[QUOTE=BigRigMike;2065312]
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/18/f...ystem-for-evs/
First of all this is a change to the existing infrastructure, so by adding these ironically misnamed "smart" meters, you are making changes to the grid which I first said was not up to the task. The need for "smart" meters is proof that the grid sucks as it is.
Additionally, you become a slave to the plug at that point. You drive 30 miles home and plug in the car and it sits there waiting to charge itself. You realize after dinner that you left the loading dock door open at work. You hop into your spiffy EV to go close the door before the place gets robbed and realize your "dumb" meter has not charged the car. You have to override it and then wait a couple hours to go lock the door.
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The Volt can run as far you want with a "dead" battery. You drive for 40 miles on pure electric power and then the gas engine kicks on. you can drive on forever as long as you keep adding gas. If you wanted you could drive the Volt everyday without plugging it in.
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The other poster said that the gas kicks in to maintain a minimal charge on the battery. I was thinking of ther case where the gas engine couldn't propel the car and maintain the battery at the same time (driving at night with lights on and in the cold with the heat on and up a large elevation change. In this situation the battery would probably drain down to the point below minimum and would need to gas engine to charge it back to optimal level.
Do we know that the Volt can run from the gas engine alone?