Chevy Volt Update from Chief Engineer: “There’s Nothing Standing in Our Way”
Rate the post:
(7 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5) 
Loading ...
Andrew Farah is the Chevy Volt’s chief engineer and has just given the Associated Press an update on the vehicle’s progress.
He noted that at one point, the Volt project fell 10 weeks behind schedule when the initial battery pack deliveries were delayed, but assures us that the delay been "erased" as work on mechanical parts took place during that time.
The report states that the current battery packs are powerful enough to run the prototypes, but that "dozens of issues remain." Some in particular are figuring out how the car will "handle the batteries’ weight, dissipate their heat and mechanically transfer their power to the wheels."
However, Farah states the project remains on-track to hit the 2010 deadline saying "at this point, there’s nothing standing in our way of continuing to do what we said we’re going to do."
He notes that the battery packs will cost $10,000 to replace, and that the production Volt is a little larger than a Honda Civic and looks more like a normal car than the concept. He says though "it’ll have a similar set of visual cues and some of the features that were on the concept car."
The article also reports GM plans to sell 100,000 Volts in 2012.
Source (AP )
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
GM Expects an Initial Shortage for the Volt
Rate the post:
(6 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5) Loading ...
The publicity surrounding yesterday’s release of our waiting list data has been outstanding.
I would like to give special thanks to reporters Sharon Terlap and John Stoll of the Wall Street Journal as well as Kevin Krolicki of Reuters who were interested enough in the story of us more than 33,000 Volt enthusiasts to interview me and publish these terrific articles, which are syndicated far and wide:
1. Dow Jones Wire
2. Reuters
All this publicity has been noticed by GM, and in fact the Reuter’s piece included a reaction from them. Quoting a GM spokesman, "the automaker expected an initial shortage for the Volt, similar to the shortages for other hot-selling recent models."
E-Flex spokesperson David Darovitz went on to say, "I don’t know if there is any other vehicle or any other technology that has generated this kind of interest because of the state of the market and gas prices. We know the demand is going to be there."
Our mission continues.
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
GM-Volt Wait List Generation 2.0, List Tops 33,000 Members
Rate the post:
(30 votes, average: 4.97 out of 5) Loading ...
As many of you know this site was started within days of GM announcing the Volt concept in January 2007. The goal then was to demonstrate to GM the demand was there for them to follow through and bring the car to production. On June 3rd, GM’s CEO announced the board approved moving the Volt to production. Mission one accomplished.
As part of the effort to demonstrate degree of demand, a Chevy Volt Waiting List was started on this site in May of 2007. Since then over 33,000 individuals have signed up as "handraisers" as GM calls them.
Since actual production numbers are projected to be modest at first, our next mission is to try and compel GM to build enough cars for us.
Many people have asked questions about details of the waiting list, such as one’s place in line and people’s locations. I’ve had the fortune of having expert programmer and VOLT enthusiast Karl Cox (aka Drake) join my team, and together we have built an outstanding and secure waitlist database and interface.
If you haven’t already, go to this link (Wait List ) and put in your email address. You will then be brought to a page where you can fill in all your details including name, address, enthusiasm level, and price you are willing to pay. You will also be given your place in line.
Top level GM officials are aware of this list and have mentioned the possibility of working with it. It is not official and nothing is guaranteed, but it can’t hurt to try. I will keep at it.
Now if you really want to have fun, you can check out a summary all of the collected data at this link (Wait List Data ). You can see that so far with what’s been filled in, we have enough people here to generate over $200 million in Volt sales for GM.
The data will be continuously available and updated in real-time as will the counter on the main page.
The public grassroots effort lives on, stronger than ever!
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
Video: GM Airs Chevy Volt Ad During the Olympics
Rate the post:
(13 votes, average: 4.85 out of 5) Loading ...
One of the major missions of this site has been to spread the word about the Chevy Volt. The idea is the more people that know about it, the more people will see it as a great solution.
Also the more people we can demonstrate to GM as wanting the car, the more likely they will be to build it in necessary volumes.
Early on the Volt was just a concept. In June of this year, GM’s board of directors approved production.
A new television ad featuring the Volt has begun airing during the Olympics. The ad is being shown regularly from 8/8 through 8/24, and is shown below.
Per GM the ad "combines Chevy’s key Fuel Solutions stories into a memorable 60-second commercial that demonstrates Chevy offers answers to America’s transportation energy needs. The upcoming Chevy Volt range-extended electric vehicle makes a brief appearance."
Considering 60% of all US households watch the Olympics it confirms how serious GM is about this car.
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
Bob Lutz Impressed with CNBC’s “Saving General Motors”
Rate the post:
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...
Last Wednesday, CNBC aired the hour-long documentary Saving General Motors . We covered it here and had a bit of fun dissecting it in the comments.
Apparently GM vice chairman Bob Lutz watched it too, and wrote a review on his blog.
Lutz wrote that he was "impressed with the balance, the fairness, and the journalistic integrity of the entire piece." He agreed with the show’s conclusion writing that GM needs people to "think of cars in showrooms, not museums."
Some of us here, including myself, were a little taken aback when reporter Phil LeBeau stated that estimates put the Volt’s price at $45,000. Since I have been told "closer to $40,000" by Mr. Lutz himself, I did some investigating on where that statement came from.
I emailed Mr. LeBeau about where he got that value, and he responded "we said on the show that those are estimates as of now. Clearly, much could, and likely will change between now and the Volt’s release in 2010 that will impact what the actual price winds up being."
I agreed in principle but further informed him that I’d been told it was closer to $40,000. Phil kindly forwarded me to the shows producer to whom I explained why I thought the $45,000 value was too high. He thanked me for the information.
To be sure, I also checked in with GM sources to see whether CNBC had actually gotten the number from GM, and I was told "no".
So, I still believe $40,000 is the number for now.
If you missed it, the show will air again tonight at 10 PM EST. We’ll see if the price quoted is changed.
Source (GM FastLane )
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
New Video Sneak Peek at Production Volt
Rate the post:
(18 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...
Thanks to the watchful eye of one of our readers, DaveP, we now have some new never-before-seen footage of the production Chevy Volt.
ABC news got into the design studio and filmed portions and angles of the car never before seen in public.
Included in this post below are several screen grabs of that video which can be seen in it’s entirety at this link:
or in lower quality on YouTube::
The interior is confirmed as "i-pod-esque" although only the clay model is acutally shown.
Some shots of the battery lab reveal a bank of LG Chem/CPI prototypes.
More images:
Popularity: 3%
Posted by: Lyle
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Goes on Sale for $71,685
Rate the post:
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...
GM has placed its highly advanced 2-Mode powertrain into the Cadillac Escalade and has announced the cars have gone on sale this month.
This is the first example of a hybrid large luxury SUV, and will be available in rear or all-wheel drive configurations.
The massive vehicle will get a remarkable 20 mpg hwy/21 mpg city using the 2-mode hybrid drivetrain. This system uses 2 different electric motors, one for low speed and one for high speed. These run in parallel with a combustion engine, and which of the three powerplants or combination thereof is utilized is determined moment by moment by a computer.
The vehicle comes in one variety, fully loaded, and is actually priced $3600 more than the fully loaded non-hybrid version. At $4/gallon gas, the hybrid premium will be paid for in 3-1/2 years.
GM hopes to sell 5,000 to 6,000 units in the first year, which is 13% of the total expected Escalade sales. So far the hybrid versions of the Tahoe/Yukon have only made up 4% of the sales in that segment.
Our friend Sam Abuelsamid of Autoblog has a new test drive here.
Source (Forbes )
Popularity: 2%
Posted by: Lyle
Lehman: Oil Prices Have Peaked
Rate the post:
(5 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5) Loading ...
Investment firm Lehman brothers has indicated that they believe oil prices have peaked for the next few years, citing signs that tight supply and demand conditions are loosening.
Oil peaked at over $147 barrel on July 11, and now has retreated back to $115. Hopefully to continue to drop.
High prices have led to reduced global and US demand, and the end of China’s hoarding in preparation for the Olympics has occurred.
Further, speculative forces also appear to be declining.
Source (Reuters )
Popularity: 3%
Posted by: Lyle
It’s Official: A123 Systems Files for IPO
Rate the post:
(6 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...
A123 Systems is the maker of advanced lithium-ion cells which are being tested for use in the Chevy Volt.
Most analysts agree that the lithium-ion battery market for electric cars will be massive could be on the scale of tens of billions of dollars. A123 already has significant leverage due to their unique technology and partnerships not only with GM but many other automakers as well.
After several weeks of rumors, A123 has publicly reported that they have filed for an IPO, or initial public offering of their stock. Could this have anything to do with GMs choice of battery suppliers?
So like they’re saying in China today, let the games begin.
Source (A123 )
And here is the full SEC filing, filled with details about A123s technologies and capacities (Link )
Thanks to stealthcaveman in our forum for the tip!
[UPDATE: If and when the stock gets listed it will trade as "AONE"]
Popularity: 3%
Posted by: Lyle
Chevy Volt Chief Engineer on the Volt’s Electric Power Steering System
Rate the post:
(13 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5) Loading ...
Andrew Farah is the Chevy Volt’s chief engineer. I recently had the chance to speak with him about the type of power steering system GM is planning to use for the Chevy Volt.
It is important to keep in mind that the Volt will use on-board energy very judiciously, so that it can be maximally used for moving the car and achieving the most electric range possible. Such concerns come into play on each and every component that is being selected for the car. The power steering setup is an example of that.
What can you tell me about the Volt’s electric steering system?
Its called EPS for ‘electric power steering’. That’s something that has actually been developed for all of our different vehicles. Because its good for economy and because you’re no longer just spinning a pump that you’re not using all the time.
Old power steering systems are driven by a hydraulic pump off of the fan belt, pumping hydraulic fluid continuously. When you’re not loading the power steering, there are still parasitic losses that come off the engine to keep that pump going.
So we developed the EPS for all cars but it is exactly what I need for this car (the Volt) and its ready to go.
Popularity: 3%
Posted by: Lyle
Nissan Previews Its Electric Car, Called by Some a “Volt Fighter”
Rate the post:
(7 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...
For a while Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has claimed Nissan plans to move heavily into electric cars and have a pure EV available in the US in 2010.
At its Advanced Technology Briefing in Tokyo they unveiled a mule-car prototype of the upcoming electric sedan.
Although the mule uses a Cube design, the production car is expected to have a unique style unlike any of their present vehicles.
The new Nissan electric houses an 80 kW electric motor and has a front-wheel drive setup. Reporters who test drove it suggested acceleration is peppy and the car easily achieved 100 km/hr.
The vehicle is powered by lithium-ion batteries manufactured by the joint Nissan-NEC venture called AESC, which plans to invest $12 billion USD over the next three years to build battery production facilities.
The lithium-ion cells use a manganese-spinel cathode, and the pack weighs in at 300 kg, about 50% heavier than that of the Volt. The pack sits under the rear seat pushing it upwards.
The electric range has not been given, but Ghosn has previously said he felt 100 miles would be appropriate for the US market.
No word on cost, and no range-extender.
Source (Green Car Congress )
Popularity: 4%
Posted by: Lyle
Saving General Motors
Rate the post:
(9 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...
Unless you live under a rock, you are likely aware that US automakers GM, Ford, and Chrysler are under tremendous financial duress.
Having to do with a catastrophic drop in consumer demand for cars, and trucks in particular, GMs North American revenue dropped by $10 billion in the first half of 2008 while they lost a staggering $18 billion. CEO Rick Wagoner has assured investors that GM has adequate liquidity to keep running through the end of 2009 assuming a “low” estimate of 14 million US auto sales per year and a market share of 20% thanks to massive cuts, asset sales, and workforce slashing. But, for July, the annualized sales rate worked out to be 12.7 million.
Reports are out that the US automakers have begun lobbying congress for $35 to $40 billion in low cost loans over the next 2 to 3 years for the purpose of retooling their plants to build next generation fuel efficient vehicles like the Chevy Volt.
In response to these requests, Rep. Dingell of Michigan has begun asking his colleagues to speed up the rules to quickly allow automakers $25 billion in low cost loans. Those loans had already been authorized by last year’s energy bill and the guidelines for their disbursement are supposed to be written by December of this year.
Per Mr. Dingell “It is essential for the department to undertake this effort with urgency,” and “providing the domestic automobile industry with targeted and timely assistance will help stimulate the entire economy.”
Apropos to this topic will be a documentary tonight on CNBC entitled Saving General Motors. It will appear at 9PM EST .
This program will include footage of Bob Lutz driving the Volt mule and the battery lab, among other things.
It might be interesting to discuss the broadcast in real-time right here in the comments section of this post, should you be so motivated, and don’t forget to make your self a snazzy avatar for the comments by going to http://www.gravatar.com . I’ve even taken the liberty of inviting the show’s host Phil LeBeau to drop by.
With respect to this monumental witches brew of bad luck and bad decisions besieging US automakers and potentially jeopardizing our beloved Volt, Detroit News Reporter Tom Walsh sums it up well, “It’s that serious.”
But lets hope that through the Chevy Volt, the support of people like us, and the mission of this site to spread the word, we can all play a role in saving general motors.
See you tonight.
Popularity: 4%
Posted by: Lyle
Recent Posts
- Volt Battery Supplier Chosen and GM Comments on Production Photo Leaks (POLL)
- BREAKING: Production VOLT Spied!! The REAL DEAL!!
- Chevy Volt Interior Picture Leak
- Bob Lutz Responds to Toyota’s Announcement: Large Volt Test Fleet in 2009
- Volt Competition: Mazda’s Secret E-REV Program, Toyota Forwards Plug-in Fleet to 2009
- Bob Lutz on Chevy Volt Battery Tests, Cold Starts, and Use of OnStar
- The Chevy Volt Generator Will Run at One of Several Fixed RPMs
- E-Flex Cadillac Next?
- How the Chevy Volt Operates Past the Customer Depletion Point
- The Chevy Volt Will Have iPod Connectivity (Plus More Design Issues)
