Archive for the 'Efficiency' Category
GM Marching to a New Beat: Expect Mutiple Volt Versions
With SUVs fast becoming obsolete and Americans making the Europe-like shift to small cars in the face of unyieldingly high gas prices, GM has to act fast to adapt to this new marketplace.
Obviously the Chevy Volt is the key in this regard but its still 28 months away.
Per a new report GM now plans to [...]
Popularity: 13%
Production Chevy Volt to Have a Kammback, Round Front, and Tapered Corners
We have known for a while that the initial Chevy Volt concept car did poorly in the wind tunnel. GM has advised us that in order to achieve a full 40 mile end of life EV range the car has to have an excellent aerodynamic profile.
Over time we have heard that the production Volt will [...]
Popularity: 76%
Should the Volt Have a Free-Wheel Glide Pedal Position?
The following is a guest post by one of our regular readers, George K:
Lyle, you just had a great topic on features we’d like to see in Volt II. I’d like to share with you my #1 feature request for Volt I… “Pulse and Glide”.
Using it, you will get better mileage, and it’s fun to [...]
Popularity: 38%
Volt Hurdles Other than the Battery
Most GM executives involved in the Volt program say the battery is the major stumbling block to development. Other new low-power components have to be made for the car in order to allow the 40 mile range, but these are mostly minor engineering tasks.
Normal cars have tremendous supplies of energy for the accessories to [...]
Popularity: 30%
Driving the Volt
Peter Savagian is an engineer at GM who worked on the EV-1. He recently presented data from his study on the effect of driving electrified vehicles.
The presentation examines and discusses the implication of plug-in hybrid and E-REV utilization.
Per Peter, “GM’s Advanced Propulsion Technology Strategy is to remove automobiles from the environmental dialogue.”, and “another [...]
Popularity: 30%
Chevy Volt will Need Special Low Power Windshield Wipers and Audio System
Bob Lutz is clearly a guy who tells it like it is. When GMs father of the Volt gives an interview about the car its always worth listening closely, as what you get will be highly factual.
The Lansing State Journal published a very brief Q and A with Mr. Lutz, and thats where this [...]
Popularity: 35%
It’s Official - Bush Signs Energy Bill Into Law
Today President Bush signed the energy bill passed by the House and the Senate, mandating automakers to achieve a corporate average of 35 mpg for their vehicles by 2020, 40% higher than they are right now.
Rick Wagoner of GM said the standard “set a tough, national target that GM will strive to meet.”
The bill also [...]
Popularity: 5%
Tour of Volt Design Lab and More Production Volt Details
Sam Abuelsamid of Autobloggreen, out in Detroit, had the chance to tour the GM wind tunnel and E-Flex Design studio the othe day and heard from Frank Weber, E-Flex vehicle line executive.
Sam has written a post about it: (LINK)
He talks about why aerodynamics are so important in this car, more so than mass.
He also goes [...]
Popularity: 8%
Get Blown Away: First Peek at Production Chevy Volt!
GM has just revealed a teaser photo of the production version of the Chevy Volt, and there it is!
You will remember how Bob Lutz previously told us that the concept Volt did not do so well in the wind tunnel. We also heard from vehicle line director Tony Posawatz that it turns out aerodynamics [...]
Popularity: 18%
New Interview with Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Nick Zielinksi: Part II
This is the second part of my recent interview with Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Nick Zielinksi.
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Topics on the video:
-Charging issues
-Hydrogen
-Mules
-Efficiency
-Future product plans
-Certainty of production
Popularity: 16%
Popularity: 16%
New Interview with Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Nick Zielinksi: Part I
I just had the chance to speak with Nick Zielinksi about the most recent Chevy Volt developments including among other topics, the rationale for recent executive restructuring and a discussion about highway driving range. See video below:
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Popularity: 17%
Under What Conditions is the Chevy Volt’s Quoted 40 Mile Electric Range Modelled?
We have had substantial discussions about how the Volt’s 40 mile electric range is calculated. Since the car only exists in models, the 40 mile range isn’t real road conditions, but was arrived at using computer models.
People often question whether that 40 miles will be “downhill with a tailwind” and no AC or headlights, or [...]
Popularity: 8%
Recent Posts
- Update: EnerDel’s Chairman on the Cost of the Th!nk Lithium-ion Battery Pack
- GM Marching to a New Beat: Expect Mutiple Volt Versions
- Exclusive: Interview With EnerDel Chairman Charles Gassenheimer
- Wall Street Journal Opinion - Chevy Volt Just a Political Tool
- GM on June Sales: Asia Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
- Artist’s Estimation of the Production Chevy Volt
- Should GM Skip the Volt and Just Make More Efficient Gas Cars?
- Continental Says Chances Good of Getting Volt Battery Contract
- Lutz Explains Why the EV-1 Can’t Simply Be Reintroduced
- Ford Calls the Chevy Volt a Hail Mary Play
