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To be fair, he didn't say that only an idiot would buy a gas hybrid, he said that the Chevy Volt was a car for idiots. Still a fairly inappropriate and, I think

To be fair, he didn't say that only an idiot would buy a gas hybrid, he said that the Chevy Volt was a car for idiots. Still a fairly inappropriate and, I think, inaccurate statement, but not in direct conflict with other parts of VW the way you might suggest. The trouble with the idea that everyone is gonna use diesel is... what are we gonna do with all the regular gasoline? IIRC fractioning of crude oil produces a certain amount of diesel, a certain amount of gasoline, a certain amount of kerosene and so forth, so somebody might as well be burning that gasoline.

natrius 17y ago
How is the statement inaccurate? What is the value proposition for the Volt? $45,000 makes no sense, and even with the government subsidies, you won't come out on top. Most existing hybrids don't even make sense on cost basis.
- hughprime 17y ago
  The price isn't announced yet, so it's dumb to make pronouncements based on a rumoured price point. I've also heard rumours of prices as low as $30K, at which point it becomes pretty compelling. Even if it is $45K I'm not going to deride everyone who wants to spend that kind of money on a fancy high-tech vehicle that under most driving conditions burns hardly any fuel while still being versatile enough to take anywhere as an idiot. Hell, you can spend twice that on a far less versatile Tesla Roadster and still not be an idiot.
  - natrius 17y ago
    "Henderson conceded the cost of building a Volt will be expensive, about $40,000 per vehicle. But he said the vehicle will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, which will reduce the vehicle cost by that amount for consumers." http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/index.htm?postversion=2009081108 http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/index.htm?pos... Note that the figure is the manufacturing cost, not the price. The price will be higher. Hybrids and electric cars are status symbols. The premium is more than you save in operating costs. At that price point, you can buy cars that are more effective status symbols, if that's what you're going for. Buying the Volt is a bit idiotic, and it'd be more idiotic without the subsidies that the rumored cost you cited includes. The Volt is not fancy. It is high tech, but the appeal of most high tech gadgets is from the experience of using them. Driving a Volt will be marginally different from driving a Chevy Cruze.
gamble 17y ago
There is a degree of overlap in the hydrocarbons used for gasoline and diesel fuel, and refineries routinely adjust the ratio they produce to match seasonal variation in demand. It's also possible to crack the heavier hydrocarbons in crude oil into molecules suitable for diesel, which is an important consideration as lighter crude oil supplies are being supplanted by heavier oils from tar sands and shale. In the longer term, there's also the possibility of refining less oil and supplementing with biodiesels.

natrius 17y ago

How is the statement inaccurate? What is the value proposition for the Volt? $45,000 makes no sense, and even with the government subsidies, you won't come out on top. Most existing hybrids don't even make sense on cost basis.

hughprime 17y ago
The price isn't announced yet, so it's dumb to make pronouncements based on a rumoured price point. I've also heard rumours of prices as low as $30K, at which point it becomes pretty compelling. Even if it is $45K I'm not going to deride everyone who wants to spend that kind of money on a fancy high-tech vehicle that under most driving conditions burns hardly any fuel while still being versatile enough to take anywhere as an idiot. Hell, you can spend twice that on a far less versatile Tesla Roadster and still not be an idiot.
- natrius 17y ago
  "Henderson conceded the cost of building a Volt will be expensive, about $40,000 per vehicle. But he said the vehicle will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, which will reduce the vehicle cost by that amount for consumers." http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/index.htm?postversion=2009081108 http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/index.htm?pos... Note that the figure is the manufacturing cost, not the price. The price will be higher. Hybrids and electric cars are status symbols. The premium is more than you save in operating costs. At that price point, you can buy cars that are more effective status symbols, if that's what you're going for. Buying the Volt is a bit idiotic, and it'd be more idiotic without the subsidies that the rumored cost you cited includes. The Volt is not fancy. It is high tech, but the appeal of most high tech gadgets is from the experience of using them. Driving a Volt will be marginally different from driving a Chevy Cruze.

gamble 17y ago

There is a degree of overlap in the hydrocarbons used for gasoline and diesel fuel, and refineries routinely adjust the ratio they produce to match seasonal variation in demand. It's also possible to crack the heavier hydrocarbons in crude oil into molecules suitable for diesel, which is an important consideration as lighter crude oil supplies are being supplanted by heavier oils from tar sands and shale. In the longer term, there's also the possibility of refining less oil and supplementing with biodiesels.