A little discussed area that has a lot of importance is how electric cars will interface with the grid.
Yes we are aware the driver will attach an electric cord from the wallbox to the car, but at issue is exactly how that cord will fit into the car.
The specification that is gaining steam is called SAE J1772 and it refers to the coupler shown above.
People will charge their cars either with 110 or 220 V electric lines, and some cars in the future may even accept higher voltages. Current will also vary from 8 amps in the case of the Volt at 110 V to up to as high as 70 amps or greater. There will also be public charging stations to deal with. Since the far end of the cord will thus have many different plugs it is important to keep end that goes into the car the same.
GM notes at next week’s meeting of the Society of Automotive Eng inners, there is actually a Task Force that will convene to continue its work in trying to make SAE J1772 the industry standard.
GM Engineer Greg Kissel writes “You’re already aware we’re working to make the Volt as efficient as possible, but we’re also helping lead the standardization of this plug and how you interact with it as well as the electrical grid.” He notes that once this standard is adopted it will be required in all electric cars regardless of brand or maker.
As many are aware, the Saturn brand is on the list of items that GM must shed to become viable. GM has only agreed to support a product line though 2011 and encourages the possibility of spinning off the brand to investors.
Reports have surfaced including an acknowledgment from GM that a group of investors led by Black Oak Partners LLC and some Saturn dealers has submitted a proposal. This proposal is in addition to several others.
The proposal is to spin off Saturn as, you guessed it, a different kind of car company. Where did I hear that before?
A new company would be formed called the “Saturn Distribution Co.” It would utilize the high customer satisfaction ratings that Saturn’s 450 national dealerships enjoy as a network to sell vehicles.
The cars that would be sold however would be sourced from several different carmakers including large international brands. The cars would be built to order as new the Saturn would retain its own design center and create vehicles based on what customers want.
So now instead of the manufacturer telling the dealer what to sell, the dealers would tell multiple manufactures what cars it whats to sell. Sort of a Best Buy of cars. EREVs anyone?
Meanwhile there are new reports that even the GMC brand may have to be shed along with Saturn and Pontiac in an effort to make GM viable, based on discussions with the Obama administration. This would then lead to a three-brand new GM; Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Buick, each presumably with a Voltec car.
As promised, GM has let several other journalists test drive the Volt mules as well. We are in a great position here to experience all these points of view which together may bring us closer to the truth. In the coming weeks we will be seeing more reviews.
1. GM
[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SNVjW_HHU]
GM has shared with us their own video of the media drivers’ experience. We hear from vehicle line director Tony Posawatz who as always is quite passionate about the car. He says the media are “getting a very unique experience, and many don’t even know the car is on.” He goes on to describe the instantaneous torque and “wonderful launch feel”. Further he describes the sound of the “lovely quiet hum”. Mostly he and Frank Weber report GM is proud to share with this typically tough audience the engineering accomplishments of which they are very proud.
2. WWJ VIDEO HERE
Detroit radio reporter Jeff Gilbert had a chance to drive the car. He calls is “a special vehicle that is supposed to feel ordinary.”
He loved the drive calling it exciting with wonderful acceleration. He notes the silence. We are told GM has learned they can meet the performance targets and are quite confident it will be available for sale end of next year
3. CNBC Phil Lebeau
He said ” its impressive” and notes it is his second drive and says GM is progressing nicely with with it as they had promised. He said the car will meet all expectations GM had set forth. Doesn’t give a driving impression and hasn’t respond to my email asking for it.
4. PBS LINK
The reporter Diane Eastabrook says “It’s hard not to be impressed by this technology. I’ve never driven a vehicle that was as quiet and offered as smooth a ride as this one. I also had no trouble getting the electric car up to 80 mph quickly. It really is cool technology.” She goes on to complain though about the EV-1 being killed.
5. CBS Evening News
I found this one quite snarky and cynical. The reporter said he didn’t drive the Volt, just it’s technology “stuck” in a conventional car because, the real volt is not yet ready. He said the media drives are really just to showcase the tech to generate publicity and public support for financial assistance. He closes with the concern about price and low gas prices leading to a drop in hybrid sales, suggesting GM might be “bringing out he right car at the wrong time.” He said nothing of the driving experience.
GM unveiled the strikingly beautiful Cadillac Converj at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The incredibly sleek car uses the same 40 mile AER Voltec propulsion system as the Volt though it is tweaked for higher performance that models indicate it could achieve.
Bob Lutz told GM-Volt.com at the time that he wanted the car to be produced and even acknowledged that the clay models had been built and that its design had the necessary aerodynamics to achieve the 40 mile range. He also noted the car would cost “about two Volts”.
According to MotorTrend, GM has approved moving the car into production. Also the report cites unidentified GM sources as saying that GM also has approved an as yet unseen 7-seat people-mover/crossover as the third Voltec car, most likely under the Buick brand.
The Converj is to be launched in 2011 as a 2012 model and will remain a 2-door coupe.
The Buick is likely to be based on the Chevy Orlando which shares the same compact Delta platform as the Volt. It is a compact yet spacious vehilce that can either haul cargo or easily seat 7, and could likely readily be adapted to the Voltec drivetrain.
In fitting with this, there have also been recent reports that GM will be unveiling a Buick version similar to the Orlando at the Shanghai auto show on April 20th. Perhaps that will be the new Voltec machine.
Spokespeople for GM have not confirmed these assertions and for now they remain rumors.
CNN’s Peter Valdes-Dapena was given the opportunity to test drive one of the Chevy Volt mule vehicles. Since this is likely to be one of several we will see published I think it would be helpful to cover these individually. Have no fear faithful readers, I too had a test drive opportunity as well. GM though has placed an embargo on my experience and will not let me publish it until a certain number of journalists have had the chance. If they change the rule I will publish it ASAP.
The CNN review broke down into 4 sections:
1. Early Results
The vehilce is a mule, about 80% true Volt. It is a Chevy Cruze both on the interior and interior, except for a big red Kill Switch. The reporter took it for some laps around the Milford proving ground but was not allowed to experience the generator going on.
2. Charging Ahead
He noted “Under full electric power, which is how most owners will experience it most of the time, the Volt proved surprisingly potent.”
3. Silent Power
The reporter was struck by the car’s quietness noting “the silence was still surprising,” and that “the car feels particularly muscular” due to instant torque. 0 to 60 he reported was a little over 8 seconds. He found the car to be silent and vibration free and that “when Volt owners get in their cars in the morning, the gasoline engine will not rumble to life.” The absence of a transmission wasn’t needed to keep the electric motor in the performance “sweet spot.” He confirmed the car felt like driving a 250 hp V6.
4. Weight watching
The reporter thought the front wheel drive car felt surprisingly heavy when he went into turns. The presence of the 400 pound battery pack was considered to be part of the reason why. The reporter said “It felt almost like the small Cruze had turned into something more like a Cadillac the moment I turned the steering wheel.” He said Tony Posawatz assured him this would be refined with suspension tuning by the final cars.
5. Future developments The reporter confirmed as we know GM is already working on 2nd and 3rd generations of the Chevy Volt that will continue to offer 40 miles electric range. He says the next generation of Voltec cars, from 2015 and beyond will be “lighter, roomier and will cost less than the Volt.” He concludes “In the end, the Volt won’t be a huge seller or a big money-maker for GM. Its value lies in changing perceptions. A test drive in this early version is one step in the process.”
I personally asked Mr. Valdes-Dapena for his overall impression of the drive just for us here at GM-Volt.com. He wrote back “Except for the added weight of the battery pack, I found it surprisingly fun to drive, at least at around-town speeds.”
I would keep in mind that these Cruze mules are test cars and the engineers are using them to learn how to refine the final Volt experience. All the bells and whistles are absent. But this report and mine and others when they are published confirms the the Volt program is real and far along and GM is ready to start showing off the fruits of their labor.
Within a few weeks the production version Volts will come off the technical center assembly line and shall offer a far more refined experience.
The New York Times reports that the Obama administration has asked GM to prepare to enter bankruptcy on June 1st. We have known this would be the plan ever since Obama made his announcement last month, and is expected to occur if bondholders and the UAW did not agree to concessions exchanging money they are owed for equity.
The plan is apparently to have GM enter bankruptcy court on June 1st and then a quick surgical procedure will take place. The good assets like Chevy, Voltec, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick would immediately be sold to a new GM at a government cost of $5 to $7 billion. The bad assets including dead brands, useless factories, and healthcare obligations would sit in court potentially for years in liquidation and at a Government cost of up to $70 billion. In the process too the Government is likely to have to take a loss on its loans so far to GM, something which could only happen in the setting of bankruptcy. Alternatively the Government could take an equity stake in the new GM in exchange for the loans, effectively nationalizing the company at least until shares could be quickly sold.
Experts agree the new GM could emerge in 2 weeks and that company operations wouldn’t miss a beat. Along for the ride will of course be the Chevy Volt and the whole Voltec program. Then, the new GM would be eligible for the $10.6 billion in advanced technology loans needed to build that Voltec program and all will be well.
There are concerns of course that the UAW and bondholders, angered about being left in the dust, might try to block the process in court, but it seems the Government is confident of winning.
Another fear is if consumers will balk at buying GM products because of this, but keeping the process very brief, Obama’s announcement that the Government will back all of their warranties, and GM’s new consumer confidence program all will help.
