http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/ Autoblog Comments for http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/I'm missing the big attraction, but some numbers would help. A plug-in's value is a factor of the capacity of the battery pack. How far can hybrids go on a fully charged battery pack before the engine has to cut in?

On the demonstrators:
GM's fuel efficiency in 2010 has already been determined; people who don't know cars often think that they can be redesigned in a matter of months.

On the last paragraph in the press release:
They might have to drop that first sentence before much longer. Probably not something they should be stressing.]]>Nov 29th 2006 1:47PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 29th 2006 1:57PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
Dumbasses. Why don't they go after the companies that are moving in the wrong direction in overall fuel economy instead of the company that is moving in the right direction?

I like to save fuel and the air and water as much as the next guy, but enviros are such idiots.]]>Nov 29th 2006 2:03PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 29th 2006 4:38PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 29th 2006 4:59PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
This coming VUE would presumably be based on the upcoming Opel Antara / Vauxhall Antara / Holden Captiva MaXX and in no way be related to the current VUE, right?]]>Nov 29th 2006 5:40PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
I'm answering my own question since I finished scrolling down the front page of Autoblog: It's a yes.]]>Nov 29th 2006 6:49PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 29th 2006 7:00PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Common GM. I was loyal to you for over 20 years but last year I realized your biggest contribution to the auto industry was On-Star you've got to be kidding.
If Toyota offers you a deal... TAKE IT.]]>Nov 30th 2006 12:46AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
Brownouts need to get fixed anyways. That is something as America we have to deal with. One way is like FedEx and Verizon. Verizon uses natural gas with fuel cells to power its headquarters. FedEx has a solar DC in San Fran. More moves like this will lessen the load on the grids. Technology will also lessen the load on grids; LCD monitors, florescent bulbs, new appliances, new central air systems, all use less power. Odds are anyways you will be charging cars at night when there is very little load on the grids.

We got ourselves into this mess saying how everything is stupid and doesn't make sense with today's standards. We need to all make an effort to get out of this mess. We need to look to the future and make moves that will help. I'm glad GM is finally taking another step after scraping the EV1s.]]>Nov 30th 2006 1:14AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
According to the info I got on the net, it takes somewhere between 15-30% of the cost to drive the same distance using electricity compared to using gasoline, so, for example, if it takes one gallon to drive 20 miles using gasoline engine, it will take about 35 - 70 cents if the car uses electric power. The difference in cost is, mostly, regional and depends on the usage price tier.

As for brownouts: they happen usually during the peak hours, that is, between 8 AM and 5 PM. The power usage drops to less then half of the peak during the night.
Therefore, if the cars are recharged during the night, there will be no (or small) need to add more power stations.

One way to encourage this is to use the new electrical meters that charge the households and businesses different rates based on the time of the day and the day of the week. In California, these meters are being introduced into many households now and are common among large companies; they will be in wide use in California homes within the next several years.

Boris]]>Nov 30th 2006 2:43AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 12:58PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 1:39PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 3:04PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 3:12PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 3:44PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/Nov 30th 2006 4:21PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
You make some excellent points, until you recommend "Who Killed the Electric Car".

This film has been found to contain so many inaccuracies as to be deceptive. Most of the EV-1's were not destroyed, they were given to university engineering programs. GM did not refuse to sell the car, the US Government demanded they only be leased, because EV-1 did not meet the newest crash safety standards.

The EV-1 deserved its fate, it was a lousy car. The true cost was over $40k for a vehicle that had a range of less than 50 miles on a cold day when 3-4 years old. This in a car that had only two seats, and almost no cargo capacity. GM correctly concluded that battery technology was just not ready yet. It didn't take a huge conspiracy to figure that out.]]>Dec 1st 2006 1:29AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/I heard these statements before and when you trace the source, you will find that the same people that say that Electric Vehicles will be "re-deployed" or "recycled" give the orders to throw them in the crusher.
So, check your sources, do your research and you will find how much truth there is in your statements.

Why do you think that of the universities that did
receive an EV-1, every single one had to sign a
contract to not re-engineer the car or re-enable it
to the original design (every one was disabled before
delivery)

And every car does not meet the following year's new
crash standards. Do that mean we take all cars off the
road with every change to the crash ratings?

Why do you think there was a waiting list to get an
EV-1 - because they were so crappy? No, it was the
greatest EV ever built as production series.
I am afraid you are ignorant or a shill and you are
echoing twisted statements that have been refuted
many times.

Anyway - the best way to know if a car is good is to
look at whether there are buyers for it.
I bet you if you offer EV-1's for sale today (granted,
they would need update to today's safety rules)
with the same performance specs as the EV-1, then I
can find you a stadium full of people who are willing
to buy one, without me trying very hard.
That should tell you about whether the EV-1 was a success or not - since GM did not want to go that way at that point in time, they needed to crush and destroy any evidence that they could make such a great car, before CARB or anybody else would force them to continue.
Not even the Pinto or alike disasters have received such a treatment, so there must have been something really special with the EV-1...]]>Dec 1st 2006 12:53PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto-show-rick-wagoner-announces-development-of-plug-in-hybr/
Each step along the way, there are significant losses. Forget the hydrogen economy! It's all about the electron economy. Hydrogen isn't a real fuel: it's an artificially made fuel that's just a lousy way of storing electricity: it takes more energy than you can get back from it.

GM sure as hell better not waste any more money on hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen would be a great solution if available hydrogen were found in nature. It is not; all the usable hydrogen would have to come from using electricity to electrolyze water, or to strip it from hydrocarbons at great cost. Better to just use the electricity to begin with.

See these articles for expert analysis on the hydrogen economy vs. the electron economy:

http://www.thewatt.com/article-1210-nested-1-0.html

http://www.thewatt.com/article-1238-nested-1-0.html ]]>Dec 13th 2006 1:04PM