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E-Flex Surprise Coming in Detroit Auto Show 2008
We have some reliable but unverified information that GM is planning an “E-Flex surprise” for the world at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
You will remember Detroit 2007 was where GM announced the Chevy Volt to the world. Since then we have seen the fuel cell Volt unveiled in Shanghai, and the Opel Flextreme in Frankfurt illustrating a different body type and the possibility for a diesel range-extender.
Now what does GM have up their sleeves?
Let your fantasies run away with you. I’m sure we could come up with a lot of possibilities.
As for me, I’d like to see a working prototype in the production form factor.
How about you?
42 Responses to “E-Flex Surprise Coming in Detroit Auto Show 2008”
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Let’s hope for a prototype that lives up to the specifications. Still, it’s only October and this speculation tends to backfire. GM should be careful about releases like this.
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Since we are fantasizing, how about production car number 1 of 60,000 with a model year of 2008. Gosh, I hope it isn’t something with a Fuel Cell. I think I’ll puke.
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Here’s my guess — A hydrogen Chevy Silverado with a coal fired range extender.
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Realistically I think it will be something along the lines of a break through in the battery pack to assure the success of the VOLT. Maybe even an early program for the production of the VOLT.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:04 am
How about a version with a Cd of 0.19 – the same as an EV-1? Surely the science of aerodynamics has advanced enough since the days of the EV-1 to make this feasible.
How about a version that weighs 2500#? I was going to say 2200, but I guess you can only fantasize so far.
Best of all, how about Rashiid’s suggestion that the release date would be pulled ahead. If not 2008 then 2009? I am running out of patience. Every day that passes increases the risk that Toyota, Honda, BYD(!) or someone else will drop a bombshell and steal all of the thunder and leadership mystique.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:05 am
I’m thinking we’ll see another vehicle or two based on the E-Flex for 2011. Perhaps a small pick-up and/or crossover.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:07 am
I bet it will just be a test mule so that people can see the components.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:25 am
I’m with Ryan – let’s see more E-Flex vehicles!
By the way, when is the 2008 Detroit Auto Show?
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October 18th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Jan 19th through Jan 27th 2008
http://www.naias.com/Default.aspx
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October 18th, 2007 at 11:27 am
How about GM repenting what they did to EV1, and restart EV1 production?
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October 18th, 2007 at 11:53 am
“Surely the science of aerodynamics has advanced enough since the days of the EV-1 to make this feasible.”
No, we are limitted to the theoretical most slippery form possible. And to be accepted this car will certainly be car shaped. Aerodynamics was a pretty damn mature science in the 90’s you know. Don’t expect amazing things to happen without radical shaping and removal of cargo space
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October 18th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Maybe it’s a PHEV Chevy Silverado or Avalanche? capable of running on biofuels.
But if I were to really dream it would be an all electric car(thats not butt ugly) packaged with an electricity provider that uses renewable sources, then add on an aux jack the entertainment console for my mp3 player and I’d be a happy camper.
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October 18th, 2007 at 11:57 am
My vote is a functional prototype would be powerful message. Having a Volt with one of the delivered battery packs and the car running from the battery pack. And a range extender engine recharging the battery. All of this would add strength to the program. Bottom line, provide message that Volt is not a concept but real future production vehicle.
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October 18th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Note that they said “E-Flex suprise” not Volt suprise. Maybe an E-Flex crossover? The Watt? The Amp?
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October 18th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
They’re only going to make test mules of e-flex next year using an existing vehicle. My guess is that it will be related to the plug-in Vue.
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October 18th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I have it on good authority that the E-flex surprise will be hundred’s if not thousand’s of pods that will harness the energy that babies create. The energy will be used to create machines that will serve us. It will be great because we won’t need cars anymore or Internal Combustion anything.
It will be great for the babies too because they will all be hooked up on an intranet and be able to talk to each other. Talk about renewable enery!!!
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October 18th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
How about GM admitting that they should never have built the EV-1 in the first place. Any small child knows you can’t build an electric car without a battery
that people can afford and can be recharged quickly, and didn’t cost $20,000 every five years to replace. And the build cost of the EV-1 was a staggering $43,000, three times as much as the Honda Insight which was proven to be much lower in overall emissions. I see the EV-1 was recently named as one of the 50 worst cars ever built by Times’ auto analyst. I would put it much higher – in the top spot as the most pointless, inconvenient, highest cost per mile grocery getter ever conceived by otherwise semi-intelligent folks. What in the world was GM thinking?
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October 18th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I’s bet that the news will be another E-Flex prototype from either Saturn or Pontiac, or both. It’s obvious that those
divisions are the logical next choice and I’d bet Saturn goes small SUV and Pontiac goes sleek, perhaps a ragtop and a little more oomph. I don’t see why they would need an auto show to simply make a statement about the batteries, etc. The show is for SHOW, which I think means they have something worth showing, and that to me could only be another model. I’m waiting for GM to prove me wrong, however. I really would be interested in seeing what Pontiac and/or Saturn can do with the design. They may win me away from the VOLT, and I always though Pontiacs’s Firebird trumped Chevy’s Camaro.
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October 18th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I’m guessing it will be a Vue PHEV concept.
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October 18th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Lyle,
No news from Enerdel on package specifications ?
Thanks for excellent job !
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October 18th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
The VUE PHEV is not a concept. It is going to be a real product introduced 2009. What I’d like to see is either an E-flex crossover like the Equinox or an E-flex Solstice or both! That would be a good third step for GM. I think that the best design for a PHEV truck would be 2-mode hybrid plug-in like the VUE. I could be wrong, but I think that would be the best design. With a diesel engine. And by the way, is GM considering putting a diesel engine in their 2-mode Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade ever?
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October 18th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
An Americano Flextreme ?
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Other winners: E-flex Cadillac and Electric Corvette.
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October 18th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
[quote comment="11335"]How about GM admitting that they should never have built the EV-1 in the first place. … What in the world was GM thinking?[/quote]
Perhaps GM was thinking they needed to build Zero Emission Vehicles to satisfy California’s requirements first adopted in 1990. Of course they knew it wasn’t ready for prime time, but when the option is don’t sell any cars in California (and thus also several northeast states that use CA requirements), they put what they could out there. GM ended up being the only company to sue to stop the mandate, while the other car companies let GM take the heat for their “non-environmental” policy. If they had lost, all the companies would have been building cars like the EV-1 or the Rav4-EV. If you think it’s stupid, complain about the politicians who think car companies can do anything they legislate.
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October 18th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I’ll agree that it’s probably a new E-flex vehicle, after all that’s what the show is for, and many platforms is what E-flex is for.
T’wood be nice to see an e-flex SUV, like perhaps a Voltinox.
M.
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October 18th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I want an E-Flex Cadillac concept.
This would raise the prestige of the Volt, as well as help pay for the technology in it.
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October 18th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
[quote comment="11354"]either an E-flex crossover like the Equinox or an E-flex Solstice[/quote]
I agree. I am betting on a next gen Sky/Solstice. It looks like the perfect platform.
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October 19th, 2007 at 12:52 am
re:sky/solstice, equinox, etc-
With the battery pack occupying the central tunnel where the driveshaft usually is, it’s going to be difficult to implement rear wheel drive using E-Flex unless you have it be rear engined (for the electric motor, at least).
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October 19th, 2007 at 6:23 am
All wheel drive, motors at the wheels…
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October 19th, 2007 at 6:31 am
I’d like to see a AWD Cadillac powered by the EEStor ultra compacator!
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October 19th, 2007 at 9:56 am
A couple of possiblilies: The presentation of a new design implementing their 5th generation Fuel Cell, which is more advanced than the 4th gen in the Equinox and half teh size. An E-Flex clean diesel range extender mid-sized light duty truck/SUV since trucks are their B&B supposedly & when gas hit over $3.50/gal. they couldn’t give them away so to keep selling trucks at >$88./barrel they will need to bring the efficiency way up and in reality most people drive with beds empty or minimally loaded. Since their is no committment to build anything they present look for something to improve their green image most definately. I suspect a five or 6 seater to please all those family types so the Volt does not have to please everyone & end up pleasing no one.
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October 19th, 2007 at 10:15 am
CorVolt, an electric Corvette, to steal the thunder from Tesla…
OK, just dreaming, but maybe someday.
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October 19th, 2007 at 11:39 am
I agree with #29. Wheel motors would allow for all wheel drive and slip could be computer controlled at each wheel.
Just a note. I’ve been checking each trip for the last month and I very rarely exceed 40 miles between charging opportunities.
Another note. UN Calls for Five Year Biofuel Moratorium http://puregreencars.com/news/Green-Culture/UN-Calls-for-Five-Year-Biofuel-Moratorium.html
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October 19th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Electric car EV Mini QED with PML In-Wheel Motors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdRS7eVVZbU
It’s a volt mini with 900 mile range.
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October 19th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Volvo ReCharge In-Wheel Motor hybrid EV Frankfurt Auto Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T40ZqLZiZyg&mode=related&search=
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October 19th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Electric car EV Mini QED with PML In-Wheel Motors
640 hp 0-60 in 4 seconds. 900 mile range.
I’m confused. What is wrong with this car?
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October 19th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
I think post #32 is right.
“The Bow tie” is going to take a swipe at Tesla by introducing a $40,000 E-Flex Sky…
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October 20th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Another E-flex model for sure. I am betting it’s a Saturn, but not the sky. Most likely a 4th generation VUE hybrid, switching from parallel PHEV to the series PHEV.
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October 20th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
“E-flex” seems to be coming to be a fancy word for “generic.” For a customer it seems to mean a car that is not quite the best design for any specific kind of engine, though the car will work to some degree with most any old kind of motor. It is easy to understand why E-flex concept is attractive for GM. What is harder is to understand why it is good for any specific customer.
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October 20th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
E-flex is best for the consumer because it’s electric drive technology. All of the benefits of an EV without the drawback of limited range. E-flex is a powertrain configuration: electric drive powered by batteries supplying apporximately 40 miles of range with a range-extender of choice. It is a generic type of powertrain, but it is fully scalable. The engine is partially irrelevant, and the motor can be any size you want it to be. And it also provides max torque off-the-line.
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November 10th, 2007 at 9:44 am
December 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I am disgusted with the big 3 because they have sat around spending money on fighting emissions standards, while the others have been producing cars that people actually want. Now they want a big bailout and they have little to show for it. Why wait for an auto show? The unveiling of an amazing vehicle, especially a Cadi would be huge news and would dwarf anything an auto show could produce. It would also instill confidence that a bailout is appropriate. You would think that American car makers and designers are idiots since they apparently can’t design cars that meet standards that others have met. PLEEZE! And why is the Volt plant stopping? That’s the only one that should be full steam ahead. I desperately need a new car, but am waiting, hoping that my car (a GM by the way) makes it long enough to get a Volt. But if the plant is on hold, I’m buying a Honda now. How many others are there like me???
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