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May 2009 Posts
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I'm curious, why the Spanish? It's a pretty uncommon language down here. All I know is "Adios" and "I'll Be Back". Oh, wait...
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Guys, The Volt's generator has different rpm's depending on how much load is needed to feed the battery bank and feed the electric motor, less demand, lower rpm's, more demand, higher rpm's. It is in no way connected to the accelerator pedal, it simply responds to how low the battery bank is.
Did a day slip through the cracks somewhere? I thought there was going to be a Nikki show on Wednesday, but nothing? And now on Thursday we get Tuesday's show posted? Time Warp!
Gav,
The Spanish is probably due to Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) celebrations that happened here in the US. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and increasingly more in the United States, particularly in the Southwestern United States and most especially in Texas. The holiday marks the defeat of the French occupation of Mexico that ended in 1863 under the victorious forces of Benito Juarez Mexico's future president. It also resulted in the execution of its European leader Maximillian. (Corallary, Abraham Lincoln was not exactly cracked up at having a major European power (The French) on the US southern border while the Civil War raged on here in the US. To counter the French he, Lincoln, sent many guns to Juarez's rebels to defeat the French.)
An amusing moment occurred when my mom called, probably at the urging of my brother, who wished my wife, who is a Honduran native, a happy Cinco de Mayo when Central Americans do not celebrate it.
Rick, from the oil capitol of the world, Houston, TX.
oil refineries are the biggest industrial user of electricity-less demand for gasoline-more electricity for BEV's, although not exactly that simple, but with planned energy management with solar water heating ect. would be the answer to the coal generation question. looks line the EV 1 may come back to haunt the GM Vlt. i doubt if the Volt can compete with other EV's or BEV's, too little and too late for GM. there needs to be a mid size car crash test to get more BEV's into the US market. This would help get the smaller companies with the smaller BEV's on the road here in the states, or does GM have their fingers in this also?
Regarding GM and Chrysler, the task force is directly led out of the executive branch of the government, so it is in effect very much the Obama administration that is designing the go forward plan that in effect gets implemented. We the people are putting up the cash, and we the people will own the auto company, but if you study the details it is proposed that Cerberus walks away with the finance companies for both Chrysler and GM. Cerberus wanted no part of ongoing ownership if they had to put up capital. It is now being said that GMAC would get up to 13 billion as part of the bank stress test in capital. The GM losses were much worse than were expected so the capital loaned is also at greater risk than was even expected a month or two ago. Getting the debt stripped out of the company is one thing, getting a revenue stream that is sufficient for the organization that is left behind is another issue. Follow the money, Chrysler already has received 7 billion by some counts, then 8 billion more offered, and then 13 billion to go to Cerberus in loan for GMAC. The US government could buy Chrysler at the auction and then define terms for anyone as they would have the money that makes or breaks the deal. Don't get too comfortable though that debt and go forward are not more difficult after the bankruptcy than anyone thought. This is before the parts and dealer bailouts.
maybe i have a few screws loose, but didn't GM once have an all electric car that got more than 40 miles on a charge? why does this seem like they're moving backwards? it seems, these days, that there's just as much effort being put forward to kill the EV as there is in getting them on the road.
GM's EV1 was a pure electric (BEV), Volt is (will be) a EREV, extended range hybrid - electric car with gas generator backup. The technology is much advanced. GM is certainly on the right track technically speaking. Financially.... well that's another story.
So let's compare
GM EV1, 120 mile electric range then you are SOL. 2 passenger vehicle, battery costs $30,000 (a guess)
GM Volt, 40 electric range (probably covers 80-90% of daily driving) but infinite driving range by using gasoline, 4 passenger vehicle, battery costs $10,000 (a guess).
The Volt approach is a clear winner. I can use all electric mode for daily commute but can still travel to the next state using gasoline.
We have all seen the crank-up flash lights, well why not extend this to electric cars? Brilliant, Right. Well one guy is talking up the idea (4 minutes).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMfMPgOsYPM
The fact that he has no technical experience or idea what he is talking about does not prevent him from making a YouTube video. GM get right on this idea.
guest,
Regarding electricity usage in oil refineries, assuming you are not the same guest that posted this before, this has been debunked. Please provide a study or some data that backs up this point otherwise I have to file this in the same catagory as crop circles, Roswell, and Bigfoot. Natural gas is one of the primary feedstocks of the oil industry.
The fact is that most of the energy intensive operations in an oil refinery from straight distillation, thermal cracking, alkylation, pyrolysis and catalytic cracking, to name a few, use natural gas over electricity. The reason is simple. Natural gas is far cheaper and a much more efficient source of heat to refine crude oil into it's constituent components then heat from electricity. Don't believe me? Then heat your house in winter with an electric furnace and see your utility bill.
Thermal cracking using natural gas alone increases the yield of gasoline in a barrel of oil from a low range 11% - 17% up to 49% per barrel. (A barrel of oil is equivalent to 42 gallons)
