This made the local news here in Austin. No wonder I'm seeing so many of these ugly spuds running around... http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet...t-becomes-centerpiece-of-smart-community.html Even if you have no desire to live in a Chevy Volt "community," you're taxes are paying for it. Chevy Volt sales are pathetically low so the company is partnering with the liberal city of Austin, Texas to build a green test community. They might have to gather all the Chevy Volts ever sold to fill this place up. Maybe it should be renamed "Chevrolet Volt-ville." The largest concentration of Chevrolet Volts in the country will play a key role in helping Texas residents in a 700-acre planned community as they test the impact of "smart homes" and other green technology, like electronic vehicles. GM calls it the greatest concentration of Chevrolet Volts in the world. "This partnership provides us with a unique opportunity to observe charging details with many real customers in a concentrated setting," said Nick Pudar, an OnStar vice president, in a statement. OnStar and General Motors have become official partners of Pecan Street Inc., the country's first nonprofit research and development consortia, where residents agreed to be part of a clean-energy smart grid test for sustainable living. The Mueller community, 3 miles outside Austin, provides a real-life lab for the automaker to observe charging patterns and how consumers and clean-energy technologies interact and support electric-vehicle charging. The project runs for five years. While Chevrolet made 100 Volts available, only 55 of the community residents took advantage of the various tax credits, including a $7,500 federal tax credit and a $7,500 rebate from Pecan Street on their Volt purchases. Those leasing a Volt for three or more years received a $3,000 rebate. "We're gathering information from families' vehicles throughout this community to find out the direct impact the Volt has on the grid and how to get drivers the lowest possible charging rates," said Pudar. "This project will also help us develop future capabilities of the Volt and other plug-in electric vehicles." Pecan Street is funded by a $10.4 million grant from the Energy Department :banghead3: and more than $14 million in matching funds from project partners. - Katie Pavlich
I'm surprised they aren't using full electrics like the Leaf or Mitsubishi MiEVs or the upcoming all-electric Focuses and Transit Connects. Wouldn't plug-in Priuses work here, too? I would be highly interested in say, a Chevy Traverse (8 passenger wagon/minivan/crossover thing) with the 2.4L engine from the Malibu Hybrid, and the ability to drive all-electric up to 33mph or so. I wouldn't have to use any gas to take the girls to school in the morning. I wouldn't have to use any gas to get to the FFA barn. I wouldn't need to use any gas to go grocery shopping. All of that can be accessed on 25-35mph roads (and I'd be happy to go 30 in a 35), all on flat terrain. 4 passenger and 5 passenger electrics and hybrids don't do anything for me. The Toyota Highlander hybrid is the only one I'm aware of (that actually is a good hybrid, not the Tahoe Hybrids that get the same 20mpg as the regular ones) that has 7 passenger seating or better. I wish Chrysler would get on the ball. Offer a Grand Caravan with the Avenger's 2.4L engine and trade out the Stow & Go in the middle row for a nice giant battery pack. Keep the fold-flat seating though, just don't have the floor compartment...that way all I have to carry into the garage when I need van space are the two buckets which would take up only a duffel bag sized space.
To truly make these Volts attractive to the general public, a 220 volt home charger is mandatory. Hopefully, the GM program is including incentives for that as well. The 220 charger (over the 110 charger) offers quick charging over normal 'overnight' charges.
To make them anywhere near attractive to me they would have to have a good old combustion engine in there sans electric plugs.
I'm with Silverfox on this one. No way would I give the ugly thing house room! Besides, wouldn't it be funny if all of the damned things caught fire at the same time? Just think, no more planned community at one fell swoop. Burned to the ground by the technology that is supposed to 'save' it.
Aside from the batteries explodong spontaniously. Government motors has had defects in the batterioes in the volts.
I love it. If they don't do anything then they get killed because they aren't doing anything to increase technology and efficiency of their lineup. If they do something they get killed because it doesn't have 500hp and a carburetor. They didn't go all electric so they could get extended range out of it. I wouldn't buy an all electric (has anyone seen a Leaf? I haven't.) because I regularly drive over 80 miles on road trips. I think they did a good job of building what I consider a bridge car until advancements are made in battery technology or another alternative emerges. The "spontaneous" fires occurred weeks after crash testing when a ruptured coolant line for the battery leaked. So unless you are sitting in your Volt for a couple of weeks after you get into a wreck I think you are okay. I don't recall seeing any Volts driving down the road on fire, but I live a sheltered life.
The story and electric cars reminds me of the retirement areas in Arizona where everyone cruises around on electric golf carts throughout their community. They go to the bank, groceries, whatever - as far as their charge will take them. Is this the natural progression of that - nicer electric golf carts?
I'll take the golf cart, besides...I'm having a hard time believing you could get a set of clubs in a Volt let alone 2 sets....OK, maybe with the rear seat doun and the front seats all the way forward
I live in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. I have seen Volts on dealer lots. But I have only seen two of them so far on the road. I've seen more of the high dollar all electric Tesla's driving around.
ford fusion energi...all of the 100mpg goodness, same as an off-the-shelf fusion. its all the mpg with none of the government intervention. ford was smart and didnt take the bailout...now they can make cars people want...at their own pace.
As my old friend Jimmy Duranti used to say "what a revolting development this is !" And what happens when everyone in the neighborhood plugs in their charger at the same time ? Be neat if someone with a 1000HP duel quad carb set up hotrod moves into the neighborhood.
Now that would be the way to screw up the nieghbours!....Just leave a couple feet of a old extention cord hanging out the back!
I would SO love to see that! Has to be the biggest 'ol wagon out there, too! Then tell your neighbors that you are getting 78 MPG!
