GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

By now we’ve all heard about DaimlerChrysler’s woes in terms of financial losses. Reports are now beginning to surface that GM may be in talks to buy the Chrysler division. As we’ve reported in a previous post, DC has already released a fleet of 20 lithium-battery powered PHEVs for a pilot program. There could be significant synergy in the development of the E-Flex system if GM buys Chrysler. There have also been reports about how GM hopes to be able to roll out the E-flex PHEV (Volt) on a worldwide level by fitting it to the already low cost high economy of scale Cobalt platform. Gm has said that that platform will physically receive the E-flex motor and batteries well.

Today a report of an interview with Bob Lutz at the close of the Chicago auto show was published. He is quoted as saying many interesting things, such as the fact that GM is expected to lose money on the introduction of the Volt. He also reported to say that GM hopes to have the Volt in production by 2010.

He alludes to a roadmap in which the Volt E-flex paradigm is the first step towards future models (?hydrogen powered) and that the initial vehicle will be based on the Cobalt platform.

Another good review on the current crop of battery companies, their current projects and their future projects appeared in USA today over the weekend. See article here. An interesting note is that A123 is considering an IPO. Yet another politician with the Volt appears in the accompanying photo.

A great new article written by Tony Whitney appeared in the Vancouver Sun. It can be viewed here.

The author seems to have some inside information on the battery and mentions that it is heavier than the goal battery for production. So it seems that not only do we have price, safety, lifetime, and temperature range issues, but we have a battery prototype that needs to go on a diet!

On Monday Feb 5th, 13 midwest states set a daily record for winter energy use at 119,206 megawatts as supplied by PJM Interconnection. These numbers are very similar to the peak energy use in summer months, with the idea being more electricity is used in heating homes, and at night. The highest prior day of use came in 2005.

So not only are we seeing energy grid demand increasing in the summer months due to air conditioner use, but also in the winter months.

Now lets add to this scenario 1 million plus Volts (or similar PHEVs) sucking from the grid every night. Yes we may initially save money at the pump, but that power has to come from somewhere.

This will increase demand dramatically, which will lead to supply shortages, increased prices, and increased greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

We must be careful about shifting energy use as opposed to eliminating it, and not be lulled into a false sense of complacency.

Ok so here we are getting all excited about the GM Volt and the new era or paradigm of electric cars running on Li-ion batteries recharges by whatever fuel is avaiable. We love the concpet, embrace the idea and GM is winning big public relation support. All we need is the cheaper, safer, more durable Li-ion battery. And we have billions of reasearch dollars pouring in. All is great right?

Well some people are beginning to say there might not be enough lithium on the planet to create batteries for all 1 billion cars on the planet! Hows that for a curve ball?

Lithium like oil or coal, is extracted from mines or salt fileds. These are limited in number and supply. And many of them are in South AMerica..Oh No not Chavez again!

Perhaps instead of Peak Oil, perhaps we’ll soon be worrying about Peak Lithium.

To read more about this check out this article.