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2012
2013

The new age of siphoning gas (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by Nick_12

top 200 commentsshow all 419
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[–]Rombard 183 points184 points ago

Locking the charger to the wheel was rather clever.

[–]ShouldHaveBeenThere 57 points58 points ago

You can splice that line back together in less than a minute with some decent electrical tape.

[–]Corn0ffTheCob 26 points27 points ago

Difficult to sell a cut and spliced cable

[–]Amp3r 11 points12 points ago

I bet you could get away it's putting a little plastic cover over the splice. Can't think of the name of the thing right now but it looks sort of like the thing that is used to connect garden hoses together. Sometimes they have magnets inside them to "protect from static induction" or other similar bullshit.
This whole post was a waste in the end.

[–]dubloe7 4 points5 points ago

I started by thinking you were talking about heat shrink tubing, then I was thinking ferrite. But now I'm just confused.

[–]Amp3r 6 points7 points ago

I guess I was thinking ferrite. You could probably convince someone that it was for better safety. The reason it was confusing is because I'm drunk

[–]broken_cogwheel 0 points1 point ago

Orange shrinkwrap. Not many would care when they're getting a spare volt charger for $50.

[–]unbalanced_checkbook 12 points13 points ago

Probably not, considering how expensive they are. Some quick Google-Fu shows portable cables to be anywhere from $250-$1000+

[–]erikivy 26 points27 points ago

Not to worry, Monoprice is sure to have one soon.

[–]kikenazz 17 points18 points ago

$0.84 if you buy 500+

[–]Sheather 5 points6 points ago

500 at 84 cents is $420. Indivual cables apparently upwards of this value - So worth it.

[–]Fuglypump 2 points3 points ago

shipping costs

[–]ryosuke727 3 points4 points ago

Otherwise its $0.85.

load more comments (1 reply)

    [–]calr0x 6 points7 points ago

    Clearly those are not Monster cable prices...

    load more comments (3 replies)

      [–]appealtoheaven 9 points10 points ago

      The lock just keeps honest people honest. Same reason you lock your door when you leave the house. Almost anyone can kick in a door but having to do so would gives a person one more chance to consider their actions.

      That said, there's no way I would leave my cable out like this.

      [–]Packers91 8 points9 points ago

      Wasn't there a serial killer that only went into unlocked houses because his reasoning was "unlocked means they they didn't care if I came inside"

      [–]RobinBennett 0 points1 point ago

      Locks encourage the thief to look for an easier target.

      load more comments (7 replies)

        [–]poply 60 points61 points ago

        Always a great idea to splice your electrical cord back together for your $30,000 investment.

        [–]ShouldHaveBeenThere 80 points81 points ago

        I find the power usually doesn't care how expensive the component is...

        [–]Buck_Futthole 43 points44 points ago

        Tell that to a flaming counterfeit iPhone charger

        [–]beanso 24 points25 points ago

        That's a little bit more complicated than splicing a wire together. If you can't splice a wire together I feel bad for you son.

        [–]hawkeale 32 points33 points ago

        Got 99 problems but a splice ain't one.

        [–]thereelsuperman 13 points14 points ago

        Hit meh

        load more comments (1 reply)

          [–]P_Schrodensis 5 points6 points ago

          Splicin' ain't always easy :P

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkjrtoMD7yw&feature=related

          [–]hatdude 5 points6 points ago

          I watched the whole thing.

          Wat?

          [–]RoboticOverlord 5 points6 points ago

          watched the whole thing, it's mesmerizing.

          [–]benbentenn 2 points3 points ago

          wow, i cant believe i watched that for more than 2 mins. was totally expecting some encabulation

          load more comments (1 reply)

            [–]pdxp2b 1 point2 points ago

            I didn't know electronic components could be gay.

            Waiting for c3p0 joke.

            [–]_Particle_Man_ 0 points1 point ago

            Dont you judge that charger's lifestyle!

            [–]Burning_Kobun 1 point2 points ago

            black to black, white to white, green to green. not that hard.

            load more comments (2 replies)

              [–]SuicideNote 4 points5 points ago

              "I own a Volt. Geez, I don't have time between counting my money to buy a new cable better just steal one."

              [–]DoctorDorian 2 points3 points ago

              "I don't own a Volt, but geeze, I bet I could sell that cable for a fortune on ebay."

              [–]Citizen_Snip 3 points4 points ago

              You can break that lock in less than a minute, and not even have to worry about splicing the wire.

              [–]asul1026 0 points1 point ago

              I can't believe I had to scroll down as far as I did before someone mentioned this. thank you good sir

              [–]DoneRedditAlready 1 point2 points ago

              or just unplug it

              [–]skyshock21 0 points1 point ago

              ProTip: You can also clip off the lock with a pair of bolt cutters in less than a minute and ruin THEIR shit instead of yours. ;)

              [–]mhyquel 16 points17 points ago

              I love how the guy with the car has no qualms about stealing electricity, but will not leave his shit unlocked.

              [–]RonaldFuckingPaul 31 points32 points ago

              How is it stealing if they put an outlet in the parking lot? They have outlets in parking lots all over the northern midwest for people to plug their cars (engine block heaters) into.

              [–]daxattacks 13 points14 points ago

              My fucking house has an outdoor outlet on the lamp at the end of the driveway to plug the hedge trimmer into, doesn't mean I want you to park your car there and run up my electric bill.

              [–]Consequentialist 2 points3 points ago

              I don't know about the Volt, but we have a Leaf and it only costs us about 20 cents to charge it overnight.

              load more comments (1 reply)

                [–]BroadStreet_Bully 7 points8 points ago

                But isn't this sucking more power than what they were originally put their for? I don't care, just making a counter.

                [–]Lunatist 8 points9 points ago

                It cant use more power than the outlet puts out, so no, its just using power in general.

                [–]daxattacks 2 points3 points ago

                An outlet with nothing plugged into it is not using power.

                [–]BroadStreet_Bully 5 points6 points ago

                No, isn't the car using more power than whatever the socket was put there for, probably glow plugs. Obviously, the socket can't put out more power, I'm not an idiot.

                load more comments (1 reply)

                  load more comments (1 reply)

                    [–]kurtis1 2 points3 points ago

                    engine block heaters often consume 1500w too. i bet that charging that volt uses less than a block heater would.

                    [–]mhyquel 1 point2 points ago

                    So it's ok if I plug in my camper van?

                    load more comments (2 replies)

                      [–]PCLOAD_LETTER 5 points6 points ago

                      Hey you gotta protect yourself out there. Thieves are everywhere. This guy should know.

                      load more comments (1 reply)

                        [–]siromega 2 points3 points ago

                        Yeah I think I just figured out a new way to secure my 120V cord for my Volt!

                        load more comments (1 reply)

                          [–]serealport 36 points37 points ago

                          why dont they make it so that you can retract the cord into the car? you could make it both easily replaceable and secured so you dont have to lock it to your fucking rim.

                          IMO if cable thieves are that prevalent you wold think chevy could come up with a better solution

                          [–]Brak710 36 points37 points ago

                          They should just put a standard 110v inlet socket on the car so you only need a cheap $5 cable that everyone would have no reason to steal more of unless they're just a jackass.

                          [–]Aksumka 46 points47 points ago

                          But then they won't make more money selling these special cables.

                          [–]ViperRT10Matt 3 points4 points ago

                          They're not special cables... J1772 is a standardized plug.

                          [–]zamadatix 0 points1 point ago

                          A cable that has only one use probably would be standardized, that has nothing to do with the cable being special though. A group decides they all want to a cable specifically designed to charge vehicles, sounds specialized to me. Useful, sure, especially as it gets to be popular but it will always only have 1 specialized use.

                          load more comments (5 replies)

                            [–]Soylent_gray 8 points9 points ago

                            110v outlet would take over 8 hours for a charge. That's why when buying an electric car, you also need to add in the cost of installing a 240 volt outlet in your house

                            [–]tigglet 10 points11 points ago

                            If you live in LA, you can get a rebate of up to $2000 to have your charger installed. Then there are state rebates. A lot of people end up not having to pay out-of-pocket for their chargers + installation.

                            [–]kikenazz 12 points13 points ago

                            If you live in Texas outside the city limits you put your own damn 240 V in and fuck the police

                            [–]Bipolarruledout 6 points7 points ago

                            You can do this in most states as long as you're the homeowner.

                            [–]Burning_Kobun 1 point2 points ago

                            just make sure that it's up to electrical code, so the government can go fuck itself for trying to tell you that only a certified electrician can safely install one.

                            [–]kikenazz 0 points1 point ago

                            Thought you had to have a permit from the city to do any substantial work on structures. Idk though I've never owned a home

                            [–]stigm 20 points21 points ago

                            As an Australian (with 240v mains electricity) I find this as comment as enjoyable as when I found out NASA uses the metric system.

                            [–]WildKittyv1 10 points11 points ago

                            Pretty much all sciences use the metric system in the States. The only real exceptions are the engineering fields, but that has less to do with the capabilities of the engineers and more to do with the breadth of knowledge of the laypeople using the blueprints, since they're not acclimated to metric.

                            We're not all fucking morons over here, and we teach metric in the sciences starting in grade school. It's just not used in day to day life since we kept on using the imperial system. I don't know for certain, but I'm going to guess that when the country was being developed and imperial units became the standard, not many fucks were given about what was being used in the rest of the world since most of the population didn't even foresee the possibility (nor want to) of traveling back across the pond. The rapid expansion of the country during the goldrush and industrial revolution without switching to metric basically cemented it into our culture.

                            Yeah, it's a long-winded response for a simple comment, but it irks me when people assume ignorance (with equally ignorant assumption) is chosen amongst a large portion of the population when it's more of a case of convention.

                            I've traveled, I can convert between imperial and metric pretty flawlessly on the fly, many of us know metric and how it works, it gets taught here, it's used in our sciences, we just don't use it in daily practice because revolution and shit.

                            [–]KFloww 4 points5 points ago

                            Also the imperial system isn't just to be different. It comes in handy for construction. For example, 12 inches in a foot can be easily divided by 2,3, and 4.

                            [–]aeschenkarnos 1 point2 points ago

                            So can 10: 5, 3.333..., and 2.5.

                            load more comments (1 reply)

                              [–]jameschoyce 1 point2 points ago

                              because revolution and shit.

                              Best defence I've seen of continued use of imperial units :-)

                              I adore metric for everything. Esp cooking: was making pancakes the other day... weighed out my flour (no worries about how densely I was packing it into a volumetric measure), then when it asked for 300ml of milk I shrugged my shoulders said "milk... approx same density as water therefore 300ml is about 300g" and poured it straight into the mix on the scales. I <3 metric

                              I read on Wikipedia (yeah, yeah, I know) that the other 2 countries that still use imperial are migrating to metric. US will be left as the only country still working with inches. Plus half of Canada of course because of all the trade. And old people pretty much everywhere. I know the US has tried a couple of times to switch, but the inertia must be enormous. There's also the stereotype of the right-wing patriotic "not invented here"/"damn Frenchies" American... I don't know how accurate that is, how many people that covers & how much of a factor a resistant group would be.

                              I look forward to a day when the US is eventually metric and everything is simple. But I don't hold out a hope for that coming within the next 20 years.

                              [–]IHaveHerpes 0 points1 point ago

                              Aka get the line before it's split

                              [–]Zoned 0 points1 point ago

                              My 100+ year old house has 120 and 240; and has had for longer than the 20 years I've lived here. (Large, power-hungry appliances, like my clothes dryer, use it.)

                              [–]ViperRT10Matt 0 points1 point ago

                              Not true. I'm asleep for 8 hours a night; my car would always be ready with a full charge in the morning.

                              [–]elnino2k10 11 points12 points ago

                              Except it would probably take a hell of a lot longer to charge then, I think.

                              [–]Brak710 19 points20 points ago

                              This is picture shows it plugged into a standard outlet, afaik.

                              [–]ring2ding 4 points5 points ago

                              Its designed to accept either or. You can hook your garage at your house (or a theoretical electric charging station) up to have a higher voltage outlet for this very reason.

                              load more comments (1 reply)

                                [–]SaltyBabe 6 points7 points ago

                                Yes, I have a leaf (fully electric ONLY) and it takes FOREVER to charge with a standard outlet 110v. I will gladly pay a couple hundred bucks to not spend ~20 hours charging my car (or 20 min. at a public quick charge station) It's not about making you spend money on cables it's how batteries work... Sure if you want to be a cheap ass and have a really really impractical system to charge your car (it's also not good for the battery, so it will reduce the battery life) you're free to but it's stupid from more perspectives than "they're probably trying to rip me off!"

                                [–]mnvcvfredfdf 2 points3 points ago

                                A cheap $5 extension cord will power a lamp, but not a larger appliance. When you plug in a refrigerator or other high-draw device you must buy a larger gauge extension cable. The longer the wire, the larger the gauge must be.

                                You can read a bit about extension cord gauges and appropriate load here. An electric car charger will be designed to pull as close to the max amps of a circuit as possible, and will need a much more expensive wire. If you used a cheap $5 16 gauge lamp extension cord it would likely overheat and might catch fire. It certainly would not have sufficient voltage shielding. You would want at least a 12g and probably a 10g wire (three of them, in fact) along with heavy duty 600v shielding -- and maybe more. I do not know what additional safety features are built into the Volt's standard cable.

                                It will set you back closer to $100, at a minimum, for the kind of wire you need just to carry that level of electrical load -- out of a regular three prong home plug.

                                [–]ViperRT10Matt 0 points1 point ago

                                The plugs and circuitry within are designed with a lot of extra safety features to ensure power is immediately cut off if the connection becomes anything but perfect. Do you really want to risk a shock with the kind of amperage an electric car pulls down?

                                [–]serealport 0 points1 point ago

                                it would probably take a heavier gauge then you cheap $5 that looks like 8 gauge at least

                                [–]omgitsjagen 6 points7 points ago

                                It took car companies 15 years after the mp3 player to even put an auxiliary jack in their stock car stereos. I wouldn't hold my breath on common sense from them.

                                [–]Bipolarruledout 1 point2 points ago

                                It took just as long for cell phones to start using standard USB for charging.

                                [–]Wyndikan 7 points8 points ago

                                Probably so you don't plug it into a lamp post.

                                [–]Bipedal 5 points6 points ago

                                This is a charger meant for home use. If you were actually out in public charging, you'd normally be at a charging station, where the cable was coming out of a big thing like at a gas station, so there's no way to steal it.

                                [–]SaltyBabe 0 points1 point ago

                                I'd rather have it outside of the car like this so if it fails it's easy to replace.

                                [–]daxattacks 1 point2 points ago

                                The car has several different types of charger, depending what is available to plug into.

                                [–]wild-tangent 0 points1 point ago

                                One less thing to go wrong. Imagine if the winding mechanism broke or jammed. You're now stuck there.

                                [–]CatastropheJohn 1 point2 points ago

                                My guess is because of the weight. For EPA mileage testing, the extra 20 pounds of copper wire can be left behind. Sure, the owners will carry it around in the trunk IRL, but for the testing the car is lighter.

                                load more comments (7 replies)

                                  [–]Entity101 74 points75 points ago

                                  The some asshole comes by and unplugs you car.

                                  [–]Entity101 354 points355 points ago

                                  Then bam, electricity is spilling all over the road!

                                  [–]Hyperian 80 points81 points ago

                                  ono i got electricity everywhere!

                                  [–]DidHeJust 41 points42 points ago

                                  we are gonna have antttssss

                                  [–]Kaymank 17 points18 points ago

                                  Do you want ants?

                                  [–]TheLegendaryGent 13 points14 points ago

                                  Dammit! http://i.qkme.me/35y8x5.jpg

                                  load more comments (3 replies)

                                    [–]Bipolarruledout 0 points1 point ago

                                    Nanobot ants.

                                    [–]Penny_is_a_Bitch 0 points1 point ago

                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Plnuvxqu2oA#t=46s

                                    [–]Chazzey_dude 16 points17 points ago

                                    electricity all over my face

                                    [–]wakapedia 14 points15 points ago

                                    this kills the face

                                    [–]kinnaq 18 points19 points ago

                                    Why can't I hold all these electricities?

                                    [–]HIPSTigER 0 points1 point ago

                                    Boogie woogie woogie

                                    [–]Gzus666 31 points32 points ago

                                    http://imgur.com/60Nlj

                                    Oh god, yellow got everywhere.

                                    [–]Seangonzo79 6 points7 points ago

                                    It's sad. There's people in New York and New Jersey without any electricity and here these hypothetical people are dumping it all over the place all willy nilly

                                    [–]joeonyoface 2 points3 points ago

                                    If it's over 20 gallons you're supposed to call the fire department.

                                    Not sure how big the electricity tank is though...

                                    [–]lakerswiz 1 point2 points ago

                                    I can't hold all these electricities!!!

                                    [–]Gothiks 0 points1 point ago

                                    Why can't I hold all these electricities?!

                                    [–]KitchenNinja 35 points36 points ago

                                    If you unplug it from the car while its locked without the key on you, the car alarm goes off. If you unplug it from the outlet, it texts the driver.

                                    [–]hyperduc 7 points8 points ago

                                    You are making that up. Right?

                                    [–]girlwhodidyourhair 44 points45 points ago

                                    Download the OnStar® RemoteLink™ mobile app and you can check the charging status, battery level and charge mode (120V or 240V) of Volt right on your smartphone. You’ll be able to remotely verify that the car is plugged in and even schedule a future charging time. Text or email alerts tell you when the battery is fully charged or if there’s a charge interruption.

                                    2013 Chevrolet Volt

                                    Neat!

                                    [–]Big-Baby-Jesus 6 points7 points ago

                                    Nope. The Nissan Leaf does the same. You can also turn on the air conditioning/heater from your phone so it's a nice temperature when you get in.

                                    [–]dividezero 0 points1 point ago

                                    I don't know if all cars have that feature but it is a feature on at least some, yes.

                                    [–]Amp3r 0 points1 point ago

                                    It wouldn't be that hard to implement though whether they actually did is something I don't know

                                    [–]KitchenNinja 0 points1 point ago

                                    No, my husband has a volt and I needed the outlet so I just unplugged the charger and a minute later he walks outside and showed me the text ratting me out.

                                    load more comments (1 reply)

                                      [–]daxattacks 0 points1 point ago

                                      Ironically running down the battery.

                                      [–]Electro_Sapien 1 point2 points ago

                                      I imagine cutting the cable would have the same result as unplugging it as well.

                                      [–]bed-stain 17 points18 points ago

                                      More like some asshole steals his $400 cable and sells it on ebay for $200 :D

                                      [–]tonight__you 10 points11 points ago

                                      He at least tried to prevent that by padlocking it to his wheel.

                                      [–]bed-stain 8 points9 points ago

                                      (hmm I wonder how much that cable is worth)0o. 0-{-< (bike theif)... Checks google.. .o0($420 on ebay??) cuts lock

                                      [–]MapleSyrupJizz 7 points8 points ago

                                      cuts lock

                                      just take the whole hub cap

                                      [–]Tree-eeeze 5 points6 points ago

                                      That's not a hub cap, so you'd have to take the whole wheel.

                                      [–]cowsheepo 1 point2 points ago

                                      oh well, it must be like a steal a cable, get a wheel thing

                                      [–]daxattacks 2 points3 points ago

                                      I need a wheel too.

                                      [–]KullWahad 3 points4 points ago

                                      Even more likely someone sells the cable to scrap yard for $40.

                                      [–]Bipolarruledout 0 points1 point ago

                                      Cool. This opens the market for the new chainmail accessory. I'm gonna be rich!

                                      [–]itszkk 7 points8 points ago

                                      Especially with all of those 10 year olds boys and 52 year old men running around unplugging cars...

                                      [–]GreenTeaRocks 24 points25 points ago

                                      I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!! like seriously, I know that Issac's

                                      [–]Nick_12[S] 36 points37 points ago

                                      We better keep an eye out for this thief.

                                      [–]RonaldFuckingPaul 12 points13 points ago

                                      No. You know where this picture was taken.

                                      [–]friedsushi87 0 points1 point ago

                                      Most people live within a general vicinity of where they shop.

                                      [–]too_toked 1 point2 points ago

                                      good eye

                                      load more comments (1 reply)

                                        [–]wojokhan 20 points21 points ago

                                        On a serious note, is this illegal? Under what Law would this fall?

                                        [–]FliesLikeABrick 28 points29 points ago

                                        Typically something like "Theft of utility services" though the specifics will vary.

                                        IANAL (not I ANAL)

                                        [–]stevenfrijoles 40 points41 points ago

                                        Yes you do.

                                        [–]Hosfac 5 points6 points ago

                                        It would, if you were actually stealing it. What, you think they stick those outlets on utility poles without intending for people to use them? Sure, that's not what they intended them for, but you can't really offer something to the public and get upset when someone uses it.

                                        [–]daxattacks 8 points9 points ago

                                        What, you think they stick those outlets on utility poles without intending for people to use them?

                                        Yes, they were there long before the latest plug in hybrid craze. They are there for maintenance people to use, not for you to steal power.

                                        [–]FliesLikeABrick 7 points8 points ago

                                        It is still private (though publicly accessible) property. From a legal point of view I don't see how this is any different than running an extension cord from your neighbor's exterior outlet over to your own house/property/car

                                        load more comments (7 replies)

                                          [–]Bipolarruledout 1 point2 points ago

                                          I would say it's theft after the first kilowatt. Cellphone/notebook, etc. OK, car not OK.

                                          load more comments (1 reply)

                                            [–]DoneRedditAlready 18 points19 points ago

                                            damnit, i just got the new volt5 and now i have to get all new chargers for all my chevy products!!!

                                            [–]siromega 2 points3 points ago

                                            You make that joke but there is a standard and the standard just updated for DC fast charging (it's supposed to be backwards compatible, we'll see). So we'll see if I have to start carrying an adapter with me.

                                            [–]ogolee 5 points6 points ago

                                            Is it not possible that this person is employed at one of the nearby stores and has come to some agreement with the property owner?

                                            [–]ShittyFieldTech 0 points1 point ago

                                            Retail employees can't afford that car

                                            [–]fauxhawk18 0 points1 point ago

                                            This is actually quite rational thinking, I applaud you for it! I like that its different than the is it stealing vs not. Well done!

                                            [–][deleted] ago

                                            [deleted]

                                            [–]Bipolarruledout 2 points3 points ago

                                            It exists but I believe it's less efficient.

                                            [–]RobinBennett 1 point2 points ago

                                            It's called lightning. It only works with Delorians.

                                            [–]Z3phyrus 15 points16 points ago

                                            Employee of a certain car company here... Anyway onsite they have Volt charging stations. Not gonna lie, it's pretty much the coolest thing ever. I don't personally have one but there are other engineers I work with who haven't bought gas or effectively payed to drive there car in months.

                                            [–]siromega 16 points17 points ago

                                            I own a volt and get 500MPG+ of gas. I use maybe 1.5-2 gallons a month for 1000 miles. So a 9 gallon tank gets me 4-5 month.

                                            [–]w00ly 9 points10 points ago

                                            While that is an impressive stat, afaik gas can deteriorate with time and damage your fuel system. I dont know the time frame exactly, perhaps someone else can chime in and clarify, but this is the reason why people drain fluids and/or use fuel stabilizers when storing vehicles

                                            [–]ZF1 18 points19 points ago

                                            This is very much a valid concern, but the Volt is able to detect how long it has been since the car has used gas, and will eventually automatically turn on the gas engine to use the old gas and ensure that the fuel tank doesn't contain stale gas.

                                            [–]wild-tangent 9 points10 points ago

                                            I really appreciate them thinking of these sorts of eventualities. Shows a well thought out design, which...well, GM isn't usually known for.

                                            [–]VeryTallDog 2 points3 points ago

                                            Gas goes stale in about 6-12 months if its just sitting there (depending on conditions). With the car moving around to keep it 'stirred' up you can probably stretch that number to the limit if it is properly sealed.

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                                              [–]takehamburger 0 points1 point ago

                                              This is cool and all, but the battery has a limited number of charge cycles, how does this compare once you factor in the lifecycle of the battery and the cost to replace? I hear it's expensive... $10 000 + ? Don't know that for sure though. That could buy a lot of gas

                                              [–]energy_engineer 5 points6 points ago

                                              Valid concern. The volt is still fairly new so replacement costs are mostly rumors.

                                              The Prius' NiMH traction battery has a capacity around 15kWh. The Volt has a capacity around 16kWh - slightly larger but within ballpark range of capacity. A replacement battery for the Prius is around $3,750 before a $1,350 core credit (they want the old batteries back, they contain valuable metals).

                                              In the case of the Prius, replacement is fairly rare but the cost after credit is around $2500. There will, no doubt, be labor costs associated but this will vary depending on where you live. There are also lower cost options to buy a used battery from a wreck.

                                              Volt battery replacement is rumored to be in the $8,000 range. Lithium batteries are a bit more expensive than a NiMh chemistry...

                                              So, lets say the rumors are true and a battery replacement is $8000.....

                                              At the current national average of $3.50 per gallon, $8000 buys you 2,285 gallons of fuel. The warranty on the battery is 150,000 miles (or 10 years). That means, an equivalent gasoline powered vehicle would have to exceed a 65mpg average over 150,000 miles. This assumes fuel prices do not change.

                                              Individuals certainly can have legitimate reasons why this car doesn't make sense for them. Battery lifecycle is not one of them... From an engineering POV, they are doing the right things for the chemistry - never fully charging, never fully discharging - they traded additional battery weight/cost for better lifetime.

                                              EDIT: An interesting point about the Volt battery cells - they are made by A123 Systems which recently filed for bankruptcy. While there are other battery suppliers out there, it has been of great interest...

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                                                [–]pavlovs_hotdog 2 points3 points ago

                                                How does something such as having an amp powering subwoofers affect the overall power storage/driving time? I have been thinking that it would make a large impact but unfortunately don't have any info about it.

                                                [–]Amp3r 2 points3 points ago

                                                Well you could add up the wattage of the sound system and see whether that is significant compared to the max charge of the battery array. Or you could compare your system to the standard system that the car comes with.

                                                [–]ViperRT10Matt 0 points1 point ago

                                                Less than you'd think. The car uses 2000 watts to propel itself at highway speed. So a 500 watt sub amp is only a quarter of what it takes just to move the car.

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                                                  [–]victordavion 2 points3 points ago

                                                  "Volt charging stations." They are Volt specific? We have electric car preferred parking at my Uni which is kind of covered and each spot has a charger. It's not Volt specific, however, most cars that park there are Volts, coincidentally ( probably because it's the cheapest of electric cars ).

                                                  [–]Z3phyrus 2 points3 points ago

                                                  Ha well like I said, I work for a certain car company that makes a certain electric car. So to us they're Volt charging stations.

                                                  [–]DildoBagins 8 points9 points ago

                                                  THIS GUY WORKS FOR GM I THINK NOT SURE THO

                                                  [–]victordavion 1 point2 points ago

                                                  Oh! Ok. I own one of your vans built in 1985 and it is still in PERFECT working order. Seriously... I mean, I have to put work into it, but holy hell this thing stands the test of time.

                                                  On that note. All my other cars are Honda. Sorry, Honda just makes great vehicles today although back then your company was good, too.

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                                                    [–]kikenazz 0 points1 point ago

                                                    That's awesome. I'm studying mechanical engineering. you should hook up a fellow redditor with an internship

                                                    [–]Bipolarruledout 1 point2 points ago

                                                    I'm assuming the company eats this cost as an "advocacy" expense?

                                                    [–]kulrajiskulraj -1 points0 points ago

                                                    I call bullshit. It's *their.

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                                                      [–]Devon64327 7 points8 points ago

                                                      Ive always wondered about this. It's illegal right?

                                                      [–]liquidfist 12 points13 points ago

                                                      Yea, but it would be difficult to prove how much electricity is consumed unless you have time stamped video and service statements. Or a confession. We have a law here in VA which basically larceny of utility services. I don't know the code section number off the top of head though. May not be illegal everywhere though. Laws are usually created to address a specific problem. When this becomes a more widespread issue, there will be more laws to cover it.

                                                      [–]Karnaugh_Map 15 points16 points ago

                                                      They're also stealing only about 2$ worth of electricity.

                                                      [–]LiraNuna 9 points10 points ago

                                                      Not really, I own a Volt and I charge it daily from 20% to full overnight. My electricity bill has only increased 8-10$ a month.

                                                      [–]nofelix 0 points1 point ago

                                                      So about 40 cents for a full 'tank'.

                                                      [–]RobinBennett 0 points1 point ago

                                                      Do you get cheaper electricity at night? Mine is about 20 cents per kWh, and the volt battery is 16kWh, making that charge about $2.50

                                                      [–]IsABot 6 points7 points ago

                                                      Probably not even that. Unless they are charging it all day.

                                                      [–]LiraNuna 3 points4 points ago

                                                      Eventually the car stops charging when it's full.

                                                      [–]Bipolarruledout 0 points1 point ago

                                                      It doesn't matter, you're still creating an externality cost for the business that they might eventually have to absorb somehow.

                                                      [–]RobinBennett 0 points1 point ago

                                                      The battery is 16kWh, and 1 kWh is about 20 cents, so about $2.50 for an 80% charge.

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                                                        [–]Hosfac 2 points3 points ago

                                                        When this becomes a more widespread issue, they'll stop putting public power outlets on utility poles. Since those are there for public use, they can't exactly file charges on someone for using it.

                                                        [–]Bipolarruledout 2 points3 points ago

                                                        Install a locking plate, done deal.

                                                        [–]bimmerfan12 2 points3 points ago

                                                        The opposite will happen. They will put more outlets on poles and put cameras in and send $75 tickets when people use them.

                                                        [–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

                                                        You don't need to prove how much of something is stolen in order to convict, you just have to prove that something was stolen. The moment it was plugged in without permission, a theft occurred. The moment a single watt-second was consumed, it was provable theft.

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                                                          [–]scottyboy7 1 point2 points ago

                                                          And there goes all the public outlets...

                                                          [–]AnalBurns 2 points3 points ago

                                                          This would never work where I live. Some fuckin asshole would yank that out right away.

                                                          [–][deleted] ago

                                                          [deleted]

                                                          [–]104372 9 points10 points ago

                                                          Panels are expensive highly inefficient (something like only 5-10% of energy utilized, gasoline is typically 25%+) at the moment and they're not very structurally sound I'd imagine. Can't imagine the stress a car hull endures is good for them either. It's a good idea in practice but I can't see it working currently.

                                                          Feel free to correct this is all just a guess.

                                                          EDIT: Deleted comment said something like: Why don't they put solar panels on top of the cars? Wouldn't that give additional power?

                                                          [–]jgopp 2 points3 points ago

                                                          the new prius uses solar panels on the roof, but you've got it basically correct. The only thing they can run are the radio and the A/C system if the car is parked.

                                                          [–]stevenfrijoles 4 points5 points ago

                                                          Panels can now routinely get 25+% (max achieved is around 40%), but the price of these along with the small roof surface area and non-ideal angles don't make it a viable option.

                                                          So yes, you would most likely notice an improvement in how long a charge lasts, but it wouldn't be worth the cost.

                                                          What they should really do, but never will because of aesthetics, is use a small solar panel along with a reflective glass bubble to direct the light to the panel. You'd get the same power without the cost of covering a roof in panels. People would never go for it because of looks though.

                                                          [–]104372 4 points5 points ago

                                                          Shame aesthetics rank over efficiency.

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                                                              [–]seniorsassycat 3 points4 points ago

                                                              I've got a home made electric car, it runs on 12 12v batteries, top speed is ~60 mph and range is 30 miles.

                                                              I'm trying to remember the charge rate we calculated for using roof mounted solar panels. I think it was 12 miles of range in 9 hours, something not so great.

                                                              The volt, and other commercial e vehicles, have much larger batteries, so they would take longer to charge.

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                                                                [–]TheDenverMax 1 point2 points ago

                                                                Hey! This is at the Sheetz by the Harrisburg East Mall! I got too excited when I saw this.

                                                                [–]kidkhaos 0 points1 point ago

                                                                Like a BOSS!!

                                                                [–]Aaronmichael44 0 points1 point ago

                                                                Just got a volt this is fucking genius.

                                                                [–]chvyrulz350 -1 points0 points ago

                                                                The lock around the cord, it adds that sweet smell of smug

                                                                [–]LogicalBrick 0 points1 point ago

                                                                chevy volt...

                                                                CHEVY VOLT

                                                                [–]Hefeweize 0 points1 point ago

                                                                Lock picking is so easy nowadays

                                                                [–]chvyrulz350 0 points1 point ago

                                                                Next new thing. Tweeting hacked lightpost connections for your electric car

                                                                [–]kook321 1 point2 points ago

                                                                My work actually has a designated parking space for electric cars to charge.

                                                                [–]crunchthenumbers 0 points1 point ago

                                                                best buy will sell the monster charge cable soon

                                                                [–]Kennocha 0 points1 point ago

                                                                I am curious to see if it becomes a thing to take something like that and shove more power at it than it can take, ie a 250v or something to destroy someone's car. It's my first thought seeing someone leaving that exposed. Not the thought of theft.

                                                                I hope the system can detect that and cut it off.

                                                                [–]LascielCoin 0 points1 point ago

                                                                My country actually had a great idea to put free car chargers on most big parking places.

                                                                [–]Fiacha 0 points1 point ago

                                                                More and more businesses (hotels mostly) have reserved parking for e-cars with outlets next to them. I think that's awesome.

                                                                [–]zmigliozzi 0 points1 point ago

                                                                and in 10-12 hrs they can go another 40 miles!

                                                                [–]GoonerYank 0 points1 point ago

                                                                That's the Sheetz next to the Harrisburg Mall. I recognized it immediately.

                                                                [–]Christianawaldemar 0 points1 point ago

                                                                This is the sheets parking lot by the Harrisburg east mall. I live five minutes from there. Have you checked out r/centralpa?

                                                                [–]BenoirBALLS 0 points1 point ago

                                                                I ride a bicycle with an electric assist. I can charge up the battery by plugging into a wall outlet. Every time I go some place new, I feel like the Terminator scanning the area for available outlets.

                                                                [–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

                                                                I'd unplug it and cut the cord next to the pad lock. Then take the padlock. Just so he would be like.. "Some ass hole jacked my pad lock, who steals a fucking padlock?"

                                                                [–]crunchthenumbers 0 points1 point ago

                                                                best buy will sell the monster charge cable soon

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