In reply to Terry Blanton's message of Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:09:18 -0400: Hi, [snip] >I'm also afraid that the Li battery might be a wet dream but not for >the scarcity of the element. Lithium battery charge efficiency is >quite poor above 90 deg F. And where are we gonna charge our Volts? >Maybe not in the hot garage in Phoenix. > >Terry The Volt really shines as a commuter vehicle, and particularly for short commutes where the gas engine is not needed. Hence ideally one doesn't try to charge the batteries from the engine (so hot recharging during the day doesn't occur). At night, the temperature is generally lower anyway, particularly after midnight, so if shouldn't be such a problem (just program it to start recharging as late as possible, but in time to be fully charged by the time you leave the next morning). Furthermore, as electricity supply shifts away from fossil fuels, it may not make much difference whether or not recharging is optimally efficient.
Bottom line is that the drop in recharging efficiency is will probably only have a very minor overall impact. Imagine being stuck in traffic in the middle of the city, and opening the window to let the stuffy air *out*, and the fresh air *in*, while contemplating the complete silence of all the stopped electric motors as everyone enjoys their jolt of Volt. :) Regards, Robin van Spaandonk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
