August 2, 2010

Do the math..

I ripped this off of Nicky's site:


..where Nicky correctly proclaims that "This is just the kind of promotion the Soviets would offer when announcing the New and Improved 1978 Lada."

Aside from being turgid, contrived and otherwise embarrassingly stilted, it seems typical of a Gummint-oned enterprise.

Mrs War Planner and I had to vacate the premises this afternoon after calling in an air strike of flea bombs on our position, so we went to a lovely little Thai restaurant and spend two blissful hours discussing recent political matters. The subject of the Volt came up -- I had been passively following LCR's and other posts on the subject and suddenly remembered the 40-mile-between charges fact that bubbled to the surface.

Then my older than dirt mind had a "late to the dance moment" and I did some math on a potential trip from Orange County to San Francisco in one of these $41,000 pieces of crap and realized that I'd have to stop somewhere in the San Fernando Valley to get my first charge, somewhere North of Sylmar to get my second charge, Bakersfield for my third and, as Kurt Vonnegut was fond of saying, "so it goes."

..and that's if you can find a charging station and -- oh by the way -- how long does a charge-up take? I am sure I don't have my facts straight on this, but there are limitations to this vehicle that make it an alarmingly bad buy:

An onboard 110-volt charger allows the Volt to be recharged externally from standard household power, in about 12 to 14 hours. With a 240-volt charger, the battery can be recharged in four hours.

But, then again I am sure horse-and-buggy owners did similar sniping when one of those smoke-emitting 20-MPH monsters went by them. Still in all, color me unimpressed.

-30-

4 comments:

  1. I popped over to Gov. Motors website. I am looking forward to the reviews of new Volt owners electric bills. I can foresee extra taxes being added onto electric bills because increased demand for off-peak hours usage. On the bright side - Volt cars will be moving billboard sign stating clearly and precisely: Moonbat on Board

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  2. I just saw this somewhere ... what a hoot!

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  3. It's really expensive but on your drive up the coast you should stop by the Tesla plant and have a look at their cars. I got to try one.... amazing and the performance leaves the volt in the dust. The price is astronomical but considering what it can do it is not out of line with the competition... hopefully it will come down over time. But seriously, as a pilot you will like the way it takes off.

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  4. Anon.,

    I am sure I am missing something here. I can't believe that GM wants to market a $32,000 car (after credits) that only gets 40 mpcharge.

    And, I agree with your inference that we have to start somewhere.

    But whatever technological breakthrough this may have been is well overshadowed by it being done by a gray, bureaucratic, state-run and taxpayer subsidized company.

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