Autoblog

REPORT: GM sees more demand than supply with the Chevy Volt in the beginning

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

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

General Motors has already said the Chevrolet Volt will be in short supply at launch. But that isn't stopping Bob Lutz from going out and talking about how popular the hybrid already is -- even though it hasn't gone on sale. Lutz told Automotive News that the promotional efforts GM has laid on thick are working. Once the car is further along in the production process, Lutz says GM will "pull out the heavy artillery and get Volt buzz" going, hinting that a short-term test drive/lease like Project Driveway is being considered.

Over 50,000 people have signed up on the "want list" at GM-Volt.com, more than doubling since the Volt debuted. To keep up with projected demand, GM's Dave Barthmuss repeatedly told attendees at this weekend's Alt Car expo in Santa Monica that the automaker will build "tens of thousands" of Volt units in the first year. For comparison, Nissan has collected names of about 22,000 people interested in the all-electric Leaf in the two months since it was unveiled.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

REPORT: GM sees more demand than supply with the Chevy Volt in the beginning originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi U.S. president Johan de Nysschen addresses Chevrolet Volt is for idiots firestorm via Facebook

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Audi, Electric, Diesel

Audi of America president Johan de Nysschen has issued a public response to the firestorm he created yesterday when he reportedly told a member of the media that the Chevrolet Volt is "a car for idiots." Anyone who has met de Nysschen in person knows he is not one to mince words. He (and Audi) has been a strong proponent of diesel technology as an important near-to-mid-term method to reduce petroleum consumption, but given that Audi is planning electric vehicles of their own - at least in concept form - the remark caught many offguard.

In his new statement released on Audi's Facebook page, de Nysschen declares that he doesn't specifically remember using the words attributed to him, although he doesn't deny the sentiment behind them. Essentially, he, along with many others, is highly dubious of the viability of General Motors' ER-EV concept, particularly from an economic standpoint. de Nysschen also highlights the fact that government policies are one of the driving forces behind electrification.

While noting that in the long-term, electrified propulsion systems will be a major part of the transportation system, he points out that many questions remain unresolved including the readiness of the power grid and generation systems to support large quantities of EVs.

Just as de Nysschen questions these elements, many will make precisely the opposite argument. The reality is likely to fall somewhere in between, with a number of these technologies playing an important part for the foreseeable future. The grid is probably more ready than most doubters think, but the time frame for driving down the cost of batteries may not be so easy to tackle. Increasingly efficient internal combustion engines will be critical, especially for long distance travel. While history sorts out what technologies will be winners over the long haul, you can read de Nysschen's statement right now after the jump. What do you think? Drop your fellow reader a line in 'Comments.'

[Source: Aud i | Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading Audi U.S. president Johan de Nysschen addresses Chevrolet Volt is for idiots firestorm via Facebook

Audi U.S. president Johan de Nysschen addresses Chevrolet Volt is for idiots firestorm via Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #140

Dan Roth — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Hybrid, Performance, Etc., Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Design/Style

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #140 of the Autoblog Podcast is going to just squeak under the wire for the weekend. It's late, and we're going to blame the new guy. Jonny Lieberman joined Chris and Dan for a few moments between bouts of Skype-drop-itis, and the trio started off blithely to discuss the Autoblog Garage and then the Ferrari 458 Italia before giving up on J-Leib for the night. Down a man, Chris and Dan carry on and cover the Cadillac ATS and XTS, along with the Chevrolet Volt's controversial 230 MPG city rating. In between, of course, is plenty of Autoblog inside baseball, including an especially good tangent where Shunk starts psychoanalyzing the team. We cap it off by answering a bunch of questions, and that's it. At least there's value there, as we continue for 80 minutes. Let us know what you think by sending a note to Podcast at Autoblog Dot Com, or hit up our survey, and iTunes users can also leave reviews at the Autoblog Podcast iTunes page. Thanks for listening, we'll see you again early next week!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #140

Autoblog Podcast #140 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama's Auto Task Force to arrive in Detroit today, drive GM's Volt

Chris Shunk — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GM, Earnings/Financials

General Motors and Chrysler representatives have just gone through two weeks with President Obama's newly-formed automotive task force, and now it's time for the political types to gain some insight into automotive production. The task force is headed to Detroit this morning to get a crash course on the intricacies that go into making a car or truck, including meetings with automakers and the United Auto Workers. The meetings carry a lot of weight considering the fact that GM and Chrysler have stated that they will need more federal loans by the end of the month to keep out of bankruptcy. During their tour of the city, task force members will get a test drive in a Chevrolet Volt prototype and tour the Dodge Ram truck plant.

The task force's job is to study the automaker's plans and determine if additional funds will lead to future viability or if the government is simply throwing good money after bad. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that he's looking to see if the restructuring efforts show that the automakers are "on a path to long-term viability without government support." GM, which has already received $13.4 billion in loans, is seeking up to an additional $16.6 billion and Chrysler is looking for an additional $5 billion in addition to the $4 billion it has already received.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd; Associated Press | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Obama's Auto Task Force to arrive in Detroit today, drive GM's Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volt SS? Chevrolet considering turbocharged 1.4-liter for Volt

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, Rumormill

The Chevrolet Volt mystery may have unfolded just a bit more as GM-Volt.com is reporting that GM CEO Rick Wagoner has confirmed that the General is considering a 1.4L four cylinder engine for the production Volt. So far, nothing official has been announced, but the decision to use the 1.4L engine would make plenty of financial sense. After all, it's the same engine that is expected to power the first-generation Chevy Cruze, which may actually follow the Volt to market. Both the Volt and the Cruze will sit atop the next Delta platform, another bit of cost savings. We'd imagine that Chevy could drop the turbocharger and run the engine on the Atkinson cycle while still making plenty of power for this application.

GM has promised fuel mileage of around 50 mpg when operating in range-extended mode as the engine provides the power for the electric motor's operation. Equivalent miles per gallon will be highly dependent on the final output of the lithium battery pack, and the engine still won't be required for the first 40 miles of operation. What's more, the internal combustion engine will have little to do with actual performance numbers like acceleration or top speed. Therefore, we don't really care what engine GM chooses for the Volt so long as its original mileage targets aren't sacrificed along the way.

[Source: MLive.com via GM-Volt.com]

Volt SS? Chevrolet considering turbocharged 1.4-liter for Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #95

Dan Roth — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:56:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Green, Technology, Opinion/Editorial

For Autoblog Podcast #95, we mix it up again, and this time Chris Shunk has corralled Alex Nunez and Sam Abuelsamid. We're using our time honored format -- we hit the Autoblog Garage first (some awesome stuff in it recently), then move on to news. We hit some nuggets like the LF-A crash, the Chevy Volt subsidies fight in Congress, and $10 airbags, to name a few. It all wraps up with some listener emails, one of our favorite parts of the podcast. We'll take the 'cast for another spin next week, thanks for listening!

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Autoblog Podcast #95 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 May 2008 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM may lease Chevy Volt batteries

John Neff — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:44:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, GM

In order to sell the Chevy Volt for $30,000 or less, General Motors is considering leasing the lithium-ion batteries to customers who buy the car. As AutoblogGreen points out, renting car parts is an innovative strategy to get the Volt to market in time and at the right price. Having a car payment and a battery payment, however, might not be fun for Volt owners. The upside, however, is that GM would presumably warranty the batteries for the life of the lease, easing concerns over what happens to the battery packs if and when they fail.

In a way, GM has used this tactic in the past. Back in the day, the EV1 electric car was only available to lease, not to own. Of course, as most of us know, leasing the EV1s eventually bit GM in the arse when it went to retrieve the cars and encountered significant resistance from owners who had become attached to them. This plan seems to get around that issue, as a Volt owner will actually own his car, just not the batteries. Of course, if GM ever decides to ask for the battery packs back, owners may be left with a giant generator on wheels.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

GM may lease Chevy Volt batteries originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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