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Archive for July, 2009

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Q&A with Ian Clifford CEO of Zenn Motors: EEStor to Publicly Prove its Technology Imminently

July 20th, 2009 | Posted in: EEStor with 378 Comments

I recently had the chance to interview Ian Clifford who is the CEO of Zenn Motors (ZNN.V).  His company has an agreement to market the breakthrough energy storage units (EESU) being developed by the stealth Texas company EEStor.  Although no-one has ever publicly confirmed seeing an EESU in operation, these devices have the potential to [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 378 Comments

Lutz Explains Why He Unretired and is Skeptical About Hybrid Car Sales Potential

July 18th, 2009 | Posted in: Hybrid, Marketing with 236 Comments

I interviewed GM vice chairman Bob Lutz at the Detroit Auto Show in January of this year.  It was at that event that the Voltec-powered Cadillac Converj was first unveiled and was the same time GM was first surviving on government bailout money.
When I asked Mr. Lutz at the time whether GM would build the [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 236 Comments

GM Volt Battery Assembly Plant Site Chosen

July 17th, 2009 | Posted in: Battery, Production with 132 Comments

It is being reported that General Motors has chosen the site where it will assemble Chevy Volt battery packs. They have not officially announced this but sources indicate a press event is expected within a month.
The Chevy Volt is dependent on its state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery packs for propulsion. The 16 kwh packs are [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 132 Comments

Canadian Government Gives $10,000 Chevy Volt Subsidy, Angers Toyota

July 17th, 2009 | Posted in: General with 235 Comments

On Wednesday Ontario Canada’s Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that the Ontario government would provide buyers of plug-in hybrid vehicles a rebate of $4000 to $10,000 dollars for cars purchased after July 1, 2010.  A $7500 tax credit exists for the Volt in the US.
McGuinty said “we want to make it easier to buy green cars,” [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 235 Comments

GM Launches Chevy Volt Social Media Site: ChevroletVoltAge.com

July 16th, 2009 | Posted in: Feedback to GM, Marketing, Public Opinion with 143 Comments

On July 16th GM launched a dedicated Chevy Volt social media portal called ChevroletVoltAge.com.
I have some mixed feelings about this. GM made me aware it was coming, and I actually was briefed on the project in person at a meeting at GM’s headquarters which included people from GM communications, social media, and Chevrolet marketing.
As [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 143 Comments

GM Not Engineering an Electric Truck…Yet

July 16th, 2009 | Posted in: Voltec with 178 Comments

I had the chance to ask Andrew Farah who is the Chevy Volt’s chief engineer, and former engineer on the EV-1 program about whether GM may spread the Voltec range-extended electric powetrain into other vehicles like trucks.
Are you configuring new battery pack designs for use in other vehicles such as people movers?
We call this portfolio [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 178 Comments

Poll: Should Hybrid Cars Have Distinctive Styling?

July 15th, 2009 | Posted in: Design, Hybrid with 279 Comments

As we recently heard from Chevrolet manager Ed Peper, GM is working on a dedicated non-plugin hybrid vehicle that would get high EPA fuel efficiency ratings.  This is a new approach from GM’s previous strategy to offer hybrid versions of standard gas models like the Malibu, which was discontinued due to poor sales.
Indeed GM has [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 279 Comments

Exec Explains Why Nissan is Betting on Pure Electric Vehicles

July 14th, 2009 | Posted in: BEV, Competitors with 506 Comments

Nissan has announced that it will be unveiling a global pure electric vehicle in Japan on August 2nd. The yet-to-be-seen 5 seat compact car will begin mass production in late 2010 and will be available in the North American market. It will have a 100 mile electric range. The image above is [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 506 Comments

GM Planning Dedicated High Efficiency Hybrid Sedan

July 13th, 2009 | Posted in: Hybrid with 294 Comments

Frankly, GM’s experiment in mild hybrid sedans didn’t go so well. The automaker had produced a mild hybrid version of the popular Chevrolet Malibu, but sales volumes were low and the program has been discontinued.
Chevrolet manger Ed Peper admits GM learned its lesson.
“One of the issues with the Malibu hybrid has been that the four [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 294 Comments

The Electric Car Race is Underway, Who Will Win?

July 12th, 2009 | Posted in: BEV, Competitors, Hybrid, PHEV with 171 Comments

What started as a concept and dream 2 and 1/2 years ago when the Volt was first unveiled has now evolved into an all out race to build the winning mass production electric car. At this point there are three major players in the field and a lot of smaller ones. GM, Nissan, [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 171 Comments

Unretired GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz on GM’s New eBay Experiment

July 11th, 2009 | Posted in: Dealers, Marketing with 163 Comments

It’s hard to believe, but we are finally here, the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived; its the first full day of the new post-bankruptcy GM. After 8 months of intensively following the company’s fall from grace, it’s all over, they are saved. Now we can get back to business [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 163 Comments

GM Exits Bankruptcy Today: the New GM Starts Now

July 10th, 2009 | Posted in: Financial with 210 Comments

After a lightning fast 40 days, GM exits bankruptcy protection today by successfully selling the best assets of the old company to the new GM. And so on this day the new GM begins.
The new GM has only four brands; Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick. Its footprint is drastically reduced with less dealerships, [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 210 Comments

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