Autoblog

GM: Chevy Volt Dance a major marketing gaffe? Sure. Let's move on.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST

It's no secret that General Motors' Chevrolet Volt song and dance (ignoring the obvious jokes here...) have brought the automaker's marketing department some much-deserved flack. In case you've been living under a rock for the past few days, we'll recap: GM commissioned a song to explain some of the finer points of how the Volt's high-tech powertrain functions and later decided to add a dance routine to the jingle and let it loose on an unsuspecting public at the LA Auto Show.

According to Green Car Reports, the song was initially written for kids aged seven to 12 years old but wasn't quite ready in time for GM to use it during presentations given to 120 schools. Instead, the decision was made to add an ill-fated dance routine just ahead of the LA Show's public access days. Making matters worse is news that former marketing head Bob Lutz originally wanted to borrow the song "Electric Car" from They Might Be Giants. We figure GM would have been much better off going that route.

As irritating as it may be, is the Chevy Volt Dance really that big of a deal? While we'd argue that it shouldn't be, the real answer apparently depends on whom you ask. Fox News seems to think it's pretty horrible and GM's latest recently-appointed head marketer Susan Docherty responded, "Our Chevrolet Volt advertising, marketing and go to market strategy will be as innovative as the car. We may have missed on this one, but we won't going forward." We agree... it's officially time to move on. (Unless you haven't seen the offending dance yet - and that's available for viewing after the jump).

[Sources: GM-Volt.com, Green Car Reports]

Continue reading GM: Chevy Volt Dance a major marketing gaffe? Sure. Let's move on.

GM: Chevy Volt Dance a major marketing gaffe? Sure. Let's move on. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Detroit Preview: Next-generation Chevrolet Aveo RS to appear at Cobo

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Chevrolet

On Wednesday night, Chevrolet held a media preview in Motown to discuss and show off some of what will be coming up at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Unfortunately, we were not allowed take any photos or video at the event, although General Motors officials did say we could write about anything that was discussed.

The presentation kicked off with an introduction to new Chevrolet general manager Jim Campbell who just assumed his role a week ago. Campbell and Mike Simcoe, director of exterior design, then spent the next half-hour showing off the same batch of new Chevrolets that we were shown in the GM design dome last August. All of these cars including the forthcoming Orlando MPV, Cruze, Camaro convertible, Volt and the all-new 2012 Malibu are promised to be in U.S. Chevrolet showrooms within the next 24 months. The Orlando remains pretty true to the 2008 concept, with the only real changes being to the details of the light clusters - just don't look for it at the Detroit show.

Anchoring the entr- level end of the Bowtie's lineup will be the Spark and Aveo. Campbell reaffirmed that the Spark will be coming to the U.S. in 2011, putting to rest - at least for the moment - rumors that the program had been canceled. The bigger news is the next Aveo which will get its first public viewing at next month's show. Read on after the jump for more details and observations.

[Image: The Detroit News]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: Next-generation Chevrolet Aveo RS to appear at Cobo

Detroit Preview: Next-generation Chevrolet Aveo RS to appear at Cobo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

REPORT: Chevrolet Malibu to join Volt in Detroit-Hamtramck plant

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's long been presumed that the Chevrolet Volt (and its Opel/Vauxhall Ampera twin) would not be the only car rolling out of General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant after late 2010. After all, Volt volumes are unlikely to be sufficient in the first several years to justify an entire plant. However, when a future product plant was leaked out after the 2007 UAW contract was signed, it was assumed the new Chevy Orlando would join the Volt. After all, the Orlando shares the Delta platform with the Volt and Cruze.

Following the announcement Monday of the investment in the Detroit factory to build the Volt, The Detroit News believes it has learned that the next-generation Malibu will also be built in Detroit. The new Malibu is slated to debut in 2011 as a 2012 model. Current Malibu assembly takes place in Fairfax, Kansas. The General's Orion, Michigan plant had also been building the mid-sized sedan, but it is now being re-tooled build the next generation Aveo. With Fairfax now also building the Buick LaCrosse, a second plant may be needed to meet demand if the new model is successful.

Gallery: Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Source: The Detroit News]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

REPORT: Chevrolet Malibu to join Volt in Detroit-Hamtramck plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM investing $336 million in Detroit plant to build Chevrolet Volt

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Production of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt marks an important transition for General Motors. It's the first plug-in electric drive vehicle that the automaker is building for sale to anyone that wants one. No more of the limited lease-only deals that were done with the EV1 a decade ago. To demonstrate its commitment to transforming transportation, GM decided to build the Volt on its home ground right in Detroit.

Today, GM is announcing it's spending $336 million to re-tool the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the Volt. The factory, which had been building the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne, is being refurbished for the Volt. GM will start building pre-pilot Volts on its assembly iine around March of 2010 to verify the production processes. The Hamtramck plant will also build the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera beginning later in 2011 for European consumption.

The Hamtramck investment is part of $700 million being invested in Michigan facilities to produce the Volt and its components. That includes a new engine line at the Flint South engine plant and the battery pack assembly plant in Brownstown Township south of Detroit.

Gallery: Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM investing $336 million in Detroit plant to build Chevrolet Volt

GM investing $336 million in Detroit plant to build Chevrolet Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

VIDEO: Chevrolet Volt tests driver-controlled audio warning system with the blind

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:13:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet, Electric

As the popularity of hybrids has grown over the last few years, advocates for the blind have been raising a red flag about noise, or -- more to the point -- the lack of it. Because electric-drive vehicles emit much lower levels of sound on the street, blind pedestrians who've relied on the noise emitted from traditional vehicles lose a major source of information when navigating the streets and sidewalks.

There have been movements in various legislatures to mandate some minimum sound level from electric vehicles to ensure that blind pedestrians can tell when they're approaching, and General Motors recently conducted a test session at its Milford Proving Grounds with a group of the visually-challenged to assess the audible warning systems on the Chevrolet Volt.

The engineers have employed the car's horn to emit a series of warning chirps when a pedestrian is in proximity to GM's gas-electric hybrid, evaluating the nature and level of the warnings to alert pedestrians rather than startle them. GM spokesman Rob Peterson tells us that on the first generation Volt the warnings will be manually activated by the driver, although future iterations are likely to incorporate some sort of active system. Currently, the biggest hurdle is developing an active system that can distinguish a pedestrian from another vehicle. Otherwise, without a reliable detection system, the horns would be going off at all times, increasing noise levels and making it largely useless.

[Source: ChevroletVoltage.com]

Continue reading VIDEO: Chevrolet Volt tests driver-controlled audio warning system with the blind

VIDEO: Chevrolet Volt tests driver-controlled audio warning system with the blind originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chevy Volt color contest finalists include EV-ergreen, environMINT and Viridian Joule [w/VIDEO]

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style, Electric, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

As of this morning, Chevrolet is moving into the final stage of its Volt color naming contest. The company has picked three finalists from among the names submitted by 13,000 people over the last two weeks. Starting this morning, you can cast your vote for which of the finalists will win the contest. The silver paint with a pale green tint will be one of the launch colors for the Volt when it goes on sale next November.

The three finalists are "EV-ergreen" submitted by Devin McQuarrie, San Jose, CA; "Viridian Joule" submitted by Dave Thomas, of Sanford, FL; and "environMINT" entered by Matthew Valbuena, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Visitors on the http://www.chevroletvoltage.com site can vote for their choice and all three finalists will be brought to Los Angeles on December 1 where the winner will be announced. Immediately following the announcement, the winner will get to take a test drive in one of the pre-production Volts, the first outsider to do so. General Motors is limiting votes to one per person per IP address over the next two weeks, so make yours count. Not sure which to vote for? Ponder the issue while checking out GM's official video after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Chevy Volt color contest finalists include EV-ergreen, environMINT and Viridian Joule [w/VIDEO]

Chevy Volt color contest finalists include EV-ergreen, environMINT and Viridian Joule [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Caveat Emptor: Columbus, Ohio dealer taking deposits on Volt

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:53:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Auctions, Hatchback

2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Fans of the Chevrolet Volt have been waiting patiently nearly three years now for the first extended-range electric vehicle to debut. One Columbus, Ohio area Chevrolet dealer is looking to take advantage of this eagerness by posting an auction on eBay Motors for its allocation of Volts. Jack Maxton Chevrolet is now taking deposits on the Volt a full year before the first production models are scheduled to roll off an assembly line in Detroit.

There are clearly problems with this. The current bid is at $1,525 but it's not clear from the listing just what the winning bidder will get. It could be the first position in line, if and when Maxton gets some Volts, but we can't say for sure.

Notice we said if Maxton gets the Volt. We checked with Volt spokesman David Darovitz at General Motors who told us that it's not certain that every Chevy dealer will get the Volt: "They must first go through a rigorous certification process" to ensure that they are ready to sell and service the electrically-driven compact and its battery. Darovitz also tells us, "Dealers have not been selected" at this time, and that includes Maxton Chevrolet. You might want to keep that in mind before placing your bid. Remember, patience is a virtue. Thanks to Nat for the tip!

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: eBay Motors]

Caveat Emptor: Columbus, Ohio dealer taking deposits on Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM invites Volt fans to name first color and win a test drive!

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Take a close look at the Chevy Volt in the photo above. We've seen it a number of times already but we've never said anything about the color. While it's predominantly silver, it does have a green (or more specifically emerald) tint in it. According to General Motors spokesman David Darovitz, this will be one of the launch colors for the Volt and, in fact, will be exclusive to the company's extended-range electric vehicles. Anyone who has ever bought paint, sorted through a box of Crayolas or ordered a car knows that every hue, no matter how subtle, needs a unique name. This Volt color is no different.

GM wants to include Volt fans in the naming process and is running a contest on www.chevroletvoltage.com starting today. Between now and November 4, people can submit their color name suggestions on the site. GM will sort through submissions and pick out three finalists. Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 1 you can then vote for your choice among the finalists. The three finalists will be flown to LA where the winner will be announced on the eve of the LA Auto Show press days. That person will be among the first people in the world outside of GM who actually gets to drive (not just ride along) one of the pre-production Volts. We've include a full gallery of high-res Volt images, so jump in to get your creative juices flowing and start submitting your name ideas! Details are after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM invites Volt fans to name first color and win a test drive!

GM invites Volt fans to name first color and win a test drive! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Catching up with Chevrolet's 1,200-mile pre-production Volt fleet drive

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Chevrolet, Electric

Chevy Volts on 1,200 mile drive - Click above for high-res image gallery

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to chat with Chevrolet Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah as he rode through the hills of West Virginia during a development drive. On Tuesday, a fleet of eight pre-production (a.k.a. IVER) Volts set out from the company's Milford Proving Ground in Michigan on three day, 1,200 mile jaunt through Ohio, Pennsylvannia, Maryland, West Virginia and back. This event is known in General Motors' engineering process as a "65-Percent Drive" and as it implies it's one of a series of milestones on the road to production.

The 65% roughly corresponds to the minimum level of completeness of development of all the hardware, and more specifically, the software. At this point, many of the systems are in fact approaching 90-100% complete. Over the next several months, 70, 80, 90 and 100 percent drives will follow on the way to production launch a year from now. Read on to find out what we learned from Farah.

Gallery: Chevrolet Volt 65% drive

Continue reading Catching up with Chevrolet's 1,200-mile pre-production Volt fleet drive

Catching up with Chevrolet's 1,200-mile pre-production Volt fleet drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM investing $230M in Flint area facilities to support Chevrolet Cruze, Volt

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:58:00 EST

2011 Chevy Volt - click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors announced today that it will spend $230 million on four facilities in the Flint, Michigan area that will support the production of the new Chevy Cruze compact and the Volt extended-range EV. The biggest chunk of the money ($202 million) is being spent on the Flint South Engine plant. The line that currently builds the inline five- and six-cylinder engines used in the Chevrolet Colorado and Hummer H3 is being revamped. That line will now build the 1.4-liter Family 0 engines that will be used in the Cruze and Volt. Originally, GM had planned to construct a new factory adjacent to Flint South, but that plan was canceled last fall as the financial crisis hit the already embattled automaker.

The Flint Metal Center a few miles away is getting updates that will allow it to stamp the sheet steel body panels for the Volt. The other two facilities are designing and building the stamping dies and welding robots that will be used to produce the panels and put them together at the Detroit-Hamtramck (Volt) and Lordstown,Ohio (Cruze) factories. GM's official press release is after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM investing $230M in Flint area facilities to support Chevrolet Cruze, Volt

GM investing $230M in Flint area facilities to support Chevrolet Cruze, Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

REPORT: EPA planning to address outlandish fuel economy claims of electric cars

Dan Roth — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising

The EPA is aware that range-extended electric vehicles can game the current fuel economy test to deliver mileage estimates way up in the stratosphere. It makes for impressive advertising, like General Motors' touting of the Chevrolet Volt's estimated 230 mpg, but the EPA wants to give a more realistic reflection of the fuel efficiency of these types of cars, and it's not alone.

According to USA Today, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory would like the EPA's new formula to provide buyers information about the efficiency of the vehicle on either of its two fuels, providing two different numbers. An Israeli company also wants more data, pushing for three pieces of information: electricity used when fully charged, electricity consumed to top off the batteries, and how much fuel the range-extending gasoline engine uses when pressed into service.

The new ratings are important to consumers and automakers alike. If accurate, these new ratings would give buyers more insight into what they can actually expect to get. For now, carmakers are holding their breath to determine just what they'll be able to get away with claiming when advertising... let the lobbying begin!

[Source: USA Today]

REPORT: EPA planning to address outlandish fuel economy claims of electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

VIDEO: See how prototype Chevy Volt bodies are built

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

Click above to watch video after the jump

Right now the crew at General Motors' pre-production operations center at the Warren Technical Center is in the midst of building 75 Chevy Volt IVER prototypes. IVERs, or integration vehicle engineering release prototypes, are the last stage of prototypes prior to pilot builds. For these IVER builds, pretty much all of the production intent parts and systems are in place and the intent of the build process is to evaluate final assembly processes. The cars are all built by hand, but the technicians and engineers are testing the build sequence as it will be done on the line to make sure everything actually goes together.

As always, the first stage of final assembly is the body shop. The video after the jump shows stampings that for the Volt that are assembled on jigs and then welded by hand before the complete body is painted. GM will apparently be releasing a series of videos documenting the complete build process, so stay tuned. Check out the first one after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading VIDEO: See how prototype Chevy Volt bodies are built

VIDEO: See how prototype Chevy Volt bodies are built originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

First Drive: Chevrolet Volt powertrain mule [w/VIDEO]

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM, First Drive

Chevy Volt powertrain mule - Click above for high-res gallery

It's been 28 months since we watched Bob Lutz drive onto the stage at Cobo Hall in Detroit and step out of the Chevrolet Volt concept. In the intervening period, a corporate drama of epic proportions has transpired as Lutz has gone into semi-retirement, Rick Wagoner has been ousted as CEO and the U.S. government and the UAW are about to take a 90% ownership stake in General Motors.

In the midst of this corporate chaos, a dedicated group of hundreds of engineers, scientists, designers, technicians and drivers have tried to keep their heads down and out of the line of fire as they worked to make the Volt a production reality. From the time we first saw the original concept, GM has selected a battery supplier (LG Chem), defined the final powertrain configuration and released the production design, among countless other tasks. After more than a year of pestering GM, the call finally came to get behind the wheel of a Volt prototype. Read the results after the jump.

Gallery: First Drive: Chevrolet Volt powertrain mule

Continue reading First Drive: Chevrolet Volt powertrain mule [w/VIDEO]

First Drive: Chevrolet Volt powertrain mule [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Geneva 2009: Opel goes Voltec, Ampera coming in late 2011

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:56:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Green, Opel

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Ampera concept

General Motors Europe boss Carl-Peter Forster began this morning's press conference in Geneva with an acknowledgment of the dire financial straights that the entire industry is experiencing right now. Forster also candidly admitted that GM is currently investigating all options when it comes to changing its relationship with Opel, including outside equity investments. Once he got past all the bad news, however, he introduced the production-intent version of the Opel Ampera. If it looks familiar, it should. If it doesn't, well, what rock have you been hiding under for the last two years? The Ampera is the Opel badged variant of the Chevrolet Volt. It uses the same Voltec powertrain as the Volt, as well as most of its body.

The main differences are the markedly more aggressive front and rear fascias and the black (rather than white) interior. Like the Volt, most of the front fascia is closed off to optimize aerodynamics. The styling of the nose is a mix of the 2007 GTC and Flextreme concepts, and we rather like the bold new look, particularly the chevron-like forms that grow downward from the headlamps.

The Ampera is planned for production in late 2011, about one year after the Volt. A right-hand drive Vauxhall version is scheduled to launch a year after that.

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Geneva 2009: Opel goes Voltec, Ampera coming in late 2011

Geneva 2009: Opel goes Voltec, Ampera coming in late 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BREAKING: GM cancels contracts for Cruze/Volt engine plant

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevy Cruze and its new 1.4L Turbo engine

The bad news just keeps on coming for General Motors and Flint, Michigan. It was reported late last night that construction contracts for the new $370 million engine plant that was going up in Flint have been canceled. GM actually stopped work on the project in early December. The plant was to produce the new 1.4-liter four cylinder engine for the 2011 Chevy Cruze and Volt. GM spokeswoman Sharon Basel told AutoblogGreen that the intention all along had been for engines for the early production runs of the Cruze and Volt to be supplied from a European facility that already builds variants of GM's so-called "Family 0" powertrains. The Flint plant would not have been ready for start of production of Cruze next spring.

With the continuing financial crisis and weak sales, GM's European factory has enough capacity to supply Cruze and Volt for a time so that the automaker can conserve capital. The timing of construction was reaching a point where GM would have had to commit to spending millions of additional dollars that it doesn't have right now. Therefore, the company has opted to cancel the contracts and put the plant on hold until the situation improves. In the meantime, both vehicle programs are still on schedule and otherwise unaffected by these moves.

Gallery: GM Flint Powertrain 1.4L engine

[Source: WJRT-TV 12, AutoblogGreen]

BREAKING: GM cancels contracts for Cruze/Volt engine plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM reported to have chosen Compact Power as Volt battery supplier

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevrolet Volt

Ever since that cold day in January when the Chevrolet Volt concept rolled onto the stage at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the single biggest question has been the battery. More specifically, could GM find a lithium ion battery that would provide 40 miles of range on a charge, last the life of the car and not drive the price into the stratosphere?

Although we still don't have any independent evidence that GM has achieved those goals, the company does claim to be meeting its targets. The first step on the path was evaluating more than two dozen battery suppliers in spring of 2007 followed by the awarding of two development contracts in June of last year. Although Bob Lutz acknowledged that one of those battery suppliers was in the lead last June and in August acknowledged that one had been selected to supply batteries for production, no official announcement had been made.

Reuters is now reporting that Korea's LG Chem and its US subsidiary Compact Power Inc, has won out over the team of Continental and A123 Systems. The official announcement from GM isn't expected until sometime in November. The hold up seems to be that GM and CPI are still negotiating the commercial details including how they will split warranty costs. This latter issue is expected to be a critical factor for the first generation Volt as no one has ever used batteries like this in a high volume automotive applications before.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Live Reveal

[Source: Reuters]

GM reported to have chosen Compact Power as Volt battery supplier originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bob Lutz on Volt: "no reasonable doubt... this is going to work"

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Green, Paris Motor Show, Chevrolet, GM

Bob Lutz has come out and said it again: "I would say there's almost no reasonable doubt in our minds anymore that this is going to work." And that isn't just that the Chevy Volt will work -- it's that it will work on time and as promised. In spite of the difficulties GM has had getting Volt technology up-to-speed within its timeframes, the man upstairs is apparently as confident as ever.

Lutz said that engineers have driven the car to and above its 40-mile pure electric range already. Two companies are still trying to win the lithium-ion battery pack contract, although LG Chem says it has a 3rd-gen unit that's ready to go. Another hurdle is the car's internal combustion range extender starting up, which Lutz described as "noisy and still a little rough."

And of course, it wouldn't be a Lutz piece without him taking a shot at something. Speaking of Toyota's delay in rolling out lithium-ion batteries (although there could be another reason for that), Lutz said Toyota should have faced a bit more scrutiny for that decision. "They told the world that GM was taking a huge risk, that lithium ion batteries were prone to explode and that we were putting our customers at risk and that they would stay with the tried and true. When it comes to Toyota, let me tell you, the press has a short memory." After all of this, if the Volt doesn't show up on time and as promised, GM will need to retool one of its plants to make humble pies.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - spy pics

[Source: Reuters UK]

Bob Lutz on Volt: "no reasonable doubt... this is going to work" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bob Lutz blogs about first drive in Volt mule

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet

Bob Lutz has gotten behind the wheel of a Chevy Volt mule, and he seems rather impressed -- both by the performance of its electric drivetrain's instant torque capabilities and the far-reaching impact that the electric vehicle could have on the marketplace. Of course, we are all familiar by now with the wallet-killing gas prices that are commonplace at our nation's stations, and Lutz was struck with just how important the Volt project truly is as he drove around and saw gas hovering around (and over) $4 bucks a gallon.

Although the vehicle that Lutz drove is still very much an engineering mule, the battery pack installed in the electric car was a lithium ion unit which has already been tested in the lab. Apparently, this first test-pack was delivered back in April, which marks a bit of a watershed moment in the development of the Volt. It's way too early in the development of the E-Flex platform to get your checkbooks out, as Lutz clearly states, but actual moving prototypes powered by lithium ion batteries is an important milestone. Read the official blog posting by the man himself here.

[Source: GM Fastlane Blog]

Bob Lutz blogs about first drive in Volt mule originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lutz declares that first Volt mule is running 40 miles on battery power

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM

According to Bob Lutz, the first Chevy Volt powertrain mule has just passed a major milestone. After several weeks of testing in the lab with a battery pack installed, the Malibu based pre-prototype has rolled out into the fresh air. In fact, according to Lutz, the car has even rolled ~~passed~~ past the security gates of the Milford Proving Ground to drive around on public roads. Even in this early, very rough, form, Lutz says the car is meeting and exceeding the goal of 40 miles of driving without running the engine. With this, the E-Flex engineers have demonstrated the performance viability of this concept. However, they still have a long way to go in validating the robustness of the system in different operating environments as well as the long-term durability of the powertrain as a whole. Perhaps the biggest issue to address is the cost of the system, particularly the battery pack. For GM to sell the Volt at an affordable price at launch, they will likely be taking a significant loss due to the cost of the batteries. When that cost comes down, GM will finally be able to crank up production.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer]

Lutz declares that first Volt mule is running 40 miles on battery power originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 May 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GM considering all-electric Volt to meet Cali requirements? How about no battery?

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Technology, Chevrolet, GM

The hopes and dreams of electric car aficionados for a purely battery powered successor to the late, lamented EV1 may soon be satisfied. Or not. It all depends on ... you guessed it, the battery. However, the latest utterings from Maximum Bob have people buzzing again. Mr. Lutz spoke to EV site PetroZero the other day and intimated that a purely battery-powered variant of the upcoming Volt is a possibility, leaving the range extender on the cutting room floor. This is actually not a new idea and dates back to the earliest dates of the Volt program. During a media briefing back in December 2006 several weeks before the Volt's public release, the Volt team showed us images like the one above that included several different powertrain configurations. The premise was to demonstrate the flexibility part of E-Flex. This included a variant with a larger battery and no engine to charge it. This pure EV was described as something that could be built if and when the range and more importantly the cost of the battery reaches a point where it could be successful in the market. Ditching the battery. on the other hand, won't happen because the inefficiencies inherent in transforming from mechanical to electrical to mechanical power without a battery to store regen energy and grid power just wouldn't make sense.

Finally, the PetroZero article indicates that Lutz will be driving the first Volt prototype within the next week. Lutz's use of the word prototype rather than mule led the author to believe this was an actual car with Volt bodywork. We checked with GM's Rob Peterson, who confirmed that such actual prototypes are still many months away and Lutz would actually be driving the Malibu-bodied mule that is now running with a lithium ion pack installed.

[Source: PetroZero via AutoblogGreen]

GM considering all-electric Volt to meet Cali requirements? How about no battery? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments