GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Although newly revealed at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show and scheduled for production next year, Henrik Fisker said his company had the Surf in its back pocket since the extended-range Karma and convertible version were designed in 2009.

Based on the same shared powertrain, and dimensionally nearly identical from the front of the car to the D-pillar, the Surf is a five-door wagon, or “shooting brake” variant offering more utility while retaining 981 pound-feet of torque on tap.

Fisker Surf.

“[The Surf] is really a kind of merger of a sports car with a station wagon,” said Fisker to the media just before Frankfurt. “The inspirations for me – in growing up – were cars like the Jensen Interceptor and the Lamborghini Espada. They were super-cool sports cars that you could actually imagine living with and fitting a little bit of luggage and some people into.”

Fisker has designed vehicles for BMW and Aston Martin, and his new high-line wagon is packed with earth-friendly accoutrements one would expect from a green car vying to earn a rightful place among such brands.

Beneath the standard glass roof, or optional (lighter-than-the-glass) solar roof is seating made with eco-friendly, low-emissions tanning process Scottish leather. Alternatively, synthetic materials will be available via EcoStandard or EcoChic trim packages for those who prefer to avoid animal byproducts.

This is the answer to concerns over the Karma’s tiny trunk.

Further U.S. green car cred is offered by way of American-sourced wood for trim that was salvaged both from California’s not-long-ago fires, and from previously submerged logs raised from the Great Lakes.

Seat cushions, metal trim, carpet and undersides are also recycled, Fisker said.

As for that 981 pound-feet of torque – and 403 maximum horsepower – readers of GM-Volt are probably familiar by now with the Karma’s powertrain. Briefly, it relies on a 260 horsepower, 2.0-liter GM Ecotec turbo engine plus two electric motors powered by a 20 kWh li-ion battery.

Rear seats in upright position.

GM-Volt contributor nasaman recently reported Karma driving impressions confirming it is quick indeed. Fisker says the Surf’s power is enough to move it at a Karma-equaling pace of 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds in “sport” mode which uses gasoline and electric power combined. In the default all-electric “stealth” mode, 60 mph from zero is said to arrive in 7.9 seconds.

One would think having more torque than the Bugatti Veyron would make it capable of quicker acceleration – and ordinarily they would be correct. But the vehicle is handicapped by making due with one gear ratio, and weighing more than two tons. Although we have heard varying reports, Motor Trend says weight increases just 77 pounds for the Surf to 4177 pounds total.

Rear seats folded down.

Fisker has talked about employing a multi-speed transmission on models to come and was quoted saying its EVers could achieve acceleration at “Veyron levels.” Whether that is a bit of stretch, we otherwise think it would be a great idea. Necessary? Some would say not, but as EV transmission makers are saying to persuade those not yet convinced, it could improve efficiency and speed potential as well.

But this is a small-scale company, working with great gobs of talent, decent funding, but not infinitely deep-pocketed, and first things first have been to get good quality products to market without excessive delay.

In keeping with this dictate, Fisker said the aluminum and composite-bodied Surf has just 233 unique parts differentiating it from its fraternal triplet sibling Karma. And though they were conceived and brought to life in the same flurry of activity as the yet-to-be-launched convertible Karma version, in the wisdom of their creator they were separated at birth, and destined for staged introductions into the awaiting automotive world.

Looks too pretty to put anything potentially damaging in.

“We have a whole different design process when compared to other car companies,” said VP of global design Alex Pratt. “We designed our three vehicles simultaneously from the beginning of the project – we believe we save a lot of money and time in doing that. So the Surf was designed a while ago. We designed the four-door with [the thought] in mind that we were going to do the Surf, and [the Karma] was also designed to do a convertible.

Therefore, all this was planned all along; nothing about this was an afterthought. And, therefore, it wasn’t that difficult to implement it, and it was, in fact, a very cost-efficient vehicle to put on the market. That’s why we can make a very good business case with this vehicle, even if we do a very low volume of only two and a half thousand or 3000 a year.”

The Surf – named after the ocean waves in the company’s newfound Southern California home – is intended to be even more practical than a three-door Ferrari FF wagon.

Tugging on its leather shoulder latches on the back seats lowers them to allow 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space. This said, the Surf won’t quite be at home backing up to Home Depot for a load of 2X4s, as the trunk is segmented and prevents those kind of work-a-day considerations.

Push start button and go.

Fisker is however designing a suitably attractive roof rack to carry longer items as needed, although the thinking is these would be essentials like surf boards, snow boards or skis.
Another concern – even though the 124.4-inch (or so) wheelbase vehicle is as big as a family wagon – is back-seat passengers over-six-feet-tall will find the accommodations limited.

Reportedly Fisker intentionally kept some dimensions tight, so those in the rear seats will be better off if they have tiny feet, as the front bucket seats don’t allow much room for larger feet to slide under.

But Fisker told the press he knew the Surf – expected to sell for a bit more than the high-five-figure Karma – was a niche vehicle, and not for everyone.

“We aim to create new, innovative vehicles – ones that no one has ever done. You know, the Surf is not going to be to everybody’s liking, but I think as a smaller new car manufacturer, we have to be able to take some risk and go out and create some different vehicles that are not necessarily mainstream and for everybody. A lot of people will probably say it is maybe ‘too extreme for me,’ but a lot of people will be like, ‘You know, this is exactly what I want.’”

Plans are for Fisker’s more than 50 global distributors to begin receiving Surfs in mid-2012. Sales are estimated to be split 40/20/20 percent between Europe, America and China, with the remaining 20 percent going to the rest of the company’s growing sphere of influence.

Motor Trend, Automotive News

These are turning out to be creative times for automakers tasked with developing electrified ideas, and Audi’s unique Urban concept with wireless charging is no exception.

Unveiled Sunday at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the ultralight 1+1 city car – made in a coupe and spyder version – is the response to a no-holds-barred question asking for new thinking.

Audi asked: “How much car is necessary to deliver driving pleasure and urban mobility in an entirely new way?”

Less is more: Audi Urban concept.

The answer, the company says, resulted in the birth to the Urban concept, adding that designers kept a sailplane model in the development studio as an example of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction – and as a reminder of the principle of “less is more.”

Audi says the 1,058-pound (480-kg) vehicle is not based on any previous automotive category or Audi concept and “combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.”

It uses two 20-horsepower (15-kw) e-tron electric motors paired between the rear single-ratio-driven wheels delivering about 35 pound-feet (47 Nm) of torque.

The 7.1 kWh li-ion battery is transversely mounted behind the seats and weighs 198.5 pounds (90 kg).

Step in, have a seat, and take off with the roof open, if you like.

Performance is said to be 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in 16.9 seconds. It gets to 37 mph (60 kph) in 6.9 seconds. Its European drive cycle range is 45 miles (73 mph).

Recharge time from 230-volt European house current is about an hour, and this time can reportedly be cut to 20 minutes when 400-volt, three-phase current is applied.

What’s more, the concept uses Audi Wireless Charging (AWC), a form of contactless induction charging.

The infrastructure side includes a coil and an inverter (AC/AC converter) placed on the Audi’s parking location – at home for now, and Audi is working on solutions for parking garages and more. A 3.6-kw primary coil set into the plate generates a high-frequency alternating field activated when the vehicle parks in place.

Neo-retro convertible. How would you feel riding around town in this?

How does it work?

“The alternating magnetic field of the infrastructure side induces an alternating current across the air gap in the secondary coil, which is integrated into the vehicle. This current is rectified and fed into the vehicle’s electrical system, where it charges the battery or powers consumers such as the heater. The alternating field is only generated if the vehicle is standing over the plate and thus poses no danger to people or animals.

The car’s shell material is carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), and the occupant shell is a mix of aluminum and CFRP monocoque.

Getting in and out of it is just about as novel.

The vehicle’s cabin offers slightly offset seating for two with a roof that slides back for entry.

With fender-mounted LEDs lit.

Audi says without great flexibility required, driver and passenger step into the door-less vehicle much like you would a bathtub. To make it even more fun to drive, the sliding roof on the coupe can remain open in good weather.

Sitting in the car is said to be somewhat like sitting in an airplane cockpit. The driver can precisely adjust the positions of the aluminum pedals and steering column with both components being telescoping for a custom driving position.

Although driver and passenger sit next to one another, the right seat is offset to the rear by 11.81 inches (30 cm) to provide shoulder and elbow room. To save weight, the seats are fixed, integral components of the monocoque and covered with foam custom-fabricated to the customer’s measurements. The seat belts run through cutouts in the seat backs.

A mat covers parts of the floor, rather than carpeting. It is made from a water-repellant and durable technical textile originally developed for athletic shoes. The seats are covered with cloth, with the edges of the foam pads framed in kangaroo leather. Aluminum applications accentuate the dashboard.

Suspension is wishbone-type made from CFRP and aluminum to position the 21-inch free-standing wheels. Tire sizes are unique also at 125/60 in front and 145/50 in the rear.

Atop the fenders are innovative LED strips used as more conspicuous turn signal/marker lights.

“The highly concentrated look of the technical study, with its forward-urging lines, is dynamic and emotional – it lends Audi’s design language a completely new impetus,” Audi says.

The suspension mounts the struts like some racecars in a nearly horizontal fashion connected by pushrods. Four discs do the stopping duties.

The turning circle is less than 29.5 feet (nine meters) for maneuvering in tight city environments. No power assist is required for the rack-and-pinion steering.

Staggered seats and good visibility.

Audi says safety has been as studiously thought out as the rest of the car, with crumple zones in front and rear as well as two airbags to create a high degree of passive safety.

Included is an electronic assist to aid the driver in avoiding accidents with pedestrians.

Fresh ideas are good

Yesterday we saw Opel’s idea of lightweight urban mobility, today we see Audi’s.

We will see more designs this week and whether they make it to series production stage or merely lend new direction, it is positive for electric vehicles that manufacturers are spending this much effort.

German-language video has the sound turned off.

So, how would you re-engineer this to make it ready for prime time?

The Audi’s 45-mile range sounds a bit like a hard sell, but what if a vehicle like this was made a little larger, with more power capacity to enhance range and speed as well?

The mantra of “less is more” has been said to be particularly appropriate for EVs, as it helps maximize performance from a limited energy budget.

Less mass offer a cascade of benefits, including less power is required, which means smaller batteries and motor are needed, which means less to pay for, and it takes less time to recharge.

Or, how would this be as an EREV, say maybe with a 600cc three- or four-cylinder genset and a bit more battery/motor power as well?

If its head-turning looks were matched with more performance, it could be another step toward fun-to-drive solutions trumping other automaker’s more frumpy eco-friendly designs.

Like it or not, this car is more reminiscent of a vintage hotrod than something one would expect from Audi, and it appears to have a lot of the right stuff for improved possibilities to follow.

Audi.

Oh to be sixteen again … OK, that’s a debatable statement, but it’s at least certain that when you were that age you never had the possibility of owning anything like Opel’s latest green car targeted at entry level drivers.

The German GM division says the all-electric tandem two-seater One Euro Car it intends to showcase this week will be affordable and ideal for drivers age 16 and up.

In a none-too-modest, but limited-for-hard-facts press release, Opel says the veritable space pod on wheels is “making a strong claim for the title of star-attraction at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show.”

Opel’s One Euro Car concept.

What’s more, this is a concept that has “production potential,” Opel says, and “opens a new chapter in electric mobility and extends Opel’s pioneering role in alternative propulsion systems.”

No doubt we’ll find out more after the beginning of the massive auto extravaganza in Opel’s home country. In the mean time, it has described some aspects of the fantastic-looking car’s real-world practicality.

One of these is the car comes with a built-in nanny.

Just as Internet browsing controls can be limited from more racy surfing, Opel’s cooler-than-an-iPod new EV can be dialed back to a max speed of only 28 mph (45 kph) in an effort to keep young Jürgen or Anja from wadding up this fine looking creation – and making it legal where 18 is the minimum age for a full license.

Of course if someone older buys it with his or her own hard-earned Euros, the capability is there for a bit more robust performance without breaking the bank.

Its maximum (un-governed) speed is 75 mph (120 kph), which makes it “motorway capable,” and its range of 62 miles (100 kilometers) will require $1.41 (one Euro – thus the car’s name) worth of electric charge – which ought not take too long to replenish considering European wall sockets deliver 230 volts.

If Luke Skywalker had a first car, it probably looked kind of like this.

It weighs just one-third of a modern small car, Opel says, and its energy requirements are ten times lower.

Opel is notably silent about its safety potential, but with low mass, limited crumple zones, and ability to mix it up with bigger, heavier, faster vehicles, it better have airbags galore, and every other safety enhancing trick possible.

Its size makes it appear much like a modernistic Neighborhood Electric Vehicle capable of venturing outside the neighborhood – after proudly having shed any vestiges of that genre of vehicle’s humble golf cart roots.

Although how far it could go at its max speed remains in question. Perhaps on second thought the little car is better suited to keeping pretty close to home.

At this point more questions surround this potentially image-enhancing runabout than answers.

And while Opel will have more to say this week, it too will be looking for a response.

It has received a lot of pre-orders for the Ampera, has been experimenting with other concepts besides, and this is part of its attempt to probe which of its ideas have a marketable future.

Obviously drivers of all ages could be attracted to this vehicle, and while Opel says it had 16 year olds in mind, if it decides to produce it, kids from 16 to 116 could conceivably sign up.

Note motorcycle tires. Does this thing lean at all when cornering, or does it use the smaller contact patch rubber Os to reduce rolling resistance?

What do you think? Will it make it beyond concept stage? After all it has a lot of the right ingredients – it’s inexpensive, frugal to operate, has novel looks, and is environmentally friendly.

If you are a parent, would you buy this for your child as a first vehicle?

In characteristic PR style, Opel is throwing a fair degree of self-aggrandizing accolades at it, suggesting this “new chapter” has now been opened, but has it?

Really, the way the game works is Opel wants to see what people will embrace. So how about it? Is a great idea? If so, why?

Opel Media

Strumming the heartstrings of what many Americans want to hear, this week Virginia-based GreenTech Automotive announced American production of green energy cars that would compete favorably with China.

In a reversal of the usual, GreenTech’s chairman – and former Democratic National Committee chairman – Terry McAuliffe said the company will begin manufacturing Smart-sized MyCar neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) in Mississippi.

“I am sick and tired of seeing our jobs go to China,” McAuliffe told MSNBC recently. “I am sick and tired of seeing big cargo ships coming in from China.”

The MyCar was designed for a Hong Kong firm GreenTech acquired in 2010.

The two-seat vehicles are said to begin production this year, and McAuliffe has pledged to make available the first 100,000 for a mere $10,000 each before subsidies.

Earlier plans to import them from China are on hold although the company’s CEO says an assembly plant in the desert of Inner Mongolia is still being constructed.

We’ll get to that shortly, but this week’s news is the MyCar will be the first of several hybrid and electric vehicles made in America, by Americans, with plans to heavily export them as well.

The MyCar was originally designed by Giorgetto Giugaro’s Italdesign and discovered by McAuliffe on a trip to London.

Performance reports vary, but the car may be capable of about 70 miles maximum range, with a maximum speed of 50 mph, although in the U.S. as an NEV it would be limited to 25 or 35 mph.

The first exports are intended to go to Denmark for European distribution later this year where higher speeds may be permitted.

In its press release, GreenTech says the Danish company Greenabout, which distributes electric vehicles and related products and services, “will purchase a sizable percentage of GTA’s MyCar production through 2014.”

And of these announced American beginnings, McAuliffe shared his vision.

“This agreement is a major step in the relationship we have proudly formed with Danish leaders,” said McAuliffe. “We share a desire to create and utilize affordable green transportation and with this MyCar agreement, we are making broad strides to begin selling our American-made MyCars throughout Europe. Not only does this agreement reflect our principles of affordable green energy, it also means new manufacturing jobs in America.”

Similarly, Greenabout CEO Per Boesen expressed his enthusiasm.

“GreenTech’s MyCar is proof that it is possible to create high-quality, sustainable products. We will be helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating new jobs in Denmark and elsewhere across the globe,” Boesen said. Earlier this year, Denmark released its “ambitious, highly-praised ‘Energy Strategy 2050,’” which calls for the creation of a fossil-free energy network, independent from oil, coal, and gas by 2050.

A little bit of background

To be fair, we gave you the positive spin up front, although as you will see, industry observers have expressed strong words of doubt for this venture’s viability.

First off, whether NEVs are even a great idea is in question. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued warnings for consumers to stay away from NEVs because they don’t have to pass crash tests. When subjected to them informally, they invariably allow catastrophic or fatal injuries to their would-be occupants.

The Truth About Cars has followed the GreenTech story and reported some “stranger than fiction” dealings in the saga of the company said to have been founded in 2006.

Originally GreenTech was an offshoot of Hybrid Kinetic Motors, founded by Yang Rong – who also goes by Benjamin Yeung. He was the former CEO of Chinese automaker, Brilliance.

It was in 2009 that a pin was stuck on the U.S. map in Alabama as a future site of manufacturing for GreenTech cars. At that time, Rong and GreenTech’s current CEO and former founder of Brilliance, Charles Yang developed plans that fell apart before coming to fruition.

The New York Times reported that in 2001, due to his success at Brilliance, Forbes ranked Yang as China’s third-richest tycoon, with an estimated wealth of $840 million.

CEO Wang and Chairman McAuliffe in Mongolia.

The Times recently interviewed Wang who said plans were indeed still proceeding at “warp speed” to build the assembly plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.

Wang told the Times it would be completed by the end of 2012 and have capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles per year.

As for this week’s Mississippi plans, GreenTech has found it expedient to “rely heavily” on funding provided by the “EB-5” Immigrant Investor Program.

This federal program provides green cards and permanent residency to foreign nationals and their families who contribute $500,000 or more to a successful business in rural areas and areas of high unemployment.

In a story the Times wrote last year titled “Green Cards for Green Cars,” it was shown affluent Chinese were escaping their homeland by buying their way into America’s heartland.

This week the Times reported that Wang said GreenTech “has been utilizing the EB-5 program as part of our funding sources.”

To do what the company intends to do will take billions. The company told Automotive News it is well funded, but did not disclose details.

Audacity of Hope

Automotive News has reported that McAuliffe’s plans for a bright American green future are – to be charitable – perhaps a wee bit optimistic.

On second thought, let’s forget being charitable: Actually the term used by Automotive News writer Charles Child is that the plan is “dead on arrival,” and he also wrote:

“What keeps the vision alive is McAuliffe’s audacity. With confidence and verve, he spells out his job-creating optimism on friendly national cable shows such as “The Daily Rundown” and “The Ed Show,” also on MSNBC … Bold auto visions are fine. But they require staggering amounts of money and manpower. And there’s no tangible indication that McAuliffe has either.”

Child reported GreenTech of McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington D.C., has around 50 employees, and hopes by year’s end to have 100.

In contrast, just to expand its advanced-tech research and development, GM has hired around 2,000 engineers, let alone other employees.

And while it makes for a great sound bite to promise the first 100,000 MyCars for $10,000 apiece, consider that International Market Solutions showed the U.S. market for NEVs last year was less than 26,000 units

GreenTech did concede this when to an Automotive News inquiry it replied: Neighborhood electrics “are a small market for sure, at least right now. We have a few ideas on how to create some awareness and build that market. Our goal of 100,000 units is a cumulative sales figure over time. We look forward to achieving that.”

So the plan as it stands is to get the ball rolling by selling over one hundred thousand NEV death traps, as the IIHS essentially calls them, to a limited market. In the U.S. they will be banned from streets with speed limits over 45 mph, and the launch date for other green cars is nowhere in sight. Despite saying it has wads of cash ready to go, last week GreenTech scaled back plans to build hybrids and electrics at its Mongolia plant in 2013.

“Our expanding product portfolio, including hybrid and electric full-speed vehicle will come in due time and we have not yet set a timetable for the next product introduction” after this year’s NEV, said a GreenTech statement. “We fully understand the challenges in time, money, and technical expertise to produce a quality hybrid or electric vehicle.”

What to believe?

In the mean time, if you want an exciting story offering hope to the flagging American manufacturing sector and more, take the face value of news GreenTech is promising as it says thousands of American jobs will be created leading back toward greater domestic self reliance.

It has not convinced analysts or experienced reporters, as Truth About Cars editor Edward Niedermeyer expressed plainly.

“I’ve only been blogging about the car industry for about three and a half years, but I’ve seen this movie way too many times before,” he said. “If you’ve missed out on the ZAP saga, to cite the most infamous example of the ‘NEV today, domination tomorrow’ scam, read this, this, this and this for a primer on how this game works. It’s not pretty, and I hoped it was left behind in 2008, when it still fooled a few people. Today there’s no excuse for anyone to be taken in by such an unimaginative, played-out scam.

McAuliffe and his friend Bill Clinton discuss the MyCar.

It would be really great if detractors are proven wrong. But if GreenTech plans turn out to be “over the top,” as Automotive News says, it will be a disgrace to have built up hopes when the means to get there amounted to little more than a tired re-run of the usual chutzpah.

That McAuliffe has been sufficiently plausible to some should come as no surprise however, as he is past master at playing the right note from his days in high-level politics.

McAuliffe has a law degree from Georgetown University, and was a fundraiser for Jimmy Carter’s unsuccessful re-election campaign, and an “exceptionally effective” fundraiser for Bill Clinton’s presidential bids.

In 2000 Al Gore called McAuliffe “the greatest fundraiser in the history of the universe.”

On GreenTech’s Web site his biography says under his leadership the Democratic National Committee set party records by raising more than $535 million.

However the source that cited the Al Gore quote, Discoverthenetworks.org, also noted of his political dealings:

McAuliffe is particularly adept at the raising of soft money – funds that, by endorsing an overall cause or party rather than a specific candidate, are legally permitted to exceed the limits normally placed on contributions to a political campaign. Because they are not bound by such restrictions, soft money contributions are often so large – frequently in excess of $100,000 – that donors naturally expect to receive some form of payback in return for their generosity. McAuliffe’s soft money strategy was responsible for President Clinton’s 1996 scandal concerning the Lincoln Bedroom sleepovers and the White House coffees, two tactics employed to solicit huge donations from wealthy friends and patrons of the Clintons.

McAuliffe reportedly also initiated and chaired President Clinton’s multimillion-dollar legal defense fund during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and has been investigated by federal officials for questionable business deals.

In 2009, he ran for Governor of Virginia, but was unsuccessful, and prior to that had headed Hillary Rodham Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Even left-leaning political commentators have called him a hypocrite for saying the way to create more American jobs is to build a large assembly plant in China.

But McAuliffe says he has started 25 businesses and they’ve all made money.

That he has talent, is connected, and knows how to network is not in question.

Last week, GreenTech’s Alan Himelfarb, executive vice president for strategic planning, told Automotive News he knew there were skeptics, but said, “We are very realistic about the challenge.”

GreenTech says it will pull off McAuliffe’s passion for green cars and desire to bring renewed optimism to Americans, and – to be charitable again – we’ll note that stranger things have happened, and it would be terrific if such grand plans could actually work out.

If they come to pass we will be in line to give credit where due. In the mean time, as others have said already, we’ll believe it when we see it.

The Truth About Cars, Wheels Blog, Automotive News (subscription req’d).

If General Motors wants success when it begins delivering Volts to China this year, it may have to bow to a pending Chinese law insisting GM agree to give up a related core trade secret to its Chinese joint venture (JV) partner, just as Ford already has.

The pressure to give in is substantial although negotiations are ongoing. As the tentative rule stands, Chinese Volt buyers could be eligible for government subsidies equal to almost half the Volt’s selling price, and this carrot is being dangled despite likely violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and western trade officials’ protests.

As we have reported before, China is aggressively pursuing a policy favoring “new energy” vehicles, and it is using the fact that since 2009 it has been the world’s largest auto market to lever billions in intellectual property away from western companies.

In the Volt’s case, China wants GM to fork over complete details on one of three technologies – some of which were developed with taxpayer dollars – according to a story written from China by the New York Times.

GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale drives the Chevrolet Volt on its unplugged journey.

Already big industries like wind turbines, high-speed trains and water purification have been built in China due to policies that force technology transfers from non-Chinese companies.

Now the budding Western advanced-tech automotive industry is being threatened to capitulate and follow others before it.

The $19,300 per buyer in potential subsidies and tax breaks GM needs for the Volt to compete on even footing hinge on delivering trade secrets. These would pertain to either electric motors, complex electronic controls or power storage devices – which for the Volt means its battery pack.

Presently China’s incentives are available only for Chinese vehicles such as the BYD e6.

GM has been credited for leading the way with the Volt. Now on its shoulders falls the dubious honor of being a test case that has the Office of the United States Trade Representative involved, although its spokesperson was careful not to issue any inflammatory remarks at this yet delicate stage.

Spokeswoman Nkenge Harmon benignly said U.S. trade officials will need to review the details of the availability of Chinese car subsidies.

She added that, “while the United States shares China’s desire to support the development and deployment of electric vehicles, we have been clear that it is important that we and other trading partners employ policies that do not discriminate against foreign enterprises and foreign products.”

But discriminating they are.

The Times reports at least five trade experts say that if made law, Chinese policies would violate WTO rules that forbid making it uneconomical to do business unless trade secrets are divulged.

“The rules do not allow a country to impose a requirement affecting the internal sale, distribution or purchase of a product in a way that favors its own product over imports,” said Carolyn B. Gleason, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery in Washington and longtime specialist in W.T.O. cases.

In contrast, the U.S. does not withhold subsidies from importers of electric vehicles, but this does not seem to be swaying Chinese officials.

Finding itself at a pivotal moment, General Motors is petitioning the Chinese to the degree that it thinks it can to allow breaks for the Volt without being made to fork over its vital secrets.

No mention was given by the Times of the also well-documented predilection of some in China to sidestep intellectual property rights, and merely clone what they want regardless of official agreements.

Nonetheless, the continuing official story between GM and China is focused on coming to an agreement in the light of day.

“We’ll bring it up in every conversation we have,” said Raymond Bierzynski, the executive director of electrification strategy at GM China.

As GM-Volt readers know, GM already has a few joint venture partnerships with China, and its former head, Rick Wagoner had foresight to go to China years ago, so GM is already heavily invested – and poised to reap a harvest.

Last year 17 million cars – almost all petrol powered – were sold in the still-growing Chinese market. The Chinese are now anxiously rushing ahead with plans to replace these with advanced-tech vehicles that GM could easily (teach them to) make.

Although China is eager to publish its ambitious plans as long as they are spun in a self-flattering way, the Times reports that after repeated requests for comments on the subsidy issue, China’s commerce ministry gave no answer.

Tell us how to make this, say the Chinese. (Volt concept powertrain and chassis shown).

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a “Western official” said American and European Union officials have made a series of informal protests, but apparently to no avail.

Where things stand now is China has circulated its pending policy to Chinese and multinational automakers. A final release is expected by the end of the month, after which, the official said it would be even harder to change.

The U.S. Energy Department has helped GM for many years on electric car research, but David Sandalow, the assistant secretary of energy for policy and international affairs, said the department “has no comment at this time.”

Incentives in question would not apply to vehicles like the Prius, which gets most of its propulsion from gasoline power.

On the other hand, electric vehicles made by Ford – which is doing tech demonstrations in China but otherwise somewhat lagging behind GM – would be eligible.

And for its part, Ford has already agreed to transfer at least one core technology with its JV partner, said Nancy Gioia, director of Ford’s global electrification strategy.

The JV company that Ford is teamed up with is the civilian automotive affiliate of a large contractor for the People’s Liberation Army, China Weaponry Equipment.

The Times reports that Ford also has access to U.S. defense-related transportation secrets. Ford has been working with the U.S Energy and Defense departments to develop advanced military hybrid and electric vehicles that can operate far from gasoline or diesel supplies.

But Ford said it sees no conflict of interest.

Providing mastery of a core electric vehicle technology is a good thing, Gioia said, because it helps improve global environmental sustainability for the auto industry. Nor are there any legal restrictions against Ford sharing potential military transportation technology, she said.

Another strong argument, Gioia said, is that Ford’s best interest is to to manufacture in its local market, as this avoids trade frictions and currency fluctuation. So Ford is taking what it sees as the best course of action.

Plans are for Ford to introduce its Focus Electric in China by the end of this year, about when Chevrolet plans to begin offering the Volt there.

As for Nissan, which already is selling the Leaf in the U.S. and Japan, the company’s senior vice president of technology development, Minoru Shinohara, said China will not get its intellectual property.

Without elaborating, he merely said the Leaf is not “suitable” for the Chinese market. Instead Nissan will manufacture a Chinese-branded car by 2015 with its JV partner, Dongfeng Motor.

On the road to Shanghai.

Japanese and European automakers have held back for fear of losing trade secrets, the Times said, because they are loathe to share their newest technologies with Chinese companies.

GM has the same choice to make as it stands caught in a sticky wicket between potential profits versus divulging the workings of the Volt as well as other advanced technology that would follow.

The Times reports the Volt dispute threatens another trade dispute with the West and could affect the quality of a visit to China this month by American energy secretary, Steven Chu.

When he goes there, it appears he will encounter recalcitrant Chinese officials who are determined to bring to their country greater international prominence, and technology that would take years to get without the likes of Ford and GM handing it over.

“We have to break through and master the core technologies,” said Chen Jiachang, a deputy director of the ministry of science and technology in a conference speech Saturday.

And that pretty well sums up the posture being dogmatically pursued by those in control of one of GM’s most promising markets.

New York Times

That other American extended-range automaker – Fisker – recently cut a large engine supply deal with BMW for its pending Project Nina line, and this month will show the “Surf,” a “shooting brake” version of its Karma at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Fisker’s Karma-inspired Nina extended-range vehicles – to ultimately consist of a mid-size sedan, coupe and crossover – are to begin production in a former GM plant in Wilmington, Del., by the end of next year.

The company says the vehicles will sell for around $40,000 (after federal subsidies) and this will mean they might just compete favorably with the Chevy Volt, although the company is not saying this officially.

“We have said that the car will be priced around half the price of a Fisker Karma and will compete with cars in the Audi A4/A6, Mercedes C/E class sectors,” said Fisker’s Director, Global Communications & PR, Roger Ormisher.

Fisker Karma.

Unlike the flagship Karma which for now uses a kind-of-rough 2.0-liter GM turbo four, the Nina line’s genset will be a 2.0-liter BMW turbo four. The German automaker has agreed to deliver as many as 100,000 units per year.

“The BMW engine was an obvious choice for us, as BMW is known for producing the best and most fuel efficient gasoline engines in the world,” said Fisker’s CEO and Executive Design Director, Henrik Fisker. “We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with BMW.”

Fisker is probably also pleased that it has somewhere around $1 billion in working capital, part of that being what’s left from a $529 million U.S. Department of Energy loan.

With its existing first offering, and pending Nina line, it is rapidly working toward competing with GM’s Voltec platform while using GM’s own cast-off engines and failed assembly plants to get the job done.

Of the government and other dollars the Scandinavian transplant company has received, it has dedicated $175 million to revamp the last of the major Northeastern U.S. auto plants.

GM’s former 3.2 million square-foot (297,000 square-meter) factory opened in 1947, and closed in 2009, its last vehicle made being a Pontiac Solstice convertible.

California-based Fisker also recently established a European office in Munich, and has said that both the Karma and Project Nina lines are to be global vehicles. Their sales will likely be split between the U.S. and Europe (40 percent each), with Asia (20 percent) providing the remainder.

We have no word whether GM-Volt contributor nasaman’s latest review of the Karma had anything to do with Fisker’s decision to go with a “shooting brake” (wagon-like) version for the Karma, but his assessment was spot-on. He and others have found its trunk unacceptably small.

Squeezing the range-extended (“EVer”) powertrain into the Karma necessitated the design compromise of the tiny boot. Extending the vehicle’s rear into something like a shapely squareback will fix that practical consideration.

Just today Fisker released this shadowy teaser shot for the “Surf” shooting brake version of the Karma.

Until today, no shooting brake Karma photos were available, and a report by the UK publication, Car.com which broke the story, says the world will see more of it this month in Frankfurt.

Word is also that a two-door Karma cabriolet – first seen in 2009 – will in time be made into another option making for three Karma variants to go with the three Ninas.

Fisker has also weighed the options of further departing from GM by substituting the 360-pound-heavy GM EcoTec genset with something more suited to the task.

It has looked at a purpose-built, 124-pound, 1.2-liter Lotus three-cylinder generator, or, we asked the company, will a BMW engine find its way into the Karma?

“Not at this point in time. The Karma has been optimized with its current range extender and has a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery that can give the Karma a 50 miles (80 km) all electric range,” Ormisher said. “The electric only “stealth” mode is expected to account for most of the daily range, with the range extender only used as a back up on longer trips.”

But the new deal with BMW does mark a departure from sourcing American-made engines for its American-made Nina vehicles, which are anticipated to be available for sale in 2013.

Unlike Ford and GM, which are making efforts to increase domestic content for their electrified vehicles, Fisker – while insisting on its U.S. status – seems to have no qualms about sourcing imported components it considers superior.

“This is an important agreement for Fisker. We are focused on building environmentally responsible cars that deliver Pure Driving Passion to our discerning customers,” said Fisker’s Chief Operating Officer, Bernhard Koehler. “Who better to be a part of this exciting ‘recipe’ than BMW – the makers of the Ultimate Driving Machine?”

All we can say is GM and Ford better be careful. Our bet is a BMW-engineered genset will deliver considerable prestige for the underdog story that is Fisker. And our guess is it would also like to earn the moniker of “ultimate” too – and make that ASAP thank you very much.

This small outside-the-box company has very rapidly moved into U.S. territory, building on the ashes of GM’s former mismanagement.

Running on a track in the rain.

It has developed extremely attractive – if not perfect – cars from its inception. As Tesla has purposed to do with its Roadster, Fisker’s $100k or so boutique vehicle, the Karma, was just the semi-exotic teaser on the company’s road toward creating more affordable vehicles in bulk.

And just in case anyone doubts Fisker’s American commitment, the company says Project Nina will create or support 2,000 factory jobs in The First State, plus 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs. By 2014, it expects to be producing 75,000-100,000 vehicles per year.

More than half of these would be exported, and if so, the company says that would give it the largest export percentage of any domestic automaker.

Source: Fisker