GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Ever since that day in January three and a half years ago when GM first introduced the Volt concept, one question has been by far the most frequently asked. How much?

Bob Lutz’ initial proclamation in those early days was that the car would list “comfortably under $30,000″ was met with great enthusiasm. Later, when the needle was moved closer to $40,000 complaints and sparks began to fly.

To this day we still don’t know how much the Volt will cost. Many speculative efforts have been made and the most recent consensus guess often repeated by the media is $35,000. Somehow this is believed to be a safe guess. I once was told in a personal communication by CEO Ed Whitacre, after he took the helm, that the car would be priced in the low 30s.

Now less than four months from launch, GM can’t hide the truth for much longer.

I recently had the chance to ask Volt marketing manager Tony DiSalle some questions about pricing.

How will you go about the pricing decision and why is it taking so long? You already announced the Cruze price which is coming out around the same time.
Cruze is actually coming out about a month, a month and a half earlier in October.

It’s interesting I’ve had that question asked a couple of times as to why we’re so late in announcing pricing. We are still way out ahead of launch of the vehicle. You’ll hear from us. Certainly sometime this summer, later this summer, we’ll be out there with the pricing announcement.

To answer your question, ‘what do you do to make that call?’ You try to look at all the factors and try to make a smart decision with a very specific strategy. Those are market factors and those are cost factors and where you think the future cost position of the technology is going to go, and all those kinds of things and weigh it all in.

Should the initial price be more of a wow factor because you’re not going to make money anyway, why not just lose a little more and that’s nice PR thing to do, versus actually trying to make money on each car you sell.
Honestly Lyle I can’t answer that question. We’re just a little deeper than I can go right now.

And the wait goes on…but at least now there are only about 40 to 60 days left.

A lot of thought went into the paddle shifter found in the Chevrolet Volt.

Lead interior designer Tim Grieg noted back in 2008 when the car was first unveiled that because the car has no transmission and is purely electric, it gave designers the opportunity to “re-invent the shifter.”

The group chose to go with a large flush-mounted paddle placed very forward and actually within the center stack. The unusual forward position gives extra room along the top of the center console for such things as the cupholders.

Indeed over the years since the unveiling many people have commented about the shifter, though often finding it too large for their taste.

GM has apparently been listening and adapting.

An astute GM-Volt reader named ‘baltimore17′ discovered that in the latest Volt prototype in red photo, the shifter appears to be thinner.

It turns out he was correct.

According to director of Voltec design Bob Boniface, the design has been changed.

“The shifter design has changed a bit during development in order to provide more thumb clearance for the user’s hand,” he said. Putting it more bluntly, Volt vehicle line director Tony Psawzt said “it’s thinner to avoid any thumb pinching.”

Boniface explains how the decision was made and how GM feels about it.

“It was something that we, along with our HMI engineers, felt would be the most comfortable solution for the customer,” he said. “It still looks very modern but it is now a more
pleasent experience to use.”

And finally the last has fallen.

Following GM, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and Audi, now Honda has finally committed its entry into the plug-in hybrid arena. In an announcement in Japan, Honda’s CEO Takanobu Ito announced the company will launch both a plug-in hybrid and a pure battery electric car in 2012.

Both cars will go on sale in the United States in 2012.

Ito outlined a broad strategy with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. “Honda will have no future unless we achieve a significant reduction of CO2 emissions,” he said.

To achieve those goals highlights specifically related to the U.S. market include:

• By the end of 2010 and continuing through 2011, Honda will roll out a battery-electric vehicle demonstration program in the U.S. with participants, including: Stanford University, Google Inc. and the City of Torrance, Calif.
• The City of Torrance will receive a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for evaluation by the end of 2010.
• A battery-electric commuter vehicle will be introduced in the U.S. market in 2012.
• A new plug-in hybrid system for mid-size to larger vehicles will be introduced in the U.S. market in 2012.
• Honda’s first hybrid application of a lithium-ion battery will debut in the next- generation Civic Hybrid to be introduced in 2011. The lithium-ion battery was developed through the Honda and GS Yuasa joint-venture company, Blue Energy Co., Ltd.

Its truly amazing to consider just three years ago when GM first announced the Volt concept, nearly every major automaker criticized them calling the technology too immature. Now every major automaker in the world has committed to mass production of plug-in cars.

Since GM-Volt illustrated very early on just how much widespread consumer demand there was for such car, its nice to imagine even just to dream we here played a role in this.

Source (Honda)

After all this time its pretty amazing to hear GM’s final decision on the Chevrolet Volt’s battery warranty.  Eight years or 100,000 miles.

We have known for a long time that GM was aiming towards ten years/100,000 miles as a goalpost, though using that figure specifically as a warranty was never confirmed.

This warranty is being described as the longest-lasting GM offers on any of its products, illustrating the very high level of confidence the company has in its extensively engineered and managed lithium-ion battery pack.  It exceeds by three years the warranty GM offers on its powertrains.

The warranty coverage includes all 161 components of the Volt’s battery, its charging system, thermal-management system and components of its electric drive, and it is transferable to other vehicle owners. GM confirmed that the 400 pound pack houses 288 cells in nine modules.

Volt vehicle line executive Doug Parks GM provided some additional details about the warranty.

First the warranty is good at delivery, no minimum number of miles are required, and the mileage is calculated in terms of vehicle miles, not generator miles.

It was long thought GM must achieve a ten year warranty specifically for California and the other CARB states. This turns out not to be the case.

The “warranty announcement covers all states, including California,” said Parks.  ”California does not mandate 10 years/150,000 miles for all vehicles.”

The reason, as it turns out, is that GM did not submit the Volt as an advanced technology partial zero emission vehicle to CARB (California Air Resources Board). Therefore, GM is not required to meet those warranty criteria. It also means California Volt buyers will not get the $5000 tax credit. GM expects to achieve AT-PZEV designation in the 2013 model.

“The Volt’s battery warranty announced this week is based on the remarkable results of our engineering and development testing,” GM spokesperson Shad Balch told GM-Volt. “When we complete the additional engineering and submit the vehicle to CARB for AT-PZEV certification it will include the required 10/150K battery warranty.”

“We expect to do this with the 2013 MY, which will be available mid-2012,” he added. “AT PZEV for 2011 MY would have required additional costs and delayed the launch. We could have pushed back the launch – but customers want a practical EV now.”

“California’s rebate program has funds to cover fewer than 700 customers, total, for vehicles from all manufacturers – and future funding is uncertain,” he added. “Rather than sticking it to thousands of our customers with a delay, we chose to remain on track and launch the Volt this year.”

GM is continuing to look at battery performance beyond the ten years as well. “The batteries are being validated beyond the warranty period,” said Parks. “We continue to test to see how far they will live.”

Parks also noted that the battery is warrantied for both level 1 (120-v) and level 2 (240-v) charging, and that the use of either has no effect on performance or longevity. He said that if a pack wound up needing repair some work could be done at local dealerships. “However all refurbishment/cell replacement will be done at a central specialized repair center,” he added.

Parks noted the warranty will cover “all customer charge cycles,” even if owners charge the car multiple times per day.

Overall GM noted that its battery warranty was significantly longer that what Tesla offers on its Roadster which is “3-year, 36,000-mile standard,” according to Tesla spokesperson Rachel Konrad. “You can buy a two-year extension,” she added. Tesla also offers owners the option of paying a non-refundable $12,000 to get a free battery replacement at seven years..

And for what seems like the first time, GM beat Nissan to announcing something about its electric car.

According to Nissan North American Director of EVs, Mark Perry, Nissan has “no comments yet,” on the air-cooled LEAF battery warranty. “We will release a bit closer to launch,” he added. Nissan has surveyed its $99 reserve holders about their battery warranty expectations, and may be aiming for 5 years/60,000 miles. The LEAF, as a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) will be eligible for the $5000 California credit for those who can get it.

“No battery warranty requirement/regulations from CARB for ZEV,” says Perry. “Nothing for the air resources board to regulate.”

There aren’t very many people who have taken the wheel of the future and have driven late model prototypes of both the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt. One who has is the well-known automotive journalist Phil LeBeau.

LeBeau just recently published his test drive experience of a Nissan LEAF prototype that he was able to drive fairly extensively for about two hours in the streets of California.

Overall “I was fairly impressed,” he said. He was pleasantly surprised about the car finding it peppy and zippy, easily maneuvered in an out of traffic and able to pass other cars with ease. He was only bothered by a tinny electric motor whine and the sound of wind noise. He said “the handling and acceleration of the LEAF will more than please the first wave of buyers.”

LeBeau was first to drive a 67% Volt build (this LEAF is 99%). Back then he described the car as “instant, smooth acceleration and great handling,” and like the LEAF said it wasn’t a sports car.

He was concerned at the time about the transition into generator mode which he described as “jarring”. GM has since smoothed out the transition in later refinements. Many have driven it, including myself, and found it imperceptible.

I asked LeBeau how he would compare the two. “I have yet to drive the Volt that we will see in showrooms,” he said. “I drove the most recent version,..which still was in the midst of having software tweaked.

He thus thought a comparison at this point wouldn’t be fair. “When I drive the production Volt in the next couple of months, then it will be time for a comparison,” he said.

In the live TV interview (below), he was forced to answer the question.

“They are pretty similar in terms of drive, but you have much more of a sedan feel with the Volt than you do with the LEAF,” he said.

In a new review by the New York Times, author Jerry Garrett actually wrote that the LEAF does 0 to 60 in 6 seconds in normal mode, and slower in eco mode.

This report, though exciting, isn’t accurate.

Nissan EV director Mark Perry told GM-Volt he was “not sure where he got 6 sec.”

Perry acknowledged Nissan has “not said” what the LEAF 0 to 60 time is because the car provides “plenty of off the line accel passing power and freeway merge.”

“Think Compact car not a GTR,” he added.

GM has said the Volt is expected to do 0 to 60 in under 9 seconds.

LEAF Test Drive:

VOLT Test Drive (OLD):

For a time, it was assumed by many (myself included) that the Volt would come with a 10 year/150,000 mile warranty in California and other CARB states (17 of them in total), and a 8 year/100,000 mile warranty for the greater, unwashed masses.

That perception changed on Wednesday, when GM announced the battery warranty would be 8 years/100,000 from coast to coast. I confess to being a little confused by the announcement myself, and how a 8/100 was possible to offer nationwide as the Volt was a partial zero emission vehicle, I even asked Doug Parks (GM global vehicle exec) later in the day to explain the warranty, wondering if maybe the 8/100 was just blanket announcement, but the higher 10/150 would still apply in California and CARB states.

Doug’s response was short and sweet, “Today’s warranty annoucement (sp) covers all states, including California,” no explanation on the how or why.

Well, that is not good enough really. So a little help from the California Air Resources Board should provide a more complete answer; and it comes in the form of designation. The Volt did not meet the criteria as a enhanced advanced technology partial zero emissions vehicle, or AT-PZEV, as was widely expected, therefore they don’t have to meet the 10/150 warranty, (or enjoy the incentives of that program), so 8/100 is the minimum benchmark they have to offer.

However, Shad Balch, GM’s energy and environment communications specialist, said that in the future (like 2013) GM is looking to get the AT-PZEV designation, which would mean the 10/150 would then come into play…along with all the other streamlining, debugging and upgrades that are going into ‘gen 2′ of the Volt.

The real kicker to the no AT-PZEV designation (besides the lessened warranty) is that the Volt does not now qualify for the additional $5,000 state incentive. Balch said GM “knew all along” it would not earn the AT-PZEV status, and that GM sees enough early demand for the first gen of the Volt without the rebate. (apparently no one gave Bob Lutz that memo before talking to the press)

Balch continued to say that “when we get through those early adopters, GM is hoping $5,000 shaved off the sticker price will help pave the way for expansion to a broader market”…assuming I guess that the state program is still funded at that point.

/early adopters get all the love

Source: Earth2Tech