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BIG NEWS VIDEO: Bob Lutz Discusses His Chevy Volt Test Drive and the Current State of Development
Sam Abuelsamid of AutoBlogGreen and Green Fuels Forecast had the awesome opportunity to interview GM vice chairman and Volt leader Bob Lutz after his Chevy Volt Prototype test drive. The video appears below.
Mr. Lutz described rapid and great acceleration getting the car up to 75-80 mph. He marveled at the eerie silence of the car off the gun, and mentioned how it handles well due to the low century of gravity of the battery pack.
He confirmed that there are 3 or four prototype vehicles now running with the battery packs installed and he said “that (number is) going to increase very quickly.”
He also said the prototypes are running not only on the test track but the public roads as well.
He said the first cars to look like the “real Volt” will appear at the end of this year, and that by spring and summer of 2009 there will be “several hundred” of these and thats when the final integration vehicles will appear. Those will be used for crash and safety, and he notes public early drives and media events will commence.
In a bombshell, Lutz stated that there are only one of the two suppliers packs in the current mules, and that they are now concentrating on only one of the suppliers but he refrained from saying which one. He says at this point GM is very close to one of the two suppliers because of a lower risk with that one. Any guesses?
He also said at their most recent E-Flex senior leadership meeting, they reviewed the HMI or human-machine interface and noted the interior of the car will be “super-cool” and apparently quite customizable.
He confirms supreme confidence that “we’re good for November 2010″ and that there are “zero problems” with the batteries and that in fact “they are exceeding their expectations”, although they have had some minor inner-cell mechanical welding issues, there have been no electrochemical ones.
He declined to comment of the cars cost but admits the first version will be more expensive than GM would like it be.
Lutz never got to experience the ICE coming on, because him and his team only drove it for 20 miles.
Very Cool Sam!
Source (Green Fuels Forecast)
[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A17JrjXYcxs]
74 Responses to “BIG NEWS VIDEO: Bob Lutz Discusses His Chevy Volt Test Drive and the Current State of Development”
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
“Lutz never got to experience the ICE coming on, because him and his team only drove it for 20 miles.”
That made me smile.
If they will have hundreds of near-production prototypes on the road in Spring 2009, why do we have to wait until Novemeber 2010? Is it just beacuse the federal safety tests will take a long time?
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Am I 1st & does it matter?
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
The price is very important.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Very good news, especially the ‘no electrochemical issues’ comment. I’ve had some fear that somehow GM’s longevity testing would fail to take some real-world environmental factor into account, and that we’d see batteries starting to fail five years or more early.
Only one of the two packs in the Mule? Hmm. Could they put three of the supplier’s packs in a larger vehicle?
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
… or just one pack in something the size of the “Smart” car (which would make it a really smart car)?
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I especially like the “rapid and great acceleration getting the car to 75-80 mph” part.
(Homer Simpsonesque Bwwwwaaaaaahhhhh sound)
Interesting they’re focusing on only one battery at this time. Seems pretty early to do that unless somebody offered them a price they can not refuse.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I wish he tell something about Volt 2.0, What is next?
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I’m imagining next year when they’re doing crash tests… What will my emotions be watching the videos of nice new Volts being crashed when I can’t even buy one? *sigh*
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
GM needs to have TWO suppliers for their batteries.
Cobasys shows what happens when you have only one supplier.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
If it’s a matter of risk, then I would say the A123 got the short end of that stick and it’s most likely LG Chem. They were the first to make delivery on the prototypes to boot.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Very cool, indeed. I wonder how much more the first generation will be and for how many years out.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Bob sounds really excited about the development being done. The confidence level sounds very, very high, which reinforces the go ahead on production already.
Of course the Volt will reach the feasibility theshold first, because it’s range extender is only $1500. The fuel cell vehicle should still be offered as a premium option.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Jason, GM does have two battery suppliers, but it turns out one of them dropped the ball this round. And that’s exactly why they have two.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Oil hit $139 per barrel today. It makes me chuckle to think how many people will want this car during $200 barrel oil!
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Glad the HMI is super cool. When it comes to electronics (especially audio/video/mapping systems), seems like auto-manufacturers are usually five to ten years behind. For example, building an in-dash iPod equivalent seems like a no-brainer. You could insert an audio CD and the car would automatically rip and stores all the songs. You would have random access to all your music without having to drag around any CDs, or even an iPod.
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June 6th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
That’s encouraging to know the ICE didn’t come on after 20 miles of apparently aggressive driving (up to 75-80mph with rapid acceleration). I’m pumped!
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Bob mentions “primary screen” and “secondary screen” as the HMI. Sounds like traditional gauges and buttons are being replaced by screens and touch screens that are much more versatile and probably less expensive. To me, that sounds very cool. Imagine being able to select the virtual-gauge appearance you like … retro, race, etc.
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I must not be quite as “cool” as the rest of you. What do you mean by “ICE”?
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Here’s another idea…
In the same way that Ford partnered with Microsoft to create the Sync system, I think GM should partner with Apple to create something even better. Like an iPhone or iPod Touch right in the dash. People would pay tons for that, especially if they’re willing to pay $1500+ for today’s relatively lame (compared to TomTom / Garmin) in-dash navigation systems.
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Yet another idea…
GM should sell E-Flex retro-fit upgrades to some of their existing cars, kind of like this company does for Fords:
http://www.lionev.com
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
How cool is that Lyle!
It’s just getting fun now folks.
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Welcome Mike,
ICE = Internal Combustion Engine
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Since there was always the situation with LG battery packs that apparently if one cell failed, the whole pack failed, I would guess that this is what Lutz was referring to when he indicated that one of the supplier’s packs represented significantly more risk that the other. After the Cobasys battery recall, I’d guess that battery reliability is numero uno concern these days around GM.
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June 6th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
#18 Mike — ICE stands for “Internal combustion engine”.. For the Volt ICE refers to the gas engine that recharges the battery when it gets down to 25% of its charge remaining. So they did not discharge the battery that much, apparently. Conversely, there has been some discussion of how smooth the transition would be, and whether there would be some loss of power when the ICE came on.
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I’m with Jason @ 9; 2 suppliers is a necessity and not an option in this day and age for the packs. Another case in point is Tesla.
Moreover, if there is a contract, we’d might as well go public with it to start raising the capital for the production ramp up. If A123 is to make an IPO as planned, this would certainly help.
Time is short, oil spiked $11 today!
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Thanks for the video Lyle, If Bob thought driving it was fun than it’s gotta be a great car. I think though if my company were putting a lot of stock into this one car I’d ask to bring it home for a night and put some serious miles on it. Maybe that’s why I’m not in Charge over at GM
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
A candid and spontaneous interview, excellent. More news like this directly from the Volt’s engineering team and leadership is welcome.
I wish someone on the Volt team could share an artist’s sketch or computer rendering of the Volt’s present design to continue building enthusiasm for the project.
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I wonder what sort of “risk” Lutz is talking about in terms of batteries. If it’s business risk I have no real comment, but if it’s safety risk then I can’t imagine a much more benign battery chemistry than A123. Of course, maybe those two types of risk are essentially one and the same.
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I’m really wondering too about “risk” and which battery. Before this statement I was 85% sure it would be A123/Conti, but now I’m not exactly sure. I thought the risk referred to might be a production volume risk and that would lean in favor of CPI. Chemically, they’re both probably about equally stable,( with A123 being more potent) and Lutz even mentioned this.
I’m surprised this hasn’t leaked out yet, since they’ve basically shunned one battery.
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Lyle says: “In a bombshell, Lutz stated that there are only one of the two suppliers packs in the current mules, and that they are now concentrating on only one of the suppliers but he refrained from saying which one. He says at this point GM is very close to one of the two suppliers because of a lower risk with that one. Any guesses?”……
I’ll guess it’s the Continental/A123 team, for two reasons: 1) Conti has the financial muscle, excellent reputation and the decades of experience as a high-volume automotive supplier, and 2) A123 has the science, the experience of producing millions of Li-Ion cells for Dewalt/Black & Decker (and others) and they have the attention of major institutional investors for an upcoming IPO.
I would further guess that, based on Conti’s positive remarks by their CEO last month (http://gm-volt.com/2008/05/10/continental-ceo-thinks-they-has-good-chance-of-winning-volt-contract/), that Conti has already committed internal funds to build a high-volume Li-Ion factory in the US —and has shown plans for that factory to GM.
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June 6th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
One of the other things Lutz mentions is that even under hard acceleration there is no whirring noise. I thought that was characteristic of an AC induction motor like the EV-1 had, and incidentally the EV-1 did whir under hard acceleration.
I’ve got to say this is good news since I like the silent power.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
nasaman #30
I hope you’re right. I keep thinking about how relatively small A123 is compared to LG, but Conti is one of the 5 biggest auto suppliers worldwide and may be bigger than LG. OTOH LG manufactures its cells in Korea and A123 in China, I would think that LG’s RM supply is more stable, and probably slightly higher quality for that reason.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Does this interview present a different view from the one where outsiders, perhaps including Lyle, would be given the chance to drive the mule in July 08?
My guess is they are going with A123, and I have a 50% chance of being right!
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Yes, I have come to this thread again:
Wagoner shilling at the annual meeting, “the Chevy Volt is a go”, and “we intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future…”
Lutz today in the real world: “He said the first cars to look like the “real Volt” will appear at the end of this year, and that by spring and summer of 2009 there will be “several hundred” of these and thats when the final integration vehicles will appear.
Source:
http://gm-volt.com/2008/06/03/gm-ceo-chevy-volt-is-a-go-production-schedule-approved-by-the-board-and-design-shown-publicly-in-the-very-near-future/
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
———————————————————————
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Oil prices shot up nearly $11 a barrel and settled Friday at a record $138.54 on geopolitical jitters, a dollar decline and a forecast that oil would hit $150 by July 4.
Source: CNNMoney.com June 6, 2008
———————————————————————
Hello VOLT. Goodbye Gas.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
#1 Brian M
“If they will have hundreds of near-production prototypes on the road in Spring 2009, why do we have to wait until November 2010? Is it just because the federal safety tests will take a long time?”
Hand building a hundred prototypes is one thing, tooling up the mass production process is another. And yes, there are also many, many tests. Crash testing is just one area of testing.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
#34 Statik — Maybe the Wagoner / Lutz statements are not in conflict. I took the Wagoner statement as refering to the body styling, that is, the exterior shell showing what the production Volt will look like, but not an actual working car. I took the Lutz statement as implying more, the real powertrain in the real body, even if imperfectly finished.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
It’s all going to come down to battery costs.
I’d speculate that V1.0 will start with a $15,000 battery and (by the time V2.0 hits the road) five years later, will be sporting the same battery at a cost of $5,000.
If you can’t beat them, buy ‘em.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
This all sounds very good to me. Things are beginning to sort themselves out. We will have to see what we see next week.
Take Care
Arch
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
RB, that’s exactly how I took the Lutz/Wagoner statements also …we get to see the new body style soon and such prototypes running by end of year. Of course, I’m not obsessed with conflict and negativity.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
DETROIT, June 6 (Reuters) – An LG Chem unit is ready to supply next-generation batteries to the Chevy Volt, a senior executive said, confounding skeptics who said General Motors Corp would not have the all-electric car ready by late 2010.
In case anyone missed the above.
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June 6th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
OMG.. if GM teams up with apple I will NOT get the volt, haha. Well, as long as the apple crap isn’t intergrated directly into the car. It should be a option that sort of plugs in.. nothing more. And no stupid “ipod” docks.. just have an AUX IN so we can use whatever device we want
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June 6th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Lutz says the first generation will be more expensive than they would like. Thats unfortunate. I really hope this isn’t too expensive, and doesn’t turn into another PR stunt like the EV1, doomed to fail…
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June 6th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I love quiet. Mr. Lutz says he didn’t hear it at all. I love that.
No artificial noise for me please.
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June 6th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
RB, you took the statement, “we intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt” to mean, “the exterior shell showing what the production Volt will look like, but not an actual working car?” or Paul-R “we get to see the new body style soon”
Really? When the CEO comes out at the biggest press conference of the year and says I’m going to you a production version of the Volt very soon…you assume he meant just the ‘production’ exterior shell…no working parts?
Is the phrase, “very near future” from Wagoner to you the same as the 7 months Lutz came out with today about ’shell only’? Here is Lutz’s comment today, “the first cars to look like the “real Volt” will appear at the end of this year”
GM is telling the CAW right now that the deal they signed two weeks is no longer valid because of the extreme market shift that has occured in that amount of time. So how long is the “very near future?”
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June 6th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
great… this is fun.. great interview…
I was this excited when I drove the EV1 for two days…. but gas was $1 a gallon and nobody cared… They have to put these batteries in a EV1 and see what it does…. I estimate it would get a lot more than 40 miles electric… and go like hell being so much lighter… I hope GM has a CUV option by 2012 that is as reliable as my Buick.
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June 6th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
#30 nasaman,
Very good analysis on the prospective battery supplier. Also, the fact that GM worked directly with A123 on the development of battery chemistry for the Volt, and the ability of the A123 batteries to provide more power (i.e. better acceleration) also suggests that GM would lean in their direction.
Although it is desirable to have 2 battery suppliers, from a cost perspective, it may be advantageous to manufacture 100,000 battery packs per year with 1 vendor versus make 50,000 with each. The higher volume may justify the investment in automated manufacturing techniques.
I believe we will see the final exterior design for the Volt very soon (as Rich Wagoner stated), however, that vehicle will probably not be an integration vehicle with all of the Volt’s final drive and systems. It will be mainly for the purpose of showing the Volt’s overall look.
The EV-1 used a 12,000 rpm motor and a double reduction gearbox. It did make a whining noise, as you can hear from this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdUfAEIEos&feature=related
I believe the Volt may have only a single gear reduction, and it may be housed such that there is little noise. This has luxury car potential written all over it!
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June 6th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
If everything we’ve been shown previously and told here by GM are accurate, then A123 is the choice. Remeber one of the previous threads showed a mule on a lift above the silver Conti pack.
http://gm-volt.com/2008/05/28/remaining-control-and-engineering-work-in-the-chevy-volts-development/
Well…Lyle’s new post says LG Chem/Compact Power will get the nod. So much for my deductive powers.
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June 6th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Koz #49
I saw the same silver pack going into a Mule. I think we’ve been thrown another bone on this one.
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June 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
The Guardian news story again brings up the battery “leasing” issue.
Is it possible LG would be chosen because as a large company they can more efficiently handle the manufacturing and leasing of the batteries? Would leasing make the Volt affordable for more people?
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June 7th, 2008 at 10:04 am
The beginning of the end of OPEC. America wins.
CHEVY VOLT: AMERICAN-MADE, AMERICAN-FUELED.
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June 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am
More expensive than they wanted, as Mr. Lutz is quoted above. Still ready. The Democrats appear to have the White House this year and along with that will be PHEV rebates. The car will thus still be affordable to most everyone with gas even at $3.00 a gallon then.
Lets go – deposit ready.
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June 7th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Thanks Lyle, I am little late those dates.
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June 7th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Yes, I love the idea of quiet power, where you push the accelerator and just go without the show of a loud exhaust.
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June 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
BillR @ 48
That’s the way I think it’ll go too.
EXCELLENT news all the way around. I’m with JBAlaska: Have check, Will travel!
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June 7th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
@52:
A fundamental problem with shifting energy dependence to domestic electricity is the issue of storage. Right now, it’s not cheap to produce batteries domestically. So now instead of investing our dollars to support terrorism (Middle Eastern oil), we are investing our dollars to support communism (Chinese batteries).
The ultimate solution would be to build our energy infrastructure (motors, controllers, batteries, etc…) on American soil, so that no outside nation has the means (whether on purpose or not) to bring us into another energy crisis.
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June 7th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
#53 jbf alaska & #56 Tagamet:
I’m right there with ya boys!
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June 7th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Kubel #57
I agree somewhat, however I rather support Chinese “communism” than terrorism if given the choice.
I’ve suggested many times on this site that it’s the unpredictability of China as a sole resource for Li-ion or anything else that bothers me. It’s got to concern anyone that China is developing its industries that may use these same resources and it goes w/o saying this is cause for concern.
I think it would be much too expensive to produce Li-ion in this country, but I like the idea of this hemisphere. I’d like to see GM expand Ramos Arizpe or another Mexican facility as a source. That would really keep it in our hands with transportation by Tractor trailer to the border and by rail from there.
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June 7th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Great job Lyle. It sounds very promising for GM and its future customers (that is us). I am quite ready.
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June 7th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
It’s interesting that he mentions the 2 screen display that the Volt will have and it’s level of customization. It looks like one in front of the driver and one in the center of the dash. Sounds like this car will indeed be principally software driven.
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June 7th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Grizzly
And when he mentioned the screens, he made a hand gesture as if to point to two seperate screens side by side. At first I wondered whether he meant different “screens” on the same display ala Prius.
In Volt V3.0 I’d love to see the skateboard design with 100% fly-by-wire tech. Heck, it’s unbearably long to wait for V 1.0!
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June 7th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Tag,
Ahhh now you’ve got me watching that Lutz video for about the 4th time.
WRT the screens, the spy interior photos posted on this blog some time ago showed the center console with it’s own screen like the lone one that was in the Ev-1. Could be side by side screens as well, who knows.
I’m still expecting that at any time a sneaked spy shot of the final Volt is going to leak out ahead of schedule.
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June 7th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Grizzly “I’m still expecting that at any time a sneaked spy shot of the final Volt is going to leak out ahead of schedule.”
From your lips to God’s ear!
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June 9th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Excellent interview and thanks for sharing. It seems we can often learn more from these little “aside” interviews, than the big Corporate ones such as this previous week’s Annual shareholder meeting.
Just think, despite what sounded like some thrashing of the vehicle at 70-80 mph, the ICE still didn’t kick on. Great stuff!
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June 9th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I think the cost is going to be well within range. If gas goes up to only $5.00 a gallon and you currently use an average full tank of 18 gallons a week, that is $4,680 a year or $23,400 in fuel over five years. If you bought a new cheap car for $20,000 dollars and you add in the $23,400 dollars in fuel the cost for 5 years is $43,400. Then you still have to deal with the rising cost of fuel during the time you are driving the conventional gasoline car. Even if the new Volt is 40,000 dollars it will be about the same over the course of a 5 year loan. Plus once is is paid off think how much you will save. Now imagine you drive a new big SUV and you currently use 40-50 gallons a week. How much would you save now. Also the only way to stick it to the oil companies is to start buying electric and tell them we are no paying their prices anymore while they still make record profits…!!!!!
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June 9th, 2008 at 8:21 am
{ 57 Kubel “The ultimate solution would be to build our energy infrastructure (motors, controllers, batteries, etc…) on American soil, so that no outside nation has the means (whether on purpose or not) to bring us into another energy crisis.”}
I think GM is smart by buying the batteries overseas at this time. I would also like to see them made in America, but why not work with a leading battery manufactor who knows about batteries. Let them develope the battery and also be liable should any trouble arise down the road. Then once everything is working smoothly we just do what the Chinese have been doing to us for years. We reverse engineer their own battery and produse it here with an american label on it.
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June 9th, 2008 at 8:40 am
I also suspect the software and display features may be something a little more up to date. When The video was talking about two displays that could be configured to display items on each screen, I think he was talking about something most people haven’t seen. it sounded very much like somthing that aviation companies have been using for the past 8 years of so. It’s called a glass cockpit with very limited buttons and controls. Pretty much you either have a cursor control device that allows you to click on screens and and select a GUI menu interface or it can be touch screen. Companies like Honeywell, Universal Avionics, and Rockwell Collins have been making them for some time. It can show all perameters of the engine, battery, doors, just everything you could imagine and still have screens for radio, cd and navigation system. Everything is ran by a onboard computer that can have software updates to fix bugs or add features to the displays. Here is a link to see it in an aircraft.
http://www51.honeywell.com/aero/common/documents/GulfstreamPlaneViewAdvancedCockpit.pdf
The cool part is if GM does it right, they can add provisions in the car for future technology that will allow you to plug in a device, add some software and you have the latest feature installed in your car. I may be wrong but i have seen them on aircraft and if they are putting a variance of this system in a car we are all going to have on great treat.
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June 9th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Jeremy P@68
I know that the cool screens are available, but I’d fear scaring off anyone over 50 or 60. The Volt 1.0 needs wide acceptance of both price AND user friendliness to take off. I’ve been pushing for KISS and “Let’s get the Volt’s wheels on the road!” slogan.
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June 9th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
So, if the \Volt is going to be over 40K (I’m not sure of the current guesstiment), why not go ahead and get a Phoenix?
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June 9th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I live in L.A. and have solar panels. I make enough extra power to “Fill Up” the Volt every day and still have enough juice for my home! No more gas bill, no more electricity bill. Screw the Terrorists. There are answers- There is abundance- Do not buy into fear. The answer will be up to each of us individually and not the Government.
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June 11th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
We’ve always been a Honda family. I think things are about to change. If this car really lives up to what I’m expecting and is under $25 – 30K it looks like my matching V6 dual exhaust Accords, my beautiful Accords, may well be traded in on matching Volts.
Have I lost my mind? For GMs?!!! We hate Priuses. They’re not a REAL no-gas option. Let’s face it… They’re fake cars, Sorry if I offend anyone, that’s just the way it is.
I can’t wait to actually physically test drive one of these. They really are a sharp vehicle and “silent” to boot!
Oh God… Here we go! Never bought American! Fingers crossed!
Leaping in 2010!
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June 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I want to test one out. please GM let me test one out!
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June 12th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
(72
Eric)
The car will be more closer to $40,000 or higher, also its your opinion about the prius. It looks like a car to me, and it gets better milege than your dual exhast V6 accord gets, which is the main reason why people want the Volt, I don’t want to be offensive to you its just what prius did led to gas conservation
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