GM is hosting a plug-in ready panel discussion in downtown LA. I will be there for the discussion.
It is led by Chevrolet vice president Brent Dewar and includes representatives from utility companies, local governments and other stakeholders.
Live webcast is below, and you can submit questions too:
Chevrolet has worked very hard this holiday weekend showing off the Volt in Southern California, including providing drives to influencers such as Jay Leno. Yesterday the first wave of journalists test drives occurred in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. This group included Edmunds, Popular Mechanics, Huffington Post, Autoblog, and the LA Times.
Edmund’s John O’dell was the first to publish his account calling it “informative, but far too short.”
“The Volt felt solid as a rock,” he wrote. “Well-grounded and nimble with its low-slung, 400-pound lithium-ion battery pack really gluing it to the road.” He called its EV “quiet and smooth,” and reported the car to be competent when in charge sustaining mode. The crossover from EV to CS mode was seamless and with acceptable noise levels.
Once again the occasional engine rev was described as “off-putting,” like putting a regular car in neutral and revving the engine a bit. Chief engineer Andrew Farah told him GM will rectify this, something he advised me he was “very confident ” would occur. He also explained the racing occurred whenever the battery level dropped lower thane where the car wanted it to be (about 30% SOC).
O’Dell found steering to be “tight and responsive” but acceleration to be less than the MINI E that a reporter brought to the track (GM refused to allow a Volt verses MINI-E drag race).
There was not enough room to test 0 to 60 which GM reports is less than 9 seconds. O’Dell noted there was sports-mode which added 26 hp.
O’Dell thought the road test was rigged because it was held on a section of the parking lot that was flat with a lot of broken asphalt and therefore road noise might have masked some of the car’s noise. He also didn’t get a long time review because he had to share his hour with three others Edmunds drivers (I’m going it alone).
O’Dell also speculated the Volt’s total range would be 340 miles with an 8 to 10 gallon tank and therefore would achieve CS fuel economy between 30 and 38 MPG.
In the end his report was positive and he concluded “Verdict: A solid car with loads of promise from a technology that undoubtedly will help bring clean electric driving into the mainstream.”
Popular Mechanics Barry Winfeild also reported a similar positive experience and wrote,”our brief experience with this Volt prototype in LA was impressive.”
Today at 9:40 am PST is a live assembly from Harvard-Westlake Middle School for more than 800 students and staff about the basics of electricity, including why it’s important and how it can be used to transform the way we drive. Middle school teachers and students from across the country were invited to participate, and over 100 have signed up. You can watch the presentation live in the viewer below.
Also, I am taking off for LA early this morning and will be getting into my Volt for a test drive at 1PM CST. You can follow my progress on Twitter in the scrolling box at the bottom of this post or on the twitter app or website of your choice. Soon you can expect my full review and HD video.
Ahead of its appearance at the LA Auto Show GM has unveiled the full specs of the US-version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car.
The global vehicle has become very popular in Europe already where it sells at a starting price around $15,000. In the US it will compete directly against the popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic models. Cruze features and details “challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America,” says GM.
The vehicle will come in LS, LT, and LTZ trims, with an Ecotec 1.8 L engine that comes standard. The optional Ecotec 1.4 L turbo engine will deliver 138 hp and 148 ft-lb of torque., and although official EPA estimates do not yet exist, GM reports it will achieve up to 40 MPG highway. With its 15 gallon gas tank, a 500 mile cruising range will be available. There are both manual and 6 speed transmissions.
Other standard features include 10 air bags, electronic stability control, McPherson struts, XM satelltite radio, OnStar, bluetooth and ipod USB connectivity, and a navigation system.
A family of 16 inch, 17 inch, and 18 inch wheels are available.
GM describes the car as having unexpected quietness, use of premium material, and refinement not found in other cars in this segment.
“The amenities, quietness and roominess you expect in larger cars are what the Cruze delivers,” said Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet product marketing manager. “This is a car that will shake up the compact segment, with a more spacious interior and more cargo room than the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.”
“There’s a lot of content in all Cruze models; it was designed to give customers the features they want regardless of the car’s size or segment,” said Brooks. “At a very competitive price, you’ll be able to get a Cruze with leather and heated front seats, 16-inch aluminum wheels, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, Bluetooth, a USB port for your iPod, cruise control, power locks and power outside mirrors.”
The car’s aesthetics are describes as taut , muscular, and sporty with a wide aggressive stance. It is wider and longer than it’s competitors. The interior uses a Corvette-inspired twin cockpit design and the blue LEDs to light analog gauges.
The Cruze will be available for purchase in the third quarter of 2010 and will be built at GM’s Lordstown Ohio assembly plant.
As many have observed, this car’s scucess is critical for GMs future proftiabilty. It will be the car Chevy dealers sell in high volume, even to those wanting yet unable to afford or find first generation Volts.
I wish it well.
Source (GM)
Volt in Jay Leno's Garage
GM is gearing up to announce the Chevy Volt’s first commercial markets at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday December 2nd.
Clearly, Southern California will be one of those places, which comes as no surprise considering the state’s long track record and interest in electric vehicles. It was after all the same place where the EV-1 was leased.
In the days leading up to and beyond that announcement GM has orchestrated a blitz of Chevy Volt appearances in the area. This author too, a life-long New Yorker, will be shipped out and in attendance for the festivities.
According to GM spokesperson Dave Darovitz, “the Volt will be popping up all over town, mingling with the stars and generally showing off to consumers and media alike.”
The Volt is on display at several car enthusiast locations such as it was at “Bob’s Big Boy” in Burbank last night, and ”Cars and Coffee” this morning.
Volt engineer Andrew Farah also took the car over to Jay Leno’s garage on Friday afternoon where the famed comedian and car enthusiast got to take it for a spin.
“What I like is that the Volt’s range isn’t limited like other electric vehicles,” Leno was quoted as saying.
It is also spent black Friday and is spending the weekend at the Century City Mall which is off Santa Monica blvd.
On Monday GM will stream a live webcasts of an assembly at a posh California middle school which will also be simulcast to interested participating classrooms across the nation, teaching students how electricity can be used to transform the way we drive.
Later that evening there will be a real time stream from an LA plug-in panel discussion.
Midday Tuesday there will be a consumer luncheon at which time the Volt paint color winner will be announced and given their well-deserved test drive.
Then on Wednesday morning during the opening hours of the LA Auto Show GM will announce the first Volt markets. Thursday will bring a press conference from the Mayor of LA (hint).
I will be present for most of these activities and will try to capture as much as I can in real-time. Myself and several journalists will be getting our Volt test drives. These will take place in the Dodger’s stadium parking lot which GM has rented and closed for the day to turn it into a private track.
If you haven’t already get yourself a Twitter account, and follow me at twitter.com/gmvolt. I’ll keep you up-to-date with real time tweets from my blackberry (as long as the battery lives and I’m not driving) and will post all I can right here on GM-Volt.com. Also use your new accounts to hit the Retweet button at the bottom of our posts, and help amplify the Volt signal.
We are bearing witness to the beginning of the last phase folks!
Kevin Corrigan is the boyfriend of one of the Volt engineers, Mel Fox. As is common practice at GM, Mel got to take a Volt integration vehicle home for the night. Kevin decided to write about it on his blog. He claimed not to drive the car as GM wouldn’t allow it, but his experience gives us for the first time a real-world extended driving impression with an advanced dvelopment production intent Chevy Volt.
Kevin thought it was “watered down from the concept” but “looked good” and he found the hatchback space “enormous.” Once inside he was “driven” to the instrument panel which looked “awesome.” He found the two LCD screens “large, colorful, and crisp” and enjoyed the capacitive finger-sensing console buttons.
He was impressed with the silence of the car though noted some slight “whistles and whines.”
He said the car’s power was “adequate” though not overwhelming, but he did find the very linear power delivery curve a “cool sensation.”
Kevin did notice the sound of the engine. Here’s exactly how he described it:
With the radio off the engine could be heard coming on quite clearly, but that’s not to say it was overly loud. given that the engine operates more like a generator then a direct source of propulsion, it’s noise is not dependent on speed. That takes a bit of getting used to. The best comparison i can make is that it sounded like a very muted turbo prop airplane engine. There’s a low level “drone” of sorts that comes to life as the engine hit’s it’s operating speed(s). If the radio was on i think it would be virtually un-noticable. There was a vibration that could be felt, but that was very subtle. When the vehicle stops the engine goes into auto-stop.
Kevin was unable to determine the Volt’s fuel efficiency in charge sustaining mode. When I asked him he replied, “not sure about mpg..display’s weren’t working 100%.”
Overall, Kevin got to spend about 30 minutes driving in the Volt.
Now here’s some more very exciting news.
In a couple of days I will be given an extended test drive opportunity of a Chevy Volt integration vehicle in both EV and range-extended mode operation.
If I could take you all with me I would, but since that isn’t up to me, please leave your requests for what you would like me to observe in the comments below. Stay close to the site and I’ll keep you posted!
“General Motors confirmed Tuesday that the proposed sale of its Saab subsidiary to Koenigsegg Group AB was terminated at the discretion of the buyer.”
(via GM’s media website)
Sound familiar? It should. GM made a near identical statement only six weeks ago, when the sale of the Saturn brand to Penske also died at the last minute.
Of the four brands that were initially put up for sale under the flag of viability, only the smallest of that group (HUMMER) now has a chance to close. Saturn and Saab have both had their suitors back out, while GM suffered seller’s remorse over Opel, and has terminated the pending deal with the Magna Group earlier this month.
GM President and CEO offered this statement: “We’re obviously very disappointed with the decision (of Koenigsegg) to pull out of the ***insert car brand here*** purchase. Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand and its manufacturing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB.”
Unlike with Saturn, where GM announced that brand’s wind down immediately, they offered no such definitive guidance on the future of Saab saying, “Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week.”
GM’s board next convenes on December 1st, where the fate of Saab will likely be decided. GM could decide to retain Saab, as they did Opel, however GM has been aggressively selling-off and winding down operations in anticipation of the closure of this deal to Koenigsegg…and Saab is not considered vital to GM’s ongoing operations internationally.
While no official reason on the deal’s failure, other than timing, was given by Koenigsegg, it is a good bet that the decision by the EIB to give out the EUR400 million funding in tranches, rather than in the form of a ‘oversized lottery winner’ check in advance of the deal (as Koenigsegg had requested) had a little something to do with it.
Wild rumor of the Day: China to buy GM?
Such speculation used to just be the fodder for fringe websites and conspiracy theorists, however the notion is starting to penetrate into the mainstream media of late. ‘Industry Experts’ are suggesting a Chinese-run GM could become a reality. Well, David Cole, chairman of CAR (Center for Automotive Research) is suggesting it.
Sidenote: CAR bills itself as a Michigan think tank…but as far as I can tell, it is essentially just a 3rd party shell made up of ‘Big auto’ and its affiliates, and mostly funded by the US taxpayer. (Dave Cole is also the son of former GM President Ed Cole…coincidence I am sure)
“I can tell you right now the Chinese are shopping heavily in the U.S. auto sector. The Chinese have a lot of our money and they’re looking to invest it.” Mr. Cole said. He adds that this kind of deal is not likely to happen in the short term, but that GM’s planned IPO may give the Chinese the opportunity to start the process, as our own government is eager to rid themselves of their 61% stake in the domestic automaker.
Bob Schulz, an auto analyst at Standard & Poor’s, does not shoot that theory completely out of the water, but does wound it by saying “Assuming there’s no government restrictions on something like that, anything is possible.”
Personally, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that a Chinese company was about to take over something in the auto business, GM would probably be receiving my payment for the Volt in 5 cent pieces.
/Happy Thanksgiving to the extended GM-Volt family
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