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Originally Posted by DGthe3
You are worried about the battery exploding, yet have no concern about gas tank in nearly every single car? Gasoline is far more dangerous than lithium ion batteries.
As for the battery longevity, its my understanding that there should be minimal degradation over the first 10 years since it will only use roughly half its capacity on a regular basis. This preserves the battery and provides a buffer as it slowly losses capacity
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gasoline engines don't spontaneously combust, batteries have been known to do just that far more frequently. It is not my main concern, but it is one of them. I'm hoping you are correct in minimal degradation of the battery, however that still doesn't answer my question as to how much will it cost to buy and replace one of these batteries if it were to fail after warranty expires? Also since a battery is involved, how will the re-sale value be affected? Obviously we will not know the answers to these questions for quite awhile, but they cannot be ignored.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
Heated seats are supposed to be standard, since that is a more efficient use of electricity than trying to heat the entire cabin. Also, I bet the thermal management system is somehow tied into the cabin heating system somehow. All pumps (AC compressor, power steering, etc) can easily be electrically driven, which is more efficient than a mechanical setup. In fact, more and more conventional cars are switching to electric accessory drives for this very reason. Lastly, I heard that before you leave for work, the Volt can be 'pre-conditioned' while its still plugged in, greatly reducing the heating/cooling demand on the batteries.
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All I can think of when I hear "more and more electrical vs mechanical", I think of my electric windows which have routinly died on me in almost every car I've ever owned. Oh how I miss the manual crank windows..