While at the L.A. Auto show for the Volt briefing, I met some very interesting bloggers.
One of those was Hank Green, founder of EcoGeek.org, a cool blog devoted to planet-saving innovations. Hank is a genuine and earnest man of great talent. He put up a post so his readers could check out our [...]
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Clearly in a sign of times to come, big oil company ExxonMobil has announced it is developing a new technology to be used in lithium-ion battery cells. The energy company’s chemicals division in partnership with its Japanese affiliate Tonen Chemical have apparently been developing a new separator film.
Separators are sometimes necessary in certain lithium-ion cells [...]
Here is a live video of Tony Posawatz and Denise Gray giving the media a live briefing on the current status of the Chevy Volt/E-Flex program. This took place in LA on November 14th. This is the first of three parts, each ~8 minutes.
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Well, our first Q & A session is over. 42 question asked with detailed answers. I hope everyone enjoyed it. There was one last question, though…
I asked Scott Fosgard, who is director of GM communications, whether GM is specifically reaching out to former EV-1 drivers. I actually asked this question at the behest of Doug [...]
Q: One of the most common request we get are whether GM will out solar panels on the roof, are you considering that?
A: “As Denise mentioned there are certain technologies we do scans on continually. Before we started in the Volt program and E-Flex project her team had made assessments that battery suppliers were building [...]
It’s not over yet. We still have some more answers to your questions to GM executives about the Volt.
Q: Is GM giving you every resource necessary to complete the Volt project?
A:(DG) “I have never seen so much of ‘Denise, what do you want’”..”open checkbook”..”and do more and do it faster.”..”This is a growth area, [...]
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We have had spirited discussion along the way about exactly what the Volt is. Common misrepresentations have included calling it a hybrid or series hybrid, or more commonly a plug-in hybrid. Bob Lutz has specifically said the Volt is not a hybrid (see post).
Calling a car a hybrid signifies that it’s driveshaft can be turned [...]
At the L.A. Auto Show last week, Bob Lutz announced a deal between GM and Walt Disney Productions. The entertainment company agreed to take ownership of 10 Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as part of the project driveway program. This will be an example of an experimental fleet.
Today, an article appeared suggesting [...]
I applaud GM for being so open with us on the design and engineering process that’s bringing the Volt to life. They certainly have been very open with me, and doing their best to answer our questions and consider our advice.
No doubt the Volt is the lynchpin of GM’s future.
Besides the risk of promoting [...]
An article was just published in the New York Times about the green tint of the L.A. Auto Show.
The article discusses comments Bob Lutz made about Toyota. He referred to “a showdown at the O.K. Corral”, referencing an “unnamed” Asian automaker’s presentation at the Tokyo auto show in which the Volt was dismissed as [...]