GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

As of yesterday 100,000 of the new generation of “plug-in vehicles” – i.e., all-electric and various plug-in gas-electric cars – have been sold in the U.S., and of these approximately 38 percent were Volts, the largest contributor of them all.

This news comes via Plug-in America which tallied the total.

As for the Volt count, I got that from HybridCars.com’s monthly Dashboard from which I took year end totals and sales through April plus a few for half of May.

The breakout is as follows: 2010: 326 sold in December; 2011: 7,671 sold for the year; 2012: 23,461 sold for the year; 2013: 5,550 sold through April. All told these add up to 37,008 U.S. Volts, and maybe 1,000 more or less have been sold this month.

If you check the Dashboard for the Nissan Leaf, you’ll see 24,988 were sold through April. Figure 1,000 or so were sold this month, and it lags behind the Volt by around 11,000 units since launch. Specifically, the Leaf sold 19 in December 2010, 9,674 in 2011, 9,819 in 2012, and 5,476 through April this year.

This essentially means the Volt is the number-one seller by a wide margin over all plug-in cars sold to date.

One small step for electrification …

Since the launch of highway legal plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) such the Volt and the Leaf, plus a modest beginning for Tesla’s Roadster before that, and others following, the 100,000 number is being seen as a significant if not yet paradigm-changing milestone.

“Our current estimate, based on monthly sales figures from automakers, is that the 100,000th highway-capable plug-in vehicle will be sold on May 20,” said Tom Saxton, Plug In America’s chief science officer. “We are calling this the #PIA100K mark, and we are excited to see the continued growth of the market.”

Plug in America now has a PEV unit-sold-in-America counter posted on its Web site, and announced a drawing which consumers can enter online for a free vehicle charger to those who purchase a plug-in vehicle between May 15 and Jun 15.

In overview, electrified vehicle proponents see today’s boundary crossing as a sign of progress while acknowledging resistance, fundamental lack of awareness and accurate understanding, and political pushback as well.

Plug in America board member Barry Woods blogged in anticipation of the 100,000 unit milestone that he has observed a slow changing of the tide in the face of staunch obstacles plug-in vehicles must yet overcome.

“Misinformation abounds- about the costs, range, battery resiliency, EV carbon emissions, the superiority of other alternative fuels, a “green” political pre-disposition,” wrote Woods of various sources of resistance on May 9. “Unfortunately, too often those with the biggest bullhorn shape the ‘facts.’”

The Model S has been named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, Automobile magazine’s Automobile of the Year, and has garnered a number of top honors besides.
 

Model S has been named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, Automobile magazine’s Automobile of the Year, and has garnered a number of top honors besides.

But progress is happening in spite of all this.

Based on the current average household size, Plug in America estimates a quarter million people have been exposed to the viability of daily life with all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars. He noted that in March in the Portland metro area, Nissan dealers collectively sold more Leafs than any other model, even more than the best-selling Altima.

Woods is directly involved in selling chargers, and he has noticed a shift in attitudes at dealers he visits.

“Where are we today? We have Nissan, Tesla, Chevy, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, FIAT, manufacturing PEV models with their own branding,” said Woods. “Now when I go into auto dealers, they invite me back to speak to their sales staff and discuss charging as an issue and what their customers will need to make better use of the car’s range capabilities.”

Other highlights include:

• Tesla’s Model S is outselling the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 series and the Audi A8
• Chevy Volt drivers alone have logged over 187-million electric miles
• The plug-in vehicle market is approaching 48 percent annual growth with both Battery Electric (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles finding growing interest
• Plug-in vehicle adoption exceeds the adoption of hybrid vehicles over the same timeframe in their market developments
• The domestic EV fleet now offers over 2,000 megawatts of battery storage, which may offer significant opportunities for the future management of our electrical grid and the increasing role of intermittent renewable energy sources
• Manufacturers making EVs now include Nissan, Tesla, GM, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, and Fiat. These plug-in cars have received a wealth of consumer and industry awards

Is it enough?

The above question is not ours, but was first posed by USA Today noting 100,000 units “is just slightly less than the sales of a single conventional model, the Ford Fusion, over the first four months of the year. And the Fusion was only the sixth most popular model in the U.S.”

Objections persist over range, charging time and costs persist, writes USA Today – not to mention several other objections perceived as noted by Woods above.

A More bullish perspective

With seemingly eyes wide open, Woods notes EV proponents were nonetheless correct about the prospects for plug-in technology and the growth on a percentage basis has been markedly more significant than hybrid market growth.

That is true, but when one starts from a base of zero units, and grows to higher levels, percentage points can appear impressive if viewed without context.

Beyond this, Woods said advocates were also correct that American car shoppers would accept choices other than gasoline if given a long haul value.

Nissan’s 2013 Leaf had its best sales month in March, and second-best in April this year. It’s now built in Tennessee and Nissan is investing billions in PEVs.

 

Nissan’s 2013 Leaf had its best sales month in March, and second-best in April this year. It’s now built in Tennessee and Nissan is investing billions in PEVs.

“A virtuous market- and policy-based cycle has developed to bring down prices and spur R & D,” said Wood. “We appreciate that these vehicles are not just “green,” they are advanced vehicle technology creating better transportation choices and superior driving experiences. They can become the Car of the Year.”

To be sure, the 100,000 milestone is well short of being on track to hit an early goal set by President Obama for 1 million EVs and PHEVs sold in the U.S. by 2015.

At the same time, things are accelerating, and even if the goal is not hit on time, there is a sizable and growing number of PEVs on American roads leading toward a “tipping point” as Plug in America describes it, in favor of larger scale adoption.

p.s. – Yesterday I visited the King of Prussia, Pa. Tesla store opened just on Friday, talked to personnel, got a gazillion high-res photos inside the store that’s right next to an Apple store in the upscale mall. Also talked to the Texas auto dealer’s president for an hour-long in-depth interview. But people here say they don’t want Tesla news, so I’m hesitating whether to post anything. Anyone interested?

The Volt has seen greater or lesser year–over-year improvements to essentially the same product, and 2014 model will be more of the same.

This was shown when GM announced two new colors for 2014 – Ashen Gray Metallic and Brownstone Metallic – on images of what look like the same car as a 2013. Apart from this, some changes here and there are planned for 2014, but the new car is not considered different enough to warrant new photos.

Photo: 2011 Volt. 2012 Volt. 2013 Volt. 2014 Volt. 2013 Volt again.
 

On Thursday night I saw GM’s communications department had posted press photos labeled 2014 Volt, and some of these same photos were used for 2013, 2012 and even 2011 model year representations of the Volt.

Fans and enthusiasts for electrified vehicles and the Volt in particular have wondered when generation 2 will come along – or if it will come along even – given there are some speculative voices out there suggesting GM could or should cease production.

Most observers correctly do not believe the 2014 Volt will see a substantial reworking, but despite the announcement of new colors, we have seen some random queries and comments – some perhaps based on false speculation from last year – and even among informed regular readers of GM-Volt.com hoping to see significant updates for 2014.

Also, despite speculation, there is no indication that the Volt would be canceled at some point, and gen-2 may be a 2015 or maybe a 2016 model, though GM has not announced this. GM executives in the U.S. and in Europe have spoken of a second-generation Volt as substantially improved, but GM has inadvertently laid to rest some of the outlying speculation for 2014.

On Friday I spoke to Volt communications representative Michelle Malcho and GM media representative Randy Fox and gleaned the car will carry over much like it was, but some changes to content will be made.

Screen shot 5/17/13. Click on to enlarge image.
 

The actual details will not be divulged until mid to late June, Malcho said.

So, this leaves questions whether GM found new improvements of substance to pack into the existing platform like it did last year. Among last year’s improvements, the 2013 Volt did receive a 0.5-kwh increase to its formerly 16.0-kwh battery resulting in more range and improved miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). It also was equipped with the Hold mode that European Volts and Vauxhall/Opel Amperas get that suspends battery use and makes the car run on gas to save electric power for later.

So far, GM has only divulged 2014 colors, so mum is the word even if GM’s CEO did let it slip that the second-generation Volt will see substantial weight loss, and cost as much as $10,000 less.

GM has not announced pricing or launch date for the 2014 either. Last year the changeover from 2012 to 2013 models was in July coinciding with a planned several-week shutdown at the Detroit-Hamtramck Volt assembly plant for maintenance and tooling work.

This photo was labeled 2012 Volt in 2012, then re-labeled 2013 for now, and for a brief while, it was also labeled “2014-Chevrolet-Volt-003″ by GM.
 

But that was how things worked out last year. This year, Malcho said she did not know off hand whether a scheduled shut down was even in the works, and it will depend on what sort of pending build schedule the plant will have, and whether scheduled maintenance and other factors deem it necessary.

You can look for GM’s media page with the 2014 Volt photos, but we were told this was put up by mistake, and it was already removed within minutes after speaking with Chevrolet personnel informing them their communications people had posted them.

Are any of you planning to get a Tesla and give up your Volt?

Yesterday Green Car Reports published a long comparison piece by David Noland of New York who has leased a Volt for two years, and has owned a 60-kwh Model S for three months.

In short the grass is greener on the Tesla side of the fence, it’s the car he drives if given the choice, but the Volt holds its own in many respects he said.

And it costs half as much.

“If I could keep just one car, which would it be? I guess if you put a gun to my head, I would reluctantly give up the Volt,” he writes in his conclusion. “The style, performance, and overall pizzazz of the Model S are simply too compelling to give up. The Tesla’s charms would far outweigh the annoyance of having to rent a noisy gas-guzzling combustion-engined car for long trips.”

Summarizing some of the things Noland likes, the Model S is quicker to 60 mph at 5.9 seconds, but around town, the Volt’s 273 pounds-feet of torque is not far behind the Tesla’s 317 pounds-feet. What’s more, that pretty Tesla is portly, weighing 4,650 pounds, substantially more than the Volt’s kind of chunky 3,780.

In sport mode, the Volt “actually feels more responsive pulling away from a traffic light than the Tesla” writes Noland.

In normal everyday driving, he adds, the Volt feels surprisingly close.

As for ride and handling, after qualifying his impressions come from a person who’s a non-sport-oriented driver, the Volt and Tesla both do the job in most situations. Both feel solid, handle bumps well, and cruise the highway with ease.

“My sense is that the Model S’s air suspension makes its ride a tad firmer than the Volt’s. At times the Tesla seems just a bit harsh; I’d like to see an adjustable suspension with a slightly softer (as well as a sportier) option,” writes Noland. “In terms of ride and handling, both cars are superb in normal driving. I’d call it a toss-up.”

With regards to comfort, the Model S is roomier front and back, but both cars are quite comfortable from the driver’s seat, if not the tight rear seat in the Volt, he said.

But Noland, who is 6-feet-2-inches tall said the Volt is easier to get in and out of compared to the sleek and sporty Tesla.

“Overall verdict on comfort: Tesla by a nose, with an asterisk for tall drivers and tall rear-seat passengers,” he said.

Judging utility, the Tesla is bigger and seats 5 plus 2, but the 4-seater Volt handles his bike better, and even though the Model S is bigger, sometimes he does not need that much space.

“The way I keep score, the Tesla’s advantage hauling a rare fifth passenger is balanced by the Volt’s bike-carrying advantage,” writes Noland. “I’d call it even. But the Tesla becomes the obvious choice if you’re always hauling lots of stuff, or regularly transporting that fifth passenger.”

As for range, remember, this is not the “265-mile” 85-kwh version, but rather the EPA estimate is 208 miles. In his needs for travel, there have been several longer trips where the Volt was required to make the distance, he said.

“In terms of ultimate utility, the elephant in the garage is the Tesla’s limited range and slow “refueling” time. Until the Tesla Supercharger quick-charging-station system is fully in place, the Model S simply doesn’t work for me on trips more than 180 miles,” writes Noland. “To the chagrin of hard-core electric-car proponents, I’ve always believed that there has to be a gas engine in the family somewhere. After three months of owning a Volt and a Tesla, I’ve not changed my view.”

Regarding range loss in winter, the Model S is much better, said Noland.

The writer goes on to list a bunch of things he likes better about the Volt and Model S respectively.

For the Volt, things he likes better are the tire pressure monitoring system, center console (the Tesla has none but he bought an aftermarket one), regen brakes, and battery SOC indicator.

Things liked better about the Tesla are dashboard screen indicator, and getting software updates.

But Noland said it’s fortunate he does not have to choose one or the other and will keep the Volt through its lease term ending September 2014.

By then, he said the case will be stronger for Tesla which says the Model S is the “best car in the world.” Having more superchargers is the missing ingredient, said Noland. When that happens, Elon Musk’s assertion will be one he fully agrees with.

To read the full review, see Green Car Reports.

By Phillippe Crowe

On Tuesday Chevrolet announced it is entering the small cargo van segment with the City Express to meet the demands of customers in an emerging commercial vehicle segment.

GM will procure the vehicle from Nissan and distribute it through the Chevrolet dealer network.

Nissan, which is aggressively pushing ahead an EV agenda, also has an all-electric version called the e-NV200 with a Leaf powertrain, but neither GM nor Nissan would confirm or deny whether GM would re-badge that version too at some point.

The 2015 City Express, will join the full-size Express van as part of the Chevrolet lineup in the fall of 2014.

Nissan currently sells a version of the vehicle as the NV200 in numerous markets globally, including the United States and Canada.

“Our fleet customers have asked us for a small cargo van, so this addition to the Chevrolet portfolio will strengthen our position as the partner of choice for all of our customers,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet and Commercial Sales. “It’s quite common in many parts of the world to leverage available manufacturing resources to bring transportation solutions to market for our customer’s benefit. It’s just smart business!”

Chevrolet said its entry into this segment will allow business customers to purchase all of their vehicles from one manufacturer, and service them through the largest dealer network offering even more convenience for their business.

Nissan is testing commercial interest for the Leaf powertrain based van.
 

Designed for small businesses to large fleets looking for a small, fuel-efficient, cargo carrying vehicle, the City Express will be available in LS and LT trim levels.

Contrary to the NV200, which is also available as a passenger version, the City Express will be – for now – solely a cargo vehicle.

The City Express is powered by a 2.0 liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine rated at 131 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. The engine is preliminarily matched with a CVT transmission.

We’ve seen various actresses and other luminaries both male and female give personal endorsements for the Volt, and the latest woman under a spotlight to offer a thumbs up is young Indy Car driver, Simona de Silvestro.

Unlike other famous women including racer Danica Patrick, who plays her feminine assets to the hilt, the also aggressive driver now sponsored by Chevy has been featured as a breath of fresh air sidestepping some of the usual stereotypes while nonetheless being every bit female.

She’s now sponsored by Chevrolet, so maybe these talking engagements do come with the territory, but she presents a plausible picture with genuine sparkle in her eyes when talking about the Volt and Spark.

Of the Volt, Simona says she has one. Of the Spark EV she said it is “cool,” and these electrified vehicles are “the future.”

This also by the way, is coming from a self-described “adrenaline junkie,” who always likes to be “on the edge” and that is no idle boast.

An Indy Car by can corner at multiple Gs at a pace just about as fast as humans can stand before succumbing to lateral-acceleration-induced blackout. And the brutal blink from 0-60 mph is violently achieved in less time that it takes to read “zero-to-sixty” enunciated at a normal pace. And then you have 60 to a 100 mph, and 100-150 and 150-200, and …

This year Simona will be driving the #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy sponsored car in the Izod Indy Car Series.

Chevrolet Voltage

My apologies to you all for having missed this story that was published almost a month ago. Aside from the news that Car & Driver says the Cadillac ELR is one of 25 cars worth waiting for, this is the best GM E-REV news I could find, and worth noting …

Will the Chevy Volt be the only Voltec vehicle ever produced? While some of you have mentioned the “CrossVolt,” GM is not talking about that, and as for the Cadillac ELR, GM says it will not classify it as Voltec.

“The propulsion system is shared with Volt. We are building on that proven technology, with 200 million miles (so far) of real-world driving,” said Don Butler, Cadillac’s marketing Vice President to Autoblog Green at the Detroit Auto Show. “But we will not call it ‘Voltec,’ and there are differences in calibration and tuning. It will have a bit more performance, we’ll go a little deeper into the battery’s capacity, and a feature we call “Regen on Demand” will let you control regenerative braking with steering-wheel paddles

Butler did not say what GM is calling the Cadillac E-REV that others have identified as nearly a re-skinned Volt with some tweaks, but there you have it. It is not a Voltec variant.

Nor is GM expecting to sell these in bunches like bananas.

“It will probably not be anyone’s primary vehicle. It will be a second, third, maybe even fourth vehicle in the household. We are not after volume with this car, not looking for hundreds of thousands of sales,” said Butler. “That’s not what this car is about. but it will definitely appeal to design enthusiasts and people who tend to be trendsetters within their spheres of influence and circles of friends. We’re looking for those few discerning individuals because they are very important to Cadillac as a brand. Some of our best marketing and advertising will show this car driving down the street, creating a bold presence for Cadillac.”

That said, unlike Gen-1 Volt, GM says the ELR will make money for the company.

“From a financial standpoint, I would say we are very happy about how we have planned this out,” said Butler. “The more we sell, the more we’ll make, and those issues of battery cost and capacity will change as time goes on. We’ll have the choice of either taking cost out to get the same capability from a less expensive system, or taking mass out to lower its weight.”

The ELR will have 35 miles AER, it’s down a notch on the Volt’s aerodynamic profile, may sell in the $60,000 range but that has yet to be announced.

Also waiting to be seen is whether Cadillac will build any more E-REVs or whether it will build EVs. Butler was asked this, and replied as follows:

“Nothing that I can talk about now, but I can tell you that this will not be our only alternative propulsion system,” he said nebulously of powertrains that could include eAssist, or some other hybrid form. “In terms of electric-supplemented drive, there is more coming. We are looking at this as a long-term journey, so alternative propulsion will continue to be important to GM and to the Cadillac brand. Another full EREV? I can’t say. But I don’t see a pure EV on the near-term horizon for Cadillac.”

Autoblog Green