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GM-Volt Exclusive: Inside the GM Chevy Volt/E-Flex Battery Lab

January 12th, 2008 | Posted in: Battery, Engineering, Original GM-Volt Interviews

Lance Turner is the electrical engineer who runs the day to day operations of GM’s advanced battery lab. He reports to Denise Gray who is GMs advanced battery director. While in Detroit for the impending auto show I was graciously allowed to meet Lance and tour the lab where the Chevy Volt’s prototype battery packs are delivered, housed, and tested.

The facility was a warehouse-sized unassuming space filled with large temperature regulation chambers, test benches, workstations, power supplies, people, and of course batteries.

After clearing the security checkpoints, as I passed into the lab, I immediately recognized the T-shaped Chevy Volt prototype pack, disrobed of its black case, on the floor to my left. It was attached to a work station running proprietary software that controlled cycling the pack through charge-discharge cycles as well as monitored the behavior of the individual cells and the pack as a whole.

I watched Lance run the pack through an entire US06 cycle, which represents a fairly aggressive driving pattern, and includes a spike of >100 kW of power. The pack flawlessly handled this 600 second electrical obstacle course without a hiccup, using only a fraction of it’s stored power.

Lance also said the pack, the first from LG Chem/CPI, dubbed “MRD 1A”, had already gone through more than 100 such cycles. He told me that within 2 weeks of it’s arrival there last Halloween, he already had enough data to know the pack had met all of his expectations and he expressed rock-solid confidence that the pack could handle the needs of the car.

I also learned an important fact about the pack’s thermal performance. This pack, although containing a fully functional cooling system, which could be seen as a series of small rubber tubes weaving throughout the modules, has handled all of its 100 plus cycles with the cooling system turned off. Lance told me that was because he wanted to understand the behavior of the pack in its native state without the possibility of corrupting the data due to the cooling system.

Despite the fact the cooling system has not been used, the pack has performed exceptionally well at room temperature, within a very tight temperature range, and has shown no signs at all of overheating. I saw the temperature curves right on the monitor myself folks - overheating rumors are rubbish, despite what the Wall Street Journal may say!!

I got to hold a single prismatic cell which was a less than a half inch thick square, about five inches in diameter, and weighing in a bit under a pound. In the pack, which really wasn’t that big, I could see the cells were segregated into 16 or so chambers each called modules, connected by wiring, circuit boards, and cooling tubing.

I was also shown CPI/LG pack number 2 called “MRD1B” which was sitting within a large metal chamber capable of either cooling of heating the pack to extreme temperatures. Lance said he had not yet begun extreme temperature testing, and for now was still working with ambient temperatures.

A123/Conti’s first pack is expected this month, and there is a space for it waiting patiently.

I was told that higher level GM executives frequented the lab for updates, and that Bob Lutz had just been there. I also got to see a picture of the bottom of a recently completed E-Flex test mule, complete with the pack casing fitting snugly and appropriately into it’s floor pan.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by the lab and it’s personnel. And considering how close I’ve been following the car’s development, standing right next to the pack was very moving. Lance is clearly an exceptionally expert battery engineer and his work with GM even extends back to the EV-1 program.

So for anyone who still doubts the veracity of GMs dedication to this program, and the quality of their hardware, this author can tell you first hand, this program is real, and an automotive revolution is indeed underway.

Next up, the E-Flex design studio - check back soon!

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Posted by: Lyle

81 Responses to “GM-Volt Exclusive: Inside the GM Chevy Volt/E-Flex Battery Lab”

Brian M Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:13 am

That news about the thermal performance is FANTASTIC!

I saw the Wall Street Journal story too, and I was flabbergasted to say the least. Who did that guy talk to? Obviously nobody that knows anything about what’s going on in the world of EVs.

P.S. The guy in the picture really looks like your stereotype nerdy engineer, and that makes me happy
David L Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:45 am

Wow, Lyle! How do you find time for your “day job”. Thanks for this excellent report!
SilverBlade Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:51 am

Now we got the info straight from the source. We *need* these cars ASAP. I have my money saved up.
Jim I Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 1:03 am

It will be interesting to see how the A123 Pack will perform, and then see some pictures of the mules running around the track!!!!
wirenutjd Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 1:48 am

not the greatest news, but Spark-EV has just released the Highway Legal Zoyte SUV for the USA, made in China of course.
Randy B. Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 2:04 am

In the following situation, what would be the potential for overcharging the batteries via the regenerative braking system? If you were to spend the night at a location high in the mountains, where you were able to plug-in overnight, could the use of the braking system during the trip down the mountain road generate more energy than that needed to “operate” the car. If you weren’t using the HVAC system, headlights, or other high draw systems, it seems as though you could overcharge the batteries. Maybe some type of resistance heater could be used to “burn-off” excess energy produced-IF this would even be a problem.
Brian M Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 2:16 am

Randy, #5,

I think the car would default to the friction brakes in that case. But you are right, there probably will be bleeder resistors in place to protect the batteries.
Jean-Charles Jacquemin Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:21 am

Bravo Lyle,
By the way, here in Belgium the Volvo ReCharge C30 concept will be on display at the Brussels auto show in 10 days. Perhaps you remember the problems I got to get information on it in Belgium. It seems that the collective action you initiated and that I modestly promote here has some effects in Europe.
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 6:57 am

[quote comment="26480"]not the greatest news, but Spark-EV has just released the Highway Legal Zoyte SUV for the USA, made in China of course.[/quote]
Competition is a good thing. Do you have a link?
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 7:20 am

[quote comment="26483"]
.. what would be the potential for overcharging the batteries via the regenerative braking system? [/quote]
There were some calculations on this in the forum:
http://www.gm-volt.com/volt-discussion?forum=5&topic=234&page=1

I’ll try to encapsulate the results here.

The plug-in charger will stop at 80% charge, leaving 20% for charging through regenerative brakes.

Now let’s say you plugged in on the top of Mount Washington, NH, which is famous for frying regular car brakes. It’s very steep road, almost 1 mile of vertical, and they specifically have places for you to pull over and let your brakes cool. Probably very close to a worst case example.

The calculation on the forum thread shows you might fully charge the battery 3/4 of the way down. Note that this calculation assumes 80% efficieny in recapturing energy through regenerative braking. So it looks like this type of problem will be very rare.
Shoufeng Y. Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 7:42 am

Reading the description, it is impressive that there was no overheating issues, Good work, Lyle. Thanks!

After reading the details, I think the test is simulating HEV mode, which is an integral part of the PHEV, but 100 cycles over a period of 7 weeks (calculated from 11/15 to 01/10, excluding the one week around Xmas) seems slow considering the battery test must simulate an equivalent of 100K miles driving within 18 month (I estimate 18mon to be the max period for battery test if GM wants to roll out Volt in 2010, maybe even shorter). Of course, PHEV is more complicated than that! Based on my following explanation, I hope GM can accelerate and do battery bench testing and mule testing simutaneously to save time.

PHEV battery should have three distinctive processes:1) Slow charge simulating “refueling” at night at C/6, 2) Mostly EV mode during the 40 miles with occasional HEV mode. 3) Continous charging/discharging mode when you have to use the Turbo ICE to run the car. To run comprehensive cycling test on the bench (Not on a mule), I assume both 2) and 3) should be equivalent to 50K total miles and additional 100,000 pulse charge/discharge cycle simulating braking/acceleration(actual value used by GM can be different depending on their experiences). Now I estimate the time for each test:
1): 50Kmile/40mile * 6h = 10 month
2): Assume normal driving, 40 mile equivalent to
40 min, then the total time is 50Kmile/40mile * 0.67h = 1.1 month.
3): Assuming average driving speed of 50 mph when ICE is charging, here the total test time about 50Kmile/50mph = 1.3 month

The estimate are rough without taking many things into consideration such as battery resting period, instrumental setup and other time, it looks to me GM need lots of time to evaluate the battery pack, of course, I would say it is better to start a battery bench test first, within 2-3 month, put a second battery in a mule and DRIVE the volt under real condition (parallel testing two battery on bench and on a mule).

It is mentioned that the cell does not have overheating issues and it appears to be due to the testing procedure. My understanding is the 600 sec test may mainly compose of low rate with some very short period of 5C-10C high rate test (when it is more than 100 KW) and extended resting period between two successive tests alleviated the heating issue. When continous charging by turbo ICE, it will be a different story because the battery capacity is only 16Kwh while the turbo is more likely to be more than 80Kw (rate of charging battery is 5C here) and overheating can be a serious problem. Also the CPI battery use a plastic tubing for temperature control, so how is the long-term reliability of that? Does it tend to degrade by heat and burst within 10 years? Also how does the battery packaging affect the temperature difference among different cells? Because you know the cell always with temperature a few degree higher that others will degrade faster and reduce the overall reliability of the package?

Claim: I am not an auto expert, just a GM Volt fan and use my battery background to understand it, all numbers are estimates and may not always make sense in real world. Lyle, could you please forward this to GM guys? I’d like to see how would they respond to my estimate of time and concern of temperature inhomogeneity. Thanks a lot!
nasaman Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am

Kudos, Lyle, for gaining access to GM’s battery lab! Your dedication to tracking the Volt’s progress & reporting your findings here is in stark contrast even to the public access/interest of the Apollo moon program (I know –I started the same day work started on the moon program– and it was YEARS into the program before media coverage/public interest reached the level of the year-old Volt program! However, the Apollo program’s “nay sayers” were just about as vocal with their “the earth is flat!” declarations then as the Volt’s detractors are with their incessant “the battery will fail” wailing today!)

Keep blazing the trail for us all!
pcaballero Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am

Thanks for the report. I just now subscribed to the feed and I will enjoy keeping up with the development of the volt. I’m saving my money up too!
Dave B Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 10:29 am

Lyle, best work thus far. I’ve got my pennies saved up and can’t wait to pick out my EV for sticking it to oil companies and countries!
Rashiid Amul Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

Lyle,
The access you get is simply incredible. Thank you very much for sharing it with us.
wirenutjd Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

the link for the Spark EV is http://www.spark-ev.com/index.html check it out, I beleive it will be the first mass production EV vehicle.
noel park Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

wirenutjd, #16:

Oh, oh!

They don’t seem too worried about aero, do they? I wonder how much range they could get with a more car like vehicle with some serious aero development? On the other hand, the weight seems pretty under control.
Tim Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

During CES, GM’s Chairman Rick Wagoner spoke with a group of bloggers and journalists.

Here is a link to the 26 minute video on podtech.net:

http://www.podtech.net/home/4847/gms-rick-wagoner-at-ces
wirenutjd Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

The Zoyte vehicle is a Chinese copy cat and may not be the greatest quality. I’ll wait for the “Volt” over the “Zoyte”.
Drake Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Great job Lyle!!! If it weren’t for you, we’d be in the dark when it comes to the Volt’s development. I don’t know what we’d do without you!

“He told me that within 2 weeks of it’s arrival there last Halloween, he already had enough data to know the pack had met all of his expectations and he expressed rock-solid confidence that the pack could handle the needs of the car.”

I know 2 weeks is a short period of time for testing a battery’s durability, but this still put a very big smile on my face to say the least. To hear this from one of the electrical engineers from this lab is great news.

Also it is refreshing to hear that GM has people from the EV1 team working on the Volt. The EV1 was a masterpiece of engineering for its day, so having some of the same people working on the Volt is great news. Those engineers have and are changing the world.
Robert.V Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

My only request is a bigger gas tank!!

If you cant up the electric range atleast allow me to only suffer through the gas station once a month..
AES Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Awesome to have all this verified by an independent source. CPI has set the bar - now Conti/A123 needs to raise it

I hope they get the mules running soon.
Glenn Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pm

#11 Shoufeng

“Lyle, could you please forward this to GM guys? I’d like to see how would they respond to my estimate of time and concern of temperature inhomogeneity. Thanks a lot!”

I would guess that these guys have been keeping up with the discussions here for some time.

For the record, I really appreciate this site and all those who participate here. The discussion gets pretty technical at times, but I read it anyway and pretend I understand it. Overall it has been very educational and encouraging. I’ve never been a GM fan, but am really excited about the Volt (and Vue and all the other spinoffs that will follow). I hope GM understands that there are tons like me that will buy a GM product for the first time in their lives if they build cars like this.
Ellen Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Hi - Met your wife on the Avis bus here in Detroit & thought I’d check out the site - very cool! I loved the launch of the Volt last year and am looking forward to seeing what’s new at the show this year.

Check out our coverage of the show at http://autos.aol.com/detroit-auto-show. We’ll start blogging tomorrow.

Thanks! Ellen
Grizzly Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm

Has anyone ever thought of all the places you might try and “sneak” a charge for the Volt?

I was thinking about those weatherproof outlets around back of our building at work and the parking spots in front of them. I was wondering if I had a Volt and parked in one of those slots and stretched an extension if any of the maintenance or security personnel would say anything? Ditto for out the motel room door to my car.
Rashiid Amul Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

Grizzly #25

[quote comment="26602"]Has anyone ever thought of all the places you might try and “sneak” a charge for the Volt?

I was thinking about those weatherproof outlets around back of our building at work and the parking spots in front of them. I was wondering if I had a Volt and parked in one of those slots and stretched an extension if any of the maintenance or security personnel would say anything? Ditto for out the motel room door to my car.[/quote]

It crossed my mind. Since the summer, I have been parking underneath the plug at work.
I get in around 5:30 - 6:00 and I claim that spot everyday. I’ve been toying with the idea of either asking permission or asking for forgiveness. But I have 3 years to decide how to handle it. I thought about motels but then thought someone might trip of the power cord. With the wonderful lawyers we have today, that could be a nightmare.
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

[quote comment="26556"]the link for the Spark EV is http://www.spark-ev.com/index.html check it out, I beleive it will be the first mass production EV vehicle.[/quote]
Thanks for the link! It’s always good to see what’s happening in the EV marketplace.

I would never buy a pure EV. Even Tesla is going gas range extended for thier lower priced cars.
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 7:02 pm

[quote comment="26575"]My only request is a bigger gas tank!!

If you cant up the electric range atleast allow me to only suffer through the gas station once a month..[/quote]
If you drive 70 miles per day, 5 days a week, and plug in every night, 1 tank of gas will last about a month.
Shoufeng Y. Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

Glenn:

What I really mean here is these guys at GM might need to speed up their testing. 100 cycles so far after almost two months is somehow too slow. I hope they won’t find it too difficult in the future, but heating issue may come out later when they test it under the vehicle (means heat dissipation is not as good as you do it in open), especially when they simulate the continuous charging/driving (after you finish the first 40 miles), the battery will get hot! I know Toyota even had lots of problem with Prius NiMH battery in 1996 and 1997 while the Li battery here is more demanding and more finicky.
Van Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

Great report. Perhaps you were not allowed to reveal it, but if you are, just how tall was the battery without the cover. 18 inches seems very tall to me.
Jimmy Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

#29 Shoufeng Y.:

Did you take into consideration the 6 hours it takes to recharge the battery packs in your calculations?
Mark Bartosik Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

When they have more battery packs they will also be able to run more automated tests in parallel. So I wouldn’t worry about speed of battery pack testing.
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 8:58 pm

[quote comment="26650"]Did you take into consideration the 6 hours it takes to recharge the battery packs in your calculations?[/quote]
The batteries can be recharged much faster than 6 hours in the lab. The Volt’s battery charger is designed specifically for 6.5 hours so that:

1) people that use cheap 16-gauge extension cables won’t burn their house down.

2) your circuit breaker won’t blow if you have a few other things on the same circuit.

3) the charge is spread out over the night. If E-REVs go mainstream, faster charging may overload the grid.

Specifically, I believe the Volt’s battery charger is limited to around 10 amps at 110 volts AC.
Dave G Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:13 pm

By the way, here’s an example of a cheap extension cord:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=70372-171-2910&lpage=none
Note the amp rating…
jabroni Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Sounds like at least one vendor’s battery pack is ready to go. SO - what is the next step in the process after the mules run?

I still wish a 300 pound NiMH pack could be used RIGHT NOW so I would not have to wait three more years….I need and want this vehicle now, just like every other frequenter of this forum…I am so sick and tired of not having a choice at the auto dealerships…
Grizzly Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

# jabroni Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:23 pm Quote

“I still wish a 300 pound NiMH pack could be used RIGHT NOW so I would not have to wait three more years….I need and want this vehicle now, just like every other frequenter of this forum…I am so sick and tired of not having a choice at the auto dealerships…”

********

Regardless You’d still be waiting 3 years. The vehicle is nowhere near ready to go regardless of the the batts they choose.
Takes time to develop a new vehicle ;).
O.Jeff Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 11:50 pm

Dear Mr. Turner,
Thank you for the work that you and your team do. Your work is very important to all of us would-be Volt owners! And, I believe, ultimately, the Chevy Volt is important to the world, too.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with Lyle.
ug Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

Easy for you to wink about it now. Wait and see what people will be paying for gas in mid 2011 when this thing is really out.
Dave G Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 6:47 am

[quote comment="26674"]I still wish a 300 pound NiMH pack could be used RIGHT NOW so I would not have to wait three more years….I need and want this vehicle now, just like every other frequenter of this forum…I am so sick and tired of not having a choice at the auto dealerships…[/quote]
Car manufacturers often make changes to the body style and interior every year. This makes the new model noticeably different, which helps create demand. With this as a gauge, I’m not surprised that some people wonder why the Volt is taking so long.

The reality is quite different. Changes from one model year to the next are usually cosmetic and/or minor. A completely new car design takes 3-5 years to produce. Since this is usually done while other similar cars are being sold, most people never notice.

Even without the batteries, the Volt schedule is aggressive. I’m sure they can do it if they put their minds to it, but it won’t be business as usual for the developers.
nasaman Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 7:38 am

[quote comment="26750"][quote comment="26674"]I still wish a 300 pound NiMH pack could be used RIGHT NOW so I would not have to wait three more years….I need and want this vehicle now, just like every other frequenter of this forum…I am so sick and tired of not having a choice at the auto dealerships…[/quote]
Car manufacturers often make changes to the body style and interior every year. This makes the new model noticeably different, which helps create demand. With this as a gauge, I’m not surprised that some people wonder why the Volt is taking so long.

The reality is quite different. Changes from one model year to the next are usually cosmetic and/or minor. A completely new car design takes 3-5 years to produce. Since this is usually done while other similar cars are being sold, most people never notice.

Even without the batteries, the Volt schedule is aggressive. I’m sure they can do it if they put their minds to it, but it won’t be business as usual for the developers.[/quote]
I agree, Dave. What’s more, a 300 LB NiMH pack would have a battery-only range of only 15-20 miles because of its much lower energy density. We’ve got to be patient, guys!
Robert.V Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 11:16 am

Patiences is a difficult thing with a great new technology like this on the horizon..
Storm Connors Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

Sure it takes time to design a new car, but I would settle for one of the mules they are building. Compared to my Suzuki Samurai conversion, it would be a dream. Let me test what they’ve got sooner rather than the perfect product later. A few problems and inconveniences are no big deal. Early adopters are used to it.
Jim C. Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

Great report, Lyle.

Looks like GM is really making progress. Their efforts, plus the efforts of others in battery research - such as Lockheed & EEStor - spell good things for the American public.
Bill Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

Enjoyed the trip to the company. So this is what the US needs and it will save GM also. Let’s get them on the road yet this year. GO Pack
William Mc Donald Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

Lyle: I’ve read all the discussion about the over charging. It would be behoove you to contact a Rail Road and learn about Dynamic braking. This would solve the over charging.
Volt Enthusiast 1st hand report of visit to the Warehouse - PriusChat Forums Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

[...] Volt Enthusiast 1st hand report of visit to the Warehouse GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Concept Site
Mark in Los Angeles Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 1:53 am

Just wondering, was there only one battery pack in the lab? Could someone be running the tests on the heating/cooling system in parallel? Wouldn’t this permit a faster release to market?
steve Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 5:28 am

Sounds good, but I still don’t trust GM. somewhere along the line they will undermine the project, and shelve it. More money in keeping the gas status quo.
Roger in Spain Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 6:28 am

Steve, while I also don’t trust GM too much either given their track record, I would love to change my mind. So far, they are doing everything right as far as I can see (with the exception of informing the WSJ as to the truth). I’m on the waiting list and have the money earmarked.

Yes, the oil status quo has power, but GM needs both a sales winner, and some major greenwashing. Greenwashing the Tahoe/Suburban manufacturer will be good for business in the long run. They can and will still make the huge useless, and profitable “mommy tanks”, but at least be perceived as green. Kind of like Toyota. (land bruiser etc.)

A couple more observations while I have the floor:

Marketing:The Volt will appeal to the EV crowd, the Tree Huggers, and the cheapskates among us. When the cheapskates see that they can drive for less then $1 a gallon equivalent by “filling up” at night, this will drive a lot of sales.

The Grid: The grid has lots of excess nighttime capacity. Most power plants practically shut down at night, therefore there is a lot of underused power here. Also wind plants have to throw away their nighttime power as well. The PHEV neatly solves a lot of problems.

As to the tests, remember that the tests have to be very precisely controlled and measured to have any engineering merit. The first n tests will be slow, and will start to speed up as confidence in the testing procedures grows.

As to needing a car now, my solution was to move to Spain where I don’t need a car at all. I’ll come back when the US turns the corner economically, socially, and politically. (1 euro = $1.48!!)

For a plugin hybrid city bus solution see my site: http://www.nanobus.org. Better suited for shorter european routes, but might work in the US in spots.
John Schupp Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:26 am

As the owner of an auto repair shop, I have a somewhat related question. When will mechanical/electrical training become available so that the men and women who are expected to keep these cars on the road will be ready.

P.S. Please don’t limit training to only dealership employees. The more places where your Volt can be serviced there are, the more people will be comfortable buying the car.
David Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:31 am

Steve #48: Exactly what do you base this on? I’d like to hear why you think the Volt will be shelved. Oh, and make it sound smart and not like just some losers rant.
Jerry Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:40 am

Hmmm. Seems to me like they are doing their Fule cell car they should try a test with the cars by putting out a certian number of them to the public. This would be a good real time test of what they deem good battery packs. Under their program it would be required by the person to allow time for changing of packs with a new one for testing, and diagnostic of the battery pack that has been removed. Nothing better than real life testing. Not all of us drive 50 MPH.. I do a lot of logn distance driving and am hoping this car can handle this..
Great report.. Thank you for taking time and ding this for us.
Tim Williamson Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:54 am

Thank you for the status report. It shows good progress. I am hopeful this round of testing and verification will lead to successful delivery of my 2010 Volt! Keep up the good work.
Luke Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am

I’d really like to thank GM for letting their engineers out in public. As computer-geek who has worked for engineering groups, I find this a hell of a lot more interesting credible than a press release or TV-spot of any kind. I can look at the pictures and say “yeah, that looks like the labs we have, too.”

I can only hope that GM brings this openness to their other products… The Cavaliers that I’ve ridden in over the years have been so underwhelming (and without the Honda/Toyota well-deserved reputation for longevity) that I would have never considered a GM passenger car for anything, and I’m not interested in SUVs. But now I’m reading enthusiast blogs for a GM car that doesn’t even exist yet. All thanks to GM letting their engineers talk to the public!
jeff y Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 9:57 am

Great work young man!!!Gm sees the writing on the wall. carefull development. recent offings have been good..YES GM BIG OIL ISN’T YOUR BUDDY AFTER ALL.And as Lee Iacocca said the gov isn”t either!!!!!!!!!You will have to do it alone. As a gm owner I’ve been very happy.
bill Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am

Great report, but I’ll never see the car were I live in central WI. Dealers will but them up and them charge $5000.00 more for the car. How are you going to stop this!?
Howard Erickson Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 10:51 am

Ok I guess it might be real, I thought it was all show. GM might actually be ready to get into the EV revolution. I really think Toyota will get there first by about a year (2009)and grab the early market. Hope I’m wrong but history has not been kind to GM’s past decision making. ie EV1 and their handling of that car.
Dan Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

The Mercedes Smartcar is taking $99 deposits to reserve orders. Why doesn’t GM start taking deposits on the Volt? I’ll sign up immediately and pay for the privilege. A reservation list certainly would take the guesswork out of the marketability of the vehicle! Sign me up for the 21st century!
Joe Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

I am so happy to hear about ovrheating not being a potntial problem. I really thought that’d be a sticking point for the battery pack.

Thanks for investigating GM’s battery labs Lyle. Awesome work. Keep the inside reports coming!

P.S- I would also pay $99 to be entered on a reserve orders list. I’m getting this car as soon as it hits the market.
Byron Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 1:04 pm

Thanks Lyle for a great report. This is the most positive report to date that this might actually happen. Like everyone else just wish it was sooner. Not an engineer by far but do drive on today roads and wonder how all of this will hold up to the vibrations of todays deteriorateing road conditions? Thanks again.
Mike G Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Its getting very interesting, even for those of us without the technical backgrounds. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Mike G Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 1:21 pm

Its getting very interesting, even for those of us without the technical backgrounds. Thanks, and keep up the good work.You can count on my $99 as well.
Robert V / Canada Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pm

Lyle is still holding us in the game; Thanks to you! I can’t wait for 2009, just to know what will happen for this wonderful project of an Electric/GM car on track!
Living in Canada, I doubt forcely that I won’t be on the list of the lucky buyers.
But hope is in the air…
Joseph Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

I’ll beleive it, only when I see it. Remember “Who Killed the Electric Car” ? I still expect GM to give us a worthless, two-seat, sports car version, instead of a practical, 4 passenger vehicle, and one that has a decent range of pure electric/battery power. If you want a practical, all-electric vehicle, put your money on foreign.

Bob Lutz : give us a 4 passenger vehicle, something like the Cavalier, but with decent all-electric range. Also, put the weight of the batteries, over the front wheel base, for extra traction, (we already know this lesson, don’t we ?)
David A Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

Does anybody know how much lithium is likely to be in each Volt?
William Dryden Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 4:27 am

Grizzly Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 10:12 pm Quote
# jabroni Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 9:23 pm Quote

“I still wish a 300 pound NiMH pack could be used RIGHT NOW so I would not have to wait three more years….I need and want this vehicle now, just like every other frequenter of this forum…I am so sick and tired of not having a choice at the auto dealerships…”

********

“Regardless You’d still be waiting 3 years. The vehicle is nowhere near ready to go regardless of the the batts they choose.
Takes time to develop a new vehicle.”

><

GM had a NiMH protoype like the Volt in 2001. It should have been in producion by 2005. They are 5 years late.
Why Can’t I Buy It? | New Energy and Fuel Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 7:15 am

[...] for today, though. Now opposite to this is the GM Chevy Volt effort, which has been seen by Lyle Dennis at GM-Volt.com. (A recommended read.) This is an example of extensive testing and hard cold business risk [...]
Peter Oppewall Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 10:55 am

In response to Jean- Charles request for information on the Volvo ReCharge, visit http://EVtransPortal.com/volvorecharge.html

We were able to get a video interview with the project director at the Detroit Auto show. I also interviewed Tony Posawatz of GM’s Volt project. We hope to have that interview posted on EVtransPortal.com soon- we’ll check back here when it becomes available. Thanks Tony for sharing your knowledge and expertise with those of us hungry for information on the progress with the Volt.
Peter Oppewall Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

We now have our interview with Tony Posawatz at the 2008 Detroit auto show, talking about the Volt available on http://EVtransPortal.com If you want to go direct visit http://EVtransPortal.com/gmvolt.html also linked from http://EVtransPortal.com/videos.html
Tony gave us a very informative update.

Thank you Tony!
Jim Pitcher Says:
January 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

I am pleased to see the batteries doing so well. It will be even more interesting when the batteries go through environmental testing. Since there is so much ‘time’, I am looking forward to seeing motor/controller efficency improve.
Chris Says:
January 18th, 2008 at 9:00 pm

Great work! Can’t wait to get my hands on the Volt! I, too, would be willing to “pre-order” or “reserve” or deposit; whatever it takes to let GM know we want the car - the sooner the better! Thanks Lyle!
Greg Welker Says:
January 20th, 2008 at 10:15 am

Great Car, Is it possible to make the Hood or Roof a solar collector, with solar cells, work it out with (JASO)<<<Stock symbol…

Good Luck!!!
GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Concept Site » Blog Archive » Chevy Volt A123/Continental Battery Pack will be Tested in Michigan Says:
February 10th, 2008 at 10:26 am

[...] Two packs from the other team, LG Chem (battery cell maker)/ Compact Power, Inc. (pack integrator), have been in GMs Warren, Michigan testing compound for months. As some may know, I got to see the pack tested firsthand there (see post). [...]
Marvin Says:
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 am

Use resisters to steady the volts and resister path ways for lesser or higher volt useage.
Willie Says:
April 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am

I will not purchase a new vehicle unless it is electric. I’m retired and an ecletric vehicle would be great. I would even purchase a solar panel with batteries and power invertor for the vehicle. Most retired people travel about 100 miles, round trip. My furthest distance would be 73 miles round trip. And that would be twice a year. The oil companies have accomplished what Al- Quide could not. They are destroying the U.S. economy.
Robert V. (Canada) Says:
May 6th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

I agree with W. Dryden (#66) ;

“GM had a NiMH protoype like the Volt in 2001. It should have been in producion by 2005. They are 5 years late.”

About the hood and roof as solar collector; PLEASE don’t ask too much of GM right now. Competitors are already working on this case and they will be ready much before 2011 - 2012…!

Anyway, Good Luck for the Volt.
Willie Says:
May 6th, 2008 at 11:34 pm

GM killed the electric car, they should have inproved it. The Zoyte is out and comming soon. I don’t care if it is US,China,Mexico or what ever made. I just want to stop paying for gas. Oil companies should hand over those,HUGE, profits to uncle sam to help bring the US debt down.
boB Says:
July 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

Willie: “GM killed the electric car, they should have inproved it. The Zoyte is out and comming soon. I don’t care if it is US,China,Mexico or what ever made. I just want to stop paying for gas. Oil companies should hand over those,HUGE, profits to uncle sam to help bring the US debt down.”

You need to educate yourself instead of watching movies. The electric car died because the technology needed REPLACEMENT of the battery every 30K miles at a cost of near $10K. Not realistic.
‘
As for Zoyte, I’ll NEVER buy something from China when the profits go toward targeting the United States. On the back end, China itself owns the car company, and thus the profits.

Finally, for the oil companies, they realize a 7-8% profit margin. Much lower than most industries. I don’t see you requiring Wal-Mart or Microsoft to give more of their profits. AND, Uncle Sam takes 5-6X the amount the oil companies make in taxes. NO OTHER BUSINESS is taxed as high as the oil industry. Keep pushing them and it won’t be worth their while to drill nor will stock holders stay. Then you’ll have chased ANOTHER industry from this country.
Robert.V Says:
July 4th, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Wasn’t the Zoyte made by the guy that went to jail for fraud? Something about not having a real product…..

SparkEV, thats it..
superschupp Says:
July 5th, 2008 at 3:25 pm

For those who think the price of gas is too high see

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LEsEvb1WsIY
PJK Says:
July 8th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

Great to hear the VOLT is still on track…. great to hear updates…
It’s amusing to hear the solar cells on the roof comments… if you cover the whole roof with solar cells .. you could ..maybe… play the radio.
Very little electricity can be produced with solar cells on roofs of cars.

GM-Volt Exclusive: Inside the GM Chevy Volt/E-Flex Battery Lab

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