Autoblog

GM celebrated its 100th anniversary by unleashing the production 2011 Chevy Volt to the world. It was a great way to show that the General is working hard on innovative transportation to kick off its next 100 years, but we're still two years and a month away from being able to actually buy a Volt. Until that time, we're forced to gather intelligence as it becomes available without being able to get behind the wheel.

Thanks to the Volt-o-files over at GM-Volt.com, we now know what the Volt looks like when it's traveling on the open road. The video after the jump shows the Volt strolling around GM's closed course proving grounds in Milford, Michigan. The two-minute clip reveals very little of the Volt's capabilities because it's chugging along at a leisurely pace, and the Coldplay soundtrack hides the Volt's audio, which should be limited to rolling tires and an electric motor. You do, however, get to see the Volt on the road, as well as some functional views of the Volt's interior. Hey, we'll take what we can get.


[Source: Autoblog Green]

The 2011 Chevy Volt has been getting the lion's share of news on the EV front, but it could be jostling for attention in late 2010 with an all-EV sedan from Tesla. Tesla has secured $100 million in private equity and another $150 million in loan guarantees from the federal government to build a new factory in San Jose, CA. The company on Wednesday announced that the facility would build the $60,000 Model S sedan, which was originally dubbed Whitestar. The new Tesla plant will be able to produce 11,000 Model S sedans per year by the end of 2011, giving customers a much more mainstream EV entry than the $100,000 Tesla Roadster.

We haven't heard too much about the Model S sedan, but earlier in the year Tesla co-founder Elan Musk said there could be a fully functioning prototype and a finalized design by the end of 2008. We're with you in hoping it looks as good as the Tesla Roadster while providing similar range in a more family-friendly package.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

General Motors' goal for the exterior of the 2011 Chevy Volt is to create as much pizazz as possible with superior aerodynamics to ensure the least amount of parasitic loss for the electric drivetrain. The interior, however, is all about how the driver interacts with the vehicle. And with the Volt, GM designers attempted to pull off a Buck Rodgers meets Apple iPod theme.

A quick glance at the futuristic Volt interior shows a very unique approach to integrating design and technology. The first thing we noticed was that GM decided to use two seven-inch LCD screens, with one working as the main driver instrument panel (no gauge cluster here) and the other for everything from navigation to tracking battery charges. Both screens are user configurable, and two different configurations can be saved for two different drivers.

Follow the jump for more including a video demonstration of the Chevy Volt's interior by one of its designers.

The Tesla Roadster launch has been anything but silky-smooth, but the upstart EV automaker hopes its problems are in the rear view mirror with the completion of Drivetrain 1.5, which includes an upgraded electric motor and swapping the original two-speed automatic transmission for a Borg Warner-sourced one speed. The changes will improve the Tesla Roadster's instant torque from 211 to 280 lb-ft while also improving its range by 10% to a shockingly impressive 244 miles.

Drivetrain 1.5 also means Tesla can finally ramp up production of its well-publicized roadster. Within the next few weeks, Tesla will begin producing 10 Roadsters per week. By next March, that number will increase to 40 samples per week, which will go a long way toward satisfying demand for the sexy EV. The new, upgraded Drivetrain 1.5 is so much better than the mechanicals it replaces, Tesla will keeps its promise and retrofit the 38 models already produced and delivered with the new equipment. Hit the jump to view Tesla's official press release.


[Source: Autoblog Green]

Toyota is the undisputed leader in the hybrid space, and the Japanese automaker is looking to expand its kingdom by adding an all-electric vehicle to the mix. While there are few details available, Toyota has said the EV would likely be an urban city-type vehicle that will be available in the "early 2010s". Hopefully it will be more accommodating than Toyota's last attempt at an EV: the eCom (above), which used the innards of the RAV4 EV to achieve a top speed of 62 mph and a range of just 60 miles. Toyota's new EV, however, will be preceded in 2009 by the arrival of the brand's first plug-in Prius hybrid.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Flexstreme.

The first Chevy Volt and its E-Flex brethren are still more than two years away, but vice chairman and corporate quote machine Bob Lutz is already targeting 2020 for 1 million annual worldwide sales. The lofty target would go a long way towards the General's goal of meeting tough fuel economy and CO2 standards in the U.S. and Europe, while also providing customers a mass-market choice that can run mainly on electricity. While E-Flex will be a big part of GM's long-term plans, the technology will be slowly introduced to the buying public and ramped up as battery costs drop. Europe will get 30,000 E-Flex equipped vehicles in 2011, but at a starting price of about £32,000. GM introduced its E-Flex based Flextreme concept last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

We're excited about any vehicle that promises 40 miles on electricity alone and 150 mpg or more for extended driving. Here's hoping we see 1 million units in 2020 or even before, and lets hope Mr. Lutz, who will be nearly 90 by that time, is around to see it.



[Source: Times Online]

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has held to his belief that hybrids are not the answer to the fuel efficiency question. The Japanese automaker came out with a very capable Altima hybrid last year, but it was Toyota technology purchased to help Nissan look good in the short term. Nissan has been betting most of its R&D dollars on electric vehicles, and the fruit of its engineering labors will be first seen stateside in 2010. It's important to note that Nissan intends to launch the technology here in the States, which is significant because Japanese automakers typically launch new technology in their home market first before U.S. customers ever see it.

Nissan hasn't revealed much about the vehicle besides a 2010 release date, but we do know that the automaker is working to install charging stations in many urban parking garages and railway stations in the U.S. A robust EV charging infrastructure will quell critics' worries that electric vehicles' limited range will prevent the technology from becoming a mainstream answer for gasoline power. It'll be interesting to see if Nissan can surprise the car-buying public with a game-breaking EV before GM and Toyota can deliver the Volt and plug-in Prius.

[Source: Detroit News]

Click above more another shot of the Hybrid Technologies supercar

The electric sportscar world, with Tesla as the only major player at the moment, may be getting a little more crowded as Hybrid Technologies is planning to produce a new vehicle with which to attack the Automotive X Prize. Known specifications are very limited so far, but engineers from the project are talking about Corvette ZR1-style performance numbers. According to Popular Mechanics, there are two versions of the electric supercar currently in development, both an extended-range electric-vehicle and a fully electric version.

Fuel mileage numbers from the hybrid are expected to crest 220 miles per gallon, which would be very impressive indeed, although that figure probably doesn't include the cost to charge the batteries. As of right now, we can't confirm any sort of sale date, but the company would be happy to sell you an all electric MINI Cooper for a cool 60 grand or so. With pricing like that, we're not counting on getting a cut-rate electric car from Hybrid Technologies, but sales of a super car like this could help bring more affordable electric vehicles to market, which would be more than welcome.


[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Being green is all the rage these days, but for some, it's also economical. That's the thought behind the Connellsville, PA Police Department's newest cruiser, a 2000 Chevrolet Impala converted into an all-electric vehicle. The car was just delivered to the precinct today from United First Responders, LLC, the company who built the prototype EV cop car and will be monitoring its use over the next two years. The electric fuzz buster will operate for a full eight hour shift on one charge, and using a 240-volt outlet will recharge fully in just two hours. On pure electrons, that 8-hour shift will cost the city only 35 cents, compared to between $3 and $4 for a gas-powered cruiser. The battery back will last about five years, but the car is limited by its aversion to heavy rain, which could damage the electrical circuits. That's a significant limitation they should look into fixing quickly, as criminals all over Connellsville will have a field day during Spring when April showers begin to fall.

Thanks to Dominick for the tip.

[Source: Tribune-Review]

If we're honest, most decisions in the business world, especially in the auto industry, aren't made for altruistic reasons. Money is the name of the game, and as the environment is becoming a much talked about issue around the dinner table, many automakers are realizing that it's in their best interest, financially speaking, to develop greener vehicles.

Craig Bramscher, the CEO of Brammo Motorsports, which builds the Ariel Atom in the U.S., seems to have changed the course of his company's direction based on the revelation that it could be making less of an impact on the environment. Brammo had been developing a new supercar called the Rogue GT that was to be powered by a V12 engine swilling gasoline like there was no tomorrow. Since Bramscher has realized there is a tomorrow, however, he's changed the product plan to make the supercar all-electric and renamed it the Enertia GT. This could be the beginning of a lineup of EV vehicles from Brammo, as it just unveiled an all-electric motorcycle last week called the Enertia. While the Enertia GT is likely to have a lower top speed than the Rogue GT due to the switch, acceleration is expected to improve. There's no word on what type of batteries the car will use or how far it will go on a charge, either.

While one could certainly question Bramscher's motivation for going green (one might argue you can attract more attention with an electric supercar than it could with one powered by a V12 engine), it appears the CEO just grew a soft spot for Mother Earth and is changing his dirty ways.

[Source: Winding Road]