GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

The original Chevy Volt concept car was described as having twin 6 gallon gas tanks, 50 MPG in charge sustaining mode, and thus 600 miles of gasoline range.

With production, these parameters were changed.

GM has not announced the production Volt’s miles per gallon in charge sustaining mode, though the evidence suggests it will be somewhere between 30 and 50 MPG.

The size of the gas tank has also not been released yet, though in November Edmunds claimed it was 8 gallons, and went on to speculate that the Volt would thus get 38 mpg in charge sustaining mode.

“That’s interesting speculation on their part,” said Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah.  ” But I haven’t told anybody who’s asked how big it is.”

“We’re not releasing the size of the tank yet,” he added.

Previously, then Volt executive Frank Weber told GM-Volt.com that the tank would be between 6 and 10 gallons, and Farah confirms at least that it is less than 10 gallons.

But why is GM being so vague about this figure?

“The reason we’re not (announcing it yet) is we want to make sure we get over 300 miles of fuel range,” says Farah.  ”We’re going to tweak it as such and I’ve got plenty of time to do that.”

Thus it seems GM is aiming for 300 miles of gasoline range, and therefore average real world charge sustaining miles per gallon will be the principle determinant of how many gallons is needed to reach that goal.

The graphic above shows the underside of the Volt after a crash test.  The light blue object behind the battery is the fuel tank.  In the graphic below the tank can be seen from above sitting behind the T-shaped battery pack.

How big is it? You decide.

General Motors has launched a new YouTube video they are calling How the Volt Works.

It is the latest effort in a series of short and simple videos that attempt to explain the virtues and values of the Chevy Volt to people new to the idea.

A previous video showed a cut out paper Volt travelling though a cartoon landscape, and tried to explain why an extended-range electric vehicle was better than a pure EV.

The Chevy Volt song and dance, as it came to be known thanks to, well this site, was a simple yet catchy tune and acompanying remarkably absurd dance routine targeted ast school age kids and played in the LA Auto Show.

So poorly received universally, that act will surely never be seen again, and it is speculated may have led to the re-assignment of the Volt marketing director who was responsible for it.

Now we have another neat 2:47 clean, simple and spartan video, showing the car and a cheerful clear-speaking female narrator. The basics of the car is explained.

Certainly for the regular GM-Volt.com reader the content of this video is nothing new, but we can analyze the effort. Though we realize the value of the Volt, it is critically important that GM succesfully explain this unique variety of vehicle to the average consumer suich that they can distinguish why it is superior to both hybrids and pure EVs.  This education may be essential in enabling the mass adoption of EREVs.

Do you think this video achieves its goal?

An area about the Volt that remains unknown is exactly how GM plans to roll out the car.

So far there have been announcements about California, Michigan, and Washington DC being initial markets, but the exact timing of showroom arrivals isn’t clear.  GM executives over the years have generally stuck to the premise that the cars will gradually and sequentially be rolled out state by state  throughout the nation albeit quickly.

I recently had the chance to go straight to the top and ask GM’s new  CEO Ed Whitacre the question that always nags at me, why not release the car throughout the nation simultaneously?

“Our plan is to introduce it everywhere simultaneously,” he said.

He cautioned that volumes will be low.  ”We’re not going to have a great number of them,” he added.

GM expects to produce about 10,000 Volts the first year.

Whitacre also said there are plans to get some Volts in the market prior to November 2010.

“We’re going to have a few out early,” said Whitacre.  ”We’re in the testing stage now,where its pretty much done.”

He explained how GM’s board offered significant funding to see how soon the car could be launched.

“I did ask them ‘If I gave you another billion dollars could you get it out sooner?” he said. “They said no because its all about testing.”

“Its being tested in the desert and the artic now, the timeframe is dependent on testing,” he added.

And finally Mr. Whitacre told me something about the early Volts that was a gift beyond my wildest dreams.

“I’ll put you on the list to get one,” he promised.

Booya!!!