GM killed the electric car, they sold the pattent to a Oil company(though I think it might be Texaco/Chevron instead of Exxon, I’ll have to check). Toyota’s Rav4EV with NiMH were great, theyve reached over 66 000 miles and are still going on the original battery, but the Oil corp that got the GM patent sued Toyota.

Excellent EVs could be on the market right now, and had they not been sabotaged in the 90s, and NiMH technology and EVs would be even better and more affordable by now

“GM could build the Volt tomorrow. The concept doesn’t require any battery development. They could even use lead acid batteries.If the plug in range is 30 miles instead of 40, is this a reason not to build it? Is a $1000 battery pack that has to be replaced every 5 years or 50,000 miles really inferior to a $20,000 battery pack that would last for 200,000 miles? GM keeps coming up with reasons for delay which make no sense.”

Then I would vote for lead acid batteries in a hybrid because storage time isn’t so much a factor to me as price.

As far as Doug Korthoff’s assessment, if GM is researching Lithium instead of using NiMH, then I’m betting it’s because they foresee the cost of NiMH raw materials going through the roof as electric technology becomes more popular. The supply of most mineral resources is not able to expand when demand increases, or at least not by enough to keep the price constant.

Most of the reason we don’t have hydrogen fuel cells right now is because nobody can figure out how to make an efficient device for it that doesn’t use massive amounts of platinum (which is rarer than gold).

That said: I’ll be glad if GM does choose to go with the series hybrid direction instead of building parallel hybrids like Toyota is doing, because they’ll be a lot easier to retro-fit later on if a better gasoline generator, or other power generator technology becomes available in the future.

Heck, maybe GM could be the ones to develop it, and set up their dealerships to do the retrofitting themselves.

In inventing, I have developed extremely choosy standards which have prevented me thus far from following thru the patent process for that first well of cash I can apply to a boat load of prime ideas.

From experience response letter number 6 of the e-flex auto revolution article on the ecoworld website is right on the money provided the cars or vans body is a simple box for tall people and busineses who have short commutes in 30 mile range using lead acid batteries.

Well, they’ve already bought a lot of hybrid technology from others. What’s the problem with buying the PRIUS battery packs and then just adjust the control system to match! At least they would have a 50 mpg product instead of a “POSTER PICTURE”!

We are WAITING …. AS USUAL for “Detroit” to do something. And they wonder why people buy “foreign” … it’s simple they DELIVER something!

GM could build the Volt tomorrow. The concept doesn’t require any battery development. They could even use lead acid batteries.If the plug in range is 30 miles instead of 40, is this a reason not to build it? Is a $1000 battery pack that has to be replaced every 5 years or 50,000 miles really inferior to a $20,000 battery pack that would last for 200,000 miles? GM keeps coming up with reasons for delay which make no sense.

They have had this vehicle on the drawing board since 1999. They are frittering away yet another opportunity to be a world automotive leader. One has to wonder why.

The car they build could be aimed at the niche markets (as is the Hummer) and be wildly successful. They seem unwilling to build anything until it can have all the performance characteristics and serve the same market as the Buick. The niches made up of: the save the earth group plus the early adopters of any new technology, plus those who want to save fuel plus those who like the idea of an electric car plus those who are tired of the costly maintenance of ICE cars plus other groups I haven’t thought about could insure that GM’s production for the first few years would be sold.

Stop creating new excuses and start building cars.

Production depends on advances in battery technology that could be years away.”
GM tries to unplug Volt hype, Sharon Terlep / The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/AUTO01/703230356/1148

If the “VOLT” really achieves 50 mpg when the the battery charge is depleted, then, it stands to reason EVEN WITHOUT THE “advances in battery technology ” GM ALREADY HAS A MILD HYBRID TODAY!

As a 50 mpg hybrid (producable today), the “VOLT” would REDUCE CO2 emissions by possibly as much as 170 g/km. So, it can’t do 40 miles “all electric” big deal!

A savings of 170 g/km is a significant impact worthy of serious consideration.

Further, the fuel consumption would be about a 50% (possibly more) reduction over the typical domestic vehicle offerings.

To GM … WHY THE DELAY?