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Chevy Volt Dinner Meeting With GM Executives

August 12th, 2007 | Posted in: Battery, Engineering

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Michelle Krebs who is a veteran auto reporter had the chance to site down with several GM execs involved in producing the Chevy Volt. Consider this discussion the third part of the series coming out of Traverse City, Michigan centered around the CAR (Center for Automotive Research) meeting at which Bob Lutz announced the A123 deal.  Michelle’s observations appears in this report for Edmunds Auto Observer.
She seemed impressed with Dr. David Cole, CAR Chairman who has a long record of being a leading automotive engineering expert. She mentioned how many times he said “Wow” during the round table discussion and quotes him as calling the car “a game-changer” (how about fundamental frameshifter). She also talks a lot about the lithium ion technology and A123’s version of it. Much of that we have previously covered in the GM-Volt.com interview with Bart Riley, Co-Founder and CTO of A123.

An interesting comment was that Frank Weber, GM VP involved in integrating the batteries into the Volt, claimed placing the batteries under the car seems to compromise handling. Instead he noted GM plans to make the batteries “part of the structure”. That would seem to be the end of the swapping theory our readers suggest, and underscores the fact of how reliable the pack structure will have to be, as presumably repair access my become limited.

She mentioned some of the same things Nick Zielinksi told us at GM-Volt.com; that thermal regulation is a big challenge, and that there will be several different version of the Volt built for testing.

Jon Laukner, head of the Volt program noted that the current number of 150 engineers assigned to the Volt program will soon rise to 200. and she noted the only possible challenge to the success of the program to produce the Volt will be if oil quite unexpectedly drops to 10$/barrel.  Consider it unchallenged!

Posted by: Lyle

6 Responses to “Chevy Volt Dinner Meeting With GM Executives”


  1. Jean-Charles Jacquemin
    Vote -1 Vote +1Jean-Charles Jacquemin     Says:
    August 13th, 2007 at 2:24 am

    Here are good news, especially for us in Western Europe. It’s the first time that we read in an interview that GM intends to sell the Volt overseas from the US.
    Thanks again Lyle to keep us informed at such a short time notice.  

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  2. Matt986
    Vote -1 Vote +1Matt986     Says:
    August 13th, 2007 at 10:32 am

    You didn’t hear about Opel’s E-Flex deal recently? Opel does sell in Europe, if I’m not mistaken. ;)

    Anyway, it’s good news to hear assuring things like in this article. The Volt will be a game changer!  

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  3. Steven B
    Vote -1 Vote +1Steven B     Says:
    August 13th, 2007 at 11:17 am

    I read the article and am excited about the progress of the project. I’m scheduled to finish payment of my current car in May of 2011 and am planning on my next car being a Volt. But when reading the article, the thing that really stood out to me was the mention of two more E-flex models to be presented soon, a Sequel E-flex variant, and another E-flex vehicle with a large battery and a 3-liter range-extender! What on Earth could this be??? That’ll have to be massive, it seems. Is it for an E-flex Tahoe or Hummer or something? Because it seems that the rule for the size of an engine for a range-extender is about half to a third the size of the engine for a comparable ICE, so that translates into what be used in a large V8. Does anybody know?  

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  4. Jean-Charles Jacquemin
    Vote -1 Vote +1Jean-Charles Jacquemin     Says:
    August 13th, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    In reply to Matt986,

    Thanks, I was on holydays in Spain when Carl-Peter Forster, head of GM Europe, said on July 17th to the german magazine Auto-moto und Sport that Opel will present a concept car on the basis of the Volt at the IIA at Frakfurt as soon as mid-september.

    I just found it today, moreover I said that an Opel-Volt Volt is hoped to be on sale in Western Europe by the end of 2010.

    Here is the link to their website (in german) with a transcript of the interview : http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/news/wirtschaft_-_handel/hxcms_article_505519_14140.hbs

    My wife and myself drive two Opels that will be five and six years old in the end of 2010. I ‘ll chahge them for for two Opel-Volts.

    Thanks again  

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  5. Paul
    Vote -1 Vote +1Paul     Says:
    August 16th, 2007 at 12:07 am

    Steven B Said:

    “But when reading the article, the thing that really stood out to me was the mention of two more E-flex models to be presented soon, a Sequel E-flex variant, and another E-flex vehicle with a large battery and a 3-liter range-extender! What on Earth could this be??? ”

    If I were GM, I would consider using the E-Flex as the foundation of a new EV1. A sporty yet very aerodynamic and fuel efficient two-seater. I’m sure a lot of people would buy it, and it would be a way to put a positive spin on all their negative press from “Who Killed The Electric Car”.  

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  6. shanda garcia
    Vote -1 Vote +1shanda garcia     Says:
    November 7th, 2009 at 2:44 am

    Fantastic blog post. Iam not the type of guy who often write a blog, but i want to know where you get your data from?  

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