Chevrolet Volt

[swazworth]

I think if they could blend some Volt concept cues with the new Malibu it could be an attractive car

maybe-> they should make it a muscle car and call it the chevelle

ok maybe not-> but as long as it doesn't look like a pryus

[Pencil.Fight]

Here's a link to a blog where someone put together a chart comparing the 6 major electric vehicles that we can expect to see in the next few years.

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/blogs/...-compared.html

My current pick is the Chevy Volt for being the most practical car announced. Price hasn't been mentioned but it's expected to be affordable. It has a reasonable amount of power, a huge extended range and should be roomy enough for most. It may also help that GM has experience with EVs from the EV1 test deployment, which was the subject of the documentary "Who killed the electric car?"

[DGthe3]

The two offerings from GM seem to have alot of potential. The Tesla looks good too but has a somewhat limmited total range. I would be amazed if they sell less than 60 000 Volts when they come out. But man, a total commute of 50 miles/day gives you 100 mpg! And it has half decent performance while not looking stupid.

[Mr. Wyndham]

General Motors Corp. has taken another step toward bringing its Volt plug-in electric car to market by opening a new studio where work is being done exclusively on its next generation of electric vehicles.

The studio, made from a former management training center on the grounds of GM's Warren Technical Center, has clay and vinyl models of the next generation Volt, which is to be powered by an electric motor run from lithium-ion batteries. A small gasoline motor or a hydrogen fuel cell would be used to charge the batteries when they become depleted.

The Volt, a Chevrolet unveiled at the 2007 auto show in Detroit, will be designed so it can be plugged in to a home outlet to recharge the battery pack, giving the electric motor a range of about 40 miles. The motor would then kick in and recharge the battery pack, extending its range.

Designers using computer and small clay models already have cut 30 percent from the wind drag of the original concept, said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design.

"The easier it is to push this vehicle through the air, the less energy you use," said Nina Tortosa, the aerodynamic development engineer on the Volt.

GM still has a target of bringing the Volt to market sometime in 2010 and is now testing the first of two competing versions of batteries made by outside companies. In the past, the company has said the only thing holding back the vehicle from production is a battery that is small, powerful and safe.

Bob Boniface, design director for the company's flexible electric vehicles, told reporters that a separate facility was needed because the Volt has so many unique features and challenges compared with other GM vehicles.

Designers working on the new prototypes are trying to make the car look different from others so it makes a statement, "but it can't look like a science project. It's got to be something that people want to buy."

The center now has 45 designers and sculptors working on the Volt.
Company spokesman Rob Peterson said the battery development is on schedule. GM engineers are testing one version now that has performed up to expectations. Another version is expected in early 2008.

The company hopes to have drivable versions of the Volt for testing in the second quarter of next year.

Earlier this year, GM signed two battery development contracts with Compact Power Inc. of Troy, Mich., and Frankfurt, Germany-based Continental Automotive Systems.

Compact Power will develop battery cells with its parent, LG Chem of Korea. Continental will use cells being developed jointly by GM and A123.

The batteries being tested are made by Compact Power, while the A123 battery is expected early next year, Peterson said.

This is the kind of ammo we need to shove in the faces of those calling "PR stunt!". I hope they read it, and

[KILLER74Z28]

Here is the production picture “Teaser” GM just released…

[DGthe3]

Chevy: An American Revolution

[TAG UR IT]

This car is going to STEAL away any and all sales from other automakers. I swear this is going to be a HUGE hit.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by KILLER74Z28

Here is the production picture “Teaser” GM just released…

Attachment 3052

"Designers using computer and small clay models already have cut 30 percent from the wind drag of the original concept, said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design."

Looks like they did a good job!

You know, GM has been awfully transparent (On Purpose) with the Volt...I wonder if we'll see the latest version at NAIAS...at least the original concept has to be there: Because you know Mr. Lutz is going to hammer home that they're testing early next year. (or at that point, "in a few months").

I'm almost as excited about the Volt as I am about the Camaro!!!

[Dan]

I hope they don't change they way it looks too much, the concept is sharp. I am seriously considering buying one of these when my GTO is paid off. I will pay it off and then find a Camaro. Having a big v8 Camaro as a daily driver just isn't going to be practical. The GTO is bad enough on fuel.

[Mr. Wyndham]

A video with a sneak peek of the real thing...um, Why the hell did they have to make it look so freaking cool?!?! :o

[WMCC Doug]

I loved the Volt the first time I saw it at the NAIAS in Detroit last January. The Camaro 'vert was the coolest car in the show, but the Volt was the most significant, IMHO.

[Emher]

If the Volt just keeps looking so cool I'm sure as hell getting one after the Camaro is becoming too expensive a daily driver.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Driving the Volt

By Pete Savagian
Engineering Director, GM Hybrid Powertrain Engineering

The public’s appetite for information on the Volt never ceases to amaze me. The concept obviously struck a chord, although I probably shouldn’t be surprised; I was one of the chief engineers for our last battery electric vehicle – the EV1. The public’s reaction to the Volt is somewhat similar, although on an even larger scale, to the reaction we received when we built the EV1 – the first modern electric vehicle.

The EV1 was one of the most technologically advanced vehicles for its time with a passionate, loyal group of customers. We learned an awful lot from the EV1 program, knowledge that’s being put to use right now on the development of the Chevy Volt. The fact is, reducing our dependence on petroleum requires vehicles that provide the petroleum-free benefits we know electric vehicle drivers are passionate about, but we also need to offer the flexibility to be able to drive hundreds of miles at a time between fill-ups. People expect that type of freedom every time they take the wheel.

We believe an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) like the Volt is that kind of vehicle. E-REVs are electric vehicles that provide full performance on electric power alone and only engage energy from the gas in the tank after the battery is discharged. Based on our studies, a vehicle like this offers tremendous potential to reduce petroleum use and emissions.

Earlier today at the Hybrid Vehicle Technologies 2008 Symposium in San Diego, Calif., I shared some results from our analysis of what an E-REV could do in the hands of regular drivers. We used real world data from the Regional Travel Survey conducted by the Southern California Association of Governments over the past few years. The survey measured the daily driving habits of over 600 commuters in the Los Angeles area, one of the world’s busiest, most congested driving regions.

What we learned was pretty telling. If everyone in this study drove a vehicle like the Volt:

• Sixty-four percent of the drivers in this study would never use a single drop of gas during their daily travels.
• On average, Volt drivers commuting less than 75 miles a day would use 1/5th the fuel compared to drivers using a conventionally-powered vehicle.
• Drivers of the Volt would have 70 percent fewer initial engine starts than conventionally-powered vehicles. Initial engine starts are a large factor in the total emissions produced.

Please take a look at the presentation, “Driving the Volt.” I think you’ll agree, the potential of the E-Flex technology to improve every day driving is real and something we can all get excited about. I’m excited about this and it is this potential that “drives the Volt” team each and every day.

Thanks,
Pete
Download the presentation




http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives..._vol.html#more

[DGthe3]

That is great. I'm gonna keep that for when I hear people say that GM doesnt care about fuel efficiency. I'm sick of hearing people saying crap about GM because they don't bother to look for things like this, or their E85 deal, or 2 mode hybrids. Even their conventional vehicles get reasonable to great mileage for their power.