GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

GM has released the details and images of its upcoming new Voltec concept car which will be premiered at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

The vehicle is called the Opel Flextreme GT/E.  Readers may remember the initial Opel Flextreme small crossover concept from 2007.  The new vehicle is a large sleek muscular sedan that has a 0.22 coefficient of drag.  Clearly GM learned its lessons on revealing electric show cars with very high drag coefficients (wink).

Like the Volt, it is a 4 seater.

“The Flextreme GT/E concept shows the shape of things to come from Opel,” says Frank Weber, Vice President, Corporate and Product Planning. “Bold, expressive and highly efficient, it represents the product strategy we will apply to all our future vehicles, large and small, across all market segments.”

Yes thats the same Frank Weber who led the Volt’s development before being promoted to VP of Opel.

The Flextreme’s grille is sleek and trapezoidal, and although allowing some air flow, it is partially covered with a translucent divider. The Opel emblem extends doubling as the car’s charging port.

The rear doors are hinged, and there is a glass roof that automatically darkens in sunlight to keep the cabin cool.

At high speed, a retractable rear wheel wind spoiler extends to improve aerodynamics pushing air to the rear of the car.

The Flextreme’s Voltec propulsion system is the same as in the Volt/Ampera aside from a slightly more powerful electric motor.

It uses the same T-shaped rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and 1.4 L gas engine/generator. It delivers 37 miles of EV range and a total range of 300 miles. It has a top speed of 125 MPH and will do 0 to 60 in under 9 seconds.

Average fuel economy is reported as 1.6 L/100 km (147 mpg US), with CO2 emissions of less than 40 g/km.

The vehicle is not being considered as a fanciful concept, but rather expected to become a flagship vehicle for Opel, whose future in Frank Weber’s hands is decidedly electric.

We’ll learn more when the car is revealed at the Geneva Auto Show on March 4th.

Source (Opel)

We have known for a long time that the Chevrolet Volt is only the first car of a lineage of future vehicles that will be sold not only in North America but globally.

In 2007 GM revealed an Opel Flextreme small SUV concept, and in 2008 they revealed the Cadillac Converj concept.

These cars like the Volt depend on the Voltec propulsion system, which is a primary electric drive with a combustion engine generator to extend driving range.

GM has also shown two concept cars in which a hydrogen fuel cell was used as a range extender. This included an early Volt variant, an later the Cadillac Provoq concept.

There is evidence GM is about to lift the curtain on a new as-yet-unseen Voltec vehicle.

It will be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show on March 3rd.  A teaser image has been released and appears above. Notice the slick “Voltec” logo on its very unusual grille.

GM/Opel aren’t revealing many significant details about the car yet, or whether it will be production intent.  This is all GM will say publicly at this point:

Concept car gives clues to Opel’s future environmental direction

Opel will premiere a concept car that embodies much of the company’s future thinking in terms of design and engineering.

Using green innovation and alternative propulsion, the concept is proof that size and comfort do not need to be sacrificed for a vehicle to be environmentally efficient.

More details on the concept car will be revealed in due course.

According to GM spokesperson Rob Peterson “the Opel is simply a concept that showcases the potential of the Voltec system.”

Can’t wait to see.

Michigan Confirmed to be Initial Volt Market

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

Ahead of its appearance at the LA Auto Show GM has unveiled the full specs of the US-version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car.

The global vehicle has become very popular in Europe already where it sells at a starting price around $15,000. In the US it will compete directly against the popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic models. Cruze features and details “challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America,” says GM.

The vehicle will come in LS, LT, and LTZ trims, with an Ecotec 1.8 L engine that comes standard. The optional Ecotec 1.4 L turbo engine will deliver 138 hp and 148 ft-lb of torque., and although official EPA estimates do not yet exist, GM reports it will achieve up to 40 MPG highway. With its 15 gallon gas tank, a 500 mile cruising range will be available. There are both manual and 6 speed transmissions.

Other standard features include 10 air bags, electronic stability control, McPherson struts, XM satelltite radio, OnStar, bluetooth and ipod USB connectivity, and a navigation system.
A family of 16 inch, 17 inch, and 18 inch wheels are available.

GM describes the car as having unexpected quietness, use of premium material, and refinement not found in other cars in this segment.

“The amenities, quietness and roominess you expect in larger cars are what the Cruze delivers,” said Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet product marketing manager. “This is a car that will shake up the compact segment, with a more spacious interior and more cargo room than the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.”

“There’s a lot of content in all Cruze models; it was designed to give customers the features they want regardless of the car’s size or segment,” said Brooks. “At a very competitive price, you’ll be able to get a Cruze with leather and heated front seats, 16-inch aluminum wheels, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, Bluetooth, a USB port for your iPod, cruise control, power locks and power outside mirrors.”

The car’s aesthetics are describes as taut , muscular, and sporty with a wide aggressive stance. It is wider and longer than it’s competitors. The interior uses a Corvette-inspired twin cockpit design and the blue LEDs to light analog gauges.

The Cruze will be available for purchase in the third quarter of 2010 and will be built at GM’s Lordstown Ohio assembly plant.

As many have observed, this car’s scucess is critical for GMs future proftiabilty. It will be the car Chevy dealers sell in high volume, even to those wanting yet unable to afford or find first generation Volts.

I wish it well.

FULL SPECS HERE

Source (GM)

GM is set to launch a brand new version of its classic Buick Regal sedan.

Discontinued in 2004, the new Regal is a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the Opel Insignia which is already popular in Europe.  The new Regal which will begin selling next year in the US as a 2011 model will initially be built in Germany for its first 12 to 15 months of production.  It will begin production in North America in 2011.

According to a report in Wards’ Auto, GM will begin production of a mild-hybrid version of the Regal later that year.  This would then be the first vehicle GM makes using its second-generation belt/alternator/starter or BAS+ hybrid system.  The system is reported to achieve 20% increase in fuel economy over standard gas versions of the vehicle.

The new BAS+ system has a 120 V lithium ion pack made by Hitachi and, takes up 24% less space, has 40% less mass, and has 33% more power than the current system, such as the one found in the Malibu Hybrid. That car was discontinued due to weak demand. The new system has slow speed EV only operation, electric assist during acceleration and engine off at stops.

The Regal will launch initially with a 2.4 L 4-cylinder direct injection engine. A 2.0 L turbo model, expected achieve 30 mpg on the highway will follow next year.

Jim Frederico, the Regal’s vehicle line director told Ward’s that the car has the appropriate dimensions to house not only the BAS+ system but also the upcoming 2-mode plugin drivetrain as well.

That drivetrain was initially intended for the Saturn VUE. After Saturn was terminated, GM next said it would appear in a similar-sized small Buick SUV. After those plans were also scrapped from negative public feedback GM hasn’t announced where the drivetrain would debut.

Placing it in this mid-sized sedan may be just the right solution.  What do you think?

Source (Wards Auto, subscription required)

Currently the Chevrolet Aveo is GM’s smallest production car in the US.  Although low in price, sales aren’t terrific and the car is not popular.  However, it is clear that small cars are a thing of the future, and GM has repeatedly said it would build them, and for the first time as a new company, actually make money on them.

We heard when the government brokered GM’s bankruptcy reorganization that the automaker agreed to build a new small car in the US for the US market, but did not announce what the car would be.  Previously the Chevrolet Spark had been demonstrated and set for production, though with reorganization that has become more uncertain.

Today, new sketches have been released of a new subcompact or B-class GM car.  The car will be called the Chevy Agile in South America where it will be released in the forth quarter of 2009.

It seems like the car is slated to replace the Aveo in the US in 2011, just as the upcoming Cruze will replace the Cobalt. Some reports speculate it will be called the Chevy Viva in the US.

In South America the car will be powered either by a 1.4 L 105 hp engine or an optional 1.8 L 129 hp engine.

“The Agile goes beyond a traditional hatchback,” said Carlos Barba, General Director of GM Design Mercosur. “It’s a car full of youth and a design that will surprise.”

Source (Autoblog)

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