Drew Dowdell

I like the PureOnes... I'm not really concerned about any oil pressure spikes because of the engines I'm running. Slight tangent - is there any point to putting synthetic into the Toronado now that it has 90k on the clock? It's about time for her first oil change on my watch... last one was performed just before I purchased it.

Well, that's not what the Volt's powertrain chief engineer told me and that's not what the presentation GM gave said. The statement was that the second motor was used above 70mph because running the primary motor above 6000 rpm was energy inefficient. If you're not above 70mph, then the efficiency issue isn't there. I'm not disputing what's in this post really, but just watch your own presentation GM, that's where it came from.

hppy b-day!

without most of the features... yes. bare bones cell phone will come with txt messaging, phone book, and maybe a few basic ringtones.

They are TINY inside.... sat in one in NYC

I dunno... seems to depend on the phone. My Verizon blackberry is rock solid on calls as is my current HTC on Sprint. My old windows mobile phones on AT&T were just eh.

camino, you ever ordering these parts from advance auto? if you do, mind clicking a link on C&G before you order it? We'll get a kick back

And now a new radiator is in.

It will be joining us for an interactive review during the 3rd week of November.

I shall title the article: Mr De Lorenzo: We Welcome you to 2004.

Multiple kinds of wood room to room is fine... just use a trim piece to separate them. however, I'd suggest a strong contrast when you do make the transition. DONT use click lock imitation flooring next to real hardwood.

You're an admin... if you see something you think should be unpinned, go for it.

That's probably what you flushed out of there in the first place....

..... I promised myself no more politics arguments.....

Yes it DOES. If you pull out of your driveway with a FULL charge and then floor it, the Volt will operate 100% electrically until the battery reaches it's bottom threshold... even if you're going 100mph. The Volt has 4 modes of operation: EV mode 1 motor - This uses just the main traction motor at all speeds under 70mph. EV mode 2 motor - This uses both the main traction motor and the 55kw regenerator motor at speeds over 70 mph. In neither of these modes is the gasoline engine running.... doesn't matter if you're going 100mph or 10 mph.... no gas is being used. The other two modes happen when the battery reaches it's lower charge threshold and are" Regeneration mode 1 motor - Speeds below 70mph, The car is being propelled by the primary traction motor and the gasoline engine is spinning the 55kw regenerator motor to maintain average battery level. Regeneration mode 2 motor - Speeds above 70mph, The car is being propelled by both the primary traction motor and the secondary 55kw regenerator motor, the gasoline motor is helping to spin the 55kw motors If, for whatever reason, you were to cut off electrical power to the two motors, the Volt would slow to a stop with the gasoline engine spinning freely. Take away the battery, even with a full tank of gas.... and the Volt isn't going anywhere, even above 70mph. If that was the only change, the Prius would remain a hybrid, albeit a faster one. The nature of the Prius is that the motion of the vehicle is created by gasoline, electricity, or both. These multiple locomotion sources are what makes it a hybrid. In the Volt, motion is only created from electrical power. The gasoline engine never contributes torque to the wheels. It only contributes torque to the secondary electric motor. false It's the Pruis' ability to blend the motive power sources that makes it a hybrid. Volt does not have this ability. All motivational power comes from the electric motors. It takes the ability to move the vehicle in a drivable manner.... that was the whole point of this article. You've had a bee in your bonnet since the Volt program has been announced. I don't know if it was your Tide bottle they used as the show car's engine and you just took it that personally or what. GM has said "There is no physical connection from the 1.4l to the wheels." Fixed

Let me bold it for you since you missed it in my original post.

Have to see the interior before we pass judgement and I need clarification on the 4-cylinder.... is it the same one the Sebring has now or is it a new or heavily modified engine?

I like it.... this is not a knock. To me it says "What if Chrysler refreshed the 9-3?"

Folks, I'm looking at running a cleanup on the forums. The plan is to delete any thread that has one post and zero replies and isn't a pinned thread. This will happen in most forums except the sales ticker threads or any other forum that jumps out at me as needing to be archived. This will reduce many/most people's post counts. I know some of you are more concerned than others with this. Objections? Comments? Concerns?

I highly doubt the economics of the Oldsmobile Curved Dash were particularly favorable either.

coming out the exhaust?

Voltgate: Manufactured Outrage Yesterday the automotive press' world exploded over a small, inconsequential, technical detail in the Chevrolet Volt's powertrain that increases energy and fuel efficiency by about 15%. This detail caused the likes of Edmunds, Jalopnik, and Popular Mechanics to go so far as to accuse GM of lying about the Volt not being a hybrid. I've already explained the technical reasons behind why those publications are wrong in yesterday's article Volt: Still a not Hybrid... no lie! What bothered me most about these accusations is how quickly they started. Follow the jump to read more: Voltgate: Manufactured Outrage

Well one of the limiting factors is the size of the regenerator. It's 55kw... it's only going to put out so much energy at a set RPM. Charging the batteries faster may be possible, but not without heat concerns. Yes I know there may be further developments in the future... but I don't think you'll be seeing a Firmware update for the Volts being produced today.

The reason they keep the 30% reserve at the bottom end is they always want the reserve power for passing, rapid acceleration, or heavy hill climbing. The reason they don't try to charge it over 80% is because it just isn't fuel efficient to do so and it's also better for battery longevity (as opposed to charge life). Li-Ion batteries just last longer if you don't always recharge them to full.