As one of my Favorite electrical Engineers points out, “We need to see the Chevy Volt as a multifunctional platform.”
Here’s what you may have overlooked! The Volt is also a rolling energy storage unit, there’s no reason you couldn’t power your house, barn, or shop with a charged up Chevy Volt. Let’s say you are a Dairyman and the power is out and you have cows to milk, how many cows can you milk off a charged up Obama Volt?
Some are saying the Volt will do well now that the price of gasoline is going through the roof, and if we see the new Volt as an energy storage unit, consider what the new power grid of the future might look like. If your chevy Volt is plugged in, you might be the source of energy to cover peak loads on the grid and be paid good money per KWH for those peaks.
We know that most environmentalists are waiting for the government to give them a volt, but now that you know how practical they are, you might order yours now?
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/03/01/gm-sells-281-chevy-volts-february-nissan-67-leafs/
If you know a Person who believes strongly in green investments, this may be the time to shame him into buying the Chevy volt, what are greenies waiting for?
I wish green types did understand the folly Of sell back. If more of them knew the concept of kwhr and knew that if their pv system or car power storage unit or whatever was wildly successful and they had a few kwhr to sell back they’d make about 20 cents a day. The net metering types are not better. They think that using the power company as a battery system that costs them nothing and never wears out is a key part for an energy policy.
don’t know if it is true or not, but reportedly consumer reports lists the leaf’s battery replacement cost at 18 grand! although they expect the battery to last 10 years, which i have no idea how they come to that conclusion.
so lets see the depreciation is 150 bucks a month on the battery if it does last 10 years, plus it takes about 30amps at 240 volts to charge it for 8 hours, hmmm? even my welder is easier on the utilities than that damn thing!
no, i won’t be buying either the leaf, the volt or a stanley steamer anytime soon (at least the stanley steamer works, and will get me not only to my destination but also home again)