I'm considering buying a Chevy Volt
- Thread starter Doctorbass
- Start date
liveforphysics
100 TW
It's possible the LEAFS are ok. You can make an EV survive deep ocean rovers, you can make them survive floods.
I can think of a feasible way EV packs can survive months under the ocean. I don't know the extent of the water/weatherproofing efforts Nissan took to protect this pack, but it's conceivable they had pack service disconnects in the right places, and managed to maintain a hermetic seal to keep anything left with voltage on it only inside the pack if it trips its 'flooded' sensors or whatever. (I don't know if the leaf even uses flood sensors, just making an example.
I can think of a feasible way EV packs can survive months under the ocean. I don't know the extent of the water/weatherproofing efforts Nissan took to protect this pack, but it's conceivable they had pack service disconnects in the right places, and managed to maintain a hermetic seal to keep anything left with voltage on it only inside the pack if it trips its 'flooded' sensors or whatever. (I don't know if the leaf even uses flood sensors, just making an example.
Hillhater
100 TW
It would be sweet if they are sealed packs, but i just cannot conceive a carmaker investing in fully waterproofing all electrical components to the extent they they would survive immersion in sea/storm water.
Without a close inspection & a few checks ( unlikely at an auction) its one big gamble.
It sounds like you are talking yourself around to getting one...
You know you want one...go for it Luke !
Without a close inspection & a few checks ( unlikely at an auction) its one big gamble.
It sounds like you are talking yourself around to getting one...
You know you want one...go for it Luke ! 
hillzofvalp
100 kW
Doc, you really need to ask yourself these questions:
1) do I want to have kids in the next 5 years? (kids unaffected by lipo garage and/or absent father)
2) do I want to make my own electric car in the next 15 years? (better do it later when chemistries are better and said kids are graduated or brainwashed into being your EV slaves)
1) do I want to have kids in the next 5 years? (kids unaffected by lipo garage and/or absent father)
2) do I want to make my own electric car in the next 15 years? (better do it later when chemistries are better and said kids are graduated or brainwashed into being your EV slaves)
liveforphysics
100 TW
Hillhater said:It would be sweet if they are sealed packs, but i just cannot conceive a carmaker investing in fully waterproofing all electrical components to the extent they they would survive immersion in sea/storm water.
Without a close inspection & a few checks ( unlikely at an auction) its one big gamble.
It sounds like you are talking yourself around to getting one...
I do want one. I enjoyed my LEAF driving experience. It's no. tesla, and the GM spark smokes it for acceleration, but it's a perfectly capable and roomy vehicle.
However, I just committed to a Porsche Cayman chassis that is now at my racecar builders shop who is tearing the rear end area apart. Massive 43in wide engine bay is going to hold a pair of race modified 11in sep-ex DC motors (which I still need to buy). Then Im gonna make my own brushed controller and feed them a couple thousand amps each.
The goal of the project is to best the model S in every performance metric with the exception of range and long duration sustained high speed. I love how quick the model S is, but I would need to live very frugally for a couple years to save enough to buy one. So, this will be an attempt to DIY something together that delivers an even more fantastic sport driving experience than a model S.
Hillhater
100 TW
Ahh ! ok then...
... you will be looking for something beefier than those Leaf cells i guess !
MitchJi
10 MW
Hi,
I'd want to check them before making a bid on a flooded car but for $3k if the only thing that was useful is the cells it would be a great deal. Might be easy to check. You might be able to figure it out by turning on the key and checking the gauges, or if the key is not available maybe by hot-wiring it. Worst case you could probably figure it out with a wiring diagram and a meter.
I'd want to check them before making a bid on a flooded car but for $3k if the only thing that was useful is the cells it would be a great deal. Might be easy to check. You might be able to figure it out by turning on the key and checking the gauges, or if the key is not available maybe by hot-wiring it. Worst case you could probably figure it out with a wiring diagram and a meter.
-dg
1 kW
Is your friend still liking the Spark? I'm loving it.liveforphysics said:
liveforphysics
100 TW
-dg said:
Yes! He is in loving it, says it's his favorite car he's owned. Most folks who give EVs a try seem to arrive at that conclusion.
liveforphysics said:Hillhater said:It would be sweet if they are sealed packs, but i just cannot conceive a carmaker investing in fully waterproofing all electrical components to the extent they they would survive immersion in sea/storm water.
Without a close inspection & a few checks ( unlikely at an auction) its one big gamble.
It sounds like you are talking yourself around to getting one...
I do want one. I enjoyed my LEAF driving experience. It's no. tesla, and the GM spark smokes it for acceleration, but it's a perfectly capable and roomy vehicle.
However, I just committed to a Porsche Cayman chassis that is now at my racecar builders shop who is tearing the rear end area apart. Massive 43in wide engine bay is going to hold a pair of race modified 11in sep-ex DC motors (which I still need to buy). Then Im gonna make my own brushed controller and feed them a couple thousand amps each.
The goal of the project is to best the model S in every performance metric with the exception of range and long duration sustained high speed. I love how quick the model S is, but I would need to live very frugally for a couple years to save enough to buy one. So, this will be an attempt to DIY something together that delivers an even more fantastic sport driving experience than a model S.
Dual 11 inch kostovs or ge spex motors wont have enough torque for direct drive
Or will they 8)
How much power are you expecting to make? You might be able to hit 1000hp peak witha pair of 11s
Got room for double 13s?
You keeping the tranny? Good luck with building a sepex controller. Not for the faint of heart. I assume it will have regen. Sound like a fun project. Maybe you can get a motor out of a wrecked
http://m.machinedesign.com/news/how-hot-rod-electric-motor
Not sure if he does sepex work
11 Diameter, 17 long, Up to 450HP, by Dennis Berube
Features
Maximum Voltage: 240 VDC
Maximum Current: 2100 Amperes for up to 3 seconds.
Maximum Speed: 5500 RPM
Peak Power: 480 HP
Brush Advance: 7 degree for counter clockwise operation
Speed sensor on commutator end of motor (you can choose the number of impulses per revolution when you order, 4 impulses/rev. is standard)
Output shaft is 1.625” O.D. with 25 tooth spline, 11 3/8” Diameter 16 9/16” Length of motor frame 19 1/8” Overall Length (mounting face to speed sensor)
3D CAD model available in several formats.
yopappamon
10 kW
Any word on when cars like the Spark will be sold outside of California? if ever.
-dg
1 kW
Sorry, no. It's hard to tell how serious GM is about this car, but it's a great car anyway. There is nothing really stopping you from buying or leasing one from a CA dealer and having it shipped to you. This has been discussed on mychevysparkev and there is at least one Spark EV in Michigan that got there that way.yopappamon said:
yopappamon
10 kW
yopappamon said:
Quote from the Spark EV forum linked by -dg, the spark does have pre-heat /cool activated by app or fob.
Hillhater
100 TW
The Chinese "volt" ..
Some neat features.
http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?rssid=32150
Some neat features.
http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?rssid=32150
dnmun
1 PW
from the man on the street. just saw a new Volt in EV mode during my walk. he was parked at the curb backed up and then forward into the street. so neat to see and not hear a vehicle move with no ICE burning. i had seen several on the freeway but first one moving close up. quiet is so neat.
Hillhater
100 TW
^^^ +
When you start to look a little beyond the headlines, there are many "hybrid" /REEV / EV options either available now or will be in the very near future.
liveforphysics
100 TW
dnmun said:
Dude. You should visit Santa Cruz sometime (or most anywhere in the SF bay area). The EV revolution has gone critical mass in the forward thinking cities already.
Im jogging my neighbourhood right now as Im posting ths, about every 4th car that goes by is a Model S, Leaf, a striking number of focus EVs, or sparks/volts.
EV Heaven has already landed, it's just a matter of hysteresis delays now before the rest of the cities see the light and catch-up. I think it's going to be almost impossible to sell anyone on a gas powered vehicle in as little as 2-3 more years. It has already become culturally a smudge on your reputation as a person to drive big gas vehicles here. Soon it will be approprately found in distaste to go around spitting toxic carcinogenic partially combusted benzene compounds out of your giant steel box into the faces of adults and children as you move yourself from point A to B.
Dude I think that's because of the California mandates for Zero emission vehicals. There is a list of Electrics we can't get out side of Cali and Never mind Canada, Fit EV, Rav4 EV, Even the focus EV is hard to get here. It sucks. But what you see is a small portion of the world but... Its good to start someware!liveforphysics said:dnmun said:
Dude. You should visit Santa Cruz sometime (or most anywhere in the SF bay area). The EV revolution has gone critical mass in the forward thinking cities already.
Im jogging my neighbourhood right now as Im posting ths, about every 4th car that goes by is a Model S, Leaf, a striking number of focus EVs, or sparks/volts.
I think it's going to be almost impossible to sell anyone on a gas powered vehicle in as little as 2-3 more years. It has already become culturally a smudge on your reputation as a person to drive big gas vehicles here. Soon it will be approprately found in distaste to go around spitting toxic carcinogenic partially combusted benzene compounds out of your giant steel box into the faces of adults and children as you move yourself from point A to B.
Yep. If you want to sell cars in Kalifornia, a mimimum number must be low and zero emission. Tesla is an exception, but I suspect a lot of these EVs from the mainstread ICE manufacturers are token efforts to ensure compliance. They probably lose money on each car, hence the seeming reluctance to sell them where they don't have too. Same as homologation models for racing IMO.
liveforphysics
100 TW
Punx0r said:
Nothing in Cali makes people buy EVs.
The MFGs are required to offer them for people to buy here, and people choose to buy them because they would rather buy and drive an EV than a cheaper and more widely available gas car. That means it's a product people want. It's getting thick with model S in my area. You can't find a road to go down that you don't encounter one or two along. Model S is the far majority share of luxury/sporty vehicle that you actually see being used. You see shitloads of Porches and M5's and 740's and A6's and other rubbish left out in driveways to collect thick layers of dust, because once someone gets a model S, driving a gas car again is just painfully obnoxious and shitty to drive once you've become aware of how good driving can be.
The fingers
10 TW
http://www.cadillac.com/elr-electri...US|AU|G|S|B|A|BMM|GG|RTN|ELR|CPE_|_ELR_|_+elr
The Cadillac ELR offers essentially the Volt power train for a little more than the price of a Tesla model S.
Another vote for the Volt.
The Cadillac ELR offers essentially the Volt power train for a little more than the price of a Tesla model S.
Another vote for the Volt.
liveforphysics said:Hillhater said:It would be sweet if they are sealed packs, but i just cannot conceive a carmaker investing in fully waterproofing all electrical components to the extent they they would survive immersion in sea/storm water.
Without a close inspection & a few checks ( unlikely at an auction) its one big gamble.
It sounds like you are talking yourself around to getting one...
I do want one. I enjoyed my LEAF driving experience. It's no. tesla, and the GM spark smokes it for acceleration, but it's a perfectly capable and roomy vehicle.
However, I just committed to a Porsche Cayman chassis that is now at my racecar builders shop who is tearing the rear end area apart. Massive 43in wide engine bay is going to hold a pair of race modified 11in sep-ex DC motors (which I still need to buy). Then Im gonna make my own brushed controller and feed them a couple thousand amps each.
The goal of the project is to best the model S in every performance metric with the exception of range and long duration sustained high speed. I love how quick the model S is, but I would need to live very frugally for a couple years to save enough to buy one. So, this will be an attempt to DIY something together that delivers an even more fantastic sport driving experience than a model S.
What is the ETA and when are you going to make a thread for this project?
Doctorbass
100 GW
Guys I ordered a Volt 2014 !
The retail price is 38 000 CAD minus the instant rebate from our gourvernment of 8000$ minus the 500$ rebate from GM at the Montreal autoshow this come to 29 500$ CAD + tax.. not bad !
I searched alot of info on the volt and found some really interesting infos:
A guy from the Gm-volt forum is played with the ECU program and got acceleration as fast as
5.5sec 0-60mph
I think he changed the current ramp up and throttle curve etc..
[youtube]hA4fLSuvkk8[/youtube]
Also the website VOLTSTAT posted some info and the website AVEQ posted a graph of the average fuel comsumption of more than 2000 Volt owners was by uploading their Data with Onstar. This graph present the Liter of gas per 100km depending on teh proportion of the % of electric mode use.
here is the graph:
I should get mine by the begining of March
Doc
The retail price is 38 000 CAD minus the instant rebate from our gourvernment of 8000$ minus the 500$ rebate from GM at the Montreal autoshow this come to 29 500$ CAD + tax.. not bad !
I searched alot of info on the volt and found some really interesting infos:
A guy from the Gm-volt forum is played with the ECU program and got acceleration as fast as
5.5sec 0-60mph
I think he changed the current ramp up and throttle curve etc..
[youtube]hA4fLSuvkk8[/youtube]
Also the website VOLTSTAT posted some info and the website AVEQ posted a graph of the average fuel comsumption of more than 2000 Volt owners was by uploading their Data with Onstar. This graph present the Liter of gas per 100km depending on teh proportion of the % of electric mode use.
here is the graph:
I should get mine by the begining of March
Doc
