GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Words and Photos by Jeff Cobb

Last Thursday, Chevrolet dropped off a Volt for a week-long evaluation. Prior to a full review, I thought it would be fitting to chronicle impressions gained during the first 72 hours.

Right up front, I can tell you that I see why the Volt has accumulated a growing number of fans. You’ve heard of smart phones? Well the Volt is a smart car; a rolling technology showcase that happens to make driving enjoyable in ways other cars cannot.

The Volt pokes along in Kimberton, through a particularly nice example among the Keystone State’s many old covered bridges.

The Volt I have is a 2011 model year, number 445 as displayed on the LCD console info screen. Technically, it is the same as the 2012 cars which began to issue forth when the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant reopened around the third week in July.

Electric driving

Since it had been driven from New York, the Volt’s approximately 40-mile-range battery was tapped, so first order of business was plugging in.

After a little more than four hours soaking in 120-volt house current, the battery meter on the digital dash showed 17 miles of electric range. Since I had planned to go running, I put on my gear, stashed my duffel bag in the Volt’s sizable hatch and headed to the park.

You have probably heard it before, but it bears repeating: The Volt behaves like “a real car.” It is not a proverbial roller skate, but substantially reinforces the impression of a sophisticated, solidly handling, sporty vehicle.

Driveability and performance

On day two, after fully charging overnight, the display said the car had 38 miles of electric range. I spent it kicking around town and sampling a variety of road conditions.

Since I have used up most of Chevrolet’s media photos writing daily Monday through Friday for the past five-and-a-half months, on day three I decided to begin a stockpile of my own new shots of the Viridian Joule Volt in scenic settings.

So, a friend and de facto reviewer who has helped me with reviews and assisted me with photo shoots before, Dave Altomare, and I took the Volt for a drive into the countryside of Chester County about 25 miles outside of Philadelphia to take plenty of pictures and get more driving impressions.

Outside a restored 19th century general store (now an upscale French-Italian cafe).

Dave is a mechanical engineer who designs and manufactures computer-controlled machinery used in making printed circuit boards for his family business, a die-hard car guy and motorcyclist like me, and good for a reliable second opinion.

He noted the Volt handles bumps well and even does OK when hitting an occasional bad pothole here in the land of winter frost-heaving and low state road repair budgets.

As has been documented, the quietness in all-electric mode is phenomenal. It is like an added bonus for staying within battery only operation.

While rewarding because it costs less to use grid power, an ancillary benefit is the car is quieter than when the 1.4-liter generator kicks on after the battery is depleted.

When the engine turns on, noise is not excessively intrusive, but you do hear its muted sound as the revs rise and fall depending on how hard you press the accelerator.

The engine note is unlike a car with an automatic transmission as there are no shift points with the Volt’s planetary gear drive system. It just offers muffled revs as needed, or quiets back down to hardly noticeable.

Turning on the stereo to moderate volume will easily drown it out 90 percent of the time.

Passing by an old horse-drawn wagon in a mode of transportation early settlers might never have imagined.

Braking takes a light touch, and for people used to less powerful stopping action, there will be a short adjustment time needed. Gentle braking also optimizes the action of the regenerative brakes as displayed on the dash.

Acceleration is brisk, and again, the experience is unlike a gasoline-powered car with an automatic transmission. It just goes in one velvety continual motion.

I have been using the Volt in sport mode, and pressing the pedal to the floor from zero mph or speeds under, say, 25 mph, quickly sees the digital speedometer flick through the numbers into the 50s and 60s in a few heartbeats. Keeping pace on any road from stoplight-to-stoplight, to easily going with the flow on the mean highways is no problem.

Nitpicks are few

Nothing about the car is a deal breaker, but I can call out a few subjective observations.

Steering feels a little more assisted than I might like. Anyone used to German or Japanese cars, for example, will observe it offers a bit less road feel, although not unacceptably so.

While the Volt does not pretend to be a BMW M5, we hear often enough about comparisons to upper-echelon Euro and Japanese sporty sedans, so I think this is fair to point out. Dave also agreed it does not feel as capable of ripping through corners as, for example, his stiffly suspended, 40-series-tired Audi S4. But then if it could, that would be something indeed, considering the Volt is a first-generation, extended-range electric car and not targeted at back road burning.

How do you suppose they tied that rope swing a good 60-plus feet up that tree?

This said, the Volt is better than some would expect. While I won’t be signing up for any track days for the Volt, it corners flatly at a brisk pace, and performs admirably for a 3,750-pound car rolling on low rolling resistance tires, and whose primary mission is eco-friendliness and all-around utility.

Another thing noticed was the Volt likes its front windows rolled up at speeds above 35 mph. Not only is this better aerodynamically, it prevents an undesirable acoustical sound effect whereby a rhythmic buffeting resonates my eardrums. I might call it a vroom effect, or something, like one might get with some aftermarket sunroofs. By 45 mph the feeling of wind steadily flapping is pronounced, and the only way to get rid of it is to raise the window to less than half closed or to fully closed.

Comfort and quality

The Volt will accommodate drivers well over six-feet-tall. I am just six-feet-tall, with fairly long legs, and adjusted the seat to next to last but not fully back position, and had ample headroom.

The black leather seats have held up well after 10,400 odometer miles of weekly rotations by review drivers. One piece of plastic trim on the roof line is coming up, but all it needs is a little adhesive. The Volt’s body seams, fit and finish overall look pretty straight and true throughout. It feels solidly constructed, and quality of materials is good, with nothing looking low budget.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and complement a functional driver’s cockpit. The smallish leather wrapped steering wheel adds to the sporty feel.

The dual digital displays, Bose premium sound system with XM satellite radio, voice-activated, hands-free Bluetooth phone, navigation, and OnStar all add to the high-tech sensory experience.

Having only gotten a brief tutorial on the infotainment system, I found it somewhat intuitive, but think I am going to have to sit in the car with the manual to really get the low down on all its myriad functions.

Rolling toward the future in an area preserved from America’s past.

My first priority was to just get a feel for the car. After fiddling with the infotainment functions thus far, I think it will be rewarding to learn the ins and outs further. The dual display screens and iPod like feel of the center console controls is a reminder why automakers are rushing to add all kinds of data to the driving experience.

It is fun to fiddle, but I had to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road, as it is tempting to be distracted by the comprehensive audio/visual entertainment available.

Summary remarks

The Volt has been heralded by environmentally conscious drivers for its outrageously good fuel economy and low-to-zero emissions.

It is not a car for tree huggers and technophiles only, however. In building it, GM did not forget to keep it stylish, well-appointed, and fun-to-drive. Anyone can hop in to this inviting car, and soon start to feel at home.

I will write again after a few days, but am already sure this is a car that will be a pleasure to drive day in and day out. It offers no unacceptable compromises, and rewards far outweigh the few minor nitpicks noted.

Yesterday General Motors announced that it awarded a production contract to A123 Systems for its advanced Nanophosphate® lithium ion batteries.

In a phone interview, GM Spokesman Kevin M. Kelly said A123 got the nod over Volt/Ampera battery supplier LG Chem after characteristics proved superior in tests performed at GM’s Global Battery Systems lab in Warren, Mich.

“We tested both cell chemistries and for the application this was an ideal solution,” Kelly said.

A battery engineering team GM’s Global Battery Systems lab in Warren, Mich.

Kelly said energy density compared to a battery sample submitted for the competitive bid by LG Chem was not superior, but GM’s engineering team went with A123 as it better met desired criteria including “packaging requirements and operating performance,” while meeting cost targets.

GM has no intentions to offer A123 batteries in the Volt or Ampera, Kelly said, and he confirmed the long-term relationship with LG Chem is still strong.

So, what are the A123 batteries for?

Kelly would not disclose whether they would be used for eAssist or a battery electric vehicle or another extended-range electric vehicle.

He said GM is still validating and testing the cells for a number of applications but GM is “not commenting right now” about its ultimate plans, or the A123 battery’s architecture or configuration.

What ever applications the batteries are to be used in, Automotive News reported A123 will be supplying “thousands to tens of thousands” of battery packs to GM, according to Jason Forcier, vice president for A123′s Automotive Solutions Group.

The company’s engineering will be completed at the end of 2012, Forcier said, and vehicles will go on sale sometime after.

As was the case with GM’s mum’s-the-word policy, Forcier would not identify the vehicles in the GM development program that will take advantage of batteries the company will in time deliver.

All that is known is that although a contract was awarded, more work remains. GM said its engineering team will now collaborate with A123’s engineering team on co-developing calibrations and software controls for the battery system in preparation for production.

“GM is committed to offering a full line of electrified vehicles – each of which calls for different battery specifications,” said Micky Bly, GM’s executive director – Global Electrical Systems, Infotainment and Electrification. “We work with a variety of battery developers and A123’s advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion technology offers ideal performance capabilities for a future electrified vehicle application.”

As GM-Volt readers know, A123 Systems was the strongest competitor against LG Chem in a contract bid that initially saw around one hundred battery companies compete for the Volt/Ampera contract.

A123′s lithium ion chemistry was first developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company spun off in 2001, and now has about 3,000 employees. Its proprietary chemistry is known to combine high energy density and long life.

Although LG Chem is the Volt supplier, A123 has never really ceased working with GM. This latest agreement builds on existing development contracts between GM and A123 focused on next-generation lithium ion battery technology at both the cell and system level.

The A123 battery packs for the latest GM project(s) will be produced at A123′s plant in Livonia, Mich. Although he was not specific, Forcier said he expects it will require hundreds of additional employees.

And like GM, he offered a broad statement of ostensibly grand, but vaguely described plans.

“Today’s announcement is the latest milestone in the partnership between GM and A123, and it showcases the type of collaboration between U.S. companies necessary to build a long-term domestic battery and electric vehicle industry,” Forcier said. “This is a testament to GM’s continued commitment to leading the adoption of vehicle electrification technologies, and we believe that our selection as GM’s supplier for this global vehicle program validates our system-level expertise in delivering fully integrated battery packs for electric vehicles.”

Kelly said the contract bidding process was obviously well underway prior to tentative new CAFE rules just handed down, but he confirmed A123 Systems batteries will only help in meeting the 54.5 mpg (40mpg on window sticker) mandates.

Automotive News

The 2012 Vauxhall/Opel Ampera allocation is reportedly 70-percent pre-sold, and Opel’s CEO has already given significant information and hints about the second-generation Ampera to go on sale in 2015.

This news came from the UK’s Autocar last week, in which Opel CEO Nick Reilly spoke of plans to gain greater acceptance for the limited-availability cars, even as he said the Ampera’s replacement will cost less, be more radically styled, and an implicitly better-executed design.

“We have an education job to do on the technology in the Vauxhall Ampera, but that will come in time,” Reilly said. “We hope that this first car will establish itself as a market leader, and we’ll be able to capitalise on that with a cheaper, more expressively designed second-generation model.”

Vauxhall Ampera.

Reilly said among 10,000 units pending for 2012, fleet accounts have spoken for 75 percent of the 7,000 Amperas pre-sold thus far.

The first-generation car is on sale now, and the UK offers consumers a £5,000 ($8,142) grant, which yields a net selling price of £28,995 ($47,215).

The cost of the battery is reported to account for £7000 ($11,400) of the Ampera’s selling price, and it is estimated its production cost will be lopped in half by 2015.

Considering that GM has a no-talk-about-future-production policy for the Volt in the U.S., the degree of revelation from its European CEO is significant. If this report is reliable, and we have no reason to believe it is not, what he says about the Ampera being improved and launched in 2015 could be considered fodder to speculate what this means for the U.S. Volt.

Speculation about the Volt’s future selling price based on Euro/UK price decreases may not be as well founded however. Reasons why the prices are what they are in Europe and the UK are due to some factors that affect U.S. prices (like production cost), as well as factors unique to those export markets.

Part of the reason European and UK prices are higher, aside from the Value Added Tax which is not going away, is import costs. To eventually bring prices lower, it is expected economies of scale and saving money by building the vehicles in Europe and the UK will bring costs and selling price down.

For now, the Volt are Ampera are built at Detroit-Hamtramck and shipped over, partially eroding their net lifetime fuel and emissions savings in the process.

Vauxhall/Opel intends to gauge sales and market viability before committing to manufacturing domestically.

Reilly called the first-generation Ampera a “non-profit car,” but a worthy sacrifice toward gaining a leg up in the development of range-extended vehicles.

Assuming progress goes as planned, the Volt/Ampera will be manufactured somewhere in Europe for the Opel line, and Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port on Merseyside plant is the leading contender to win the contract for the UK-built cars.

Autocar reported also on the Ampera’s future styling. It said “insiders” have said the built-in-a-hurry first-gen Ampera is a bit more conservative than some might have liked, as it is essentially a restyled Volt built following the GM bankruptcy. We do not know if “insiders” is a cloaked reference to an off-the-record comment by Reilly, or others at GM.

The Vaxhall Zafira Tourer Concept may lend inspiration for the makeover of the 2015 Ampera sedan.

In any case, it is being said that the Ampera’s cutting-edge technology and unique branding will be better showcased in the second-generation 2015 model, which will take styling cues from the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer Concept.

That vehicle was shown this year at the Geneva motor show, and the UK publication described it as having “a more familiar Vauxhall family look” as well as a design that highlights advanced development.

We are unsure exactly what interior or exterior styling cues from the crossover type concept would lends themselves well to an advanced-tech sporty compact sedan, or that the Zafira Tourer even looks more high-tech to our American eyes, but this is the story as it was told.

Reilly did say the Ampera’s powertrain is scalable to make it workable in a variety of other vehicle types. This statement prompted speculation that a range of Amperas could be in the offing.

As we said earlier, this Autocar report could be fodder to guess what it will mean for the U.S. Volt’s future pricing and specifications.

That was the case yesterday in Australia where it was reported that the rarely mentioned Holden Volt’s price could drop by generation two. Its pricing has not even been disclosed yet for Oz, but it is believed the Volt could ring up for almost as much as the $61,990AUD ($63,493USD) Caprice. This was the word from an Australian publication that also caught wind of Autocar’s UK report, and interpreted it as news for the Holden-badged Volt.

That’s a Holden Volt, mate.

We attempted to get more information on the Holden Volt yesterday, but while GM replied to other questions, its spokesman neglected to talk about Holden.

As for supply to Europe and the UK, even though GM’s EREVs are only just now going on sale, Reilly said there will not be enough of them.

“It looks like we’ll get an allocation of 10,000 cars next year, but the demand is so strong that we are trying to get some more.”

As GM-Volt readers know, we have tried to get GM to comment on just such a scenario – that is, whether it could or would increase production if needed after an extra shift comes online at Detroit-Hamtramck later this year, and it is well on its way to producing 60,000 worldwide Volts and Amperas next year.

GM responded that it was not able to discuss such hypothetical matters.

Autocar

By Ashyia Hill

Editor’s Note: Ashyia contacted GM-Volt a few weeks ago, asked to post, got a few pointers from us on the topic, and submitted this yesterday.

For now, road tripping with a Chevy Volt is similar to taking a road trip with many other cars, in that you’ll probably find yourself relying on its ability to run on gasoline, rather than its ability to use electricity. You’ll still get decent fuel economy, but the goal down the proverbial road is to make it possible to take an entire long-distance trip on battery power alone.

With that said, the future is rapidly approaching, and more and more Volt owners are able to take long distance trips, plugging in as able at charging stations that are popping up across America. While some gas stations, garages, cities, grocery stores, and hotels have independent charging stations of their own, an easier way to find out where you can charge your vehicle is through the ChargePoint America program.

As many of you know, this program through Coulomb Technologies uses money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create new charging stations in select areas around the country. The goal of the program, according to its Web site is “to accelerate the development and production of electric vehicles to substantially reduce petroleum consumption, reduce greenhouse gas production, and create jobs.”

Not exactly taking a long trip, but charging nonetheless, actress Alexandra Paul plugs in her Volt at the new GM Torrance Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Torrance, Calif.

Thus far, the ChargePoint American program works out of Boston, MA; Sacramento, CA; Bellevue/Redmond, WA; San Jose/San Francisco Bay, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Austin, TX; Southern Michigan; New York, NY; Washington DC and Baltimore; and Orlando/Tampa, FL. If you’re planning to travel in any of these areas, you can use ChargePoint to find and use a charging station along your way.

If you have a smart phone, this is even easier, as you can use the ChargePoint app to get online and check out not only where the closest charging station is but also whether or not it’s currently in use. The program will also provide you with the ability to get a notification when your car is done charging and to avoid charging stations that are damaged or in repair, thus unusable at the moment.

In order to use the charging stations, you’ll need to apply for a ChargePass card and a monthly access plan. Soon, you’ll be able to use any Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card to authorize a session or to pay remotely for charging sessions. You can sign up for your card at mychargepoint.net, which will also allow you to get text notifications if your car charging session is interrupted or if your vehicle is completely charged.

Right now, charging stations are free to use, which is part of the effort to encourage more people to buy cars like the Volt. You’ll still need a ChargePass to unlock the station, though, so it’s a good idea to apply for one of these cards before you take your Volt on a long distance trip.

Outside of the ChargePoint Network

More and more hotels, in particular, are installing charging points for their customers, as well. These aren’t shown in the ChargePoint network because they’re operating outside of it. However, planning your trip around these hotels can give you access to charging stations overnight or during the day, so you can top off with a Level I charge or possibly a Level II charge.

According to hospitalityworldnetwork.com, some of the latest hotels to offer free or paid charging stations for their customers include:

• The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte
• Parc 55 Wyndham, San Francisco
• Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel
• Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ Element Hotels
• Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva
• Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center, New Jersey
• Memphis Peabody Hotel

Beyond these few, other hotels across the country are randomly jumping on the bandwagon, though it’s still too early to assume anything. Best bet is to call ahead to hotels on your route to see if they have or will soon have a car charging station available. If not, ask if they’ll consider installing one for valuable customers like you in the future!

Google Maps Application

As the owner of a Volt, if you’re not already, you’re about to become very good friends with Google maps. The long-time supporter of electric vehicles has started showing charging stations for the Volt, as well as other types of electric cars, on its citywide maps. Just use maps.google.com to search for “electric car charging stations” in the city you’re in or are traveling to. To get these maps as accurate as possible, Google teamed up with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which supplied the company with a growing list of available charging stations.

In the works: More infrastructure to make “happy motoring” literally true for the first time in history.

As is the case with ChargePoint, many other public charging stations are free for now because they’re another amenity to attract customers to high-end hotels, other businesses, or the bill is still being taken care of by grants to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles. However, eventually, it’s expected you’ll need to pay to charge your Volt at various stations. In these cases, you might find it advantageous to set aside a credit card for your charging purposes, just as you would set one aside to pay for gas. Then, you can pay it off monthly while keeping tabs on a cost of operation. Eventually, some speculate that credit cards will offer cash-back and points perks for car-charging purchases just like they do now for gas purchases.

As you can see, traveling long distances in a Chevy Volt takes a bit of planning, but a growing list of resources maximize the EREV’s ability to run on grid power. Tools like Google maps and ChargePoint America can give you access to the latest information on where you can keep your charge topped off throughout your trip.

What do you think, Volt drivers? Have you attempted traveling long distances and used any of these resources? Can you add to our resource list? Are you optimistic about the possibilities for all-electric travel in coming years? How do we maximize our growing clout as a constituency to make more solutions come along faster?

Without explanation, Ford has quietly pushed back the launch of its pending 2012 Focus EV until spring 2012, except for the states of New York and California.

Initial plans were to launch in 19 markets by the end of 2011 and the company has been promoting the model right up to last week when Ford CEO Alan Mulally plugged the vehicle on the David Letterman Show.

The reported delay is based on a promo ad in which Ford said the Focus Electric will be “Coming in spring 2012.”

This ad shows the 2012 launch date.

An email attributed to Ford’s Electrified Vehicles Marketing Manager, David Finnegan on MyFocusElectric.com spelled it out as well:

“For the first few months of production, we will be concentrating on California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of our initial markets starting in Spring 2012, including Raleigh/Durham. Does that help?”

This news comes also after Ford announced in June that it would triple U.S. production of “electrified” vehicles from 35,000 to over 100,000 by 2013.

The Focus Electric will be the first “electrified” vehicle to use a lithium-ion battery, and is one of several plug-in or battery-electric models known to be pending for the next few years, including the C-Max Hybrid, C-Max Energi. The Transit Connect already debuted at the end of 2010, and Ford has said it will announce at least another plug-in vehicle.

To attempt to learn more, we put in an email to a Ford media rep in charge of the Focus, but he did not reply. This lack of response by Ford was reported by other publications yesterday, so it is anyone’s guess why the delay.

It could be that by tentatively dipping its toes in the water first in New York and California, two of the most EV-embracing states in the country, Ford is simply being cautious. If so, it is being even more cautious than were Chevrolet and Nissan when they launched the Volt and LEAF in several states to start with.

It could also be supply chain issues, though we have no information on this.

As things stand, Ford has not retracted intentions to ultimately launch the Focus Electric in the United States nationwide.

Its amended plans are to have launched the Focus Electric first in New York and California, and by spring 2012 availability will include: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

The Detroit Bureau

An Auburn Hills, Mich. company is progressing toward a promising extended-range vehicle conversion for fleet applications, with aspirations also to partner with major manufacturers as an original equipment series hybrid solutions provider.

Some of you commented on ALTe’s F-150 conversion last year in the GM-Volt forum. More recently the company has announced it will conduct trials of a 2007 F-150-based prototype for several months beginning Spring 2012 with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).

ALTe’s converted F-150 is to undergo trials with PG&E and other companies to helping it sharpen its act. The retrofit is being marketed to fleets, but interested retail customers will be welcome too.

To gain a clearer view, we contacted ALTe’s Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Dennis Baranik, and from what he says, the company has high hopes indeed.

With stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules coming down the pike, ALTe already has a head start on a product that could dovetail with mandates, and the company is making strong industry alliances that are attracted to its business model and potential.

Among them, in April this year, ALTe announced it had reached a partnership with Manheim, a large automotive remarketing company, to do turnkey installations for fleet customers.

“With this partnership, ALTe’s fleet customers will be able to take their vehicle to a Manheim operating location and Manheim will retrofit their light trucks and vans with an ALTe series plug-in electric hybrid powertrain,” a company info sheet said. “The fleet customer will then reinsert the vehicle back into its fleet and realize fuel economy improvements of up to 200 percent.”

REEP Conversion

ALTe calls its iteration of its a series electric hybrid powertrain a Range Extended Electric Powertrain (REEP), and projects fuel efficiency improvements of at least 80 percent.

As it stands, ALTe’s conversion involves removal of the standard V8 engine from an F-Series pickup or Econoline van, and fitting it with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine serving as a generator that does not mechanically drive the wheels, Remy RVH250 electric traction motor, motor controller, software, and lithium-ion battery packs.

Another view of the ALTe rolling chassis.

The rear-wheel-drive F-150 to be tested by PG&E uses an engine from a late-model Focus, but ALTe has flexibility for what generator it will ultimately use.

“At this point, ALTe has used the Ford 2.0-liter engine in its prototype vehicles but the company has not yet signed a long-term supply agreement with an engine supplier (expected within the next 2-3 months),” Baranik said. “ALTe is in discussions with several OEMs who have expressed interest in providing engines.”

He would not say what company supplies the motor controllers, but the long-term supply contract with Remy for its bleeding-edge, High Voltage Hairpin motors is set, he said, as is a contract for the lithium-ion batteries, which we are apparently just a little early reporting on.

“ALTe has recently signed a long-term supply agreement with one of the leading lithium-ion battery companies in North America,” Baranik said. “A press release will be issued within the next two weeks.”

The F-150, Baranik said, has a range “projected at about 25 miles in the prototype vehicle.” Horsepower from the four-cylinder plus motor is said to be on par with the supplanted V8, torque is greater, and cargo and towing capacity are unaffected.

After the twin battery packs adding up to 20 kWh deplete, Baranik said PG&E can expect “between 25-30 mpg in charge-sustained mode (i.e., once the genset turns on and after the “all electric” range/miles).”

Photo of actual rolling chassis. Green sections are battery packs. Note multi-speed transmission is retained. As an option ALTe will rebuild the transmission while the REEP conversion is being performed.

Baranik said while the present prototype is a 4X2, the system will work for four-wheel-drive applications also.

“The packaging is different for a 4×4 vehicle but the ALTe powertrain will be able to be installed/retrofit in 4×4 vehicles,” Baranik said.

What does ALTe hope to accomplish in the PG&E trial?

ALTe intends “for a very educated and experienced fleet (PG&E) to evaluate and provide to ALTe’s engineers performance feedback that can enhance the ALTe powertrain as we prepare for launch next year,” Baranik said. “This will also provide an opportunity for PG&E to validate ALTe’s product.”

Next, we asked Baranik whether ALTe would use larger batteries than 20 kWh to extend all-electric range?

“ALTe will enter the market initially with a common configuration for light trucks/vans up to 14,000 GVW,” Baranik said. “Eventually, ALTe will offer a larger powertrain for trucks/vans up to 26,000 GVW and also have the ability to offer customers various options that could increase electric miles and/or range and/or other performance specifications.”

Given its new efficiency, the converted F-150’s 27-gallon tank is removed and replaced with a relatively small 8-gallon tank.

“With a projected range of about 300 miles, ALTe does not believe it necessary to offer a larger fuel tank,” Baranik said.

Costs for an individual vehicle conversion are projected at around $30,000. While this sounds high, ALTe has a business case to justify this to fleet customers who are known to be sticklers looking at return on investment. Depending on the usage model, payback can be as soon as 12 months, “depending primarily on the number of miles driven and the projected cost of gasoline,” another company representative said.

“The price of the ALTe powertrain is projected to decline significantly over the next several years as demand for lithium ion batteries increases and corresponding battery costs decline,” the representative said. “Furthermore, many corporate, regional and local fleet owners and operators are being forced to continue to use their current fleet as their replacement fund budgets have been drastically reduced. ALTe offers them, for the first time ever, a feasible option to extend the life of their fleet vehicles for several years where they also benefit from doubled fuel economy at an affordable incremental cost.”

Cost benefit chart provided by ALTe.

We asked Baranik: What subsidies, if any, could help underwrite lease or purchase of retrofitted REEP vehicles?

“Federal tax credits are the most well known source of financial assistance. In addition, there are numerous state and local grants, credits and subsidies that vary by locale,” he said.

We asked also: Does the $7,500 federal grant for consumers apply to a retrofitted REEP vehicle?

“At this point, a federal tax credit equal to 10 percent of the cost of a retrofit with an alternative-fuel powertrain is available with a maximum amount of a $4,000 tax credit (e.g., if the retrofit cost $30,000 then the tax credit would be equal to $3,000),” Baranik said.

Measures of success

All this sounds great, but will this company fly? Baranik said plans indicate a definite yes.

The company’s CEO and co-founder, John Thomas was recently named as one of Automotive News’ Electrifying 100, and it has garnered more impressive commitment from industry bigwigs.

“ALTe has formed a Customer Advisory Board that includes fleet directors from over a dozen of the leading brand names in North America, including PG&E, Cox Communication, Frito Lay, Duke Energy, Waste Management, Service Master, DirecTV, and Stantec among others,” Baranik said. “All of these fleet managers have driven an ALTe powered vehicle and have verified the feasibility of our business model.”

It says “REEV” in this graphic, but the company is going with the term “REEP.”

Digging slightly deeper, we asked whether the company has any paying customers yet?

“ALTe is projected to start installing its electric powertrain systems in summer 2012 with the company beginning to accept purchase orders at the end of the 2011,” Baranik said.

We also asked what commitments the company has from any accounts pending.

“ALTe will begin accepting purchase orders at the end of 2011 to support its summer 2012 product launch. In the meantime, ALTe has contracted on pilot projects with PG&E and other companies (names not yet released publicly) where one of their vehicles will be retrofit with an ALTe powertrain. The companies will be able to evaluate the performance and provide feedback to ALTe and presumably lead to purchase orders for 2012.

OK, all this still sounds solid, but we are familiar with startups that love to sell the sizzle, so we asked about profitability.

When does your business plan call for you to be in the black, or are you self-funded?

“At this point, ALTe is not generating revenue but intends to be self funded and profitable from Job #1 forward,” Baranik said.

If the company can pull off profitability from its first contract, that would be exceptional indeed, but this is what we were told.

Next we asked, can you share who your investors are, if there are any?

“Two members of our Board of Directors, Tom Lasorda (former CEO of Chrysler) and Simon Ahn (attorney who also is managing director of SMS Investment Group) are investors in ALTe along with the three co-founders and several other sources,” Baranik said.

We asked whether the REEP conversions will be available for all makes and models?

“ALTe will initially be targeting to retrofit Ford branded pickup trucks (F-Series) and full-size vans (Econoline), but eventually the company plans to retrofit other brands as well,” Baranik said. “Longer term, ALTe is involved in discussions with various OEMs regarding the inclusion of an ALTe PHEV powertrain in new vehicle platforms.”

More to the point, we asked, what are the company’s long-term goals?

“[To] include ALTe powertrains in new vehicle platforms, transition our business model internationally, and expand our product line to include other EV components,” Baranik said.

Initial fleet accounts will be light trucks, limo vans, etc., leading up to plans for 26,000 GVWR vehicles. Automakers could also work with ALTe to apply its technology to passenger vehicles built on an assembly line. Economies of scale and declining battery prices are anticipated to make that feasible

If this pans out, it could prove lucrative if present deals Tesla has with Toyota are any indicator. Tesla has recently disclosed a $100 million contract in working with Toyota on plug-in solutions, and talk also of a deal as high as $1 billion have been reportedly in discussion between Tesla and Toyota.

As it is, the need to make gas guzzlers less thirsty is even more pressing, and it makes a lot of sense too. The Chevrolet Volt, for example, gets an EPA rated 37 mpg when running on gasoline power, and its Cruze sibling achieves around the same or even higher. The biggest sore thumbs on the automotive fuel economy landscape are gas guzzlers including light duty trucks, which Americans are still infatuated with, are still needed by fleets, and still selling in high numbers dragging down fleet fuel economy averages.

So, lastly, we asked: how do the new CAFE rules affect your future plans?

“As indicated in the recently released CAFE proposal, the federal government has established a 54.5 mpg fuel economy target by the 2025 model year. Importantly for ALTe, the proposal would exempt full size pickup trucks from any fuel economy increases from the 2017-2019 model years,” Baranik said. “This confirms what ALTe has learned through various industry sources – that the OEMs do not have any meaningful powertrain improvements planned for the light truck industry for the next several years.”

ALTe says it has meaningful powertrain improvements being finalized, and it will begin taking orders in 2011 putting it in position to help automakers with another solution for gas guzzlers.