Alex Cattelan is a GM engineer working on development of the Voltec powertrain, and has been involved in the Volt program ever since the beginning.
She recently had the chance to drive a pre-production Volt out among a fleet of seven cars to Knoxville, Tennessee. Cattelan also noted she has previously driven pre-production and mule Volts in cold Canadian winter conditions, high altitudes in Denver, and the scorching heat of Death Valley, and through it all “we have not found any surprises,” she wrote.
Cattelan says that the “twisty, winding roads” of Knoxville are particularly a place where “you really get to see what a car is made of.” And in that place she said of the Volt’s performance from a driver experience standpoint “we are happy with the results.”
She explains it was in those mountains of Tennessee that GM worked to “calibrate how the Volt’s battery energy, fuel efficiency, and drive quality work together in real world conditions.”
She explains that a car must give back to the driver what he or she would expect, and the Volt is no exception. It must feel right and respond intuitively. She says it should have the same feeling both in EV and charge sustainting mode, should climb hills as needed and if its 95 degres outside “take the heat.”
In all these ways on those mountains the Volt lived up to her expectations.
In an almost poetic fashion she writes:
As I stood next to the Volt on top of a mountain last weekend, I felt overwhelmingly enthusiastic about its capability.
I’m confident that Chevy Volt drivers will feel invigorated like I do by its exciting, smooth, quiet, and fuel-efficient performance.
I imagine there’s a lot of people just waiting to get their chance to see for themselves, myself among them.
Source (GM)
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 am and is filed under Environment, 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.
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:27 am)And we are waiting another year and a bit because….
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:34 am)Great. Now let Lyle drive it. Around his home area should be a good place to test the Volt also. I would be happy to test one in my home area, too.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:35 am)Boy, I’d sure like to hear more details about how it performed in the mountains. It’s clear that the Volt met her expectations but I’m not sure what her expectations were! Would someone else be just as satisfied? That’s why I’d like to hear something more objective like speed and acceleration figures, decibel noise levels, fuel economy results, miles per charge, regenerative braking results, and so on. When, oh when, will GM become truly forthright about telling us the whole truth?
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+43
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:43 am)because they are setting up the manufacturing lines and firming up all the details of all the components.. plus dealer training to maintain and repair the Volt..
This is not your father’s oldsmobile, this is new stuff and lots of details have to be looked at. Respect the process.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:44 am)I couldn’t help but notice that she is taking up two parking spaces.
I also noted that her comments appear to be a very carefully worded press release. No word on the switch to charge sustaining mode etc. I can understand their caution given what is at stake. If any test driver gives bad marks on any feature, it can get blown out of proportion in the media.
I couldn’t agree more with Lyle getting to drive one!! That man needs to get behind the wheel.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:44 am)You realize anything they say will be used by the competition?
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:45 am)Consider the camaro time to market while the Mustang and Charger were already on the street.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:45 am)Well, there’s no pleasing everyone, it seems.
What will you accept? A Car and Driver performance review? You’ll have to wait until the cars are available for sale.
It seems to me that this report has at least taken some steam out of the trolls’ sails.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:48 am)This is a very good news and I don’t mean just Tn. But rather the fact that it is being tested in the real world.
I hope they test it in Tn. again only this time with a Prius as a standard and let us know how the Volt compares [beats the Prius I hope] on hills, milage, acceleration and cornering over say 100 miles. I mean a real 100 mile road trip not a loop that is repeated till the miles total 100.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:50 am)Speaking of training Chevy dealers to sell and service the Volt: I sure hope they take the product, and its implications for the new GM, seriously.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:51 am)…. there’s more going on than perfecting the car; they also have to bring manufacturing (all supply lines included) up to speed.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:52 am)This is nice to hear, I would like to be able to do the same soon. I hope they surprise us with a large supply and early roll out.
Zel
And Remember GM:
Jacksonville Fl, 54 mile commute round trip, 110v 20a plug at work to recharge and designated parking spot. Just saying I will volunteer. Really.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:52 am)It will be next spring before the Volt is let out into the wild. Around that time we will start getting much more information from GM and outside sources. There will be plenty of car and driver type of testing and reporting. Some of it will be good, some will be great and some of it will not be as good as we would like for it to be. But that is the nature of the animal. The Volt is not going to satisfy every single person’s needs around the world. And some people will not be satisfied no matter how the Volt performs. GM haters will continue to hate GM. They will just have an additional target to point their hate towards. Nothing new there. Not now, not later.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:54 am)Sounds like a job for Consumer Reports. Again, this kind of thing is sure to come once actual production Volts become available. Anything done now would have to include the caveat “prototype Volt.”
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+4
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:55 am)Other than the two parking places, what else would you expect? It is not her job to tell all there is about the Volt. Personally, I think we are lucky to even have heard this much about the test. Think of all the other test outside of GM that she mentioned and we had not heard about them. It is good to now hear that GM is doing exactly what some of us thought GM would be doing about now.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:56 am)Would it not be awesome to actually spot one of these prototypes out on a real-world test.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:56 am)This is a major problem!
My folks just had their Malibu Maxx in for service at the ‘biggest’ GM dealer in town and it was a complete gong show.
This sort of junk needs to stop NOW!
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:57 am)Good to see “there were no suprises”. I would be curious to know the efficiency of the vehicle under the extreme conditions. It is reasonable to expect a hit on the AER when the A.C. is blasting or when driving up and down the mountains, but I’m just wondering how it fares in those conditions? I doubt GM will share that info. at this stage but thought I’d ask anyway.
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+5
Sep 2nd, 2009 (8:59 am)Normally with new car development you would ‘just’ be starting to get grainy ’spy’ photos of “an as-yet unnamed new model” at this point.
That’s why.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:04 am)Expand on the gong show. I don’t understand just what happened. Was service bad? Were they treated terrible? Explain, please.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:05 am)Never hurts to ask. Just don’t expect an answer at this time and you will not be disappointed. I hate disappointments! Don’t you?
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+4
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:07 am)I wish I trusted CR but I don’t. I fear they will give as honest a report on the Volt as the minister of trade in Japan would.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:08 am)I wonder what the tall antenna on top of the Volt was used for. Communications back to home base or just among the test group. Interesting.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:09 am)“I couldn’t help but notice that she is taking up two parking spaces.”
She may be an engineer and a GM insider, but she’s still a woman.
… donning flame resistant suit …
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:10 am)I wonder if this is where they were?
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_radar.html
Looks like a fun place to drive ….. err burn up tires.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:10 am)Fewer people would trust GM to make such a comparison (sad, but true). I certainly would not trust Toyota to do it.
Perhaps other mags and sites will be more balanced.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:12 am)You really enjoy pain—–right.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:13 am)I’m confident that Chevy Volt drivers will feel invigorated like I do by its exciting, smooth, quiet, and fuel-efficient performance.
————————
Coming from a professional driver, that is a strong statement.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:13 am)Yes, we know a tremendous amount more about the Volt at this juncture in its development than any vehicle in history. At least it seems this way. I can’t think of any other vehicle that has been so open in its development. Not saying GM is not keeping secrets that we all want to know. Sure they are, but we know so much about this car compared to past developments. Even with that its like a kid eating candy. The more you give him, the more he wants. I am satisfied to take smaller bites and make the taste last as long as it can because I know more is coming soon. I can wait. I can wait. I can wait…. … … …
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:16 am)That was intended as humor, of course. For some reason it wouldn’t let me come back and edit in a smiley face, or a “ba-dump-bump.”
May Laura M have mercy on my soul.
(adding smiley face on first posting, this time)
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-23
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:16 am)(click to show comment)
+6
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:16 am)Reports like this must really be discouraging to the Volt doubters.
It is becoming crystal clear that this car is being refined and tested thoroughly and properly. The attention to detail is evident. The fact that GM is not being influenced by the critics to speed up the release of the car, and cut corners, in light of all the other OEM’s flashy press releases about their “green car” entries to the market just again shows their commitment to doing this right. I think it is a sign that GM takes this drive train seriously; not just as a “green car” halo, but as a real, true progression of the automobile.
An electric car with no compromises and efficient and responsible use of the battery resource. I am sure that this time next year, other OEM’s will be rushing out their cobbled together prototypes stealing thunder from GM’s progression to the Volt release.
The difference is, once Volt comes out, the drawbacks and the corners that were cut with the other designs will be evident. Part of me almost wishes that the other OEM’s do rush their’s out first, just so the inevitable comparisons to the Volt are even more striking.
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+4
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:16 am)Good try, Zel. I bet you will hear that type of “song and dance” plenty as the months roll on. I have done a little dancing myself. Pretty soon I might try the singing part. I just don’t have the conduit to GM like Lyle and some others. Nor does any of us deserve it like Lyle.
Hey Lyle! When GM gives you that Volt to drive for several months, let us know and we can line up at your house (or anywhere you name) to ride “shotgun”. Of course the line will consist of about 25,000 of the nearly 50,000 signed up on the site. But what’s that amonst friends. Just makes the party bigger.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:16 am)Per wsj, BP said today it has made a “giant” oil discovery in a deep well drilled in U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Guess the ICE is not dead yet.
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-14
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:19 am)(click to show comment)
+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:19 am)Was in that same area about 2 weeks ago. Most of the spaces in the parking lots at the overlooks were empty. Beautiful and uncrowded.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:20 am)OK, first of all the basic stuff… The car has been with them for almost a week. There was a loaner so although inconvenient it wasn’t a show stopper. (My mother was laughing about the crank windows!)
So, they call and say the car will be road tested and good to go by ten. So they show up at 11 and the car is not ready, not tested, and NOT fixed. They had been working on the trans shifter and left it out of adjustment so the shifter did not work correctly.
Next Day…
They call and say the car will be road tested and good to go by ten. So they show up at 11 and the car is not ready and not tested (sound familiar?) the ’service’ girl hadn’t done the paperwork for the warranty so they had to wait, again, They pay the cashier for ANOTHER deductable that the cashier insisted opon before they could get the keys… They mentioned this to the ’service’ girl (sorry she can ONLY get that title with mini quotes) who of course hadn’t told the cashier not to charge them so they had to wait again.
YES they got the second deductable back, but they will likely NEVER go back to that ’service’ dept. I wouldn’t!
If the GM dealer network cannot perform at least ‘good’ service then all is lost.
I CAN afford to buy a Volt.
But it’s about the same price as a MB C300 4-matic…
It’s time to put up or shut up.
Sadly as much as I like the Volt concept, I’m losing hope that the dealer network can come even close to doing a good job supporting it.
If this isn’t fixed and PRONTO GM will fail for good.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:20 am)My business is right on a secondary highway (rt 23) about 3 hours south of Detroit. I have seen many test cars and trucks (GM and Dodge trucks pulling car carriers, Malibu, Challenger, Charger, Vette to name a few) driving back to Detroit over the past few years. Still watching for the Volt however.
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+10
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:22 am)“Because SloMoGM is on Snail time.”
… well, you ought to know. Say, how’s that dial-up workin’ out for ya?
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:23 am)I WOULD BE THERE! NO MATTER WHERE THERE IS!
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+5
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:26 am)Great answer. I read this story yesterday, and I was thrilled to hear driving the foothills was a breeze with all the instant torque of the Chevy Volt. In a few years, this advanced vehicle is going to look like a dinosaur compared to the complex drivetrains being conceptualized by BMW and others, not to mention the dramatic .22 drag coefficient achieved through wind deflection and ducting achieved through discontinuous body paneling.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:26 am)LOL, may Laura M have mercy on your soul….
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:27 am)Hell hath no fury like a Volt driver scorned.
=D~
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:27 am)Best case, the Internal Combustion Engine will be around for a long, long time. Hopefully, most of that time will see a decline in size, fuel-use and number.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:28 am)Jackson
Totally agree with you regarding a fair report from GM. They can not fair as this is their big hope for a strong come back.
I would like to Lyle drive it and Statik among others from this site.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:28 am)Hey! Hey! I am a subscriber to CR. Don’t insult the minister of trade in Japan like that! No, really. CR will give it a good going over and then at the end they will say: “Although we found the Volt performs as GM intended and we found no outright flaws, we can’t recommend it because of GM service and quality problems of the last few decades prior to 2007″. Or some snot like that. There are some things CR does good and one of them is to build up foreign vehicles and put down American vehicles. And, to be honest, they deserved to be put down. But in the past few years quality at Ford and GM has improved greatly and CR has begun to recognize it. But they still have a hard time recommending Ford and GM over most foreign makes. Chrysler, bless its heart, just gets raked over the coals without even trying to be fair.
But, what the heck. I just renewed my subscription for two more years because I believe that down deep they truly love us and want us to have only the best products at the fairest prices. And stuff like that. No, really, there is a service they serve and they do a pretty good job overall. Just not always. CR surveys results (because they are more people’s opinion than facts) are always biased against American autos.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:42 am)Hey, I have the same chance you do (i.e. none)
53 mile round-trip. No plug at the office that I know of, but it’s a parking garage for the building… Outside Chicago, IL.
I’ll take one too!
As Michael said: Waiting is.
…
…
difficult. (he didn’t say that part)
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:44 am)I think the large oil find is good news for the E-REV type vehicles while not so good for the BEV type. But it will not stop the revelution in cars because it will be to late and in my opinion to little. This additional oil will not begin to satisfy the growing thirst of China and many other countrys.
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-2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:46 am)I would assume that for every “test driver” in this captured fleet, there are many rules and restrictions which go along with the opportunity. Alex’s comments probably had to pass the scrutiny of some big P.R. guy at GM before they could be handed to Lyle. I would expect many more such comments from other drivers.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:54 am)CR = “survey says … “
To some extent, US car prejudice in Consumer Reports is a reflection of what actual car buyers believe. Don’t shoot the messenger.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (9:57 am)Lets also not forget that oil gets used for a lot of things other than transportation; mainly chemicals, fertilizers and heating. In transportation, a serious fraction gets used for aviation, heavy trucks, trains, ocean-going vessels (etc).
We may never get completely off of petroleum; but I think there is at least some hope that one day the US may be able to stop importing it.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:01 am)Looks like a CB radio antenna.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:02 am)THAT is funny!
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:02 am)The simple fact is that it doesn’t matter what GM or Japan or even CR has to say about how the Volt performs.
WE will be posting the REAL WORLD driving results of the Volt, once we get our butts in the seats and hands on the wheel…. The reports will be from all over the world.
Those will be the best reports available, and they will be here as of Nov, 2010!!!! Can’t wait to post my report, and read all of yours.
Go GM! Go GM Volt Team!!!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:03 am)Great! Keep us posted.
As time moves forward, actual Volt road-sitings are going to become a more exciting aspect of this site.
I’ll accept a Volt-on-a-transporter sighting, at this point.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:03 am)Let’s get some Volts up here in the Rockies and see how they do. Rolling hills are one thing, but 10,000 ft mountain passes are a real proving ground!
And instead of “poetic” writing of an employee test driver I’d like to see some hard data from independent sources. 50-70 acceleration times, dyno results, etc….
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:05 am)Me too, i’ll renew my passport and cross the Atlantic for that.
Regards,
JC NPNS
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+5
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:07 am)Simple is best… The more you put into a car, the more that can and will break.
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-9
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:08 am)August U.S. sales results shows GM sales declining by 20.1% while Toyota sales showed a strong 6.4% gain.
Toyota is now less than 3 percentage points of taking over the entire U.S. auto market ! Of course they have already widened their lead in the Global market.
It’s very nice to be Toyota these days. Thank you very much.
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+20
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:09 am)this advanced vehicle is going to look like a dinosaur compared to the complex drivetrains being conceptualized by BMW
The BMW struck me as an overly complex design without any real benefit. Rather than “less is more” the design principle seemed to be “more is more” and “a lot more is a even better”. Was there a design concept that wasn’t in the BMW? EV? Check. Parallel Hybrid? Check. Split power? Check. Multiple Motors? Check. Serial Parallel Hybrid? Check.
All rolled into an impractical shell from a company whose only accomplishment in the EV field to date is to have messed up AC Propulsions very good drive train. (Until actually proven I’d put the Cd claims in the same basket as range claims).
Going forward the issue is clearly battery technology and cost. For EVs to have a genuine impact, they need to cost less, not have more complex drive trains that cost more.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:09 am)The Dragon’s too *expletive* crowded with too many people that think they’re Valentino Rossi.
Cherohala Skyway’s nice, though.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:11 am)Sorry about the vent guys…
I just really hate that GM and it’s dealers keep shooting themselves in the foot.
Also anyone who treats my family badly does NOT get my business.
THAT dealer will not get my business, ever.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:12 am)Also note she didn’t say there weren’t any problems. She said there weren’t any “surprises”. Usually you expect some problems, and as long as they’re not in an unexpected area, that’s OK.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:14 am)WHO WILL BE FIRST on this site to actually purchase a production Volt?
Okay, who other than Lyle will be first?
This could become another growth-area of speculation at gm-volt.com!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:15 am)(click to show comment)
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:15 am)“and if its 95 degrees outside “take the heat.””
Living in Arizona, I wish Alex had said 110 degrees….95 is mid to late spring. But since they tested in Death Valley (hopefully in summer) we should be ok.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:16 am)CR is fine. It tests what it tests. But that’s true of all reviews. The car magazines go for performance and JD Powers goes for all kinds of wonky things (if a radio is different then it’s marked down as an “initial defect”). Probably no one review gives a complete picture.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:17 am)That’s a big 10-4, good buddy.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:18 am)Hi RB that was just a question asked during a master’s thesis presentation this morning, the student showed that the more we have EVs, E-REVs, BEVs, on the roads, the less the pressure on the price of gas will be.
So if more taxes are not imposed on gas ,gas may be there for a long time still.
Regards,
JC NPNS
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:22 am)So would we all!
But lets be realistic, THOSE numbers won’t show up for most of a year from now.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:22 am)“Less is more” and “more is more” are oversimplifications about how design is done. Yes BMW’s drivetrain is complicated but if it delivers the stated performance then what’s the problem? 62mpg in charge sustaining mode, 31 AER, 0-60 in 4.8. So whats the problem? If it turns out to be too expensive or difficult to manufacture then there is a problem but just because its got different split series and parallel paths does not mean this will be the case. If anything it will be simpler than a typical AWD car because you eliminate a diff with a dedicated motor on the front axle. Unfortunately it will never see production. I dont know why people are paid so much to design cars they will never make.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:22 am)Here in the States, if GM isn’t prevented by state law from terminating the dealer, and if it tries to terminate it on grounds that the dealer provides bad service, all the Republican representatives who support the free market, along with some Democratic representatives, will be outraged that the free market is working as it should so they’ll introduce a bill to stop it.
Having said this, my advice to your parents would be to contact GM and complain. There are benefits to avoiding this type of thing.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:24 am)Nothing better than a sunny afternoon on the Tail of the Dragon, the best motorcycle highway every created by mankind. Just took my new Triumph Tiger 1050 SE on a mission to carve up the Dragon. Mission Accomplished.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:26 am)As soon as I can…..
Zel
And Remember GM:
Jacksonville Fl, 54 mile commute round trip, 110v 20a plug at work to recharge and designated parking spot. Just saying I will volunteer. Really.
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-7
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:27 am)You forgot to mention that Hyundai was up 47% and Kia up more than 60%. If Toyota doesn’t succeed in conquering the Americans the Koreans will. We love America and Americans love our superior cars. Enjoy.
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-13
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:29 am)(click to show comment)
+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:30 am)I think you stubbed your tow….whats it like under the bridge?
Zel
And Remember GM:
Jacksonville Fl, 54 mile commute round trip, 110v 20a plug at work to recharge and designated parking spot. Just saying I will volunteer. Really.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:32 am)“I wish I trusted CR but I don’t. I fear they will give as honest a report on the Volt as the minister of trade in Japan would.”
I agree.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:33 am)He’s a lifetime GM buyer and is right now very unhappy with the dealer (and by extension GM) he will NOT contact GM because he won’t, it’s not his way.
But you can BET that he will rememeber this next time he buys a car.
The sad part about this is that I did NOT know this was going on when I had my rant about dealer service last week. But the dealers operated down to my low expectations without hesitation.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:36 am)I wonder if GM has done any testing on the “Grapevine” section of I-5 north of Los Angeles. Those long, protracted grades and hot temperatures are a good test for any car!
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:37 am)In a few years this advanced vehicle is going to look like a dinosaur compared to the follow on vehicles offerd by GM as technology and development advance.
LJGTVWOTR!!
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-3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:37 am)Why would I consider a 42 year old vehicle?
Here’s another make/model from the same release era as the Camaro:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Zephyr#Zodiac_and_Executive_Mark_IV
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:38 am)I wish GM would increase production and step up time table – they are letting the competition (MB etc…) beat them to market which will cause loss of market share (IMHO).
Great to see performance is as expected.
I still do not like the new hood on the Volt – Ir gives the car a cheap look with the seam/gap on the side instead of the drop in hood look of the Malibu and Equinox. Makes it look like a KIA – not quality
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:40 am)Hence all the testing for the Volt which is decidedly complicated!
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:42 am)The P.E.:
Can’t have door dings in one of the few existing Volts. Plus, you can’t get a decent photo with cars scrunched up to both sides.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:45 am)It’s to communicate with all of us in our tinfoil hats. And my personal favorite, the brazing rod pyramid hat. Can’t you hear the voices?
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:46 am)(click to show comment)
+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:47 am)It is reasonable to expect a hit on the AER when the A.C. is blasting or when driving up and down the mountains?
Probably not. Moving mass up hills takes energy, and the Volt may weigh 3800 pounds loaded. You’re looking at the force of gravity times the mass of the car times the vertical distance moved. That’s a large amount of energy as compared to say, the losses from rolling resistance, which is the mass of the car times the force of gravity times the coefficient of resistance which is a couple of decimals — like .007.
But with regen mountain should not be so hard on efficiency as it is for a combustion engine. Imagine if you started at a top of a mountain with 5 gallons of gas and finished the bottom with 6. That’s sort of what happens with regen.
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-15
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:47 am)(click to show comment)
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:50 am)Forget Knoxville Tennessee. Let’s get it out on the track at Laguna Seca, Sears Point (sorry, Infineon Raceway) or Willow Springs and see what it will really do. You can learn more there in 30 minutes that you can cruising around Tennessee for a week. The real forced draft development.
The same goes for all of the Valentino Rossi wannabes.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:52 am)That’s a typical Soccer mom parking job right there. I can tell.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:53 am)This century will be one of great discovery for the growing Oil Industry. EV popularity will have absolutely no effect on the worldwide dependence on Black Gold. You just gotta love the times we live in. Many more fine discoveries on the horizon. Yes indeed. Cheers.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:57 am)(click to show comment)
Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:57 am)Agree here in CA. We normally get at least 15 days of above 102degF, one year we were in the 110degF. I though I was breathing fire but that was just halitosis.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (10:58 am)I wouldn’t get overly excited. While this probably means 500,000 barrels per day, that won’t happen for another fifteen or twenty years. And while each barrel of oil will yield about 42 gallons of gasoline, keep in mind that ethanol production today is more than a billion gallons per year.
This is certainly helpful, especially for BP shareholders, but when you look at world demand for oil finds like this, even aggregated, aren’t going to dramatically change the price proposition. The fact is that we need a less expensive energy source in order to continue with economic development.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:01 am)I don’t think moving a body line is going to keep someone from buying a Volt. Heck, if they did that from the start (they should have done more homework on Europe laws in the first place) no one would know any different. They did what they did to be able to sell it in Europe. If you think about it one body that can be sold in US and Europe as opposed to 2 makes sense from the business standpoint.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:02 am)Here’s Alex Cattelan at Hybrid Fest 08
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3060916813586965796#
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:06 am)That too is true. I like how automakers are now trying to leapfrog each other, instead of copying each other to the point of being indistinguishable.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:16 am)With that same sort of logic why do you ride on 100 year old technology?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Electric
I know you are a strong advocate of full BEV’s and I respect that but really, lets try to keep away from silly comparisons.
The new Camaro is a fully modern car with styling cues that hint to a nostalgic time. I think it’s beautiful, and have several times said an EREV Camaro would be fantastic.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:25 am)I can almost see her garbage can lodged under the bumper….
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+6
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:27 am)True enough. They rated the Vibe lower than the Matrix. It’s the same… freakin’… car….
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-7
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:27 am)Don’t bash Kia, their quality has greatly increased from a few years ago. So much so i might add that Kia Quality exceeds GM in latest independent tests. You prolly still driving your fathers oldsmobile. hee hee.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:30 am)(click to show comment)
-1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:34 am)“…handed to Lyle”?
I’m guessing you missed the link to her full blog entry at the end of Lyle’s piece.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:34 am)The Volt eats grapevine for breakfast and spits its hot asphalt in your general direction. woot.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:37 am)OMG, what has happened to GM. I thought they was turning it around. oh….snap.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:52 am)25,001
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:53 am)friggin dealers huh?
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-3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:55 am)Way to cut your carbon footprint…..
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:56 am)I’m starting to wonder if they have something with looking at ebay sales…
There is absolutely no customer service but at least they are honest about it.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (11:58 am)I’m generally a patient person; didn’t used to be but it has come on with age. I’ve learned that good things take time and patience is a virtue. But this slow, creeping, plodding, trickling, thirsting, new product release approach is starting to feel like a death watch.
Maybe the Volt will be a good, solid car. Maybe it will perform admirably for 78% of the American populace. Maybe the price sticker won’t seem quite so shocking. Maybe it will surprise folks from Tennessee with how seamlessly it blends into our well-worn internal combustion culture.
And maybe I’ll be dead by then. I’m afraid that, by the time I can actually test drive a Volt, I just won’t care to do so because there’ll be something much more interesting going on at Honda, Toyota, BMW, Ford, and others. Maybe GM will be left standing on the pier, having once again missed the boat.
These are not the words of a GM hater. But, more and more, they are becoming the words of those “disappointed once again with the General”. Maybe this wasn’t the best approach…
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:01 pm)Me thinks oil is traded by the barrel that equals 42 gallons of OIL. This is a “virtual” barrel as you cannot go out a buy a 42 gallon barrel of oil. And NO we do not ship oil in the old 55-gallon drums. Oil Up.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:07 pm)A small clarification…. My wife was born in Knoxville so the whole family is very familiar with the city, but not its “mountains”, which San Francisco comes closer to having in both height & number. I find it odd that Alex Cattelan never mentions that Knoxville is about 20 miles from any real mountains such the Smokies, yet the photo she took is a dead ringer for numerous parking “overlooks” in the Smokies (or any of the adjacent national forests). The link below is a map showing Knoxville & its location wrt the mountains…..
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=knoxville+tennessee&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ADBF_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=fKGeSpvUJueOtgfZ8ImKCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1
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+4
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:08 pm)It looks like CR is being judged right here and it doesn’t look good for CR the way I see it .
It is about time somebody called them for their “Anti American” reporting .
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+6
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:10 pm)An EREV Camaro….
OH, GOD YES!
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:20 pm)That’s a good look at the new hood. Makes the Volt appear a little wider. Similar to Pontiac. I think it looks good.
=D~
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:22 pm)lol….
how do they test it? Bash a Trolls head against it?
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:23 pm)I’m with you on this DonC.
The BMW concept really struck me as a means to show everything that is technology possible. One feature that stuck me as an example of this was using a “heads up display”. I’m not into luxury cars, so it could be that some really high end cars already have this as standard. However, I do know that this is a standard feature on various jet fighter aircraft.
If BMW were to offer that for even the cost of two Volts say $80,000 as a Tesla killer and commit to a 10 year 150,000 mile warranty I’d be shocked. There’s so much in that concept that the price would be astronomical.
What’s needed is an EV that the US and other consumers can buy, and the Volt is an excellent first generation shot at that. The BWM is a fantasy for people who’s other vehicles include jet fighter aircraft — arh yes – Maximum Bob comes to mind there!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:24 pm)Jackson,
If I was responsible for an IVER (basically a six figure value prototype) I’d likely park it where someone won’t slam it with their 5 foot long ‘84 Camaro doors. No need to flame, but it’s sad to point out such stereotypes are still strong in our collective consciousness in 2009.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:25 pm)Only complicated with regard to the software controlling the Volt’s performance based on various demands. It’s an EV; i.e. electric motor with a battery energy source, plus a range extender ICE driven generator. You can’t get simpler than that. Fewer parts than a ICE vehicle. The complex part lies in the software to control the electric drive and internal workings of the battery pack. this may be an over simplified statement of whats in a Volt but when you try to break down a hybrid like the Prius, you can see how different the two are. The Volt design is KISS sweet next to straight ICE and hybrid vehicles. As you will find out when you own a Volt and see what maintenance costs are.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:26 pm)The Flan is a bit grumpy today…
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:30 pm)BTW, in the same photo I notice a long “whip” antenna (next to the standard GM OnStar/XM/etc stubby antenna). I wonder if one of the team’s 7 test vehicles has one or more multi-track data recorder(s) aboard to which the Volt (& any of the other cars) are transmitting multiple data streams, such as performance, efficiency & thermal data.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:36 pm)With advances in electric propulsion, you will probably see a few enthusiasts electrify the Camaro on their own. If one can electrify a Ford Ranger for around $10,000 and plenty of labor, the Camaro would be a nice job. The former has been done with lead acid batteries. With lithium-ion batteries looking like the next power source for EV,s, the price will drop to where the DIY conversion of ICE vehicles will be the choice over buying a new vehicle. At least until the price of EV’s drops considerably.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:36 pm)hermant: If by the time you can test drive a Volt, there is not “something more interesting going on at Honda, Toyota, BMW,” etc., will you change your opinion?
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:38 pm)ARGH! I live here and I haven’t seen this Volt anywhere.
KEEPING EYES OPEN NOW
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:42 pm)@ MRB
I don’t own a Baker Electric. What I do ride was first released as such in 2007, while the Camaro was first released in 1967, the middle of last century.
I’m not talking about the age of the underlying technology – I’m talking about the age of the brand/model/name original release date, a point about marketing.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:44 pm)BTW, the Appalachians are not rolling hills. While not jagged peaks many are >4000/5000 feet with treacherous curves and inclines. It is a very good test of hill performance. I sincerely doubt that any roads in the Rockies are significantly more challenging.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:46 pm)“and so far they are still failing”
________________________________________________________
how do you figure they are still failing? That’s an amazing statement!
In about a year, you will find yourself eating those words.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:47 pm)Yes, old fashioned cars, such as the Camaro on this thread, are easy to convert:
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=94038
BTW, does a Camaro really have an awful CD of 0.43? You don’t think that GM has already been there, done that?
http://www.hybridcars.com/carmakers/chevy-volt-no-longer-electric-camero-0617.html
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:49 pm)I want to see it too…..in my driveway!
Zel
And Remember GM:
Jacksonville Fl, 54 mile commute round trip, 110v 20a plug at work to recharge and designated parking spot. Just saying I will volunteer. Really.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:52 pm)It is a sad reflection on various governments that health safety and environmental standards are so woeful when there are clearly better alternatives.
A couple of examples:
In the US you may note that Jaguars have the leaping cat on the front of the hood. That is totally outlawed in Europe. Think of it as a bacon slicer when it comes to pedestrians!
The UK adopted lead free petrol (gas) long after the US did.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:53 pm)Let me guess, Consumer Reports, right.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:57 pm)I mentioned the Baker electric because it has about as much to do with your modern electric bike as a modern Camaro does with a 67 Zephyr. (Almost nothing)
There are a lot of people who ‘pine’ for the old days.
This is powerful marketing my friend.
Marketing by it’s very nature appeals to some and not to others, in the Camaro’s case you wouldn’t consider buying one anyway so the fact that it doesn’t appeal to you makes sense.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (12:59 pm)If there is anyone that I would give more to credibility in GM it is the engineers.
Typically I would believe what the engineers say, even when filtered through management. Even more so when they are not under any pressure to give answers, remember the blog entries are no mandated. Sure I would expect details that are less favorable to be omitted, otherwise they are vulnerable to being quoted out of context. So rather than lie or distort the truth I would expect omission of any negatives.
How many times have you seen press reports that take things out of context, or competitors use a reported negative to their advantage?
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:01 pm)The BMW concept really struck me as a means to show everything that is technology possible.
This seems accurate. The vision is of the engineers pulling every toy out of the technology box — like the double clutching automatic transmission — and then asking themselves: “How can we design the car so can we use this?”
But some technology seems advanced now but is probably destined for more general use as time goes on. I’d put the heads up display in that category. I think you can get this option now on at least one Caddy, and it seems like it would be quite useful.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:02 pm)I’m going with a CB, but your explaination is MUCH cooler!
I’d think the data would be gathered onboard and manually transfered to the support truck. There is no guarantee of security over wireless.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:05 pm)I hate to have to point this out, but they’ve probably moved to a geographical region, to tackle different tests, by now…
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:08 pm)True enough, but as a fairly long time IT type I KNOW how complicated control software can be.
Mechanically simple but with a very complicated operating environment which means complicated software.
it’s going to take time to kill the bugs.
Which is what Alex is doing now.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:08 pm)“CR is fine. It tests what it tests”
Yes but i lost faith when they started to recommend cars as best buys without actually testing them…and they have…
That alone makes them biased and full of b***
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:15 pm)My bad. Yeah, it’s 42 gallons of oil in a barrel. It’s hard to say how much gasoline comes from a barrel since there are so many products, but let’s say half that.
Still a lot of gasoline but not significant in terms of world demand.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:16 pm)You need to realize that bringing a new model car to the market, is a long process. Buy a book on car production and find out what it takes. New cars do not come to the market over night or even in two years. First the car must be designed, a mock up made and tested in a wind tunnel. Then the machinery to make the vehicle must be produced; yet another lengthly process. When you realize all of various parts that go into a vehicle, you can begin to aprpreciate what is involved. Unless other OEM’s have begun their effort to produce an EV, it will take them considerable time to bring their models to market. From the looks of things going on, that is what is transpiring. Some OEM’s in their effort to jump on the bandwagon are targeting niche markets. Clearly, GM is looking at providing the majority of drivers with EV technology.
IMHO, they have been transparent in the Volt’s development and production with the purpose of developing the market for EV’s; too many people are negative thinkers and GM needs to get the populace’s electric propulsion understanding up to speed. So far, they have done everything to schedule and have good results. I would especially like to hear a report on the test results for Death Valley! Being from the deep south, where temperatures climb above 100 Fahrenheit, it is my major concern about Volt’s performance.
They moved ahead on EV production before the other OEM’s, so they shouldn’thave any problem producing BEV’s. With all the development they have done in the area of batteries and the testing of Volt’s electric drive, the rest is cake.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:18 pm)No EVO…
If you read your own reference it was the concept Volt with the poor aero number.
That’s why the production car looks different.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:33 pm)A new generation of HB LED video projectors have been developed for a reasonable price. ‘Heads Up’ display for a car might well be the ‘killer application’ that makes them an everyday feature. It would help to keep people’s eyes on the road.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:36 pm)You could well be right with the exception of the long grade climbs that the Rockies are known for.
There are a couple 20 + km long climbs on the way to my inlaws place (yes there are corresponding downhills on the other side). These climbs are long enough that even with a ‘full’ battery you would likely hit ‘depletion’ before you got to the top.
The car would already be in CS mode when it got to these big climbs. Rogers Pass, BC is a good example and is part of the Trans-Canada highway. http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3496
There are higher climbs of course, but this is the main east/west route through the Rockies in Canada so it WILL be covered by Volts as their owners head to the “interior” for the skiing/boating/golf/wine that is seasonably available there.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:40 pm)At first read, I admit I was kind of unimpressed, thinking, “Mountains?! What mountains, the Appalachians are like 3000 feet, aren’t they?”
I mean, I routinely drive through the Sierra-Nevada mountains and Donner pass on I-80 (the PASS!) is 7200 feet.
Sure enough, though, the Appalachians near Tennessee are much taller than they are say around the Virginias. Looks like they have some roads upwards of 6000 feet so that’s actually pretty good, then!
That’s plenty high enough to feel the effects of the thinner atmosphere on a normally aspirated engine. If it worked well at that kind of altitude, that’s a useful good piece of data.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:44 pm)I have less then 40 miles round trip each day and at least 1 trip over 150 miles each week.
The best part I drive right past the Milford proving grounds every day and can just stop in so they can get a look at it.
I would make a great test driver.
Oh ya did I say I LOVE GM!
If it came down to me or Lyle, I would do the right thing and give it up. (Hope I get extra points for that.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:53 pm)I agree. Jackson made my day with that little “come back’.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:54 pm)i disagree, focus people!!… you are simply struck by a CONCEPT, thats a bling bling symptom you can’t even afford… focus on the technology under the hood of the VOLT, the unmatch battery management system which is the heart of the EV technology…
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:57 pm)Just take it at face value. “Success” simply means it didn’t fail.
The devil is in the details… which we still don’t have.
Someday that will be provided. Until then, it’s promotion that may or may not meet the price, efficiency, power, etc expectations consumers are assuming… since there’s no detail available.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:57 pm)Maybe you think JCJ should, what, swim across the Atlantic? And just how do you get around town or the country. Walking, bicycling or jumping on your broom? Or maybe you just stand in the corner with your nose against the wall and click your heels while repeating: “Take me to Europe”? Inquiring minds would like to know.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:58 pm)I recently visited Knoxville, and I have to agree that it the area represents the Appalachian driving experience pretty well, based on the time I spent living in Southwest Virginia and making frequent trips to West Virginia. You’re cornering all of the time, which is a lot of fun — and fun that isn’t to be had out here in the Midwest.
In the Midwest, all you can do is accelerate, decelerate, and look at blurry corn. Some of the natives seem to think driving 100mph on a straight piece of road is exciting, but I’ve found it to be pretty boring compared to driving at any speed on a twisty-tourney road in the mountains with a rock-wall on one side, and a steep drop-off on the other. Not being a native Midwesterner is probably one of the reasons why I think a 4-banger is adequate, and that torque is more important than power…
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (1:59 pm)I know, but there is always hope.
And I was just mentioning the Volt today at lunch, too. It would have been cool if it was in the parking lot…
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:02 pm)I’m sure they went to Clingman’s Dome (6643 feet) which would be quite a climb. And if they went to the dome itself it’s a very tiring walk. It’s like a 50 degree vertical climb from the parking area.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:07 pm)Jim I at 10:02 am,
Right you are Mr. Jim I!!
Car mags are grossly influenced by their advertisers too much, it seems to me. So I don’t bother with them at all myself.
A driving report from Lyle is what most people would look for if they want unbiased fairness. Which unbiased fairness he has absolutely proven to us with his reports on the Mini-E.
(back to work).
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-9
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:07 pm)Just another Volt article about nothing. No numbers, facts, graphs or tables. More “feelings”, “intuitively”, “poetic fashion”, “enthusiastic”, “exciting” crap. Jeez… this is becoming next religion.
Just noticed Purdy Propoganda post 19. Could not agree more. If this is really GM Engineer talking about Volt, then GM is doomed.
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:08 pm)Cranky,
Since I was the one who used that phrase let me mention a thing or two. First, Lyle does not need anyone kissing up to him. Secondly, I don’t kiss anyone’s a$$. Never have and never will. But I do recognize the contribution Lyle has made towards getting the information out to us about the Chevrolet Volt and many other vehicles and technologies we are all very interested in. Let me ask you a very simple question I think even you in your denuded state should be able to answer. Question: What have you done lately to advance the cause of electrifying our personal transportation or reducing our petroleum usage? I know, it is not your responsibility for either of these two things, but it is also not Lyle’s. We all have some part to play in our collective future. Your contribution should be greater than some snide remark seemly intended to mock myself or Lyle. You did neither of these things. You just showed a side of yourself that you probably would prefer to not show.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:10 pm)Did any of you all notice the name “Danica” on the name?
I assume the author of the post is referring to Danica Patrick, the professional Indy-car driver — and spokesmodel for an Internet domain registration company that shall not be named. Methinks some British humor was intended, and missed, here…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Patrick
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:19 pm)Yeah, Occam’s razor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:21 pm)On the trip to the Knoxville area that I mentioned, we drive the Prius. It does fine there. It’s not a sports car by any means, but it corners and climbs better than most of the cars I drove while growing up in a similar landscape on the other side of the range in Virginia.
The Prius engine at WOT is still quieter than quick-shifting a 4-banger into 3rd to climb a steep hill.
Yet another reason why I’m mystified that everyone seems to want multi-hundred horsepower drivetrains. I guess if the car’s overweight, you need it — but, for a 3000lb car, 110hp can provide a wild ride, provided the driver understands energy-management. Since I can be satisfied with 110hp in the steep environs of the Appalachians (including up-mountain merges onto the Interstate), I’m totally mystified as to why everyone seems to think that 300hp is necessary out here in the flatlands…
I’d love to see the same comparison — but my experience growing up in the Appalachians suggests that the skill of driver and the environment have a lot more to do with how a car feels in the mountains, than a few horsepower.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:21 pm)“All that GM Hate was earned and well deserved.”
Some of it was well deserved due to poor decisions by greedy GM management and labor, but not all of it. Some of it is 20 year-old headlines that people without car knowledge still believe. And some of it is the tilted playing field. The foreign competition enjoys a protected domestic market and tax subsidies to ensure that they have a consistent advantage.
GM can only do so much, no matter how hard they try. It is up to us (and our politicians) to make one-sided “free” trade into fair trade.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:28 pm)@ MRB
Fair enough. That certainly shows that I don’t know much about the Camaro, a brand name launched in 1967, or other vehicles that manage only 19 mpg combined but don’t produce maximum torque at 0 rpm.
You win…
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+4
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:36 pm)But that’s the problem. CR claims to be objective. Surveying car buyers is anything but.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:39 pm)Well, if you *really* want to find out what it’s made of, there’s always Sebring. I doubt we’re going to see this thing in the 12 Hours of Sebring any time soon.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:45 pm)I also subscribe to consumer reports. I think they do a very good job for certain things. (Laundry detergent. Toothpaste. Etc.)
But cars are difficult to get an objective opinion on. As a result they use subjective methodology. I think they do the best they can though. And the methodology works–eventually. If GM and Ford keeps on making great cars, and eliminates the quality gap with the Japanese, I think the general consumer will catch on eventually. And so will consumer reports. It just takes time. And I’m not sure GM and Ford have that kind of time.
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+2
Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:46 pm)The only ones who are going to conquer us are us. As Pogo said so many yers ago, “We have met the enemy, and it is us.”
If we keep buying their s**tbox cars, we are going to get exactly what we deserve. No Toyotas, Hyundais or Kias in my garage, in this life or the next.
LJGTVWOTR!!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:46 pm)In reading the full post on voltage.com, they mention that 7 volts were taken along this course. I would assume that the C.B. allowed all of the drivers to coordinate potty breaks etc, without having to rely on spotty cell phone coverage to keep each other informed.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:47 pm)Right on! +1
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:50 pm)Really John… what else is success but the absence of failure?
It’s well known that the Volt could hit the ground with 60 miles AER with the AC blowing hard on full cold and then get 100 mpg in CS mode and you STILL would say the Prius is superior because it has a Toy badge on the hood.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:59 pm)I see a fellow engineer (I never heard of her and I’m not in the auto business) taking a lot of flak over this auto test story devoid of meaningful data. First off, her story certainly isn’t written for this column. Secondly, I hope her bosses are reading this. If so, here’s my message: Glance over the previous article today regarding Mercedes Blue Zero E-cell Plus (BZE) EREV. In short order the reader has more of a comprehensive understanding of the BZE in maybe two paragraphs than all previous VOLT articles. What’s more, in trying to decode the VOLT ER mileage a few days ago right here I applied the Smart Car 3 cylinder turbo as a benchmark … lo and behold that exact engine is the BZE ER power. The 3 cylinder 1.0 L turbo is rated 67 HP (50 kW) for a 373 mile range. And I’ll bet the ranch that 373 number is real and conservative.
GM ER plans, of course allowing for weight, must be … have to be competitive. FTR: I’ve driven (c.1964) those Knoxville roads several times- border to border.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (2:59 pm)Do you really believe any of that?
Success is many levels deep. The best way to look at it is based upon the grading system.
Volt could easily earn a “B” grade, by meeting all performance expectations. Earning an “A” though is the challenge. For that, the middle-market objective of price must ALSO be met. Otherwise, volume simply won’t be there for the mainstream.
It’s all about balance. Engineers thrive on technical achievement. We know they can be innovative and find ways to deliver on performance objectives. Squeezing that into a tight cost-restriction is an entirely different matter though. GM’s target audience is supposed to be joe-consumer, since that’s where a bulk of the profit can be made.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:00 pm)Now that’s an entertaining suggestion …
Actually, why don’t we fire them out of a cannon?
cue Mythbusters …
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+3
Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:05 pm)RickW,
I suppose the Chevrolet truck that, who was it – NBC or CBS, blew up with explosives and tried to pass off as a gas tank exploding was rightly earned by GM? Sure, GM built some pieces of sh!t during the late 70s through to the early to mid-90s. But not every GM vehicle was bad. There were some very good vehicles even during that period that won prestigious awards even during the time when Toyota, Honda and Nissan were just barely out of the beer can sheet metal vehicles they foisted onto us. I owned a good number of GM vehicles during period from the mid-60s through the mid-to-late-90s. Every single one of them were good vehicles that gave me good service and never once failed me. Not once! I admit some of the fit and finish was not all that great, but neither were some of the foreign vehicles that I test drove. Better than GM, yes, but not anywhere as good as they (the foreign makes) are today. But GM and Ford make vehicles today that are tremendously better than they were 10 or 12 years ago. Every auto company has improved fit, finish and quality. If not they would not be in business today. I am just not in agreement with your views on this subject.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:08 pm)Now that’s what we are looking for.
I have a strong feeling that all the sudden “me too” electric competitors will be far less refined and “raw”. A flip if you will. Like GM was in the 80’s and 90″s compared to refined BMW and the like.
Nice work GM.!
Don’t forget the Converj, Buick Rivera, Next Gen Vette, Z/28
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:13 pm)John1701a
See my post at #5
Then you must really like my idea of a 100 mile Tn. test of the Volt and a Prius [using Prius as the standard for all results]. The Volt will either get +’s or -’s. I think they will all be =’s except for price, and I tip my hat to Toyota for bringing a good, primarily ICE propelled hybred to market at a good price.
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:16 pm)Hermant
Some of the frustration you are feeling is because the development of the Volt has been so open as compared to other vehicles in the past. In the past about the only time you heard about a new vehicle from an auto company was when it hit the show room or maybe some bad photos of a masked-up version of the vehicle out on some test site. We are getting information about the Volt in “bits and pieces” and it is like the “cut of a thousand blades”. You read a little about this or that and it whets your appetite for more information and it makes you frustrated when it is not forthcoming. Yes, we all feel some level of the same frustration. But hang in there. Back away from the site for a week, two weeks or whatever. Let your life go on without the Volt and maybe after a while check back in, but don’t spend too much time worrying about something you have absolutely no control over. I learned a long time ago not to worry about something that I could not do something about. It has made my life a lot easier.
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:22 pm)DonC
She did not mention the ICE coming on either, did she? Oh, to be able to see those test and ride shotgun on most of them. That would be great. I won’t mention that GM should allow Lyle to ride shotgun on some of the test where the ICE comes on because someone might interpret that as kissing up to Lyle. lol (very quietly)
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+1
Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:26 pm)Jackson
Well, you asked for it. I hope you have that flame resistant suit on. Such a sexist comment in today’s P.C. world. The audacity you must have. LOL…. Such reckless abandonment!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:28 pm)So you are going back to that well worn chestnut.
“Gen 1 is too much money so the whole program is a failure.”
I haven’t heard anyone say that the Gen 1 car was going to be truly mainstream. If they did then they don’t “get it”.
You can bet whatever body part you prefer that the engineers are working hard on the early gen 2 car already and they will be focusing on cost reducing to sell profitably the high 20’s low 30’s range.
Gen 2 will compete dollar for dollar against the Camry, Accord, Taurus and the like.
If that isn’t the objective then it bloody well SHOULD be!
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:30 pm)reply to me
Dang it, I shoud have used the shift key +’s not =’s
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Sep 2nd, 2009 (3:36 pm)Maybe you have a point EVO…
Maybe GM marketing should take your lead…
Change everythings name every couple years to keep it ‘fresh’ don’t bother to change everything EXCEPT the nameplate like you have with the Camaro… JUST change the nameplate!
Pure Genius!
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