GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Bob Lutz was interviewed by the Detroit Press and the article was published today.  In it he gave us some very important new details.

He told them that GM received the first experimental battery packs from LG Chem/CPI Tuesday, October 30th (cooling system not included).  He also said that A123 packs would arrive in Decemeber.

He also tells us that indeed late model Malibus will serve as the mules and be up and running in the first quarter of 2008.

Furthermore, he goes on to say the production model Volt will have a “more traditional” front end, definitely be called the Chevrolet Volt, and that he hopes for 60,000 to 100,000 vehicles to be produced in the first model year.

My hearts pumping, how about you?!

Source (Detroit Free Press)

Thanks to Kent Beuchert who picked this up first.

Digg this post here: (DIGG)

This is the second part of my recent interview with Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Nick Zielinksi.

Topics on the video:

-Charging issues
-Hydrogen
-Mules
-Efficiency
-Future product plans
-Certainty of production

A new start-up company announced its launch yesterday. This company is called “Project Better Place. Their idea is to create a subscription-based charging system for plug-in electric cars. This system would operate like a cell phone network, driver’s could roam anywhere, plug-in and charge their cars where it is convenient. They would be billed from the Project Better Place network who would have arrangements with multiple local utilities.

The company hopes to set up charging centers where one can drive in and fill up with electricity automatically, or for longer drives, battery exchange depots.

In another twist, they see an opportunity aligning themselves with electric carmakers (apparently they are in talks with five) Just like you can get a cheap cell phone when you sign up with one of the wireless carriers, you could get a less expensive lease for electric cars that have signed up with Project Better Place.

The company is headed by Shai Agassi, former SAP software president and is half funded by two Israeli companies. The location for this project rollout is yet undisclosed but likely to target high density population areas beginning in three countries, initial testing is to begin in 2008, and 100,000 car enrollment is expected by the end of 2010.

When you listen to this guy talk, you get the idea this will be a VERY BIG DEAL. Indeed it is the highest capital funding for a greentech company to date.

CNBC Video: (LINK)

Project Better Place Presentation (LINK)

First of all, to be clear, EnerDel has not been selected to make the Volt’s battery pack. They are on our site because the government selected them as one of 5 companies to receive research funding (some of those dollars come from GM).

Today they made public the specs on the HEV (not PHEV) lithium-ion pack they recently revealed. This allows us some insight into what is needed for the Volt project.

The technical presentation is here: (LINK)

Better quality, less content, see our favorite concept car actually move:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYri9hPgVzQ]

I just had the chance to speak with Nick Zielinksi about the most recent Chevy Volt developments including among other topics, the rationale for recent executive restructuring and a discussion about highway driving range. See video below:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk0YOekzhNI]