GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

A company frequently praised by the community here at GM-Volt is Nanosolar. They are a Silicon Valley start-up that has built what will soon be the world’s largest solar cell production facility. They have sizable private funding as well, including the likes of Google founders Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt.

What’s so interesting about Nanosolar’s panels is that they do not use the conventional and expensive glass and silicon substrates. Rather, they use proprietary nano-photovoltaic ink which can is printed onto thin metal sheets. The resulting product is low-cost and goes for $1 per watt as opposed to the $3 per watt that conventional solar cells cost. Just days ago, their very first production panels were shipped out.

Since some Volt enthusiasts dream of the possibility for free solar energy as the power source for their vehicles, it seemed fitting for me to ask Nanosolar’s CEO Martin Roscheisen how the company sees themselves fitting in to the electric car future.

Here is his reply:

We are excited about electric cars and are planning to offer a solar panel kit that people can install together with their car charging unit to allow them to go 100% green. The solar panels allow people to charge their car, and the car’s storage capability extends the availability of solar electricity into the evening and night. It’s a perfect symbiosis. Solar car ports are one form of this–so that while your car is idle at work, it is loading up on energy from the sun!

Sing me up for one of those! How about you?

We have a winner from our first round of bumper stickers (see post).

Now we have several more to choose from that our readers submitted. Thanks for your efforts! Vote for your favorite. The winner of this round will go against the winner of the first round to decide on the final design.

There are 11 to choose from in round two – check them out and vote here: (LINK)

And yes, we will be offering them as sticker magnets.

Following on the heels of our last post in which we discussed exclusive right of E-REV cells for GM, there is another issue to discuss.

Again we were told at the time of the battery contract announcements that the winner of the two teams (A123/Conti vs LG/CPi) would be chosen to make the Volt’s cells. We wonder, though, if both teams produce capable and robust packs, could GM then use both varieties among production Volts?

I asked E-Flex team spokesperson Rob Peterson about that.

He tells us the following:

CPi and Conti advanced development contracts were signed in June 07. The contracts included a variety of development activities/deliverables scheduled to take place over a 12 month period. By the end of this period we expect to have enough data to select one, or both, approaches for the production vehicle. This also aligns with the necessary lead times for supplier(s) to prepare facilities and processes to meet the Volt’s production timing.

So it seems the possible then that the production Volts may contain two different packs among them.

Brilliantly, GM chose the best two battery pack teams from a field of 27 to award Volt development contracts. Those were A123/Conti and CPI/LG Chem.

We were advised at the announcement of these contracts in June 07, that in one year hence (June 08) the winner of the two would be announced, and awarded a production contract.

Covering their bases further, GM also has contracts with Johnson/Saft and A123 for the plug-in VUE’s lithium-ion pack.

Questions have arisen about the exclusivity of these contracts. For example, could A123 still make cells for another carmaker if they make them for the Volt, or will GM possess proprietary ownership of those cells exclusively.

For obvious reasons of corporate secrecy, I haven’t been able to get a confirmation of an exclusivity clause from GM directly. John Voelcker of IEEE Spectrum however, published a clue he received from an unnamed GM “high-ranked executive” with respect to the battery maker for the Volt:

They can sell power batteries (for hybrids) all day long, but GM gets a lock on energy batteries (for long-range electric-drive vehicles)

Now that’s news.
Source (IEEE Spectrum)

For the first time in 30 years, GM may have its world auto sales record (9.55 million in 1977) broken as Toyota projects it will sell 9.85 million vehicles in 2008.

Toyota also reports they are nearly at the point where they could begin to mass produce lithium ion batteries. Paradoxically, just months ago they told us lithium-ion batteries were nowhere near ready for cars (see post).

The AP reported that Toyota stated that lithium-ion batteries would appear in a plug-in hybrid car, different than the Prius , and that mass production would not start up until “after 2008″.

The batteries will be made by Panasonic.

Source (AP)

Today our site was featured in an article by the Detroit News, describing the online following of the Chevy Volt’s development as being cult-like.The report includes some quotes by me about the site and the car, and my reason for doing this. Also mentioned are some comments from GM spokespersons and an acknowledgment that GM was indeed hoping for internet buzz about the car- and they got it!

If one looks at the definition of cult, there are two main constructs. The first gives it religious connotation (not us). The second describes it as a group showing great veneration towards something.

As an analogy, would you describe a desire for freedom, that this countries forefather’s sought as a cult?

Here we are people engaged in discussion and observation about a car that represents a profoundly fundamental paradigm shift in human transportation, representing the first step to a future without fossil fuel.

There are many reasons why this is important. Does that make us cult-like? You decide. And welcome to any new Detroit News readers!

Source (The Detroit News)

[UPDATE: picture of Jim Jones replaced..sorry to anyone offended]

[UPDATE 2: picture of Hare Krishnas removed..again sorry to anyone offended]