be 11 HP for one hour, which seems low but maybe it is
correct . . .
Wait. Another source says it holds 16 kWh, which seems more
plausible. 22 HP is about right for 40 mph.
Do you really think GM will produce the Volt?
Yes, I am sure they will. I had some doubt years ago, but they are
putting huge sums of money into it, and betting the company. They
should have done that 20 years ago.
Where are they getting their batteries?
I believe they intend to manufacture them in house, eventually.
Let's not sell GM short. They are in huge trouble, but they are,
after all, a gigantic industrial company with a large share of the
best engineering and manufacturing talent in the world. It would not
take much to turn them around. Lutz compared their situation to the
space race triggered by Sputnik. It is a reasonable comparison,
although the U.S. was never far behind the Russians, and GM surely is
far behind Toyota right now. Still, it wouldn't take many years to
catch up, in an all-out effort. I am sure they are capable of it, if
only they can summon the will and the gumption.
- Jed
