Gasoline prices, hybrids and electric oh my!!
Posted by Robert Chambers
on Mar 06, 2012
One of our own, Smith Motors sales consultant Jeff Christopherson, explained the current trends in motor vehicles as the program at the club's regular meeting today, March 6th at Prante's. He began by explaining the improvements over the past couple of decades in vehicle engineering both for safety and vehicle longevity as well as the improved sales practices in the industry. He identified fuel injection and front wheel drive as clear engineering improvements and the use by consumers of the internet to check pre-purchase on vehicles as leveling prices and the playing field for dealers.
Some of the most amazing modern vehicle engineering is seen with the hybrids and electric cars. He focused on the Chevy VOLT product. Fully charged from a 110 v outlet it will travel 35 miles BEFORE the generator starts producing electricity to drive the electric engine a total of 380 miles on a tank of gas before needing to be refueled (electricity and/or gasoline). Of course if you drive no more than 35 miles between electric outlets you will never burn gasoline. As the engine does not use gasoline (the generator does) he described the vehicle as a "not electric, not gas and not a hybrid" it is a combination of those concepts. Producing 273 pound-feet of torque the engine is equivalent to driving a 250 HP V6 standard car. It has a top speed of 100 mph (best tested when State Troopers are not about). Unlike some hybrids its heater warms the vehicle up quickly if you push the "comfort" button starting the generation early . Mr. Christopherson referred to the erroneous bad publicity put out by the media when a vehicle that was deliberately crash tested was then put in storage WITHOUT PROPER PROTOCOLS being followed and caught fire three weeks later. Police and First responders have been trained to cut the wire from the battery to the electric propulsion immediately in the event of an accident to prevent this occurring immediately or three weeks later. The battery is warrantied for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Even once salvaged "dead" batteries have components stripped to be recycled in wind generator batteries. He had one of the vehicles at the restaurant to demonstrate to members after the meeting. Some members questioned the cost of the vehicle which is $ 32,500 after the tax rebate. With gasoline going to and above $ 4.00 per gallon any perceived economic strain will soon be gone.