Clearly we are all here waiting for our Volts. But we have heard there may be some limitations in price and availability at first.
Now that consumer sentiment has shifted gears from truck to small cars, GM is accelerating the production of the latter.
One that stands out is the Chevy Cruze. It will be GM’s replacement car for the Cobalt, and is set to begin production in 2010. It is a well-designed compact car with a 1.4 L turbo engine that should get better than 40 mpg. Previously we had only seen camouflage mule photos of the car.
Apparently on Tuesday when GM CEO Rick Wagoner spoke to employees about GM’s future, they and the media were shown images of some future cars which included the Cruze. Likely through rogue screen captures, those images have now surfaced on the web.
I have been advised by GM officials that these photos were not officially released, which is why no better resolution pictures publicly exist.
Bob Lutz previously downplayed the launch of this car, preferring to focus more on the current Cobalt. But that’s marketing, what do you expect?
The Cruze might very well be considered the gas-powered sister of the Chevy Volt, since they are both built on the next generation Delta global compact platform. The car also seems ripe for a next-gen lithium-ion hybrid option (see post ), also slated to appear in 2010 and offering up to a 20% increase in fuel economy, but that is a matter of pure conjecture.
Looks like a great car. The new GM. Yes I know, no plug.
This entry was posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under Images. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:54 am)Keep it movin’ GM. I just took advantage of the market’s shortsightedness and grabbed some cheap stock. Maybe it will pay for my volt in a couple of years!
Build it here, build it NOW!!!
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:58 am)Lyle, cool looking car! You should have added the “best-guess” Volt drawing to the post for comparison purposes.
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:00 am)While reaction to styling is such a personal thing, this design should do well for GM vs other smaller vehicles available today.
If the mechanicals deliver the MPG and a reasonable level of comfort, I’d consider it as a replacement for my current, aging four door compact daily commuter if the Volt rollout in my area looks to be well beyond 2010.
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:27 am)Looks like a winner to me. I don’t have a problem really with the appearance of the Cobalt or G5/Pursuit now…but thats definitely a improvement.
Provided the price structure is the same, (and that would be the BIG question), GM will sell a ton of these.
Side note: I wonder if BMW gets a royalty cheque for that rear end? Looks alot like a cross between the 1 series and 3.
/nice car…really nice for 14K (crosses fingers)
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:31 am)Beautiful car!
Yes, yes… no plug? NO…
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:55 am)Nice looking, and greater than 40 mpg sounds good.
Presumably this 40 mpg is the “composite” gas mileage. Earlier there was a discussion of how that was measured, officially. Is this number the one that comes from the 103 mile test cycle?
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:55 am)Finally GM is making beautiful cars again. The styles I e mailed about over the years…that ended up on the floors as scrap on the concept design studio floor.
These guys are on mental Viagra…caution…if you have brilliant ideas lasting more than 4 hours…the masses will buy them!
Dam…they finally woke the sleeping giant….
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:56 am)No plug, not interested.
A hybrid version would give the (current) Prius a run for its money though. A 20% improvement would give 48 mpg. Shame it will be competing with the next version Prius.
A 30% improvement, however, would give the next gen Prius competition for buyers.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:05 am)I’m glad to see the sentiments by Tim @ 5 and NZDavid @ 8.
AMERICAN MANUFACTUERS WILL BE LEFT IN THE DUST IF THEY DO NOT MOVE TO ELECTRICS POWERED BY BATTERIES. No hydrogen…BATTERIES!
As much as I fear the Detroit 3 May go belly-up, I’m not going to cave. Petro-FREE will be my next vehicle. Period. No distractions.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:07 am)57 Italian designers just punched the sky…
They might as well paint the Cruze all white and have big black block letters on the side that says “CAR”.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:31 am)Hey Statik, no need to wait for a Cruze, you could put in for a Zenn, hahaha.
The province of Québec Thursday began a three-year pilot project allowing the use of low-speed electric vehicles—specifically the ZENN, assembled in Saint-Jérôme au Québec and the Nemo, built in Sainte-Thérèse.
Also, from the same article.
The EEStor ESU has been projected to offer up to 10x the energy density (volumetric and gravimetric) of lead-acid batteries at the same cost. According to the company’s initial patent, the EESU is based on a high-permittivity composition-modified barium titanate ceramic powder. This powder is double coated with the first coating being aluminum oxide and the second coating calcium magnesium aluminosilicate glass.
So now they have gone from 20 times better than a Li Ion battery to ~2.5 times better. Oh well. . . hehehe.
Source:http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/07/quebec-begins-3.html#more
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:35 am)#9 Ditos on NO HYDROGEN!! only a major break through in production costs wll validate this link bettween power generation and usage.
Show us the EEstor
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:52 am)A lot of people will like the look of this car, and if the goal is to effect oil demand destruction, 40 mpg is terrific. The difference in gas consumption between this car and a Prius is a bit more than half a gallon (.69) a week. (Assuming 11,000 miles of driving a year it’s 275 gallons for the Cruze and 239 for the Prius).
I want a plug but that’s me. My guess is that many people would rather not pay for the battery pack. Plus if the concern is that the grid won’t be able to support so many plug-ins, high mileage ICE or parallel hybrid cars mitigate the problem.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:52 am)Very good, slick looking car. Hopefully those pictures are of the production model and not of the concept(anybody have any details on this?). Looks like this will have to hold me over until the volt.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:59 am)Fine. Looks like a nice car, but not much different than many other sub-compacts. The price needs to be right (<$15k), and they need to get them out soon. Both, I am fearful will not be met.
40 mpg is ok, but not earth moving. I had a 1988 CRX HF, that consistently got 44mpg combined, with 70mph highway, speeds and normal congested traffic. I know this was a 2 seater, and smaller than the Cruze, but this is also 20 year old tech.
The EESTOR sure would be a great technology, but I would not hold my breath on this technology. To get this type of energy density, the capacitor has over 3400 volts! Yikes, thats some type of high voltage storeage. I see safety becoming a real issue, in applying this technology to automobiles. Also, the discharge rate of a capacitor is HUGE, which is good for getting up to speed, but if any thing causes a short, you better watch out (BOOM, EXPLOSION, FIRE, lots of bad stuff..). So even if they can meet the spec’s for this ultra-capacitor, the engineering behind putting this into a auto will take time (alot, in my opinion).
I still have my eye on Think! and iMIEV. My current auto is getting old, and I am holding it together with a lot of wire and duct tape. I need a real solution soon, and was hoping for electric, but maybe the old ICE will need to suffice for the short-term (unfortunately, I hold vehicles for at least 12-15 years, so short-term is not so short for me)
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:14 am)Sheesh, after doing an outstanding job on the Malibu, they went right back to making a Lumina. It’s fortunate that it has great mileage, because it would lose on styling.
Ironicly, the camoflaged car looked better than the real vehicle.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:14 am)It’s a very good looking car–mind you not all of them will have the super-sporty ultra low-profile tires. The spy shots I’ve seen of the interior are impressive for this so-called “economy car”. Apparently, it will cost GM a couple grand more to build than the Cobalt, but they will be able to charge noticeably more than that because people are willing to pay a premium for a car with a nice interior since that’s what they look at when driving down the road. Since the truck and SUV market has dried up, GM is going to have to make its profits on cars like this. Look at the Malibu: since the redesign and consumer’s perceptions, the average transaction price of the Malibu has increased by about $5000.
It’s also interesting how number “40″ comes up in the specs for this vehicle… come 2010, moving this thing 40 miles could cost 5, 6, 7 or more dollars, whereas the Volt’s first 40 miles should be somewhere between 60 cents and a dollar.
It’s nice that GM will give the customers a choice: an attractive very fuel efficient gas-powered car for a low price, or for those who have more money and truly want to eliminate gasoline to make a statement to the world, the Volt will fit the bill.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:30 am)Clash of the Titans–
1) Japan firms to work out next-gen car battery norms:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080719/tc_nm/autos_battery_dc_1
excerpts: “Creating a common standard would help the companies cut development costs and gain an edge over overseas rivals.”
“GM, which is heavily promoting the upcoming Chevrolet Volt electric car, is set to announce next week a partnership with U.S. utilities to prepare for the widespread sale of plug-in electric cars, people familiar with the plans have said.”
2) Toyota to make 100,000 units of hybrid car: paper:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080719/tc_nm/toyota_hybrid_dc;_ylt=Ag0rpE9AlGb6ing0Q6GFWmpU.3QA
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:36 am)I think we are looking at the Volt as far as exterior styling is concerned.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:47 am)13 DonC
With charging at night, there is no concern, the existing grid will not handle an entire fleet of PHEV’s, or EV’s.
Charging the entire fleet at work during the day is another matter entirely.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:54 am)I see a lot against hydrogen here…. Hydrogen is actually a pretty good idea. Hydrogen can basically be used as electric storage alternatively to large batteries. You can take electricity and put it across water to break hydrogen and oxygen bonds. While not efficient on small scale (i.e. in the home) large scale could work rather efficiently and it would effectively be an electric car system, using Hydrogen as the energy storage, instead of Lithium ion batteries, capacitors, or gasoline. I think this has more promise than full electric vehicles as batteries die, lithium sources may get harder to find (and thus more expensive), etc. I think the Volt with a hydrogen fuel cell, some smaller batteries (or capacitors) for instant torque and to capture regenerative braking would be more realistic long term than fully electric cars.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:56 am)It would seem to be a good deal for under $15,000. I’m guessing the declining cost of labor is showing up in that price.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:08 am)I’m opposed to pressurized hydrogen. If they can convert, on-board, a liquid like ethanol (any of the ‘anols’), well, I’d consider it. Not a fossil fuel though. I wouldn’t want to be around 10,000psi of anything, in other words it’s the pressure not the hydrogen.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:12 am)#19 NZDavid
Did you mean to say “will handle” rather than “will not handle”? I’m thinking you did. Since I’ve seen the claim that the grid could support 250,000 Volt type vehicles bandied about, could you tell me how you arrived at that conclusion or if you have any sources.
Just looking at the capacity and demand during the course of the day it seems like there is considerable over-capacity as evidenced by information for CA shown below which gives the daily supply and demand forecast. But I have no way of quantifying this.
http://www.caiso.com/outlook/outlook.html
Thanks.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:23 am)#18 Van:
I agree with you on this, the exterior of the Cruze clearly resembles the Volt concept.
The front grill and door flaring are tell-tale.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:23 am)He meant its no problem at night – during the day, on peak hours, perhaps not..
“Plus if the concern is that the grid won’t be able to support so many plug-ins, high mileage ICE or parallel hybrid cars mitigate the problem.”
The grid will support it at night, no problem. Even if it doesnt, the volt can charge up on gas – and if their numbers are right – more efficiently than the hybrids can drive.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:25 am)Is that rear window reminiscent of the Pacer?
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:28 am)HEV Cruze:
If GM goes Hybrid on the Cruze it will likely use a 15 Kw BAS + 1 KW Prismatic Lion. My guess A123 would supply it.
I got a feeling on this one guys…that ALL Cruzes will be BAS. Thats right. And if they make a non BAS it will prolly have a 1.4L NON-turbo.
I figure the Lion pack + controller might only cost $1500, and the BAS motor maybe just $1K. So for $2500, you get a 20% improvement in FE for city driving.
Anyhow typical driver doing 12K mi/year @ 40 mpg is 300 gallons of fuel. At 48 mpg, thats just 250 gallons/year. For an annual savings of $200/year. But I don’t think thats the correct Math for evaluating the Lion BAS setup…
The BAS makes the Turbo setup economical in city driving. That is when you graph the torgue curve of the Turbo, you get very little fuel efficiency at low rpm torque and great fuel efficiency at high rpm torque. Electric motors have flat torque curves. THUS, a low cost BAS setup can produce phenomenal gains in city driving, while the Turbo produces great gains on the highway. As Adam Smith would say, the BAS and the Turbo have specialization in differing areas, and thus have occasion to “trade” for mutual benefit.
The better way to analyse this setup would be to realize that a straight Turbo might only do 28 MPG city vs 36 mp city w/BAS. Thus the math is 95 gallons/year for all 12k mi of city driving. And for highway, 35mpg for non-tubo vs highway vs 41 mpg highway for turbo (15% gain for turbos), which if a driver drove all 12k mi as highway, the gain is 50 gallons/year. In the real world its probably a 50/50 split, so the BAS + Turbo gets us a savings of about 70-75 gallons a year. If it can be done for a premium of only 3K, it will be economical at $4.50/gallon.
GM’s done the right math. Like I said, i bet the whole cruze line is either BAS + Turbo, or entry level non-bas, non-turbo.
–
#DA
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:32 am)TOYotoa better be shaking in their boots. GM can product near the fuel economy as the current Prius, but for $5K less. Ooh! Eat green poop TOYO!!!
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:39 am)The Volt will have a SLEW of problems in the first couple of years out. Thus for the less ebuliant spender higher economy is a much better choice.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:43 am)#28 DA
They (GM) have produced nothing yet. It’s all speak, and show. It’s easy to say you will be 40+mpg, and cost less then $14k, the truth will be known, but not yet.
Set to begin production in 2010, means set to begin. So, it really won’t be introduced until model year 2011 (I would believe, but I could be wrong, but not usually
. I expect plenty of other car manuf. are not sitting and waiting around, and they will have more fuel efficient cars in the showrooms by or before then.
Just my opinion, of course.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:51 am)#30 JEC
Yup you’re prolly right. But GM clearly isn’t stuck with their head in the sand. Parallel Hybrids are expensive. The GM BAS solution has a clear path to market as the ‘everyman’ hybrid, now that they appear to be pairing them up with Turbos. It will be a hard nut to crack for the competition. No one can sell a parallel Hybrid for less than $20K. Gm has a price point, the others can’t hit. It’s going to be interesting.
–
#DA
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:55 am)I’m apparently in the minitority with Jason regarding the styling… it does nothing for me. Looks like all the other cars on the road with a bubble roof line. I bought my Volvo S70 for various reasons, one of them being it didn’t have a bubble roof… a little more square for the rear part of the roof, giving more headroom in the back seats. Sadly my model year 2000 S70 was the last year they made it, they swapped it out for the S60 which has a bubble roof
But the good thing is that if this indeed gets 40mpg city and it’s priced where folks think it will be, then this is definitely headed in the right direction. Still hoping GM brings back their Geo Metro from about 20 years ago… 4/5 seater that got over 50mpg with it’s 1.0L 3-cyclinder engine!
As for EEStor.. even at “only” 2.5 the volumetric density of Li-Ion, if it indeed becomes a reality (still sounds too good to be true) that’s a MAJOR leap forward… it in theory I believe the EEStor device is lighter (so it will keep GVW down and improve performance/efficiency) as well as being less expensive per usable kwh storage.
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:00 pm)#30 JEC
“it really won’t be introduced until model year 2011″.
It seems very odd that the Cruze is so far out given that the Volt, a radically different and totally new kind of vehicle, technology, etc., etc., will also be available in the same time frame.
While the Volt had a small head start in 2006, it goes to show what miracles are being performed by the Volt design team!
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:09 pm)Guys,
If you want an electric right now just go buy an EV-Porsche. They have boxter conversions for about $42k.
http://www.evporsche.com/
Cheers,
Mike
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:20 pm)#33 George K
Agreed.
If (emphasis placed on IF), the Volt actually achieves the commited production date, then I will give GM the credit they deserve. Designing something that has no equal is true engineering. The permutations for all the possible issues that can occur with this new revolution vehicle, are daunting.
I hope GM succeeds, but I will not be suprised if they don’t. I just have a problem believing much of what any car manufacturer advertises, and this is not just GM specific.
Be Swell (this is my new TAG line lol..lol..lol, sorry TAG I just could not help myself)
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:23 pm)Hey JEC30,
You are such a humble person. “I could be wrong, but not usually”
LOL
:O)
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:41 pm)Brian E, you really need to do more research about hydrogen. There’s a reason why the Bush admin and big oil/gas actually has no problem with hydrogen… that’s because the most economical source of hydrogen is not water (H2O)… but natural gas (CH4) and other “hydro(gen) carbons”… yup, you got it, it’s another way to pedel the same drugs, just like crack is for cocaine.
A “hydrogen economy” as a supposedly replacement for our current “oil economy” just keeps us dependent on on a single source of fuel from the same providers…. and because the cost to produce hydrogen is much more than oil, don’t think hydrogen is a solution for your wallet when you hit the pump… you’re just replacing the gasoline pump with a hydrogen pump.
And producing hydrogen from water is just senseless. You really need to look at well to wheel…. or just common sense…. if you think about it, taking electricity, transmitting it, charging batteries, is pretty energy efficient. Now if instead you take that same electricity to split water (you’ve already lost 30% of the energy right there), then use more energy to compress of freeze the hydrogen, use some more energy to transport it (you can’t use pipelines, hydrogen is the lightest of all elements and you’ll lose lots of it that way and damage the pipeline as well), pump that hydrogen into a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, just so you can now feed that hydrogen into a fuel cell to turn what’s left of it back into electricity (and fuel cells while getting “better” are relatively inefficient, not to mention expensive and don’t last long enough).
Just remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. You could compare that to a battery EV. A hydrogen fuel cell is like taking the much longer scenic route.
And unlike battery EV’s, hydrogen fuel cell EV’s are NOT emission free. Sure they “only” emit water, but what happens to all that water? Does it all turn to ice on the roads in the Winter? Is it emitted as water vapor producing a fog in downtime LA instead of smog?
Lithium is not the only battery technology… even lead acid is making improvements with carbon foam to produce much lighter replacements, there is NiMH, NiCad, sodium, and then there are supercapacitors that are not chemical in nature.
And finally battery EV’s are the ultimate flex fuel vehicles…. the electricity can come from so many sources, and over the next decade home solar PV based systems continue to get cheaper and cheaper. No wonder big oil/gas is so afraid of battery EV’s and instead back hydrogen!
Jul 19th, 2008 (12:52 pm)#18 Van notes that the exterior styling of the Volt may be the same.
Going further, the whole car may be the same, except for the obvious difference in the drive system. The cars are the same size and on the same schedule. GM’s new policy is to “hit home runs”, which I think means to build only in high volume. While the Volt by itself might not be high volume, perhaps the Volt has a twin that does. They can have different decals
Jul 19th, 2008 (1:01 pm)23 DonC
This is from a 202 page PDF on my hard Drive, so no link, but you should be able to Google it. (Warning 1951 KB file.)
From: Plugged In. The End Of The Oil Age – A report By WWF. PP122.
In 2006, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) performed an impact assessment of PHEVs on electric utilities and regional power grids in the US.208 The headline conclusion of the study is astonishing: with the installation of no new electricity generating capacity, if charging off‑peak, it would be possible to ‘fuel’ eighty-four percent of the nation’s cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs – roughly 198 million vehicles – driving an average of 33 miles (53 km) per day. Of course, this does not mean no new electricity would be required. It is simply an indication of the degree to which today’s electricity system is sub‑optimal. Grids are designed to cope with peak demand – which occurs during the day, when large numbers of power-consuming appliances are operational – meaning that significant spare grid capacity exists in the demand troughs, frequently at night when the majority of vehicles are stationary.
And further: PP123 – 124.
… In the US, where electricity consumption is an order or magnitude higher at 4,047 TWh in 2005, (Key World Energy Statistics 2007 (IEA)) one million PHEVs would demand a negligible 0.04% of the nation’s power. The clear message is that significant numbers of grid-connected vehicles would not have a significant impact on national electricity consumption.
With 200 million vehicles to replace, you would be looking at a 8% demand increase which the existing grid could handle with ease, at night. Interestingly enough they based their calculations on a EV range of 33 miles.
Also lots of calculations on why the H2 economy will not work.
Jul 19th, 2008 (1:51 pm)yes it looks like a volt to me too..
maybe this is there attempts at a focus group? without our knowledge?
…
nah but 99% sure this is the models they come out with 2010 ..
the volt might come out .. but hey.. thats hope for ya .. right?.
altho why put a cruze pic on a volt forum?
maybe the volt will be just an * option u tak on the cruze*?
Jul 19th, 2008 (1:52 pm)I’d love to be able to say “No plug no sale” but I’m holding my vehicles together with spit and baling wire (and duct tape). I need a 2009 model of SOMETHING. Help me out, GM. I know I’m not alone.
Be well,
Tag
Jul 19th, 2008 (1:54 pm)This car seems to be similar to the new Malibu. I also believe it provides some clues to the final design for the Volt.
Note that the 4 speed 2.4 L Malibu is rated 22/30 city/hwy by the EPA. The current 2009 hybrid version is rated 26/34. So the improvement with the BAS system is about 18%/13%.
With a bigger motor/alternator, Li-Ion vs. NMh, and better control software, I believe that the new BAS+ system will provide 20% improvement in fuel economy, and perhaps more.
With economy numbers for the BAS Cruze hybrid in the 40-50 mpg range, this only makes me wonder more about Wagoner’s recent comment where he stated that the Volt could go 40 miles electric, over 300 miles on gasoline, and still have a composite fuel economy over 100 mpg.
To become the true halo car, the Volt will need to be even more efficient than the Cruze, IMHO, and this could mean that the Volt may truly be a remarkably efficient automobile.
Jul 19th, 2008 (2:03 pm)Have a nice weekend guys. You’re the best!
Jul 19th, 2008 (2:33 pm)NZDavid “So now they have gone from 20 times better than a Li Ion battery to ~2.5 times better. Oh well. . . hehehe.”
Not so. The “10 times better” EEStor has mentioned has always been in comparison to lead acid batteries. They have not revised this figure. They never said 20 times better.
Jul 19th, 2008 (2:47 pm)Tag #41:
If you have E85 in your area or other biofuel(for diesel), why not go that route. No shame in biofuel even if it is now produced from corn. I’ve decided I’d go that route rather than a parallel hybrid. The Prius doesn’t appeal to me. I have to say that GM’s approach to the market is looking sounder and sounder. La Volt if available is very compelling.
Jul 19th, 2008 (2:58 pm)I really like the picture of the Cruz, but couldn’ reconcile it with the rather pudgy spy shot. Also the feeling of having seen it before kept nagging at me, so I checked out the Opel website in the UK. Didn’t find it under Opel but they referenced the Vauxhalls:
http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/vxfilter/vxfilter.do?method=getTrimLevelsList&brandName=Vectra&scope=S&brandId=948&dualFuelIndicator=N&carVanIndicator=C&vehicleType=C
I found the Cruz: it appears to be a Vauxhall Vectra with a Malibu face, which gives me a great deal of confidence that the car will wear well in the US as the bugs have been ironed out in the continent. I suspect any new engineering works toward the alleged 40 mpg.
There’s also a flash web page that must have been developed by a dyed in the wool gearhead with a sense of humor. The 360 flash is great!
http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/vxr/flash/index_main.html
Anyway, if GM can bring that car into the US, with
* Styling that is unabashedly American
* Real 35+ mpg
* For between $15k and $25k (there’s a full range of models)
They’ll sell every one they can make. This car gives me a very good feeling about GM.
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:17 pm)#43 –> you too, Noel.
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:19 pm)As far as the front end is concerned, if you replace the grille with louvers and add a scoop below it, keep the headlights and then give the hood line more upward slope then you’ve basically got the front end for the Volt. That said, I think the Volt will be a better looking car.
Is GM going to make the mistake of not making this car flex-fuel capable?
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:32 pm)That is a very nice looking car. I too am very curious to know how close it is to the production Volt.
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:36 pm)Jan,
Nothing wrong with biodiesel. In faCT, when I pass away, they’ll harvest any organs still useable and render the rest to biodiesel. Heck, if I stick around long enough, we may not need to go that route (g).
Be well,
Tag
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:39 pm)no plug——no sale TED
BEV Cruz….cha ching
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:46 pm)#51
BEV Cruze=Volt!
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:52 pm)Tag #41
“..but I’m holding my vehicles together with spit and baling wire (and duct tape).”
*** *** ***
That makes two of us. You might look into J-B Weld, it’ll spare you from having to tie nice neat bow-ties with the baling wire.
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:52 pm)If the volt looks similar, I’m sold.
At the bottom of things, functionality is key, but you also want it to look good! The concept volt was too square for my liking – I know they’ve rounded it up for aerodynamics, so I’m confident that I’ll like the finished design.
I just used google images to see if there’s more on the cruze..
are they recycling names? They already made (or planned) on a chevy cruze (looks like an SUV?)
http://tanakatire.web.infoseek.co.jp/logo8/CHEVROLET_CRUZE.gif
Jul 19th, 2008 (3:57 pm)#53 Grizzly:
Don’t forget the zip ties and the pop rivets.
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:00 pm)Grizzly,
The duct tape is stuck ON the J-B weld (sigh)
Thanks,
Tag
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:00 pm)#39
I had the same article almost posted. Good think I read your postings first.
It pays to read most posts before posting.
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:00 pm)Like the looks of the cruze but now we just bought a pontiac 2006 G6 GT with a v-6, we have been getting a combined 50% city/50%hwy 28 mpg and on pure hwy 38mpg at 60 mph, not bad for a car that is almost 3 years old and has good interior room and not bad style.We have cut our gas usage in have in one month verse using our truck 2008 chevy silverado 2500 crew cab 6.0, we will still kept our truck to tow the boat and rv. The oil companies would be chocking on there extra oil if every one could cut there gas usage in half
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:04 pm)not true racer
china and india would end up recieving more oil./gas supply and demand
if we arent demanding as much
they move the supply.. where its wanted.
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:11 pm)Sweet look’n car! I’d buy it just just for looks.
Nice work GM!
Jul 19th, 2008 (4:30 pm)>> TOYotoa better be shaking in their boots. GM can product near the fuel economy as the current Prius, but for $5K less. Ooh! Eat green poop TOYO!!!
Isn’t that what they call smug? Seriously, how can you consider a 40 MPG highway estimate equal to the real-world mixed driving average of 48 MPG? Please, try to be realistic.
Also, remember there are 2 goals for hybrids. One is to reduce consumption. The other is to reduce smog-related emissions. What emission-rating do you think Cruze will achieve?
Jul 19th, 2008 (5:36 pm)#39 NZDavid
Thanks, that’s exactly what I was looking for. Should make for interesting reading.
Since you’re a Statik, er Doubting Thomas, about EESTOR, here’s a blog which you might find interesting. (I found it interesting). It would be great if it worked.
http://bariumtitanate.blogspot.com/2008/07/eestor-beyond-permittivity.html
Jul 19th, 2008 (6:15 pm)Build it and they will come…and buy it.
Jul 19th, 2008 (6:47 pm)This is not a GM fansite, this is a Volt fansite.
If you want to save gas, buy a Prius.
If you want to use no gas, buy a Volt.
Jul 19th, 2008 (6:52 pm)#42 BillR said “With economy numbers for the BAS Cruze hybrid in the 40-50 mpg range, this only makes me wonder more about Wagoner’s recent comment where he stated that the Volt could go 40 miles electric, over 300 miles on gasoline, and still have a composite fuel economy over 100 mpg. ”
The explanation may be that “composite fuel economy” seems to be a standard gov’nt test that begins with the car fulled fueled. The test is completed over a loop that is 103 miles long. If that is what Mr. Wagoner was referring to, then the Volt would go 40miles all electric and then 63miles with the ICE on. If the Volt got about 60 mpg with the ICE on, the “composite fuel economy” by the standard test would be about 100 mpg.
The above is a stretch beyond Mr. Wagoner’s comments but is the only plausible explanation posted here as to how he can be making sense, unless he is somehow referring to average use over multiple days with multiple charging cycles.
Jul 19th, 2008 (6:57 pm)#62 DonC
Interesting reading, but how reliable is the information? We see this same theme, again, and again. How, EEStor is not revealing secrets and that the permittivity issue is solved and old news. How, they are just waiting to release the secret and shock the world!
Well, this does make good press, but their are also other possible motives, with the biggest being good ole’ American greenbacks. Yes, if they can get enough people to buy into this “secret” before it is revealed, you could be a millionaire. But, you could also go belly up if this turns out to be bad science, or more likely good science that cannot be practically applied. For instance, the process to form this dielectric may work in a lab for a small sample, but try to repeat this in a mass production environment, and you may never succeed. Also, if they plan on using a ceramic dielectric, I wonder about the robustness and fragility of this, especially if they plan to put it into a auto, that must pass extensive vibration testing and thermal profiles. Remember, they are getting all the Joules, from the ability of have a very high voltage separated by this very thin dielectric, and if even a pin-hole failure occurs, I believe you will have a major meltdown of the entire cell (but maybe it is self-healing like existing metallized polyester caps?) Energy stored is a product of the square of the voltage, and they got a lot of volts and energy packed in this little baby.
I admit I am watching for them to release the “secret”, but that little engineer inside me is saying things like “To good to be true”.
Again, I do believe that EEStor may have something, but I also believe it is likely just a nice lab experiment. I guess time will tell….
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:01 pm)Reading through the comments above, it seems to me that most likely the 40 mpg number for the Cruze is for the 103 mile composite cycle in a car with the BAS hybrid system installed. Maybe the car is standard this way. More likely, it is a high-line model of the Crize with the BAS option included at extra cost ($6K?). That way, a lower cost model (with lower mpg) also will be available.
That’s OK, except that the lower cost models are likely to be unattractive. One of the things GM often does is include some really ugly base models at lower prices, a practice not followed by, say, Honda. These ugly cars give the whole lineup a bad aura. I hope they don’t do that with the Cruze, but that’s the precedent.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:11 pm)You should try to find out who the designer(s) is(are) and give them some credit. It’s nice to see these ‘fresh’ designs coming out of Chevrolet after so many years of ‘boring’.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:21 pm)The post that is linked notes that BAS hybrids are to number more than 100,000 (per year?) and that they will use Li-ion batteries from Hitachi. It seems strange that such a major contract for Li-ion batteries should go to a company who is apparently not being considered for the Volt batteries.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:22 pm)#68 Gordon — Agree. The designers deserve credit by name.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:53 pm)That Cruze, to me ,looks like a Opel Insignia but is on the Delta platform, cousin of the Cobolt.
The insignia is on a epsilon platform…
I wonder if we are looking at the Opel engineers roomy Delta platform that has been suggested will be Volt 2 (aka The return of the Volt)
Confused? So am I.
Jul 19th, 2008 (7:57 pm)autoblogGreen has a post dated July 19 at 6:30pm that shows Senator McCain standing beside a car, with some people in the background. What model car is it that Senator McCain is standing beside?
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:27 pm)Nice car. This is definitely the Volts gas (and maybe parallel hybrid) sister. But it’s still no Volt.
Still waiting, GM.
Jul 19th, 2008 (8:50 pm)Hey Lyle,
This is off the thread but I don’t know where else to post it.
As a novice to all this new technology, I am a bit lost when it comes to all the abbreviations and terms.
I have a suggestion. Create a “VOLT-a-pedia”. Post it on the top boarder of this site. I am sure the bloggers would fill it with good explanations of all those technical things they are discussing.
For example I know what an ICE is but not what it stands for or much about it. Is it to be a multi-fuel generator or just gas? Will you be able to hear it under the hood? Turbo-charged? And on and on.
Then comes all the stuff about the various battery technologies….swoosh! Right over my head.
There are so many new terms, I think your contributors would fill a “VOLT-a-pedia” in short order with great explanations of all the relevant info.
Just a suggestion to help move things in the direction of more comfort with all this new technology.
If any of you agree with my idea, please help get this post to Lyle in case he’s not looking right now.
Thanks
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:06 pm)#37 and #39, right on.
No plug, no deal on the Cruze
Also, is it just me or does this thing look like a full size sedan, like an Accord or Camry? For being a replacement to the Cobalt it sure looks huge.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:28 pm)Stew,
Yes,phographs are deceptive but I think it is an enlarged Cobolt.
The Opel Insignia is an enlarged Vectra so that is a consistent idea.
Pure conjecture, but is this the generation 2 Volt?
Ok Im rumour mongering but it is a relief from politics.
Jul 19th, 2008 (9:43 pm)I saw John McCain on Conan O’Brien’s show last night and he mentioned the Volt. The funny thing is he stated that GM would be rolling out the Volt “in a year or so”. I’m not sure if he was confused about the timeline or if he inadvertently divulged some secret information….
To see the interview, go to Conan’s website:
http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/index.shtml
Watch the episode from Friday, July 18th. McCain starts talking about energy at 28:30 and mentions the Volt at 31:30.
Jul 19th, 2008 (10:28 pm)74 Mikeunati I agree that would be a good idea.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:28 pm)A Volt Wiki is what you’re thinking of, I believe
Good idea, but perhaps only registered members should be able to edit (or only lyle + select few?)
Anyone can edit wikipedia, but it can also be trashed really easily – lots of moderators needed.
Jul 19th, 2008 (11:35 pm)77 Brian M
McCain huh? He has said things like “Czechoslovakia” (not realizing it hasn’t existed since 1993) and al-Qaeda receives training in Iran (not realizing that Sunnis (al-Qaeda) and Shia (Iran) have been hostile since, well, since the schism about whether Mohammed’s son-in-laws or the four caliphs are the rightful leaders of Islam)
But McCain is the “foreign policy expert”, and having a hundred thousand soldiers in harm’s way in that part of the world means we don’t need to know anything about that part of the world for any reason whatsoever. “Foreign policy” is all about fixating on the long-gone Soviet Eastern bloc.
Jul 20th, 2008 (12:42 am)#66 JEC
I don’t have the technical background you do but I share your sentiments. It would be great if it works but something tells me that when something is too good to be true it always ends up as too good to be true. And then there are those few times when it doesn’t. I’m hoping this is one of those times.
#80 anonymous
Whatever your point of view on other issues, John McCain’s energy policy is outstanding. Very clear and compelling. He definitely seems to get it. Obama’s energy policy is much less specific and contains a lot of generalities. Not nearly as good in my book.
On some of the things you’ve raised, like the constant confusion of Sunni and Shia, or his inability to remember that Czechoslovakia is no longer a country, it’s a delicate issue to bring up but there may be some medical reasons for this. I don’t see him at all being locked into some Cold War time warp.
Jul 20th, 2008 (1:00 am)74 Mikeunati
I agree that a glossary of terms and acronyms would be helpful
Jul 20th, 2008 (2:30 am)I have to agree with the others:
No hydrogen…ONLY BATTERIES!
I’m not going to cave. Oil-FREE will be my next vehicle. Period. No distractions.
I still have my eye on Th!nk OX or Th!nk City! or i-MiEV. My current Chrysler is 8 years old. I need a real solution soon, and am going for electric ONLY!!!!! Nothing else will do.
I want it to be the \Volt, but hey, if the others get there first, I’ll have to go with them.
Jul 20th, 2008 (5:54 am)#83 Ryan If you go with whatever gets there first, my hope is for you to have a Volt, but my guess is that you’ll get an iMiEV
Real car, real schedule, no smoke. Think Ox sounds good, but it’s a bit elusive.
Jul 20th, 2008 (6:53 am)If it uses gas——–no sale. I am not wavering on this point GM so you may as well make all of your product line e-Flex. BEV or VOLT nothing less. TED
Jul 20th, 2008 (6:57 am)#83 Ryan P
You read my mind (or my post) lol
See #15 JEC
Jul 20th, 2008 (7:00 am)#85 TED
The Volt still uses gas. They are “saying” after 40 miles, but for many reasons this may not be the case.
Jul 20th, 2008 (7:12 am)#87 JEC
40 miles round trip to work = no gas for me. I doubt my tank will ever be used. TED
Jul 20th, 2008 (7:18 am)GM needs the Cruze in the U.S., ummm yesterday! Beautiful design and the efficiency creds to boot! I said this before in a post relating to this car in a previous article but here goes again: GM, please strongly consider a true hybrid option or version of this vehicle to offer along side of its gas powered sibling, (think Civic and Civic hybrid). Excellent job on the styling by what I can see. Keep pushing ahead.
Jul 20th, 2008 (7:43 am)GM – The fuel efficient company
GM – The newest Green car company
Nice image – Now install the plug
TED
Jul 20th, 2008 (7:48 am)71 Bruce G:
Its more like:
Volt 2: Electric Boogaloo
Jul 20th, 2008 (1:06 pm)A123 systems are already providing a L-ion conversion for the Prius using their battery system. Suppose to improve overall distance that it goes on only battery, but the whole kit will set you back $10,000. A this point it’s not worth the expense just yet. I’m sure other’s will be jumping on this bandwagon and the price will come down.
Things are progressing…
Jul 20th, 2008 (10:44 pm)I actually think this is one of the best styled cars I have seen – definitely from an American car company. I love the Cruze design. It would actually make me reconsider the way I view Chevy (and of course the Volt). My complaint is the price. Sure, the Malibu has great restyling, but for a 30% price increase? I don’t think so. For one, I refuse to go down the “charge it” mentality of Americans and I won’t finance for 5-7 years. Try 3 or 4 at the most, which makes a 21k car expensive. Get the price down GM and you will be back in the game.
Jul 21st, 2008 (10:13 am)It looks like a great looking car. The one thing I really don’t like about it is the name. What kind of name is that? Come on GM. Reach back into your older Chevy name plates and pick one that would represent that car today. How about Bel Air or Caprice? I know there are more than that, so, come on GM, my goodness.
Jul 21st, 2008 (10:46 am)Even with the name, if it was available as a 2009 model, I would buy it with no problem. I am going to buy a new car in the next few months. This car would be a good choice from what I can tell.
Jul 21st, 2008 (2:42 pm)#94 N Riley:
Thanks. You know that I agree with that.
#95 N Riley:
Alas, the way I read it the “Cruze” (Bel Air?) will not be available until mid 2010. I have to wonder what the Chey dealers will sell until then. Also I wonder what kind of rabbits T, H, N, M, et al, will pull out of their hats by then. Maybe this is part of the campaign to contract the dealer network.
Finally, as Froggy so correctly said on the thread above, they need to substantially raise their game on the auto trans. I mean, what percentage of family car buyers buy manuals any more? Not a very high one, IMHO.
I have heard rumors of a 6 speed auto. I sure hope so. Note that the Nissan Versa with the CVT gets better mileage than the manual trans.
Jul 21st, 2008 (2:52 pm)If the Volt looks like that I’m happy. And if that is in the Malibu or lower price range Im down.
Jul 21st, 2008 (7:19 pm)Love the GM lineup, carwise….a big “car” person and GM despite the tough times I believe has the best vision of the big three for the next generation of vehicles…
Jul 23rd, 2008 (8:13 pm)This is not a useful concept. It is a timid half-measure and should be dropped. The 2008 Prius is officially rated 48/45, and it seems to be as large or larger, in terms of front driver & passenger space, than this thing. (Like many Prius drivers, I actually achieve substantially better than the EPA, a bit over 50 mpg combined so far.)
If we’re serious about reducing air pollution & dependence on foreign oil, we will entirely stop manufacturing or buying vehicles that have only internal-combustion engines. NOW.
Even “regular” hybrids aren’t enough. We can and should do better, very soon: plug-in hybrids that have a modest all-electric range.
More proof, if any were needed, that GM is behind the times. The Volt may save GM (and the economy of my home state, Michigan), but THIS vehicle sure as hell won’t.
p.s. For those who insist on buying only American-assembled vehicles — which I admire — the Prius will be assembled in the USA starting in 2010. (New plant being built in Mississippi.) There will no longer be any need to buy a less-than-adequate Ford or GM vehicle in order to support American manufacturing workers & shareholders.
Jul 25th, 2008 (8:11 am)40MPG isn’t that much considering what Europeans manufacturers sell.
Take a look at the new Peugeot 308 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_308), achieving mixed 75MPG on stock model.
Still, it’s a step in the good direction.
Jul 30th, 2008 (12:31 am)Nice! The concept Cruze looks great. So… I was wondering, why do the concept cars always look great and then the production cars look like junk?
Make the production car look that great, people will buy them. Cruze, as a gas powered sister (fraternal twin?) to the now famous Volt, being built on the same platform, we know they are going to look similiar (at the least) or perhaps the same.
Is it 2010 yet? I want to buy an American made Volt today. Hope it looks this good or better – is fun to drive – and delivers on it’s promises.
Jun 3rd, 2009 (7:23 am)Who names these cars? Why name a car after some faggot actor? Will he get residuals/royalties? The concept looks great but I am sure the production model will look mediocre. I hope for the best for GM. Its just that they seem to miss on the minor details. Cruze… what a lame name. The focus groups are off the mark on this… way out.
Sep 19th, 2009 (8:16 am)Yes lame name, i agree. But sharp looking vehicle. From the looks of things, the production model will be almost identicle to the latest concepts. Just take a look at the camaro, didnt change much at all. Speaking of, I saw a camaro sitting next to a challenger in the JCpenny parking lot the other day, lol, the camaro spanks the challenger side by side, sorry chrysler. At any rate, it looks up for GM, theyre putting out some nice vehicles, honda and toyota should be a little worried about the cruze.