The electric power concept for vehicles has been in existence since 1890, and was a competitor to steam and gasoline power technologies.
It did not emerge as the power source in the dominant powertrain design for passenger vehicles, mainly because of the necessary capacity of the batteries and the associated weight. Infrastructure and supporting industries were developed around the gasoline powered vehicle.
Because of concerns regarding emissions, non-sustainable energy resources, and foreign dependence on oil, the electric car has been revisited. It is anticipated that the Chevrolet Volt shall be available for sale in 2011.
Guiding Questions to Consider Prior to the Discussion
1. What experiences from electric train technology can be utilized in the R&D of electric vehicle technology?
2. What experiences from gasoline-electric vehicle technology can be utilized in the R&D of electric vehicle technology?
3. Regarding the electric vehicle powertrain, what scale economies of components already exist?
4. Will electric vehicles be readily accepted by the public?
5. Regarding the electric vehicle powertrain, what unique infrastructure already exists, and what needs to be developed?
Read R-II-8, "Competing Technologies: An Overview".
I have attached the reading material.
In regards to the Chevrolet Volt, apply the projection methods of R-II-8 to predict the extent of the Chevrolet Volt''s adoption, addressing the questions posed under "Guiding Questions".
Post your response (250-300 word minimum) to the Discussion Board.
Compose your work using a word processor and save it frequently to your computer. When you are ready to make your initial posting, please click on the "Create Thread" button and enter a relevant subject line. Then copy/paste the text, which you have grammar and spell checked, from your Word document into the message field and click Submit. Your initial posting should be no more than one typed page in length. Then, reply to the postings of class members. You may agree or disagree, but you need to support your statements with facts, experience, information and/or references. Review the SBT Discussion Rubric located in the "Start Here" section of the course for more information on grading criteria.