Recently I traveled to GM’s Milford Proving Grounds for the opportunity with many other journalists to test drive the company’s entire fleet of production cars which were all laid out across a large swath of pavement called back lake.
To our surprise, in the middle of the event, suddenly Frank Weber pulled up in a pre-production Chevy Volt integration vehicle fresh off the assembly line. Presently there are about 30 of these IVers built out of a total of 89 that will be completed in roughly 6 weeks.
Though we were not permitted to drive the car, nor experience the generator mode operation, Frank did give some journalists test rides.
I was afforded the shotgun position and had two additional riders in the back seat including Sam Abuelsamid from Autoblog.
The experience of actually sitting in a bonafide running fully functional and operational Chevrolet Volt was an absolute pinnacle of the incredible long 2-1/2 year journey I’ve been on since this site began in January 2007.
To all those thousands of naysayers who said it couldn’t or wouldn’t been done, I guess you were wrong.
Below you can enjoy my high-def video of the experience.
First of all the car was sharp and sleek, and the interior was dazzling. The LCD displays were bright and high definition. There was plenty of room on the passenger side, and Frank Weber at about 6′4″ seemed to fit into the driver side without difficulty. The two journalists in the back were comfortable as well. As Sam put it “The Volt is considered a compact, but in spite of the sloping roof-line, it still felt surprisingly roomy. Both leg and headroom were more than adequate for this journ’s long-torsoed 5′10″ frame.”
Acceleration was startling. The car took off like a rocket even with all four of us in it.
Amazing as well was the absolute silence. Clearly the final design and soundproofing has had remarkable results compared to the mules. This was simply the quietest electric car I’ve ever been in.
It was smooth and nimble and did not feel weighted down.
It took quick turns with certainty.
Frank even said there was a bit of a delay programmed into the instant torque so that the final production cars would be even quicker, and would have better ride and handling. Hard to believe.
All I can say is no one will be disappointed with this car, destined to become, if it hasn’t already, the next American icon.
This entry was posted on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 6:06 am and is filed under Prototypes, Test drive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
+10
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:10 am)Wow!
Lyle, You are the man…….
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:12 am)Now lets start the theories about the Engine running at 4500 rpms and startling the driver when it kicks on with no muffler and how GM is baffled at how to make this a smooth transition from battery to generator.
Discuss…
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:19 am)Cool stuff, where’s statik now…. look it’s real
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:21 am)This is exciting! I hope the excitement is still there Lyle the day you have one in your driveway.
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+8
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:21 am)Triple digit mpg #s on the window.
Tire Chirping take off with sports car torque
Super quiet ride with HD displays.
Quick and nimble turns.
Sharp looking interior with room for adults.
This car is going to be worth the $35K that many will spend on it after rebate.
Go GM!!!!
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:22 am)Cograts, lucky dawg! Pixie dust and unicorn horns no more.
LJG(More)VWOTR! NPNS!
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:25 am)How does the Volt compare to the Tesla S?
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+9
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:27 am)I saw the autobloggreen video earlier today and thought I recognized you with your video camera up front! Your reports have much more passion (for all the naysayers I guess you were wrong!!! hahahaha)
Thanks for the great reporting Lyle
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:28 am)4500RPM would only be neccesary in two states:
1. You’re doing a sustained 100mph. I would expect noise. Who knows, myabe i’d back off to 80 at this point…(at 100 you are drawing the full 53kw from the genset, at 80 you’ll need more like 34kw, so much lower revs)
2. You are accelerating VERY hard, and the car believes you’re going to continue doing so (rather than supplying your peak power from the battery and keeping lower revs for once your power requirement levels out – which seems like a more elegant solution)
Yes, it’s a problem to make the transition smooth and pleasant, but not insurmountable. i imagine at the moment the IVers are logging large amounts of real world data to shape the final software design. at the moment there probably are some unpleasant changes, but they will be gone by, or shortly after, release. In fact, i hope that the Ampera will have no issues due to them being ironed out in Volts, so win-win for me
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:29 am)koz,
Amen! What a thrill for Lyle and through him for us too!
Be well,
Tagamet
LJG(More)VWOTR! NPNS! (nice touch, koz)
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+4
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:30 am)Look up there, that’s a Volt. Try and find a picture of the Tesla S. You won’t (i.e. it doesn’t exist yet).
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:31 am)OK – It meets all our expectations!
Now when will us mere mortals be able to own one????
Come on Lyle, use that new status you have at GM to get a few thousand of us on your wait list some of the gen-1 Volts!!!!!
Go GM – Go GM Volt Team!!!
NPNS
PS – Can’t wait to be able to play with all the display options!!!!
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:45 am)______________________________________________________
Excellent Volt update & vid Lyle…thanks!!!
______________________________________________________
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:46 am)Dear baby Jesus, Please let me have a Volt! And bring back my smokin hot wife Carly.(along with my new girlfriend)
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:50 am)statik would just say “it’s not for sale yet – if so, (he’d say) where can I buy one? heh, heh.
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (6:58 am)Me stuffs more cash in the buy a Volt pile.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (6:59 am)Oh he would just post some financial results to cool us down… we miss yeah Statik
Hey anyone else notice the hood design has change since the first reveal?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:00 am)Janet,
The short answer is “we don’t know yet”. I’m pretty sure there will be a comparison piece here when it arrives though.
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:02 am)Jim I,
Let’s try for a few hundred (first)(g).
And yes, I’m excited too (lol), but Lyle has been pretty “big” at GM all along, no?
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:04 am)frankyB
True on the stats thing for statik.
I didn’t notice the hood, but what were the symbols around the tail lights?
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:07 am)I wouldn’t read too deeply into that. Maybe Lyle was just the first guy to yell “Shotgun!” as he ran like a giddy child towards the car. ; )
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:08 am)Ok, posted before I watched the vid. AWESOME! I really liked the last few seconds with the Camaro and the Volt in the same frame. Still not sure about the lack of tactile feel for the buttons on the center stack, love the screen in the center stack, and glad gray is available (don’t like white). Seemed very quiet as expected, now let’s have a ride in charge mode and that will shut up the naysayers. It can’t be that loud, rough, bad…….anyone whos ridden in a caddy knows GM can make an engine quiet.
Thanks Lyle!!!!!!!!!!!!
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+15
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:10 am)The Tesla S will be an electric car with no range extender engine/gas tank. The biggest difference is that a Volt owner will never EVER have to rearrange his life around his car charging schedule. You can always fall back on gasoline mode in a pinch. That’s all I need to know.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:10 am)Jim in PA,
If you listen closely there was a woman’s voice directing the car seating. She probably just saw Lyle running toward her (lol).
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:11 am)Jesus isn’t baby, ya dang fool! He’s a man! Heh.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:12 am)Me thinks Sam wanted better photo/vid location in the back seat……….I’ve made some good vids in back seats
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:14 am)What’s up with the headlights? They appear to be round; a very different style from the elongated swooping rectangle we’ve all been shown (and shown in the header of this website). Well, it does look like there is a temporary black plastic panel on the front of the car, so maybe they are still fine tuning the headlights. Really? Can that be true? If so, how absolutely bizarre not to have something as simple as a headlight already nailed down. What gives?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:16 am)If you mean the round headlights, then yes I noticed. But it also appears to be temporary black plastic paneling in that area, so maybe it’s just a temporary thing.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:16 am)Lyle,
Congrats on your first ride. I hope soon you can get in the driver’s seat. Time is getting short – we are almost a year away.
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+4
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:17 am)1.) I assume you are being snarky, no?
2.) Didn’t GM already dispell the rumor of the engine running at 4500 RPM under normal conditions?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:20 am)It looks as if the IVERs are built with whatever part is available without respect to color. The lens does appear to be missing though.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:22 am)Yea, I watched that one last night and swore it was Lyle’s voice coming from the front seat passenger. Had a little chuckle when Lyle’s was posted this morning.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:30 am)Yes,
I have always assumed that GM would have no problem starting and ICE and running it smoothly and quietly as needed to power the generator. With comptuer control, you can do just about anything with an ICE at this point. With a battery as a buffer, there should not be any reason to quickly do anything with the ICE.
In the past, when the ICE has not been used, we have argued over the reasons why and there have been concerns about noise etc. etc. I assumed Lyles comment about no ICE operation in this test drive would bring on this same discussion.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:31 am)What’s different about the hood?
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+20
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:33 am)Everything is just right! Big on the inside. Refined on the inside.
Superb looking on the outside.
It’s truly the GM Icon for the next 100 years.
Lyle, that video ought to be saved for historical purposes.
And, other OEM’s ought to be panic-stricken if they are not on the pathway toward E-REV like GM is doing it (with 10y/150k warranties as well).
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:34 am)Less than a year if we consider the Independence Day 2010 date I keep floating. At the very least the preproduction Volts will be on the road by then (I think).
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:36 am)Check the name (Ricky Bobby). Watch the movie.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:38 am)Thanks for the interior shots Lyle. And the silence is deafening. Back seat looked a little snug for the cameraman, but this is a communter car, not a family hauler/family weekend vehicle.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:39 am)Huzzah’s to that, brother!
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:40 am)I’m thinking/hoping there may be more “secret sauce” to the charge sustaining rather than just noise/vibration concerns. Maybe a motorhead could speak to the feasibility. We know GM has worked with modified Atkinson cycle from the two-mode hybrid program. We also know they done active cylinder management. Is it practical to run an I4 with Atkinson cycle and cylinder deactivation? 2 cylinders for up to ~15KW output, 3 for ~25KW, and 4 for more.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:40 am)Lyle:
Awesome that you got the ride in the IVer—congrats!. Thanks to the GM guys too as it is great to see them giving these opportunities to ride and look over the cars. One question I have been wondering: are the IVers performing to spec. in terms of 40 miles range? My hope would be that they would actually surpass 40 miles AER.
sidenote: It is really, really good to have a tangible, actual Volt car in the flesh (so to speak). I can’t tell you how many times I have read, even on this site, that “this car will never be made” and “GM can never make a car like that”, “just vaporware”, etc. etc. It’s a nice vindication to see an actual working EREV buzzing around a proving track. My compliments go to Lyle for being so tenacious for 2 1/2 years, for diligently providing daily topics for us all to read and discuss, and for taking all of the time for this out of his own life to further this cause. Do you ever sleep Lyle??? Congrats and thanks again!
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:42 am)Thanks, yes, definitely us too.
/None of the small details sneak past you.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:42 am)The back seat is a better vantage point. I saw Sam’s video yesterday and he pans back to look at the cup holders in the middle and the trunk space. His video had some interference when it went by the battery. Not sure if that was just a glitch or if it was affected by some EM interference.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:44 am)I like the 2-tone leather seats
I like the capacitive controls.
I dont like/understand the raised areas on the top of the dash.
It seemed quiet in the internal & external videos.
Can we get more shots/info on the LCD screens?
What information can I get from those screens?
Thanks to you Lyle
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:45 am)Reposting from below since this may be more relevant here:
I’m thinking/hoping there may be more “secret sauce” to the charge sustaining rather than just noise/vibration concerns. Maybe a motorhead could speak to the feasibility. We know GM has worked with modified Atkinson cycle from the two-mode hybrid program. We also know they done active cylinder management. Is it practical to run an I4 with Atkinson cycle and cylinder deactivation? 2 cylinders for up to ~15KW output, 3 for ~25KW, and 4 for more.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:46 am)Kudos on the ride !
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:46 am)Jim:
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I read before that IVers don’t get the actual production headlights. The purpose of the IVer is testing, validation, tuning, etc. For all intents and purposes, mechanically the Volt IVer is in production form. Details like lights will be completed and ready for actual production vehicles to go to customers.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:47 am)Yes, it is amazing what can be done with conviction. Imagine this is only the start. With continued conviction, EREVs will really become something special. Onward to Converj, Orlando, small pick-up, etc.
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:51 am)That was so cool Lyle. And they even new your name and gave YOU the front seat.
This website is important!
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:54 am)MarkinW,
I thought that the back seat looked “snug” too. I thought that they were to be the same as the front seats.
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (7:57 am)Schmelts,
At the risk of repeating myself (and you) Lyle proves that “One man can make a huge difference!”
I hope he gets a good deal on the book and movie rights.
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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Aug 14th, 2009 (7:57 am)WOOOW
looks real good and can’t wait for mine!
White and black
The only problem I saw was the clock was set to
Sunday January 1 2006
at least it was not flashing like my VCR.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:02 am)kdawg,
IIRC the drivers screen is “configurable to allow them to move different info around and choose the data that they want to see e.g. digital vs analog speedometer. Sounds COOL! The middle display will have info similar to the current Prius (I think), except it’ll include AER info..
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:06 am)Deactivating cylinders on a four cylinder engine would have it far, far more prone to ignition knock, especially if anything at all were to become inefficient with practically anything else on the engine.
You see, the angle of leverage of the crank is not adequately angled during combustion for a four cylinder engine to have any cylinders deactivated. The minimum you could use is 6, and, 5 cylinders also being quite “chancy” for pre-ignition and other ignition-angle problems.
Even a good V-6 ought only do cylinder deactivation within a higher rpm range-band.
Very impressive things happen in the GM V-8 to protect the catalytic converter if there is a cylinder firing malfunction. (E.g., that same cylinder fuel injector is deactivated, preventing a big gulp of raw fuel going into the catalyst at each misfire).
But for VOLTec, all these historical advancements of all other technologies has already been considered, with the very best of the very best technologically-proven designs already integrated into Volt.
That’s what’s really exciting to me also. GM’s engineering departments represent the “environmental selection process” in human form, whereby, “the very best environmentally-friendly designs succeed to survive”. Volt is the winner of the natural selection process.
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:07 am)I regret that I have but one plus to give to this.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (8:10 am)“Though we were not permitted to drive the car, nor experience the generator mode operation, …..
.
.
.
“To all those thousands of naysayers who said it couldn’t or wouldn’t been done, I guess you were wrong.”
=====================================================
Lyle, did they happen to slip you some of that GM coolaid whilst you were there?
Until you get to experience the EREV portion of the drive, all you have done is experienced a BEV. While the Volt interior may be cool, it in no way should or will decide on the success of this vehicle.
You are currently riding the proto mini Cooper, which is a BEV. So, tell me is the torque and ride of the Volt really that much better? Maybe I am missing the point of what your saying, but I just hope your keeping your journalistic neutral side in the game.
WHY does GM keep hiding the EREV experience? Some things do come to mind.
1) The noise at specific rpm’s may be higher than GM wants
2) Imagine experiencing that high torque, off-the-line take off with the battery at full charge. Now, imagine the same experience when the Volt is in SOC. Might, this be very disappointing, as well as dangerous? If you hit the gas and expect to accelerate out of a dangerous situation, but the acceleration is just not what you expected, would this be a problem?
3) Cycling between running off battery only and starting the ICE to run the generator is more difficult than it appears on the surface. Their are so many combination’s and factor to take into consideration. The firmware may just not be ready?
I have heard SO LITTLE about the generator used on the Volt. This is a major component of the Volt, but why so little discussion or tech. information on its operation?
/just another day…
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:15 am)I’m glad the ride was good enough to impress Lyle. It was notable that Mr Weber said that some of the parts were still prototypes, that is, not production intent, so they must still be revising something. That’s good, because every problem that is identified and removed before production makes even the first customer get a more nearly perfect vehicle.
My guess is that the intended audience for the present-day 230 mpg PR and driving demos is not us or the buying public. There would be no point in that, as there is nothing for sale right now. The intended audience is the federal auto czar and his minions on gm’s board — gm needs to keep the bread crumbs dropping to keep the federal dollars flowing in. There are several more billions still available, perhaps. Following the WSJ theory of the Volt as existing as bailout bait, it has been immensely successful. What’s there now should be good enough for some more cash flow, it seems to me.
The problem for gm with completing the Volt is that when the Volt is finished they don’t need any more federal money to develop the car —- right now the sizzle is more valuable than the steak. That is, for federal support it is better for development to be “just a little more help needed” for a long, long time. Maybe someday there will be a real car for sale —- looks like it will be a good one if/as/when it happens.
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:28 am)RB,
I think that GM has other vehicles to use as crumbs for the govt money. No need to hold up the Volt. ON the contrary, getting IT out will show just how well they can implement Voltec and grease the skids for larger infusions.
JMO.
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:32 am)CNN Money has a quick vote on when you will drive an EV like the Volt… right now the numbers are bad 30% say never.
how about we skew the numbers a bit and vote “As soon as they’re available” …
http://money.cnn.com/
and scroll down to Quick Vote.
1. When do you believe you will drive an electric vehicle such as the GM Volt?
As soon as they’re available 7%
In the next 5 years 22%
Sometime in the future 41%
Never 30%
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Aug 14th, 2009 (8:32 am)This may be the super-neat “transmission” that Lutz referred to months ago. Under-promise, Over-deliver! Although I’m definitely not a Gear-head, I HAVE been called a crank-case (g).
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:36 am)Fine.
But you need some fairly deep pockets to be one of the first. I think realistically it will be 3-5 years before most “common folk” ever have a chance for EREV/BEV rides.
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+4
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:45 am)BUT WHY are they not showing the car in the generator mode?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:45 am)Congratulations, Lyle. Now next time I hope they let you drive.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (8:50 am)The only thing missing from the end of that video was a drag race with the Camaro! That woulda’ been sweeeeeeeet-ah!!!
Attn. Marketing Guys: Put a couple coats of Victory Red over that primer. Get some nice shots for wallpaper downloads ASAP! Thank you.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:51 am)Tag you need to change lol.
Perhaps:
LJGT(Production)VWOTR?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:55 am)Even the center display look good!!! I HATED the display on the early Volts. It looked to me like was just dropped in like something in a trash compartment.
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (8:57 am)GM seems to be going the extra mile to make the Volt efficient; extensively tested batteries, 100’s of hours of wind tunnel testing, low power draw stereo system, etc.
I think it is possible that GM will use an HCCI engine for the range extender. Not only does this increase gas mileage, it reduces emissions. The Volt is an ideal application for this technology, as the engine only operates at several select speeds and power settings.
It could be that GM doesn’t yet want the public (and competitors) to know that this technology will be introduced on the Volt. GM has had prototypes available for more than a year now. When the engine switches from spark-ignited to HCCI mode, the journalists could detect a change in the engine noise.
“After that, it automatically switched to HCCI mode (as evidenced by the operation mode display) . When that happened, I did notice a slight change in the engine’s timbre, an ever so faint diesel-like clack just after switchover.”
http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/researchdevelopment/a/HCCISaturnAura.htm
The other factor that weighs into this is the recently announced 230 mpg rating. If I look at slide 31 of the Argonne Lab presentation (which I believe was posted by Nasaman), at 40 miles AER, the CS mpg needs to be ~80 mpg. This seems outrageous, so let’s consider that fact that AER may be 50 miles. Even still, this equates to 65 or 70 mpg (extrapolated). So the use of a highly efficient ICE seems to be in line with the data supplied.
As GM states, this is their “moonshot”. So the Volt is their statement to the world that they can innovate and develop the world’s most technically sophisticated vehicle, vastly exceed the efficiency of any other car, and demonstrate a reliable means to ending the transportation industy’s 96% dependence on petroleum.
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+8
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:00 am)This “VOLT vs. Prius” comparison of which is the better deal needs to end. The only thing they have in common is they use electricity in one fashion or another.
The comaprison should be “$40K VOLT vs. $40K ________”…!
There are plenty of commuters driving Lexus, M-Benz, and others that would be interested to know about the performance, fit-finish-features of the new VOLT. Get an IVER in the hands of one of them. Let’s hear what they think of the car.
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:01 am)Agreed –it reminds me of how I felt when I went to my first Daytona 500 —just plain giddy!
“Frank even said there was a bit of a delay programmed into the instant torque so that the final production cars would be even quicker”.
And I’m still daring to hope the final production cars will modify the control electronics algorithm to also allow “trouncing” on the accelerator to deliver neck-snapping 0-60 times as well as a distinct “passing-gear” effect from say 45-75 mph!
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:20 am)The EREV experience will be no problem.
I drive a Prius and it cycles the engine on and off all the time, most of the time you are totally unaware that the ICE engine has come on at all.
Chelsea Saxton has actually heard the Volt mule in EREV mode from outside of the vehicle as it drove past and she called it “Prius quiet”.
http://evchels.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/poker-faces/
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:23 am)I declare this America’s car. The transition to electrification of transportation just started. Congrats Lyle.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (9:29 am)Really? I was under the inpression that the IV units were supposed to be hand-built versions of the actual final production car (not including changes make to correct short-comings, of course). If they don’t test the headlights in the IV stage, then when will they test them? What comes after IV yet before full production?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:34 am)Sigh… Now comes the anti-climatic part where I explain my unfunny joke. My comment above was what a Ricky Bobby family member said to him at the dinner table when he invoked “Baby Jesus” while saying Grace.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:36 am)Nice to see you posting friend. Hope all is well with you!
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Aug 14th, 2009 (9:44 am)I am looking for window cranks and don’t see ( 1 minute 28 seconds on video) any so I hope that means power windows
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Aug 14th, 2009 (9:45 am)JEC,
Are you trying to take over statik’s place (without the links)? Some of the top management have said that the engineers do not see the charge sustaining mode an issue. Either you can believe them or you can doubt them (personally I believe them), but doubting Lyle smacks of the most terminal of Doubting Thomas’. When Lyle has experienced it, will you doubt his word until you ride in one yourself? The “early statik” doubted that the Volt would ever see the light of day, but he evolved as the facts moved the project along.
Sorry for the rant, but I think it’s warranted.
Be,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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-8
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:46 am)Tag
I am absolutely for getting the Volt our the door .
Your motto LJGTVWOTR is my own.
However, my life is not in marketing, but my close friends who do that keep telling me never to forget to remember the question “Who is your customer?” For the Volt “the customer” is the feds (just as it is for Lockheed) because they have the $billions. IMO none of the other gm vehicles are green enough or visible enough to make a $Billion-level sale to the fed. To me that means that the Volt is intrinsically a niche car, and indeed the most successful niche car in history.
All gm has to do is eventually produce the first 10,000 Volts, and declare the Volt a success (as it shows every sign of being). I’d like to see the wheels on the road, but for gm it is better to proceed at a measured pace, carrot always a little beyond the nose, with a good outcome in the end, whenever that is. The Volt will hold everyone’s attention while it is still “to come”, but after that it is “just another car”, so gm has to take advantage of it now.
Once the Volt is for sale, then it loses the focus, and gm moves on to sell other cars in higher volume. I think that gm has a good plan, just as building the high visibility but low volume Corvette has been a very successful niche car in the past.
/ posted with regards to our late great poster statik (smile)
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Aug 14th, 2009 (9:47 am)OK! I’ve seen another video. Is there a possibility to see a pre-production model coming to my town or area anytime soon?
In GM’s hay day, they would have trucks loaded with a new concept vehicle to go from town to town to show the living, breathing people their new idea. This is about like the idea of selling the Volt on e-bay. I guess only GM knows what stupid thing is going to happen next for, the rest of us surley are at lost.
By the way, the Video trip we just took could have gone a little further on that 230MPG trip, couldn’t it?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:51 am)I believe that GM has said that HCCI would be well adapted to Voltec but will not be in the GEN I car.
As for the 230 mpg number, there are a number of different ways to get there. One would be if the Utility Factor was different for the FTP shift schedule. Or the EV range might longer than 40 miles. Very hard to say. But given that the number for the HWFEET schedule, though still in triple digits, is expected to be much lower, it doesn’t seem likely that the mpg in charge sustaining mode will be above 50 mpg.
Too many unknowns with the methodology.
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (9:56 am)Tag,
I have no illusions of being a Statik. I am just saying that until we get someone to provide real feedback on the EREV experience, then we cannot judge the success of the EREV.
It just seems to be a logical conclusion, no links will be provided.
If Lyle gets to experience the EREV, I will definitely be listening. I also, would never make a judgement by a single source, but someone needs to be first, and Lyle would be an excellent choice.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:08 am)I just took a self-imposed vacation away from GM-Volt posting for a week. I did get on the site each weekday. I did not even try to read all the comments everyone made, but I skimmed through them. Wanted to comment several times, but I had told myself to not comment for a while. I had become just a little over-powered by the site lately and wanted to back off some. Statik leaving gave me pause and made me realize I did not have to be active as much as in the past.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:10 am)Notice how it goes all the way to the side and the side panel finish just under it. Well at the reveal, on the black version we have seen and even on the logo of the site here, you can see the side panel going higher up to the same level of the hood.
My guess it that it is easier from an assembly point of view. Also less fitting involved.
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:11 am)Reading that CNN Money article makes me realize how many idiots there are out there that have no clue. Most of the comments were very negative towards the Volt. One guy was commenting about the Volt being a very small Micro-car compared in size to a Smartcar. Another guy says that GM needs to have their cars less expensive than foreign cars because American cars only last 5 years. I could go on and on… I do my best to change peoples attitudes towards American made cars and the Volt in particular but it may be futile. I hope not.
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-2
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:22 am)Your conspiracy theory that the Volt is just to get bail out money is sort of ill supported. Everyone knows that Obama is not going to let GM fail. They’ve already erased $100 billion worth of debt or something and if they need more money, they’ll get it whether the Volt is still being worked on, or is in showrooms. Almost every major auto maker is working on bringing at least one electric car to market, even Volvo and Jaguar. I don’t think they are doing it for the bail out money.
I CAN see the Volt playing a vital roll in helping GM meet future CAFE standards. Even if they are hoping there is a serious future in Voltec being iconic, which they obviously do, and profitable, which I think they do, the Volt being an ace in the hole for meeting CAFE standards, is a nice little bonus.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:28 am)As mentioned, the Tesla S will be a BEV not an EREV. On the downside, it will be powered by something like 8,000 laptop batteries wired together. Not only is this almost impossible to manage, but you’ll need to replace the battery pack every five years or so since this chemistry degrades with time regardless of use. Also on the downside it will probably cost $70K and, like all high end specialty cars, it will cost a bundle to fix (can’t beat a Chevy for repair prices).
The upsides is that it will be faster than the Volt and much roomier. It’s also a more elegant car, at least IMHO, and will have more tech gadgets.
I’m thinking of the Volt as something of a BMW 3 Series and the Tesla S as more a BMW 7 Series but those analogies aren’t really very good.
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-1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:28 am)Ha ha, they probably didn’t want to put the Camaro to shame. I can’t wait for youtube searches in 2011.
“Volt vs Camaro”
“Volt vs Prius”
“Volt vs Tesla”
“Volt vs Killacycle”
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:32 am)A fellow employee drove her new car to work yesterday. It is a popular hybrid (hint). Here is our conversation….
D> Wow, this is yours? Got a new car huh?
Co> Yes.
D> How long have you had it?
Co> My husband and I bought it the last day of the cash for clunkers program.
D> So about a week, nice.
Co> The third dealer we went to had what we wanted.
D> So you traded your old car. What were you driving?
Co> A Jeep.
D> So how is this new one? Pretty peppy?
Co> Well…ah (pause)
D> Kind of like a Civic?
Co> Yes, we were spending so much money on gas, this is better.
____________________________
Thanks for the Iver test ride Lyle. Stay healthy and keep up the good work.
=D~
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:36 am)Amen to that. My old car is history …. needs more repair then it’s worth. So I am in desperate need for a new Car. But trying to hang in there for my VOLT.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:39 am)Yes, until some people have driven it in charge sustaining mode this is an open question. But my guess — based on the fact that Boniface said it was no big deal at the moment and it wasn’t mentioned in the parade of horribles listed in the financial report — is this won’t be a problem. I think they’re tuning not fixing. However, most problems you see are those things you didn’t anticipate. Something else will go wrong no doubt. It’s not the problems you know about that get you it’s the problems you don’t know about.
As for the comparison ride between the Volt and the Mini-E, that would be interesting. Keep in mind that the Mini-E was slapped together with very minimal testing and was not created from the ground up as a BEV. So you have a dicey implementation of the AC Propulsion drive train — AC Propulsion has publicly said don’t blame them for the problems — in a car not designed to be a BEV. Doesn’t seem like a recipe for a great vehicle.
FWIW I don’t think you’ll see much “cycling” between charge depleting mode and charge sustaining mode. Once the car is in charge sustaining mode the battery will be used to assist the genset under heavy loads and that’s about it. GM has been fairly clear on not intending to charge the battery other than minimally in charge sustaining mode for the reason that grid charging is vastly more cost effective.
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-7
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:39 am)Lets be honest, this is rich America’s car. At 40K+ only a tiny percentage of Americans can afford this.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:45 am)I agree, why do they keep hiding this? The generator is the selling point that EVERYONE on this site talks about. No “range anxiety”, right? There is nothing special about electric mode, there are a boatload of electric cars. So why won’t they show anyone the main range extending part of the car at this late date. It’s very disturbing. After everything GM has been through, “take our word for it” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Show us!
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:46 am)Good for Lyle that he got a ride. Next up — he gets to drive an IVER.
What’s most interesting to me is that Frank Weber is moving to what I’d think was the next step in selling the EREV technology — the EV experience. Seems to me that GM has scored with the 230 mpg number. Genius move really. That got everyone’s attention. But to get people other than the nutty fringe excited you need to sell people on the experience. It may be time to move beyond the simple environmental and technological advantages of “no gas” and start moving on to other consumer benefits in order to expand the potential market.
EREV is going to be pricey for quite a while, even as GM moves up the learning curve and down the cost curve. If you can sell the EV experience as a luxury ride than you can sell the vehicles using the technology at luxury or premium prices. So keeping talkin Frank!
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:46 am)Saving the best for last, maybe?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:50 am)Ahhh, i see what you saying now. Looks like they opened up the hood area a bit. The new style seems to work better w/the headlights. I wonder if it helped in water drainage too.
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:50 am)I completely agree. The media, in general, over the years has completely manipulated much of the public. I have a friend that just completed some training as a loan officer at a bank, and basically, that bank feels that toyota and honda vehicles are preferred loans. That means that if the same person came in wanting a toyota or a chevrolet with borderline credit, they will be denied a chevrolet and approved for a toyota. All we can do is work it over one comment at a time.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:50 am)Need to Vote again
Chevy Volt or two Nissans, which do you prefer?
Just the one Volt for me
Two cars for the price of one? Sign me up!
You’re all crazy. I’ll just take the single LEAF
None of the above
http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/13/nissan-leaf-vs-chevy-volt-challenge-deluxe-edition/
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:53 am)Sorry Dave K. I accidently gave you a minus. I’ll give you a plus the next time I disagree with you. That may however take a while. Or you could give me a minus and we can call it even.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:53 am)I’m wondering if they will have a face that starts to smile when i’m “hypermiling” and frown when i’m squawking the tires.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (10:54 am)For one thing, a Tesla “S” will cost around 50-80% more (depending on which projected MSRPs you use).
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:58 am)Yeah Tag, I got a pretty hearty “HAH!” out of it when I saw some official GM video* and one of the GM people said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “as you know, Dr. Dennis and his site are not affiliated with GM.”
I call FOUL on that! Lyle and this site are the best damn thing to happen to GM in many, many years!!!
* = (sorry, I forget where I saw this, I was watching very late at night and shoulda been sleeping instead… maybe it was the 8/11 presentation, I can’t remember).
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Aug 14th, 2009 (10:59 am)From the pictures I found on the green.autoblog, I see what looks like a red emergency stop button left of the driver area near the door. Why does this have that button? Is this going to be part of the full production vehicle? Does anyone know? I don’t remember an emergency stop button being part of the specs…. Here is the website, look closely left down of picture near his leg.
http://green.autoblog.com/gallery/quck-ride-in-the-pre-production-chevy-volt/#18
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:02 am)Dang you, er, “Me”!! I have avoided seeing that movie ever since its release… but you’re making me lean towards renting it now. Darned movie reference memes!!
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:06 am)DanK…
It’s okay, I am used to abuse.
The big deal concerning the Volt besides burning very little oil is that the car is peppy. Up to now, have you ever heard “peppy” associated with a hyper efficient car?
FOUR average size people sitting next to a 400 lb battery and the Volt is still “peppy”! Add the lack of strain on the driving components and a quiet ride. Quite a package.
=D~
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:07 am)>> hand-built versions of the actual final production car
Yes, but only to a certain extent. Frank even pointed out during the video that IVers, including the one driven, are not -exactly- the same as the final production Volts.
Secondary things like lighting and (forgive the awkward expression) immaterial materials choices (e.g. paint composition, seating fabrics, head/taillight assemblies, interior plastics), aren’t all that critical and can easily be substituted and tested independently, later on.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:09 am)>> Do you ever sleep Lyle???
I’ve wondered that myself. Let’s hope to heaven he gets a solid 8 before doing brain surgeries!!
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:11 am)I’d say it’s only credit where it’s due, zipdrive!
Would this vehicle even have been greenlighted without the groundswell of grassroots support, for which THIS VERY SITE is responsible?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:11 am)He did say he stole it right off the line… maybe nobody had set the clock yet.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:13 am)And even that was a Cruze mule, and almost three months ago! It’s no doubt even quieter for the IVers.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:19 am)People have gotten used to so much power in the last 20 years.. I cant imagine worrying about a sub 10 sec 0-60 time in a family car (assuming you are being coy about a Prius).
Can you imagine how she will feel about the gas savings when it gets back up to $4 a gallon?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:22 am)I guess that it is just human nature for some people to need visibility and attention – just like there is always someone willing to play the role of “class clown”. The role of “cynic” must have looked inviting.
The Volt program was started almost 3 years ago – well before anyone dreamed of the magnitude of this economic collapse.
And I really don’t understand the point of your diatribe. Are you saying that you think GM is insincere ? Since the ultimate motivator of capitalism is money, doesn’t that make most corporations equally so ?
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:24 am)They are a car company… If they’ve learned how to do one thing in the last century, this is probably it….
Just sayin’!
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:24 am)Okay, enough hype. Sell me one, already.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:26 am)Maybe the big secret is that it’s an HCCI engine?
Edit: BillR beat me to this speculation.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:26 am)“What’s most interesting to me is that Frank Weber is moving to what I’d think was the next step in selling the EREV technology — the EV experience.”
They have been doing this for a while, this is what the whole thing about keeping mum on the genset is all about.. to concentrate the minds of the journalists on the BEV experience.. otherwise they would be comparing it to a Malibu or something like that. GM has some pretty smart people working on marketing.
You really thought they had problems integrating a genset to the DC bus?.. probably the simplest task in the whole design.
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:26 am)Ladies and Gentlemen,
With this video of Lyle in a production Volt, I would submit to you that Volt Wheels are now On The Road.
Perhaps we should change the closing statement to:
LJGVITD!
LetsJustGetVoltsIntoTheDealerships!
Way to go Lyle and congrats to GM!
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-2
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:32 am)Is it just me or does this car get ugglier every time I see it? What started out as an exciting, cutting edge prototype now looks totally uninspiring and common. Too bad. Such a shame it looks like every other car you wouldn’t want to own. I can’t imagine spending 40k on something so bland. Sure, it’s environmentally friendly…but why can’t it look good too?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:37 am)Agree on the interior, but very weak on the exterior styling. For a car that is supposed to revolutionize personal vehicular travel, it sure is yawner. Dodge, although lagging GM in schedule, has the circuit, which is a hot looking car in all respects. Too bad GM chose to début their gasoline assisted EV in a boring, ordinary, small family sedan.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:37 am)Very cool car. It’s a shame that the price point will be way beyond what the average American can afford. Most of us are having a hard time making the payments on a $15,000 to $20,000 dollar car, let alone a $40,000 dollar car.
Before posting any videos, I would always recommend using something like SteadyMove that goes into Adobe Premier. Apple’s new iMovie has the same kind of feature built in. There’s no reason to have that camera bouncing all over the place when there is software to fix that.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:39 am)That is a wonderful video. Another milestone has passed.
By the way… I could see Camaros in the video. I went ahead and ordered one in January and picked it up about a month ago. It is truly a great car. I love it. The Volt will be my daily driver and the Camaro will be my weekend car.
Thanks Lyle!!!
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:39 am)I disagree about HCCI being ideally suited for EREV. The efficiency is great but cost and weight are not. Atkinson cycle makes a lot more sense to me for the near term. I wish they would give a little more detail here.
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-1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:40 am)I think that would have to be incorporated into the traction motor.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:42 am)Even once the battery is “depleted” and the range extender turns on, you’ll still have 35% battery SOC left, so there is still plenty of juice to give you some peppy acceleration.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (11:45 am)Yeah, to Frank Weber if you read this, thanks for your cavalier hijacking of the IV from PPO. I loved it!
“Step on it, Frank!”
“I am, I just have to make sure I don’t leave any dead bodies behind”
Classic.
Lyle, you got shotgun? You’re the luckiest man alive, ha ha.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:53 am)Are we debating this one again. Once a month for a year and a half and from now on until cars are in showrooms…..yawn.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (11:56 am)I know several people who have said. Forget it I don’t like your loan terms I’m paying cash.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:02 pm)its only on the prototypes and mules.. a safety disconnect in case something overheats or catches fire.
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-5
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:06 pm)Look I was never a “nay sayer” but the only reason GM did this was to try and catch up with companies who are leading the way. Like Toyota with the prius. If they would have gotten their heads of out of thier “money pockets” the Amarican Auto makers would not be palying catch up!!! What amazes me is they are still lagging…
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:09 pm)I think GM is hoping all of their competitors are of the same opinion that you seem to be. Why would GM uncover their ace till it was time to rake in the winning hand. An electric generator is no big deal But controlling the power it produces and timing the start and stopping of said power quietly and smoothly is. We will see it when it is as close to perfect as GM can make it.
I think GM has built enough gas engines and generators [before they were called altenators] to be able to master any problems that come up.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:12 pm)Fab video,,NOW I’m starting to really get excited by this.Can’t wait to not hear one on the road. If only they had dressed it up in the original skin….
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:13 pm)I think the matte-colored Frankenstein look of IVERs don’t do it justice.
Although I was excited by the first glimpse of the show car, when I look at them side by side now I much prefer production Volt.
I’ll take mine in silver or black.
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-1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:14 pm)Even if the car is everything they say it will be the price won’t be. I can’t believe everyone is so quick to forget about the $40,000 or above price tag.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:16 pm)Brian, your being short sighted. LazP is saying that in 20 years from now, when all new cars are electric, historian will look back at the watershed moment that started it all and they will see the Volt. Just like now when we look back at Henry Ford and think assembly line.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:17 pm)Its nice it is a game changer plus they solved the range anxiety issue. If you think about it that’s why they equip a sailboat with a small motor. One thing with the low clearance on the front air dam when GM compared that to the Corvette and standards one has to remember the Volt does not have a Corvette suspension system. Nobody want to run up over a curb when parking towards the curb. I looked at my friends BMW and even the 5 series has ample room to clear a 4″ curb.
Overall there is a lot of positive things about the car.
I read where the volt only hasa 300 miles max distance although I wonder if it was through shrinking the gas tank to keep the MPG average above triple digits?? a larger aftermarket tank would be nice.
I will be curious over time about the bearings for the electric motors and how long they will last especially on bumpy dusty gravel roads. My 1984 skylark bearings only lasted 120,000 average so after 225,000 on my Alero I proactively replaced them.
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+7
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:19 pm)People who think there will be a problem selling Volts at the rumored price don’t know the demographics of the country they live in. There will be people next summer and fall looking at Acura TLs, Nissan Maximas and 370Zs, BMW 1 and 3 series, Infinity G37s and Audi A4s that will see that the Volt has a $7500 tax credit saves a $1000 a year in gas and still has cutting edge tech found no where else.
Some will realize not getting the Volt and choosing their favored entry level luxury car means leaving $12,500 on the table if you keep it for five years and $17,500 if you keep it for ten years. Saving $17,500 on your near 40 thousand dollar purchase is a big deal, even for someone who can pay cash!!!!
That’s a lot to lose sleep over at night. Cutting edge tech and a pile $17,500 high sitting on the dining room table, or a European or Asian Luxury nameplate in the driveway.
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:22 pm)Of course GM knew they were in trouble three years ago. The “economic collapse” just sped it up. And yes, there was federal money on the table for retooling loans at the time that GM debuted the Volt prototype.
These aren’t new relevations. Instead of insulting people about things you haven’t researched, why don’t you to a quick search or two to educate yourself?
Here is pretty much the first link I hit in google. It is a blurb from “Bailout Watch 1: Energy Bill Earmarked $25b for Big 2.8 “Re-Tooling” at TTABC in Dec 2007:
“It must be said that $25b is a lot of billions– especially when its your tax dollars on the line. That’s doubly true given that the money was earmarked for companies retrofitting factories built before 1987. That means virtually all of the cash would go to The Big 2.8, as the transplants (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Mercedes, BMW, etc.) built the lion’s share of their domestic production facilities after that date. A federal bailout by any other name would still smell so rancid. ”
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/holy-energy-bill-earmarked-25b-for-re-tooling/
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-5
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:24 pm)According to some analyst from Financial Times, the Volt may well bomb GM for good. I agree. If competitors like the Chinese BYD and Nissan bring cars 40% cheaper than the Volt, GM may be in a bad shape rather quickly with the Volt.
If it turns out that the Nissan Leaf costs under $20K and people end up installing special charges to allow people to recharge in 30 minutes the Leaf may become viable (think about it, major employers could just install special recharging stations to give incentives for people driving electric) then the Volt may not sell many units.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:24 pm)“The big deal concerning the Volt besides burning very little oil is that the car is peppy. Up to now, have you ever heard “peppy” associated with a hyper efficient car?”
_____________________
Only the car that inspired Bob Lutz to say, If some little start-up in California can build an electric car why can’t GM. (I’m guessing there were just a few cusses removed from the version released to the public)
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:32 pm)I think they want to focus on the EV experience. This way is simply calling attention to the transition to the generator though.
Just my own rambling but maybe they should have had folks see some heavily sound insulated version of ICE start-up in the very beginning and then let that fade from memory and tell everyone from now on they are focusing on the EV experience and not engines, which have been refined over the last hundred years and clearly are not problem with GM using a 1.4 liter four that is sold globally.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:34 pm)Maybe you would save more gas by reversing their roles, depends on your driving patterns though
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-5
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:35 pm)Regarding, “And I really don’t understand the point of your diatribe. Are you saying that you think GM is insincere ? Since the ultimate motivator of capitalism is money, doesn’t that make most corporations equally so ?”
Most, but GM has been pretending extra hard, haven’t they? And this site becomes quite the tool if true.
GM’s PR for the Volt was of a widely available and affordable car to help the environment and get 78% us virtually off gas.
I think a lot of people here actually believe that. In case it wasn’t obviously false, the pink-tied-creator himself has pretty much shot all that down over the past few interviews.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with reminding people as to what GM’s ultimate motivation is and what they most likely consider the real success factor here: PR and Federal Dollars.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:37 pm)I’m not knocking your assesment, but I think historians will see Tesla as the real watershed moment. The first true publically available EV. Then it will probably look to the first mass produced, widely available EV, which we don’t know who will get that. (Leaf maybe?) The Volt is a self described stopgap car (still with an ICE) so I don’t see it being very historic with everything is headed to full BEVs in the future.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:38 pm)Before alternators they were called generators, at least I think that’s what my Dad told me
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Aug 14th, 2009 (12:41 pm)If you want looks, you have to buy a Tesla or Fisker.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:47 pm)Funny I see assembly line and I think Ransom Olds. You never know who history will declare to be the winner. No more Oldsmobile so, say this to the coming generations and people might say, what’s up with that crazy old guy. Unless we have always on ubiquitous computing and a wiki of Ransom Olds pops up on their shirtsleeves!!!
Tomorrow will arrive when we fall asleep tonight… NPNS
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:53 pm)While I agree $40K for the initial offering under a Chevy badge is probably a mistake, I don’t think you can go that far. GM will rise or fall on its other offerings and on how quickly it can integrate it’s hybrid tech into other models.
The proper response to the Leaf is not the Volt but an all-electric based on the their experiences with the new batteries. Personally, a battery version of their skateboard concept would be cool if it gave them enough range.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:54 pm)Different markets for different needs. The cars are each very unique and BYD will be highly modified (much more expensive) if it ever reaches mass sales, and more so if it reaches the US and has to comply with FMVSS and CARB standards.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:58 pm)I would love to. Just as soon as it appears in the GM ordering system. That is, of course, if you are not going to attempt the “eBay Motors” way of buying a VOLT. (gag!!)
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+4
Aug 14th, 2009 (12:59 pm)Bravo! Here here! (cue very loud applause)
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Aug 14th, 2009 (1:08 pm)Koz, you are right.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:09 pm)when is comming for road test in canada??? (montreal)
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-7
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:09 pm)It has become the ugly red headed step child…and for 35-40K I wont buy an ugly car. Somehow Gm got people to buy the a$$tek though…
I will never buy another GM car (so far only one non GM car in my family and it was 66 mustang). GM closed my grandfathers dealership…95 years in business selling cadillacs taken away from us…But we got a check for $22K to compensate us… Gm said we could keep buick and GMC but we had to take any car they deemed we needed, we had to build a new facility … FU@# GM FU@# the Volt…GM should never have been bailed out…If you guys are seeing how GM is screwing over the local dealers who have been with GM from the get go thourgh the good and bad times, youd possibly have a different view of things…
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Aug 14th, 2009 (1:17 pm)OK I’ll go back and watch the movie again.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (1:30 pm)______________________________________________________
…that was classic.
Give Frank +1
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:33 pm)Again, you are speaking as if the VOLT will be the ONLY e-vehicle that GM ever makes. Not so. This is just their first ‘proof-of-concept’ with Voltec. Once the VOLT hits the showrooms, the lesser-expensive EREV Cruze or other small chassis version will be close behind.
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+3
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:40 pm)Of course GM built the Volt concept car to attract attention and positive publicity – that’s just smart business, especially if you can use it to generate profitable revenue. Who are you, anyway – Karl Marx ? How’s things over in Utopia ? Your argument smacks of the old “vaporware” crap – that there really is no car here … check out the man behind the curtain. I might as well admit it, I believe we landed on the moon, too.
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+2
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:42 pm)I think it is good to take a break sometimes, and re-charge the batteries, (no pun intended). Glad to hear you are doing ok as well. Sometimes it easy to get hyper-involved when you are passionate about something, but if you don’t step away or tone down the involvement it can cause un-due stress. I wonder about Statik from time to time and just wonder if he got burned out here. Then I wonder about Lyle too for these same reasons.
Lyle, if you’re reading this, it’s ok to take a breather every now and then, and Statik, if you’re reading this, it’s ok to “un-retire” if you ever feel you want to. Just throwing that out there.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (1:44 pm)BFD. Sometimes you have to walk before you run. How about pointing out some successful auto companies that DON’T behave this way ? Ben and Jerry’s ? I just hate seeing grown adults whine all the time.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:52 pm)Great! Now bring a dozen to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a (Safe) demonstration race! “A win on Sunday is a sale on Monday!”
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+4
Aug 14th, 2009 (1:56 pm)What if it is a $40K and below price tag?
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:00 pm)I believe Statik is OK. I see where he does some blogging on other sites. Not like he did here. Same for me. I have commented on some other sites, but only a little. As far as Lyle is concerned, I can’t speak for him, but although he is busy with GM-VOLT it is a different kind of pressure. He steps away a lot, I am sure, by doing his doctoring while attending GM and other auto companies’ events. But, if it does get to be just too much for Lyle, he should just step back for a while like I did. I do not plan on continuing at my previous level of comments. It is just not that important to me anymore. Maybe I have become too involved. I commented a lot in the past, but my comments never approached the thought provoking comments of Statik and a number of others I have grown to respect. You notice I am “speaking” in general without discussing Volt topics. I may continue reading and watching the comments of others for a while longer with only a few comments here and there. I am well although I do have small problem that may require light surgery later this year. Thanks for asking.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:02 pm)I’d prefer a Volt Finder app for my iPhone. Have it pop pins in google map of all the ones for sale at dealerships close to me.
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-17
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:09 pm)(click to show comment)
-24
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:15 pm)(click to show comment)
-11
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:20 pm)(click to show comment)
-1
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:22 pm)Don’t forget that the Nissan LEAF will be on the road BEFORE the Volt and it will get 367 MPG using Volt Math.
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+6
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:24 pm)Roger,
Step away from the Ram….we know what gets you excited.
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+5
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:30 pm)And that might matter if it had a range extender…Maybe a Honda generator will fit in that fifth seat.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (2:32 pm)mmmmm Fisker.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (2:37 pm)Consider this: If the windows were manually-crank, on ANY $30k+ vehicle, how well do you think it’d sell?
It’d be marketplace suicide-by-poor-design.
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Aug 14th, 2009 (2:40 pm)Removed. (I hit the wrong reply button! sorry)
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Aug 14th, 2009 (2:42 pm)Fascinating idea. I wonder what Tagamet will say about this — didn’t he come up with “LJGTVWOTR” in the first place? Whatcha think Tag?
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Aug 14th, 2009 (2:56 pm)RB,
Sorry for the tempest in a teacup this started. As I’ve stated many times it’s nice to live in my world. It’s OK for people to work hard and make money. The Govt doesn’t need to bail anyone out. and the Volt arrives on Independence Day 2010 – less than a year from now. AND we’ll be pleasantly shocked at the things that GM has under-promised and over delivered.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:58 pm)If it help for water drainage, it can also help air flow…
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-2
Aug 14th, 2009 (2:59 pm)Absolutely Not True. Deactivation on 4 cyclinders is highly efficient and trouble free. Keep your rubbish off this site please.
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+1
Aug 14th, 2009 (3:01 pm)JEC
In shrinkery when we look at someone we say “look to the history” and you’ll have some idea of what to expect. The history on this site is that it provides info, as it’s available with a pro-Volt spin. I expect that to continue. To date, I have never felt mislead by this site. Some of the posters, maybe, but not by the site itself. I expect that that will continue.
Don’t you?
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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-18
Aug 14th, 2009 (3:03 pm)(click to show comment)
-1
Aug 14th, 2009 (3:03 pm)kdawg,
I heard that they have the driver’s seat wired to “discourage” inappropriate driving (g).
Be well,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The Volts’ Wheels On The Road!!**********NPNS
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