We understand a lot of information will be available on those displays, they are configurable, and the driver will be able to choose among many options.

A primary function will be to provide the driver with feedback on how fuel efficient he/she is driving and utilizing accessory loads such as HVAC.

As anyone who like to hypermile hybrids knows, seeing real-time instantaneous MPG is a useful measure to adjust driving behavior as one moves along varying road conditions.

I asked Tony Posawatz who is the Volt vehicle line engineer if that value will be provided while the car is running in charge-sustaining (generator) mode.

“I don’t think we will show instantaneous mpg,” he said. “We are working a lot on what information to show and how to present it right now.”

“The OnStar capabilities with VOLT will be mind boggling,” he said. “Stay tuned.”

I would imagine driving style will affect the Volts’ electric range. Hyper-milers probably will try to get the car to go 100 miles without going into generator mode.
Yes. I can probably get it to do several hundred miles downhill with tailwind. To be honest with you there’s several driver interfaces that try to teach drivers. We’ve not talked too much about the man-machine interface, but it will have the necessary tools to allow drivers to modify their behavior for maximum electric range.

Will you have an interface like Ford or Honda that show these green leaves and things?
The Volt will have a very cool set of graphic interfaces for the drivers. We’ve got two different reconfigurable display areas, a primary right in front of the driver where the traditional cluster is and a secondary at the top of the center stack that will have content unique for a driver interfacing with an electric vehicle.

You haven’t shared what that’s going to look like yet.
No but it’s very well done. It’s very impressive.

Very similar to the charge sustaining story, ongoing refinement. While we have time were going to make it perfect. All the fundamental basic functions are already done, we’re making it perfect, cool, and sexy.

Some of these schedules that some of these companies make when they say they get hundreds of miles of electric range, the schedule that you’re on can help influence that.  In the Volt if you do 35 mph flat terrain steady state there’s upside potential over the 40 mile range. One thing we’ve got to look out for is that the US consumer is not happy with the EPA mpg ratings in that they don’t necessarily represent real world driving conditions. We’re being very careful to not allow the perception to exceed the reality. You don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver

It seems to me you feel you are going to underpromise and overdeliver?
That’s fair. Were being somewhat conservative again because we want to be successful with the technology.

Shortly after it was unveiled the GM design team noted the stack would also be available in black and green finishes as well.

I have personally seen the new black stack while touring the Volt IVer production facility, and thought it looked excellent.

In one of GM’s videos showing the Volt IVers being built, one can catch a glimpse of the black stack, captured in the image above.

Although it looks gray in the shot it is indeed black.

I cannot get an official high resolution photo but am told it will be coming next week.

Source (Auotbloggreen)

GM has been gradually teasing images of the car. Now we can see it all including the first look at the car’s interior.

The interior design is the same as the Volt but these photos let us see how the center console will appear in black as opposed to the white color GM has shown us in the Volt. This black coloration is expected as an option in the production Volt too.

I asked GM spokesperson Rob Peterson whether any of this styling could make its way to the Volt. He said “No, the production Volt is the production Volt, and the production Ampera is the production Ampera.”

PHOTO GALLERY BELOW:

VIDEO:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tx54B6ZQWI]

1.  The graphic renderings are described as being bluish, curvy, Nintendo Wii-like and show that state you are in, EV or range-extended.  The screen will appear different depending on which of the two modes the car is in.

2.  Vehicle speed, battery level, and fuel level

3.  Braking, acceleration , and tire pressure  meters

4.  While plugged in, the screen will show how much more time until full charge is attained and whether at 110V or 220V

5.  Stereo, A/C and optional navigation

6.  A climate control efficiency gauge

7.  An extensive menu to to program charging start and end times

And finally, the author got the answer to a question people have been asking for a long time here on GM-Volt.com, the Volt cannot be driven while it is still plugged in.

Source (Cars.com)

Are the interior interfaces finalized?
Stylistically it looks mainly final.

Are the things seen on the display completely finalized?
They’re not completely finalized, there is going to be more content than what you see here. These are just DVDs that are rolling on a loop.

One of the things we have changed I should tell you design-wise is this piece the middle touch screen frame. People kept trying to break this or pull it off. It doesn’t move. It looks like it should move. It (also) is not very manufacturable.  It was one piece. It was die-locked. So now we’ve integrated it. It has more of a hood on it, its integrated around its edges, it actually looks quite a bit better. On all these buttons, we’ve added pill-shaped targets, tactile targets that you can navigate towards.

Are they haptic?
No, they are capacitive, but they have auditory feedback, they don’t have touch feedback.

Have you taken some feedback then from the public perception?
No, we just knew that all along.

Another thing is that these vents have moved. They’re actually “siamesed” off the sides of the center stack, and they actually look a lot more high-end, more upscale. The rest of these main surfaces are unchanged.

Older Design

Thanks to Statik for finding the image.

I had the chance to ask this question to Volt lead designer Bob Boniface when I spent some time with him and the car in a recent NYC event.

What is the green leaf?
The green leaf brings up a Volt-specific page. It will give you charge rates which get downloaded through OnStar. You’ll be able to choose your recharge time. It will also give you recommended tips for efficient functioning. How to extend your range for example. It is Volt-specific information. All the things you can do to maximize your range and minimize your expenditure of energy.

You’ll hit that and it will say OK if you don’t use your HVAC, if you use your Econ mode, this is what will happen. Do you want to delay your charge?

What does the Econ button do?
It controls your HVAC, ambient lighting, other things. All the unnecessary electric usage will be reduced so that you can extend range.

Since it seems things aren’t completely finalized yet, what ideas do you have for other Green Leaf functions?

And if you are a US citizen, be sure to get out and VOTE today!

I asked him three questions:

1. What are the data options the center display will provide?
Too many to list in a single e-mail, but the CENTER display (on top of the Integrated Center Stack) will display audio, climate control, navigation, and the Volt page where the customer can program when to charge the vehicle, for instance. The display in front of the driver will show vehicle speed, total range (electric range and fuel range), total miles driven (total EV only miles and total fuel only miles), a trip odometer (again, with EV trip and fuel trip), and an efficiency meter, which will help customer fine-tune their driving to maximize their range. Other features that show up in the display in front of the driver will include information like tire pressure, etc.

2. Will the car have Internet access?
No Internet access, but I can say that GM will take advantage of what OnStar can do for our customers to expand the “experience.”

3. Will leather be an option and what is the other material?
The Volt will have 2 trim levels — one fabric and one leather.

I had the chance to sit both in the passenger and rear sear of the vehicle.

The design encompasses the new dual cockpit theme that Chevrolet has adopted, which also appears in the upcoming Chevy Cruze.

The top of the dashboard sweeps to the sides and creates a nice flow. The doors contain unique and specialized inserts which can either have a graphic pattern or be chosen as a more conservative option.

The center console appears as a standard white surface, but Volt interior designer Tim Grieg also tells us it will be available in a “metallic black” option. Indeed multiple unique color options will be available throughout, including a deep, vivid red theme that Tim particularly liked.

There are two 7 inch LCD displays. The center display does not swivel, it is fixed. It is also highly configurable and touch activated. Customers can choose from simple basic to extensive data display.

The flush-mounted paddle shifter is also revolutionary and since it is so forward gives a lot of access to “properly placed” dual cupholders and center console. It was an opportunity as Tim says for GM “to re-invent the wheel” when it comes to shifters.

Within the console is an audio USB port. There is also bluetooth technology.

The controls on the center panel are “capacitive touch controls”. They engage by detecting electric current in the incoming finger which can be detected from a distance. The button will then provide the user audio and visual feedback. There is no haptic feedback. The dashboard glows quite strikingly at night.

We have heard before the car will sense a key fob’s presence, there is no ignition keyhole. There is a large VOLT button to turn the car on. The car also happens to have an “industry leading” 9.25 liter glove box.

The interior space is 24 mm wider than in the Cruze which also uses the global compact delta platform, thereby giving VOLT drivers extra space.

I found the back seat also quite comfortable and the roof appeared quite high internally. Rear visibility was remarkable due to the clear surface of the hatchback.

The rear seats folded down producing a very large cargo space.

Considering all of the color and design options that will be available for this interior, it will be hard to be disappointed. And overall it tells you loud and clear that you are driving a car that uses brand new groundbreaking technology.

My greatest applause to the design team. Check out the videos below:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cmQ4qhyB3w&eurl]

Before an audience of millions GM CEO Rick Wagoner introduced the full production version of the Chevy Volt, driven out before the crowd by GM vice chair Bob Lutz.

All interior and exterior photos can be accessed here along with press release.