Well, not exactly new info. But certainly a new find.
Make sure you read the entire article, and watch the entire video. 100% worth the 10 minutes to do so, I promise.
http://gm-volt.com/2008/06/06/big-ne...f-development/
Quote:
Sam Abuelsamid of AutoBlogGreen and Green Fuels Forecast had the awesome opportunity to interview GM vice chairman and Volt leader Bob Lutz after his Chevy Volt Prototype test drive. The video appears below.
Mr. Lutz described rapid and great acceleration getting the car up to 75-80 mph. He marveled at the eerie silence of the car off the gun, and mentioned how it handles well due to the low century of gravity of the battery pack.
He confirmed that there are 3 or four prototype vehicles now running with the battery packs installed and he said “that (number is) going to increase very quickly.”
He also said the prototypes are running not only on the test track but the public roads as well.
He said the first cars to look like the “real Volt” will appear at the end of this year, and that by spring and summer of 2009 there will be “several hundred” of these and thats when the final integration vehicles will appear.
Those will be used for crash and safety, and he notes public early drives and media events will commence.
In a bombshell, Lutz stated that there are only one of the two suppliers packs in the current mules, and that they are now concentrating on only one of the suppliers but he refrained from saying which one. He says at this point GM is very close to one of the two suppliers because of a lower risk with that one. Any guesses?
He also said at their most recent E-Flex senior leadership meeting, they reviewed the HMI or human-machine interface and noted the interior of the car will be “super-cool” and apparently quite customizable.
He confirms supreme confidence that “we’re good for November 2010″ and that there are “zero problems” with the batteries and that in fact “they are exceeding their expectations”, although they have had some minor inner-cell mechanical welding issues, there have been no electrochemical ones.
He declined to comment of the cars cost but admits the first version will be more expensive than GM would like it be.
Lutz never got to experience the ICE coming on, because him and his team only drove it for 20 miles.
Very Cool Sam!
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