Re: GM's new Volt
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:09 pm
Joe, since I have one now, we'll soon know what the heater draws. This thing is much more sophisticated than I'd thought as far as thermal management of everything goes. The gas engine can run on a cold start to generate heat for the battery pack! So can the A/C if things are needed the other way! IT has two liquid cooling systems, and evidently the cabin can be driven off either one, or electric heat. It has a bunch of possible settings for semi and fully automatic, with various biases, "save energy", "eco but you won't die" and "comfort". The recommend using the heated seats more than the other stuff to save power, and give various estimates in the on board displays saying what percent of the power is going to that stuff. The "worst" setting is 20%, then 13%, 9%, and none. But those could be "microsoft minutes" as far as I know. Evidently heat is basically free if any of the drivetrain is hot anyway, like any other car. But it's not a sure thing any part of the drivetrain will get hot - running pure electric seems to be the worst case for free heat.
It has a remote-start kind of thing, and if the heater was set on, it will use your house power to preheat it all before you get into the car. The thing is quite well insulated, and might hold that for awhile, dunno. It'll get the acid test here, fer sure, because I like it warm and it's going to be (already is sometimes) real cold soon. And heated seats ain't going to take care of my numb fingertips.
This actually looks like a practical ultra high gas mileage car if you never plug it in...interesting. It seems to be in the low 50's mpg running on the gas engine, but I've not run that enough to be sure - might be a resolution issue there. I went 10 miles on .2 gallon with it - but it's .1 gal resolution and 1 mile rez if I read this right. I tried putting down the hammer in it just today, after the batteries were at their low limit, with the gas engine running - zowie, this thing is FAST. I'll try it too with just battery, but the way it works, it should be the same, just ruinous to the battery range. Actually seems a little higher power/weight ratio than the Cruze, or maybe it just takes you by surprise better - no winding and howling and turbo lag and shifting, just GO.
It has a remote-start kind of thing, and if the heater was set on, it will use your house power to preheat it all before you get into the car. The thing is quite well insulated, and might hold that for awhile, dunno. It'll get the acid test here, fer sure, because I like it warm and it's going to be (already is sometimes) real cold soon. And heated seats ain't going to take care of my numb fingertips.
This actually looks like a practical ultra high gas mileage car if you never plug it in...interesting. It seems to be in the low 50's mpg running on the gas engine, but I've not run that enough to be sure - might be a resolution issue there. I went 10 miles on .2 gallon with it - but it's .1 gal resolution and 1 mile rez if I read this right. I tried putting down the hammer in it just today, after the batteries were at their low limit, with the gas engine running - zowie, this thing is FAST. I'll try it too with just battery, but the way it works, it should be the same, just ruinous to the battery range. Actually seems a little higher power/weight ratio than the Cruze, or maybe it just takes you by surprise better - no winding and howling and turbo lag and shifting, just GO.