GM will be announcing today they have a vehicle that gets 230 miles a gallon, how will big oil react?

GM will announce it's new vehicle today, the volt that gets 230 miles a gallon. How do you think big oil and Bush will react?





MSNBCGM will be announcing today they have a vehicle that gets 230 miles a gallon, how will big oil react?
Not too badly. Here's a link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/arti鈥?/a>





Here are some more: http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1%26amp;鈥?/a>





Here's why the 230 figure is deceptive: first, the 230 figure is city only; combined mileage will be lower. For long trips the mileage will be about the same as the Prius - 50mpg. Also, people are estimating the starting price at around $40,000.





Second, it's a plug-in hybrid. So although you won't buy as many gallons of gas for it, you will buy more kilowatt-hours for it. Here's a chart showing how much a KWH costs in different areas of the US: http://gm-volt.com/chevy-volt-reasons-fo鈥?/a> Also, be sure to charge it during the nighttime hours - it would be very rough on our power grid to charge your plug-in during peak use periods (9AM-5PM).





If your KWH are generated with hydroelectric or wind they will be carbon free. But if your KWH are generated with coal, you may well be pouring more carbon into the atmosphere than traditional compact cars. Here's a discussion of carbon and plug-in hybrids: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/energy/the-鈥?/a> Here's another: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/鈥?/a>





Why won't the gasoline companies care? Because (1) they can sell the fuel to China. China has a huge and rapidly growing demand. (2) they can sell (a slightly different grade of) fuel to your electric company who will be wanting non-coal generators.


.GM will be announcing today they have a vehicle that gets 230 miles a gallon, how will big oil react?
Dreamer! It won't happen.





The only way a car could have this mileage is to be very tiny ( a pair of motorized bicycles?) with a plug-in hybrid engine and regenerative braking. If such a car became popular the demand for electrical power would double - at least.





Do you want another 500-1000 nuclear power plants or 2000-10000 oil or coal plants? Unless we build 1 nuclear or 5 conventional plants each week, the electrical power supply could not keep up with the demand. Plus it will take 8-10 years to complete the first new power plant - probably much longer. This means that that power for the plug-in hybrid will not be available until 2020 or later - probably 2030-2040.





Big oil won't worry.
Great looking car, one of the nicest looking sports car inside and out. Gets 230 miles a gallon, comes with a 40k price sticker, don't see them having a problem getting it by the looks of the car. most fuel efficient cars look ugly but this one is sharp! GM will start selling them in 2010. What I find odd, America is making great strides to become self sufficient from the big oil companies, the middle east and the rest of the world and we still have people complaining, go figure!
No idea. I, however, wonder how it's going to effect the power grid. How will our power system handle the additional drain, especially during summer months when use is high. Electricity is neither cheap nor environmentally friendly to produce. I have very mixed feelings on this. Although I've really enjoyed my own prius, I'm wondering how this drain on the current electrical grids is going to play out.
Bush doesn't own any oil companies I'm aware of. So you may want to ask Ted Kennedy, owner of Kenoil. Arctic Oil, and Forest Oil Corporation





Also may want to ask anyone with a retirement plan. Around 80% of Mobil-Exxon stock is owned by retirement funds.
I've been hearing or reading about these ';wonder cars'; for decades. I'll believe it when I see it.





There's a difference between something being technically do-able and it being practical, mass-producable %26amp; affordable. Henry Ford understood that. Its my understanding that prototype flying-cars have been built before; let's all hold our breath waiting for ours.
I don't know BUT OMG PLEASE POST A LINK.


I hope they cry.





Hey elitist snob excellent point. I would like to respond by saying that there are funds in the stimulus to restructure our electrical grid to make it more efficient and give us all access to places in the country where renewable energy is abundant. So, I imagine that by the time these cars hit the road in mass


there will be contingencies in place to help us with the extra load.





edit: Thanks elwood. I really should've done my own research so thanks for helping me be lazy. I don't know about the rest of you but this kind of stuff gets me excited!! I love technology!!
I'll buy it. Is this the plug in hybrid that I have heard rumors about?





Power plants covert fossile fuels to electricity MUCH more efficiently than cars do. So, even though the electricity comes from a power plant, you are using less fuel to move your car.
A vehicle which still has not had its mileage verified, not expected until late 2010 (another year) and will cost 40K.





Big oil will shrug the announcement off.
I don't know about Bush but its not good news for fuel companies. Of course, it will be some time before such vehicles are common.
I don't know, but when the power companies raise the rates, how will Libs react?
Give them a fat check and say ';scrap it!';.
wow