VOLT + Spark technology

[Burr]

:?: I love my Leaf. I'am sure there are a lot of mechanical & electrical issues that are beyond me. Has anyone asked why the Volt couldn't use the Spark's battery pack and continue with its current gasoline generator? Under the roof of many Chevrolet dealers lies the technology that could put the Volt way ahead of our Leafs and give Tesla some real competition. I would never complain about a $45000 price tag on a vehicle that had the Leaf's battery range and could drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco, NONSTOP .

 

[pkulak]

The Spark is 21.3 kWh vs 16 in the Volt, so I'm assuming it's a larger pack (and not in that t-shape, so you can't just swap). The Volt already sacrifices interior and trunk space quite a bit to fit a 16 kWh battery plus an entire ICE drivetrain. Put in an even larger battery and it would probably gain 1000 pounds and turn into a 2-seater. Plus, it would still only use 60% of the pack capacity while weighing way more. You still wouldn't get close to Leaf range. That's not what you want.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

If anything I'd like to see them put the volt powertrain in a larger car or small-medium crossover. That combined with an extra 10-15 miles AER would be a winning combination. Part of the problem with the volt (and the leaf) is that comparable vehicles get good mileage and are quite cheap, making them less compelling from a fuel savings standpoint and in a tough segment to compete on price.

 

[Burr]

Maybe the Volt is the wrong way to go. How about a LEAF with a gasoline charger? This kind of Leaf could make it from LA to San Francisco non-stop.. My real point is that Nissan has probably thought of these combinations (Volt also), what are they waiting for? While I'am wishing too far into the future, when are they going to give us full-size pickups? The 70 mile range would be acceptable.