Posted by Harry
Misc | 07 Jan 07 | Comments (11) | Stumble
I'm not in Detroit for the star-studded events, nor the many shiny cars. I'm here because I wanted to talk to designers about the future of cars. I was also curious about an electric car concept to be premiered. I wanted to know if the effort to make a sustainable car was genuine. I got some answers. Mostly good. I recorded the conversations and will transcribe some, and podcast others, shortly. In the meantime, here's the electric car that GM launched today, the Volt. It's right in line with what I believe will make sustainability ultimately successful, it's a hot car that's also green. Like the Tesla, I'd rather drive this than a bowl of granola, the difference is, this one is targeted to the rest of us (read affordable). Another view after the jump. See all the new cars from the auto show at Autoblog.
That shape really sucks. For real. I think there's something in the air saying there's a lack of design these times. I'm really disappointed :/
Cadillac XLR coupe? F' this design, all the way down to the wheels. And I thought Ford was bad.
As much as I applaud GM for jumping into a market that utilizes less gasoline, this is nothing new and far from an affordable Tesla. The car still utilizes a gasoline engine and calling it a "EV with range extending capability" does not make it anything more than all the other hybrids offered by Toyota, Honda, ford or Lexus. Without its gasoline engine it only has a range of 40 miles which is largely useless unless you truly are just using it to run to the corner store which in that case if you really want to help the environment, you should look to a bicycle.
From an aesthetic point of view - that is one ugly car.
From a practical POV: Unless that woman is very tall, I guess the Volt won't be for me. It looks a bit short for my 6'3" to fold into.
Also, what's with the recent trend in making cars with armored-car sized windshields, oversize pillars and trunks higher than their rear-windows? Don't we need to see out-side anymore?
What's important is that GM is getting it. It's a fairly simple two-part problem, 1) GM is one of the world's largest corporations - a slow moving giant, 2) they've successfully sold boatloads of SUVs. Now with the media embracing climate change, and oil prices rising, SUV/ truck sales are slowing and buyers are shifting to more fuel-efficient vehicles. GM has placed a bet that electrics are the next thing (they're big, they've also placed a lot of other bets, ie., a hybrid Tahoe). I want to applaud GM for making this concept car because I know GM can build thousands of them. They can also get an electric car into a lot more dealers and ultimately into a lot more places than any other carmaker on the planet. The style may not be optimal, but it's a giant first step from a giant. Maybe the message should be "make the Camaro electric"?
I think the design was very savvy in that it struck the right notes for the majority of American "big engine" buyers... those prospective buyers won't respond to a Dwell magazine style car with a small flower holder in the dashboard. This design puts an aggressive "alpha" face on a category that most perceive as a category dominated by liberal tree-huggers!
It's important to remember that things are NOT just going to snap into place with electric vehicles. The fact of the matter is that you'll see a shift to electricity assistance on a gas engine more and more (which is good), but it'll stay that way for a long time (maybe not as good). The industry just won't allow it, and maybe this sounds crazy, but the US needs its gas companies and huge corporations. We paint a pretty evil picture when talking about them, but that's only half the story.
Design wise, it looks admittedly oppressive, but I wouldn't say it looks anywhere near as bad as a Taurus. It definitely speaks to the American aesthetic (fortified!), and I'm sure that's what they want to do- appeal to the demo that thinks the current hybrid crop looks too wimpy.
This is actually rather promising. I see elements of the SAAB Aero X concept vehicle from last year. Contrary to Dylan Pask's comments, 40 miles is quite a useful distance. Unless you live in the far suburbs and thus are un-environmentally conscious, 40 miles should serve well as a commuting distance. I have a 7 mile/way commute. The vehicle has a garage charging provision. You plug in every time you come home. The biggest fear for electric vehicle drivers is running out of juice and extended recharging times. This vehicle addresses those concerns by having the always-ready backup of on-board electric generation through the engine. If you're truly going to the corner store or have a reasonable commute, then 40 miles would serve you well until you can hit your garage again. On hopefully less frequent longer trips, you'd have the combustion engine to generate electricity and let you go on your way.
I agree totally with the sentiments above. Why is the US car market so so far behind the rest of the world in terms of technology and innovation. New products should take the lead and point to the future, not, rehash ideas already in the marketplace.
It would be like Sony releasing a new mobile phone with a built in CD player.
It’s great that more people are focusing on making better environmental choices. Plus technology is making it more economical now, and that’s what people really notice. Wind energy, solar power, hybrids and zap EV’s, our choices are good. There are now electric cars being sold everyday, you just plug it into a regular power outlet. When people test drive them they say it’s far more fun to drive an EV.
Wow the Volt is a step in the right direction and by adding flex fuel capability is even better..now to make it perfect why not build-in the new "thin" solar sheets into the sunroof and it can recharge itself while driving or parked in a parking lot all day!