The Chevrolet Volt was named “Best Engineered Vehicle of 2011″ by the readers and editors of SAE International’s Automotive Engineering International (AEI) magazine.
SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. For a group of engineers to name a car the “best engineered” is prestigious indeed.
The announcement was made during the SAE 2011 World Congress, which ends today, and began on April 12, in Detroit, Mich.
“The selection of the Volt as the 2011 Best Engineered Vehicle by our peers is an honor,” said Doug Parks, vehicle line executive for the Chevrolet Volt. “This award validates the hard work and effort of the engineering team to deliver a truly transformational vehicle.”
The Volt just keeps on winning awards.
This is the eleventh year of the AEI “Best Engineered Vehicle” award.
The SAE said it gave the Volt its top honor based on the Volt’s innovative engineering that resulted in it becoming the world’s first electric vehicle with extended range capability.
“Complementing its groundbreaking propulsion system,” the SAE said, “the Volt offers an equally revolutionary design that emphasizes a wheels-out, body-in stance to make a dynamic and sleek statement.”
Further, GM’s aerodynamicists were credited with wind tunnel work that shaped the Volt’s design as the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolet’s history.
“By reducing the energy needed to overcome air resistance, the vehicle’s sleek design contributes an estimated eight miles of electric range and up to 40 miles of extended range,” the SAE said.
The Volt won over the Nissan Leaf, BMW 5 Series, Kia Optima and Volkswagen Jetta among others. The SAE membership and AEI’s editorial team selected the Volt based “on the same criteria typically used in vehicle development programs: commonality, flexibility, cost, innovation, package efficiency, powertrain performance, chassis systems, interior accommodations, occupant safety and engineering benchmark.”
This entry was posted on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 at 5:55 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
+19
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:05 am)Kudos to Andrew Farah, Tony Posawatz and the entire Volt engineering team! IN THE COURSE OF DESIGNING THE VOLT, ALTHOUGH THE SAE DOESN’T MENTION IT, YOU’VE ALSO RE-ENGINEERED GENERAL MOTORS!!!
+21
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:14 am)This car has won more of the top awards in its first year and just about any other vehicle – yet, somehow people seem to criticize the Volt despite is amazing advances. This is not $40k for a normal car; its $40k for a luxurious feel, enhanced mileage, removal of oil dependence, and all-round fantastically engineered car. Best Engineered Vehicle of 2011″ is no surprise to me; really nothing else could have won that prize!
Congratulations to all involved. I only wish it was selling in Australia right now so i can go out and buy one!
+12
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:22 am)OK, now I have lost count.
Could somebody list all the awards Volt has won?
And does this make it the most highly decorated car in history?
This would be a great theme for ads when Volt is rolled out nationally!
Go Volt!
-14
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:07 am)(click to show comment)
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:27 am)Winner!
=D-Volt
-39
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:28 am)(click to show comment)
+13
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:51 am)charlie h,
GM, congratulation once again for winning another award.
About Consumer Reports, they have an ax to grind with GM. No matter how good of a car GM makes, they will shoot it down! GM would probably like to sue them, but they can not afford the negative publicity that goes with it.
-20
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:53 am)(click to show comment)
+7
Apr 14th, 2011 (8:09 am)We definitely need an award list recap; there’s just too many to remember!
join thE REVolution
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (8:44 am)Congratulations GM!
Now if we could get each one of those 128,000 engineers to buy a Volt…
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (8:46 am)Mikeinatl,
ClarksonCote,
My exact thoughts from the end of the day yesterday. I think this makes about ten major awards.
Michael in New Mexico, Volt #1761
Apr 14th, 2011 (9:00 am)http://www.wfsb.com/news/27541598/detail.html
I hope this doesn’t turn out to be the case. You’ll need to play the video to end to get the Volt information.
-30
Apr 14th, 2011 (9:02 am)(click to show comment)
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:33 am)In theory the EVT using the two motors and the planetary gearset is beautiful. It completely blows away the TRW planetary setup used by Ford and Toyota — as big an advance as the HSD drive was when TRW patented it in the 1960s. In practice it allows the two modes to meld seamlessly together. Even more beautiful.
If you want to focus on cost effective solutions, there is nothing in the world that has a better cost-benefit than eAssist. I’m not really interested in an ICE vehicle but that technology makes everything else in the automobile world look sick. A thousand bucks for a 20% or 25% better MPG. Are you kidding me?
+10
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:42 am)BS. Consumer Reports is selling a preconceived narrative. Just look at what they say about prices: “The Volt costs about $45K and the Leaf about $35K”. Those are crazy numbers. After credits and rebates, which you can get even if you lease, the Volt is $32,500 and the Leaf is $22,000.
The whole idea that you can get a cheaper car is boring, terminally boring. People who have seen and driven my Volt are blown away and think it’s a great bargain. Some people won’t like it. But saying that you can get a cheaper vehicle is just plain stupid. The vehicles I’ve had in the past are all more expensive than the Volt. So what? IOW cheaper or more expensive just depends on your reference point.
-15
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:43 am)(click to show comment)
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:51 am)“Further, GM’s aerodynamicists were credited with wind tunnel work that shaped the Volt’s design as the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolet’s history.”
Was the EV1 not a Chevy?
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:59 am)This sounds like typical oversimplification. “You know a car is just 4-wheels and a seat right!”. GM built the first range-extended electric vehicle. That’s the engineering that is being awarded.
(don’t post a picture of an EV hauling a generator behind it)
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (10:59 am)Congrats to GM and the Volt team. It takes courage to be the first with something so game-changing. After that it’s relatively easy for others to come up with improvements on a brand new technology. I just hope GM can keep the lead with their own advancements and stay ahead of the pack.
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:03 am)I wonder if they can use OnStar data to somehow help w/the investigation.
+6
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:34 am)No. The EV1 was a unique GM brand leased only by Saturn Dealers in California & Arizona. Hmm… I wonder if GM’s bad decision (their admission) could eventually be followed by an admission that shutting down Saturn was also a big mistake (IMHO, it was!)
-17
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:37 am)(click to show comment)
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:37 am)Really, how about a list of all the Volt awards.
Corvette Guy, can you help us out here?
+10
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:43 am)john1701a,
John,
I know you are a Prius fan (as am I) and I know you have followed this website for long enough to know the engineering behind the Volt so I just don’t get your obtuseness on the engineering question.
To cut to the chase I would like to (if I could figure out how) to simply cut and paste a picture of my dashboard today. What it would show is that since I brought my Volt home from the dealer on March 19th I have travelled 897.1 miles and used .7 gallons of gas. And I’m even disappointed with this mileage because almost .5 gallons were used because I forgot my charging cord one day and couldn’t charge at work.
It’s an awesome car and should hopefully only get better from here. But to throw you some bones, it’s not for everyone and the Prius or Leaf will be better for many potential customers. But it’s a great first step and I’m thoroughly pleased with it.
Anyway, please don’t feign ignorance concerning the engineering achievement of the world’s first EREV. It doesn’t benefit anyway.
-16
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:54 am)(click to show comment)
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:55 am)Nobody more deserving. Totally appropriate IMHO. Thanks SAE.
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:56 am)What makes you think the price would be affected by making it less aerodynamic? You mean they manpower cost it took for GM to design the aerodynamics would’ve been saved, thus making the price lower? I think you might save 1% of the cost of the vehicle or something, but the price is still set on supply and demand. The bottom line is the Volt has a state of the art battery with thermal management system, and an extra motor over normal cars, it’s always going to be more expensive and heavier. You are suggesting they throw away 20% of the performance, efficiency and fuel savings just to have a less aerodynamic car?
+8
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:57 am)Win an award, bring out the trolls, LOL. Toyota FUD IMHO. Ignore!
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (12:04 pm)I’d personally like to see a Voltec offering with 64 miles of range, without raising the price any further. I think that there would be a market for both long range and economy versions; and lowered production costs to come should make both approaches possible. I wouldn’t think that aerodynamics is negotiable in this equation; more likely just a matter of pack size and cost.
While we’re on the subject of what we’d prefer, I’d very much like to see today’s “gee-whiz” glass cockpit on the Volt offered in two flavors: The uber-complex version for the Twitter generation, and a more manageable control stack for those of us content with keeping the main thing the main thing (and not linked to model, range or trim package, please).
+12
Apr 14th, 2011 (12:10 pm)It’s just straight-up, studied obtuseness. Don’t waste your electrons.
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (12:12 pm)I do not know if this is comprehensive, but these are all the awards Chevrolet mentioned when it won the Edison Award last week –
“The Volt’s Edison gold award now complements its having won the Motor Trend, Automobile Magazine and Green Car of the Year awards, as well as Popular Science Best of What’s New and Ward’s 10-Best Engine designations.”
http://gm-volt.com/2011/04/07/chevrolet-volt-and-onstar-mylink-win-2011-edison-awards/
+9
Apr 14th, 2011 (12:30 pm)Hmm… Off the top of the head, others are the North American Car of the Year Award and at least one publication listed Volt in its “top ten” cars for 2011, as well as today’s SAE award. And I also believe Ampera, the European version, may have already garnered some awards (probably related to auto shows in the EU) although neither Volt nor Ampera are available as yet for sale in the EU.
ATTN GM: Someone in marketing needs to be “keeping score” of Volt awards if they’re not already doing so. If so, please let us know here.
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:16 pm)I think your insistence on putting it into a specific category called “plug in hybrid” is part of your problem. The engineering beauty of the Volt is that, depending on how it is driven, it is, as Reason pointed out, a series hybrid, a parallel hybrid and an EV. For me it is overwhelmingly operating as an EV because only on 2 days did I use gas but I have a somewhat uncommon situation.
Anyway, I hope the plug-in Prius is awesome and a big hit. We need many more vehicles like the Volt, Leaf and the plug-in Prius.
+7
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:16 pm)I would have figured that you knew what an EREV is by now. First and foremost it’s an EV; meaning, you can drive from 0 to 100mph, accelerating as much as you want, until you deplete the batteries. Thats the EV part (think of the Nissan Leaf). Now, once the batteries are depleted, you have a RANGE EXTENDER, that allows a gasoline engine to provide the motive energy until you can recharge again. I have explained this to you before, but it must not be sinking in. This is a new animal, not an old run-of-the-mill hybrid; thus the engineering award.
Regarding your “business” requirement for engineering, that is nonsense. Its an engineering award, not a sales award. I suppose we shouldn’t applaud NASA for all of its engineering achievements because they didn’t sell enough space shuttles? How about the software engineering? You know, the millions of lines of code. Shoud we try to figure how much it costs for every car? Maybe they could have used less key-strokes and been more efficient? I think you’re missing the point of the award. It’s like they are giving an award for the best painting in the gallery, and you are saying they should have used less paint and a cheaper frame so they could sell more.
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:18 pm)#30
Right. PDNFTT. +1
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:18 pm)Spot on, NM. Saturn shouldn’t have been shut down… it should’ve returned to its purpose-driven, consumer-friendly, and polymer-sided roots!!
Turning Saturn into just-another-badge-engineered brand was a monumental error.
EDIT: Sorry, that was pretty off-topic.
Back on-topic: Yay! Another awesome award!! Congrats Volt team!
Last night I watched “Apollo 13″ and the fact that the mission wasn’t carried (initially) by the TV networks reminds me of how the Volt’s success has become. It’s such an engineering tour-de-force, we almost take all these awards for granted! But there’s NOTHING routine about ANY trip to the moon… and nothing routine about the Volt’s success!!
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:20 pm)#34
Tell it like it is Bro. +1
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:21 pm)The Volt has redefined what one is to expect out of a $40K automobile. Superb roadibility AND super economy, comfort and quietness matching the most expensive luxury cars. Oh – let’s not discount the value of it being THE car to be seen in.
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:23 pm)Yeah… like Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD)… what a joke.. its just a couple gears & motors. What’s with all the semantics?
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:28 pm)I agree with your post, just pointing out the use of the word “always”. I think this will eventually change. The # of years this will take? your guess is as good as mine. You know the drill, smaller ICE, cheaper/lighter batteries, etc…
-7
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:29 pm)nasaman,
Don’t forget to add the award from Consumer Reports….”The worst car for the money”! LOL.
-16
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:29 pm)(click to show comment)
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:30 pm)I think the easiest way to do this is to incorporate more of the physical pushbuttons into a larger touchscreen. Then, have a few different flavors of touchscreens, from the very simple to the most complex. The dealer could set it up for the buyer, or let the operator do it with a simple way of selecting the screen style.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:32 pm)Here’s the Wiki on the list of awards:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevy_Volt#Awards_and_recognition
+12
Apr 14th, 2011 (1:58 pm)How many times do I have to say that if someone is looking to minimize cost, buying a new car is NOT the way to do it. Roughly in order, the way to do it is:
Avoid travel, such as thru telecommuting and getting others to travel to YOU.
Hitchhike.
Walk.
Rollerblade.
Skateboard.
Ride a bicycle.
Ride a motorcycle.
Ride a horse.
Ride a cowboy.
Take public transportation.
Rent a car (OT: Zipcar IPO did great today).
Buy a cheap used car.
Buy an average-priced used car.
Buy an expensive used car.
Buy a cheap new car.
Buy an average-priced new car.
Buying a new car is NOT a logic-first decision. It is an emotion-first decision. That is HUGELY significant.
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (2:08 pm)Unlike so many petty awards, this is indeed an award the Volt engineering Team will covet.
Congratulations!
I know many seem to want to denigrate the game changing nature of the Volt. But as an engineer, I can see, even in its first, primitive iteration, that it offers the solution that the industrialized world has been seeking fro over forty years, to find a fully suitable and convincing substitute to the liquid hydrocarbon problem.
By reducing the hydrocarbon demand of each ER-REV to the point where existing manufactured synthetic supplies can satisfy all demands for fossil hydrocarbons substitutes, the Volt has set us free.
Over time as US liquid hydrocarbon demand shrinks, the petty dictators and of the Oil kingdoms will no longer hold the industrialized world hostage to economic blackmail. Furthermore, by reserving a place for the now fully cleansed ICE, to provide flexibility, the industrialized western world can march into the Future, confidently secure in the answers to any purported “Limits to Growth” posed by idiotic Malthusians, and Neo-Druid demagogues.
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (2:16 pm)There’s nothing at all illogical about–I can afford it. It will make my life easier. So I’m going to buy it.
New cars generally have fewer issues. That’s worth a premium to some people. Including me.
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (2:17 pm)The Leaf doesn’t get a tax credit?
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (2:49 pm)I didn’t say it’s illogical. I said it’s an emotion-first decision. Logic second. Many cerebral people have difficulty with that concept. I am one of those people and did, too, until I started rubbing shoulders with top salespeople who enabled me to see the truth. Helped me with putting things in personal life in perspective, and helped me a lot in business, too. One basic example: looks. Almost nothing logical about looks. A butt ugly car can otherwise be the exact same as a beautiful one. Guess which one will have higher sales, happier customers, higher resale value, etc.? Guess which equally-qualified job-seeker gets the job–a fat slob or a slim, well-dressed candidate with straight white teeth?
No one NEEDS a Volt. Lots of people WANT one, though. That distinction is essential for success, especially for the currently above-average priced car. Look at the success BMW has had playing that distinction. VERY impressive. Plenty of lessons in there for the other vehicle manufacturers–jack up the WANT factor to eleven and see your sales explode.
-14
Apr 14th, 2011 (2:51 pm)(click to show comment)
+12
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:17 pm)Great engineering is what makes a safe car.
This just in: Here are 2 photos of what may be the first consumer test of the safety systems in the 2011 Chevrolet VOLT…
This was a customer from Southern California. (Not from my dealership, but nearby…) I am told 6 of the airbags deployed and customers are fine. The car, however, is a total loss.
Let us take a moment of silence for our fallen VOLT…..
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:25 pm)Now it looks like a Leaf!
Maybe GM can add regen bumpers to Gen2. Bumper car your way to a 60 mile commute.
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:41 pm)All I hear is “coulda-shoulda-woulda”…. GM did it, and they are now reaping in the rewards. The rest will follow.
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:44 pm)CorvetteGuy,
So what is the salvage value on this Volt? Seems like the battery would be OK, but who knows. I wonder how long it will take the owner to get a new one (back on the waiting list?).
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:47 pm)I wish to ask – how do you ride a cowboy? Did you wanted to say: Ride a cow?
I know someone who rides an ox!
You can add a few more:
Ride a boxcar
Ride a camel
Ride a bison
Ride a llama (I bet many forgot this one!)
Ride a hog (a large pig)
(and for those who can’t walk):
Ride an electric wheelchair.
Raymond
Apr 14th, 2011 (3:51 pm)Corvette Guy,
Ask that dealer to have the whole repair process filmed on video and documented. It could be a training tool for other Volt service shops, including your own. Then post it where the forum members can see it.
Raymond
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:00 pm)#51
Very interesting. +1
I’m always amazed at how many Prii end up at the salvage auctions in a similar condition. I was talking just yesterday with my neighbor who is very involved with Toyota. He mentioned that there are now many Prii running around with over 100K miles and the batteries out of warranty. He said that they are very durable, but some have failed. A replacement is now about $2K, but some people have had good results buying used ones out of totaled Prii for about $650.
I wonder where that Volt battery will end up?
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:01 pm)#52
You’ve been watching too much NASCAR, LOL. +1
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:05 pm)#55
Ask a cowgirl, LOL. There’s a very popular bumper sticker in certain areas of the country, “Save a horse, ride a cowboy”. Usually seen on pickup trucks driven by women. I’m just saying…………..
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:07 pm)#53
Amen. +1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:12 pm)From that hit country comedy song.
And for those going nowhere in particular–ride a hot air balloon.
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:20 pm)Beats the radio version, which made 670 The Score sports radio here in Chicago’s Tournament of Bad field of 64. In fact, it made it to the Elite 8:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tournament-of-bad/
“NASCAR Fans Who Love the Late Dale Earnhardt Way Too Much” lost in the first round to Chilean Mining Jobs, though.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:28 pm)Get your -1′s ready….
IMHO, you can win every award on earth but if Pat Q. Public can’t afford it, well, what good is the award to me?
/ok, i’m prolly lower than Pat Q. but you know what I mean….lol
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:34 pm)Huh?!?!?!
It is a “Hybrid” man. It uses two forms of fuel for propulsion. On top of that, the ICE drives the wheels directly when deemed it be more efficient to do so.
EDIT:
Duh, you said that allreaday….lol
/need a beer…..
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:34 pm)I imagine this one will end up at GM’s battery lab; but later on, it seems likely that junk dealers will do a brisk replacement business — for those Volts out of warranty.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:38 pm)If I were the engineers, I’d like to get it back to do structural integrity checks on it and check for any faults. It’s a “QA” thingy….
+6
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:39 pm)I have no specifics about the accident. I would bet the battery is just fine. During training a year ago, they showed us how the battery pack is encased in a high-strength-steel box. The trainer joked that “if there were an accident bad enough to damage the battery, there would be no survivors…”
The pictures were taken by one of the GM top brass who was visiting our dealership today and showed me. While he was here, he heard about our Volt sales, (rumored to be number 1 in our area) and he bumped our allocation for this year by 10 units! Woo-Hoo!
+5
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:42 pm)Thanks, kdawg. For everyone’s convenience here’s the list from wikipedia:
2009 Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal at the Washington Auto Show for “a bold and far-reaching approach that promises to bring an exceptionally fuel efficient model to consumers at reasonable cost.”[169]
2009 Festival International Automobile selected the Chevrolet Volt for the 2009 Environmental Grand Prize [170]
2011 Car and Driver Ten Best Cars. For the first time ever Car and Driver magazine included an electrically powered car among its 10 best.[171]
2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year. The magazine commented that “In the 61-year history of the Car of the Year award, there have been few contenders as hyped – or as controversial – as the Chevrolet Volt.”[172]
2011 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal. The magazine editors explained that “This award welcomes a new genre of mass-production electric vehicles to the consumer market, with the Volt as the first-ever electric vehicle to take top prize.”[173]
2011 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine. The editors commented that the Volt “…is genuinely an all-new car, in the most simplistic sense as well as in the greater notion that the Volt is unlike any vehicle we have ever driven.”[174]
2011 North American Car of the Year announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Forty-nine American and Canadian automobile writers chose the Volt. The nominees were judged based on “innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value”.[175]
Listed among the 2011 Greenest Vehicles of the Year by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.[176][177]
2011 Edison Award – Gold in the Transportation Category, Personal Transportation Segment.[178][179]
Finalist of the 2011 World Green Car of the Year. The winner will be announced at the 2011 New York Auto Show.[180]
And for completeness, I include the subject of today’s topic:
“Best Engineered Vehicle of 2011″ by the readers and editors of SAE International’s Automotive Engineering International (AEI) magazine.
…or a total of 11 awards (so far); I’d be surprised if this isn’t already a world record for ANY new automobile in history! Are you listening, skeptics & trolls?
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:42 pm)aw man…
That means he took 10 units from someone else and gave it to you!
You big PIMP!!!
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:45 pm)That’s only with a depleted battery, providing only 6 – 8% of the motive power directly; and then only when driving hard over 62 mph. In the traditional sense, the Volt could be called a part-time hybrid, more robust than merely “strong” (in a less conventional sense, it is a part-time serial hybrid with the engine merely creating electrical energy). Of course, the Volt will ideally be an EV most of the time. Looks to me like John is beating a dead horsepower — again.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:46 pm)So, you’re buying us all dinner? Thanks! Say, Las Brisas in Laguna Beach this Saturday at 7p? Table of 50.
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:47 pm)I like “Strong Hybrid”.
“Part Time” sounds migrant workerish…
Been there before out in the fields lol
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:49 pm)Hey Cap’n. Ol’ john-boy will never “get it”. Just give up. The generator does NOT turn the wheels when the battery is depleted. The battery is never fully depleted. It just runs down to a 20% state-of-charge, and the generator maintains that level of charge from that point until you get to your destination to plug-in.
Only under an extreme high-torque situation where engaging the ICE will BENEFIT the efficiency AFTER the Volt is in “Extended Range Mode” will this occur, and only until the high-torque scenario has ended (like passing a car going uphill). Our resident troll still tries to convince people otherwise. Don’t waste any keystokes debating him. It’s useless.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:49 pm)BooooYA!
That’s what I’m takinbout!!!
Big Pimpin CorvetteGuy!!!!
/I’ll take a pitcher of beer please…
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:51 pm)Sadly no. An increase in allocation does not translate to an increase in my take home pay.
Apr 14th, 2011 (4:54 pm)Perhaps you can get the venue moved to H( . y . )ters. (Less expensive, Corvette Guy)!
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:00 pm)“You think this Volt is smashed up, you should see the other guy!”… j/k.. but at approx 3700lbs, if he/she hit a Smart Car, it got launched.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:00 pm)lol….
we should all crash his dealer lot. Bring a BBQ, steaks etc… and a bunch of H( . y . ) girls with us.
I’ll bring the Keg!
CorvetteGuy, you man the hose for the T-Shirt contest.
/anyone in Nevada that can bring some peeps from the “Wild Horse Saloon”?!?!?
//Volt’s Gone Wild!!!
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:02 pm)Ha, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe, i’ll fly out to California, buy a Volt, and return it to its birthplace in Michigan.
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:04 pm)Now that would be a party. Write it off as advertising, Corvette Guy! (some local TV station will send out a live truck for that … especially after Jack has had a couple of buckets-full. j/k).
-9
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:12 pm)Sure it does. But it starts at $33K. Still pretty high but it’s not $41K.
Also, we know Nissan wasn’t the driving force behind the tax credit, as it peaks at $7500 for 16KWH. Nissan’s vehicle has 24KWH and a proportionate tax credit would drop the effective vehicle price to $22K.
-14
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:13 pm)(click to show comment)
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:27 pm)WTF? Even if YOU sell more?
Ok, then. Party in da lot w/ Captn Jack S, Jackson and kdawg. And Alison Brie. Ok, ok. Just her. First come, first served. ha 8^0
Apr 14th, 2011 (5:58 pm)Here’s what the 2013 Malibu looks like:
http://jalopnik.com/#!5791973/this-is-the-2013-chevrolet-malibu
Maybe someone who doesn’t mind the user-unfriendliness of posting pictures here can post it. Gracias.
Looks great. GM’s still on a roll with product. Ackerson even moved up the production date by 4 months. I’m liking the sense of urgency from that guy.
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:05 pm)Two words: Flatbed Truck
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:13 pm)I do have a weakness for Buffalo Shrimp and Wings and H( . y . ) girls.
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:19 pm)Nope–been watching THIS:
http://jalopnik.com/#!5792090/chinese-man-drives-two-bumper-cars-in-traffic
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:25 pm)Well, I suppose if I sold all 10 in the same month that would make a difference, but spread out between now and when the 2012′s arrive… not so much. :/
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:31 pm)Your wish is my command:
According to some stories out there, this pic was released “accidentally.”
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:47 pm)Nice try, but there’s profit on each one for GM and the dealer. Oh, and I notice the only thing you recognize as rewarding is money…. how sad.
+2
Apr 14th, 2011 (6:54 pm)We do? Wow.. didn’t know you were so connected.
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:03 pm)kdawg,
Charlie H is also a brick wall. Good news for GM seems to get on his last nerve. More wasted electrons responding to him, IMO (but please vote him down).
+4
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:08 pm)Put Voltec in that car, with just enough battery to handle 0 to 60 acceleration duties, maybe a little extra for some fun once in a while. That’s what I’m talking ’bout. It’d kick Ford’s football.
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:55 pm)Nice video on the 2013 Malibu:
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1057663_2013-chevrolet-malibu-2011-new-york-auto-show-preview
-7
Apr 14th, 2011 (7:56 pm)Wasn’t the purpose of Volt to be a game-changer, to quickly become a new standard? Engineering not in support of that is worthy of praise, but doesn’t contribute to the business need.
Congrats on the award, but those analogies don’t identify intent…
What is the purpose of Volt?
+1
Apr 14th, 2011 (8:30 pm)Thanks! Looking at the picture again after a couple hours, I’d say it still looks like a winner to me. Very solid. Actually, it resembles the Taurus a little, and to me that’s a good thing.
Anyway, hope it will have E-assist and like Eco_Turbo said, Voltec. Love Ackerson advancing the release date by 4 months. Time IS of the essence for GM. For Volt, too.
+8
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:17 pm)Check it out. The girl next door drove up in a new red Volt. Loaded of course.
NPNS
+3
Apr 14th, 2011 (11:28 pm)How cool is that! You win the Photo of the Month. +10
+2
Apr 15th, 2011 (12:17 am)Two red Volts? They look spectacular together.
All the best to GM for another great award.
+2
Apr 15th, 2011 (12:46 am)Call me crazy, but the purpose of the Volt (for GM) was to help them turn a profit, which I’m pretty sure they will do.
For the individual consumer, it’s to reduce our individual oil consumption. And to provide flexibility in the event of a gas crisis.
+2
Apr 15th, 2011 (1:02 am)Not to get too philosophical, but logic requires emotion to provide a goal. That doesn’t mean that a decision to reach that goal is illogical.
I knew a guy who used to max out his credit cards so that he could finance a $100,000 Mercedes. It was stupid, and shortsighted, not to mention incredibly selfish, and now he’s paying the consequences. But I think that’s very different from me getting a Volt. Since I can actually afford it.
If your point is that the Volt (overall) is not the cheapest alternative, and that it doesn’t have to be, I agree with you.
+2
Apr 15th, 2011 (8:53 am)Dave K.,
Are you serious? You live in EV-land. Kind of takes the uniqueness out of buying a Volt, but I guess that’s a good thing. You can compare notes w/her.
+1
Apr 15th, 2011 (9:14 am)I’ll add to these. For GM, it was also to showcase what they are capable of and to leapfrog the competition in technology. For consumers like me, it is also to drive an EV, because i’m into hi-tech products, and like the experience of driving on electricity. I’m not going to buy one to save money (or the planet really, but that’s an added benifit 2nd/3rd on my list).
-2
Apr 15th, 2011 (9:49 am)Let’s see, the Michigan delegation led the charge. Any Nissan factories in Michiga?
The rebate is capped at the size of the Volt battery. Coincidence? Nope. Nissan gets the same tax credit for their far larger capacity as GM. In fact, it’s a counterproductive limit for EV development if a “good enough” 16KWH battery gets the same tax credit as a truly advanced battery of larger capacity. What’s the incentive to actually forge ahead with something better but financially riskier than LG’s offering? Answer: none.
This credit actually has the effect of stultifying development and cementing the current offerings in place.
-3
Apr 15th, 2011 (10:36 am)Showcase is another word for halo or niche, none of which the hype supports.
Mainstream penetration had been implied all along, crushing competition with sales. Instead, we await gen-2.
Trophies confirm technology achievement, but actual change comes from what people purchase.
+1
Apr 15th, 2011 (11:15 am)The SAE award was for the technology, it was not a sales award. The SAE award is what this article was about. If you want to ask Jeff if you can post an article about a sales award, go for it.
+1
Apr 15th, 2011 (11:17 am)charlie h,
Oh, so you’re conjecturing…. have fun with that.
-3
Apr 15th, 2011 (11:46 am)Engineering to be affordable is the next step.
Many of us had hoped price was a higher priority all along.
-3
Apr 15th, 2011 (12:44 pm)You don’t have to be connected to connect the dots.
Of course, it helps to read the papers and keep up with the news. I suppose if one is the type of person who buries one’s head in the sand, chanting, “EVs are our salvation,” that one is not going to be totally up to speed on these things.
-3
Apr 15th, 2011 (12:49 pm)Profitable vehicles aren’t usually accompanied by pronouncements that they will “lose money for years.”
GM is not the kind of manufacturer that can make money on low sales volume or, historically, on small, inexpensive, mainstream cars. That’s why GM went belly-up in the first place.
And the company is not going to hone its survival skills (rapid development, rapid production, inexpensive manufacture) on low-volume very expensive experimental cars. The Cruze project is a much better way to work these issues out.
Note GM’s stock price performance over the last few months… It has fallen from a high of $37 to under $31 today. This does not suggest there’s a lot of confidence in GM’s approach to the mass markets.
Apr 15th, 2011 (1:53 pm)And it was. That’s why the Volt doesn’t cost 80K+ like the Fisker will cost. If they ever get to build the first one.
+1
Apr 15th, 2011 (2:14 pm)How is any of this technology praise different from what we heard following the Two-Mode rollout?
Apr 15th, 2011 (2:31 pm)By George, you’ve got it!
+1
Apr 16th, 2011 (1:06 am)Not a bit different. It got the SAE engineering award, too.
Apr 23rd, 2011 (5:01 am)charlie h,
CR did not acquit itself very well during the Toyota sudden acceleration story. While vehicles were crashing and killing people CR was still recommending the vehicles for purchase. Even if you believe the Toyota spin on the cause(s), the right thing for CR to have done at that time would have involved a suspension of “buy” recommendations pending the outcome of the NHTSA investigation and NASA study.