GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

A battery research group out of MIT and led by Dr. Gerbrand Ceder just published remarkable research findings in the journal Nature.

The scientists were able to develop a new formulation of lithium iron phosphate that allows for extremely rapid charging, and massive specific power.

In the typical lithium ion cell when a current is applied to charge the cell, lithium ions move away from the cathode compound and are trapped at the anode storage medium. When the battery discharges producing current , those ions travel back to the cathode medium and in so doing produce current flow.

Speed of charging in typical lithium-ion cells is slowed by virtue of the fact that it takes time for the lithium ion to move off the cathode material. Various techniques have been tried to increase that speed including the nanoparticle doping strategy that A123 Systems uses. However recharge times still can take hours, and specific power is limited.

The scientists noted that lithium iron phosphate forms a lattice that creates small tunnels through which the lithium ions flow, but that although the cathode seemed ideal it still took some time for those ions to travel.

The novel solution they devised was to create a lithium phosphate glassy surface to coats these tunnels. This glassy surface acts as a speedway of sorts rapidly transporting the lithium ions on and off the cathode.

The result was startling.

Per the article “extremely high rates can be achieved for the active material: at a 200C rate (corresponding to an 18-s total discharge) more than 100mAh g can still be achieved, and a capacity of 60mAh g is obtained at a 400C rate (9 s to full discharge). Such discharge rates are two orders of magnitude larger than those used in today’s lithium ion batteries.”

The authors note that “Typical power rates for lithium ion battery materials are in the range of 0.5 to 2 kWkg. The specific power we observed for the modified LiFePO4 (170kWkg21 at a 400C rate and 90kWkg at a 200C rate) is two orders of magnitude higher.”

At this point the researchers have only tested the cells to 50 cycles but have noted no degradation.

The authors note that this new ability to charge and discharge lithium-ion batteries within seconds blurs the distinction between batteries and ultracapacitors, and may result in radical lifestyle change in terms of consumer electronic devices and plug-in cars.

Besides being able to charge one’s cellphone in seconds, this will have a major impact on electric cars.

The authors note that if electric grid power was available, an electric car with a 15kWh battery could be charged in 5 minutes.  This would require the delivery of 180 kw of energy in that time frame.  Further those cars could have extremely powerful acceleration and be useful in other power applications such as towing.

Lead author Ceder said “If manufacturers decide they want to go down this road, they could do this in a few years,” and noted the technology has already been licensed by two companies one of which includes, you guessed it, A123 Systems.

Source (Nature) and (ArsTechnica)

Those who have followed the Volt story long enough will remember that the consulting firm Rocky Mountain Institute has spun off its own start-up car company called Bright Automotive. The CEO of this fledgling automaker is John Waters, an engineer who it turns out used to work for GM on the EV-1.

Waters came out a year and a half or so ago criticizing the Volt’s design and engineering, mostly concerned about it being to heavy and therefore less economical. At that time he said “[The Volt] is a 4,000-pound vehicle. The drag coefficient is around .30. They [GM] forgot everything they learned on the EV1 so for me, it is a very discouraging concept, the fact that it is inefficient.”

Now he’s gone so far as to design a car that one might call the Volt-lite.

At this point we don’t know much about the car as hasn’t been revealed yet. That is set for May at the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Norway.

The car is expected to have a 30 mile-electric range, and powered either by lithium-ion or possibly even nickel-metal hydride batteries. There will be a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder range extender on-board that allows 400 miles of driving on a full tank of gas.

RMI is known for encouraging lightweight vehicles and has a relationship with the carbon fiber industry. “We’re not limited by leveraging steel relationships,” say Waters, referring to the Volt’s heavy steel frame.  This car will be built around a lighter cheaper battery pack.

Bright hopes to build 30,000 cars it its first year and up to 50,000 cars per year by 2013.

A major problem at this point is not surprisingly financing. Bright had begun acquiring venture capital when the economy crashed, and per Waters still need $400 million in either VC funding or Department of Energy grants by June 12th in order to meet its launch date of fourth quarter 2012.

A major competitor or just another drop in the oil bucket? We may be waiting quite a while to find out.

Source (Earth2Tech) and (Mother Nature Network)

Official pricing has been reported for the Chevrolet Cruze in the UK. This car is expected to be a hot seller there and when it goes on sale in the US in 2010. It is going on sale in Europe this July. The car is a sleek sedan that is fuel efficient and refined.

In Europe, the base model will have a 1.6 L 111 hp engine and go on sale for 11,495 pounds, this equates to $15,919 dollars. The higher end LS model with the same engine, A/C and automatic will be priced at 13,695 pounds or $18,966 dollars. There are are 3 additional European models, a 1.8 L 139 hp, and two different 2.0 L turbo diesels.

The exact specifications will be different in the US models. The US base will use a 1.8 L 4 cylinder with a turbocharged 1.4 L 4 cylinder engine as the next model upscale, and no diesel variety is planned. The car is expected to deliver excellent fuel efficiency. On European cycle, the 1.6 L Cruze is rated at 35 MPG average. Though never announced or confirmed by GM, a hybrid version using either GM’s lithium-ion second generation BAS or 2-mode drivetrain seems like it could be a good idea.

On a related note, UK publication The Telegraph reports that the British Chevy Volt, known as the Vauxhall Ampera will be “costing around £20,000,” and “is due to go on sale in 2012.” That figure translates to $27,698 USD. 2012 would be the third year of Volt production for GM and likely the first truly high volume year if demand allows. By then, GM would expect economies of scale for battery and vehicle production to have come into play. Thus it is reasonable to infer that 2012 could be the year GM expects to sell the Volt for under $30,000.

Source (AutoCar) and (The Telegraph)

Everything seemed to go as planned today in Detroit. Part of the President’s Task Force on Autos including Steve Rattner and Ron Bloom visited both GM and Chrysler today.

They spent most of the morning at GM’s Warren Technical Center where the Chevy Volt development takes place. They were personally greeted by GM CEO Rick Wagoner, and each of the men got to drive one of two Chevy Volt mules, one in white and one in silver.

Witnesses to the event noted that “things went well,” and that the mules as expected “performed flawlessly.”

GM has issued the following official statement:

“We were pleased to host the Task Force so they could experience firsthand the new products and technologies that are an integral part of GM’s near- and long-term competitiveness. We look forward to continuing to support the efforts of the Task Force as they move quickly to address their critical tasks. We believe today’s visit provided a constructive glimpse of GM people, their passion for their work, and the future products and technologies that are an integral part of our viability plan.”

Below the post actual video from a local news helicopter of the team at GM and driving the mules.

I have been unable to obtain any comments from or by the Task Force members on their driving experience, however having this integral knowledge about the Volt will help them make the difficult decisions the rest of this month will bring.  They are to decide if GM is viable and should receive the additional $16.6 billion it is requesting, or call back loans already given and trigger bankruptcy.

An administration official close to the task force said “We are working as hard as we can to make sure we fully understand the situation.”

“We also very much recognize the magnitude of the challenge here and want to make sure we are as deliberate in this process as we are focused on the urgency. In the private sector, transactions of this magnitude would take months, and we are trying to do this due diligence and fact gathering as quickly and efficiently as we can.”

Monday members of President Obama’s Auto Task Force will be visiting GM’s headquarters in Detroit. This trip is intended to be part of the Task Force’s effort to decide whether GM is a viable company, the deadline for which is March 31st. A decree of viability will likely enable GM to receive further loans, the alternative could be bankruptcy.

The Task Force is led by by Wall Street financier Steven Rattner and Steelworkers union official Ron Bloom who will both be in attendance The team will meet with senior GM executives as well as top UAW officials. Some of the day they will be at Chrysler’s headquarters.

The team’s visit includes a stop at GM’s Warren Technical Center where the Chevy Volt development program is based. Some of the Chevy Volt mules are being tested there.

Per the Associated Press, anonymous sources report that members of the Task Force will actually be given an opportunity to test drive the Volt prototype.

Cabinet level members of the team including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House economic adviser Larry Summers, will not be in attendance.

Meanwhile John McCain who did not get a test drive when he visited the Volt, speaking for the Republicans issued a stern statement. He told Fox New Sunday “The best thing that could probably happen to General Motors, in my view, is they go into Chapter 11.”

We look forward to the test drive, and the review better be good. That little Volt prototype now hold the keys to GM’s survival.

Source (AP) and (Bloomberg)

From the beginning GM has said the extended-range electric car platform of the Chevy Volt will be globally produced. At this point GM has publicly revealed the portfolio of 4 brands of electric cars the world will receive.

1. The Chevrolet Volt
This we know will appear in the US in 2010. GM has stated the car will sell in other countries that offer Chevrolet as well, including Europe.

2. Opel Ampera
Continental Europe will get the left-handed Opel Ampera in late 2011

3. Vauxhall Ampera
The UK will get a right-hand drive Vauxhall Ampera sometime in 2012.

4. Holden Volt
New Zealand and Australia will get a right-hand drive Holden Volt in 2012

?.  China
Still missing from this equation is China. GM revealed a hydrogen fuel cell version of the Volt at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show, and thus has demonstrated interest in getting an electric car into the Chinese market. Indeed China is GM’s most rapidly growing market and has a lot of potential.  However, electric car competition in China is already expanding rapidly with the $22,000 BYD F3DM already on sale, and a $15,000 Chery S18EV on the way.

GM spokesperson David Darovitz told GM-Volt.com, “the Volt is a global, mass market vehicle. We intend to bring the Volt to Asia soon after the North American and European launches. “