GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

The battery pack for the Chevrolet Volt is warrantied for 8 years/100,000 miles. GM considers this the best available warranty for a new technology battery of its kind. It does not meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirement; however, necessary for them to consider the car as a partial-zero emissions vehicle. That standard is 10 years/150,000 miles.

As such, CARB designated the Volt as ULEV, similar to a fuel efficient gas car, not considering its EV operation.

GM expects the 2012 model year Volt to meet the CARB requirement, though the New York Times reported Volt director Tony Posawatz as saying GM needed to work out some “kinks” before they could increase the warranty.

I asked Mr. Posawatz exactly what those kinks might be.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said. “We are leading with the 50 state version with an 8 year warranty before we start the version for CA that requires 10 years.”

“It’s just smart business,” he added.

Pressed further as to whether technological refinements had to be implemented he said, “just continuous improvement which customers would expect of us.”

Another attribute lacking in the 2011 Volt is E85 capability. Engineers previously said the 2012 car will have it. Or will it?

According to Posawtz, E85 “timing (is) being determined.”

General Motors has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ABB Group to explore opportunities for the reuse of Chevrolet Volt batteries packs after their vehicular lifetimes have ended.

The Chevrolet Volt’s 16 kwh lithium-ion battery pack has a warranty of 8 years/100,000 miles during which time 40 miles of EV driving range can be maintained.  This is the longest most comprehensive warranty of it’s kind in the automotive industry and is fully transferable between owners. The warranty includes all 161 part of the battery, 95% of which were designed and engineered by GM. It also includes the thermal management, charging system, and electric drive components

It is known that the Volt’s battery will still have very significant energy storage capacity after the warranty period has ended.  The new partnership with ABB is looking at ways to best  utilize that energy storage capacity. “The Volt’s battery will have significant capacity to store electrical energy, even after its automotive life,” said Micky Bly, GM Executive Director of Electrical Systems, Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries. “That’s why we’re joining forces with ABB to find ways to enable the Volt batteries to provide environmental benefits that stretch far beyond the highway.”

ABB is the world’s largest supplier of power grid systems and a leading power and automation technology provider. Their technologies allow utilities and industry to improve performance, while at the same time reducing their environmental impact. “Our relationship with ABB will help develop solutions that optimize the full lifecycle of the Volt battery,” said Bly.

“Future smart grids will incorporate a larger proportion of renewable energy sources and will need to supply a vast e-mobility infrastructure – both of which require a wide range of energy storage solutions,” said Bazmi Husain, head of ABB’s smart grids initiative. “We are excited to explore the possibility of employing electric car batteries in a second use that could help build needed storage capacity and provide far-reaching economic and environmental benefits.”

The joint venture will explore the utilization of used Volt packs in the following ways:

• Renewable Energy Storage: Power generated by wind and the sun can be stored in Volt battery systems and used when demand warrants.
• Grid Load Management: Utilities will be able to use the Volt batteries to store electricity generated during off-peak periods to supplement demand during high-peak operation. This will help utilities to better manage the grid, improving reliability and efficiency.
• Back-up Power Supplies for Communities: Volt battery systems can store electricity that can be used by communities during power outages caused by storms or other natural disasters.
• Time of Use Management: Industrial customers can store off-peak, lower-priced electrical power in Volt batteries for use during peak demand time of day for cost savings.

“Chevrolet and GM are committed to assuring that our vehicles minimize their impact on the environment,” Bly said. “Our focus on finding additional applications for the Volt’s batteries after their vehicle use extends our commitment to unprecedented levels.”

Source (GM)

After all this time its pretty amazing to hear GM’s final decision on the Chevrolet Volt’s battery warranty.  Eight years or 100,000 miles.

We have known for a long time that GM was aiming towards ten years/100,000 miles as a goalpost, though using that figure specifically as a warranty was never confirmed.

This warranty is being described as the longest-lasting GM offers on any of its products, illustrating the very high level of confidence the company has in its extensively engineered and managed lithium-ion battery pack.  It exceeds by three years the warranty GM offers on its powertrains.

The warranty coverage includes all 161 components of the Volt’s battery, its charging system, thermal-management system and components of its electric drive, and it is transferable to other vehicle owners. GM confirmed that the 400 pound pack houses 288 cells in nine modules.

Volt vehicle line executive Doug Parks GM provided some additional details about the warranty.

First the warranty is good at delivery, no minimum number of miles are required, and the mileage is calculated in terms of vehicle miles, not generator miles.

It was long thought GM must achieve a ten year warranty specifically for California and the other CARB states. This turns out not to be the case.

The “warranty announcement covers all states, including California,” said Parks.  ”California does not mandate 10 years/150,000 miles for all vehicles.”

The reason, as it turns out, is that GM did not submit the Volt as an advanced technology partial zero emission vehicle to CARB (California Air Resources Board). Therefore, GM is not required to meet those warranty criteria. It also means California Volt buyers will not get the $5000 tax credit. GM expects to achieve AT-PZEV designation in the 2013 model.

“The Volt’s battery warranty announced this week is based on the remarkable results of our engineering and development testing,” GM spokesperson Shad Balch told GM-Volt. “When we complete the additional engineering and submit the vehicle to CARB for AT-PZEV certification it will include the required 10/150K battery warranty.”

“We expect to do this with the 2013 MY, which will be available mid-2012,” he added. “AT PZEV for 2011 MY would have required additional costs and delayed the launch. We could have pushed back the launch – but customers want a practical EV now.”

“California’s rebate program has funds to cover fewer than 700 customers, total, for vehicles from all manufacturers – and future funding is uncertain,” he added. “Rather than sticking it to thousands of our customers with a delay, we chose to remain on track and launch the Volt this year.”

GM is continuing to look at battery performance beyond the ten years as well. “The batteries are being validated beyond the warranty period,” said Parks. “We continue to test to see how far they will live.”

Parks also noted that the battery is warrantied for both level 1 (120-v) and level 2 (240-v) charging, and that the use of either has no effect on performance or longevity. He said that if a pack wound up needing repair some work could be done at local dealerships. “However all refurbishment/cell replacement will be done at a central specialized repair center,” he added.

Parks noted the warranty will cover “all customer charge cycles,” even if owners charge the car multiple times per day.

Overall GM noted that its battery warranty was significantly longer that what Tesla offers on its Roadster which is “3-year, 36,000-mile standard,” according to Tesla spokesperson Rachel Konrad. “You can buy a two-year extension,” she added. Tesla also offers owners the option of paying a non-refundable $12,000 to get a free battery replacement at seven years..

And for what seems like the first time, GM beat Nissan to announcing something about its electric car.

According to Nissan North American Director of EVs, Mark Perry, Nissan has “no comments yet,” on the air-cooled LEAF battery warranty. “We will release a bit closer to launch,” he added. Nissan has surveyed its $99 reserve holders about their battery warranty expectations, and may be aiming for 5 years/60,000 miles. The LEAF, as a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) will be eligible for the $5000 California credit for those who can get it.

“No battery warranty requirement/regulations from CARB for ZEV,” says Perry. “Nothing for the air resources board to regulate.”

For a time, it was assumed by many (myself included) that the Volt would come with a 10 year/150,000 mile warranty in California and other CARB states (17 of them in total), and a 8 year/100,000 mile warranty for the greater, unwashed masses.

That perception changed on Wednesday, when GM announced the battery warranty would be 8 years/100,000 from coast to coast. I confess to being a little confused by the announcement myself, and how a 8/100 was possible to offer nationwide as the Volt was a partial zero emission vehicle, I even asked Doug Parks (GM global vehicle exec) later in the day to explain the warranty, wondering if maybe the 8/100 was just blanket announcement, but the higher 10/150 would still apply in California and CARB states.

Doug’s response was short and sweet, “Today’s warranty annoucement (sp) covers all states, including California,” no explanation on the how or why.

Well, that is not good enough really. So a little help from the California Air Resources Board should provide a more complete answer; and it comes in the form of designation. The Volt did not meet the criteria as a enhanced advanced technology partial zero emissions vehicle, or AT-PZEV, as was widely expected, therefore they don’t have to meet the 10/150 warranty, (or enjoy the incentives of that program), so 8/100 is the minimum benchmark they have to offer.

However, Shad Balch, GM’s energy and environment communications specialist, said that in the future (like 2013) GM is looking to get the AT-PZEV designation, which would mean the 10/150 would then come into play…along with all the other streamlining, debugging and upgrades that are going into ‘gen 2′ of the Volt.

The real kicker to the no AT-PZEV designation (besides the lessened warranty) is that the Volt does not now qualify for the additional $5,000 state incentive. Balch said GM “knew all along” it would not earn the AT-PZEV status, and that GM sees enough early demand for the first gen of the Volt without the rebate. (apparently no one gave Bob Lutz that memo before talking to the press)

Balch continued to say that “when we get through those early adopters, GM is hoping $5,000 shaved off the sticker price will help pave the way for expansion to a broader market”…assuming I guess that the state program is still funded at that point.

/early adopters get all the love

Source: Earth2Tech

After years of speculation, General Motors has finally announced the terms of the warranty on the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium ion battery pack; eight years/100,000 miles.

The 16 total kwh pack stores sufficient energy in a band from roughly 30% to 80% state-of-charge to propel the car for up to 40 miles at ambient temperature and with moderate driving style.

Since first working with the LG Chem lithium-manganese spinel cells in October 2007, GM has definitively proven their safe and robust nature. In these nearly three years of testing, GM has completed more than 1 million miles of driving and 4 million hours of validation of Volt battery packs, which include exactly nine modules and 288 cells.

“The Chevrolet Volt’s batteries have exceeded our performance targets and are ready to hit the road,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director, global electrical systems. “Our customers are making a commitment to technology that will help reduce our dependence on petroleum. In turn, we are making a commitment to our customers to deliver the highest standards for value, safety, quality, performance and reliability for an unprecedented eight years/100,000 miles.”

GM stresses the following key features of the Volt’s battery that allow this unprecedented in the industry warranty:

Thermal Management: the intrinsic thermal management system allows the pack and car to operate flawlessly from -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 C) and as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit (+50 C). In cold weather the cells are warmed by the generator and in warm weather they are chilled.

Diagnostics: there are more than 500 diagnostic tests on the pack that run 10 times per second. 85 percent ensure the pack is operating safely, 15 percent ensure durability.

Cell design: the LG chemistry ensures high power and long life.

Energy Management: by not fully charging or discharging the battery ensures the longest possible life.

GM is on track to deliver the Volt to customers later this year.

“We’re moving fast to deliver for the customer and ensure the Volt launch stays on track,” said Nancy Laubenthal, plant manager of the Brownstown Battery Plant. “Last August we announced the investment in the Brownstown facility and in January built our first completed battery pack. Now we are finishing pre-production batteries and soon we will begin building production batteries for Chevrolet Volts that will be delivered to dealers before the end of the year.”

In addition to this battery warranty, GM is also offering the following additional warranties on the car:

• 100,000 mile/5-year transferable Engine Limited Warranty (for Range Extender)

• 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Roadside Assistance Program

• 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Courtesy Transportation Program

• 36,000 mile/ 3-year no deductible Bumper-to-Bumper transferable warranty

• 100,000 mile/6-year corrosion protection

At 4PM Eastern you can ask questions directly of Volt vehicle line executive Doug Parks and Volt marketing director Tony DiSalle in the chat box below:

Cutting edge lithium ion battery packs being built for the Volt are expensive. Some experts guess they cost up to $10,000 although certainly GM nor their suppliers are saying what the actual numbers will be.

When one looks at the close to $40,000 price tag for the Volt it is recognized that the pack makes up a significant component of that.

But two packs?

GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz recently told Cars.com that the current battery pack prototypes are “performing flawlessly” even in harsh testing environments. He said however that “longevity is the unanswered question”.

GM has previously said they expect to warranty the Volt batteries for 10 years/150,000 miles. In this new interview Lutz said “We’re being conservative on battery life. For our cost calculations we’re assuming each car will need a replacement during the warranty period.”

Source (Cars.com)