GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

I started the unofficial Chevy Volt “waiting list” in May of 2007, just about four months after GM revealed the Chevy Volt concept for the first time.

At that time its growth was slow, as this site had very little reach. I remember projecting it might be possible to collect 50,000 names by the time the car would be launched at the end of 2010, though I imagined such projections were overly optimistic.

Turns out I was way off. We just passed the 50,000 mark on September 13th, 2009.

We have people in all 50 states and 93 countries of the world on this list. People who want the car enough to put down their name address and email, and to share their degree of enthusiasm, and the price they would be willing to pay.

So see a break down of the list updated in real time click here.  To update your demographics, or see your “place in line,” type in the email address you signed up with in the box on this page.

The average enthusiasm for those who were willing to express it on a scale of 1 to 10 is 9.2.

The average price people were willing to pay for the car $31, 314.

If everyone on the list actually purchased a Volt at $40,000 it would represent sales of $2 billion dollars.

The primary goal of the list was to demonstrate to GM and the world just how many people there are who would want a Volt. In the beginning, GM had nowhere near committed to production so the list served as a tool to compel them to build it. Later, after production was approved in June 2008, the list has became an indicator of demand.

It continues to serve as a shining beacon to anyone who would look that there are very very many of us who want to break our oil addiction, and achieve energy independence and a better world.

Along the way of this list’s growth and recognition I received gentle pressure from GM. Their legal department once politely requested I change the name from waiting list. You will now notice it is called the Want List, simply indicating that these are people who want a Volt.

I have tightly and securely guarded the privacy of everyone on this list and and I have not and will not share it with any third parties except GM if they want it.

I do very occasionally email the group when an important story or event has occurred, such as this one.

Unfortunately, I cannot say GM will utilize the list as I had initially hoped. Most indications I have gotten from them have not suggested they will. However, the recent survey they have emailed to potential buyers asks if they have registered on the GM-Volt.com list.

So we shall carry on and continue to grow the list. Any ideas you have for what we can do with it, I am glad to hear in the comments below.

Recently I, as well as several GM-Volt.com members received an email from Chevrolet.

That email provided a link to a survey from a company called Gongos.

From the opening page of the survey:

“As we work toward putting the Volt on the road, we’re hoping you could help us out. We have a short 15-minute survey that will help shape the shopping, buying and ownership experience of the Chevy Volt. It’s an important contribution we can only get from interested people like you.”

Wow.  Seemingly at no time in the past more than two and a half years has it ever seemed so close, has that moment we’ve all been waiting so long for seemed so palpable.  GM is looking for public feedback to use to get ready for the Volt’s launch.

The survey takes the user through various demographic inputs and self ratings, mostly appearing to determine if we early Volt adopters are techies, greenies, or just serious.

And if we are to believe that the information provided is accurate, for the first time ever GM seems to have set a price point for the car:

“Depending on content, the vehicle will effectively cost between $32,000 -$38,000 after a tax credit of $7,500.”

It is also noted that the optional 220 V charger, which they ask if we would buy, will be between “$800 and $1500.”  The Volt’s cost of operation is said to be 2 cents per mile.

In a departure from previous statements, the survey also states the Volt’s battery warranty will be eight years/100,000 miles as opposed to ten years/150,000 miles.

On one of my favorite slides GM asks prospective buyers if they are on the GM-Volt.com waiting list.

What does all this mean, and how will the information be used?

Only time will tell, but that time suddenly has gotten a lot closer.

Unfortunately I can’t give you a link to the survey as it is apparently only good one time per user via a unique ID and email.  If you haven’t gotten one yet, don’t despair; they may be rolling out slowly, or just be a small random sample.

The Chevy Spark is GM’s new upcoming mini car that’s one step smaller than the Aveo.

It is a stylish little car that powered with either a 1.0 or 1.2 L engine will be able to deliver a combined fuel economy of about 50 MPG.

There are now reports that REVA, an Indian electric car company, may actually be teaming up with GM to produce an all-electric version of the Spark. The car would be produced for the Indian and other selected markets.

If true, this would represent GM’s first joint venture since emerging from bankruptcy, with terms of a 50:50 partnership. A final decision supposedly awaits approval from Detroit.

GM sources would not either confirm nor deny this report though claim it to be speculative.

Using REVA to supply the drivetrain would allow significant cost savings permitting GM to sell the pure electrics at a low price point.

It is not clear from the article whether the pure electric Sparks would ever find their way to the US, though GM has already stated it intends to launch the gas-powered Spark in the US market in 2011.

Of course with a name like Spark, its fuel source could go either way.

Currently pre-production Sparks are already in the hands of GM employees who are driving them around Detroit.  One person with this experience told a group of reporters it was a really fun, capable and comfortable little car with motorcycle-like interior cues.

Source (Economic Times)

Mercedes Benz continues to push the electric car envelope in remarkable directions.

The German company has announced it will be unveiling what it calls the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week.

This is a full size S-class high luxury high performance sedan that can drive up to 18 miles on pure electricity. It is not a range-extended electric car like the BlueZero Cell Plus concept previously unveiled, but rather a parallel PHEV.

The vehicle uses a 6 cylinder gasoline engine as the main powerplant which is integrated with a 44 kw (60 hp) electric motor. There is a rechargeable 10 kw usable lithium ion battery pack mounted in the rear. Mercedes points out that this battery location is “crucial” to maintain weight balance and allow a substantial size for the gas tank.

The weighty car can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds. It will drive purely on electricity when possible but the gas engine will go on any time power demands increase sufficiently such as with strong acceleration and hill climbing.

The on-board charger allows recharge in 4.5 hours at 120 V but is capable of accepting a fast charge at 20 kW in 60 minutes.

Mercedes has also announced the car will achieve a fuel efficiency of 3.2L/100 km which translates to 72.5 MPG, and will emit a 74 gCO2/km.

Obviously no pricing has been announced yet, but expect it to be north of 100K. Mercedes does report the car is “near-series production” and that it will likely be launched as a member of the next generation of S-class hybrids. In fact reports suggest the entire S-class line will be hybrids.

“Although it will take some time before this model can go into series production, our engineers will be working full steam to carry out the necessary integration measures and ensure that all components can meet the tough everyday demands required of a luxury long-distance saloon,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG with responsibility for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “We’ve already got all the key technology we need for such a dream car, which is why I see it being included in the next generation of the S‑Class. The important thing now is that our development work be accompanied by the establishment of a full-coverage infrastructure that will allow the potential of this innovative drive system to be fully exploited.”

Right now Mercedes has the $87,950 S400 Blue Hybrid in production, which uses a 3.5L V-6 gas engine combined with a 15kW motor and 1 kwh lithium ion pack, and achieves 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway fuel efficiency.

Source (Mercedes-Benz)

Looking to bolster sales in a post CFC (Cash for Clunkers) world, GM launched a new campaign entitled “May the Best Car Win,” led by a 60 day ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’ promotion, designed to bring more buyers into their showrooms.

Beginning September 14th, the premise is straight forward: you buy a GM car; you later decide it just does not offer enough cup holders for your needs, or perhaps does not have the same quality of cup holder as the competition, then between day 30 and 60 of ownership, you can return the car for a full refund. Simple. Easy. Excellent.

Ok, there are a couple catches. For starters, it is only valid for surviving brands, so you can not return a 2010 Vibe to your now Pontiac-less, sales starved, Buick/GMC dealer as a early Christmas present. Same goes if you leased the car, or if you have driven it more than 3,999 miles from purchase.

Unlike some recent marketing snafus, (see any Buick commercial in the past couple years, or the 230 MPG fiasco), this one seems solid, and pretty original. A good combination.

The program gives some real peace of mind and just general good vibes to prospective buyers. It may actually offer some enticement to have shoppers come back and consider a GM product, time will tell. It is still early, but I would rate this akin to Hyundai’s “you lose your job, you can lose our car” campaign…which was very well received. Best of all, the cost to GM itself is fairly minimal, unlike putting $3,500 on the hood of a car to get it out the door.

So that is a winner, good job and good night, right?

Sadly no. GM also decided to ‘jump the shark’ at the same time by having Chairman Lee Iacocca deliver the program directly to the public with some straight talk. Alright, they didn’t do that, Mr. Iacocca was not available as a shill for hire. (How awesome would that commercial have been though?) In Lee’s place, they had newly-minted Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. dub his voice over some old 80s Chrysler commercials. Ok, that is also untrue. GM shot a whole ‘new’ commercial from scratch, with GM’s Chairman doing the walk and talk.

About halfway through the spot, Mr. Whitacre deadpans a line that probably should have been left on the editing room floor, “We are putting our money where our mouth is.” Erm, sorta. Who isn’t mumbling at this point, “putting OUR money where your mouth is,” under their breath here?

Watch GM Chairman Ed Whitacre Here:

Watch then Chrysler Chairman Lee Iaccoca Here:

Side note: The new GM commercial has some shots of the Volt (huzzah for black), a ‘hood peak’ shot (that we are not unfamiliar with here at GM-Volt) of the new entry level Cadillac, and the as yet unnamed Buick Delta II CUV in clay form.

Not content to stop there, GM throws more gas on the ‘going too far’ bonfire, by introducing this site, The Best Car Wins, which basically asks you five simple questions on which brand you feel has the best fuel efficiency, best safety, best quality, best performance and best overall cars. At the end of the quick questionnaire it displays what the public opinion (to date) is, with a note to please, “stay tuned.” I’m thinking, I probably won’t be back.

You would figure being a GM site, some of the answers should come up with a GM brand…but no. As of going to press, the respective answers to those five questions were Toyota, Volvo, Honda, BMW, BMW. I guess nothing says “come to GM” more than by promoting the fact that everyone else believes that other company’s do things better than you do.

Overall thoughts? Good idea, bad follow through. Hopefully the site, and that commercial die a quick death, and the program lives on, filling a hole for GM in the near term.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find a dealer with a in-stock, black Corvette ZR1 with the 3ZR package and chrome aluminum wheels, but hold the floor mats please (they don’t give refunds on dealer accessories).

Official GM Release

Toyota has taken the wraps off its plug-in Prius prototype and will be displaying it at the Frankfurt Auto Show. They have also disclosed a bit more engineering detail.

The car will go into limited test-fleet production in the first half of 2010. 500 units will be deployed globally, with 150 in Europe, 150 in the US, and 200 in Japan. If successful, Toyota could bring a production model to mass market in 2012.

The car is based on the third generation Prius except is has a larger high output rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. Toyota has not revealed the size of the pack but indicates the electric motor will be allowed to operate up to 62 mph, and under low-load situations the car can be driven purely electrically for up to 12.4 miles.

The gas engine can operate at any time loads are high and will come into play for long drives once the battery is depleted.

Toyota claims this PHEV will emit 60 grams CO2 per km. The battery can be recharged in 3 hours at 100V, and 1.5 hours at 200V.

Clearly Toyota’s advantage with this design is low cost, as the pack will likely have less then 4 kwh usable energy and be mated to matured third generation technology and design that already has undergone iterative cost reductions. Further cost advantage comes from the fact that Toyota is in a battery production partnership with Panasonic. Though pricing has not been announced, considering the base Prius is $22,000, getting this vehicle to market for under $30,000 before rebates seems possible.

Plug. Sale?

Source (Toyota)