GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Here on this last day of 2009, it seems like it would be a good time to reflect on this past year of Volt developments.

It has been a truly memorable year for sure, but mostly in a negative way with respect to the financial crisis and GM’s bankruptcy proceedings.  That did place them on good footing and with the Volt program unswayed and still going strong, next year, the year of the Volt, should prove to be most important of all.

Interestingly the financial mayhem didn’t make it into the top ten posts of the year.

So what were the top 10 posts of 2009?  In order of number of page views here they are:

1. Dave Letterman Bashes the Chevy Volt on National Television w/Video
This was when Late Show comedian Dave Letterman “got it wrong” about the Volt on national television, thinking the car could only be driven for 40 miles and missing the point about the range extender, calling it “ridiculous.”.

2. GM-Volt.com Chevy Volt Mule Test Drive w/ Video
This was that special day in April when I got behind the wheel of a Cruze-based Volt mule and took it for about 10 miles around GM’s Milford Proving grounds.  Smooth.

3. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz Brings Chevy Volt on Late Night with David Letterman and it’s Awesome
Sweet vindication.  GM vice chairman and consummate car guy Bob Lutz got on Letterman’s show and set the record straight about the Volt. Complete with Letterman’ on-air apology.

4. Exclusive: Visit to the Chevy Volt Integration Vehicle Assembly Plant
I got to be the first journalist to visit GMs pre-production operations facility and observe the first of 80 pre-production Chevy Volt prototypes being assembled.  These have been completed and under intensive testing since September.

5. GM Aims to ‘Wow’ Customers With Seamless and Intuitive Chevy Volt Driving Experience
GM vice president Jon Lauckner discusses GM’s high-reaching goal of perfection for the Chevy Volt

6. Q&A with Ian Clifford CEO of Zenn Motors: EEStor to Publicly Prove its Technology Imminently
No matter how you cut it, EEStor news is always very popular.  I guess imminent should have been defined as greater than 6 months because it still hasn’t happened. Needless to say, our silent and stealthy friends in Texas have missed yet another “gaurenteed” milestone to reveal the elusive breakthrough EESU by the end of 2009. The same thing happened in 2007 and 2008.  There’s always 2010!  Not sure if 10% owner Zenn Motors will make it that far though, they will stop production of their Zenn low speed vehicle in April to focus their entire company on producing EEStor-powered drivetrains to sell to OEMs.

7. Test Ride: Chevy Volt Pre-production Prototype w/ Video!
In this case I got to take a brief ride in a near production Volt with former Volt executive Frank Weber at the wheel.  My first time ever in the final version of the car.

8. GM: Chevy Volt Price Depends on Cost of Gas and Will be Set in May 2010
Another always hot and popular topic is what the Volt’s price will be.  In this story Jon Lauckner explains GM won’t officially set the Volts price until 6 months before production, and will base it in part on gas prices at the time.  This means we’ll finally know the price in about 5 months.  Later information suggests GM may have a surprise for us in this regard.

9. Cadillac Converj Extended-Range Electric Vehicle
This was the world premier unveiling of the beautiful Cadillac Converj Voltec-powered concept.  GM has reportedly greenlighted it production for 2012.  Expect a very high-tech and high-performance Voltec car with maximum bells and whistles.  Cost per Bob Lutz will be about “two Volts.”

10. Chevy Volt Generation Two
A short Q&A I did with Nick Zielinksi who is a GM advanced technology engineer.  He explains the rationale behind the next generation Volt: lower and lighter with smaller battery and same range.  Planning and development are well underway.  We wish them luck.

And thanks to you all for reading GM-Volt.com.  You are my inspiration for keeping on keeping on.  Please keep spreading the word about the Volt, and follow GM-Volt on Twitter and Facebook.

I once asked Fritz Henderson when he was the CEO of GM what his projection about electric car volumes was.  He replied at the time that in 10 years combustion cars would still account for the “lion’s share” of cars sold.

I can’t say I was thrilled with his answer though unfortunately he may be right. Henderson of course is now gone, replaced at least temporarily by his ouster, Ed Whitacre.

Since the sudden replacement I have been trying to contact Mr. Whitacre for his thoughts on electrification of the automobile.  I realize Mr. Whitacre is just a businessman, and the former CEO of AT&T has admitted he knows little to nothing about the car industry.

GM vice chairman Bob Lutz assured me Whitacre wouldn’t be making any program decisions, that would be left to Lutz and another vice-chairman Tom Stephens.  Lutz also said no one would change GM’s focus on electrification.

My quest to speak with Mr. Whitacre remains a work in progress, but I may soon get the chance.

However, his first public comment about the topic did appear in the Washington Post last week.

“I know we have to have an electric car,” he told reporters.

Now wait a minute.  That sort of sounds like what a kid might say about a plate of brussel sprouts.  Not exactly impassioned.

Perhaps Jim McDowell, CEO of BMW North America might think differently.  His company after all built the MINI E, runs its field test, and has committed to future electric car mass production.

“I would argue that the case for the electric car is not proven,” he told the Washington Post. “We’re not quite sure people are willing to go for it. We’re asking consumers to pay more and get less. Our view is: Proceed with caution.”

This gentleman doesn’t exactly seem enthused either.

To his credit, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has been the most ebullient about electric cars, predicting 10 percent of global sales by 2020 would be for electric cars, and committing to mass produce the Nissan LEAF EV by the end of next year.  But he remains in the minority among his peers it seems.

So while the march toward electrification of the automobile may now be unstoppable, why do people in key position seem to ambivalent about it?  Is this the best message to be sending?

We also know Ed Whitacre only plans to hold his post temporarily.  There is now an opportunity for GM to put an EV enthusiast at the helm.

Source (Washington Post)

Famous comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno had the chance to check out and test drive an advanced Chevy Volt prototype earlier this month in California. He was given a tour and test drive of the car by its chief engineer Andrew Farah.

The video has been posted over at Jay Leno’s Garage and can be viewed at the bottom of the post.

Jay seemed pleased and impressed with the car. He is a particular fan of electric cars, and owns a 1908 Baker electric that he gave Farah a ride in, and showed off a 1916 Owens Magnetic that is actually a gas-powered electric car. Leno also liked his EV-1 which he pointed out Farah was an engineer of.

Farah went through with Leno the basic premise of the Volt’s 40 mile electric range and unlimited gas driving ability after those electric miles were depleted. He explained how the car has both a D and L mode, with the latter producing more intense regenerative drag for one-pedalled driving, and a normal and sports mode with the latter giving an extra 30 horsepower.

Th effect of cold weather and accessory load was discussed. Farah agreed these would reduce range, and stated “everyone will get a different amount of range,” based on these variables.

Jay got into the car and looked over the interior, and noted the car was actually pretty big. Once driving he said “all you hear is the wind and maybe the tires.”

He said it was “eerily quiet yet strangely familiar”

When directly confronted by Leno, Farah admitted the Volt weighs 3900 pounds.

In the end Leno told Farah, “you’ve done a wonderful job on this car.”

“I really think this is the breakthrough car,” said Leno. “And its American technology and it was developed right here in Detroit.”

“Take one for a test drive,” he advised his audience. “I think you will like it…pretty cool.”

Recent snowfall gave me a chance to experience driving the MINI E electric car in snow and ice conditions, and the frigid northeast weather has been a test of its batteries.

I am leasing the MINI E for a one year period as a part of BMW’s field test trial, and am among 449 other drivers in California, New Jersey, and New York.    At this point, after six months of driving, the car has just over 7700 miles.

There has been a pronounced decline in battery range in the cold weather.  On a recent trip at a temperature of 23 degrees Fahrenheit and including a two-hour 110 volt charge in the middle, the battery meter hit zero miles/zero percent after just 55 miles (see graphic). The car is billed as having a 100 mile range.

According to a report in the Washington Post MINI E drivers are noticing about a 20% reduction in range in cold weather.  A MINI E driver in New Jersey with an 85 mile commute found this out the hard way during a cold snap. “Towed! After only 87.8 miles…Sheesh!” he wrote in a blog post.

My commute is 60 miles round-trip, mostly highway and at about 60 to 65 MPH with accessory heat running. It isn’t clear if the battery charge level detection circuitry has become more inaccurate in the cold, whether the battery is aging and losing range, or if range is actually reduced in the cold. I suspect all three factors are in play with the latter being most important. In 65 degree weather, I can extrapolate roughly 75 to 80 miles of range on the same commuting cycle.

So in the cold weather even with a 2 hour charge at my office in the midpoint of my 27 mile each-way commute, I find myself regularly drving for the last several miles with the battery meter measuring zero miles and zero percent. It is disconcerting. There is also some noticeable power fade, though I dont push it much in that situation as you might imagine. After stopping the car and letting it rest though, I find the meter could come up to as high as 10 to 15 percent.

Now on to driving performance.

On mild slightly icy and snowy hills the car performs poorly.

The front wheel spins with minimal traction, and the car can barely be made to creep along only by taking the foot on and off the accelerator. On another more snowy higher incline, the car got stuck altogether and had to be turned around.

I believe the performance to be significantly poorer than an ICE car of the same size.

MINI recommends changing the car’s all-weather tires for specific winter tires, obviously recognizing the car’s poor performance metrics in this environment.  I have not done that yet.  Though the car is front wheel drive, part of the problem is the instantaneous torque and the rear-axle placed center of gravity due to the 500 pound lithium battery sitting over it.

In all fairness, the MINI E is really a test prototype or mule, and is not optimized. BMW says these learnings will go into future cars.

The Chevy Volt will of course be very well winter-tested before it gets into real drivers hands.

“We have a number of VOLTs being tested as we speak in Kapuskasing, Ontario,” notes Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz.  ”All Chevy VOLTs will have stabilitrak standard, which includes traction control.”

Toyota’ success with its Prius hybrid has been noyable.

The car has long passed a million sales worldwide, racking up over 10,000 sales in the US in November alone.

Indeed Toyota’s achievements with the car played a significant role in inspiring Bob Lutz to push for GM to build the Volt and share some of the Japanese automaker’s green cred.

The new 50 MPG 3rd generation Prius is crushing sales of competitor Honda’s Insight 6 to , and starts at a base price of $22,400.

Recently Toyota announced plans to sell a plug-in version of the Prius with a roughly 10 to 12 mile electric range, 5 kwh lithium ion pack, and 62 MPH top electric speed in 2012, at an “affordable” price point.

Continuing to build on its momentum is a report that the automaker is readying a brand new subcompact hybrid entry, which will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Little is known about the car except for a couple of teaser images and that it will be based on the Yaris platform. If a smaller gas engine is mated to the current hybrid synergy drive system, in a lighter body and aerodynamic shell, it is quite likely the new vehicle could exceed 50 mpg average fuel economy. Sources indicate the car is production intent and will be launched in Japan in 2011, and the US in 2012.

What the car will be called and how much its will sell for remain unknown.

Source (Detroit News)

Earlier this week General Motors announced that Chris Liddell would be taking over the duties of Chief Financial Officer, replacing the ‘kinda’ outgoing Ray Young, who has been displaced to GM’s international operation.

GM CEO Ed Whitacre had this to say of his new subordinate, “Chris brings a depth and experience to this job that were unmatched in our search for a new financial leader. Chris will lead our financial and accounting operations on a global basis and will report directly to me. We’re also looking to his experience and insights in corporate strategy as a member of the senior leadership team in helping our restructuring efforts.”

Curiously, Mr. Liddell has been CFO of Microsoft for the past four years, and on the surface this move would seem to be lateral, or even a demotion of sorts considering GM’s past and current woes, especially in relation to size, stability and safety of Microsoft.

This brings us to a couple of questions, why and how much? As in why would he make the move, and just how much is he making at GM…given the salary cap of $500,000 imposed on TARP receiving company’s executives.

Did GM CEO Whitacre indeed get concessions from pay czar Kenneth Feinberg to hire new talent from the outside the company at a premium price over the 500K?

At the time of the press release, GM spokespersons declined to comment on whether or not GM had gotten such lenience from the government, but they said the company might post more information in a regulatory filing in the future.

However, that fiscal information blackout lasted about 48 hours, as word trickled out just before Christmas Eve that Mr. Liddell would be the first new GM exec to break the government’s back and receive a annual salary of $750,000…and a $3.45 million dollar (in stock) bonus payable in 2012, plus an additional $2 million if GM can repay the $6.7 billion it owes to the US government. (Of interest GM already has this money in a escrow account earmarked to pay the government back in the very near future…and that money was actually put there by the government itself just a few months ago) /Can anyone say ‘money in the bag?’

While the amount of compensation the new GM CFO will make does seem significant at first blush, in context it does not represent a pay hike for Chris, as he earned $3,701,199.00 (according to Forbes) in 2009 with Microsoft.

While Mr. Liddell’s GM contract is certainly front loaded, if he sees his job through until the bonuses pays out in 2012, he will have earned approximately $7.7 million for 3 years of service, which is likely considerably less than he would have made toiling under another demanding (yet similar in style) CEO at Microsoft, Steve Ballmer.

So why the move? Why leave the juggernaut of profitability and cash flow that is Microsoft, and the near monopoly they enjoy over a industry…for GM, a company whose future is far from certain?

There can be only one reason. The CEO job is his to lose…or at least that is what he has been promised.

(Or maybe he got tired of Windows crashing his PC and he just really wanted to switch platforms bad)