Now that at least one major player has decided an electric vehicle is worthwhile, we can begin to look for ways to power this car using alternative energy sources. Unlike the Honda and Toyota hybrids which must burn fossil fuels to charge their batteries, the Volt could be charged from a photovoltaic or wind power source utilizing a battery bank and inverter.

Determining the cost effectiveness of using alternative energy sources to charge this car will depend on how willing GM engineers are to share any data they currently have on the number of kilowatt hours of power will be required to bring the Volt's batteries from discharged to fully charged.

Those of us who are into alternative energy would be very interested in knowing how much power will be needed to charge this car. If there are any Volt project engineers viewing these threads, this information would be very useful in sizing PV and windpower charging systems in preperation for the availability of this long awaited automobile technology.

solarcar2

It looks like you have an interest in utilizing alternate forms of energy to charge the battery pack so there would be zero cost in operating the Chevy Volt. I have not seen any specs on the battery system used in the Volt. I think we are still many years away from an economical solar cell system that would have the amperage to charge the batteries. Remember most people will be charging at home during the evening and night hours. I am just learning about hybrid vehicles so I am open for any input.