GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Progress – as measured by a variety of definitions – is promised to continue forward on cue at the 81^st International Motorshow in Geneva, Mar. 3-13.

There, scattered among such automotive milestones intended to thrill traditional aficionados, including Ferrari’s most powerful V12 ever, and an 1,100 hp supercar from Koenigsegg, will be a slew of EV prototypes, and nearly-ready for production electric automobiles.

The Rinspeed BamBoo Concept by Swiss designer Frank M. Rinderknecht features interior components made from bamboo fibers. The 2,398-pound 4-seater features a 54kW electric-motor and hits 74 mph. Range estimated at 65 miles.

As an aside, we think this is at least ironic, if not surprising considering we’ve all known people who just don’t know when the party is over. Despite the fact that more and more people the world over are calling for energy alternatives – such as provided by the Chevy Volt – many of the world’s richest still intoxicated by that black elixir, continue unabated as a ready market for some of the most expensive and gas-swilling automobiles ever produced.

But never mind that. The bright news for those who’ve already made the switch to the new paradigm is that it would appear the initiative spearheaded by EVs including the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and others has not left some manufacturers resting on their laurels, and this week will be their chance to show what they are up to.

Not least of these will be Toyota, which along with continued commitment to its hybrid technology, intends to showcase its iQ EV. Details are few at this point, but the Smart Car-like, 4-passenger li-ion-powered city transport may offer a range of around 65 miles. It is speculated to be available as a lease-only option, and is undergoing testing in Europe now. No word if or when it or a vehicle spun off from it could come to the U.S.

Toyota’s iQ EV concept.

Not to be left out, Toyota’s nemesis, Honda, also has something up its corporate EV sleeve. Along the way to introducing its Fit EV in the U.S. and Japan in 2012, its “Road to Zero Emissions” will rendezvous in Geneva with its EV Concept car.

The Concept, Honda says, is stylistically an indicator of the direction it will be taking for its Fit EV. The sedate and practical prototype is estimated to deliver about a 100 mile range, be suitable for city and town usage, and has a five-passenger layout.

Honda EV Concept.

But before you think only functional EVs are being planned for, don’t count out a prototype by Nissan. Its Leaf has already been described as “boring” by one reviewer, but its Tesla-like ESFLOW will be anything but.

The Nissan electric prototype intended to test the electric sport car waters reportedly sprints from 0-62 mph in under five seconds, and achieves 149 miles on a single charge. The rear-wheel-drive two seater boasts low-mounted laminated li-ion batteries for improved weight distribution, leather seats, high-tech LED instrumentation, and composite body covers over an aluminum chassis that includes a roll cage.

Nissan ESFLOW Concept.

And if one more limited production high-end EV is not enough, how about one from Rolls-Royce? The elite brand will likewise be testing its clientele’s receptiveness to electric power with an all-electric 102EX Phantom. Naturally, it will be quieter than even the quietest Rolls or Bentley ever produced.

Other unique or odd EV creations to be seen in Geneva will include a topless electric Smart car, a UK-targeted Vauxhall, and a bamboo-bodied Rinspeed.

Some of these electric vehicles have been hinted at in the press prior to Geneva, and some will make their debut there. What’s interesting is that while the auto industry continues creating new limits of wretched excess, a refreshingly comprehensive selection of clean and green is definitely on the rise, making its impact, and promising more to come.

No matter how careful a car owner you are, every once in a while you may wind up getting your car towed. Something break down, you run out of charge, or maybe you didn’t realize you were parking in a snow zone. Things happen.

Electric car owners however need to be careful about how their cars are towed. With conventional gas-powered cars, the transmissions should be shifted into neutral during towing so the wheels are disconnected from the engine. Otherwise, towing the car can cause the engine or transmission components to also turn.

Many electric vehicles however do not have a neutral position in their transmissions. As a result, if a rear-wheel drive electric car gets towed from the front, the spinning of the wheels will cause the motor to spin. The heat from the friction may cause further problems, damaging the motor or other components.

Volt owners should make sure their cars are towed with the front wheels off the ground. Better yet, suggests GM, a flatbed truck should be used.

General Motors today announced its first full-year numbers after emerging from bankruptcy, posting a $4.7 billion profit after a massive bailout by the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Profits for the fourth quarter were a slim percentage of that, however, at just $510 million, due to significant reinvesting in production, research and development, as well as marketing and product rollouts for models like the Chevy Cruze and Volt.

“Last year was one of foundation building,” said Dan Akerson, chairman and chief executive officer in a statement. “Particularly pleasing was that we demonstrated GM’s ability to achieve sustainable profitability near the bottom of the U.S. industry cycle, with four consecutive profitable quarters.”

For hourly workers who took concessions in order to keep GM afloat, the news means a big bonus in the form of profit sharing that will see GM pay, on average, $4,300 to 45,000 eligible employees.

The Chevy Volt will take center stage in a new production by The Global Learning Series, focusing on General Motors in an episode titled ‘Understanding Environmental Stewardship.” In the episode, the educational public television program will explore the widespread introduction of electric cars. It will also look at the roll leaders in the green car segment are playing in onboard connectivity, including everything from navigation and communications, to diagnostics and smart phone integration.

“We are honored to partner with Chevrolet who is leading the charge in The Green Movement in America, with its flagship Chevrolet Volt! The company is truly achieving global technology leadership status in this area,” said John McGuire, President, CEO and Executive Producer for “The Global Learning Series.”

Shot everywhere from GM’s battery lab to the Volt assembly plant, the new episode will be distributed soon to local public broadcasting and cable channels, as well as some online outlets.

It was hard not to be surprised by the recent Green Car Book ranking of the Chevrolet Volt, which placed it just 13th in a list of most environmentally friendly vehicles. The Volt, after all, has a 60-mpg combined EPA sticker rating.

The list, compiled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit group funded by foundations, electric utilities and government agencies, “doesn’t add up,” according to GM spokesman Rob Peterson. “If you look at the EPA ratings for the Smart fortwo… it’s actually less than the Volt’s after the electric range is exhausted. We’re being penalized against the Smart because our car is a four-seater with a battery pack and therefore weighs more. And we lose against the Leaf because we have a gas engine.”

The Green Car Book ranked the Volt so poorly because of its 37-mpg average once the initial electric charge has been depleted. But within the 25 to 50 mile range that the charge allows, the Volt gets an EPA-estimated 93-mpg.

Peterson insists that the Green Car Book doesn’t take into account “how the car is actually used” noting that many owners will almost never run out of electric charge.

The Volt’s big rival, the Nissan Leaf, placed second in the Green Car Book‘s ranking. It gets an EPA-rated 99-mpg, but with a limited range of 73 miles. The winner? The natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX.

[Source: Forbes]

GM’s new MyLink telematics system will first be available starting with the 2012 Chevrolet Volt and Equinox, offering smartphone charging, Pandora radio streaming, GraceNote music identification, Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, voice activation, OnStar, and USB inputs.

The MyLink comes hot on the heels of Ford’s SYNC as an inevitable rival. But unlike the SYNC, MyLink includes the full power of GM’s OnStar behind it. It will also come with Powermat charging for the smartphones that you won’t need to fiddle with once behind the wheel. Functionality between the two infotainment systems is remarkably similar otherwise, which makes you wish that GM had introduced this earlier.

The MyLink includes a 7-inch full-color touchscreen standard, which controls climate control and navigation operations. The first GM cars that will be equipped with it later this year will be the Chevrolet Volt and the Equinox crossover, before being equipped in much of the rest of the General Motors lineup.