Comments on: GM Close to a Launch Plan for the Chevy Volt http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:55:54 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Ken Grubb http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102535 Ken Grubb Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:17:43 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102535 Dave G #8 says: "if plug-ins go mass market, our grid capacity won’t support day-time charging - not even close. So this leaves overnight charging in your garage as the only viable option. Why does GM keep bringing up this “charging infrastructure”? What is it?" ******************************************************* Toyota hit 1 million hybrids only after about 8 years, and there's not yet even one PHEV/EREV/REEV available from any factory to the consumer in the U.S. I suspect that's going to start changing over the next few years, but I don't think we're going to see 100,000 new PHEVs/EREVs/REEVs sold annually in the U.S. for some time. Might not be another 5-10 years. In large part because the carmakers probably can't meet the demand so they'll just build and sell all they can. In late 2010, you're absolutely correct that a nationwide charging network isn't going to be necessary for the Volt and other similar vehicles to succeed. However, plans need to be made to build a nationwide charging network for plugins to thrive and survive. Better chargers, better batteries, or whatever will need to evolve because Americans likely won't sit for even a 2 hour re-charge, particulary if a 20 minute hydrogen recharge with an Equinox causes gripping. Standardization of the charging ports and/or adaptors to accomodate all different types of plugins. 110, 220 and hopeful 440 connections. Gonna have to start talking about a charging infrastructure now for when we WILL need one. Dave G #8 says:

“if plug-ins go mass market, our grid capacity won’t support day-time charging – not even close.

So this leaves overnight charging in your garage as the only viable option.

Why does GM keep bringing up this “charging infrastructure”? What is it?”

*******************************************************

Toyota hit 1 million hybrids only after about 8 years, and there’s not yet even one PHEV/EREV/REEV available from any factory to the consumer in the U.S. I suspect that’s going to start changing over the next few years, but I don’t think we’re going to see 100,000 new PHEVs/EREVs/REEVs sold annually in the U.S. for some time. Might not be another 5-10 years. In large part because the carmakers probably can’t meet the demand so they’ll just build and sell all they can.

In late 2010, you’re absolutely correct that a nationwide charging network isn’t going to be necessary for the Volt and other similar vehicles to succeed. However, plans need to be made to build a nationwide charging network for plugins to thrive and survive. Better chargers, better batteries, or whatever will need to evolve because Americans likely won’t sit for even a 2 hour re-charge, particulary if a 20 minute hydrogen recharge with an Equinox causes gripping. Standardization of the charging ports and/or adaptors to accomodate all different types of plugins. 110, 220 and hopeful 440 connections.

Gonna have to start talking about a charging infrastructure now for when we WILL need one.

]]> By: jeff H http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102500 jeff H Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:26:59 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102500 Dateline - 25 March 2009; Here ye, here ye it is now proclaimed "Fuel cell cars are the future, not battery electric vehicles." Michael Robinson #179 Ok folks, shows over, you can all go home now!!!! Dateline – 25 March 2009; Here ye, here ye it is now proclaimed

“Fuel cell cars are
the future, not battery electric vehicles.” Michael Robinson #179

Ok folks, shows over, you can all go home now!!!!

]]> By: Dave G http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102455 Dave G Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:24:55 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102455 #182 Herm Says: <i>Yes, make sure everyone has a $10 extension cord.. and knows how to plug it right.. remember male-female and viceversa.. this is no place for gayness</i> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A $10 extension cord won't work, at least not by itself. You need that special white-handled proprietary plug to charge the Volt. God knows how much that costs if you lose it, or want a spare for a different location. #182 Herm Says: Yes, make sure everyone has a $10 extension cord.. and knows how to plug it right.. remember male-female and viceversa.. this is no place for gayness
————————————————————————————–
A $10 extension cord won’t work, at least not by itself. You need that special white-handled proprietary plug to charge the Volt. God knows how much that costs if you lose it, or want a spare for a different location.

]]> By: Jay http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102450 Jay Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:13:41 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102450 Wait a minute, what happened to GM saying they were going to use Lyle's waiting list as a starting point. Does that mean if someone in Minnesota happened to be the second person to sign up on the list and GM is talking about releasing in specific areas first that this person who has been following the Volt that long is going to be bypassed? Wait a minute, what happened to GM saying they were going to use Lyle’s waiting list as a starting point. Does that mean if someone in Minnesota happened to be the second person to sign up on the list and GM is talking about releasing in specific areas first that this person who has been following the Volt that long is going to be bypassed?

]]> By: Herm http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102433 Herm Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:52:21 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102433 >>>>We need to make sure that all of the charging infrastructure is in place so that all people have a really good customer experience. >>>> Yes, make sure everyone has a $10 extension cord.. and knows how to plug it right.. remember male-female and viceversa.. this is no place for gayness :) >>>>We need to make sure that all of the charging infrastructure is in place so that all people have a really good customer experience.
>>>>

Yes, make sure everyone has a $10 extension cord.. and knows how to plug it right.. remember male-female and viceversa.. this is no place for gayness :)

]]> By: Kagato http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102406 Kagato Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:45:14 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102406 The Volt doesn't require a charging infrastructure! That's the whole point of this EV! God! The Volt doesn’t require a charging infrastructure! That’s the whole point of this EV! God!

]]> By: CDAVIS http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102387 CDAVIS Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:44:06 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102387 ______________________________________________________ #178 CDAVIS woops typo correcton: "The iPhone was first announced in January 2008" should read "The iPhone was first announced in January 2007" ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
#178 CDAVIS woops typo correcton:
“The iPhone was first announced in January 2008″

should read

“The iPhone was first announced in January 2007″
______________________________________________________

]]> By: Michael Robinson http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102386 Michael Robinson Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:40:28 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102386 Need I remind everyone that the Volt will probably cost $40k, a price most people cannot pay for a new car. Fuel cell cars are the future, not battery electric vehicles. Even if 10k PSI hydrogen tanks dominate, I don't think they will, Linde has come out with a new more efficient compressor. Fuel cell cars, ones that don't reform hydrocarbons, are 100% clean all the time. With the range starting at 200 miles and going upwards to 500 miles in an SUV, fuel cell cars are more practical than hybrids. Something will be accomplished when a car is made for the masses that significantly cuts carbon emissions over traditional vehicles. GM should be making money on light hybrids and continue to develop the Volt until the cost comes down to what the average person can pay. The GM Volt hydrogen is the future, just build it. Need I remind everyone that the Volt will probably cost $40k, a
price most people cannot pay for a new car. Fuel cell cars are
the future, not battery electric vehicles. Even if 10k PSI hydrogen tanks dominate, I don’t think they will, Linde has come out with a new more efficient compressor. Fuel cell cars, ones that don’t reform hydrocarbons, are 100% clean all the time. With the range
starting at 200 miles and going upwards to 500 miles in an SUV, fuel cell cars are more practical than hybrids. Something will be accomplished when a car is made for the masses that significantly cuts carbon emissions over traditional vehicles. GM should be making money on light hybrids and continue to develop the Volt
until the cost comes down to what the average person can pay.
The GM Volt hydrogen is the future, just build it.

]]> By: CDAVIS http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102384 CDAVIS Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:19:47 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102384 ______________________________________________________ #110 Dave G Said: But I’m not sure the analogy of silicon startups applies. For silicon, you have TSMC, which changes the whole business model. If some company had massive car assembly lines that they lease out to different car makers, and if they could build different types of cars on the same assembly line, then you could have a lot of successful car startups. But with more or less dedicated assembly lines, you have big entrenched players, and I don’t see that changing much. -------- Dave G, I believe that Car manufacturing will increasingly go the way of your TSMC reference. Car manufacturing is becoming less horizontally captured and more vertically specialized on a component by component basis. Existing car manufacturing plants that have a captive market will increasingly compete to provide manufacturing component services for other car makers in order to lower the cost of their captured manufacturing. Also specialized car manufacturing plants without a captured market will increasingly proliferate. An example of an emerging EV/EREV car company “TSMCing” production is Fisker Automotive utilizing the GM Ecotec 2.0L as the Fisker Karma range extender and utilizing Valmet Automotive for engineering and manufacturing/assembly. The iPhone was first announced in January 2008 and became the best selling cell phone in the 3rd quarter of 2008. Apple Computer has no cell phone manufacturing plant. In January 2008, not a single traditional wireless phone executive would have believed that possible. www.valmet-automotive.com/automotive/bulletin.nsf/PEBD/5979AF477BFC7C95C2257487001AE95E?opendocument www.greencarcongress.com/2008/11/fisker-automoti.html ______________________________________________________ Elecric Cars + Nuclear Energy = American Energy Independence! ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
#110 Dave G Said:
But I’m not sure the analogy of silicon startups applies. For silicon, you have TSMC, which changes the whole business model. If some company had massive car assembly lines that they lease out to different car makers, and if they could build different types of cars on the same assembly line, then you could have a lot of successful car startups. But with more or less dedicated assembly lines, you have big entrenched players, and I don’t see that changing much.

——–
Dave G,
I believe that Car manufacturing will increasingly go the way of your TSMC reference. Car manufacturing is becoming less horizontally captured and more vertically specialized on a component by component basis. Existing car manufacturing plants that have a captive market will increasingly compete to provide manufacturing component services for other car makers in order to lower the cost of their captured manufacturing. Also specialized car manufacturing plants without a captured market will increasingly proliferate. An example of an emerging EV/EREV car company “TSMCing” production is Fisker Automotive utilizing the GM Ecotec 2.0L as the Fisker Karma range extender and utilizing Valmet Automotive for engineering and manufacturing/assembly.

The iPhone was first announced in January 2008 and became the best selling cell phone in the 3rd quarter of 2008. Apple Computer has no cell phone manufacturing plant. In January 2008, not a single traditional wireless phone executive would have believed that possible.

http://www.valmet-automotive.com/automotive/bulletin.nsf/PEBD/5979AF477BFC7C95C2257487001AE95E?opendocument

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/11/fisker-automoti.html

______________________________________________________
Elecric Cars + Nuclear Energy = American Energy Independence!
______________________________________________________

]]> By: CorvetteGuy http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/24/gm-close-to-a-launch-plan-for-the-chevy-volt/#comment-102382 CorvetteGuy Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:25:54 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1503#comment-102382 161 Jeff H Our dealership is starting an interest list. Nowhere near as big as Lyle's list here, but we think anyone on his list will have to take delivery from their local Chevy store. (unless Lyle has his own dealership and we don't know about it yet ;) www.allnewchevyvolt.com 161 Jeff H

Our dealership is starting an interest list. Nowhere near as big as Lyle’s list here, but we think anyone on his list will have to take delivery from their local Chevy store. (unless Lyle has his own dealership and we don’t know about it yet ;)

http://www.allnewchevyvolt.com

]]>