The Volt has to be a winner in all categories. Including handling.

Since it's going to be on the same Delta platform as the Cobalt SS I would suggest to GM to let it have upgrades to have the similar handling performance as the current SS.

If you read the reviews of the 2009 Cobalt SS, you will see that they praise it for it's handling. I'm really wanting a Volt if I can have an ecofriendly corner carver.

I'm curious what the weight distribution and center of gravity is expected to be like since the battery will run down the center.

A cool idea for the Cadillac Converj (since the market might bare more of this kind of stuff than the Chevy market) would be to have self adjusting suspension to firm up the outside side of the turn. Or have the suspension automatically adjust to the type of driving etc. I think this is the future of suspension technology anyway. This is the kind of stuff that makes people love your driving your vehicles.

Since it's going to be on the same Delta platform as the Cobalt SS

http://www.gm-volt.com/g/volt_mule2.jpg
Does this look like a Cobalt to you?

Volt has nothing to do with Cobalt. Volt is built off Daewoo Lacetti, which is much bigger than Opel Delta that it replaces.

Thanks for the info hypermiler. Could have corrected me more kindly, though! I forgive you as sometimes I'm impatient with others too.

My confusion was that the Cobalt is on the Delta platform and the new Volt/Cruze is going to be on the next gen Delta platform.

I see conflicting info on the web as to who designed the Delta II chassis. Anyone know?

This one says that Delta II is being prepared by GM-Daewoo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Delta_platform

And this one says it's Opel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Delta_II_platform

I see conflicting info on the web as to who designed the Delta II chassis. Anyone know?

GM's platform development break-down since 2004

Daewoo : A, B, C segment
Opel : D segment and engine
Holden : E segment, RWD.

Speaking of suspension. Anyone heard about this little play thing? These are expected to produce between 2kW and 17kW of power. Combining this with regenerative brakes and a solar power roof, you are talking some serious AER.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/01/on-the-rebound-scientists-invent-regenerative-shocks/
http://www.icars.sg/2009/1624/shock-absorbers-with-regenerative-technology/
http://www.gizmag.com/regeneration-no-longer-just-about-braking/10640/

Those don't even sound like they are that complicated or expensive. It's basically just putting in a few permanent magnets and stators etc.

I wonder if in a decade or so, with tech advances, like when EV batteries get to be 55kWh or so, with the advances in solar cells, regenerative shocks etc., some people who live in sunny areas of the country and only drive about 40 miles a day (approx 8kWh in a first gen Volt) will probably hardly ever even have to recharge their batteries, since they will be self recharging as fast as they can use the power.

A little math, if you could recover 4kWh from braking, shocks, and solar panels every 24 hours, you would be recovering 28kWh a week without even plugging in, in two weeks time, assuming you start with a full battery charge, plus you would have recuperated 56kWh, during those 14 days, you would have 111kWh every 14 days, that's just under 8kWh per day, which is about right, so you might have to plug it in every 2 weeks or so.

Now say you only drive 30 miles to get to work and back and only use the car 5 days a week, I figure you could pretty much drive indefinitely.

How sick would that be?