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Chevrolet Volt , Dream come true in 2010
2008-06-04 01:07:00 Chevrolet Volt “We intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future,” said Rick Wagoner, GM chairman & CEO, in perhaps the most encouraging news to come out of the GM annual shareholders’ meeti...
By: ByREV Blog-u
Production Chevy Volt to Have a Cam-Back, Round Front, and Tapered Corners
2008-05-30 03:04:00 We have known for a while that the initial Chevy Volt concept car did poorly in the wind tunnel. GM has advised us that in order to achieve a full 40 mile end of life EV range the car has to have an excellent aerodynamic profile. Over time we have heard that the production Volt ...
Remaining Control and Engineering Work in the Chevy Volt?s Development
2008-05-29 03:50:00 Below is a discussion I just had with Micky Bly who is GM’s director of hybrid vehicle integration. He is responsible for putting all the parts of the Volt together to produce a smooth and consistent driving experience. Now that Bob Lutz has said the battery is no longer the issue, what are the issues ...
Chevy Volt on the NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams
2008-05-28 03:38:00 Considering the current national gas and oil price crisis, media outlets can’t seem to discuss the topic enough. This has led to a break for GM and the Chevy Volt. As readers here have pointed out, the Volt was featured on a segment on tonight’s broadcast of the NBC Nightly news. View it here. Neilson ...
GM CEO Misquoted About Chevy Volt Price and Timing, Want it For Less?, Get
2008-05-27 03:48:00 Last week we experienced quite a bit of buzz about a German publication’s interview with GM CEO Rick Wagoner and his supposed comments that the Volt would come out by 2010 and for less than $30,000. I remained skeptical about this quote becasue it did not fit well with the information we have been getting from ...
The Chevy Volt and Securing America?s Future
2008-05-26 14:02:00 First on this Memorial Day my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our troops on the battlefield, and my wishes for their safe return, and thanks too to all those veterans who have gone before them. When the Volt was first introduced in January 2007, oil was roughly $60 per barrel. Now it has touched $135. ...
Full-Scale Fiberglass Production Chevy Volt Model Has Been Completed
2008-05-23 14:01:00 We have been discussing the concept car, design changes coming to the production version, and the developmental prototpye schedule. Some issues might need clarification, especially for people new to the site. First, the concept car we are use to seeing is just a fiberglass shell. The production design will look somewhat different and thus far we’ve ...
GM CEO: Chevy Volt Out Earlier by 2010 and for Less Than $30,000?
2008-05-22 16:29:00 We have a teaser of an interview that GM CEO Rick Wagoner gave to the German Publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung which will be published tomorrow. He is reportedly quoted as saying two very big things. 1. GM wants to put the Volt out by 2010 as opposed to the end of 2010. 2. They want to ...
Jay Leno Believes Chevy Volt Sales Will Take Off
2008-05-21 12:52:00 Most people know Jay Leno as the host of the Tonight Show. He is also a huge car fanatic and very enthusiastic about electric cars. He wrote an opinion piece for Conde’ Naste Portfolio in which he expresses reasons why he believes U.S, automakers have lost ground to the Japanese over the years due to ...
The Chevy Volt Mule Schedule: Final Integration Vehicles to Appear in 2009
2008-05-20 12:52:00 I just had the opportunity to interview Micky Bly who is GM’s director of hybrid vehicle integration. He runs the team that will integrate all the subsystems in the Volt to make it a pleasantly drivable and cohesive machine. I asked him about the Volt development vehicle schedule. He explained to me the the Volt will ...
Production Chevy Volt to be Revealed in Less Than 5 Months
2008-05-18 21:35:00 GM has made significant aerodynamic changes to the original Volt concept they showed in early 2007, but I expect it to be very similar and very cool. The Volt team has already finalized the redesign. We’ve been shown partial teasers (above) and a camouflage 1/3 scale model, but haven’t yet seen the whole ...
Micky Bly, GM Director of Hybrid Integration on the Running Chevy Volt Prot
2008-05-16 03:09:00 After Bob Lutz’ big announcement yesterday about the Chevy Volt prototype running on the track, I had the chance to talk to GMs director of hybrid vehicle integration, Mickey Bly, a little more about it. We covered a range of topics and I will have much more of our conversation soon. Micky ...
BIG NEWS from Bob Lutz: First Chevy Volt Prototype Hits the Road and Gets 4
2008-05-14 20:13:00 In the biggest news since the initial concept announcement, GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz confirmed that in fact the first Chevy Volt prototype, with the full lithium-ion battery pack has hit the test track. He said “It is reliably meeting its objectives. Even with a rough calibration, even with the wrong drive unit, the wrong body, etc. etc., ...
Judging the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt by different standards
2008-05-09 15:27:00 There has long been an interesting paradox in the realm of cars. For some peculiar reason, people who buy really expensive cars are willing to make more compromises to the foibles of the car and cut them more slack. How else to explain grief that owners of Italian exotics withstood for decades in terms of reliability, ergonomics and build quality. Buyers of mainstream cars that often have far fewer problems as a percentage of the number of vehicles built have a fit at every little thing that goes wrong. That same paradox exists today. The Tesla Roadster by virtue of its price and performance falls into entry level of exotic cars. Despite numerous delays in getting the car into production, and obvious compromised in terms of its functionality, most people have been willing to cut the car and the company a lot of slack, myself included. In my case my experience in the auto industry allows me to understand the difficulty of the task Tesla had. I never actually expected them to meet the...
Gas and the Chevy Volt: Change Your Fuel, Not Your Oil
2008-05-06 03:48:00 As we know, the Chevy Volt should be able to drive for 40 or more miles on pure electricity when fully charged. Since most drivers travel less than 40 miles per day, it is quite possible gas could sit in the tank without ever or hardly ever being burned. Indeed, GM engineers decided ...
GM-Volt.com Chevy Volt Waiting List Reaches 20,000 Members
2008-05-05 03:45:00 We have reached another milestone here at GM-Volt.com. As of today, over 20,000 people have expressed interest in buying a Chevy Volt when it arrives by signing up on our virtual waiting list. When the site began, it was my hope that I could create a place where we could demonstrate to GM that we ...
How Much Will the Chevy Volt Cost?
2008-04-28 14:29:00 “How much it will cost?” is by far the most asked question about the Chevy Volt. Not only most discussed but certain to bring forth strong discussion. The higher the quote the stronger the vitriol. There was no mention of price when the concept debuted in January 07. The dialog began in May 07, when GM ...
Chevy Volt Generation Two
2008-04-27 16:02:00 No sooner than we hear the first Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery powered prototypes are tooling around the track, than a GM VP is giving an interview about the next generation Volt. Fact is the Volt is here to stay (and GM-Volt.com along with it). Indeed we have heard GM North America president Troy Clarke call the ...
GM Considering a Pure Electric Chevy Volt Without a Range Extender
2008-04-26 15:25:00 Scott from PetroZero reports that he had an email conversation with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz the other day. This is also being reported over at Autobloggreen . Scott asked him the popular question, "Since the ICE gets 50 mpg when charging the battery, why not skip the battery and get a 50 mpg car." In response, Lutz ...
BREAKING: First Lithium-ion Prototype Chevy Volt Running
2008-04-24 15:34:00 The Detroit News today reported an interview with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz. Lutz verified for the first time publicly that a Chevy Volt prototype with an actual full-sized lithium ion battery is actually running. To me this marks a dramatic and critical turning point in the nearly year and half we’ve been following the car’s ...
GM CEO: Chevy Volt 2010 Deadline Down to the Wire but So Far So Good
2008-04-20 21:36:00 At the Beijing Auto Show, GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced plans to bring the Volt to market in China, as automakers are in increasing competition to grab market share of the rapidly growing Chinese auto market. On the sideline of the show Wagoner told reporters: "At this point the focus for us 100 percent is getting the ...
Clarification of the Chevy Volt mule spy shots
2008-04-17 20:43:00 Apparently the the spy-shots of a Chevy Volt mule that turned up on-line late last night were not necessarily what they appeared to be. According to GM the photo's in question actually showed a ride and drive mule that is just testing suspension hardware. The gray car we saw earlier doesn't have any of the E-flex powertrain hardware installed. The giveaway would be the absence of a mis-shapen hood on that particular car. The red Malibu you see pictured here is actually one of the powertrain mules that has been circulating the roadways of the Milford proving ground for the last five months. Under that big lump on the drivers side of the hood lies the power electronics module. This vehicle actually has the electric drive motor, the engine/generator combination, power electronic module and a small nickel metal hydride battery pack. The pack is basically being used as a buffer between the engine/generator and motor so that those components can be tested. Powertrain and software engine...
Spy Shots: First Chevy Volt mules caught testing
2008-04-17 07:16:00 Click above for high-res gallery of Chevy Volt mule spy shotsGM has been rather open when it comes to discussing the ongoing development of the Chevy Volt. Check here for our latest round of updates and you'll see that the Volt is moving along quite nicely. Still, there's a long way to go before the vehicle is ready for the road. The test track though, as you can see in the photo above, is another story entirely. According to Brenda Priddy's spy photographers, the Volt's E-Flex underpinnings are currently being tested cloaked under last-generation Malibu bodywork. We knew they'd be coming and are glad to see some visual proof. The production Volt will be based on GM's Delta platform, not the Malibu's architecture. The mules you see in these shots should contain an electric motor, an engine/generator set and some of the first battery packs from CPI and Continental. We're anxiously awaiting our chance to get a ride in one of these Malibu-bodied E-Flex mules.Gallery: Spy Shots:...
Spy Photo: Chevy Volt Mule on the Test Track
2008-04-17 02:33:00 Jalopnik managed a spy photo of one of the Chevy Volt test mules making its way around the test track presumably at GM’s Milford proving grounds. We know GM has been running these using 2005 Malibu skins for the past 6 months. Except for using a 1 to 2 mile range NiMh battery pack, these mules ...
Even Chevy Volt Battery Suppliers Surprised at GM?s Volt Aggressiveness
2008-04-16 03:43:00 The automotive lithium-ion battery industry is in it’s infancy. Aside for some relatively small companies making limited production prototypes, there will likely be no substantial lithium-ion powered EVs on the road until the Volt arrives in 2010. Forbes has published a decent review of the current state of the technology. They compare GM and ...
Chevy Volt Vehicle Line Engineer on the Reduced Gas Storage Capacity
2008-04-14 13:02:00 Our last discussion regarding GMs decision to reduce the size of on-board gasoline storage was very productive. We stayed on topic, which was very helpful. Most comments were positive, although there were certainly some who were unhappy about it. I pointed out our discussion to Tony Posawatz who is GM’s Chevy Volt/E-Flex vehicle line ...
Chevy Volt?s Lithium-Ion Batteries Road- Tested By Month?s End
2008-04-10 17:41:00 Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date. GM’s plug-in hybrid electric car, the Chevy Volt, will have its lithium-ion batteries road-tested by end of the month. Engineers...
By: Green Options
E-Flex/Chevy Volt Battery Lab Tour and Update
2008-04-08 12:00:00 I had the chance to tour the Chevy Volt battery lab and hear presentations by Lance Turner and Roland Matthe, battery engineers. This was actually my second trip there (see prior post). Lance showed us a sample of the LG/CPI pack running a series of driving cycles including the aggressive US06. The first pack has been ...
VIDEO: Chevy Volt model undergoing wind-tunnel testing at the GM Tech Cente
2008-04-06 04:03:00 After browsing through some of your comments on the post we did about the latest GM Volt developments, we came across a link to a very interesting video thats causing a stir right now. Filmed and narrated Jeff Gilbert, a radio reporter for Detroit's WWJ (950 on your AM dial), it a offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain into the electric lab and wind tunnel at the GM Technical Center. In addition to action shots of aerodynamics testing, we see the battery packs and a Chevy Malibu being transformed into a Volt powertrain mule. That we see any of it at all is remarkable, seeing as there was a strict no-cameras policy in effect for this media visit. Hats off to Gilbert for having the juice to get himself a waiver.Above all else, it's the aerodynamic testing that gets our attention. It featured a one-third-size Volt with the actual final production styling (pictured above). The concept version that we've all seen required extensive changes because its drag coefficient was as good ba...
Higher Resolution Chevy Volt Spy Photo 1/3 Camouflage Model
2008-04-06 02:48:00 I was able to get in touch with the photographer who caught the video, reporter Jeffery Gilbert. I found out that GM actually had given him permission to take that video. As such he afforded me with the highest resolution video available, from which is the clip above. He took it with a ...
150 MPG Chevy Volt Sneak Peak Video
2008-04-05 22:51:00 Yesterday, according to Jalopnik, a reporter leaked out the first video of the Chevy Volt electric car. While GM is keeping their work under pretty tight lock and key, the excitement is tangible?even...
By: Green Options
Chevy Volt Interior Spy Photo
2008-04-05 21:49:00 Someone took a picture of the Volt’s interior sketch (to the left). As I saw it firsthand, I can tell you it is indeed accurate, and is essentially finalized. As per interior designer Tim Crieg, what is seen on this picture will be indistinguishable from the final product although subtle features could change. ...
Fully Operational 40 Mile Range Chevy Volt Prototype to Hit Road This Month
2008-04-04 07:30:00 During our Chevy Volt media day, myself and other journalists were given a whirlwind tour of the E-Flex battery lab. Hybrid Director Mickey Bly briefed us on the current mule (test car) status. First, there have been four mules operational for the past 6 months. We actually got to see one on a lift, ...
The Chevy Volt Interior and How it Will Start
2008-04-03 22:11:00 It has been a whirlwind day through the Volt battery lab, wind tunnel, VR studio, and design studio. Lots of information to get out there. Considering I was in the accompaniment of 80 other journalists, expect a flurry of articles from many sources. The first new thing I wanted to share was what we were told about how the Chevy Volt will start. First of all, the design freeze has essentially been reached. the exploration phase is over and only minimal changes could take place from now on. I saw a large photo of the finalized interior, and it is beautiful. Lines will sweep out from the center display, and will give a spacious and comfortable experience. It is futuristic, high-tech, and speaks eloquently to the electrical nature of the car. To that end the car will start uniquely. There will be no key or ignition! You will have a fob, and the car will recognize you as you approach, it will give forth visual and audio signals, "come to life" as designer Tim Creig says....
Chevy Volt Media Day
2008-04-02 07:01:00 One of the greatest opportunities I have been afforded in running this site, is to occasionally see the internal processes of the Volt’s development firsthand. To that end, GM has once again invited me out to their Tech Center in Warren Michigan. I won’t be alone, but in the accompaniment of several journalists. I don’t know ...
Lutz confirms Chevy Volt media rides in July, GM won?t name battery supplie
2008-03-26 03:51:00 A little over ten days ago, GM's Bob Lutz told us that the Chevy Volt would not be ready for media drives until July. While that announcement was slightly newsworthy because it signaled a small delay/shifting of the timeline. Whatever. The news that the lithium-ion-powered mules would still be on track to be driven at all was a good sign. Lutz has now confirmed to Reuters that those rides are still scheduled for July but then announced a delay of a different kind. Two companies, Continental Automotive Systems and Compact Power Inc., are supplying test batteries for the Volt. GM had been hoping to name a supplier for the production Volt's batteries in the first half of 2008, but that announcement will now come later in the year. Lutz told Reuters that, "We need a better handle on who has the technological capability we need and who is going to have the production capability." And all the Volt fans held their breath a bit longer.[Source: Reuters]
GM?s Chevy Volt Vehicle Line Engineer?s Volt Nation Briefing
2008-03-22 06:00:00 Frank Weber is the Chevy Volt E-Flex vehicle line engineer for GM. He is an earnest, forthright, and confident man who tells it like it is. He gave us a 10 minute briefing about where the battery pack, mule, and design development is at the present time. The video does not show the battery slide Frank ...
GM?s Chevy Volt Vehicle Line Engineer?s Volt Nation Briefing
2008-03-22 06:00:00 Frank Weber is the Chevy Volt E-Flex vehicle line engineer for GM. He is an earnest, forthright, and confident man who tells it like it is. He gave us a 10 minute briefing about where the battery pack, mule, and design development is at the present time. The video does not show the battery slide Frank ...
Lutz: 94.5% Confident Chevy Volt in Production by November 2010
2008-03-20 20:01:00 Soon after the Volt concept was first announced in January 2007 GM vice chairman Bob Lutz told the world he was 90% confident it would be built by 2010. This has become my favorite question to ask him each time I get the chance because it is a good gauge of the programs development ...
GM Chevy Volt Engineer Hears Our Requests
2008-03-18 21:21:00 We had a very vigorous response yesterday when one of GM’s engineers reached out to this site for some feedback on ideas for a data interface for the production car. The response of over 500 comments seemed to crack the blog’s ability to handle it! No worries, I still have the comments in the database and will get ...
The Chevy Volt Will First be Released as a Captured Test Fleet to GM Employ
2008-03-18 12:00:00 To learn more about expected timing, location, and cadence of ramp-up for initial Chevy Volt production I turned to Jon Lauckner who is GM’s VP of global program management, considered a first deputy to Bob Lutz. Below are his answers to my questions. When it comes to rolling out the car in the U.S., ...
Lutz says Chevy Volt mules won?t be ready for media rides until July
2008-03-14 20:48:00 It seems every time GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz opens his mouth to speak, a news story is spawned. Sometimes however, there is less to the story than there appears to be. Case in point is the latest update on the Chevy Volt. Speaking in California, Lutz indicated that Volt mules (very early prototypes) would not be road tested until July. The thing everyone needs to realize is that vehicle development timing, especially on an all-new vehicle of this type tends to be very fluid. Schedules always have time built in for contingencies when the inevitable issues or delays crop up. Carmakers - and especially people like Lutz - are not used to be being so open about development programs and observers from outside are not used to watching what happens. Timing slips in some areas and gets made up in others. Given that GM has never publicly released any hard and fast dates, but has only talked in generalities about targets, people need to just relax. The Volt is still nearly three years away fr...
More with Contintenal EV Director on the A123/Conti Chevy Volt Battery Pack
2008-03-13 06:00:00 Below are more questions and answers with Darryn Nowicki Electric Vehicle Director, Continental Automotive, one of the Chevy Volt pack-making team members. What is the process of building up to be able to make packs on a mass scale? As far as being able to mass produce the batteries, we are gearing up to be able to ...
Production Chevy Volt will not Have a Polycarbonate Roof
2008-03-10 12:00:00 One aspect of the Chevy Volt concept that draws attention is its polycarbonate roof. Some are thrilled by the unique aesthetics while some more pragmatic folks are concerned abouts its greenhouse effect and the need for electrically powered A/C that might reduce the car’s EV range. In recent interviews about the actual production Volt, it ...
An Analysis of the Toyota PHEV versus the Chevy Volt
2008-03-09 06:00:00 For a while, GM and Toyota have publicly argued that each PHEV architecture is superior over the other, comparing the Volt (an E-REV) to the prototype Toyota PHEV, basically a Prius with a 10 mile range battery in the trunk. Ron Grebman of CalCars wrote a terrific analysis whether GM or Toyota is correct in asserting ...
Chevy Volt batteries won?t be in production in 2009, 2010 still the target
2008-03-06 18:54:00 A few days a potentially big story broke as a result of an interview that BusinessWeek did with Continental North America CEO Bill Kozyra. In that interview, Kozyra is quoted as saying that the battery packs for the Chevy Volt would be production by late 2009. He is also quoted as saying the batteries would be in the Chevy Volt in late 2009. This of course got Volt fan's hearts all aflutter with the thought that they might be able to buy a Volt at least a year sooner than previously thought. Well Volt fanatics, it's time to take a valium and sit yourself down. You'll have a whole extra year to save your pennies for that new E-REV. I talked to Rob Peterson at GM shortly after seeing the interview and he knew nothing about any change in the schedule for the Volt program. This morning I finally got in touch with Jim Gill, the director of communications at Continental Automotive. Jim explained that there was a miscommunication between Kozyra and the reporter. The lithium ion batterie...
BUSH: U.S. Must Get Off Oil, and Mentions the Chevy Volt (sort of)
2008-03-06 18:04:00 Yesterday President Bush attended the Washington Renewable Energy Conference and made a speech. Some key comments: “We’ve got to get off oil” “dependency on oil presents a real challenge to our economy.” “The dependency upon oil also puts us at the mercy of terrorist” “our dependence on fossil fuels like oil presents a ...
Exclusive: GM has Received Second Continental/A123 Chevy Volt Prototype Ba
2008-03-06 06:00:00 GM has confirmed that they have indeed received the second prototype Chevy Volt battery pack from the Continental Systems/A123 team. The 16 kwH pack arrived at the battery lab in Warren, Michigan on Monday March 3rd. It now takes its place alongside the first two prototype battery packs from the LG Chem/Compact Power ...
More Chevy Volt in 2009 Talk
2008-03-05 15:19:00 Recently we heard comments from Continental’s CEO about production level battery packs and Volts in 2009. GM spokesperson Rob Peterson told me that 2010 was still the plan. Today we are hearing some more talk aboout 2009. In an article in CNN, GM exec Robert Babik told the reporter “GM is rolling out its all-electric Chevy ...
Production Chevy Volt in late 2009?
2008-03-03 20:00:00 One of the prime objectives of this site is to get the facts straight and dispel rumors. All along the E-Flex team has told us they are working towards November 2010 production. Certainly working prototypes will appear earlier than that, and something like a captured test fleet might even arrive a year earlier.Automotive component maker ... |
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