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The EV-1 Wasn’t Killed, it Was Dead on Arrival

Posted in: General

MotorTrend’s Angus MacKenzie has published a provocative and thoughtful piece on the inadequacies of the EV-1. Many new visitors to GM-Volt.com seem to get here after seeing Who Killed the Electric Car, something I ascertain through many of the emails I get.
In the Motortrend piece it was explained that the EV-1 evolved from an earlier [...]

Popularity: 6%

Posted by: Lyle with 45 Comments

GM-Volt.com Readership Survey Results

May 11th, 2008 | Posted in: General with 34 Comments

Several days ago, many of you were gracious enough to take an advertising company’s readership survey. As promised, I have the results. This can give you an idea of who is coming to this site and a little bit of their behavior.
The survey results in detail and graphically represented are HERE.
689 people responded. [...]

Popularity: 7%

Continental CEO Thinks They Have Good Chance of Winning Volt Contract

May 10th, 2008 | Posted in: Battery, General with 75 Comments

Continental Automotive and A123 Systems are one of the two Volt battery-making partnerships, pitted against LG Chem and Compact Power. Conti CEO Manfred Wennemer told Reuters that his company has a "good chance" of being awarded the Volt’s battery contract. He also said "it is not going to be decisive for the future [...]

Popularity: 11%

Lutz: Dynamometer Tests on First Volt Prototype Proving Successful

May 9th, 2008 | Posted in: Prototypes, Test drive with 81 Comments

Previously we heard that Bob Lutz was about to test drive the completed lithium-ion battery powered Chevy Volt prototype vehicle. This is very true, but it hasn’t happened just yet.
GM vice-chairman and Volt shepherd Bob Lutz tells GM-Volt “we hope to drive it on the road next week.”
Lutz’ enthusiasm is palpable, just like ours! With [...]

Popularity: 17%

Should the Volt Have a Free-Wheel Glide Pedal Position?

May 8th, 2008 | Posted in: Efficiency, Engineering with 106 Comments

The following is a guest post by one of our regular readers, George K:
Lyle, you just had a great topic on features we’d like to see in Volt II. I’d like to share with you my #1 feature request for Volt I… “Pulse and Glide”.
Using it, you will get better mileage, and it’s fun to [...]

Popularity: 19%

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Spy Photo

May 7th, 2008 | Posted in: Production with 56 Comments

Why would we be interested in the 2010 Cobalt’s appearance on GM-Volt.com?
Well, this next generation Cobalt will be built on the same platform as the Chevy Volt. It is GM’s next generation global compact architecture platform called Global Delta.
I must make it clear, the photo is a spy photo of the Cobalt NOT [...]

Popularity: 20%

More Details About the E-Flex Opel Program

May 7th, 2008 | Posted in: General with 96 Comments

More good news for our European friends, GM CEO Rick Wagoner gave out some more details about the Opel E-Flex program.
For one thing, he seemed to acknowledge a shift in plans, noting the Opel Flextreme would go on to production and interestingly have even more interior room than the initial concept.
Also he told reporters there [...]

Popularity: 22%

Gas and the Chevy Volt: Change Your Fuel, Not Your Oil

May 5th, 2008 | Posted in: Fuel, General with 138 Comments

As we know, the Chevy Volt should be able to drive for 40 or more miles on pure electricity when fully charged. Since most drivers travel less than 40 miles per day, it is quite possible gas could sit in the tank without ever or hardly ever being burned. Indeed, GM engineers decided [...]

Popularity: 32%

GM-Volt.com Chevy Volt Waiting List Reaches 20,000 Members

May 4th, 2008 | Posted in: Production with 74 Comments

We have reached another milestone here at GM-Volt.com. As of today, over 20,000 people have expressed interest in buying a Chevy Volt when it arrives by signing up on our virtual waiting list.
When the site began, it was my hope that I could create a place where we could demonstrate to GM that we [...]

Popularity: 31%

Electric Cars and Utility Companies

May 3rd, 2008 | Posted in: Charging, Grid with 105 Comments

We all cant wait to get into our Chevy Volts and drive off on electric power. After all, what could be better than not using gasoline for most driving needs? We are aware the source of energy for the Volts battery will be the electric grid. All indications are that the energy costs [...]

Popularity: 36%

GM CEO Admits to Dedicated Production E-Flex Opel Program

May 2nd, 2008 | Posted in: Brand, E-Flex, E-REV, Opel with 74 Comments

In September GM introduced the Opel Flextreme crossover concept vehicle which was based on an E-Flex drivetrain platform with a diesel range extender, and a 34 mile lithium-ion battery electric range.
By December Frank Weber had told us that the Flextreme was not production intent.
Also we have been told that the Chevy Volt is intended [...]

Popularity: 36%

GM CEO Wagoner: 2010 Volt Launch Remains On Schedule and Optimism Building and Did He Say $20,000?

May 1st, 2008 | Posted in: Timeline with 104 Comments

GM CEO Rick Wagoner spent some time with reporters today in San Francisco after giving a speech at the Commonwealth Club today.
In the not-too-distant past he had said the 2010 Volt launch was not guaranteed.
However today he said "so far we’re on schedule."
And in response to the fact that Volt battery development work was [...]

Popularity: 47%

If the Volt’s Cost is About the Batteries, How Much Do the Batteries Cost?

May 1st, 2008 | Posted in: Battery, Financial with 83 Comments

Previously I shared GM vice-chair Bob Lutz’ discussion on how much the Volt will cost, and it boiled down to how much suppliers will charge GM for the lithium-ion battery packs, clearly the biggest chunk of the total cost of the car.
As Lutz has said, one of the motivating factors for using lithium-ion cells, is that [...]

Popularity: unranked