Just bought a Volt!

[MarkV]

So I love all old cars but recently I thought I would also gave something newer so I bought a nicely and lightly used 2015 Volt. This was as a result of shopping for a late model buick. I jumped into the volt and fell in love with this thing! Anyone else out there have a volt? 

[TerryB]

Congrats!  Neat car and one of the best plug-in hybrids on the market.

Terry

[8E45E]

No, but the neighbor bought a BMW i8.

 

Now that is one impressive car!  A bit of a toy, in that's its not the most practical for hauling a family around, but it's refinement and build quality is well above average.

 

Craig

[Curti]

I have been thinking about buying one.  I like the concept of the gas engine charging the batteries.

[Stude Light]

Let's see.... used BMWi8 ~80k, used Chevy Volt ~16k

 

For the 80K, I'll take the Chevy Volt AND a 2017 Corvette Stingray Convertible. The Volt is an interesting car as it's about halfway between an electric and what would be considered a typical hybrid. 2015 was the last year for the Gen1 version.

[TerryB]

You'll need this sign for your garage!

 

 

[Restorer32]

Just brought in this 1918 Rauch and Lang  electric for full restoration.

[TerryB]

Please post pictures!  Especially of the batteries, motor, and controls.  I'm really interested in these early electric cars.

Terry

[60FlatTop]

2 hours ago, Curti said:

I have been thinking about buying one.  I like the concept of the gas engine charging the batteries.

 

I thought you charged them from coal plants. With copper wires made with ore from strip mines in Chile, excavated transported with diesel powered equipment.

 

Actually, I like them and have looked at them, but my Wife's bad back is going to force us into an Escalade.

Bernie

[Restorer32]

18 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

Just brought in this 1918 Rauch and Lang  electric for full restoration.

 

15 minutes ago, TerryB said:

Please post pictures!  Especially of the batteries, motor, and controls.  I'm really interested in these early electric cars.

Terry

No original batteries left. It is 84 volt and originally had 14 6 volt batteries. We will likely use 7 12 volt Optima deep draw batteries. This car sat in the Case Western Reserve museum for many years. Extremely solid. Last registered in NJ in 1937. Rear tires may actually be original.

[ply33]

13 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

 

No original batteries left. It is 84 volt and originally had 14 6 volt batteries. We will likely use 7 12 volt Optima deep draw batteries. This car sat in the Case Western Reserve museum for many years. Extremely solid. Last registered in NJ in 1937. Rear tires may actually be original.

 

I was under the impression that many of the early electric vehicles used a nickel-iron based battery patented by Edison. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel–iron_battery#History Apparently that type of battery lasts well even if badly abused.

 

But the cell voltage on that chemistry is something between 1.2 and 1.4v compared to the 2.1 or so volts per cell for lead-acid. A 84v system would need 60 cells which is not evenly divisible by 14, so I am wondering what the setup really was. Really 84v? Really 14 batteries? Or, most likely, am I totally wrong about using an Edison battery?

 

Looks like there are current manufacturers for batteries using the nickel-iron chemistry, see for example https://ironedison.com

[Stude Light]

 

A few differences in today's electric:

1) Batteries: nickel-rich lithium-ion vs lead-acid

2) Voltage: 350 volt vs 84 volts (which is really high back then and probably didn't have all the safety features to avoid electrocution)

3) You can tell which is the front a little better, although if you un-focus your eyes this may not hold true

[John_S_in_Penna]

Mike Natale of the A.A.C.A.'s Chesapeake Region

(Maryland) has one:  He wrote a good article,

"An Engineer's Long Term Evaluation of His Own

Chevrolet Volt" for that region's January 2016 newsletter.

 

Maybe you'd like to talk to a fellow A.A.C.A. Volt owner.

If so, I could put you in touch---send me a Private Message.

[TerryB]

My son's driving one of these.

 

 

[FLYER15015]

At least on the 1918 version, you could put a couple of solar panels on the roof, and it is tall enough that folks could not see them.

Then you would be a little less reliant on those coal fired power plants.

 

I'm waiting for an electric car with a windmill on top, so I can drive for ever for free.

[Restorer32]

1 hour ago, ply33 said:

 

I was under the impression that many of the early electric vehicles used a nickel-iron based battery patented by Edison. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel–iron_battery#History Apparently that type of battery lasts well even if badly abused.

 

But the cell voltage on that chemistry is something between 1.2 and 1.4v compared to the 2.1 or so volts per cell for lead-acid. A 84v system would need 60 cells which is not evenly divisible by 14, so I am wondering what the setup really was. Really 84v? Really 14 batteries? Or, most likely, am I totally wrong about using an Edison battery?

 

Looks like there are current manufacturers for batteries using the nickel-iron chemistry, see for example https://ironedison.com

You could be right. The car came with an 1 1/2' thick folder of research materials that I have yet to delve into. According to my Dykes Manual 84 volts was a common voltage for electric trucks but no details on the Rauch and Lang.

[mercer09]

 

I was under the impression that many of the early electric vehicles used a nickel-iron based battery patented by Edison. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel–iron_battery#History Apparently that type of battery lasts well even if badly abused.

 

But the cell voltage on that chemistry is something between 1.2 and 1.4v compared to the 2.1 or so volts per cell for lead-acid. A 84v system would need 60 cells which is not evenly divisible by 14, so I am wondering what the setup really was. Really 84v? Really 14 batteries? Or, most likely, am I totally wrong about using an Edison battery?

 

Looks like there are current manufacturers for batteries using the nickel-iron chemistry, see for example https://ironedison.com

• 
  I am thinkling by 1937, the battery system may have been replaced. doubt the batteries lasted 20 years.............. but what do I know?

[Restorer32]

Here's the original "in home" charger or maybe it's something from Frankenstein's lab. It will be restored as well but not made operational for safety's sake.

[TerryB]

My son is a design engineer for Tesla and my background is Electrical engineering, hence my interest in early electrical cars.  The white Tesla in the photo I posted is an engineering test car.  That battery charger is way cool!

Edited October 30, 2017 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

And weighs about 400 lbs.

[Stude Light]

That charger is way too cool and to have survived all these years is great. It reminds me of some pictures in my Dykes manual and a 1920s Shadbolt and Boyd catalog I have (which was an automotive garage equipment supplier).  I would guess it was a piece of factory equipment. Kind of like a golf cart charger.

Scott

[Joe in Canada]

Fellow down the road has had one a couple of years now. He was grumbling that on very cold days in the winter it does not have the range with the battery's.  

[Guest]

Edison cells are almost indestructible.  I had a friend with an older Rauch and Lang similar to this one.  He was able to take all the Edison cells out, flush them and reinstall them.  He drove his car many miles with 70 year old batteries.  These are two you tube links to rebuilding Edison cells.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEvDoHRui7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O1Uue2yKAk

 

[Mark Shaw]

I spoke with one of the staff at the Reno car museum about the electric car with Edison Cells that they were restoring.  I am told that those batteries are still being made and used for mountain top communications installations for backup battery power.  I understand the new ones are quite expensive too!

[FLYER15015]

That home charger looks perfectly safe to me. Two big fuses and a breaker switch did the job back then, and with a little TLC should work fine today.

 

I wonder how many houses east of the Mississippi still have "knob and tube" wiring with rotary wall switches installed ?

 

Ours did when I lived in Moline, Ill.

 

Mike in Colorado

[1937hd45]

No desire to own a modern electric, but how does one drive one? 

 

Bob 

[Joe in Canada]

3 hours ago, FLYER15015 said:

That home charger looks perfectly safe to me. Two big fuses and a breaker switch did the job back then, and with a little TLC should work fine today.

 

I wonder how many houses east of the Mississippi still have "knob and tube" wiring with rotary wall switches installed ?

 

Ours did when I lived in Moline, Ill.

 

Mike in Colorado

Only problem with tube and knob up here is they will not insure your house.

[Restorer32]

I grew up in a 16 room gingerbread Victorian. When we moved in it still had a lot of knob and tube wiring. Most of it ran right next to the remains of the gas pipes that fed the original lighting.

[Stude Light]

16 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

No desire to own a modern electric, but how does one drive one? 

 

Bob 

Driven the Volt, Bolt, and Tesla S. They all drive very well. Smooth power with no shift interrupts like you get with an IC engine and step ratio trans.  Braking is smooth with good blending and transitions from regenerative braking  to friction braking.  The Bolt and Tesla can also be one pedal driven if desired where a decrease in throttle results in regenerative braking. This is very similar to a hydrostatic drive on a tractor but much smoother. I like them. 

 

Although classified as a hybrid, the Volt drives very much like a pure electric car. The IC engine does eliminate the range anxiety you get in a pure electric. It also allows the car to be driven cross country vs just a commuter car.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stude Light (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 9:00 PM, Stude Light said:

Driven the Volt, Bolt, and Tesla S. They all drive very well. Smooth power with no shift interrupts like you get with an IC engine and step ratio trans.  Braking is smooth with good blending and transitions from regenerative braking  to friction braking.  The Bolt and Tesla can also be one pedal driven if desired where a decrease in throttle results in regenerative braking. This is very similar to a hydrostatic drive on a tractor but much smoother. I like them. 

 

Although classified as a hybrid, the Volt drives very much like a pure electric car. The IC engine does eliminate the range anxiety you get in a pure electric. It also allows the car to be driven cross country vs just a commuter car.

I was looking for a far more basic answer, if you pull up to a valet parking restaurant can the attendant get in with any hope of moving the thing? 

[Curti]

What is the longevity of the batteries  in a modern electric car.   It would be cool if we stuck to the OP's original post.  

[TerryB]

1 hour ago, 1937hd45 said:

I was looking for a far more basic answer, if you pull up to a valet parking restaurant can the attendant get in with any hope of moving the thing? 

Basic answer is yes, it has an accelerator and brake just like non electric models. 

[Stude Light]

Battery life is surprisingly good. Should get 10 years or 150k miles before you really notice degradation.

[Curti]

Is there any special charging equipment that comes with the car ? Or is it merely plugged in like an old tank heater.

[TerryB]

Basic charging is with a 110v charging cord. You can upgrade to a 220v cord similar to an electric dryer for faster charging.  Fastest charging is with a charging station set up that can be added to your home for an extra fee.  For a fully electric car the third option is the best if you do not have access to a charging station near your home.  In CA, charging stations are a lot more accessible at shopping centers and public parking areas than you find in other parts of the country but the number of chargers outside CA is increasing every day.

Here in PA, there are negotiations going on with Sheetz convenience stores to install charging stations at many of their locations.

[Curti]

Thanks Terry !  If, say the batteries have a 5-10 % charge , would an overnight 220 V bring it up to full charge?   Does a 'charging cord come with the car from new ?

[Restorer32]

What does a station charge for a recharge. Certainly it's not free. Sheetz charges for air. I doubt they will give away electricity.

[60FlatTop]

It is a pretty good car and well thought out. The gasoline engine starts and provides electric power when the batteries go low. Range is about 400 miles with good conditions. Like most new technologies, prices have dropped on new ones. I think low mileage used ones are a great deal.

 

I have been professionally involved in energy conservation since the oil embargoes of the early 1970's. And since Chicken Little showed up at the Montreal Protocol, in 1987, I have been involved on the ecological side of energy and it's usage. I do more to reduce and conserve that most but I don't yield to the dogma of misguided movement.

 

My remark about the Escalade, which is more environmentally sound, buying a late model Chevy Volt or used Cadillac Escalade or buying a new, freshly manufactured Prius?

 

The greenest device is the one that exists. Anything you manufacture has a greater impact than what exits. At a green conference I was asked "Don't those antique cars you have use V8 engines"". I replied "Yes, they do. But most of the CO2 and greenhouse gases from their manufacture was incinerated during surface nuclear tests in the 1960's and 1970's. It was mixed with the ozone. I'm net neutral now."

Bernie

Edited November 5, 2017 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[TerryB]

4 hours ago, Curti said:

Thanks Terry !  If, say the batteries have a 5-10 % charge , would an overnight 220 V bring it up to full charge?   Does a 'charging cord come with the car from new ?

The amount of charge overnight to full depends on the car.  If it's a plug in hybrid like the Ford C-Max or Chevy Volt it may be possible to get fully charged overnight.  On a Tesla S or X with a big battery pack it would not fully charge overnight at 220v home power if it was at 5 or 10% but it should have enough range for covering about 100-150 miles.  Tesla provides the basic charging cords for 110 and 220v.  Not sure how other brands cover providing a plug.

 

As for the cost to recharge, such as at Sheetz, there is a pricing schedule being discussed.  As for other places, some shopping centers and big box stores are free connection to get you to shop there.  Remember, the longer it takes to charge the more likely you are to stay there and shop and spend money.  Some national parks have free charging stations too usually in conjunction with a sponsor who advertises at the charging station.

[TerryB]