Gas 2.0

GM Now Saying Volt Electric Range Between 25 And 50 Miles
Smaller Engines Getting More Respect
Brammo Seeks to Expand Dealer Network Beyond Best Buy

GM Now Saying Volt Electric Range Between 25 And 50 Miles

Posted: 24 Sep 2010 12:24 PM PDT

People don’t believe me when I tell them I can get 25 mpg out of my ’92 Jeep Wrangler. Sure, it was all highway mileage, and the speedometer never crept over 55 mph… but I still did it. It just goes to show that often, the most important factor when it comes to gas mileage isn’t the car, but the driver. A light foot means more mileage, while a heavy foot means, well… less mileage.

GM seems to have reached this understanding as well. On Thursday, they revised the Chevy Volt’s expected all-electric range from 40 miles, to between 25 and 50 miles. Sounds better to me, though some people might accuse GM of the ol’ “bait and switch.”

This new information was revealed in filings with the Securities Exchange Commission regarding GM’s upcoming IPO. The reasons for the 40 mile range are many. GM claims that 80% of commuters drive 40 miles or less to work every day. Thus, GM could market the Volt as a commuter car that takes away the need for frequent fill-ups. Just like any car though (electric or gas-powered included), the range of the Volt can be dramatically affected not just by how you drive, but where you drive and the weather as well. Instead of sticking with the absolute 40-mile range, GM has revised the Volt’s electric range to between 25 and 50 miles.

Personally, I have no problem with this. It is just like fuel economy ratings. Just because the Prius is rated at 50 mpg, doesn’t mean you will always get 50 mpg. The same can be said about the Volt. If its the middle of winter and you’re driving up the Rocky Mountains as fast as you possibly can, don’t expect to go 50 miles without the range-extender kicking in. This revision will also cover GM’s rear end when the inevitable angry customer comes back claiming they only got 39 miles of all-electric range, rather than 40.

Does this in any way change your opinion of the Volt?

Source: SEC via GM-Volt

Smaller Engines Getting More Respect

Posted: 24 Sep 2010 12:20 PM PDT

Back in the late 1960′s, over 90% of new cars were offered with some kind of V8 engine. Then came the gas crunch, and big V8′s went out of vogue in place of smaller 4-cylinder engines. Yet America has always had a love affair with big, powerful engines. While lately the number of V8-powered cars on the roads has dwindled, many people still opt for the largest available engine when given the choice.

That is changing though, as automakers constantly improve their smaller engine lineup. 47% of new cars bought so far in 2010 have 4-cylinder engines. That is quite a jump from just a few years ago.

Surprisingly, fuel economy isn’t the only driving factor here. While I’ve had nothing but good things to say about my ancient and underpowered 4-cylinder Mustang, many four-cylinder engines were just plain old unreliable. These days though, four-cylinder engines are making great strides in both power and reliability. Ford’s 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine, which will be the premium engine choice on the 2011 Ford Explorer, makes 237 horsepower and 250 ft-lbs of torque while delivering 30% better gas mileage than the outgoing V6.

The trend is most prominent in mid-size sedans, many of which offer base four-cylinder engines as well as “premium” V6 engines. According to the Detroit News, 70% of Ford Fusion buyers opted for the four-cylinder engine this year, compared with 55% in 2007; and 93% of Nissan Altima drivers choose the 175 horsepower four-cylinder engine rather than then 270 horsepower V6. Really though, if all you plan on doing is hauling the kids back and forth, do you really need the extra 100 horsepower? My guess is no, you don’t.

I’m willing to bet the economy has something to do with this too. Even people who can afford a new car in this market are only buying what they need in a car. Many V6 engines cost a premium of $2,000 or more, and often you get sucked in with other bells and whistles like heated seats or navigation system—known as “forced features.” Some people just want a car sans the bells and whistles.

This is good news for the automakers, who are throwing a lot of weight into making small engines “acceptable.” It seems they are really reading the public for once. I am holding out for an EcoBoost Fiesta or Focus myself. Good gas mileage + lotsa horsepower = Happy Chris.

Source: Detroit News Image: GM

Brammo Seeks to Expand Dealer Network Beyond Best Buy

Posted: 24 Sep 2010 11:06 AM PDT

Brammo, the start up electric motorcycle company which just partnered with mega electronics supplier Flextronics, and is working on a second round of funding, is now working on moving beyond Best Buy. It seems the mega-electronics-retailer has not done much to promote Brammo motorcycles, and they are still only available in a handful of stores, a year after the launch where I first rode one.

What's interesting is that Best Buy Ventures is and always has been an investor in Brammo. So it is in their interest to see these bikes selling, and since Best Buy is not able to turn it into the next Wii, I think it best they leave the sales process to retailers with more expertise—motorcycle dealerships.

Finding a New Business Model For Success

Motorcycle dealers are entrenched in the old paradigm and do not make their money on motorcycle sales. Like most vehicle dealers, their service departments are where the bulk of their income comes from. So what incentive does a gas-bike dealership have to sell a product which takes up as much valuable floor space but promises very little in the way of future income—especially when that vehicle requires a service technician with a completely different mindset and education?

So, any motorcycle dealers out there, I invite you speak up in the comments how you feel about selling electric motorcycles. On my block in downtown LA, there is a realtor and a DJ supply store selling electric mopeds. But these retailers can't offer aftermarket service, and I wonder who they recommend for that? If you have a particular dealer (or ten) in mind that would be open to selling electric motorcycles, you can suggest them to Brammo here.

Electric Motorcycles—Fun For Both New Riders and Old

Now, the great thing about small electric motorcycles like the Brammo Enertia, or the Zero, Native, etc. is that they're excellent beginner bikes. Learning to ride a motorcycle requires a heightened awareness of the world around you, and as CEO Craig Bramscher describes it, the "walking & chewing gum" aspect of learning to release the clutch and roll on the gas smoothly is quite distracting for new riders. I know from my own experience and watching an MSF Beginner class one morning that this is true. Electric bikes eliminate that layer of complexity and keep the new rider's mind free to concentrate on what the cars around them are doing.

As for more experienced motorcyclists, since that first test ride last year, I've taken my brother Gary and a friend (noted Mavizen stunt rider Thomas Burbank) on test rides up into the Hollywood Hills on Brammo Enertias and we all had a blast. Both men are significantly heavier than me, so I beat them off the line on acceleration, but they both told me the bike was much more fun and peppy than they'd expected it to be.

Gary and I tested the Zero S as well, and he preferred the Zero while I preferred the Brammo. The suspension felt quite different on each, so it's worth trying them both. Little nugget if you’ve read this far: Hollywood Electrics in LA is having a Zero demo day and offering unusually low pricing on Zeros this Sunday only. Swing by Hollywood Electrics and try them all! Even the $17,000 Roehr superbike, if you dare…

I’m seriously thinking I want to buy a Brammo Empulse when they're released next year, but not from Best Buy. I'm tired of living in a country where corporations have more control over the government than voters—so I don't want to support companies that work to mold the political landscape of this country to the extent that Best Buy has. Charities need their money, not politicians. I’ve survived the past 6 months without setting foot in Target, so anything is possible. I’d much rather be “buycotting” a la Carrotmob than boycotting though!

Author’s Note: A similar article may have appeared in your RSS feed yesterday and accidentally made it on to Twitter. I wrote that one thinking the deal was finalized then later learned it is not. This article is an addition and correction to that one.