GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Scott from PetroZero reports that he had an email conversation with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz the other day. This is also being reported over at Autobloggreen .

Scott asked him the popular question, "Since the ICE gets 50 mpg when charging the battery, why not skip the battery and get a 50 mpg car."

In response, Lutz told him that GM is actually considering building a pure-EV Volt without the ICE and necessary associated controls and hardware and greater range. This could be a way for GM to meet California’s ZEV requirement.

From my discussions with Bob Lutz, this was actually his original idea for the Volt, a pure-EV, and they called it the iCar. It was VP Jon Lauckner who revised the design to be an E-REV, to eliminate the range anxiety problem.

Scott also reports Lutz told him he’d personally be getting into one of those lithium-ion Volt prototypes for a test drive in 9 days.

Source (Petrozero )

The Wall Street Journal has decided to redeem itself after the recent illogical Volt editorial , and has now published an interview with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz.

Reporter John Stoll writes that Lutz has "growing confidence" the Volt will indeed be produced in 30 months. Lutz recognizes that the Volt is a "must-win" project for GM. He is quoted as saying, "At this point, we don’t know how important the Volt is going to be," and that one reason for the project is to "eliminate this perception of GM as the environmental antichrist."

Lutz acknowledges that producing 100,000 Volts getting more than 100 mpg each will go along way to helping GM meet future CAFE regulations and even indicates E-Flex technology could be put into a small pick-up truck should it be necessary (why wouldn’t it?)

Source (Wall Street Journal )

The Detroit News today reported an interview with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz. Lutz verified for the first time publicly that a Chevy Volt prototype with an actual full-sized lithium ion battery is actually running.

To me this marks a dramatic and critical turning point in the nearly year and half we’ve been following the car’s development.

This is the PROOF of CONCEPT. Yeah we have been sort of sure they could pull it off, but the running of this mule verifies it. From what I know the mule has all of the basic components the final Chevy Volt will although in rough form, now most importantly including the full 16 kWh 40+ mile range lithium-ion battery pack. Keep in mind the mule is using a late model Malibu shell that has nothing to do with the final design of the car.

It’s a big day here at GM-Volt.com folks, time to rejoice…just a little over 2 years left to the showroom. Stay tuned.

DIGG post here and tell the world!

Source (Detroit News )

An editorial appeared today in the Wall Street Journal entitled "A Volt Out of the Red". It was written in reaction to the transportation department’s proposal yesterday that cars be required to get 36 mpg by 2015. The author asks the question, in light of this, as to whether GM was "genius or dolt" in its plans to build the Volt.

He accuses the "near-dead" GM of boasting about the Volt during the media day earlier this month, and GM vice-chairman Lutz’ (he mentions the crock comment) public admission of competing with Toyota at "it’s own game of selling bogus green symbolism to Washington and Hollywood."

In the punch line, though, the author claims GM may actually be building the Volt at a loss and plans to "bribe consumers" to buy them, all for the elaborate purpose of using them to dilute the low mpg’s of the more powerful cars they actually wish to sell.

I’ve given this idea some thought, but from what I can tell firsthand, E-Flex is here to stay for the long-haul, it will be a massively global product, and in Lutz’ own words, "the electrification of the automobile is inevitable." What do you think?

Source (Wall Street Journal )

We have achieved another milestone here at GM-Volt.com. On earth day, 4/22/2008, NBC Nightly News aired a segment about the Chevy Volt featuring our site GM-Volt.com.

My thanks and appreciation to reporter Brian Thompson who did an excellent job creating the segment. With each new foray into mainstream media, we are all helping to get the message out about the Chevy Volt and what it represents, the profoundly important ability to drive without the use of gasoline.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9o-2Fa35JQ]

Forbes has published a discussion of the new Th!nk City announcement and rolls in comparisons to the Chevy Volt.

For one thing, the author suggests Th!nk might be going down the same path GM took with the EV-1, a low-range 2-seat EV, and could wind up a failure because of limited acceptance. In contrast however, the director of the U.S. venture cap firm funding Th!nk North America suggests that by the time the Volt hits the roads the five-seater Ox will be available. That car is expected to go 0 to 60 in 8.5 secs and have a 120 mile range. Cost, unknown. (shown above).

The Th!nk city EV in production now is a 2 seater with an option for a minuscule 2 + 2 seat and is made out of plastic. It’s hopeful $25,000 price tag also doesn’t include a battery leasing fee which is over $300 in Europe now, but could be "half that" in the U.S. according to the VC firm.

Source (Forbes )

[Catch me on NBC NY Nightly News 7PM TONIGHT 4/22 talking about this site and the Volt]