If the previous drivers left you any tread, that is.
If you can plug the charger into a Kill-a-watt meter (I recommend the 4480), we'd like to know if it actually takes 8 KW-hours to fully charge the Volt's battery pack from the 20% cutoff point back to full charge, as Chevy said earlier this year. At $0.13 per Kilowatt-hour, that would be just over $1 for a 40-mile round trip (e.g. a 20 mile commute) without using any gasoline.
@Clairvoyant, Success for the Chevy Volt will have to be based on the level of customer satisfaction. I'll let you know how satisfied I am but then you'll have to agree you'll go and test-drive one yourself. If we are both satisfied, a Volt in your garage and mine? By the way, the government will also provide tax breaks.
@Nemos, You bet. I love driving and hope the car can give me some good ooomph on the road. I am not looking to be overtaken by a tractor trailer. Also, I wonder if you can talk a cop out of a speeding ticket by saying: "Sorry, officer. I am road testing the vehicle and the manufacturer wanted to be sure the trooper's car can keep up!" What do you think?
@DennisQ, I'm going to solve the charging problem the good old American way. Wal-Mart welcomes campers (hoping they would stock up there, of course) so I'll be sure to stop at Wal-Mart. Then there are the many watering holes on the way, all the rest areas and hotels. I'm also going to talk with Brian Fuller who's been in the driver's seat all the way from California and get some tips from him. I wonder if anyone has solutions from the tech world, like wireless charging?
Very exciting, Bolaji. Can't wait to hear about your experience. I hope that the Chevy Volt becomes very successful and that more manufacturers follow this trend.
owhh thats is amazing... Great idea I didnt expect to read something like that. First of all I wish you a nice and safety trip. The EBN community will be your co driver and we are waiting for news from you.
(In your next blog post a few questions what did you like most in the car and during the trip?) What do think about driving electric car.
Bolaji, I'm envious! Looking forward to seeing what your impressions are (and how many times you'll have to recharge during the trip).
It's very cool for UBM and Avnet to come up with this, thanks for alerting me of the Drive For Innovation, because I previously wasn't aware of it.
I agree that there are a lot of opportunities for component vendors and system integrators to become involved in the auto industry if products like the Volt catch on. And they will indeed probably catch on eventually, the only issue up for debate is the timeline and rate of adoption, I think.
One thing that the Drive For Innovation blog brought up that I hadn't really thought much about was the ethicial issues involved with finding places free places to recharge while on the road. Have you figured out how you'll deal with that? I think this is something that may be an unexpected challenge to early hybrid adopters in certain areas of the country.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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