GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

GM has issued a brief press statement indicating that some major Volt news will be announced Wednesday at 2 PM Eastern time. The news will be reported from GMs Brownstown battery assembly plant. This is the facility where GM has been manufacturing Chevrolet Volt battery packs using the prismatic lithium ion cells provided by LG Chem. Hundreds of prototype packs have been assembled since the first rolled off the line in January.

This facility is of sufficient size to support full mass production of the Volt, slated at 30,000 cars per year for 2012.

On Thursday it is known that President Obama will be coming to Michigan to visit the groundbreaking ceremony of LG Chem’s battery plant in Holland Michigan. This plant will be capable of building enough lithium-ion cells for about 50,000 plug-in hybrids per year, one of which is the Volt.  Ford has just announced it will also source lithium-ion cells from LG Chem for its upcoming Ford Focus Electric which.  These cells will eventually also come from this plant.

GM has stated that the media briefing will provide the following three details:
1. A “major consumer initiative”
2. “Details on the validation and testing of the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery ”
3. Details on “the start of regular production”

Information will be announced by Tom Stephens who is GM’s vice chairman of Global Product Operations and Micky Bly who is GM’s executive director of Global Electrical Systems.

It might be fun to speculate what great news we will be hearing. Sources tell GM-Volt the consumer initiative is indeed Volt-related and the Detroit News has reported GM will be releasing the terms of the Volt’s battery warranty.

Stay tuned to this site and we will provide all the details later in the day, including a webchat with Volt vehicle line executive Doug Parks and Volt marketing director Tony DiSalle.

Exciting times folks.

Source (GM)

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz is the father of the Chevy Volt. He is an outspoken colorful, what-you-see is what-you-get kind of guy. A veteran both of the Marines and the automotive industry, he has been the source not only of the Volt itself but many of the most interesting and important quotes along the way of its development.

Today GM announced that the 76 year old Mr. Lutz will be retiring. On April 1st his position will change from GM Vice Chairman – Global Product Development to Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor. Tom Stephens who is GM VP of Powertrain will assume Mr. Lutz’ current role.

Then, at the end of 2009, Mr. Lutz will retire.

On his blog today Mr. Lutz wrote a post entitled “You’re Not Rid of Me Yet.”

With respect to the Volt he said the following:

There has been speculation that I would stay until the debut of the Chevrolet Volt next year. When I do retire at the end of this year, the Volt program will be well on its way to launch and I’ll feel the same sense of pride and accomplishment that the entire Volt team will feel when the first ones are silently rolling off the assembly line.

He also told reporter Jamie LaReau of Automotive News:

We will be driving finished Volts this summer because we’ll have a lot of them through the tail end of this year and next year. So in terms of low-volume production, we’ll be producing them, we just won’t be selling them. As far as I’m concerned, the Volt is done.

This morning GM’s CEO Rick Wagoner made some major announcements about GM’s plans for reacting to $4.00 per gallon gasoline and slumping sales, particularly of trucks indicating that high gas and oil prices are not cyclical but likely permanent.

First the automaker is closing 4 truck and SUV plants in North America, which should result in $1 billion in annual savings.

Second he noted GM is open to selling part or all of the Hummer brand.

Third he confirmed plans to build a new Chevy compact, and a successor to the Aveo.

Last he told reporters GM’s board has officially approved funding for the Chevy Volt’s production. He said, “the Chevy Volt is a go”, and “we intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future, and we remain focused on our target of getting the Volt into Chevrolet showrooms by the end of 2010.”

Well folks, the show is on, and not a minute too soon.

Source (Auto Channel)
Picture from the Detroit News

We wait patiently as GM puts the Volt through the most rapid development cycle any of its vehicles has ever had. Meanwhile, since the original concept was introduced in Jan 2007, the economy has been in trouble. The burdens of the credit crisis and the rapidly rising oil prices have significantly affected the auto industry.

Whereas he’s not sure the economy is in recession, GM President Fritz Henderson has now indicated he believes that the auto industry is. Truck sales, generally quite lucrative for GM have plummeted at the same time smaller money-making small car sales have increased. Overall car sales have sunk further than anyone had predicted. Recent strikes have led GM to $800 million in lost revenue.

Today GM told reporters they would have to resort to borrowing and reduced spending if the recession worsens.

They told reporters that they have $24 billion in cash and $7 billion in undrawn loans, after three straight annual significant losses in a row. In the last quarter alone they lost $3.25 billion. They claim though this cash is an adequate cushion to get them through 2008. But what happens after that?

Of course in 2007, GM sold 9.69 million cars, and sold 2.25 million the first 3 months of this year. That is after all a lot of cars. Furthermore, although the U.S. sales figures are weak, double digit increases are occurring in China, and GM’s gains there are significant.

Its still 2 and 1/2 years until the Volt is slated to arrive. Will GM save the Volt, will the Volt save GM, or is this much ado about nothing, and just the usual gyrations of the economy?

I go with the last option.

Source (Bloomberg) and (CNN Money)

I am trying out a new feature here on GM-Volt.com. Just as the GM execs are meeting every two weeks to discuss progress on the Chevy Volt’s development, I thought it would be a good idea if I posted a video wrap-up of the past two weeks news, information, and events related to the Chevy Volt. Look for it every two weeks on Sundays. Feedback is welcome.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCSygno1830 width=272 height=224 ]

Just now an article appeared on Bloomberg.com. The authors cite “secret sources” (not sauces) as saying that GM expects to have an early working Volt prototype out in 2008 which will get a 10 mile all-electric range. Their secret source goes on to say that a 40-mile version will be out in 2009. Official GM spokesman Scott Fosgard is noted to decline a comment.

The article points out thats GM’s plan is more aggressive than Toyota’s plan for a shorter range PHEV expected to max out with 10 miles, and we suspect to use NiMh batteries. Toyota is described as being unable to produce longer electric ranges within an affordable price range. Bob Lutz, however, is quoted as being confident that GM can overcome these technical and pricing obstacles.

This indeed is very new information. I cannot verify the secret source, but considering it’s been two months since the battery contracts were awarded, and the very aggressive efforts of those battery makers, it wouldn’t surprise me. How does it taste to you?