Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet, GM
Lutz promises viable demonstration of Volt by Easter
We can hear the hallowed halls of GM headquarters ringing with the chant, "Let Lutz be Lutz!" When Maximum Bob Lutz takes off the gloves, things get done, and the automaker's vice chairman bared his fists recently at a meeting of the Western Automotive Journalists Association in San Francisco. Lutz drew a line in the proverbial sand by promising that the feasibility of the Chevy Volt series hybrid will be proven by Easter when Chevy Malibu mules hiding the Volt's drive system and lithium-ion battery pack will be on the road. The particular aspect of the Volt that most would like to see demonstrated is its supposed ability to travel 40 miles on battery power alone, a feat that some consider optimistic given current battery technology.
Lutz specifically addressed his counterpart at Toyota, Kazuo Okamoto, who has made headlines in the past by calling out GM on its plan to produce the Volt, saying the whole effort is a marketing ruse, and according to BusinessWeek, referring to the car as "completely wacky" and "nonsense". Mr. Lutz: "Let's wait for the Easter Bunny. Somebody's going to have egg on their face. And I don't like having egg on my face."
The war of words between GM and both Toyota and Honda on the viability of the Volt has become quite the soap opera, though from the cheap seats we see GM only benefitting from the additional free press that its competitors seem happy to supply by bashing its uber-hybrid. Now all GM has to do is make it work in time for the Easter Bunny to call shotgun.
[Source: BusinessWeek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
bluestate 5:23PM (11/20/2007)
Does anyone else think the Volt's styling is just WAY off the mark? I mean, if it were some kind insane sports car it might be appropriate, but I think it's waaaay too aggressive looking for the folks I see currently driving Priuses. This looks a bit ostentatious for someone willing to pay a premium to show off their environmental credentials (I am very much one of those people, btw).
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Dave 5:30PM (11/20/2007)
A lower car gives the opportunity for better aerodynamics (although GM has admitted that the original shape needs an aerodynamic overhaul.) And a smaller greenhouse requires a smaller HVAC load.
Both are necessary for an EV.
bluestate 5:42PM (11/20/2007)
Sure, sure. I just take issue with the hawkishness (I might have just created a word) for marketing purposes. The profile can certainly be low without it looking so ... not friendly. I think they could've done a better job creating something that would resonate with people that are more likely to buy it. I guess you could argue that's not the point, that it's a technology demo. Sigh. So maybe I agree with Toyota, that the Volt is more about Chevy's "green" credentials.
Larry 5:56PM (11/20/2007)
It looks fantastic! And, I am an "old fart" in the eyes of the "yunguns," I am 61, and I am STILL WAITING for the CARS WE WERE PROMISED when I was young!
kballs 6:40PM (11/20/2007)
I imagine the styling will be blandified a bit for the production version.
Styling aside, the thing that would keep me from buying this car or one like it is the type of car - it's a sedan. I don't like sedans much because of the lack of utility... I'd prefer a hatch/wagon/tall-wagon or a small CUV like a Vue/Equinox, HHR, etc.. can fit bigger things in the back while still not making the vehicle significantly longer or heavier than the sedan layout.
I would also like to see more drive options - RWD and AWD, which are pretty easy to do when using electric motors connected to the CV axles.
That said, hopefully the Volt will succeed and have its drivetrain adapted to other vehicle platforms. Everyone wants something different, please give us choice. It would be sad to see the Volt's drivetrain thrown out because people don't like the styling or layout of the vehicle (2 things that have nothing to do with the drivetrain technology or customers' acceptance of it).
naggs 1:29AM (11/21/2007)
i think the whole point is that is appeals to people who DONT like the prius
it will out green the toyota while avoiding the high smug emissions and overall "im better than you" image that that car has
at some point the green vehicle segment has to expand beyond the tiny minority who wants their efficient car to be a $25k treehugger bumper sticker
personally i like how it looks, and from GMs point of view, it is not necessarly bad news that this car appeals more to the average consumer than it does to the high smug polluters
TriShield 5:36PM (11/20/2007)
For a variety of reasons I'm hoping GM and their suppliers can pull this car off.
We need more ways to reduce our emissions and fuel consumption in this country. We also need to show the world the United States can still develop cutting edge technology.
For GM and our sake, I hope Lutz will deliver the goods.
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Marvelous 5:37PM (11/20/2007)
Well is definitely seems like he means business by now, I dont think he'd be making deadlines and puting his rep on the line for a PR ruse. I think Toyota and Honda are trying to shake GM's confidence on the Volt . Possibly so GM would push it back and buy them more time to bring their rival to the market first. Thats just my theory anyway. I think this kind of thing is good for the buyers of either company.
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psarhjinian 9:16PM (11/20/2007)
Well, if you think about the release dates that have been floated for the Zeta platform and the previous generations of GM hybrids, I think it's entirely likely GM won't have a production vehicle ready for show by Easter.
They'll probably have a less pie-in-the-sky concept, or perhaps an early drivable prototype along the lines of Mitsubishi's Concept E, but the real proof will be the mass-production car that you can buy anywhere for a reasonable price--and that's still years away.
GM really seems to get a free ride from it's fanbase, considering how its execution record for concept-to-production is worse than Chrysler's.
naggs 1:36AM (11/21/2007)
"GM really seems to get a free ride from it's fanbase, considering how its execution record for concept-to-production is worse than Chrysler's."
im pretty sure that that statement is stunningly wrong
what? both GM and chrysler have fantastic record of bringing concepts to production, i dont have the numbers but i am pretty sure that it is 1. gm 2. chrysler and a distant third, everyone else
alex 5:38PM (11/20/2007)
i can't wait until this thing hits the road and all the toyota fan boys / gm haters start back pedaling. i don't have a problem with toyota or any company for that matter, but i am just so sick of hearing people say that the volt is nothing but a marketing hoax
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geo.stewart 1:00PM (11/21/2007)
I will be ecstatic to see the US take a spotlighted-dominant innovative position again by coming through with this.
As long as Lutz isnt wrong. and I doubt he is.
I dont think he is stupid enough to make this kind of statement without already having it do it.
HotRodzNKustoms 5:39PM (11/20/2007)
Lutz is coming! Hide the eggs!!! I do not see why the Volt is so outrageous since EV1 had a range of like 90 miles (don't quote me on that but it had a decent range) years ago. So with battery technology moving like any technology tends to do I do not see how 40 miles is so outrageous. I have even heard rumors that they'll be able to squeeze up to 60 miles out of the batteries through some funny technology that is way over any of our heads.
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Dave 5:44PM (11/20/2007)
"75 to 150 miles (120 to 240 km) per charge with Gen 2 Ovonic nickel-metal hydride batteries"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1
Borrego 6:18PM (11/20/2007)
So are we! But keep the faith, friend...
TriShield 5:56PM (11/20/2007)
The thought that GM should "tone down" the styling is ridiculous.
Yes they will be tweaking it for function and aerodynamics but standout styling is the 2nd biggest selling point of this car.
They need to do all they can to give it's own unique look with it's flared arches, chopped roof and aggressive face instead of watering it down into a Toyota Prius me-too car.
GM not only needs to deliver a car that outdoes Toyota, they need to do so with style.
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Vincenzo 5:59PM (11/20/2007)
So, where is the magic?
If the Volt's battery is incredibly powerful and long-lasting, Toyota and Honda will buy it, too.
Toyota Vitz (Yaris) already has an "Intelligent Package" with a Li-Ion battery that charges while driving and allows to start the engine, which automatically turns off at a stop.
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Shipey 9:24PM (11/20/2007)
GM has the exclusive rights to the batteries they developed with A123 Systems... no one else will have access.
AES 6:08PM (11/20/2007)
The Vitz battery is tiny, and it isn't a charge-depleting operation. No engineering parallels to a PHEV at all.
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Vincenzo 7:29PM (11/20/2007)
OK. Everybody with a new laptop knows that the battery is a constant headache. It will work less and less with every charge and eventually die after 2-3 years of service.
I would like to see the chart of the Volt's battery degradation:
new, full charge - 40 miles
6 months - 35 miles
1 year - 30 miles
...
3 years - 1 mile
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