GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Chevy Volt in Washington DC Shopping Mall

[ad#post_ad]Today General Motors announced that Washington DC will join California and Michigan as an initial market for Chevrolet Volt rollout.  The rollout region will include the nation’s capital and its suburbs.

“Concentrating Volt sales in these three key initial markets allows us to give our first customers a high-quality experience,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “In addition to geographical considerations, each market also has progressive local and state government leaders and utility partners who are crucial in bringing electric vehicles to market.”

GM has also developed an agreement with DC utility companies Pepco and Dominian to take delivery Chevy Volt fleet test vehicles.  These vehicles will join a total fleet of 100 cars nationwide that will remain in the hands of utility companies for a demonstration and learning project funded by a $30 million DOE grant.

GM also reports they have tested the 80 pre-production Volts on over 250,000 test miles, and that some of those cars are in 24 hour/7 day per week operation.  Cars have been tested in the extreme heat of  Death Valley and the extreme cold of northern Canada.  300 pre-production battery packs have already been built.

GM has not confirmed if these three markets are the only initial ones which will be announced, nor how many cars will be allocated to each through the end of this year.  There are reports that the company hopes to begin rollout even sooner than the projected November deadline.

‘We could announce additional retail markets later,’ said GM spokesperson Dave Darovitz.

Pricing has also not been announced, though the GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre recently told GM-Volt.com it would be in the “low 30s,” without specifically referring to the $7500 tax credit.

It is expected Mr. Whitacre will be named permanent CEO of GM today.

[ad#post_ad]I am a lifelong new Yorker, born in the Bronx.  It is important to me for my state and city to play a leading role in our country’s exodus from the gasoline-powered automobile.

Part of my effort has been to meet with utility company and government officials to help find and promote ways to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles.

In December I attended a stakeholder meeting at Con Edison (NYC’s utility co) headquarters in Manhattan which was coordinated by Britta Gross, GMs director of infrastructure.  The intention of the inaugural meeting was to see what is needed to get New York City ready for plugin vehicles.

Earlier this week a report was issued by Mayor Bloomberg’s office as part of what is known as the PlaNYC initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 and ensure a sustainable city.  The report looked specifically about how electric vehicles would be adopted by New York City.  It was created by McKinsey and Company.

There were 6 major findings:

1.  There is a large early adopter group in NYC who are willing to making lifestyle changes to be able to own electric cars

2.  The early adopters’ demand will outstrip supply for at least 5 years.  14 to 16% of all new vehicle purchases in NYC from 2010 to 2015 are expected to be electric cars.

3.  Policies should be developed to help early adopters enter the market

4.  Early adopters will not require high density public charging nor special tax incentives

5.  The expected level of EV adoption will not threaten the stability of NYC’s electric grid, as the early adopters expect to charge at night

6.  Automakers and utilities have an opportunity to prepare for and  enourgage EV adoption over the next 5 years.

For those that like math, 16% of all cars purchased by New York City amounts to 70,000 electric cars over the next 5 years.

It looks like New York is ready for the Volt, is GM ready for us?

[NYC Electric Vehicle Adoption Study 2010, PDF]

Michigan Confirmed to be Initial Volt Market

[ad#post_ad]Today the NAIS is underway in Detroit Michigan, and news tends to come in furious waves.

Though we heard yesterday that Michigan will be a  first market to get the Chevy Volt in addition to California, the official release came today.

“Launching in California and Michigan gives us important West Coast and Midwest platforms that will allow us to introduce the Volt more effectively into broader regions across the U.S.,” said Maria Rohrer, Chevrolet marketing director for Volt.

The Detroit Edison utility company llwi also participate in the Volt fleet project, involving 100 Chevy Volts across the nation that will take part in an extended research and demonstration fleet program, most of which will be in California. It is important to note this fleet test will begin this year but after, not before consumer launch.

GM also unveiled the new subcompact Aveo as part of the new upcoming Chevy small segment portfolio which will also include the Volt, the Cruze, and the Spark minicar.

GMC Granite

The wraps were  pulled on what GM is calling the GMC Granite, a small crossover that would be the smllest GMC ever built.

“We think of the Granite as the automotive equivalent of an urban loft apartment,” said Dave Lyon, executive director of North American Interior and Global Cross-Brand Design. “The exterior has an unmistakable industrial look, but the interior is warm and personalized.”

It would run on the same 1.4L turbo engine the Cruze uses, and could host a Voltec powertrain just as the Orlando might.

The doors hinge on opposite sides allowing for a French-door type opening. There is no chrome and it has 20 inch wheels.

The interior is designed with an aircraft-like mechanical cluster and precision tool motif.

Cadillac Converj Offically Greenlighted

GM vice chairman Bob Lutz told reporters for the first time that the Cadillac Converj Voltec vehicle has been officially greenlighted for production.

He told reporters the car is “heading for production,” but that it wont be sold until 2013. He noted the car would be for consumers “who don’t mind paying a large price for a luxury vehicle.”

Lutz also reiterated that the Volt be have to be sold at a loss. As such, GM will only build a maximum of 50,000 to 60,000 Volts per year, and bring costs down by offering a portfolio of Voltec cars.

“First-generation vehicles are hard to make profitable,” Lutz told reporters.

GMC Granite Gallery

[ad#post_ad]For over two years GM has held to its plan for launching the Chevy Volt in November of this year. But there have been a lot of changes since then including the surprise seizure of the CEO position by Ed Whitacre. Whitacre spoke to the Detroit Press about the Chevy Volt and his eagerness to get the car into consumers hands.

“I wish it were on the market today,” he said. “We’re going to push as hard as we can to get this vehicle out there. It’s a complicated process.”

Whitacre also said he expected the car to cost consumers $32,000 after tax breaks.

He suggested a significant motivation for building the Volt at least in his eyes, is for the environment.

“This is a bold journey for us. We want to do this for the environment. … We think this is part of the future for us,” he told the reporter. “We’re putting a lot at risk here, but we’re going to do it.”

Earlier reports suggested that Whitacre and the board have been pushing to beginning selling the Volt earlier than the long cited November timeframe, as long as quality measures can be achieved.

The new goal according to anonymous sources: late September or October.

Whitacre has also been surprised by what its like driving the Volt

“I was prepared for something like a golf cart. This is no golf cart,” he told the Press. “This is very powerful, a lot of acceleration, it feels really solid and it goes fast. It’s a very impressive car.”

The first three markets the Volt will be sold have now been revealed.

“The first markets that we anticiapte retail sales will be California and Michigan,” Lauckner told Autoline Detroit last week.

According to the Detroit Press the third region will be Washington DC.

Source (Detroit Free Press)

[ad#post_ad]Look out, a lot of good news here!

Ed Whitacre is GM’s new CEO, at least temporarily. The keen, sharp-witted Texas businessman is a man of few words but lots of action.

He attended and spoke at the Battery Plant unveiling, and spoke to reporters in the days before.

He was asked about whether car would be released prior to the November 2010 deadline.

“We’re going to put out some early and drive ‘em,” he said. “How early? I don’t know.”

Asked specifically if he was referring to putting those cars in the hands of consumers he said “Yeah,” but didn’t elaborate.

According to some reports he was referring to getting them to “high-profile citizens” and “image leaders,” and that it would be on a small scale.

Whitacre also hinted the Volt is just the beginning of vehicular electrification for GM.

“There’s a lot more to come,” he said.

“The Volt and the battery that powers it are part of a broader portfolio of vehicles and technologies that we’re developing to meet the countries energy and environmental goals,” he added.

Whitacre also conceeded GM hopes to build very large volumes of electric cars.  ”It could be a lot if the vehicle is successful,” he told reporters after the event. “If it goes like we think, the sky’s the limit.”

And as if the idea of getting Volts early, and a broad Voltec portfolio isn’t good enough, executives are beginning to suggest a lower-than-expected price.

You will recall that I had been given a hint that the $40,000 price tag bandied about may actually be a decoy (see post).

Now GM VP Jon Lauckner told the Wall Street Journal the Volt could be notably less than $40,000.

“We have until this summer to figure that out,” he said.

According to reporter Sharon Terlap who interviewed Lauckner, she asked  if he meant “like $500 less” and he replied, “No, that would not be meaningful enough.”

[ad#post_ad]Here we are in the year of the intial Volt rollout, and the dream of starting to wean this country off of oil is about to begin.

2010 is going to be a true turning point in the history of the automobile.  Not only will the Volt rollout but so too will roll out the Nissan LEAF, the plugin Toyota Prius, the Ford Focus EV and many others electric cars.

The intial market for the Volt as the only reasonably priced EREV will be strong, and frankly I suspect no matter how much GM charges, demand will far outstrip supply for some time.  It seems logical that if GM can line up the suppliers and build cars in high volume they should try to sell as many as they can at a profit.  Clearly GM expects to go into full production after one to two years, and bring down the prices by the next generation set to begin in 2013.  But why limit early sales?  Is it out of sheer conservatisvism?

Limited sales will make the car more of a halo prodct, improving GM’s image and bringing people into showrooms, but generating few sales.  If they can build them, and can sell them at a profit right at the start, why shouldn’t they?

I had a chance to ask this strategy question of Maria Rohrer.  She is GM’s new director of Volt Marketing.

Do you see the Volt as being a halo car to bring people into showrooms, or will you make the effort to sell as many Chevy Volts as the market dictates as soon as they go on sale, and for a profit?

Yes, we see Volt in a pivotal role for Chevrolet.

We believe Volt will bring folks into Chevrolet that have never considered us before. That’s an exciting proposition because Volt can be a ‘portal’ to help folks see how far the rest of our cars, trucks and crossovers have improved in quality, style and value.

Regarding the sales of Volt, yes, the market will dictate to a certain extent and as you know, we are going to launch regionally to start, California already announced. Importantly, we want to ensure a fantastic owner experience as we progress for a car as special as the Volt. More to come.