Sunday, November 6, 2011

Chevy Volt Has Higher Carbon Footprint Than Anticipated

TWO garages have caught fire in homes equipped with charging stations for Chevrolet Volt electric/hybrid cars. Carbon footprint: about the size of your garage if you're lucky, the size of your house if not.

Expect to see more of these stories. When you draw lots of current (as when an electric car is being recharged), wires get hot. Old wires running too hot inside old walls not built to current code may just decide to catch on fire. If you get a charging station put in your house, I strongly advise you to have an electrician install a "home run" with wire larger than is required by your local building code. This means paying A LOT more for wire, as well as the installation of conduit and a circuit breaker - in addition to the cost of the charging station itself. I am guessing the cost would be lower, however, than the re-purchase of everything that burned in these poor peoples' garages.

You've been warned.

Hat tip: Instapundit

No comments: