Yep, you can call me an enthusiast for electrical cars even though I don't own one.
Chevrolet is discontinuing six different cars that they make, and the Volt is one of them.
It's too bad, and I'm not so sure that the Chevrolet is all that bad. The Cruze is being discontinued too, even though it is highly rated.
If GM goes bankrupt, that could be a problem.
Anyway, the Volt uses the same kind of hybrid system that a locomotive uses. Diesel powered locomotives spin up a generator that runs an electric motor. This works well for locomotives, but apparently not for cars. Unless Chevrolet did something wrong with its design. I am a bit doubtful that they did.
A Stirling powered hybrid would be more efficient than an internal combustion engine, and might be able to run on any kind of fuel. Ford experimented with Stirlings back in the seventies. My recollection is that the Stirling took too long to warm up. This wouldn't matter if it was paired with an electric engine. The two types of engines could complement each other, just as a gasoline engine does.
Anyway, we may be taking a step backward with this news. It is too bad. It is probably a bad sign for electrical cars in general, and American made cars in particular. Watch out Tesla.
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