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Archive for August, 2009

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Why GM is Concerned About Plugin Readiness Infrastructure

August 31st, 2009 | Posted in: Charging, Grid, Launch with 284 Comments

GM has for months been discussing and promoting the idea of community plug-in readiness.  This relates to the development of public charging infrastructure and government incentives to enhance the adoption of electric cars.  In fact, GM has clearly stated that those communities which have demonstrated sufficient plugin readiness will be rewarded with being the first [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 284 Comments

BMW Vision Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car

August 30th, 2009 | Posted in: Competitors, PHEV with 188 Comments

BMW has released the details of its Vision concept car which will be unveiled in Frankfurt in September.
The car is a technological tour-de-force that borrows some of the Volt concept but expands it in new directions.
The car is a 2+2 seater sports car that has stunning performance, aerodynamics, design and fuel efficiency.
It is a plug-in [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 188 Comments

GM-Volt.com Shows America’s Passion About Cars Remains Strong

August 29th, 2009 | Posted in: Public Opinion with 115 Comments

Every so often GM-Volt.com rises to the attention of the national media. In the most recent case our little blog wound up featured in a story in the Wall Street Journal penned by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Kevin Helliker.
The focus of the story was the fact that despite the global financial meltdown and the particular decimation [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 115 Comments

Should MPGs be Retired? – How to Calculate Efficiency of New Technology Cars

August 28th, 2009 | Posted in: Efficiency with 326 Comments

For the last 100 years, calculating a car’s efficiency was easy, one determined how many miles a car could travel under certain standardized conditions on one gallon of gasoline.
However, the new era of electric and partially electric cars is turning that convention on its head.
This was too brought to a head earlier this month when [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 326 Comments

Getting an Early Chevy Volt in 2010 Won’t be Easy

August 27th, 2009 | Posted in: Launch, Production with 387 Comments

Its hard to believe, but we are actually drawing close to the day the first saleable Volts roll off the production line in November 2010.
Recently the DOE announced a $30 million grant for GM to use to release a test fleet of 500 Chevy Volts to consumers, and 125 to commercial entities. GM has [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 387 Comments

Guest Post: IVer Production Brings Design Changes, But Why?

August 26th, 2009 | Posted in: Design, Prototypes with 233 Comments

When Bob Boniface, the Volt’s Chief Designer, officially presented the first ‘IVer in motion’ on July 28th (also known to him as Christmas morning), that Volt was painted in the finest color known to man, which of course is not a color at all, it is black. While this made the Volt look impressive, [...]

Posted by: Statik with 233 Comments

Chevy Volt Underwater Testing

August 25th, 2009 | Posted in: Battery, Prototypes, Safety with 220 Comments

I previously had a discussion with Lance Turner, lead engineer in the Volt battery lab who also worked on the EV-1 program.
I asked him if there are any special considerations about the Volt and its high power battery getting exposed to water, such as in a flood, or accident where the car gets submerged.
Lance advised [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 220 Comments

Test-Drive: GM’s 2 Mode Plug-in Hybrid w/Video

August 24th, 2009 | Posted in: PHEV, Test drive, Video with 164 Comments

I recently had the chance to be one of the few people outside of GM to get behind the wheel of a plugin 2 mode hybrid prototype at GM’s test grounds in Milford. I was accompanied by Larry Nitz, GM’s director of hybrid powertrain development.
Originally this vehilce was set to debut under the Saturn [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 164 Comments

Lutz Still Dreaming of an Electric Cadillac

August 23rd, 2009 | Posted in: Cadillac, Converj with 191 Comments

GM demonstrated the beautiful Cadillac Converj concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January.  It was after the company’s financial collapse had started but before bankruptcy reorganization.
The Converj would use the same Voltec propulsion system as the Volt though tuned for greater performance.  Besides a stunning and already sufficiently aerodynamic exterior design so too was [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 191 Comments

Honda Finally Gives in: Will Unveil Electric Car This Fall

August 22nd, 2009 | Posted in: BEV, Competitors with 163 Comments

Since the Volt was unveiled in January of 2007, many automakers have subsequently begun their own electric car programs.  The most advanced so far is Nissan’s with its all-electric LEAF to be launched in late 2010.
Other automakers to commit to EVs have included Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Mitsubishi and many others.
The last holdout has been Honda, [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 163 Comments

Will the Volt Have Power Limitations on the Highway?

August 21st, 2009 | Posted in: Performance with 265 Comments

We recently heard about the engineering work GM has ahead of them in optimizing generator mode operation.
A concern that has been considered for a long time is whether the car will have power limitations in that mode.
The car will have a 100 MPH top speed 110 kw electric motor. The generator can develop 53 [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 265 Comments

Charging the Chevy Volt

August 20th, 2009 | Posted in: Charging with 337 Comments

Recently GM revealed the production charging equipment that will come with the Volt when it can finally be bought.
There will be a portable 120 V unit (R) that can be plugged into any standard receptacle. It will be able to recharge the car fully in 6 hours at 12 amps or 8 hours at [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 337 Comments

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