GM-Volt Exclusive: Inside the Chevy Volt/E-Flex Design Studio
The Chevy Volt we have become familiar with is the concept car, or show car. After gaining broad public appeal in January 07, when it was first revealed, GM began the process of rapidly bringing the car to fruition. The interior and exterior design of this final or production vehicle is taking place in a brand new space called the E-Flex design studio and it’s team is headed by Bob Boniface (see previous interview here).
While in Detroit for the Auto Show, I was given a personal tour of the studio by Bob, and a fleeting glimpse of the production Volt.
The space is large and beautiful and filled with the awesome, youthful energy of a few dozen brilliant designers who were either sitting before massive computer displays or hand sculpting the surface of the clay model Volt.
It was truly an exciting and pleasant place to be, and obviously to work for those there.
Splayed out across the bright wide floor were two models of the production Volt and some interior assemblies called “bucks”.
Bob told me his team is about 98% finished completing the final production design and will very shortly reach the freeze point. As we know, the concept car had suboptimal aerodynamics, so the production model was shaped in parts and in whole in the wind tunnel. Low drag is the key to achieving 40 miles EV range.
The team has indeed shaved a considerable amount off the CD, and although Bob wouldn’t tell me the actual goal number, he said they have arrived within 2% of it, and that the car outperforms the aerodynamics of a Prius placed in the same tunnel. Later Bob Lutz admitted the production Volt has a CD in the mid-twos.
I got to sit in the interior mock up space and found it quite roomy and comfortable. I saw the shifter being modelled on a screen and in clay, and all I can say is it is indeed unique.
Bob lifted the tarp off the painted clay model and I could see the front end and some of the passenger front quarter panel. I could even see the front passenger wheel and its surrounding.
I even got to see the rear of the clay model which was being milled. I’m not allowed to say or show what it looked like, but I can say I was very happy with it. I observed one of the designers hand sculpting the side rocker panel, and Bob explained how they found with a little tweaking of it’s design they were able to shave off a bit more drag.
Bob explained how important it is to keep air flowing smoothly along the surface of the car from front to back. Any little eddies of turbulence can increase drag, and all of their effort is going into balancing beauty with aerodynamics.
I asked about the known low CD and thin flat beak-like shape of the EV-1’s front end, and wondered why the front end of the Volt was significantly taller. Bob explained that there are new pedestrian safety rules that constrict designers such that if the car hits a person they will roll over the hood in the safest possible manner.
Clearly a lot of effort is going into interior detail as well. I asked about the idea of a fully configurable LCD panel for the cockpit display. This seemed to trigger a series of nods and winks from the design team.
The one versus two plug-port question remains unanswered, although another authors reported there will be two, and this was then discounted by yet another source. Bob said a final decision has been made, but won’t say, and it remains a surprise for us.
I was told we wont have to wait until 2010 to see what the car will ultimately look like, but they won’t say exactly when they will show it to us.
What’s truly awe-inspiring is that despite the fantastically advanced nature of this car, and the potential for millions of units of sale word-wide, the design starts and continues by a person putting a pen to paper, just like Michelangelo did during the Renaissance, and early humans did 50,000 years ago on the walls of caves.
Its hard to express in words the positive energy in the room and the thrill of seeing big swaths of the production car up close and in person. I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.
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January 21st, 2008 at 12:15 am
“The one versus two plug-port question remains unanswered,…Bob [Lutz] said a final decision has been made, but won’t say, and it remains a surprise for us.”
Why the h e l l must the one plug-port versus two remain a secret?
I’ll tell ya, Lutz is not right in the head.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:24 am
Maybe he’s senile.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:08 am
OOkay, back on topic.
The Prius is a 0.26 Cd car, so judging from the words of both Bobs, it’s probably a 0.25 car or slightly lower. Definitely good news.
Interesting “shifter” design? How clever can you get with “Forward, Reverse, Park”
I hope it will at least be better than the stupid FisherPrice-like switchfobs found on either the Prius or the AC Prop eBox.
That said I hope the LCD on the interior is optional, not mandatory. I like simplicity. My CD player is distracting enough as it is.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:32 am
Maybe, there will be a limited run in 2009 for early in the driveway tests before full production begins in 2011. I can’t help it hope springs eternal.
For those that want simplicity, then GM can present via programming a default, simple in appearance analog dials. For those of us who really want to know what’s happening with the car, provide access to detailed information. Graphical flexibility is the beauty of LCD, OLEDs or whatever.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:20 am
Sign me up as a tester!
This review makes the Volt sound very promising. Thanks, Lyle.
As someone who designs software UI’s (user interfaces) as part of my job, it all comes down to how intuitive the display and controls are. One nice features would be that the display would likely be “skinnable” (customizable look and feel) and would likely be upgradable (new functionality delivered through software updates).
January 21st, 2008 at 2:21 am
How are we supposed to feel when the price gets bumped to over $30k and now we have to hear about their fancy new design studio and all the fancy design things they’re doing.
Just deliver a cheap electric Cobalt already.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:31 am
According to another tour of the design studio:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/leftlane-tours-gms-volt-design-studio.html
“The overall dash design is nearly finished, but the gauge cluster and center stack are still being revised. The dash follows the same twin-cockpit design theme that can be found in the new Malibu and will likely feature a two-tone option. The center stack’s design is still fluid, but look for the production model to have a high-mounted gear shifter with a computer-like power button…A clear roof will make it to production and will have a shade-changing function. The driver will be able to choose opacity settings from clear to completely dark.
The Volt’s dropped belt line will also see production, although probably not as a clear section.”
January 21st, 2008 at 2:41 am
#7 AES said:
According to another tour of the design studio …
Thanks for the review … the last sentence is particularly notable (even if it conflicts with what Bob Lutz has recently stated:
As long as the battery development keeps on track, Boniface says the Volt should make its sales target of November of 2010 with a price “south of $30,000.” Stay tuned.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:38 am
Like David L, I also remarked this last sentence, “south of 30K”. Let’s hope the batteries development is going as planned.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:28 am
>> the concept car had suboptimal aerodynamics
You’ve got to be kidding!
At least Lutz gave it to us straight. Remember his take on the situation: “When we put the concept in the wind tunnel, it was a disaster. We could almost put it in the wind tunnel backward and get a better result.”
He even found it amusing. For crying out loud, use of a term like “suboptimal” is sugar-coating no matter how it’s looked at.
Sorry, but sometimes you just have to accept the past. Most of us had a good laugh and moved on.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:39 am
Thanks for calming the latent hysteria that seems to break out here almost daily.
All cars are developed like this (without the “openness” part that has many here demanding corporate information as if it were their right).
You might like the *idea* of the Volt, but you still will only be able to buy the *finished* car–whatever that is.
Mind you–GM will not be at a loss for customers.
I am happy that they seem to be dedicated to style and technology, and my secret wish is for the finished car to surpass expectations in every way (speed, range [60 miles?], utility, desing/style).
January 21st, 2008 at 7:49 am
I am also happy that finally someone is taking the step to have electrochromic windows in cars. I have been wondering why on earth that has not shown up sooner.
That glass roof will be the bomb.
Now, it seems to be a fixture of this blog for people to ask for some sort of customization features–either that or claim to want some sort of bare-bones stripped-down car.
No such thing will exist.
We live in a litigious society that people seem to love (why else would they vote the way they do?); that makes this all but impossible.
Not to mention the other trait (wanting–no *demanding*–things for free).
GM needs to make a profit (gasp!!!) in order for this car to survive in the future. (They cannot let costs run away from them.
Customization = skyrocketing costs.
Thanks Lyle!
January 21st, 2008 at 8:35 am
Tom @ 6 brings up a darn good question. What is the target market for this car? Seriously.
Is it an EV for the masses? Or is it meant for those who are techies with big wallets? I haven’t heard GM mention one thing but price points… I’d like to know who their market is.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:45 am
What I’m wondering is this: is there any chance that GM will want to do a real world drive-way program in 2009, and, if so, would they consider pulling from this wait-list? The city where I live is one of the top-selling Prius markets in the nation. People here would go nuts if there was a 2009 test vehicle driving around town.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
Please tell me that there is NOT a shifter on the counsel between the front seats when buttons on the dash would be a MUCH more elegant solution.
I HATE clutter.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:01 am
I am also happy that finally someone is taking the step to have electrochromic windows in cars. I have been wondering why on earth that has not shown up sooner.
That glass roof will be the bomb.
That will be damn cool, won’t it. Another point for this car as a chick magnet. And when you think about it, a car that can help sap the power of the Mideast regimes, the Russians, Chavez, etc and help you hit that, that’s apple pie, baby.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:33 am
Great update Lyle!!! You have a great ability to keep me interested in this car.
Ok, I know I maybe I’m asking for to much info and I know you can’t give specific details on exactly how the new designg looks. But could you tell if the overall image of the concept car is intact?
Meaning… the profile, roof height, tire positions, It’s the overall “stance” of the car that gives it such a cool look. Just wondering how much of the origional look is still there, just more aero? or does it look like a different car.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:00 am
“I am also happy that finally someone is taking the step to have electrochromic windows in cars. I have been wondering why on earth that has not shown up sooner.
That glass roof will be the bomb.”
I AGREE! And since electrochromic windows only use energy when adjusting their tint (& thermal properties) from clear to completely opaque, not to maintain any particular state, they consume almost no electricity. Also, the glass can be programmed to absorb only part of the light spectrum, such as solar infrared. This means it’s possible the Volt’s electrochromic roof could be easily adjusted to admit visible-spectrum sunlight while rejecting the sun’s heat.
And if the concept car’s full glass roof is retained for the production model, the ENTIRE roof (not just a small section like a sun roof) could be completely “closed” or fully “opened” …like a convertible but without affecting the car’s aerodynamics or the occupant’s comfort level, even in a rainstorm! This feature alone is sensational enough to assure the production Volt will get extensive world-wide media coverage!!!
…And it’ll enhance the Volt’s effectiveness as a “chick magnet” for sure!
;) 
January 21st, 2008 at 11:08 am
First it’s the fact that the car is going to cost too much for average Joe, next the car is gonna have crazy futuro features. Common!! Keep slapping people in the face GM!
January 21st, 2008 at 11:10 am
Lyle,
You’re access to the Volt development is truly amazing. I have one odd design studio question: What type of workstations were they using to do their computer design? What size monitors? I want to know how ‘cutting edge’ the design studio techology is.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Tim #15 I aggree. There is no transmission, why bother with a shifter. I’d rather have a giant cup holder for my 64oz sippy..
Options would be nice. In the old F-body you could get T-tops or a normal roof. But I must admint if this car is within reach for me I would love to have it packed with options..
O and knowing who GM is planning on targeting with this car would be nice. But then again maybe it would shatter hopes and dreams of alot of people here. When the comment of a higher price was made half the bloggers on this site had a hissy fit. I for one was loading shitty diapers in my car to throw at the local chevy dealer.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
By the sounds of things, this car will be totally worth the money for a new purchase of it. I’m willing to pay Corvette prices for it, to be honest with you people, and by the sounds of things even that would be a good price. This whole thing is still totally exciting to me. I’m just wondering now, how long will it be before they show the finished version at one of the auto shows or an official GM unveiling exposition? I’ll just have to keep waiting. Thanks Lyle for keeping us updated. You’re work is professional level. Better than work commonly found in Car and Driver.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
“Clearly a lot of effort is going into interior detail as well. I asked about the idea of a fully configurable LCD panel for the cockpit display.”
I believe that the LCD screen will be one of the big selling features of the car (as if it needs more). If you’ve ever ridden in a Prius, the first thing you notice is the LCD screen, which can show either an easy to understand mpg display, which my wife likes, or a more techy/informative energy/ battery soc screen, thus appealing to two different buyer personalities.
The energy screen allows hyper milers (including myself, to use the “pulse and glide” technique to achieve up to 50% and better mileage!
January 21st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
George, I hope you never “pulse and glide” near me on the road.
The LCD feature is great, although “kelly” is now freaking out about it beinf “futuro”.
It is a “future” car, Kelly. That is why it will have “future” features.
Also, people keep assiming that “they” (whatever they are) are the “average Joe”. Just because something doe not suit you does not mean that it will not suit the “average Joe”. Everybody cannot be “the average Joe”.
The car will cost what it costs, and people will buy it in droves.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Spelling:
“beinf” = “being”
“assiming” = “assuming”
“doe” = “does”
January 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
1) Please no shift lever. Totally pointless. My ‘62 Dodge Lancer had no shift lever and I did just fine.
2) LCD panel is fine, but please use it just for info. No touch screen. Please give me knobs for crucial systems. Please no all in one “iDrive” or Prius style control through the screen menu system.
3) Electochromatic glass is really cool, but the technology is very expensive. This is why you don’t see it on cars or even common houses. I recently bought a wine cooler that has this feature on the door. At a press of a button the glass goes from opaque to clear. It measures about 2′x3′. It’s a $900 door. Skip the roof and keep this car affordable.
4) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, try to keep this car as close to the original concept’s appearance and spirit as possible.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I completely agree on the need for a high tech and update-able cockpit display, possibly a firmware type design that you can update over wireless. The software for energy management feedback, bluetooth and GPS support, etc could be updated over time and released to customers with little capital costs (i.e. like the periodic control panel updates on Xbox 360’s). For those of you still living in the 50’s and emotionally attached to your analog needle displays, my message to you is, get on board the train is leaving.
Like Tim, I don’t like the idea of a big middle shifter. It’s physically unnecessary in this type of vehicle. The prototype seemed to have paddle shifters around the steering wheel. Was this kept in the recent design?
January 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Another all-access pass to GM. And then this:
“What’s truly awe-inspiring is that despite the fantastically advanced nature of this car, and the potential for millions of units of sale word-wide, the design starts and continues by a person putting a pen to paper, just like Michelangelo did during the Renaissance, and early humans did 50,000 years ago on the walls of caves”
Really? C’mon.
When you touched it, did you gain instant youth? Perhaps the a/c emits butterflies as well? Is it now powered by the angels that visited Jesus only a mere 2,000 years ago.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
DaV8or, why in the world wouldn’t you want a touch screen? Ever use GPS? And since so much of the Volt will be computerized, what do you recommend for user input? A keyboard?
January 21st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I suggested the “smart glass” roof to
GM back in November:
http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/11/26/your-questions-answered-by-top-chevy-volt-executives-part-5/
I think it would be an incredibly cool feature that would also enable one to control the green-house heating affect of the glass roof.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
The peculiar thing about this car is a GM spokesman claimed they were only starting the market research while this very high tech design nears the design freeze.
Its the opposite of the joke about Apple that they design the product to suit the marketing campaign.
Still, Im sure they will sell as many as they care to produce.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
If they do do the glass roof maybe it won’t be completely glass- I remember Boniface saying the concept’s roof was actually a glass layer over polycarbonate. I remember following the development of the 911 Targa, though, and they went with glass anyway because the polycarb got too brittle at low temperatures.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Statik - be nice and try to enjoy life. I believe that some of us who watch (and those few who contribute to) this blog appreciate the hard work and obvious enthusiasm that Lyle has for this project. I enjoy the occasional use of metaphor. Makes reading interesting.
Go GM. Go Lyle.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I just got back from the Detroit Auto Show. I wanted to see the new Cadillac concept since a lot of it is based on the Volt from last year’s show. I was bummed out that I had missed last years show and the Volt wouldn’t be in the 2008 show. As I was wondering around, there on a turn-table with probably 150 people crowded around was the Volt! To see it in person is pretty amazing. I know it’s just a car but it is an amazing looking car. As it turned I Samantha began speaking about how revolutionary this car was to be. I listened intently as I wanted to see if she incorporated the new knowledge that we have read about and heard from the design team. Indeed her speech was filled with new information. She stated that there was to be two plug ports, one on each side of the front of the car. She explained in detail about the glass surfaces. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic and many, many people asked questions about when they could purchase one. The show had many electric cars on display, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and American.
I had two friends with me that are Acura owners….owning them for years. I was speaking about the Volt but didn’t really get them off their desire to keep owning foreign cars. That all changed when we stumbled upon the Volt display. Both of them said that if they could buy that car, as it looks right now, they would forgo any other company’s products. That is now two people who were moved and convinced to switch to a GM product upon seeing this beauty. The problem now lies in the fact that I didn’t tell them it was being modified to fit the wind-tunnel tests. If it ends up smoothed out and looking like all the other cars that we saw, it could very well be a deal breaker for those two. They loved it’s look, the technology was secondary for them.
I know they have to change it, but I hope that it retains it’s robust edginess that makes it stand out so much from the crowd.
As for the LCD panel, it’s a must in my book. My Bonneville gives me so much data on it’s small LED screen and I’m wanting more. So the LCD that is data intensive is a no brainer.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Hey, while you guys talk about all the CRAP you want in your Volts, please keep in mind that if this car comes in over $30K, MOST buyers will be priced right out of the market.
I want 4 Wheels, 4 Seats, 1 Steering Wheel 4 Electric Windows, 1 Air conditioning, NO shifter and at least 25 miles all electric range.
Put EVERYTHING else in option packages.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
One question, how big were the wheels?
January 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Good stuff, I’m very excited. I can hardly wait so to pass the time I am ’saving my nickels and saving my dimes’ but this time won’t be for a 409. Whatever the final styling will be I think I’ll get a license plate frame (or maybe hand painted lettering) that says “Greased Lightning” This car will be a chick magnet for sure. My wife took one look and said ‘mine’
January 21st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
The Volt they showed in Detroit looks to be the same one they showed last year.
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080116/i/r3990702521.jpg
January 21st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I love this site…you guys crack me up with all the comments! It’s like a box of chocolates!
January 21st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
An LCD screen instead of a gauge cluster would be a good way to remove all the class from the interior. Nothing says “I’m a giant dork” like that Prius screen that shows cartoons. If this is your idea of a “futuro” feature you must be stuck in the 80s.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Make the guage cluster look like the 74 trans-am.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Another design feature no one here has mentioned yet is the Volt’s grill (& fog lamp) “closable flaps” used to reduce drag. Look closely at the upper and lower grills & the fog lamps in the “wind tunnel” photo at the top of this thread. GM has mentioned having developed flaps that can be thermally and/or actuator controlled to close down grills at road speeds (when air cooling can be reduced) as a way of reducing drag.
This feature was NOT apparent on photos of the Volt concept, and may have been one result of wind tunnel tests. It’s more visible on the partially-open grill in this closeup of the Caddy Provoq at…
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ces-2008-cadillac-provoq-live-reveal/569221/
I can’t believe these flaps are very costly. This may very well be one of the tricks GM used to get the Volt’s drag down to less than that of a Prius, despite its smaller frontal area. When I drive my Volt home without using a single DROP of gas, sporting its electrochromic glass roof, its hidden drag-reducing “wings” and its other jaw-dropping goodies, I’ll be in “high-tech heaven”!
What will the neighbors think then!?!
January 21st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I agree with you nasaman, the open/shut grill vents shouldn’t be very expensive - simpler to implement than power windows at least. It might have to be open in hybrid mode with the range extender running, but then again not by a lot given how small the ICE will be.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Maybe GM should offer the “Plugless VOLT” as an option for us plebs ?
If battery cost is such a sticking point, then eliminate half the battery (8kw worth) and have a diesel engine running 100% of the time.
That way, I get a $23k VOLT that gets great fuel milage and I don’t have to worry about “plugging in” at my apartment complex.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
#40 Tom, I agree. An LCD screen is convenient and can show a lot of information, but man do they look tacky.
There must be a way to do up a multi-function display so that it has the versatility of the “computer screen in the dash” without the feeling that you’re driving a vehicle built by Bill Nye or perhaps Xzibit.
They should get the guy that designed the Optimus Maximus keyboard to work on a way to do up a classy multi-function display in the car. (For those who haven’t heard of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard).
Imagine how cool it would be if there was something like one fixed analogue gauge for speed and three smaller analogue gauges with real needles, but a changeable OLED background that can represent things like battery charge, instantaneous or average fuel efficiency, liquid fuel level, etc.
But then we’re getting into more custom parts developed for this car, making it even harder to keep the price to $30K.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
re:LCD screen etc, the Malibu hybrid has a pretty simple one line display that you can toggle with a button on the steering wheel to show information like avg mpg, etc. Fits into the same space as the total vehicle mileage readout.
The LCD on the prius has some merit for explaining the complexity of the parallel hybrid architecture, but it’s still distracting and uneccessary.
As for the readout of the gauges, I don’t see why they can’t use traditional gauges that are used even in the fuel cell equinoxes to show speed, power (kW), fuel levels, etc.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Tom #40 I laughed my ass off when i read that quotation of yours! I aggree with you completely. The speedometer should always be in front of you. So should important things like Fuel and in this case battery charge but I also want a display to show me whats going on. I want to see where the power is and where it is going.
January 21st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I prefer to have a gauge cluster instead of a small screen in the Volt. Simple gauges can tell you just as much as a screen can with less space and less distraction. It’s just more efficient. And I can do without the sunroof, but if they do include it, then I do really like the idea of using electrochromatic glass/polycarbonate. And when I purchase mine, I don’t care how much it costs, as long as it’s the best value. I’d gladly pony up to a Corvette-priced Volt, as long as it is a Volt LTZ. Furthermore, I think it’ll be good business for GM to make the first year’s Volts as LTZ trim only. Bring in the LT and LS in later years for those unwilling to pay top-dollar. That’s just my opinion, though.
January 21st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
“the feeling that you’re driving a vehicle built by Bill Nye” — hahaha
I don’t see that the instrumentation for the Volt has to be any more complicated than for a gas car. Add a battery gauge next to the fuel gauge. Make the tach and temp gauges much smaller. Done.
I agree with the 1 or 2 line LCD strip below all the gauges, as are common these days. That can give you all your odometer/tripometer information, MPG/efficiency readouts, whether or not a door is ajar, etc.
People talk about how sophisticated and advanced and computerized the Volt is, but man, compare it to a modern gas car. Everything in a gas car is advanced and refined and computerized these days too. The Prius is WAY more “sophisticated” than the Volt will be. You don’t necessarily want to win that contest.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:01 pm
OhmExcited #29-
Touch screens are great for stuff like the iPhone, but in a car, I like to keep my eyes on the road as much as possible and not navigating menus. I thought I was pretty clear on what I thought was best, knobs and levers. They are tactile, and once you memorize where they are, you don’t even have to look, turn them where you need them. I have no idea why a car would ever need a built in keyboard.
I agree with others, that big LCDs are tacky looking. Kinda why they can’t sell $3000 digital watches. However they are nessicary for moving map GPS if you want that. One big multi function display that does everything is a dumb idea but an information center in the center console is good with good looking analog guages behind the steering wheel for basic info would be best. It’s what most high end cars have now and this is probably what we’ll get.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:21 pm
“Juan Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 7:39 am
Thanks for calming the latent hysteria that seems to break out here almost daily. ”
You’ve got that right. As I read some of these post, I understand why this type of product development is always handled in great privacy.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:22 pm
OhmExcited Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
DaV8or, why in the world wouldn’t you want a touch screen? Ever use GPS? And since so much of the Volt will be computerized, what do you recommend for user input? A keyboard?
=======================================
An abacus.
Too many demands on this board. Everuybody is just being so demanding:
“I want a shifter, red seats, two gauges and yellow brakes.”
“I want NO shifter, three battery cells, a bigger diesel and a hydrogen tank.”
“I want a big trunk, an LCD display, ONE seat and no AC.”
“I want it to be no less than $15,000. The common man cannot afford more than that!”
Sheesh already!
When the Volt comes out, it wil look like the way it will look and you will just have to deal with it.
Get a load of how it will be now so you can decide if you want it or not. GM will not make a car for YOU. You’re not a millionaire.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Seriously guys — get over the 35K thing. That’s the average price of an automobile today. It does not qualify as expensive by today’s standards.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
DaV8or Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 7:01 pm
OhmExcited #29-
Touch screens are great for stuff like the iPhone, but in a car, I like to keep my eyes on the road as much as possible and not navigating menus. I thought I was pretty clear on what I thought was best, knobs and levers. They are tactile, and once you memorize where they are, you don’t even have to look, turn them where you need them. I have no idea why a car would ever need a built in keyboard.
I agree with others, that big LCDs are tacky looking. Kinda why they can’t sell $3000 digital watches. However they are nessicary for moving map GPS if you want that. One big multi function display that does everything is a dumb idea but an information center in the center console is good with good looking analog guages behind the steering wheel for basic info would be best. It’s what most high end cars have now and this is probably what we’ll get.
======================================
1. Who said an LCD screen cannot be “tactile”?
Technology is so far out ahead in front of you it is not funny.
Google “haptics”.
2. What is a “big” LCD, and how can you call something you have never seen “tacky-looking”?
It is most likely possibl;e that there will be more screens than one. Welcome to the future.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Robert.V Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Tom #40 I laughed my ass off when i read that quotation of yours! I aggree with you completely. The speedometer should always be in front of you. So should important things like Fuel and in this case battery charge but I also want a display to show me whats going on. I want to see where the power is and where it is going.
========================================
No. Hopefully you will be watching the road.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Here is a configurable LCD cockpit display as shown by GM:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/x07cods050be9.jpg
They showed this along with several other interior concepts. It’s a Cadillac concept.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Juan Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Here is a configurable LCD cockpit display as shown by GM:
That’s uber cool. I want one of those in my Volt.
January 21st, 2008 at 8:00 pm
You guys are all way behind the times…..
Forget gauge clusters. Put everything on a heads up display on the windshield, with voice activation of all controls.
Now we are getting somewhere!!!!
The glass roof idea has me drooling.
Oh, and by the way, it has to cost under $11,752.68, or no one will buy it!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I just can’t wait to see the exterior and interior pictures.
January 21st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Juan- Thanks for the link. I hope thats close to what the decide to go with for the volt.
Next time your driving down the road and you look down to adjust the hvac controls or you mess with the radio or stare at some hot chick walking down the road please kill yourself for being a hipocrit.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I think this is the most exciting “green” car to come along yet. I’d love to be a test driver and can’t wait for it to come out.
Another cool development to go with this would be a solar panel unit to mount on your garage or roof. Charge those batteries by day and then charge the car that night. NO need for fossil or radioactive fuels, even for the electricity!
January 21st, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Since we’re asking for the moon…
Has anyone seen the story on foxnews.com about the bionic contact lens? I say use bluetooth technology to tie into the bionic contact lens display and get a 3D gauge.
And they’ve got some amazing technology regarding reading brainwaves with sensors that attach to your head. Why bother with a steering wheel?
These two enhancements shouldn’t delay the release by too much.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Oh, and #34 Kevin R. I agree - while I’m all for energy savings and what not, the absolute first thing that made me want to read about the Volt was its’ look. I hope they don’t end up losing too much of that too!
January 21st, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Since this thread is about the Volt design, including measures employed to reduce its drag, I have to wonder if GM will be adding tough, clear polycarbonate baffles just inside the wheels, or as skirts on the rear wheels, or even to block part of the grill (as they’ve shown they’re doing on some of the newest designs to improve aerodynamics). An example is the 2010 Saturn 2-mode VUE grill at…
http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows/coverage/detroit/112_2008_detroit_auto_show_p1/photo_150.html
If so, I have to also wonder if those clear plastic “baffles”, like on the new VUE above, might look *tacky* in real life? But one nice added feature of wheel baffles might be that any brake pad shedding would probably also be blocked from accumulating on those gorgeous alloy wheels, which could make wheel cleaning easier!
January 21st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Tom#40,
I like the Prius screen! Toyota has different themes for different years (at least beetween 2004 and 2007), so if you don’t like a “cartoony” theme, test-drive a few from different years until you find one that you like. Too bad you can’t hook up to the NAV/Radio/user-information/central-conveniences module and load your own theme…
But, then again, I am a giant dork. I’m a Unix sysadmin by trade, so I’m only disappointed by the lack of a VT100 command-line interface to the Prius’ diagnostic systems.
I just drove a Prius for a couple of weeks, including about 700 miles of highway driving. It is *really* nice when running a series of errands around-town, and it does the highway pretty well too. My only problems with it are the lumbar support on the seat (at the 4-hour mark), the range (barely 350 miles), and the fact that it’s really a gasoline powered car — even if it has a clever drivetrain with a magic transmission. Being able to plug it in or power it with some sort of biofuel wold make it better from a sustainability standpoint. Still, 40-50mpg is at least twice as good as most of the vehicles I passed on the highway! I still like my Jetta TDI better for my every-other-weekend 700-mile-round-trip commute, but the Prius is about the only gasoline-powered vehicle that I’d consider for the trip.
Hopefully the Volt will change the game! But, until then, the Prius is a fine everyday car that is decent in every respect — and with excellent gas mileage. Though people’s tastes vary, being better than the Prius is a high bar for the Volt, so I’m eager to see the production Volt’s design!
January 21st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Wise Golden#53,
And the average mileage is in the low 20s…
There’s a reason I’ve never purchased a new car — the product just hasn’t been compelling enough to get me to open my wallet that far. The Volt is one of the few cars that, if it were to exist, would be compelling enough to get me to pay more than $12k for it.
In addition to the Volt, the small foreign (bio)diesels are pretty compelling, too — but I’m going to do my best to hold out for the early-2011 flock of electrics.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I want to test drive one I was playing my fav car game test drive unlimited It be cool if we could drive around on a chevy volt before it hits the real road by playing it on are xbox360s for those who still play video games :p
January 21st, 2008 at 11:59 pm
DASH: Hope it’s clean and simple like a the non-digital parts of the iMac. I also hope for a mix of retro-analog and digital displays. Blue LEDs instead of red (BMW) or green (Ford) would scream “Chevy Electric” and look sexy. Has anyone seen the dark blue LED Christmas light stings that hit the market?
CENTER: Hope the AC/heat controls are good ol’ fashion knobs grandma can operate. SIMPLE!
SHIFTER: Surprise me! My guess? A plexi-glass one that glows with colored LEDs depending on the “gear”… Clear would match the roof?
ROOF: Glass with adjustable tint is so futuristic! I would pay at least 5 or 10K more to show it off to my friends! Imagine the OPENNESS of a convertible fused with the SILENCE of a hard-top. That’s the best of both worlds! Not to mention with low drag and an electric motor it is even more quiet! That’s one quit smooth ride… silence that will be filled by my iPod!
Imagine looking at rain or clouds or stars! What a romantic make-out car… oops the cops are coming! Click! Now it’s opaque again!
MARKET: Probably the same one that is making Apple stock go up cause of the iPod… techies and non-techies alike that like COOL stuff will buy this car. A whole young generation will “get” the idea of this car.
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:49 am
#56 Juan said:
Here is a configurable LCD cockpit display as shown by GM: http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/x07cods050be9.jpg
Wow! That’s impressive …
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:40 am
So much of the pleasure in life with big-ticket consumer purchases is the satisfying feeling of feeling superior to other people. On the other hand, nothing is less satisfying with a big ticket purchase than feeling like a chump.
Of course, a purchase like this will involve straight economics, too. Many will simply not be able to afford this vehicle when it comes out. Things look grim now, with recession looming, a painful surprise on the price.
Maybe in a couple years things will be very different, an economy rebounding, battery prices down, the yen up, dollar down, gas way up, etc.
The value equation could all shift.
But the intangible coolness of having a car with all the romantic electrochromatic possibilities, the statement about American engineering your kids will always remember, the statement about American energy independence, the statement about Global warming, all that makes me wonder where does my real discretionary income go, and for what emotional needs.
If I put aside a little to make this purchase possible, will that be worth the buzz. If not, at least I’ll have the $$$ for some other statement-free gizmobauble.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:45 am
LCD or Analog dash: Don’t care. I just want a lot of information to be displayed. How they do it is up to them.
Glass roof: I hated the idea of a see-through roof. Now that it can be opaque, I like it a lot.
Shifter: Why? It is not necessary and adds weight to the car.
Wants and desires: I want an ejector seat on the passenger side. I want the car to act like a submarine. When I am in a traffic jam, I want to push a button and the car turns into a flying machine. I want a 1000 miles on a single charge of battery.
And I want this in the Volt 1.0 and I want it all for less than $10,000 total.
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:00 am
Here is a configurable LCD cockpit display as shown by GM:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/x07cods050be9.jpg
They showed this along with several other interior concepts. It’s a Cadillac concept.
Interesting, but how about several iterations of this exercise:
Take this, then imagine Steve Jobs yelling in your face “That fucking sucks!!!”
and do another version
repeat
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 am
This car really sounds awesome. Very exciting. I just hope I can afford the price. I guess I will have to put off saving for my childrens college education. An awesome car seems like a better investment
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:20 am
“Seriously guys — get over the 35K thing. That’s the average price of an automobile today. It does not qualify as expensive by today’s standards.”
Compared to what? A BMW? Most average folks don’t drive Beemers. Remember, this is an electric Chevy Cobalt.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Wants and desires: I want an ejector seat on the passenger side. I want the car to act like a submarine. When I am in a traffic jam, I want to push a button and the car turns into a flying machine. I want a 1000 miles on a single charge of battery.
And I want this in the Volt 1.0 and I want it all for less than $10,000 total.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Why not? If this was just an EV (lose the engine) and maybe had motors/suspension in the wheels and no drive train then all types of snap on alterations are possible and many of them could come from Best Buy or PEP boys. Of course a eestor ultracap/battery would be necessary for range and quick recharges. All you would need to buy is a iCAB (think apple with seats, body work and airbags) and lease different types of suspensions and power paks. Don’t need GM for this and you could lease dozens of vehicle configurations depending on your needs for the weekend and stock for commuting.
I want the aquatic kit for fishing!
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I’m 21-year-old engineering major who has lived with computers and similar technology his entire life. But I will GLADLY be labeled “behind the times” if it means I can buy a Volt WITHOUT a glass roof, fully computerized display, and who knows what other mumbo jumbo. I do not mind cool technological things, like a Prius-style LCD screen. But I don’t need or want much more than that. When it comes to controlling my car, give me hardware over software any day. Adjustable-tint glass roof? Are you kidding me? Interesting idea, but I would NOT want to pay for one. I hope the same people who freaked out about the Volt’s price are not also demanding all these gizmos and fancy things.
To be clear, these would all be cool options to have. I just don’t want to be forced to pay for them if I ever buy a Volt.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Jake, #75:
Right.
I freaked out over the price and I absolutely DO NOT want all these gizmos and fancy things.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Very interesting debate and speculation here about the Chevy Volt.
It is fun to dream and fantasize about glass roofs, LCD intrument panels, heads up displays, magic finger massaging seats and launching nuclear tipped missiles from Navy submarines in the Pacific with one touch of the OnStar button.
But let us all be realistic.
The cold hard reality comes down to dollars and what the average American is willing to and can pay.
If GM is serious and wants to sell this car to the general public, The Volt can not cost 30K, 35K, 40K or up. For Christ sake the car is the size of the Chevy Cobalt,
I not convinced that GM is at all serious about selling these vehicles, There is alot of hype, but from personal experience, GM sure does not seem committed in selling their current crop of Hybrids.
Where are the targeted TV advertisements? There are none. When I go to local dealers in the Raleigh/Durham area, whether Saturn, Chevy or GMC, there are none of these cars available. Also when you look at their websites in the small print it says Limited availability. At the Saturn dealer I was actively discouraged not to purchase the Aura Hybrid by the sales agent.
I can already hear some of the people here try to compare the Audi A4, or the Mecedes C Class as examples of similar sized cars that cost just as much. Hell, even the Cadillac CTS is in that range.
But let us be serious about that as well. If they cost the same… Chevy or Audi? I would choose the Audi. Chevy or Merecedes? I would choose the C-class. If the choice was between the Chevy and the Cadillac CTS, give me the Crested Wreath.
In reality, it makes more sense to make it a Cadillac at that price point. I think that is what the Cadillac Provoq show car built on the E-Flex platform was all about. The Provoq was a surprizingly well thought out, well finished and well excecuted car for being just a concept.
GM knows they can not make the Volt at a reasonable price for the average American. But they can get away with it at $ 40K under the Cadillac nameplate.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:14 am
#77 Victor;
I truly hope it turns out that you are completely wrong. I want the Volt. It’s the only car I’ve every truly wanted. I’ve always seen cars as simply transportation. I never thought much about cars except when I needed to buy one and then it was only to fill a void.
The Volt is one that I think about daily. Not obessively but I am indeed hooked. I’ve never thought about an impending car purchase like I think about the Volt. If it were available this fall I’d be buying one.
If it turns out to be smoke and mirrors on GM’s part, I will be turning to a foreign manufacturer that can supply me with an electric car, whomever it turns out to be.
I want to support GM because it’s domestic and in my home state. Whether they ever receive my purchase dollars again depends on the Volt coming out in 2010. It’s that simple.