# Leno Underwhelmed by Chevy Volt



## EVDL Archive (Jul 26, 2007)

Late night comedian and automobile enthusiast gives car a lukewarm endorsement.

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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

Leno or anyone else should be as it is the greatest engineering under achievement of the century.


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## DavidP (Jun 9, 2010)

I think Jay Leno pretty well summed it up with a video he's had on youtube for the last few years when he was describing his 1909 Baker Electric ...

He said " it goes about 110 miles on a charge, as you can see electric cars haven't changed alot range wise ... " 

But it only goes 23-25 mph ... 

I wonder what we could of accomplished in the past 100 years developing the electric car ... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9vC3S8MJPY


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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

DavidP said:


> I wonder what we could of accomplished in the past 100 years developing the electric car ...


Well maybe a little more advanced on battery technology, hard to say. From electric motor POV nothing really left to gain.

The Baker used Edison Nickel Iron Batteries(100 year old design)and is still the toughest and longest lasting battery ever invented. There are hundreds of the cells still around that are 50 to 85 years old still within thier rated capacity specification used by the rail road industry and in service at rail road crossings and other signal light locations. Even some old yard tractors still have then for traction batteries. Problem with them in EV's is the energy density of 30 to 50 wh/kg. However no problem or damage discharging them to 0%. No other battery can take that kind of abuse. When the electrolyte is shot, just drain them and refill using KOH solution and they are good as new.

Edison gave up the patent long ago, and Excide battery manufactured them up until the early 70's before taking them off the market. Today only Chi-Coms make them trying to pawn them off on solar PV folks. Probelm is the 60% charge/discharde effeciency, high internal resistance, and steep SOC voltage curve.


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## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

DavidP said:


> I think Jay Leno pretty well summed it up with a video he's had on youtube for the last few years when he was describing his 1909 Baker Electric ...
> 
> He said " it goes about 110 miles on a charge, as you can see electric cars haven't changed alot range wise ... "


He's completely wrong with that comparison. His Baker was basically a golf cart. At the same performance point, (25 mph), a modern EV would go much further, in much better comfort as well. The Edison batteries were crap for density, plus the other problems already mentioned.


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## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

I think it's worth mentioning that Leno has had an obvious anti-EV bias for a long time, though it has lessened somewhat in recent times. I'm not a huge Volt fan but if it can compare favorably to a Camry, they've done their job. It's not supposed to be a performance vehicle.


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## Coley (Jul 26, 2007)

I have never been very impressed with leno either..........


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## Tarkus (Jan 15, 2009)

Sunking: I wouldn't be so quick to discredit electric motor advancements. 
The EM has been the subject of as much or more tech suppression than battery chemistry.
With the advent of supper magnetic s, advanced electronic controls, and new materials coupled with those of us who don't accept the old "Theories"
about electricity and Faradays limited observations and assumptions concerning EMF.
Its very possible we may find ourselves driving EV's with power/weight far exceeding that of Lamborghini's with a lot more range.
Check out the work of John Bedini and Peter Linderman both working in realms of EMF beyond what has been accepted in the past with some very promising results.

Remember it's only "Theory"


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