Archives

Handicapping and Psychoanalyzing the Electric Vehicle “Race”


Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 5:51pm

From my perspective, the Chevy Volt has morphed over the past year from being a different kind of hybrid to being a full-on electric vehicle, with gas-propulsion as a sidekick. Initially, the car was explained to the public as utilizing a drivetrain that, unlike that on the Toyota Prius, could conceivably never burn any gas. The Volt uses what General Motors (GMGMQ) calls a “Voltec” system, with an electric motor providing 40 miles of range before a small gas motor kicks in to recharge the battery. The gas motor has no connection to the drive wheels, however.

  • Matthew DeBord has written about the auto industry for the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, and Car Design News.

Porsche-VW: The Endgame?


Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 11:08am

The New York Times’ DealBook has a succinct update on the status of the ongoing Porsche-VW merger melodrama, and it doesn’t sound good for Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking.

  • Matthew DeBord has written about the auto industry for the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, and Car Design News.

Recent Shifting Gears Posts