GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Most people here know that GM has contracted with LG Chem to supply large format lithium-ion cells for the Chevy Volt in an agreement that goes out until 2015.

As we have learned from discussions with GM’s battery people, the company continues to work with multiple battery suppliers and is always looking for new cell technology to test.

In early 2008, GM announced that they had committed to purchasing lithium-ion cells from Hitachi Vehicle Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Hitachi Ltd. The Japanese company has recently developed very high power density cells that would be particularly good for hybrid applications, where large amounts of energy storage isn’t needed, just the ability to withdraw energy quickly in high power requiring conditions.

GM will be using these cells in their next-generation BAS+ mild hybrid systems that are expected to deliver 20% efficient improvement over the current system, and provide three times the power.

The systems works by providing engine off at stops, brief electric-only propulsion, and a more powerful electric motor to enhance engine efficiency.

By the end of June, GM had sold 8,349 hybrid vehicles in 2009.  Besides the Volt, they obviously have big plans for them in the future.

According to Reuters, the company has placed an order with Hitachi for enough lithium-ion cells to build 100,000 hybrid cars beginning next year.  Each vehicle uses from 30 to 50 cells.

GM sources indicate that this order is for multiple years of production and on a global scale, but nonetheless confirms GM’s belief that gas prices will rise and that consumers will continue to show growing interest in fuel efficient vehicles.

Source (Reuters)

We often discuss the Toyota Prius here though the car strictly shouldn’t be compared to the Volt which is truly in another category altogether. The Prius is worth mentioning primarily because comparisons are inevitable and more more so because GM product czar Bob Lutz has openly admitted the Volt program was begun in an effort to leap-frog the Prius after it garnered significant sales and good will for Toyota.

Toyota has been working hard to ensure the Prius is not only successful, but that it cannot be copied. The company has filed for over 2000 patents on the vehicle’s technology, over half of which are found in the current third generation car.

It appears to be Toyota’s intention to make the car’s technology so compelling, insulated, and so copy-protected that other automakers have no choice but to license the technology from them rather than “grow their own” through the legal minefield of Prius patents.

“Our system is the best technology for hybrids to get the best carbon dioxide emissions and best fuel economy. [Rivals] will not be able to compete,” said Gouichiro Kuriyama, a manager in Toyota’s product planning division.

Indeed the mild Honda Insight does not compete with the Prius’ engineering design, and Ford though designing its hybrids 100% in-house has agreed to cross license certain elements with Toyota for legal protection.

Enter the Volt.

The Chevy Volt is based on an entirely different engineering architecture, operating purely on electric drive and at least 80% on electricity from the grid. There is little doubt to this writer that the many benefits of electricity as fuel and electric drive as propulsion will quickly antiquate the Prius’ hybrid system.

You can bet GM is working to protect its future in this regard as well.

“GM has been aggressive in protecting what we believe to be competitive technology of the Voltec platform as it relates to battery, engineering, and powertrain.” says GM spokesperson Rob Peterson.  “The Volt’s a game changer.  We’re taking all the steps necessary to protect our intellectual property rights.” He notes that not all Voltec patents GM has filed for are finalized yet, and there may be more, but like the car remain a work in progress.

So if Voltec takes off and HSD fades away GM just might find itself with the competitive advantage after all, and Lutz would have rectified a seemingly insurmountable disadvantage.  We shall see.

Source (WSJ)

I recently had the chance to tour GM’s newly opened 33,000 square foot advanced battery lab in Warren Michigan.  The first video is here.  This is where the Volt’s batteries are being lab tested.  Other hybrid systems are being tested here as are cells from outside suppliers.

In this video we see a presentation by Dr. Ramona Ying, a GM battery lab staff researcher who has worked there since the EV-1 days.

She is showing off the cell testing side of GM’s new battery lab in Warren Michigan. Among other things displayed are two Volt LG prismatic cells in a thermal chamber.

She noted GM gets solicitations to test new cells all the time often in the wrong shape for automotive use.

GM uses a 4-phase process to evaluate cells. To date GM has evaluated 155 chemistries from 105 suppliers on paper and more than 60 actual cells from 20 suppliers.  Ying acknowledges GM also tests supercapacitors.

She says that by testing 24 hours 7 days a week GM can simulate 10 years of testing in 2 years, and that the overall goal of the lab is to reduce costs for battery cars and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

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