GM: Soon, Detroit will earn its nickname as the Motor City
2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery
What's in a name, anyway? Detroit has been known as the Motor City for longer than this blogger has been alive, but is that moniker actually a misnomer? Well, that depends... are you the type that believes motors are driven by electricity and engines by something else? How does one explain motorcycles, then?
Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director for the Chevrolet Volt, is ready to make the distinction between the engine and motor, as you can see from his latest posting to GM's FastLane Blog. Soon, though, the nomenclature will be meaningless as the Chevy Volt goes into production at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant late next year. After all, the Volt will come equipped with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt
[Source: GM FastLane Blog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tony Belding 12:45PM (10/20/2009)
An engine is a motor, but not all motors are engines.
Anything that provides a motive force could be a motor. Engines have the additional connotation of mechanical complexity. Most electric motors aren't complicated enough to qualify as engines.
I've noticed the same thing in rocketry. The space shuttle launches on three highly complex and sophisticated "main engines", but nobody would think of applying the word "engine" to simple model rocket motors, which don't even have moving parts.
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Tim 9:28AM (10/20/2009)
This should be fun... (rant on)
Well, it really depends on who you ask. Liberals believe that it doesn't matter if one uses a word correctly or not. As long as they "feel good about themselves" we can reward them for their failure. (Welcome to the dumbing-down of society. That's Progress?)
As far as the "is it a motor or engine" controversy, this about says it all:
"...the Volt will come equipped with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor."
I have never heard anyone utter the phrase "internal combustion motor”. Perhaps that's because motors run on ELECTRICITY and no combustion is present.
So when some "expert" says that their motor runs on biodiesel you can blame their liberal or ignorant parents and/or progressive Gov't run school system. After all, all the BEST and most successful in our society work in academia, right? (sure they do…)
(Ebonics? English as a 2nd language, just press 2? Morons!)
BTW: Calling an Illegal Alien and Undocumented Worker is like calling a Drug Dealer an Unlicensed Pharmacist.
(rant off)
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Dave 10:32AM (10/20/2009)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motor
Main Entry: 1mo·tor
Pronunciation: \ˈmō-tər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from movēre to move
Date: 1586
1 : one that imparts motion; specifically : prime mover
2 : any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: as a : a small compact engine b : internal combustion engine; especially : a gasoline engine c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy
3 : motor vehicle; especially : automobile
Tim 11:02AM (10/20/2009)
Dave,
Thank you for countering with facts instead of engaging in personal attacks. Here is what Merriam-Webster says about "engine":
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine
Main Entry: 1en•gine
Pronunciation: \ˈen-jən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, from Latin ingenium natural disposition, talent, from in- + gignere to beget — more at kin
Date: 13th century (note: Motor’s date was 1586)
1 obsolete a : ingenuity b : evil contrivance : wile
2 a : something used to effect a purpose : agent, instrument b : something that produces a particular and usually desirable result
3 a : a mechanical tool: as (1) : an instrument or machine of war (2) obsolete : a torture implement b : machinery c : any of various mechanical appliances —often used in combination
4 : a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into mechanical force and motion; also : a mechanism or object that serves as an energy source
5 : a railroad locomotive
6 : computer software that performs a fundamental function especially of a larger program
It seems that "converting" (see #4 above) is the key in motors vs. engines. Motors USE the electricity as is whereas Engines convert chemical energy into mechanical energy and heat within the device through COMBUSTION.
Perhaps the original error was to use "engine" to describe the new "Combustion Power System”. It may have been preferable to use the terms" Internal Combustion Motor, External Combustion Heat Motor and Electric Motor and leave the term "Engine" for other uses.
This is the fault of reporters trying to describe a new technology. The word Engine is MUCH older and has MANY more uses including the beloved locomotive than the word "motor" so the reporters and inventors used “engine” to describe the new invention.
This is kind of like calling a Dirigible an “air-ship”. Personally, I don’t like several names in the same language for the same thing. We should pick one and stick with it! We don’t want to confuse the kiddies, do we?
Boyprodigy1 12:41PM (10/20/2009)
Well if your issue is with the word converting, then you can think of an electric motor as converting electricity into kinetic energy. I don't think electric cars just spit out electricity to accelerate...
bvz 12:55PM (10/20/2009)
Dave,
Thank you for countering with facts instead of engaging in personal attacks.
Tim, maybe you could do the same in the future.
Tim 1:20PM (10/20/2009)
Boyprodigy1,
I was speaking to Combustion which is a chemical conversion.
I guess if you want to get REALLY technical then Electric "Engines" (he, he) "convert" electricity to magnetism, but still no combustion takes place.
Or to get even MORE technical, both are Thermo-Nuclear “reactors” because ALL the energy originally came from our Sun.
Perhaps this whole issue is like calling an automobile a "car", or a Tractor-Trailer a "big rig" or comparing "runners" to "joggers".
We have to call them something different from each other.
If it runs on electricity, let’s call it “Bob”.
If it uses stored chemical energy and combusts it, let’s just call it “Frank”.
What do you think?
Boyprodigy1 1:39PM (10/20/2009)
Well your naming scheme is certainly more fun. I guess the point I am getting at is I really don't care what we call it. They both convert one kind of energy to another to get a person from point a to point b. Thats all i care about.
Craig Mayhem 9:32AM (10/20/2009)
STFU Tim
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Avro 10:01AM (10/20/2009)
Motor - From the latin word "movere" meaning "to move". The word motor applies to devices that are used to produce movement.
Engine - From the french word "engin" which in modern french is used to describe military vehicles, instruments or objects. It's modern use in english derives from the name given to locomotive steam engines.
Tim - English is a language consisting of words deriving from many different languages, with meanings that have transformed with time and still evolving. Their definitions are not set in stone. You're a bigger idiot than the people you're ranting about for not even understanding that.
Learn another language, you'll find it will open your mind quite a bit.
Tim 10:31AM (10/20/2009)
Hey Craig "Meyhem" (what are you, like 12?)
This video's for you, Mark Kiernan and other mental midget liberals who prefer to engage in name calling, personal attacks and the infamous and extremely childish "shut up" instead of actually using your brains and countering with facts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWHgUE9AD4s
Avro however gave a thought out argument without personal attacks (good job) while Craig "Meyhem" proved that he needs time to mature and Mark demonstrated a lack of focus and the inability to comment on-point. (I knew this would be entertaining!)
Mark Kiernan 9:47AM (10/20/2009)
Tim is one of these people who wears a tinfoil hat while peering out of his window while waiting for the black hawk helicopters of the UN to come and arrest him and place him in a FEMA consentration camp.
Well it must be true because Glen said it!!!
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Mark Kiernan 11:14AM (10/20/2009)
Tim you are so pitifully ignorant it is a waste of time even considering debating you. You post comments links to people who agree with you to support your "argument", it reminds me of the people who claim the bible is true by quoting the bible.
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Mark Kiernan 1:25PM (10/20/2009)
Wow Tim you want me to counter facts? Do you even bother to understand your own "logic"? I can counter an argument not a fact. The capital of France is Paris, that is a fact, the USA has 50 states that is a fact, how you thinks that an debate is countering these things I would love to know.
You should look up fallacies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falacy
But I have wasted way too much time on you already.
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Tim 1:27PM (10/20/2009)
Mark,
Engaging is personal attacks is typically a liberal position used when they have nothing to add to the conversation. It is akin to saying "shut up" which is VERY juvenile.
This is supposed to be fun. If you want to play ball, then play ball. Don't just walk onto the field and strike me with your little bat.
Neither of your posts have ANYTHING whatsoever to do with the topic at hand. You add NOTHING yet you say that I am "pitifully ignorant".
Glass houses buddy, glass houses!
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Mark Kiernan 1:38PM (10/20/2009)
I had started writing something but then just gave up. You are a troll and I should stop feeding you. Every post you write on ABG starts with a line containing "liberals". I myself am a conservative but I would never associate with the likes of your consevativism as it seems you having been listening to turn-coat Beck for too long.
No I don't respond to the topic in hand but then you with your "liberal" s**t neither do you.
Now, go away and play with some scissors.
Tim 1:41PM (10/20/2009)
Mark,
What does "The capital of France is Paris, that is a fact, the USA has 50 states that is a fact" have to do with this topic "GM: Soon, Detroit will earn its nickname as the Motor City"?
FACT: All of your posts on this topic so far are childish personal attacks.
FACT: None of your posts so far have anything whatsoever to do with this topic.
Re-read your posts, then re-read mine. Then get out of your parent's basement and go for a walk to clear your head. Perhaps a little fresh air and sunlight will help you think more clearly. (this is not a personal attack, I'm just worried for your so I'm trying to be helpful)
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Mark Kiernan 2:22PM (10/20/2009)
*Facepalm*
Invisible 2:33PM (10/20/2009)
I want to comment of the Volt. Man, the design is busy, proportions seem all wrong, and it looks like a mid 1990s design.
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Tagbert 1:08AM (10/21/2009)
Sorry Visible. This post is reserved for discussions of liberal's semantic issues. What were you thinking.