Just got back from the LA Auto Show, some impressions.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Not a huge crowd, but the show goes on a little long. This is the second weekend. They could cut a weekend and do well.

The Chevy Volt was very interesting. They had just the powertrain on display, and it is impressive. But, on the other hand, it is identical to every other hybrid I saw. If you want to really see the technology, the Volt display makes it easy to see. Ford had a similar product on view, but didn’t show you the guts as much.

I was surprised how small a volume the batteries actually took. Basically, they are in a long box where the transmission hump used to be. Every hybrid I saw had the same transverse layout. I am guessing the thing that is limiting the electric-only range of the Volt is the cost, not the weight or volume of the battery pack. We need more and better and cheaper batteries. Sounds like an X Prize to me. Obama at least knows about them. Whether he will support the concept remains to be seen, but I have hopes. God knows we need to change the way we do business.

Not being able to afford a Bentley (man have those cars been uglified), I picked up some Sham-Wow!, down in the bargain basement. I thought that they were microfiber, but it is different. Impressive demo. I will report on the effectiveness!

Car I wanted most that you can actually buy? Jetta Wagon TDI. Drooool. Imagine a Rabbit with another foot of cargo area, and a sleek shape.

Can’t afford it now. Maybe next year. And knowing VW, better to wait two.

Anyone else been to the show?

2

Any word on when the Volt will be out? I keep hearing different debut dates. Anyone else get the feeling that GM is betting the farm on the Volt, and the success or failure of the company is tied to the success or failure of that car? I’ve never heard an “everyman” car so hyped.

Were there any cars with the motors in the wheels yet? I keep hearing that’s the next big thing, but no date on that yet either.

3

Not that I was at the show, but I do kind of follow these things. The Volt is tentatively scheduled for late 2010, but that date keeps jumping around, and industry rumors are rife that the car’s merely “bailout bait.” To be honest, the technology is not all that different than a conventional hybrid. You can hack your Prius to do the same thing, if you don’t mind voiding your warranty.

As for the motors in the wheels, there’s an aftermarket company that’s supposed to be offering it as a retrofit for many cars (you wind up losing much of your trunk space, however) in the near future, but I haven’t heard when/if any of the mainline car companies are going to start offering this. Not sure what the issue with it is. I’d suspect that it has to do with keeping crap from winding up in the motors, but I don’t know.