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The Chevy Volt’s Tailpipe: A Sight Unseen
When you look at the back of a car one thing that usually is apparent is the tail pipe. Especially so in high power cars, twin or dual twin tailpipes tend to give the design a lot of aggressiveness.
It turns out despite the fact that it will be sporty, the tailpipe isn’t at all visible in the production Chevy Volt. This marks a significant turning point in automotive design. At a very recent event in NYC I had the chance to discuss this detail with Volt chief designer Bob Boniface. The object at the bottom center of the rear is a single back-up lamp.
What can you say about the tailpipe on the production Volt?
Its nested below, and doesn’t protrude. The concept had a visible tailpipe and we said “wait a second, that’s sort of the wrong message to send.”
I haven’t shown this to many people Lyle, most people don’t ask. We spent a lot of time designing that piece, and no one will ever see it. You will notice how it nests so nicely under the apron there. Its absolutely flush. There is only one.
Is there is only one backup lamp also?
Yes.
Isn’t that unique, there’s usually two?
Not always. We use it in one of our other cars that’s on the road right now.
The image below is a rare under-the-apron view looking up and you can catch the corner of the single tailpipe, which is on the driver’s side of the car:
65 Responses to “The Chevy Volt’s Tailpipe: A Sight Unseen”
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I work at a Chevy Dealer, and just yesterday a customer was confused as to why the 2009 Aveo did not have a protruding exhaust pipe. I’m glad that it’s hidden on the VOLT also. I mean: What’s the point? It’s not a Camaro SS!
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
hopefully hiding it up there like that doesn’t result in any discoloration of the body panel due to heat buildup. Will the ICE run enough to keep the acids from prematurely eating up the exhaust system?
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Toke you long enough to make a post about it
Yup saw that and I agree with the design choice.
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I agree it looks better without it. Also i think a big tailpipe gives the wrong message.
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Neat.
Ideally you’d seldom run the engine so having it stick out all the time on your ELECTRIC car does confuse the message.
I agree wholeheartedly with this decision.
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November 1st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Dice man sayz:
Da volt — sheeza byu–tee-ful. Nuttin getz me more excited than a rare “peek under da apron” look at da tail pipe! Nice!
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November 1st, 2008 at 10:25 pm
I can’t wait to get a Flowmaster on mine!
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November 1st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
No tailpipe envy here…
Hed HHR (with small unchromed pipe)
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November 1st, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I much prefer the normal twin reverse lamps, but if it’s good enough for the Sky, I guess it’s good enough for the Volt! And yeah, no visible tailpipe = WIN.
NPNS! =D~~
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November 1st, 2008 at 10:52 pm
One would think GM could exhaust the ICE differently to save on the weight of the exhaust pipe running from front to back. Maybe they’ll make an EREV with a rear ICE like an old VW Bug someday.
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November 1st, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I don’t think from the picture that you can really tell where that pipe is. It could be the front or the rear of the vehicle…..
And the text is not specific either!
With so much work done to reduce weight, I would think they do not want a long tailpipe going to the rear of the car.
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November 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
A stainless steel exhaust pipe is worth an extra $300 on the sticker price. Good feature.
From what I have seen so far. It looks like GM has a 10 year longevity plan for the Volt. I hope GM uses a premium 15,000 mile synthetic crank case oil for the ICE. It’s worth the extra cost and saves labor long term.
http://garfwod.250free.com/Photos/volt%2009-26%20029.jpg
=D~
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November 1st, 2008 at 11:40 pm
The ICE should be rated in hours used/run not miles it has gone.
No visible tailpipe is great.
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November 1st, 2008 at 11:55 pm
I’m concerned that the tailpipe vent the gases out the back with nothing entering the cabin. I agree with J Muchagrove #2 comment. In the pictures above I don’t see a tailpipe but one will definitely be needed.
When will GM start up the assembly line; I’m so excited I’m going to wet myself ?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
mmmm… look at the license plate. It looks more like the european style than USA style.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 12:56 am
Ty #13, I’ll bet the system will in fact show it as hours of operation and not miles.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 3:00 am
Real Volt news, great.
Lyle, can you next ask if the generator will turn the motor over for a few seconds while charging each night?
The point is to keep the engine lubed while not using any fuel. I have no idea why this factoid interests me so much, but it does.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 6:09 am
Dual snorkel exhaust FTW.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 6:16 am
Nice looking I like the fact that my new electric car will not have a visable tailpipe but instead will have a plug.
NPNS
I haven’t been this excited about a new car since we gazed into the local showroom to see the brand new ‘58 Chevy Impala. Even my ‘06 Honda Insight which gets 60.8 MPG since new can’t fire me up the way the Volt does.
Take Care,
TED
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 am
Quite interesting detail! This means that tail-pipeless Volt can without changes to external looks acommodate also a fuel cell system as the range extender in the future.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
#11 Jim I says,
I don’t think from the picture that you can really tell where that pipe is. It could be the front or the rear of the vehicle…..
And the text is not specific either!
With so much work done to reduce weight, I would think they do not want a long tailpipe going to the rear of the car.
———————–
I would think it would be dangerous to have the tail pipe in the front of the car. The fumes could get inside the passenger compartment.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 am
The back up light is an interesting design. I haven’t noticed any cars like that before.
If it has only 1 back up light, or 6 back up lights, as long as they light the way then I will be happy.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:45 am
Things to do…..
1) Remove ICE and replace with 5000 AA energizer bunny batteries.
2) Remove exhaust system (good that there is no hole protruding through the rear)
3) Remove generator.
4) Remove radiator (opps, maybe not, since the battery pack has some type of thermal management requirements. Maybe downsize the radiator and re-route)
5) Remove that silly gas tank, and install 2000 more AA energizer bunny batteries.
6) Re-program Volt to my specifications
7) Put on asbestos underwear to prepare for severe flaming!
Late edit…
Buy Volt concept kit and replace production body with concept kit body.
Have a nice day!
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:09 am
A stainless steel exhaust pipe is worth an extra $300 on the sticker price. Good feature.
From what I have seen so far. It looks like GM has a 10 year longevity plan for the Volt. I hope GM uses a premium 15,000 mile synthetic crank case oil for the ICE. It’s worth the extra cost and saves labor long term.
http://garfwod.250free.com/Photos/volt%2009-26%20029.jpg
=D~
—————————————————————————
Maybe. Will the interval between oil changes be years based or ICE mileage based. If I can go 6,000 miles of ICE driving before my first oil change, I might go years before my first oil change. If that is the case,. why add a feature like synthetic oil which drives a higher initial cost.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:10 am
I guess the designers didn’t buy my suggestion for two four inch diameter tail pipes with green LED’s embedded that would flicker when the electrical draw exceeded 20 KW.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:12 am
On the Plug In America web site’s opening page (http://www.pluginamerica.org/) they have video of a recent fund raiser. The Volt made an appearance at the party (as well as a Tesla). At the beginning of the video you can see them park the volt, but near the end it shows them driving out with the volt lights on, impressive lights! Then it is loaded on the a GM transport truck and taken away.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:20 am
Quite interesting detail! This means that tail-pipeless Volt can without changes to external looks acommodate also a fuel cell system as the range extender in the future.
—————————————————————————
You H2 guys never seem to get it. Hydrogen has no future as an automotive fuel. There are no Hydrogen wells. Because Hydrogen is such a chemically active element, it is not found free in nature (on earth). It is a manufactured product which requires enormous input of energy. It can be made from water, but requires a huge amount of electricity, much more than you are ever going to get from solar and wind. Or it can be made from natural gas, one of our favorite fossil fuels.
EREV cars will reduce our use of oil by 80%, without assuming any improvements in battery technology. Our remaining petroleum reserves will keep EREVS on the road for centuries to come, and with greatly reduced demand comes reduced price and reduced emissions. When we hit peak oil in a couple of hundred years, it would make more sense to do biofuels, or leverage two hundred years of battery technology improvements and go full EV, than to build a trillion dollar hydrogen infrastructire.
In short, the Volt is the hydrogen killer.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Tom Harwick # 24
Dave K # 12
The oil in the ICE is an interesting topic. (Full Disclosure: I’m not a mechanic. I’m a moron)
I remember reading somewhere that the ICE running only on short trips is bad. For instance: Drive the car 1-2 miles, let the engine cool down. Drive another 1-2 miles and let the engine cool down. (This would be an example of the commute I would love to have)
I can’t remember exactly why this is bad, but I think it had something to do with moisture build up in the engine.
If someone never uses the ICE in the Volt, not only will they worry about the gas quality, but would they have to worry about the oil quality as well?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
The tailpipe is sort of like a grille on the front of the car in that it is or was a necessity that has been made fashionable over time. Obviously the Volt does not have a grille either, but GM still seems to think it’s fashionable to stencil on that chicken wire resemblance. I think both should be gone, they’ve hidden the tailpipe, now do away with the stenciling.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 am
J Muchagrove #2
“hopefully hiding it up there like that doesn’t result in any discoloration of the body panel due to heat buildup. ”
*** *** ***
I was thinking the same thing, especially when the car is sitting still, however the ICE shouldn’t be running much in stop and go traffic. High speed driving is a different story since it’ll be dispersed.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
I think (I am also not a mechanic, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night!), the issue with oil would be more related to the fact that all the lubricated components, like the cylinders and piston rings, will initially be “dry” for a short period of time.
Since the ICE may only run occasionally, oil will not be dispersed throughout the engine, and if you only run the engine once a week or month, then MAYBE you are creating excessive wear on those components. (I would guess worst case would be in very hot weather, since the viscosity would be like water, and the oil will tend to easily run)
Maybe the Volt is designed with some sort of “continuous oil dispersion” method that would keep the oil flowing even though the ICE is not running. This would seem to be a logical method.
With modern engines the tolerances and fit of components such as piston rings, probably exacerbate the premature wear out. So, I would be surprised if GM has not dealt with this issue (secret of course, cause you do not want to let your competitors know what your up to).
BTW: I think the moisture build up issue is related to the exhaust system. Running the ICE only for short times is the worst case, since you get moisture condensing, but not long enough to burn it off. So your exhaust will rust out fairly quickly. I experienced this issue on a car, that I drove daily to work, and the trip was only about 3 miles. I went through an muffler every 3 years, like clock work (I should have went stainless and put the problem to rest, but was to cheap)
Oh, room service is here, gotta go!
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:56 am
hi Rashiid Amul #28,
GM could cut a deal with Lucas to supply a full synthetic 05-20 weight in bulk. Lucas rates their oil to 12,000 miles and is not as pricey as Mobil1.
A two year interval on oil changes is realistic.
3.2 quarts will cost about $28.
=D~
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:56 am
I would be more interested in hearing about the oil in the engine as well. It is exactly 40 miles round trip for me to go to work and less for my wife. could potentially go months without having the engine kick on to charge the battery. So, how would affect the oil in the engine? Also are the going to make it easy to change the oil ourselves or is it going to be like most newer cars where you can’t easily get to the filter to change it?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
The exhaust has to exit from a point more rearward than the passenger compartment. That is the law, so the exhaust is under the rear fascia, and nowhere else.
As for the engine displaying hours, my Chevy truck does that today…in the driver information center, there is an engine hour meter, so I’m certain the Volt will have that.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Dave K #32
“GM could cut a deal with Lucas to supply a full synthetic 05-20 weight in bulk”
*** *** ***
You’re not talking about the same “Lucas” that makes oil enhancement products are you?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Would you pay $40,000 for this car? That’s right 40K. Nope not me. I will buy a Toyota or some other car with better technology. Tail pipe or not.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
hi Grizzly #35,
Yes Lucas International
=D~
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November 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
No tail pipe?? this means no smittlys, no echo chamber, no loud really cool sounds while taking off burning rubber, I bet next they will do away with the radio antenna so there’s no place to put the fox tail
NO PLUG, NO SALE, NO WAY =D—$00.00 (free ride)
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November 2nd, 2008 at 11:54 am
Casey also says, in two years when the Volt comes out do you think the ICE will still be a factor and we probably wont even need oil
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November 2nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Dave K #37
I remember a few independent tests of their additives and IIRC they were like most additives in that they did very little. I don’t know much about their synthetic oil though. What I can say about Mobil 1 is that they’ve been making and refining the product since the early 70’s when aside from Amsoil they were the only company making commercial synthetic.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Could the Volt ICE be a dry sump with electric oil pump? That way oil pump could come on before the engine runs (If the engine has not run in a while). Also could the crankcase be filled with desiccated air to prevent moisture? The desiccant could be dried out when the ICE is running.
Red HHR (with wet soggy sump)
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November 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Red HHR #41
WRT a dry sump, I don’t know what they’ll do, but that’s definitely something to think about for future Volts, if it’s not planned for the first gen. This would be a step in the right direction to deal with lubricating an ICE that might be used sporadically.
I’ve got the feeling that GM might use the KISS principle and try to stick as close as possible to OTS for the Volt’s ICE. I’ve been stating for quite some time that the ICE and its implementation in E-flex will be something that is ripe for innovation over time as much as the electric half.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
All this discussion about the oil just farther makes the case for spending a few extra bucks on synthetic. The problems with moisture, dry start, shelf life, etc are all non-factors with synthetic. Don’t take my word for it though, spend some time with Google and educate yourself on the performance differences not only between conventional and synthetic, but between the different synthetics. I found some non-so-complimentary independent lab tests that show Lucas synthetics are only barely better than conventional in most cases and in several cases failed to even conform to the ANSI standard that defines the various grades. Royal Purple scored roughly equivalent to using watered-down boogers. (Ok, maybe I exagerated that one a little bit
Design and build an electric dry sump lubrication? I thought we wanted this thing to be cheap by using an already-built engine for temporary power. Fill crankcase with Amsoil and forget about it. Problems solved!
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November 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Hmmm. When I first saw what is the center, low-mounted back-up light, I originally thought it was a center exhaust–a la Cadillac CTS coupe–except that there was a mesh grille over it.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Ron #43
You still get condensation with a synthetic, especially on short trips in winter. This is why you need to regularly check your PCV and watch the short trips. If you’ve got a functioning PCV and take the car out long enough for 20-30 minutes of operating temp driving you can “flash off” the condensation from your crankcase.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
hi Ron # 43,
I have used Amsoil and Mobil1 and they both worked well. Many here mentioned cost concerns regarding additional Volt upgrades. I know that synthetic oil, as well as a stainless steel exhaust, are well worth it.
=D~
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November 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Some light aircraft use the heat from the engine exhaust to heat the cabin. I believe some older VW Beetles did the same.
I wonder if GM will capture some of the exhaust gas energy (perhaps in the coolant system) to help maintain battery and cabin temperature on cold days. This could help reduce the need to run the ICE (or electric resistance heating), and also would help to alleviate concerns of high temperature exhaust gases impinging on components on the underside of the vehicle.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Reminds me of a riddle:
How did the greatest detective ever find Adam and Even in a lineup of every person that ever lived?
They were the only ones without belly buttons.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
#48
Joke School
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:06 pm
At number 2 and 30 and others about tailpipe discolorations.
I have filled in the tailpipe hole in my rear bumper and put a turndown on the exhaust pipe. Have driven like that for years with no discoloration. The turndown is very effective, and that is what GM has done here. Also I currently have an XB with a 1.5 litre engine and this setup. I think with a 1.4 tuned for efficiency, it should be fine..
At Number 38
I believe that there is no antenna – thought i read that in a post long ago. My car now has a glass mounted antenna, I am pretty sure this would have been done on the volt for aerodynamics. My glass mount antenna is just as good as a regular antenna.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I worry that that single backup light down at the bottom will be tough for other drivers to see from the sides. Isn’t half the purpose of backup lights to warn the other people in the parking lot of what you’re about to do?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 10:49 pm
People have pointed out some cool stuff here. Old news for some, but I just want to put it all in one place
1 – The pictures don’t show a radio antennae. Maybe GM is making the embedded windshield antennae standard.
2 – electric oil pumps which kick on before the ICE, keeping it well lubricated despite long period of non-use. This may or may not be used on Volt, but sounds cool and makes sense to me.
3 – Volt’s may have an engine hours readout, and maybe a battery lifetime kwh readout as well. This sure makes sense to me. A Volt driven 40 miles per day for 10 years, will be worth a totally different amount from a Volt driven equal mileage but at 80 mile increments. 1 uses the battery for 100% of miles and the engine has been used almost none, the other uses the ICE 50% of the time.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I heard a radio report last week that people are walking into auto dealerships to buy ‘hybrid’ emblems. It’s not because emblems are being stolen off of cars, It’s because people want to feel cool by having one on their car. Buy an $8 peel-n-stick emblem and presto, you have instant coolness.
Will the Volt wear an EREV emblem? Passenger side between the wheel well and the side mirror?
http://garfwod.250free.com/Photos/Volt_EREV.jpg
=D~
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November 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 am
The 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show will be held from November 21 through November 30, 2008, with press days on November 19 and 20.
I’ll be there on Friday the 21st. Anyone have plans to attend?
Never know what GM will be showing. http://www.laautoshow.com/
The Los Angeles Convention Center is located at
the junction of the I-10-Santa Monica and the
110-Harbor Freeways.
The address is:
1201 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
http://garfwod.250free.com/Photos/GM%20Chaparral%20Solar%20Volt.jpg
=D~
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November 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 am
Its nice to see a topic where everyone seems to agree. No one is suggesting that the tailpipe is necessary for the N-impaired.
If the trade was for the concept rear, with the tailpipe or the production Volt, without, I’d be staring at a tailpipe with limited purpose.
Dave K:
Auto show should be fun, even checking out what the other auto manufacturers are doing to respond to the threat of the Volt. I’ll be braving the cold for the North American International Auto Show in January.
Who came up with the name–North American International?
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November 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 am
I can somewhat agree with the symbolism and perceived “green” aesthetics of the absence of a tail-pipe. I am however concerned about potential carbon-monoxide entry into the vehicle when ICE is ON and the vehicle is stationary (very little scavenge pressures created across the down-pipe opening)
Experience has taught me that NOT directing the exhaust gases out from under the vehicle into open air, (eg. whenever an exhaust “leak” is present) will general result in said deadly gasses eventually finding their way into the passenger compartment in sufficient concentrations to be dangerous. (Despite improvements in modern interior sealing and valving methods)
I for one hope the Volt has a conventional tail-pipe with very little coming out of it
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November 3rd, 2008 at 7:34 am
Curtis #56,
I would hope (think) you are safe.
I would expect that GM will need to do a lot of testing to be sure it is safe.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
The computer can turn the engine over without injecting gas occasionally, this will keep the engine lubed.. it may have a mode that periodically runs the engine enough to drive off the internal water condensation, and stir up the gas in the tank at the same time.. and it may use a special oil with extra anti-acid additives.
The Volt will seldom sit still with the generator running, less chance of CO getting into the cabin.. supposedly it will run the generator to warm up the batteries in cold weather, if you forgot to plug it in the night before.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 10:02 am
Question:
Are they using L.E.D. for tail, backup and head lights?
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November 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
What I don’t like and am slightly concerned about is the height to the bottom of the bumper where the back-up light is.
I’m concerned because it seems awfully low and it might make it very difficult or impossible to install a trailer hitch (Hidden Hitch) and tow a small trailer occassional.
It’s likely that very few people would ever tow anything behind their Volt but some people like to (potentially need to) have a hitch for towing a small trailer for trips to places like Home Depot or for pulling a small tear drop trailer while going on a road trip or even pulling a sea-doo/jet ski (personal water craft) to the lake ever now and then.
I would think the Volt should be capable of towing between 500 and 1000 pounds but the rear bumper design might make difficult.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Most modern cars have SS exhaust systems. I think that it is because the exhaust system has to be warrantied for a long period of time (100k miles?) as part of the emissions system. The SS used is a lower grade than what is used for exterior trim, etc. It does take on a light patina of surface rust, which makes it lok a bit like mild steel, but the systems VERY seldom have rust problems. The system on our 95 Impala is in perfect condition, except for the turned down tips (sound familiar?) which are a little bit dinged up from draggin on dirveways – it’s pretty low.
#25 Van:
Another great opportunity for the aftermarket. Can you imagine what the SEMA show guys will do with a Volt?
#54 Dave K:
Thanks for the heads up. I didn’t realize that it was coming so soon. I have never been, but I think that I will go this year for sure.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
The tail pipe mystery had been a something I had been wondering about. Although not completely cleared up now, at least we know there is one. Pretty hard to do an ICE without a tailpipe, isn’t it? I would expect the exit point would be a the rear of the Vol. May not be able to see it, but there is where you will probably find it. I would have preferred it to show and place the exhaust completely away from the vehicle. But maybe it will be directed down good enough to not cause a problem. We can always hope.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
The V-6 Accord had fairly prominent chrome dual exhausts but the Hybrid V-6 Accord (with even more horsepower) hides the exhaust somewhat under the bumper. They’re certainly not prominent, they don’t “stick out the back” although there was limited clearance to hide them completely.
So, hiding the exhaust on a performance version of a vehicle that is trying to cut gas consumption is not a new concept.
Still, I think it’s a good concept. I wonder how long it will be before cars start slapping either the kWh or the Voltage of the battery pack on the tailgate just like engine liters are often printed there, now?
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November 3rd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
So I guess no towing….
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November 8th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Short exhaust is dangerous because gasses can seep up into the cabin in zero wind situations. What if your stuck for hours on highway. Like when Rita hit a few years ago. The exhaust should always protrude at least a tiny bit past the point where gases as a stop roll around and up not under the vehicle.
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