The Chevy Volt is for idiots

[cstreu1026]

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/siliconalley/green-tech/audi_president_calls_the_volt_a_car_for_idiots_200 9_9.html

Even though I think it would be great to have much cleaner running cars on the market for people to commute in I agree 100% with the president of Audi of America. And while I'm at it you throw hybrids in the mix. Batteries don't last forever and for the life of me I can figure out how the heavy metals and other chemicals used in the production of batteries is any better than the CO2 and other emmissions from a regular car.

[BigBadStang]

All this does, is transfer the pollution from one source to another. Power plants will have to burn more coal to make more power. Joe Public is terrified of nuclear power, so I don't think that will be an option.

There has been more than 1 article published about a Prius/hybrid being dirtier than an H2 Hummer. The pollution/emissions from the nickel smelting plants (that's why the smelting is done primarily in China, due to their very lax emissions laws) that make the components of the batteries, far outdoes the emissions from an H2.

Is there a comprehensive long term plan for all the old batteries when they reach the end of their lives? What will they do with the cars, once they need 'repowered'? The cost to do so will be astronimical. These cars will have terrible trade in or resale IMO.

What is going to happen in bad crashes that rupture the batteries? Isn't that an environmental concern as fuel spills are?

How many times during the peak summer months, do we hear from the media, that the electrical grid system is being run at record, or peak levels to meet demand for home cooling? What the hell do they think will happen if they start pluggin in thousands of these stupid cars? Rolling blackouts?

This shit drives me crazy!

[cstreu1026]

There are recycling options for batteries but you are still going to generate some waste in the process.

[347sc]

GM batteries are modules and connect together to make the whole battery. You can even swap each one if it goes bad instead of changing the whole thing. If I remember correctly the Hybrid Tahoe has 120 little ones making up the big one.

[Mista Bone]

all smoke and mirrors.

Plenty of oil/gas in North America.....but we won't drill for it.

No new refineries in over 30 years, but plenty of places to build, like old air bases.

Coal is dirty, but cheap. Nat Gas. is cleaner but not being used to near capacity. The reason they are trying to push it is with Cap and Trade bill, ALOT of taxes would be generated.

Nuclear.......nope, not even thought about.

Little cars with turbo diesel motors getting 75 mpg......not in the US. In the VW TDI Jetta cup even under racing conditions they are getting 33+ mpg....

just smoke and mirrors.......

[Black Horse]

If I ride my horse to work (that runs on renewable resources) - I'll get bitched out for the solid waste products it produces...all the while somewhere folks will pay money to get a truck load of the waste.

I'm starting to think being homeless living under a bridge has its definate advantages

[Mista Bone]

CO2 likely to be declared a dangerous pollutant.......

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/31/MNM219GIJD.DTL