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Archive for July, 2009

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Report: Mitsubishi Confirms it Will Launch Extended-Range Electric Car in 2010

July 31st, 2009 | Posted in: Competitors, E-REV with 350 Comments

People often ask if the Volt’s extended range architecture is such a good idea, then why haven’t all the other automakers opted to do it?
To date the only companies publicly embracing the design have been Chrysler, and Fisker though there have been unconfirmed reports Jaguar is working on it too.  Other companies such as Ford, [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 350 Comments

Guest Post From GM’s Frank Weber on Long Term Cost Advantage of EREVs Over BEVs

July 30th, 2009 | Posted in: Feedback to GM, GM Q and A with 466 Comments

This is Frank Weber, Global Vehicle Chief Engineer, Chevrolet Volt. I read with great interest “Dave G’s” post comparing the cost and range of extended-range electric vehicles (EREV) like the Volt to that of BEVs. While many of Dave’s numbers are estimates, his analysis is spot on and worth noting. EREVs have [...]

Posted by: Frank Weber with 466 Comments

Chevy Volt Chief Designer’s Update

July 29th, 2009 | Posted in: Design, Voltec with 259 Comments

We just heard from Volt lead designer Bob Boniface on a webchat and he was able to shed some light on issues related to the design of the Volt among other things. Some key information is as follows:
Ports
He confirmed the Volt will have two ports, one for gas and for for charging each on [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 259 Comments

New GM Small Car Sketches Arrive: Aveo Replacement to be Called Chevy Viva

July 28th, 2009 | Posted in: Images, New Car with 178 Comments

Currently the Chevrolet Aveo is GM’s smallest production car in the US.  Although low in price, sales aren’t terrific and the car is not popular.  However, it is clear that small cars are a thing of the future, and GM has repeatedly said it would build them, and for the first time as a new [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 178 Comments

Pre-production Volt in Motion: Lead Designer Bob Boniface says “Its Like Christmas Morning”

July 28th, 2009 | Posted in: Design, GM Q and A, Video with 325 Comments

Bob Boniface is the chief designer of the Chevy Volt. In this GM video he discusses what the current pre-production state means from a design standpoint and what work is yet left to do.  We are treated to some new moving footage of the pre-production vehicle in black.
Boniface explains at this point his team [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 325 Comments

Head to Head Test Drive: 2010 Prius vs 2010 Insight w/ Video

July 27th, 2009 | Posted in: Hybrid, Test drive, Video with 336 Comments

I consider myself a fan of fuel efficient vehicles.  At this point the Volt seems the best thing coming, although within the next couple of years there will clearly be a plethora of options to choose from.  This will include pure EVs, EREVs like the Volt, plugin hybrids, and standard hybrids both mild and strong.
Right [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 336 Comments

Chevy Volt Battery Has Robust Cell Monitoring and Safety Systems

July 26th, 2009 | Posted in: Battery, Engineering with 160 Comments

Greg Ceisel is the Chevy Volt Program manager and has integral knowledge about the car’s engineering.
He recently shed some light on how the battery pack detects and reacts if there are any problems.
“The reliability of the Chevy Volt and its battery are essential to the success of this technology,” he said. “Our battery design [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 160 Comments

Nissan May Unveil Three Production EVs Including an SUV Next Week and Wireless Charging Capability

July 25th, 2009 | Posted in: BEV, Competitors with 190 Comments

Nissan has made it clear they intend to enter the electric car market aggressively.  They have been working on lithium ion batteries for years since first showing the Altra concept 17 yeas ago, and have developed a unique large format laminate battery in a partnership with NEC.
For over a year the Japanese automaker has given [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 190 Comments

Chevy Volt Will Continue to Operate Even after Battery Drops Below 50% Capacity

July 24th, 2009 | Posted in: Battery, Engineering with 252 Comments

Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. There’s no getting around this fact. GM is going out of its way to pamper the Volt’s pack so as to guarantee up to 40 miles of pure electric range even at 10 years or 150,000 miles of driving. But what happens beyond that?
Most experts believe the [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 252 Comments

GM VP’s Chevy Volt Update

July 23rd, 2009 | Posted in: GM Q and A with 284 Comments

In our last post we had a live chat with Jon Lauckner GM’s VP of global program management, who along with Bob Lutz is co-creator of the Chevy Volt.
He took some significant questions from readers here and some other sites. Key information is as follows:
Price
GM has never officially told us what the Volt will cost, [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 284 Comments

Exec Says All New GM Cars Must be Hits, Eventually all Electric, and Live Chat with Volt Creator Jon Lauckner Here at 2PM EDT

July 22nd, 2009 | Posted in: Feedback to GM, Marketing, Voltec with 270 Comments

Tom Stephens is GM’s new VP of product development. He told the Associated Press that the type of cars people will choose to buy is based primarily on the price of gas, and that GM has not only to plan for high future gas prices but low ones too.
He also states that not only [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 270 Comments

GM Considering Using eBay to Sell First Chevy Volts

July 21st, 2009 | Posted in: Launch, Marketing with 319 Comments

GM recently announced it was forming a new partnership experiment with eBay Motors in California. The experiment is designed to see if this method of online buying can help GM be more successful in a state where sales have been traditionally slow, and if it works across the nation.
It seemed an obvious question to [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 319 Comments

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