Students were given an assignment to listen to a Sci Fri episode and create a presentation around the subject

1. The Chevy VOLT

2. What is the Chevy Volt? The Chevy Volt is an electric concept car. The Volt can be charged from a regular 110 volt outlet and can go 40 miles per charge on electricity only. Once it runs out of electricity, it uses a small three cylinder engine to recharge the batteries. The engine can be configured to run on gas or ethanol. Since the engine just powers the generator, it can be run while the car is driving or parked. Even though it uses a little bit of fuel, the Volt gets 100 to 150 mpg. Electric motor Engine Generator Charge port

3. How is the Volt different from a hybrid? The Volt is different from current hybrid cars because they have a large gas engine supplemented by a small electric motor. The Volt is the opposite. It has large electric motor supplemented by a small gas engine for recharging the batteries. What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars? Some advantages of electric cars are that they are quiet, they have no emissions, and electricity costs a lot less than gas. Some disadvantages of electric cars are their short range, and they take a long time to charge.

4. What is keeping the Volt from being mass-produced? GM says that the Volt isn’t being mass-produced because they are having trouble getting a battery system that will fit the Volt’s requirements. Current batteries are not as advanced as the Volt requires. This would limit its range and use, and would be very expensive. I think that the Volt will be made available to the consumer. I don’t think that the Volt will be discontinued like the EV1.

5. What was the EV1 and why was it discontinued? The GM EV1 was an all-electric car. The nicest answer as to why GM discontinued it was that it wasn’t making a large profit, but the real reason is more sinister. GM didn’t want to sell an electric car because the big-bad oil companies told them not to and GM was afraid it would compete too much with its gas cars. GM had already promised to make an electric car, so they went out of their way to give the EV1 small amounts of (and bad) advertising. This way, people wouldn’t know about it, or want to buy it. Even this didn’t stop people from wanting EV1, so GM wouldn’t let them buy it, they had to lease it. People still kept getting them, so GM told people that they couldn’t renew the leases. In some cases, GM actually took the cars from people when they brought them in for service. GM sent most of the EV1s to a desert test facility and smashed them. The EV1

6. The Volt exterior

7. The Volt interior

8. Are there any other electric cars in development? Yes, there are many other electric cars that are currently being developed. Some of these cars are the ZAP-X, the Tesla Roadster, and the Lightning. These cars are all being produced by small companies separate from the auto industry. Some of the companies are developing electric vehicles to help the environment or decrease dependence on foreign oil. Lightning and Tesla are making their cars as fast and impressive as possible to prove that the technology of electric cars has come a long way. They want to prove that electric cars are as good as or better than conventional gas cars.

9. The ZAP-X A company called ZAP is developing the ZAP-X. (ZAP is an acronym for Zero Air Pollution.) The ZAP-X is an electric car. Its range is 350 miles per charge, and it can recharge all of its batteries in ten minutes. It has an estimated 644 horsepower, can go from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 155 MP. I was drawn to this car because of its amazing performance and its awesome design.

10. The Tesla Roadster The Tesla Roadster Coupe is made by Tesla Motors. It is an electric sports car. The Tesla gets two hundred and forty-five miles per charge and takes two hours to charge. It goes from zero to sixty in about four seconds and can go over 130 miles per hour. I was drawn to the Tesla because of speed and looks.

11. The Lightning The Lightning is another electric coupe very similar to the Tesla roadster. It is being developed by the Lightning Car Company. The Lightning can be charged in ten minutes and can go 250 miles per charge. The Lightning will have a zero to sixty time of five seconds. Because the Lightning prototype hasn’t been assembled, the top speed is unknown. The main differences between the Lightning and the Tesla are that the Lightning is not as close to being sold, and the Lightning has a more 1960’s style.

13. A Stinky-garlic-man Production By Keenan Joyce