Yes it could, however, with current technology, the H2 generation is so inefficient that you can get 4x more "usage" when you use that generation directly to power an EV as opposed to generating H2, which needs distribution, and then reconversion into motion.

 

GM and Alan Lloyd from CARB, if I remember correctly from the movie. He was the chairman for CARB at the time and was an advocate for H2, so that didnt help the EV1 at all.

If GM really wanted foster a fresh image about Plug-In tech and about the environment, IMHO, they should fired all their lawyers working to sue CA and use that money to speed up the Volt...and make a big announcement about that! That'll be the day...

 

I was looking at the Volt page and discovered this little gem:

Quick Charge
If you don't have the time to leave Concept Volt plugged in to fully recharge or don't have access to an outlet, the vehicle can also begin to charge itself while in PARK with the engine running. The range-extending engine and generator will do all the work.

So this car is a Plugin hybrid that doesn't even need to be plugged in! How clever is that?

 

Bob:
It seems like 2-mode actually has more than two modes. The more I read about it, the more I like this system. Here are the modes I've noted:

1. Engine idles to recharge battery pack.
2. EV only
3. Battery + 4 cylinders
4. Battery + 8 cylinders
5. 8 cylinders.

The animations did not show any "Car stopped + ICE off" mode, oddly enough. But since it's got an EV mode, I can't imagine that the truck will pull upto a red light on battery propulsion and then START the engine!

 

Precisely my point. GM sued CA to get rid of the standards that made the EV1 viable. If they are willing to kill their own car cause it doesn't use oil products, should we support their bid to introduce the volt?

I think I will purchase my next vehicle from a company that is much more commmited to alternate fuels than GM has proven itself to be. Sadly It did not have to be this way, I would have loved a EV1. If GM kept that platform going, they would have been the LEADERS in low emmisions transportation. However they opted to work with big oil and they will pay the price. While the average consumer is gullible, educated hybrid owners are not. They have a memory about GM's complicity in the crushed EV1 program.

 

Quite the contrary, I think an educated and open-minded hybrid owner would realize the advantages of a system like the Volt's over current technology. Personally I wouldn't turn down the greener choice because of questionable misgivings from years ago. Let's hope the average "gullible" consumer uses more reason than an arrogant cynic.

 

so you are saying dont punish companies for their sins? Even when the sins are pretty bad?

The Volt is just GM's and big oil's way of keeping us oil junkies hooked on our fix. If this energy was focused on developing purely electrical vehicles, we would be much further ahead environmentally, geopolitically, and financially.

However GM and Big Oil have a major interest in keeping us addicted to oil. This is bad for our economy, health, and world political interests.


edit, just noticed your arrogant cynic shot at me.

 

No, it's just that based on my knowledge and exposure of the company, I don't consider GM to be a "sinner", the axis of evil, or whatever rhetoric (or conspiracy theory) that's popular at the moment. Their pros far outweigh their cons, and I can think up tons of greedier and more unethical corporations. I applaud GM for their enormous progress these few years, especially with regard to their product line-up (2002 GM v. 2007 GM is staggering), and I find it foolish to punish a company for alleged evils done by people no longer in charge.

What we have here is a car that will reduce our dependence on big oil, more so than any other car shown so far. The Volt is a logical approach and the time is ripe for it, much more so than with the EV1.

 

Personally, I could easily forgive GM is they did just a few things:

-- Actually build the Volt (and make it affordable and reasonable available).
-- Roll out 2-Mode across a wide array of vehicles (from large cars to big trucks).
-- Roll out BAS for small cars (like Aevo and Cobalt).
-- Make FAS a "bolt-on" sort of option for a variety of contractor-grade trucks.

Yeah, that's asking a lot. But crushing the EV1 cars in the middle of the night in the middle of a wasteland is a pretty heavy weight to be forgiven for. But if they did all that, I would buy one of their hybrids.

 

As a gullible consumer, the first manufacturer that sells a 3/4 ton truck with great towing capabilities and also gets 25 MPG unloaded will win my business. Heck, I might even look at the SUVs as long as they have great towing capabilities.

Is it a shame that the EV1 was killed, yes, but lets get over it.

If GM does produce the Volt, it will be a great step in the right direction. As technology progresses, the generator could be replaced with a non petrol energy source, so the Volt is not a Big Oil conspiracy.