Topic: Akerson Wants 20 Percent More Range From Next Volt

[Autos_Editor]

Speaking with Bloomberg's Arthur Levitt, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson explained a desire for more electric range from the next-generation Volt.

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[Waterlooresident]

You know, I really like the Volt.  Yes, it has massive blind spots to the rear, so you have to use your mirrors a lot when changing lanes, and the A-pillars are huge, so you have to move your head side-to-side while driving in parking lots, but other than that it's a pretty good SCIENCE EXPERIMENT type of car, one that you can actually live with out in the real world.

Here is where things get interesting:  I'm not sure if you know it or not, but the world hit 'PEAK OIL' production back in 2008 and has been slowly declining ever since.  (  http://www.financialsensearchive.com/editorials/saxena/2009/0826.html  )

What that means is that soon, like in about 5 years soon, gasoline will cost around $3 per liter, not $1.30 per liter. And about 4 years after that gasoline will cost $10 per liter, that is if you are lucky enough to even find any.  There will be electricity, but it will be about twice as expensive as it is now. So what all of this means is that if you are still driving a liquid fuel powered vehicle, then in 9 years from now you won't be able to find ANY gasoline or diesel to run it on.  However, if you are driving a VOLT you will be able to get around and do your daily routines.  The big problem then will be where is the food, since the transport trucks won't have the fuel to get the food to the end consumers, even when they have enough money to afford the $10 loafs of bread and other foods that are 5-times more expensive than they are now.

So you have a choice:  Some time around 2025 you can either ride your bicycle around in the attempt to try to find the food you need, while passing station after station with "sold out" signs posted in front of the gas pumps, or you can drive an electric car like the Volt and get things done that way.  Either way, it's not going to be pretty.

[bye]

in about 5 years soon, gasoline will cost around $3 per liter, not $1.30 per liter. And about 4 years after that gasoline will cost $10 per liter, that is if you are lucky enough to even find any.

The worldwide production of oil will continue at the current pace for 100 years, as there will always be a price people are willing to pay, and that price might be 4$/L or 8$/L (which it already is in some European cities), regardless, the Alberta tar sands and other sources will be mined and sold.

Personally, I bought and drive a Smart Electric Drive and purchase 100% renewable electricity from BullFrog, but I am under no illusions that my personal choices are the norm.  However, one of my neighbours recently bought a Nissan Leaf, and two others have solar PV panels on their roofs.  Time will cure our addiction to oil...eventually it will make financial sense, and then folks will move on mass to the cheaper better (EVs are just better to drive than ICE cars) option.

[bye]

desire for more electric range from the next-generation Volt

I test drove a Volt.  Great car, some flaws, but generally a super quiet and refined ride.  The downside was that it was too small for the family trip car we needed, so we bought an SUV.  To offset that, I bought a small electric commuter car.

If the Volt came in an attractive 4 wheel drive SUV form for $45K, I'd have bought it.

[me_2]

Kind of Voltec EV-RE Chevy Trax / Buick Encore with L3 DC charger port & L2 AC 7.2kW minimum onboard charger would be awesome, yes!

desire for more electric range from the next-generation Volt

I test drove a Volt.  Great car, some flaws, but generally a super quiet and refined ride.  The downside was that it was too small for the family trip car we needed, so we bought an SUV.  To offset that, I bought a small electric commuter car.

If the Volt came in an attractive 4 wheel drive SUV form for $45K, I'd have bought it.

[Ex-airbalancer]

desire for more electric range from the next-generation Volt

I test drove a Volt.  Great car, some flaws, but generally a super quiet and refined ride.  The downside was that it was too small for the family trip car we needed, so we bought an SUV.  To offset that, I bought a small electric commuter car.

If the Volt came in an attractive 4 wheel drive SUV form for $45K, I'd have bought it.

Was talking with some GM reps, yesterday, they are working on a CUV

[X-Traction]

You know, I really like the Volt.  Yes, it has massive blind spots to the rear, so you have to use your mirrors a lot when changing lanes, and the A-pillars are huge, so you have to move your head side-to-side while driving in parking lots, but other than that it's a pretty good SCIENCE EXPERIMENT type of car, one that you can actually live with out in the real world.

Here is where things get interesting:  I'm not sure if you know it or not, but the world hit 'PEAK OIL' production back in 2008 and has been slowly declining ever since.  (  http://www.financialsensearchive.com/editorials/saxena/2009/0826.html  )

What that means is that soon, like in about 5 years soon, gasoline will cost around $3 per liter, not $1.30 per liter. And about 4 years after that gasoline will cost $10 per liter, that is if you are lucky enough to even find any.  There will be electricity, but it will be about twice as expensive as it is now. So what all of this means is that if you are still driving a liquid fuel powered vehicle, then in 9 years from now you won't be able to find ANY gasoline or diesel to run it on.  However, if you are driving a VOLT you will be able to get around and do your daily routines.  The big problem then will be where is the food, since the transport trucks won't have the fuel to get the food to the end consumers, even when they have enough money to afford the $10 loafs of bread and other foods that are 5-times more expensive than they are now.

So you have a choice:  Some time around 2025 you can either ride your bicycle around in the attempt to try to find the food you need, while passing station after station with "sold out" signs posted in front of the gas pumps, or you can drive an electric car like the Volt and get things done that way.  Either way, it's not going to be pretty.

I used to think Peak Oil would mean gas/fuel prices rising to prohibitive levels.  One thing challenging that notion is newer technologies, such as fracking combined with natural gas exploitation.  The other is that the higher the price, the more capital there is to go find more, which keeps the price down.

But now I think if gas gets very expensive, it will be due to carbon taxes.  The alternative is that to get climate warming under control, use of fossil fuels will have to be limited to producing and transporting food, and important manufactured goods made from petroleum.  The resulting surplus would make gas dirt cheap, but you wouldn't be allowed to use it.

Development of renewable energy sources will do nothing but grow, and space heating can be done with vastly less fossil energy.  Movement of goods would slow drastically if we manage to stop consuming and trashing so much cheap garbage.  3D printing could displace a lot of transportation of goods.

[sailor723]

You know, I really like the Volt.  Yes, it has massive blind spots to the rear, so you have to use your mirrors a lot when changing lanes, and the A-pillars are huge, so you have to move your head side-to-side while driving in parking lots, but other than that it's a pretty good SCIENCE EXPERIMENT type of car, one that you can actually live with out in the real world.

Here is where things get interesting:  I'm not sure if you know it or not, but the world hit 'PEAK OIL' production back in 2008 and has been slowly declining ever since.  (  http://www.financialsensearchive.com/editorials/saxena/2009/0826.html  )

What that means is that soon, like in about 5 years soon, gasoline will cost around $3 per liter, not $1.30 per liter. And about 4 years after that gasoline will cost $10 per liter, that is if you are lucky enough to even find any.  There will be electricity, but it will be about twice as expensive as it is now. So what all of this means is that if you are still driving a liquid fuel powered vehicle, then in 9 years from now you won't be able to find ANY gasoline or diesel to run it on.  However, if you are driving a VOLT you will be able to get around and do your daily routines.  The big problem then will be where is the food, since the transport trucks won't have the fuel to get the food to the end consumers, even when they have enough money to afford the $10 loafs of bread and other foods that are 5-times more expensive than they are now.

So you have a choice:  Some time around 2025 you can either ride your bicycle around in the attempt to try to find the food you need, while passing station after station with "sold out" signs posted in front of the gas pumps, or you can drive an electric car like the Volt and get things done that way.  Either way, it's not going to be pretty.

I used to think Peak Oil would mean gas/fuel prices rising to prohibitive levels.  One thing challenging that notion is newer technologies, such as fracking combined with natural gas exploitation.  The other is that the higher the price, the more capital there is to go find more, which keeps the price down.

But now I think if gas gets very expensive, it will be due to carbon taxes.  The alternative is that to get climate warming under control, use of fossil fuels will have to be limited to producing and transporting food, powering high end FGC's and important manufactured goods made from petroleum.  The resulting surplus would make gas dirt cheap, but you wouldn't be allowed to use it.

Development of renewable energy sources will do nothing but grow, and space heating can be done with vastly less fossil energy.  Movement of goods would slow drastically if we manage to stop consuming and trashing so much cheap garbage.  3D printing could displace a lot of transportation of goods.

Fixed it for you. 

[mmret]

Pricing can be quite volatile at the sharp end of demand/production. Just need one of those variables to be inelastic, and to some extent both are.

I'm pretty sure the average fuel econ of the US and western Europe fleets has gotten steadily better, too. Keep in mind despite massive growth in car sales in emerging markets, the US fleet alone accounts for about 1/3 of global cars.

Pretty sure that passenger car oil consumption in developed markets peaked some time in 2007-2009 (financial crisis takes its toll). Its conceivable, between downsizing, turbos, and hybrids...ie the relentless march of technology, that we could be 1/3rd off that peak by middle of the 2020s.