GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

1. Jim I.
I spent $425.00 and 16 hours to get 12 minutes inside a Volt. Was it worth it?

In one word – ABSOLUTELY!!!

All of the pictures I had seen of the production Volt do not do it any justice. The actual car is really quite well done, both inside and out. Walking around the car, there was not a single angle where I did not like the look of the car. Inside, the controls were all well placed and fit and finish were excellent. The front seats were quite roomy. The rear seats are a bit cramped, when the front seat is pushed back, but if it is moved forward, the leg room is fine. The rear seats fold down flat, giving a lot of space to haul things. All of the concerns we have discussed about the center console touch sensitive buttons being hard to manipulate, will be a non-issue IMHO.  Forward and rear vision is quite good, and the backup camera is really a nice touch. There are also radar sensors on both the front and rear bumpers, which will help avoid those nasty scrapes when getting too close to a wall, etc. The two display screens had lots of information, but quite honestly, there was just not enough time to get to play around with all of them.

The test drives, were really amazing. I was able to get two runs around the track driving, and twice I rode in the back seat. We had a chance to test the difference between regular and sport mode, as well as re-gen braking. Handling was really good, since the weight of the battery pack lowers the center of gravity. Steering was tight. Unless you are expecting a race car, you will be very happy with the acceleration. And it is so very quiet! This is just a fun car to drive!

The only thing I would have liked to experience was the transfer to CS mode with the engine, but with the charge remaining in the battery pack, there was no way to try that.

I met and talked for quite a while with Jim Campbell, Bob Boniface, and Dave Darovitz. You can very quickly sense the pride they all have in this vehicle. They were very forthcoming with answers they were allowed to discuss, and they were quite honest to say that there are some things they would not be able to talk about. I think they really wanted to, but just could not. It was also very apparent that everyone from GM was very interested in our opinions of the vehicle. They also seemed very impressed that we came in from all over the country just to give this car a test for a few minutes.

Here were some of my questions:

Will the next E-REV be a smaller or a larger vehicle? Bob smiled and said “It will be different from the Volt, that is all I can say at this point”.

I was told that the gas tank in the cut away demonstration unit is not the tank in the production vehicle, so those that think they have figured it out by the size are probably wrong. And I could not get an answer out of them on the final size of the tank. Nor could I get a firm answer on CS mode MPG. Basically, they feel that it will depend on the driving style of the operator and conditions it will be driven in, and I can agree with that.

I asked about the reasons for the slow ramp up. I was given a reason that it was a battery production issue for the first year, but it was also mentioned that management still has a concern that some hidden problem that may crop up, and if it should happen they do not want it to destroy the entire program. They were quite emphatic that they have had no real problem in any of their testing to date, but they are going to play it safe. I understand the position, although it means I most likely will not be able to get a Volt in the first year in Youngstown. All of us were unanimous in telling the GM reps that we believed they were underestimating the demand for this
vehicle.

All of them felt that pricing was going to be the deciding factor on how many units would be sold long term. And for that we will just have to wait.

It was also interesting to put faces to the other gm-volt members.

Finally, I just wanted to say “Thank You” to both Lyle and GM for this opportunity!

2. J Jackson Callan, Jr (aka Jackson)
Entry was easy, and the seat comfortable. All controls fell within easy reach, and visibility was excellent. I was told to put my foot on the brake and press the Power button; the moment my finger went in, the brake sank about a half inch; somehow this conveyed to me that I was ready to go. I put the Volt into “gear” with the big shifter, and when I lifted my foot off the brake, the Volt crept forward; just like a normal automatic. It followed the wheel easily and precisely.
After a lifetime of driving straight-shift I still run into trouble “second-guessing” what an automatic transmission is going to do with my foot input. There was absolutely no ambiguity with the Volt; response was instant, but never unexpected. I hadn’t driven far before feeling completely at ease, it seemed almost incredibly sure-footed.

It didn’t seem to “feel” the ramp upgrade, it just silently and obediently climbed. There wasn’t a trace of lean or top-heaviness, with 4 passengers.
Accelerating on the longest straightaway, I reminded myself that I would normally hear the loud drone of a four-cylinder winding up. Instead, there was impressive silence; with no pauses for shifting. It seemed like as much power as I would ever need. When the GM engineer pressed a button to engage “Sport Mode,” the Volt suddenly grew a pair. No, an extra pair of cylinders, what did you think I meant? There was an amazing push which felt as though it would continue as long as I held the pedal down.

The windshield wipers haven’t escaped special attention. They hide behind a fairing when not in use, for aerodynamics; but do a remarkable job of clearing the glass. Wider than ordinary wipers, they operate from a ‘hands-folded’ attitude at the base of the windshield; rise to the sides, then fold down again.
After so much anticipation, encountering the real thing is supposed to be an eye-opener. The greatest surprise of my drive was how little of a surprise it really was; the Volt did what it was supposed to do, with great quality. It was both a real electric car, and a real car. Ma and Pa back home would have no problem whatever driving it.
When I later mentioned my impressions to Bob Boniface, he quoted Andrew Farrah’s “Remarkably unremarkable;” which is really true. That is, if you also add “Amazing.”

3. Larry G. (Tagamet)
It’s 3 AM as I slide into the seat of my Jeep Grand Cherokee for the trip to NYC. By 7-ish the sun is rising to reveal a beautiful pre-Spring morning, with the temperature well over a dozen degrees above freezing. Although the skies are a bright Robin’s-egg blue, the clouds today are remarkably low, so the wipers regularly whisk them from the windshield. Having stabled my steed in a NYC sub-terrainean shelter, I journeyed a short distance on foot to the site of the event. The two fine women who helped me register, suggested (in whispered tones) that I might want to “blend in” with the first group to take test drives, rather than wait 3 hours for “my“ group. Somewhat magically, I became a NJ Electric Car Club attendee. Unfortunately, that meant forfeiting my chance to actually meet some of our people.

The early arrival allowed me plenty of time to mingle with the other devotees and the GM team. As a totally subjective observation, I felt myself drawn to, or aligned with, the Volt team members. Although I got a lot of “We can’t talk about that yet” replies from the Volt Team, it was (almost) always with a smile. Chats with the NJ club members often wandered to their other favorite electric vehicles, (which, in itself, might explain the difference). With uncharacteristic foresight, I’d brought one of my Volt T-shirts and a Sharpie marker. With the help of a very kind Britta Gross, I was able to secure a personalized “Volt Team Signature” souvenir of the occasion!

Each of the three short presentations by Team members was followed by questions from the attendees. I’d love to have heard the questions from our group. I know that there is some “overlap” in people who were there from the Car Club and those here at gm-volt.com, but I suspect that the questions may have differed just a bit. In very broad brush strokes, if the question was actually answered (and many were), I knew the answer. And if *I* knew the answer, well, you know….

By this point, I’m getting anxious to get to the car – a little like a pregnant lady whose water has broken and is still at home (I’m told). The group is finally directed to the front of the building and the two waiting Volts.

Following a short “Please don’t drive off the pier” speech by an authoritarian dude, I found myself in the driver’s seat of the silver Volt! FIRST DRIVER! With Trent – our “handler”, riding shotgun, and Mr. Rolex and Mr. Stude “E” Baker in the back seats, off we went. Some of my thoughts about the drive have already been immortalized by our own Brian Thompson (BT) in the article and news video. Being the savvy newsman that he is, he left a great deal of my stream of consciousness babbling on the editing room floor. Initially, I spoke passionately about “the quiet”. I’m sure that he didn’t have a question completed and I was rambling about THE QUIET, IT WAS THE QUIET! I *think* that that’s where I said “Quiet as a church mouse!” The “Softer than a butterfly’s kiss” referred to the exquisitely soft ride experience. How can a ride be that soft and yet that stable? Travelling up and down serpentine ramps and navigating “S-Pattern” cones, and yet *absolutely* level. Zero lean or sway. Yes, the instant torque was remarkable. And yes, the “Boost Mode” was even more remarkable. Oh, but did I mention the quiet?

Last week, 10 winners from the GM-Volt “Why I Want a Chevy Volt” contest got their chance to test drive a Chevy Volt prototype.  Here are three reports, including a video from the overall contest winner Major Jason Cullinane.

1. Maj. Jason Cullinane (aka Harier1970)

2. Robert Hooper (MINI E driver)
As regular readers of this blog know, I’m very interested in the chevy Volt. I had been reading everything I could about it since well before the MINI E was even announced, and it was one of the reasons I decided to sign up for the MINI E.

A few weeks ago Lyle at gm-volt.com offered a contest entitled “Why I want a the Chevy Volt”, with the 10 winners being invited to test drive the Chevy Volt. I submitted my essay and was lucky enough to be one of the 10 finalists.

I only live 40 miles from NYC, so my first choice was whether to drive the MINI E, into the event. Its been warmer lately and it has the range, but honestly I hate driving into the city, especially during rush hour which is when I’d have to go, do I took a different electric vehicle, the train in.

GM started with a presentation giving us a look at its new fuel efficient up and coming cars, first was the Spark, an all electric compact car, about the size of the MINI, with nice styling that seemed to take ques from the Scion, no mention of its range or when it would be released. Next up was a Ario RS (SP?) a sporty traditional compact car, then the Chevy Cruise a treditional mid to small size car, which shares many of the same components and is the same size as the Volt, and finally the Volt.

The Designers talked about the engineering, and showed off key features that increased its aerodynamics on a non-functional Volt prototype. Then we got our chance to see the real thing. The first thing I thought was wow it actually looks cute, this doesnt come across in pictures but its length seems a little compacted, and the lines seemed to flow together very well, something that wasnt obvious from either pictures or even the prototype. There was a silver and a dark gray version, and although I’ve told my fiancée again and again how much I hate that 90% of the cars on the road seem to be silver, I have to say it looked good, much better then the dark gray, where all of the cool black accent panels blended into the gray.

It was a rainy day as we got into drive and I had a big shock when I say the wiper blades, each of them was twice as long as a normal cars wiper blades, we had no troubles seeing through the light rain while driving.

At first I had to sit in the back seat, and I’m afraid the limited leg room in the back was my biggest disappointment from the whole experience. Luckly I dont plan on sitting in the back when I get a Volt, thats going to be someone else’s problem, still 2 more inches would have made all the difference in the world.

I got to drive second and it was a very pleasant experience it was all in pure electric mode, unfortunately we didnt get to experience range extending mode. The car was so quite inside, I couldnt hear any road noise from the tires or wind or the electric motor, it made the MINI E seem down right noisy, something no MINI E driver would normally imagine.

The car has two modes an economy, or normal mode, and a sports mode, we got to try out both, and even in normal mode, it was quite peppy, with no hesitation from the dead stop, but when you kicked in sport the car jumped forward and I couldn’t keep the accelerator floored for long, on the short course.

Handling was fantastic, the Volt has some very wide tires, and a very low and balanced center of gravity, and it held up to some tight weaving and sharp accelerations, and a wet track without any tire slippage, or spin outs, or even a traction control system kicking in. This car is a pleasure to dive.

In low gear you get regenerative braking when you let off of the accelerator, but even in normal Drive gear you get regenerative braking when you press lightly on the brake, and friction braking as you press harder.

We folded down the rear seats and this give you a lot of room in the hatchback, enough room for a bike, or two, or over 4 full backpacks. Well thats what I’m planning to put in there.

Yes I’m hooked, this is a pleasurable full featured car, that just happens to be electric, and I’m going to buy one the first chance I get.

3. Roger Barr (aka RB)

Today I went to test drive the Volt. The test drive had been arranged by Lyle Dennis. Outside in NYC it was raining and about 45 degrees F, not great weather. Walking to Pier 92 we came to a large industrial building with various freight and service vehicles around it (picture 0136). Boldly making our way to the entrance, the guard waved us to the service elevator, and we went to the 2nd floor. When the elevator door opened there were GM people.

Bob Boniface emphasized the importance of the details to the aero. Then everyone headed outside. There were 2 Volts. Each was in turn filled with 3 gm-volt visitors and one gm rep. In turn each driver drove one long loop. A loop was up and around the ramp, 100 yards along a straight stretch, down one floor, zig-zag through cones, and back to the starting curb. Uphill acceleration was strong. Acceleration on a straight line, already strong, was markedly increased when GM Volt Product Manager Cristi Landy pressed “sport mode” . PRNDL selection, done with a huge but very comfortable shifter, then was used to select L instead of D. In L mode there was a lot more drag (presumably more regen) as one let up on the gas pedal. Mode L was great on the steep downhill of the ramp.

As a fun car to drive, the Volt is an A+. Special strengths are acceleration, responsive handling, the absence of body lean, and a beautiful crisp finish, both inside and out. As Mr Boniface mentioned, it is particularly attractive from the rear, the perspective that most people have most of the time, where its appearance is distinctive and even muscular.

Limitations were few and far between. Four adults fit comfortably for short trips if the front seats are mid-position, but not if they are far back. There are a lot of controls on the dash. The access to the electric plug-in receptacle is relatively small and low, so one wonders if it will work smoothly when lighting is not so good. These are all minor.

The car is much better than I expected, more nearly comparable to a small Audi or BMW than to Prius or to Cruze, nice though they may be. I want one.

Matt Lauer of NBC, speaking of NYC’s weather, said “Of the 13 yrs I’ve been here this is one of the worst days ever!” Temperatures dropped into the low 40’s/high 30’s, rains were causing street flooding and winds gusting to 45mph turned umbrellas inside out. The traffic-cone track GM had set up for our test drives at New York’s Pier 92 stayed soaking wet from the endless rain —and it was as slick as a 42nd street huckster. I thought, ‘hey, this slippery track should be a great test for the Volt’s handling and its FuelMax tires‘. It sure was!

I arrived 15 min early and informally met and chatted at some length with John Hughes (Chevrolet Marketing Manager) and Bob Boniface (Volt Lead Designer). I gave each a copy of my 26 questions and tried to discuss the questions with them (to little avail —another GM staffer later told me, “I can’t ever remember in reference to other new car introductions being told so many times by management that we can NOT answer questions, except for those based on already-released information)”. I therefore have NO formal responses to any of these 26 questions, and GM people all made it clear that I couldn’t expect one. However, I’ve formed a few opinions/educated guesses based on their collective reactions to certain questions that I’ll share here.

But before going into that level of detail, let me give an overall impression of the test drive…..

THE VOLT IS BY FAR THE EASIEST TO DRIVE, THE MOST RESPONSIVE & THE MOST EXCITING CAR I’VE EVER DRIVEN!!! It’s impressive from the getgo! Just a touch of the accelerator starts the car rolling without even the slightest hesitation or jerkiness like I’ve come to expect from any ICE-powered car. From a replay of the video I shot, I blurted out, “Oh man! ….talk about torque!!!“ at the first nudge of the Volt’s ‘go pedal’. We turned the first short-radius corner so sharply that my new HD video camera, on its normally very-secure dash mounting rig went careening across the dash —and as I grabbed for it the Volt ignored my ‘panic antics’ and continued smoothly around the sharp turn on the wet, slick pavement with no detectable leaning or sliding —it felt like it was on rails!

By the way, our own “Harrier1970”, an ARMY Major and overall essay contest winner from California, shot HD video with his new Nikon from the back seat while our GM host helped hold my camera to the dash (so I’d keep both hands on the wheel). Next on the course was a long straight stretch, and our GM host said, “go ahead and accelerate and I’ll put us in ‘sport mode’ about half way down this stretch“. Again, the camera’s audio caught my surprised reaction when sport mode kicked in: “OH BOY, I REALLY DO FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!”

After several more sharp turns on the slick surface (thru which the FuelMax tires felt glued to the surface), we came to a fairly steep, sharp down ramp typical of parking garages & our host suggested dropping the car into “Low” as we approached it. Once again I was pleasantly surprised at how docile, yet effective the “braking effect” was. The Volt —still seeming to be on rails— negotiated the steep, sharp turn so perfectly I thought, “WOW, I’m driving like a pro!” There were 3 full, fast stops on the course from fairly brisk speeds, and on this very wet pavement the hard braking needed to get stopped quickly gave me a great demonstration of the solid, user-friendly feel of the regenerative brakes —no grabbing and smooth as silk, yet extremely fast stops without the tires loosing their firm grip on the very wet surface! I doubt even these fast stops ever made the brake pads even touch their discs.

At the end of the run, we all stayed seated in the car for about 3 times as long as we’d been on the track, discussing/re-living the test drive —too excited to want to climb out!

Now to my questions……

Q1 – May I see under the hood? If not, why not?
C1 – GM says, “sorry, it’s not allowed” —but see my “naked chassis” photo

Q2 – A few days ago an automotive writer in Houston was told the gas tank is 8 gallons. Is this correct?
Does the tank include a “spare” tank section — what size?
C2 – I argued with GM at some length that competitive new cars (e.g., Ford Fusion hybrid) have ranges up to 700 miles

Q3 – I know the 0-60 time is about 9 secs in sport mode. What is the approximate passing time (40-80)?
C3 – GM said the passing time is “more than adequate” but gave no numbers

Q4 – Is Sport Mode automatically activated for hard acceleration 1) from a standstill or 2) for passing?
C4 – GM said sport mode is not activated automatically, but responds instantly to the dash sport mode switch

Q5 – We know Volt has a very low c.g. that should give it great handling –are any skid pad g‘s known yet?
C5 – GM offered no skid pad numbers but I noticed no body lean in sharp cornering during the test drive

Q6 – Will GM take advance deposits like Tesla & Leaf?
C6 – No comment

Q7 – Approximately when will MSRPs be announced?
C7 – No comment

Q8 – Can the driver activate the extended range mode?
C8 – No comment, but I could see no dash control to do this

Q9 – What is the recommended inflation pressure for the new Goodyear FuelMax Tires? Is a spare included?
C9 – GM has no comment, but Goodyear says it can range from 28-35psi and is to be determined by GM

Q10 – Will GM offer either a) “run flat” tires (like BMW) or b) 18” tires/wheels?
C10 – No comment

Q11 – Does the “Start/Stop” button also act as a “Kill switch”? If the accelerator stuck open, what fail safe
features exist that would override it?
C11 – GM has long used brake fluid pressure sensors to kill their car’s ignition under emergency conditions

Q12 – Does the Volt share the design, the housing or any components of GM’s 2-Mode FWD transmission?

C12 – I believe the Volt borrows several features of GM’s FWD 2-mode transmission including the housing

Q13 – Is active noise suppression used like in Acuras?
C13 – GM isn’t saying, but subjectively the car is extraordinarily quiet even under hard acceleration

Q14 – Are innovative materials such as laminated polymerics used for passive noise suppression?
C14 – GM doesn’t say, but I think it’s highly probable because they’ve very effectively hushed the ICE’s “throbbing”

Q15 – Will GM offer a SS (super sport) model with a race-tuned suspension or other performance features?
C15 – GM only says they plan offering only a limited number of models/trim levels for Gen I Volts

Q16 – What is the estimated mpg in CS (ER) mode?
C16 – GM still won’t say, but I still believe they’ll get above 50mpg

Q17 – Is the backup camera that engages in Reverse an optional or standard feature?
C17 – Not discussed, but the camera itself should be pretty inexpensive to add & the video screen(s) exist now

Q18 – Are the engine RPMs in ER mode limited to fixed settings depending on battery depletion and/or
charging rates? What are those rpm settings?
C18 – Not discussed, but I believe the ICE/Gen will be limited to several fixed rpm ranges

Q19 – Is the HVAC a special high-efficiency design? Are heater strips or a heat pump design used for heating?
C19 – GM said it is highly efficient, but could not say whether heater strips or heat pump are used

Q20 – Does the Volt use low-e window glass thruout?
C20 – Not discussed, but I’ve read a review that says low-e glass is used in several if not all windows

Q21 – Does the Volt use any special thermal insulation?
C21 – Not discussed, but I believe it’s a good bet they do (and perhaps rely on it for noise reduction as well)

Q22 – Will a complete (or quick-start) searchable Volt manual or tutorial be available on either LCD screen?
C22 – Not discussed, but I know they have a small tutorial on the driver display & it would be easy to do more

Q23 – Are IP, dome, etc interior lights all LEDs? Are all ext. lights LEDs (marker, tail, stop, DRL, hi/lo beam)?
C23 – GM says most lighting (tail/stop, trim/turn sigs, DRLs, dome light, etc) are LED; exception is projector headlamps

Q24 – Will GM offer optional sun roofs or solar roofs?
C24 – I argued for both with GM Marketing, but they won’t say

Q25 – Why has GM told the world the 2011 Cruze will be available in ECO, RS, LS, LT and LTZ trims, yet
remains silent on trim levels the 2011 Volt will offer?
C25 – GM says they will deliberately minimize the number of trim levels/models for Volt Gen I

Q26 – What special trim/color options will GM offer?
C26 – GM says the Volt itself is what they want customers to focus on rather than a wide range of options/trim

On Wednesday President Obama held a press conference on US energy security at Edwards Air Force base.  ”We’re here to talk about America’s energy security,” said Obama. “An issue that’s been a priority for my administration since the day I took office.”

Obama noted that today new CAFE fuel economy regulations would be signed and go into effect.

The new rules would require all combined 2016 car and truck models to have an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 mpg.  The current mileage standard is 27.3 mpg.

“After decades in which we have done little to increase auto efficiency, those new standards will be finalized, which will reduce our dependence on oil while helping folks spend a little less at the pump,” he said.  Those new fuel economy standards he said “will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil overall,” which is is equivalent he said of “taking 58 million cars off the road for an entire year.”

Obama also said that his administration “is doubling the number of hybrid vehicles in the federal fleet.”  This amounts to 5603 hybrid vehicles.

Among them, the administration said it would “purchase the first 100 plug-in electric vehicles to roll off American assembly lines,” which is identified as Chevrolet Volts.

“We’re going to lead by example and practice what we preach: cutting waste, saving energy, and reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” he said.

Obama also mentioned his administration has put forward “loan guarantees to break ground on America’s first new nuclear facility in three decades.”  But, a main element of his speech was to announce “the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration.”

OK, I admit it, I was hoping for an early Volt, but I guess being that they put up the $50 billion to keep GM in business the White House gets first dibs. All I did was start a blog.

UPDATE: GM has issued an official response about the White House’ offer to buy the first 100 Volts:

We are pleased to see that the Federal government is interested in the greening of their vehicle fleet.  Media speculation has led to reports that the GSA and DOE will be buying the first 100 Chevrolet Volt’s because we will meet this criteria.  At this time we have no further details regarding these purchases.

Source (White House) and (Detroit Free Press)