1966 Electrovair II demo

[ocnblu]

At the very least, impractical was PRETTY back then... watch and you'll hear GM engineers had hope for a full-electric car at least 46 years ago, but reality stepped in despite their best efforts. And this was during GM's heyday, they were the undisputed engineering leaders in the industry back then. Even today, GM leads in patent applications year after year. Some things just do not work beyond novelty. GM knows that.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YXxgatAznHU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edited February 26, 2012 by ocnblu

[yougojay]

Never knew GM electrified one of these, we were too busy riding around in the gas powered ones...I was 5 years old in '66, my mom drove several Corvair as demos from my dads dealership...I miss the old days

[SAmadei]

At the very least, impractical was PRETTY back then...

Again, I have maintained that electric batteries, motors have not increased dramatically for decades... range of 40-80 miles... 6 hour charge time... EV-1 80-140 miles, 8 hour charge time... Leaf... 70~100 miles, 8 hour charge time (on board charger).

It would have been much more interesting if GM could have built a hybrid Electrovair III or something... then we could compare it to the Volt.

[Drew Dowdell]

The advancement in batteries has been in size.

[ocnblu]

But you must agree that in a car, a transportation device, range is the important aspect with regard to propulsion, not size. The Electrovair maintained all of its passenger room v. the H6-powered version, the batteries didn't encroach in the least.

Why on Earth would my original post warrant a red mark? I think it's a very informative piece of GM-produced video. It is true that the same problems faced by engineers then, face them today, 46 years later, when trying to build a practical full-electric car.

Edited February 26, 2012 by ocnblu

[Drew Dowdell]

You vote down every post about an electric car no matter what. Since you can't vote on your own posts, I voted it down for you.

[ocnblu]

You vote down every post about an electric car no matter what. Since you can't vote on your own posts, I voted it down for you.

What am I supposed to say to that? It is an interesting historical piece of video that I thought added value to the conversation at Cheers & Gears. It's clear you disagree that it added value to the site.

[Camino LS6]

The points raised are valid.

[Drew Dowdell]

Lots (all?) of the electric card articles that I or Mudmonster have written added value to the site as they are news of the current direction of the auto industry. That hasn't stopped you from rating them down.

Clearly you feel that my and mud's writing don't contribute to the site.

[ocnblu]

If I have rated down original articles on electric cars, please go in with admin power and erase those red marks. Comments on said articles are fair game, however.

[Camino LS6]

Sounds equitable to me.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting historical tidbit...don't think I'd heard of the electric Corvairs. Wasn't there an electric or fuel cell Chevy van in the mid '60s also?

[Camino LS6]

Interesting historical tidbit...don't think I'd heard of the electric Corvairs. Wasn't there an electric or fuel cell Chevy van in the mid '60s also?

Yes.

It was also a Corvair.

[Robert Hall]

I googled the van..found it..the '66 Electrovan, based on a Handivan.

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/gm-electrovan.htm

Edited February 27, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

Ah, that's a different one.

The one I remember was based on the Corvair van.

[balthazar]

^ Me too- a Greenbriar.

[Hudson]

But you must agree that in a car, a transportation device, range is the important aspect with regard to propulsion, not size. The Electrovair maintained all of its passenger room v. the H6-powered version, the batteries didn't encroach in the least.

Yes, the passenger compartment was fine. But there was NO cargo room. Batteries took up all of the front of the Electrovair II. The Leaf, however, has cargo space AND passenger space. And I'm not so sure I believe the "6-hour" charging time or the "80-mile" range. The Impact I drove claimed similar numbers, but that was a much BETTER performer.

[David]

Very Cool, wish they did a Corvair with a LP power system. Like CNG, I think the market has missed how good and clean auto's running on LP can be in addition to getting us off oil.

[Hudson]

Very Cool, wish they did a Corvair with a LP power system. Like CNG, I think the market has missed how good and clean auto's running on LP can be in addition to getting us off oil.

There were a few companies who have tried LP/CNG. Ford offered propane in the early 1980s as did Checker. Even Morgan did in order to get around emissions laws back in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

[Robert Hall]

Chrysler had a propane version of the 318 for fleet use in the '80s...

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/propane.html

I remember the Monroe County Fla sherriff's department Dodge Diplomats/Plymouth Gran Furys ran on propane in the '80s.

[David]

Kirkland Washington Police Department has half of their car fleet on LP.

[SAmadei]

I have a propane slant 6 from 1987... but its not in a car, but in a generator.

Makes me wonder if the propane setup has enough functionality to work on a car.

[David]

I have a propane slant 6 from 1987... but its not in a car, but in a generator.

Makes me wonder if the propane setup has enough functionality to work on a car.

Yes, I would believe it would. I used to work back in the late 70's for a pizza chain here called Pizza Haven and they did all deliveries in Propane powered chevy trucks. It was awesome.

[SAmadei]

I have a propane slant 6 from 1987... but its not in a car, but in a generator.

Makes me wonder if the propane setup has enough functionality to work on a car.

Yes, I would believe it would. I used to work back in the late 70's for a pizza chain here called Pizza Haven and they did all deliveries in Propane powered chevy trucks. It was awesome.

Well, my fear is that since the genset is designed to run at exactly 3600 rpm, there is no throttle valve... just a metered preset valve or orifice hole.

I actually have a propane dual fuel tophat for carbed applications, like old pickups. I bought it on eBay about 15 years ago since alt-fueled cars in NJ are emissions exempt. However, I never found a decent LPG tank and the time to convert one of the cars. I think the darn thing got wet, so I'm not sure if its any good now.

[David]

Check out the GM anoucement thread on CNG trucks, I posted a number of link on places you could buy parts to build your own CNG ride. Good luck.