A post by “Belloc” on our Forum was noticed by one of the actual GM engineers that is building the Chevy Volt. That engineer writes to me “I’m an enthusiastic reader of the gm-volt.com site” and “I’m trying to ensure that it’s (the Volt) got the best features that the customers’ want.
Belloc’s post:
“I would like a built in webserver (like a wireless router) That would allow me to monitor the electricity used/ gas used/ miles traveled etc… I would like to be able to see my day to day usage as well as a week and month breakdown. I would also like to be able to enter in my electricity cost and fill up cost to track all expenses.
I would also like to monitor hours on engine. When the next maintenance is due (oil change etc) also I would like a history of all maintenance that was performed over the history of the vehicle.”
It turns out GM is wondering whether this kind of thing would be a good option for the production car. The GM engineer asked me to throw out the following questions from him to you, the GM-volt.com readership:
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Give the GM Volt team your thoughts in the comments section, and vote in the poll below. Witness the importance of this site and your opinions in the development of this revolutionary vehicle!
As for me, I’d like a wireless networking server in the car that provides battery SOC, time and distance to depletion, and the ability to check my car’s charging status from any browser, and of course a GM-Volt.com icon on the dash and screen so that we can all network about our Volts anytime!
While I’m at it, I’d also like to be able to see the depletion of my batteries energy graphically in real-time while driving, and have the dash show me optimum driving velocity for grade so that I may make the charge last the longest. Oh yeah, and of course I want the whole dash to be a programmable LCD screen. I think this geeked out setup should be an option at extra charge of $499.
What say you?
What HVAC Mode of Operation Do You Plan to Use in Your Chevy Volt?
- Low Power (slow to heat and cool cabin, more pure electric range) (45%)
- Normal Power (faster heating and cooling, less pure electric range) (40%)
- Doesn't Matter (15%)
Total Votes: 1,452
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{UPDATE: COMMENTS Overloaded go to Next Post to answer]
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 at 8:21 pm and is filed under Engineering, Feedback to GM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Mar 16th, 2008 (8:34 pm)I am concerned that such features would be abused and that they coincide nicely with the VII pork barrel program to eventually track the movements of every driver. Not that I blame GM for trying to make quick buck, did anyone notice that two of the questions were directly related to increasing the consumer’s cost? I’m glad the features are suggested as being optional as I have an emphatic NO!. By the way, the pretty graphical display of the battery depletion in real-time while driving would reduce your range. What a waste.
Mar 16th, 2008 (8:38 pm)The most important on-board function is the ability to tell the amount of battery charge left, and the current "miles per gallon" equivalent, however that will be measured. The most important remote function is how much the battery is charged, and the time remaining until full charge is restored.
Mar 16th, 2008 (8:52 pm)I will a conditional YES to the 5 questions listed (as well as the wireless server question I’ve already voted for). I’m saying my vote is "conditional" because I don’t really know enough about what the GM engineer is asking to make my answer unequivocal.
BTW, GM’s OnStar is already able to obtain & transmit/receive all kinds of vehicle performance data. It uses satellite links —which are about as "wireless" as you can get.
Mar 16th, 2008 (8:59 pm)Aren’t the telemetry features that have been suggested nominally available already via OnStar?
I think that the possibilities are facinating. Why can’t a person simply "call" their Volt on the phone and receive a text message on the vehicle’s State of Charge (SOC) or other operating parameters such as whether the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is charging the batteries? The Volt with OnStar will be able to call the owner’s cell phone or even transmit a message to any designated phone number or e-mail address. Voice synthesis could be used in the messaging from the Volt to anywhere. Pretty exciting stuff.
The OnStar link would be used by GM to monitor the performance of the vehicle systems as a preventitive maintenance and value-added service – for a fee, of course. I’m sure that GM would want to know that all systems are performing well. This information would ensure that the owner is served, as well as GM, when the owner is not effectively supported by a local dealership. GM cannot allow a Volt to fail. The negative publicity will be lethal to the entire program.
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Mar 16th, 2008 (9:03 pm)If it’s done through OnStar, then it should be easy to implement.
However, I would very much like for this to be an OPTIONAL feature, since it would add a lot of money to the base cost.
That, plus the obvious privacy concerns about having personal information wirelessly transmitted.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:06 pm)That said, the vehicle should have a SIMPLE average mpg/distance traveled readout on the dash, similar to on the Malibu hybrid that I test drove a few months ago. Simple, non-obtrusive, cost-effective. Oh, and it should tell the truth! (my ex-boss’s Prius mpg counter lied constantly about getting 100mpg while going 80mph).
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:11 pm)The key in the car is how much charge is left and expected mileage (just like my Aura that tells me how many miles my tank of gas should get me). The rest is interesting, but not necessary and should be available via email/text/online. This is NOT worth paying for but GM should do it as a huge marketing strategy. "The Volt fleet this year saved X gallons of gas, X tons of carbon, etc. Join the Volt fleet and save the planet."
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:14 pm)I think a webserver or remote access is a bad idea, especially wireless. I personally don’t like the idea of anyone being able to hack into my vehicle and get any type of information. It is opening a hole to the vehicle that is unnecessary and irresponsible. The only possible way I can see this not being hacked is if there is some security at the hardware level. IE, I would want to be able to secure it externally, at least through a MAC filter list and WPA-PSK TKIP encryption, it should be required. Also, at the vehicle level, if the webserver would provide interactive access and any ability to change settings of the vehicle, it must have hardware encryption, the modules for the server and the vehicle must be separated by a hardware and software firewall on both sides. There should be a hardware based authentication mechansim that is tamper proof as possible. This is going to take time and money, so I think any wireless/webserver option should be at an extra cost and not included in the price of the vehicle. I could see something along the lines of a special attachment that could be added to the plugin that would provide ethernet access to the vehicle but would contain the same kind of protections described above.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:16 pm)The price of Volt seems to be moving towards the $40,000 range. I’m really only going to be interested in a version of this car that sells for $30,000. You can include whatever you want, but if it costs $40,000… it won’t matter what the features are; I won’t buy it. The problem today is the 5 to 10 year pay back on saving gas $ vs. increased cost of the car. If these cars are going to really hit mass market success (millions of cars), then the payback timeframe needs to be in 1 to 3 years range. Otherwise, I’ll just buy whatever car has the features I want…. there is no financial reason to buy the product. The question you need to ask yourself is "what does the average person need?". I need to know how much range I have left on my battery. I need to know how much longer before my car is fully charged. I need to know how much total range I have left (battery + gas engine). I WANT the car to charge itself at the cheapest time of day (if time allows) and this needs to be user selectable/programmed — otherwise, someone will be selling an aftermarket timer to the owners. I’d prefer the car is smart enough to be able to figure out the cheapest time to charge without me having to do anything to tell it when the cheapest time is. It would be nice if the car could tell me what it cost to charge my battery each week or month .
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:16 pm)I agree with RB re needing info on charge remaining and any data that help "instruct me" on efficient driving habits. I don’t think that the "pretty LCD screen" would draw enough current to significantly reduce driving range, but I could be wrong. Surely there will be a navigation system option, so the screen would be there anyway (g).
Rather than a wireless connection, I’d prefer removeable storage like a usb port or SD card slot. Then I could take the info into the house and keep my own records. Cost effective charging times should be handled by my utility company (if they ever get that capability in Penna).
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:17 pm)I would assume if wireless that encryption and authentication would be used.
I don’t think it should cost anything if the list price for the Volt is above $30k.
Instead of wireless however, and to keep it at no additional cost, just have a USB port in every Volt (or include an USB to OBD2 adapter)… and provide software for the PC (laptop) to be able to read the data and display the stats/graphs folks are looking for. One should also be able to access all data normally available to the techs via the ODB2 port (including fault codes, etc) via this PC app.
If someone wants wireless access they could plug in a wireless transceiver into the USB port (or a different USB port if the same USB port can’t both be a slave and a master)….
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:20 pm)I agree that some sort of mileage/usage/estimated miles to go should be display as even my Hyundai has it today, and included by default.
All the other features should be part of an OnStar package.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:27 pm)I believe this option should be there and i would subscribe to providing data to GM. However users should have an option to turn it off, if he/she have a privacy concern.
Additionally GM should be clear about usage of these data as well as what would be shared with Vendors (i.e, A123 et al).
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:34 pm)I think the car should have a fancy display set-up. Indicating everything from amount of charge remaining to distance travelled/estimated available to travel on battery and blended MPG on board INCLUDED in the price. It is assumed a electric car will have these things…it’s kinda like a gas gauge.
We are buying a electric car, it better have some twirlly information readouts that differ it from your mom’s Buick. I think it is kind of expected if you buy this car.
Myself personally I don’t need my car to email me what I can see onboard…if somebody else wants to pay for this service, and if you want to build it…go for it, but it’ll be niche.
As for "Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?" No, lol. It only takes about 2 minutes to go online and see what the prime billing times are, and then it takes about $10 to buy a plug timer. So I guess I would be willing to pay $10 as a one time shot.
So I guess my answer is, give me the basics we expect. Some guys want ‘webservers’ and ‘CO2 savings graphs’ so charge them for that. Don’t pull stunts like having no RPM gauge on the base model standard transmission, but then say for a $700 option you can have it..give me a break. (I owned a Grand Am with such a ‘non-feature’ in the early 90s when I was poor–a little yellow light came on when GM thought it was a good place to shift).
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:36 pm)Any information worth knowing needs to be in real time. This means the car needs to provide essential data while driving not when I am watching TV in the family room. Essential data would include miles/charge left on battery vs. mile left on battery with generator in use. Plus will the generator charge the battery while the car in not in use? That way the battery will be at full charge when I leave work by using the generator. Better yet, will there be a solar panel option to charge the battery when not in use? That would be an option worth consideration.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:37 pm)Question #1: I don’t see the need to track costs on a weekly or monthly basis for fuel, but maybe some businesses may.
Question #2: No, I wouldn’t pay for it.
Question #3: I’m not sure why I would want to know the emissions reduced, except for conversation at parties. The CO2 abated would seem to depend on where your electricity comes from i.e. hydro, coal, nuclear, etc. My guess is that the software assumes the negated CO2 from the reduction of gasoline, without any charge for the source of electricity. Again, conversational piece only.
Question #4: Although a calculation of the costs savings for electricity versus fuel is nice, I think it is somewhat elementary. At 5 miles per kwh of electricity, with 10 cent per kwh, your energy cost for driving 1 mile is 2 cents. With gasoline at $3.00 per gallon, and 50 mpg with the ICE in operation, energy cost is 6 cents per mile. Do we need anything more sophisticated? I don’t.
Question #5: (To Nasaman, I think this question revolves around the fact that Electric Utilities have excess capacity at night when the power demand decreases, and in some instances will sell power for less money during these time periods. Some people with electric hot water take advantage of these rates and install large hot water tanks that store a lot of hot water, but they only operate (provide heat) during "off-peak" or nighttime hours). This, I believe, would be a "smart" control in the Volt that would wait until these low rates were available before beginning the charging process. This could be quite valuable (versus installing a timer in your garage), however, I’m not sure what it is worth. If the average electric rate is 10 cents per kwh, the "off-peak" rate might be 8 cents per kwh. For a full charge (8 kwh), 365 days per year, the annual savings are about $58 per year, so the option shouldn’t cost more than 2 or 3 years worth of savings, IMHO. With the advent of electric cars, however, the Electric Utilities may become more aggressive with their "off-peak" pricing. Only time will tell.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:46 pm)I would prefer to keep the costs down on the Volt as much as possible. I only need to know how much energy is in the battery, similar to what the gas gauge tells us now.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:50 pm)I don’t think data about something I can’t do anything about is of any value – the battery’s state of charge, cost of electricity used, etc. I would have absolutely no use for.
Smart charging for low rate periods would be useful, assuming I can find out what those periods are and if they exist on my grid. Gasoline engines already tell the driver when to change the oil, so that wouldn’t be anything new.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:51 pm)I thing like most cars sold now, anything you want to pay extra for should be available. Myself, I would just like to know condition of batteries while driving. The only other things I would pay extra for on the first version, is air, and cruise control. The rest doesn’t really bother me. Getting good cost effectiveness is the most important thing first. I guess I am old school and don’t mind rolling up the windows or using a key to open a door.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:59 pm)To optimize battery usage you should be able to tell the car your destination. From this it can use GPS to figure your energy requirements needed to complete your trip. This way the car can determine the amount of range extending energy (Gas Engine) to produce for the trip.
Also it would be great to include wifi. Download music to the car. Track your car functioning ect.
Mar 16th, 2008 (9:59 pm)Don’t send my info anywhere (HATE ON-STAR), just download on cars info hard drive than make sure it was bluetooth so my i-phone can get wireless down load Plus give me a check engine page so I can accesses trouble codes without a Hand OBDII scanner . All so It would be nice if after you get CODE like P0300 it would be nice to add a small description i.e. multi eng. miss fire or cylinder 1 miss , Please leave off the GPS , My wife doesn’t need any more help hunting me down!!!! LOL
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:06 pm)Lutz has already eaten crow on "comfortably less than $30,000", and on "60,000 produced in first year", and now on his promise of "mules by Easter, or egg will be on my face". I would love a trend setting Volt, but that doesn’t matter as much as Chevy building a car that can go 40 miles, or so, on a charge. Just build an electric car that has EREV capability, and I will buy it. But I think GM is over-promising and under-delivering, again.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:07 pm)These should all be standard features in this car and should not cost additional. Wireless feature should be that of a client not a router and be able to connect to your personal wireless network when in range. Last thing we need is a bunch of wireless routers driving around.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:08 pm)Statik, I think you may be in for a surprise if you think you can buy a basic $10 plug timer to plug your Volt into…. 1st those basic do-dads aren’t grounded, and 2nd, are for low amp devices, not the current the Volt’s charger will be drawing.
In any case, the Volt’s computer should be able to be told when to start charging anyway manually. In my neck of the woods we don’t even have dual rates, ie. it doesn’t matter if it’s day time or night time
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:10 pm)Wireless access is expensive and unnecessary.
What would be nice is if the stereo had a regular USB connector so you could plug in a memory stick with MP3s. Some stereos already let you do this.
Once you plug the stick in, the car could write a text file with all your statistics to the stick so the next time you plug it into a computer, you can look at all this information. Presto, no wireless, and ridiculously easy to use.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:13 pm)Need a hard drive that we can push songs to from inside the house. SO the car would, once plugged in to a power source, would join the wireless network and share its drive with a password. Does Microsoft Sync include this?
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:13 pm)All five questions are trying to make the car do something a car does not need to do. And as a result they will make it more complex than it needs to be and more expensive.
The utilities are very good at working out how much electricity you use. My bill even has a graph of CO2 emisions that says none (because I pay a premium price for Solar Power). They can send you a clever thing called an itemised bill. If they can organise a hot water heater to use off-peak electricity they can certainly organise for your car to charge at the best possible rate.
Would I like my toaster to send me an email when the toast pops up? Simple answer is no!
Your customers do bring up some good points which are important. You can’t do an oil change every so many miles because the driving conditions might mean that the gas engine has barely run in that time. Boat engines have mechnical counters for hours-run that would solve this.
A fuel gauge for batteries as well as gas would be important but you could live without it.
What everyone wants/needs (if they know it or not) is an electric car that is a real car not a skateboard and as quickly as possible (please). Fancy options risk slowing down the development.
I want to know when I can buy one in Australia – can anyone answer that?
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:14 pm)Ok, the question sucks. NO it shouldn’t be optional…yes it should be included…ie. mandatoy.
There should be no extra charge, it should be simple enough to link to your wireless network and download the data or access it onboard or both…no reason to charge for that, the car has the data and other than the ability to connect wirelessly there’s no cost to GM.
I don’t want this by e-mail, I want the ability to look at specific trip data, specific commute data, etc. immediately to get immediate feeback as to whether a change in driving style or route or whatever had a significant impact on my energy use.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:14 pm)Regarding the option to monitor gas/electricity consumption: I think the Volt should be providing this information to the driver as a built-in option, not remotely by e-mail. This kind of information is available from the on-board computer even in today’s cars.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:19 pm)I’m sure the car’s costs are going to be difficult enough to keep down without adding superfluous options.
And let’s not forget, additional electronics suck battery power!!
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:19 pm)I would like to be able to get the raw data out of the car, but that’s *not* the place to be doing all the analysis — that should be on the desktop. It doesn’t need to be wireless either — put a usb port in the dash you can stick a thumbdrive in. When you do, the car uploads and/or updates the current data log, and the builtin mp3 player scans it for mp3′s to make available for listening. Plug it into the pc when I get home, fire up the analyzer, point it at the data and go to town with it. Simple and inexpensive…
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:20 pm)>Wireless access is expensive and unnecessary.
Say wha? Its called an option, if you dont want it dont buy it.
Either way, a PC with wireless running linux would do this, the software to do it would be cake. I could build one for 150 bucks.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:22 pm)PS: electronics like this are *nothing* compared to the cost of moving the vehicle, energy consumption is the least factor in whether or not to include them!
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:22 pm)Most of this is much ado about nothing. Let’s keep this thing on track and not get into tributaries. A simple calculator built into the dash could solve all this w/o the need for complication.
Let’s get this thing on the road!!!
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:32 pm)With respect to the Informational Display Center; I would like to see a display signifying that: "Electric AC Compressor Running." The vehicle does have Electric AC Right??? This is very important info for drivers in Hot Climates. Furthermore, this function will significantly tax batteries hence range of the vehicle.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:34 pm)>>Either way, a PC with wireless running linux would do this, the software to do it would be cake. I could build one for 150 bucks.
You have obviously never worked on a mass-market product. Sure, $150 sounds pretty cheap, right? Actually you can get wifi adapters for under $10 on sale sometimes. But let’s talk about a rollout of 30,000 cars. Now your super-cheap wifi radio is costing GM almost a third of a million dollars to include, for one year. That’s like 6 peoples’ salaries. A lot of the engineering of a car is trying to save 5 cents on one part, 10 cents on another part, etc. It’s not just GM being cheap; all car companies do this, because if they don’t, it’s money walking out the door unnecessarily.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:35 pm)>>I would like to see a display signifying that: "Electric AC Compressor Running."
I have an idea. What if the display was a jet of cool air coming out of the vents?
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:36 pm)These are the features that I think are most important: Five seat-belts ( I am married and have three kids ) . Prioritize aerodynamics & internal space in the production body design ( especially given the Cadillac-esqe angularity of early versions ). Prioritize fuel & battery efficiency performance over crotch-rocket type acceleration. Make the vehicle at least as reliable as a Toyota ( there are lots of "patriotic" Americans who buy Japanese cars on reliability alone: we’d all prefer to buy American, just give us a quality product ). Support will be tantamount for such a revolutionary new type of product; if there are problems ( as should reasonably be expected with what is effectively first-generation technology ), proactively correct them at GM’s cost . Create an aggressive and complete training program for dealership repair shops. I notice a remarkable disparity between today’s GM/Chevy and Toyota/Honda Dealership shops. Put speakers on the outside of the car and run an engine sound while car is going under 35 mph; otherwise we’ll have lots more dead cyclists. Let us load the engine sound of our choice ( e.g glasspack, chitty-chitty-bang-bang, vette, etc. ) via the built-in ipod dock. Keep the cost under $30K . Make batteries easily swappable so that people will ultimately be able to upgrade to better battery packs and go on longer trips sans liquid fuel ( perhaps on later versions ) Release a tier 2 bin 5 diesel range extender. Use a standard charging mechanism (i.e. one that will be able to plug in to standard domestic 110 and 220 outlets ). Produce an adaptor ( between car and outlet ) if safety necessitates a special connection. Here are some additional points which relate more directly to the thread thus far: No wireless ( potential security issue, unnecessary complexity and source of problems, energy drain ) . No Microsoft software whatsoever; only secure & well-written firmware & software. Make On-star an option ONLY ( I don’t want to be tracked without permission ) There are other items but my wife is calling so I have to go.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:42 pm)Awesome idea Tom, Air coming out of vents would be, should I say "Cool." This could be done right inside the vehicle diagram displaying which power mode the vehicle was currently in. (GM are you listening,)
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:46 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
The several suggestions for doing this with a thumb drive seem valid to me.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much? Personally, no.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. This info is of no value.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? No. I can do the calculation.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? We don’t have time of day billing. A timer on the charger would be useful. At some point, the capability of responding to info from the power company will be important. They should be able to turn off the charger when they encounter peak load conditions. An emergency override so you can charge if you need to would be necessary, but generally delaying charging for an hour would be no inconvenience and a useful way to do grid load balancing. They used to be able to control my water heater for this purpose. (And gave me a discount for the privilege.)
On board display should be info useful for maximizing operating economy. Amps being used, battery capacity remaining.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:46 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
onstar already has this in an email, which is fine
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
probably, a few bucks a year
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
no
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
no
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
yes
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:48 pm)I’ve been on solar power at home for 5 years and monitored the weather, power produced daily…haven’t paid a penny for power. Have stantions on the roof for additional power solar panels for my electric cars. I need to monitor the car power usage to determine whether I need to add panels as it evolves to remain no cost for oil, by me or the local Power Plant.
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:52 pm)I think all of the features described should be available, but should be free. I suspect that pretty much all the information necessary to make such computations is already available (that is, I doubt you’ll need to install more sensors or any extra hardware), so it’s just a matter to write a little bit of firmware/software. And I have a feeling that such software has already been written, if anything to tell GM’s engineer how the Volt prototype work.
So give them to me, and give them to me for free.
Thanks !
Mar 16th, 2008 (10:52 pm)Sound like those fuel economy gages some cars have, one only looked at them when the car was new. After awhile they are just ignored and the person just drives how they usually do.
Having the car know when is the cheapest time to charge would be good. That way one would not have to set some kind of timer to accomplish the same thing.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:04 pm)Firstly, I would like to commend the GM engineer (or department) for trying to get feedback from hard-core customers. Nice job.Next, I would like to say that because we are moving to the electrification of the automobile there are many things that can be done that were not done before. This will provide added value to the customer (with little added hardware cost). I’m all for wireless capability. Integrated with both OnStar and standard wireless Internet. Wireless and cellular capability is not that expensive (many handheld devices have this capability -iPhone is just one). The OnStar use will probably require an extra fee but the use of Internet via a standard wireless connection should be free. Here are some of my recommendations:1) Make the system user configurable. Allow the customer to use a standard setup or configure whatever information they want. Allow the paranoid (doesn’t mean people are not watching them) to turn off any tracking or remote access. Of course use the latest security measures.2) Allow customers to access information via the internet. This opens all kinds of interesting functionality, "Hey, I wonder what charge my Volt has right now." or, "I’m about to leave the office I would like my Volt to start venting the interior." or, "I just got a message from my Volt that the security system just went off. I need to go check it out.", the list goes on and on.3) Ok, I have to mention that these are the types of functions that would go hand-in-hand with solar-on-the-surface (SOTS) technology. Perfect fit.4) Make the whole system an option because we need to have a really inexpensive model for the price sensitive customer. However, I want OnStar, Wireless, SOTS, Extended range batteries, Big sexy rims, two-tone paint, etc. Hey, if I wanted to go cheap I would just buy a tiny micro car. I want to drive in responsible luxury. Sustainable luxury. Green Luxury. You get the point. 5) Finally, If any of this will delay the release date than wait till the following year to implement. The release date is the most important thing.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:24 pm)Remember to K.I.S.S. It needs an accurate battery gauge and gas gauge. Doesn’t need wireless or email or extra cost gadgets.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:29 pm)1. The on-screen display should function at least as well as does that of the Toyota Prius in the sense that some form of feedback to the driver should be given to indicate energy utilization, say, in Watt-hours per mile.
2. The Volt must come with regenerative braking to maximize miles driven in all-electric mode.
3. And, please, PLEASE do not hold release of the Volt hostage until the “perfect” Li Ion battery pack is developed. The Volt could be in service to today, as are Toyota’s RAV4 EV’s, if they were to use the Panasonic EV-95 NiMH batteries that have kept most of the greater than 300 privately owned RAV4 EV’s running, most of them for more than 100,000 total service miles, on charges that last more than 120 miles.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:32 pm)I’m an IT guy by day (and an engineering enthusiast by night), and having any kind of wireless access to the car scares me. My employer pays for training from SANS every year, and the IT staff spends a week in a big room learning how computer networks can be abused and fraud can be committed against our business-processes.
OnStar will never be installed any vehicle I buy. When I’m driving, I want to be in my car — I want to be able to leave my computer-security (tinfoil) hat by the computers that I manage. I just want the car to take me where I’m going — I don’t want it to inform a multinational conglomerate and member of the military industrial complex (GM) about my whereabouts, even if they built me a beautiful car. I do understand that some people may rightfully trade this in exchange for the automatic 911 call that OnStar provides — but I don’t need, don’t want, and will rebel against that capability. If I were to ever acquire a car with OnStar, my first task after taking possession of the car would be to remove or cripple the OnStar transciever. I may very well add data-link capabilities to a vehicle that I own, but it’s absolutely critical that I control it. Otherwise, I’ll be worrying about IT security while I drive…
So, this brings us to the real question: what does a potential-customer like myself want? I want full and unfettered to the car’s computer, especially it’s data-logging and diagnostic capabilities. I own it, it’s mine, I should control it. As the owner of a Ford Ranger, I was quite disappointed by how much of a black box the ECU / power-train computer happens to be. I had to buy a $150 box (that appeared to contain about $30 worth of electronics) just to be able to read the check-engine light. For my Volkswagen, I was able to buy a 3rd party product called VAG-COM for $250 that allowed my pretty-good access to the car’s sensors and settings. For me, the ideal car would have an RS-232 or USB port where I could attach my laptop and chat with the engine-computer. Furthermore, the protocol on that port should be open enough that one could reasonably chat with it with just a terminal program — and that a motivated geek could write an open-source GUI for it. This would allow a huge number of very smart accessories.
Now, if GM is concerned about owners tinkering with the ECU too much and costing warranty money, there are a number of techniques from the computer-security community that could be applied. My first thought is to log every change to a read-only memory module that contains a clock (like a syslog server on Unix). That way, if an owner makes a potentially harmful change, there’s no disputing it. Furthermore, GM could utilize a public-key cryptography system to authenticate teh changes made by the dealer. This stuff is tried-and-true everyday tools in the IT world, and could easily be used to solve disputes over warranty issues. When I’m hacking around with a car, I realize that I take responsibility for the results of my changes — and up until now, I’ve only purchased cars that have passed out of warranty so that I can play without worrying what the dealer will think. Plus, I can review what the dealer and any 3rd party mechanics do to my car, both for the purposes of my education (always good!) and also to make sure that they’re conducting their business ethically.
So, in summary: Absolutely no wireless capability whatsoever of any kind for me. Others may opt-in, but that’s their business. Unfettered access to the car’s computer. Logging and accountability as per IT industry’s standard practices would be fine – this way, the dealer and I must both be reasonably open and honest about what we do to my car during the warranty period.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:34 pm)1. In the vehicle data. 2. Make it an option for those who want another monthly bill. 3. I don’t need to know the possible gas analysis of my emmissions. 4. It seems cost savings data of electric vs. gas would help sell more cars and should be standard. 5. Make a timer function standard, my kitchen range has one.
What I would like to see is ergonomic charging locations and receptacles. An idicator that your still plugged in might help before backing out of the driveway.
Let’s keep this car simple, functional, and efficient. If the price is closer to $30k a lot more people will be able to drive one. For those who like all the extras, offer options, we are all used to options. Most cars today have base models and options packages.
We all want to feel good about driving a greener car. Driving 40+ miles on electric rates is what will really sell this car. It’s the #1 reason I would buy one. #2 reason, it’s American.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:37 pm)Build a nice in-dash interface to the on-board computer with the ability to store and retrieve vehicle metrics but keep it all within the vehicle. I don’t want vehicle telemetry broadcasting information to the internet. Nor am I likely to pay a monthly fee for wireless internet. I think it will be important to know the status of the batery, charge information and efficiency while driving. If I’m loosing cells I want to know about it. I don’t need anything else.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:43 pm)I have 3 solar inverters and never look at the CO2 readout.
The data that I am interested in is:
1) KWh used for charging.
2) Gasoline used.
3) Miles driven.
Ideally I would like this to be available as historic information, daily or monthly for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Yes to ability to select charging times. My utility is too stupid to have time of use metering yet, but they are thinking about it. Potentially On Star could help with this, it knows your location, and thus can guess the utility, but this will not cover all since some utilities make time of use optional.
I would like to be able to pre-heat the car a few minutes before I go somewhere in winter, this could be done by wireless and/or key fob.
I voted for wireless, but I am unsure about it. If available, I think that it should be possible to disable. Keep it simple is also good, and cost is an issue. Downloading data to a USB disk would be enough for me. I would not pay much for wireless just for viewing historic data and state of charge, maybe $150 However, it depends on what it was capable of doing via wireless. Potentially it could email stats to GM if OnStar is not used. As someone else said — great marketing for GM — XXX gallons saved.
Should we be more concerned about hacking via wireless than via OnStar?
This data should definitely be available in some form, USB disk copy, OnStar (but not exclusively via OnStar), wireless, or on screen display.
I would also like to be able to use it as a whole house emergency generator, that’s something I would pay real money for, at least make the firmware such that this could be an after market option.
Don’t forget to provide tire pressure in the display, if not too costly (or as cost option).
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:44 pm)I like the idea of tracking electricity used/fuel saved. I could care less about emissions reduced/CO2 negated. Deliver the information via onboard display readouts similar to the DIC on my ’06 Silverado as part of the base vehicle AND via wireless web as part of an optional electronic upfit. GPS navigation, MP3s on a memory stick, DVD screens in the back seat, and a whole lot of other gee-whiz could make a nice $1200 option package, but DON’T make me pay for features that aren’t useful to me.
Time-smart charging would be nice for some, but not me. My electric rate is the same 24/7. The other guys with time-of-day electric meters can buy a $12 timer to charge at the correct time, so I really don’t think it’s worth building into the vehicle.
"Don’t let PERFECT become the enemy of GOOD!" We need the basic car far more than we need gee-whiz gizmos. I’d take one with manual widows, manual seats, manual steering, no airbags, no ABS, basic 2-speaker AM/FM radio, no trip computer, no On-Star, no cruise control, no rear window defroster, manual adjust mirrors, stamped steel wheels, boring grill trim, and even no "washer fluid low" idiot light. I know such a stripped down model would never make it in today’s market, but the point of my comment remains valid: Just make the car, and make lots of them! 10,000 just ain’t gonna cut it…
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:46 pm)This sounds like a fine feature to be added to OnStar, which I currently subscribe to. However, expecting the Volt to be a WIFI hotspot and run its own webserver seems more than a bit silly to me. And I’m a web developer.
If GM is looking for wiz-bang new features, I would prefer they leave the 90′s behind (eg 6-disc CD changers) and offer something like Ford’s SYNC system. If I can fit thousands of CD’s in my pocket, I should be able to fit more than six in the radio of my car.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:49 pm)As for what should be displayed on the dashboard of the moving car, I’ll trust the ergonomics and HCI folks figure that out. I’ve studied enough computer interfaces to realize that providing enough information to satisfy my curiosity will distract and intimidate most people — and it would take me a while to learn to watch the gages rather than the road. Plus, the folks who design these interfaces usually come up with really nice graphical themes. And, lastly, I know how much research goes on in this area, and I’m sure professional designers follow it — so I’d prefer to just let them use their expertise for what the driver sees in the moving vehicle.
If I’m curious or need to troubleshoot the car, I’ll just hook up my laptop to either the OBDII or the USB/RS-232 interface and have my passenger operate it while I drive (or vice versa).
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:57 pm)Being able to check the status of the vehicle remotely is a desirable feature, however, I don’t want to spend too much for frivolous goodies. My main interest is the economy of operation and its return on my investment. My second concern would be security and protection of my personal information.
Mar 16th, 2008 (11:59 pm)I was thing about this very thing the day before you posted the question, however I have a twist to this.
Currently I am a Prius owner (yes a Japanese company) and waiting for a SUPERIOR car (Volt) to be developed in the US, however I think consideration be given to offer similar (or better) options than the Prius offers in order to get customers from the Prius to migrate to the Volt. Little things like Bluetooth, Navigation, Keyless Entry, Backup Video Camera, noise beeper when the car is backing up, a gas tank bladder, side window air bags, retractable split rear seats with removable privacy cover, automatic climate controlled ice-cold Air conditioning system (even in 115 degree Arizona heat), etc. I hate to go on, however even the split rear hatchback solves a purpose–the ledge (where a "spoiler" would be attached actually blocks headlights from cars behind you from shining directly into the rear view mirror and into your eyes. It’s the little things that make a difference. Get Steve Jobs’ (Apple Company Chairman) opinion with GM’s quest for additional critical input (however I think Steve Jobs is currently in talks with Volkswagen).
In regards to paying for options, I am for it. I understand that OnStar might have a similar system, but doesn’t OnStar require a monthly (or yearly) service plan? Given the current economic conditions what happens if you are not able to afford the additional monthly expenses?
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:02 am)just need to keep the cost down so people could afford to buy them if keep adding stuff and raising the cost the average person won’t be able to afford them and then there wouldn’t be as many on the road and we as a country need to get as many of these vehicles in motion as possible and as soon as possible thanks Eugene
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:04 am)I take back what I just said about no WIFI in the car.
Actually, that would be an incredibly cool feature if OnStar was enhanced to also be an internet service provider. I could use my car as a portable WIFI hotspot, and if the OnStar ISP service was fast and reliable enough, I could possibly even cancel my home DSL service.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:04 am)Look, keep the first production model as simple as possible. I want a American made, eco-friendly car thats bigger then my Honda Insight ( the best car I’ve ever owned). Speaking of which, the gauges in my Insight tell me exactly what my battery is doing and how my driving is effecting my MPG – that’s all I really need and I’m sure it cost way under $500 to set that up. Oh! And one last thing – I refuse to purchase a vehicle that has that insidious OnStar contraption. For me that has to be a strictly optional feature…
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:15 am)Keep the car cost effective and dependable. Mileage is very
important. Plug in idea is the way to go. Although it wasn’t popular years ago, we live in different times and gasoline will
become very expensive in the next few years.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:16 am)Phantom load.
If the wireless was to use 10w, say 24×365 that’s 87KWh, or 440 less miles per year.
Running on solar power, I’ve gone to some trouble to avoid phantom loads. So I would say it is ok if the wireless uses under 0.5W. That may be difficult.
Any wireless should have an on/off and the off should cause it not to consume power.
+1
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:21 am)Just build the friggin car already. I don’t need any delays. An electric car with 4 wheels, a steering wheel and a few seats. I was spending $600 a month for gas. Now its more like $800. I cant wait for any stupid options. I will be buying a Prius this week. To hell with the Volt. Maybe GM can develop an optional drivers seat that captures the methane from my farts and burns them in a fuel cell. I can’t wait any longer. Sorry Detroit.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:31 am)info is nice to have but kiss.
want I in the Volt is that be built asap!!
you are already stalling way too much and it’s getting worse. China’s BYD has a luxury sedan plugin hybrid with longer range than the volt for 20k$ out this year.
you have oceans of fucking cars you could just put a plugin drive in and you should. but you use a new model as an excuse for stalling. listen to that motherfuckers instead of completely irrelevant wireless bs
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:37 am)Off-peak charging is only thing that seems to be a practical consideration.
From my test engineering background I might be interested in data logging, but my guess is the average driver won’t care or want to be bothered. They’ll just look at the utlity bill and gas station recipts.
Unless someone is going to reward me finacially for the CO2 I don’t emit, an accurate accounting has little practical use.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:44 am)Many good comments have been made. From my perspective, if this is to be a "worldly" car, it should have options that work in various countries. That the OnStar program does not work even in Alaska is disheartening. Please make certain it is optional so I do don’t have to pay for it.
As for MPG or km/100L info, in addition to battery charge, the Prius panel is grotesque. I’m sure the buyers of that car delight in seeing their gas mileage in something like 160 font size. Please do NOT succumb to that mentality. The information is good, but I’ rather not have it readable from the car next to me at the traffic lights.
KISS. And get it available quickly, please. Thanks!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:45 am)These add ons would be "Nice To Have" but
will increase the cost of the vehicle.
We need this car NOW, no frills, something that will get me to work and back or to town and back (50 Miles is ample). An inexpensive
vehicle with no fuel cells and no gasoline engine. There is no time for years of research and haggling over what options to offer.
Get a car on the market that I can buy NOW!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:46 am)These add ons would be "Nice To Have" but will increase the cost of the vehicle. We need this car NOW, no frills, something that will get me to work and back or to town and back (50 Miles is ample). An inexpensive vehicle with no fuel cells and no gasoline engine. There is no time for years of research and haggling over what options to offer. Get a car on the market that I can buy NOW!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:57 am)At the same time you can upload data.IT would be great to download music into the car before you leave for the day.Everyone has a wireless router in there homes so you can just make the Volt a device and download movies, news and audio right into it.That way on the way to work you can listen to your favorite music,Greg
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:08 am)A wireless router would be very useful in the car. Both for transmitting all sorts of performance data, AND for passengers to be able to run their Wi-Fi appliances. It would be great to be able to "log in" to the car from any web browser. Also, having the car Wi-Fi accessible would be great for people with home networks. As soon as the car came within range of the home wireless router, automatic sync could take place with .mp3 files or videos so that the car’s entertainment system would always be up to date with the home system.
The Volt is basically a computer on wheels–that just happens to have a small gasoline engine. To not make the car’s data available to owners would be just plain wrong. For all the people worried about ‘privacy,’ just include a function to disable all wireless access.
I would hope that any such system would use standard computing platforms and protocols so that third party developers could get into the act. Worst of all would be to offer an expensive but proprietary access capability. GM should resist that temptation. Many buyers would reject that option.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:16 am)Lets keep the cost down, I hope this car concept does not turn out to be like the portable power tool market were you buy the product but then the cost to replace or lease the batterys is the real expence. If so over the long term the cost to operate the car will be very high.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:22 am)If you want to see some really cool features that can be enabled by providing connectivity to a car, check out the Th!nk Ox concept car (due out in 2011): http://en.think.no/think/Think-Models-Concepts/TH!NK-Ox/The-connected-car
I would like to see the same sort of features for the Volt – along with pre-heat or pre-cool options via wireless or GPRS.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:23 am)I am against any thing that will unnecessarily add cost, weight, and drag to this car. It sounds like some should be talking to Microsoft as they are looking for an electronic platform rather than affordable transportation. Our state is in the process of spending millions of tax dollars to try and keep drivers in their lane as they have so much to do with cell phones, GPS’s, and ect. that they forget to drive and cause a lot of accidents. GM just make us an affordable electric car before you and us both go bankrupte.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:27 am)I want a Volt version of the Chevy Colorado: 4-door truck, smaller bed, smaller all around, but a 4-door truck. That’s what I’ll buy. I have a Colorado now and love it. I want a Voltorado.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:37 am)Here’s thar link again:
http://en.think.no/think/Think-Models-Concepts/TH!NK-Ox/The-connected-car
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:39 am)Grrrr … the TinyMCE editor is a little too smart for its own good.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:43 am)I think the wireless idea is ok, but I would be more willing to spend an extra 500 dollars on a battery with an additional 10-15 miles of range, even if it was optional. I would buy a 32-34k Volt tomorrow with a 50 mile elect. only range. A larger battery storage area would be acceptable to me if necessary for the additonal cells. GM could also encourage employers to install charging receptacles for the drive home.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:46 am)Just do something like OBD-II on steriods — rich data, easily available — along with gobs of history that can be easily dumped to a PC via USB or SD card.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:52 am)It’s time for Detroit to take back the market in the U.S.A.. Every american faces growing financial troubles, due to increasing oil prices. It has trickeled to every aspect of our lives. G.M.’s goal should be to mass produce the Volt and make it financially available to everyone. G.M. has the opportunity to create a turning point in american history. A point where good ole’ fashioned american ingenuity and know how save our collective asses. Don’t stop here, lets start work on the hybrid diesal. Lets drive down logistic costs and make it possible for us to live the american dream again. Less money for oil, more money to the detroit bottom line, and an america that spends again.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:50 am)1–Monthly e-mail as part of the OnStar report I already receive on my GM-built car.
2–I would not pay any extra for this option, but it would sure make me feel better about paying the already expensive $200/year for OnStar.
3–Would be cool, but I won’t pay extra for it.
4–Ditto
5–I would pay ~$100 extra for this feature. This may be worth more, but, please, I know this is not that hard.
My vote for wireless was for doing it via OnStar not an on-board WiFi router. If others want this option let them pay extra. I might pay a little extra for a remote start (but this does not have to be anything more than the existing option available on many cars). This car absolutely MUST have a good readout display that gives drivers real-time feedback and a battery SOC gauge, and this must come standard.
I love cool options (like having my car call me and speak with a programmable voice) as much as anyone. However, the most important things, by far, for me as a consumer (in order of importance) are for the car to function as advertised (i.e., 40 mi AER, 50 mpg with ICE running, 0-60 in 6 sec), to look sweet (i.e., like the concept car), to cost no more than $30-35K, and to be available for me to actually purchase and drive home ASAP (2012 at the latest). I will be more inclined to pay for bells and whistles later, when the batteries get better and cheaper (I want to spend my money on maximizing range right now).
Thanks GM, for listening. I am rooting for you and will support you if you give me good reason.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:12 am)Many electric utilities offer lower rates for electricity purchased during off-peak hours. A wifi arrangement that would automatically access the local rates and and charge the vehicle during lower rate periods would be a valuable addition to the Volt.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:27 am)Leave the power sucking bells and whistles out of it. Anyhow, anything wireless will eventually get hacked, so forget it. Spend your R&D pesos on improving battery reserve and electric-only range as much as you can…. lets see 100mi on a single charge before the mill kicks in.
And yes, I believe in the KISS principle.
Oil is $107/bbl today and headed up fast… and with it gas prices are headed thru the roof…. soon to be $5/gal. At that price, your basic soccer mom plug-in Volt will sell like Rotary Club hotcakes on a cool fall morning.
Keep it simple, keep it reasonable in price, and lets get the Volt into the showrooms ASAP.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:34 am)No wireless access.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:42 am)Keep the cost down where as the middle class can afford this kind of a car.. Most of the time when a good vehicle comes out the cost of the vechile is outragious.Love the idea of very little gas bieng used. I travel 16 miles every day to work then 16 back total 32 miles this car would suite me just fine.I like the idea of taking moeny out of the pockets from the big shots. great car ,hope to see it soon SINCERLY Ray P.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:56 am)I missed out on the EV-1 because I live in Maryland. My commute to work is 6 miles round trip, so a Volt would suit me just fine. Please keep the fancy options down to a minimum so that this car is affordable and attractive to the masses. I really want to see GM succeed with this. I don’t want to see them one-upped by the Japanese again.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:57 am)Lets do this right. We need a car that is affordable, dependable and made here in America. I am sick of Toyta. Lets get it done right and produce enough cars to make a difference.
John Ferraro
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:01 am)K.I.S. S.
Why is it that NO!!!! US auto maker, will even try to catch up to forgein car sales. When Toyota has 21% of all cars sold in this country. Make a affordable (safe) HIGH MPG car for the working class. If you build it they will, COME. Get up off the GREED end you are sitting on!
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:02 am)I get the feeling that the Volt will be a tantalizing product to bring people into the showroom and not purposely for mass production, similar to the Ford GT. What I want is a vehicle that is safe, durable (last longer than 5 years) and efficient – in that order. If Toyota can make the Prius a production car there is no reason I can find why GM can’t put this into production in one of the old Oldsmobile plants.One of the issues I have is air conditioning. It is my understanding that the motor will need to be running to drive the A/C compressor. GM should be working with Vintage Air of San Antonio about an efficient A/C system instead of trying to re-invent the wheel or have their Intellectual Attorneys reviewing the US/Japanese and EU patent and trademark offices for existing designs. Two years to production seems like an awfully long time given the resources available.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:04 am)KEEP COST DOWN AND MAKE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERY ONE , WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER TO CREATE A BETTER PLANET
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:10 am)Keep it simple, make it efficient as possible. I drive a Prius, love the car. I want a Volt that beats the Prius in all ways. I want better MPG and clean air. Not a lot of gizmo’s for my ego.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:12 am)Come on, lets make a car the world wonders at. I agree with the above. This stuff is a simple add-on and should be standard. When Toyota and Ford offers it at no extra charge, how are you going to justify the cost?
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:22 am)Build the car, I am sure you will be able to determine which options trully matter & which ones don’t. Thank you,
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:29 am)Keep the cost as low as possible. That’s the ONLY way
Detroit can beat the Japenese and Koreans!
Dave
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:31 am)Ok dear All,
Just to give you my experience with my actual car, an small basic Opel Corsa with a lot of generic GM parts.
I was just astonished a few month ago when I went to my garage for a little check. I was explaining that a warning light was on from time to time on the dashboard but I was unable to show it because it was out at the time I went to the garage.
No problem said the attendant, we will know everything of the conditions of the car and YOUR DRIVING BEHAVIOUR during the last 24 hours by plugging the car in the computer.
I asked to see and that was true. This is not advertised. I asked to get the software to check the use of the car … mainly by my children who say they respect speed limits and so on … but I’m not sure of it at all.
Until now I got no answer to my request.
So I think it would be pretty simple and not very costly (I didn’t pay too much for my car and it runs OK, thanks Opel) to adapt the already "board computer" for an home usage using a common USB link, be it wireless or not. The software could be available through an internet application.
I vote for an optional wireless connectivity of the board computer which is there anyway. And a possibility of a customization by the user of the outputs he wants. This should not cost very much since you already pay for it (except the connectivity to your own computer ).
For an E-REV vehicle, the suggestions made above are of real interest. I think I would prefer to get rough data of mileage, electricity regenerated, rate of discharge of the battery, correlated with the current driving behaviour (average speed, .
Price and cost data should be introduced by the car owner on is own computer.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:35 am)I like nifty little electronic touches just like everyone else, however, most are only utilized when a car is new and one is playing around with all the gadgets and gizmos.A real-time energy reserve monitor seems mandatory, but things like service intervals, engine hours, motor time, etc, aren’t really needed except on an access basis.What is the ONE thing I’d like to see GM do with the Volt? GET IT TO MARKET ASAP! Don’t piss away precious time using in-house committees to decide if available battery tech is adequate for this application…choose the best available NOW (like LiFEPO4), and get the car on the market. As better tech comes along, it can, and should be incorporated directly into production, with previous customers (the ones who supported GM with their money) offered reasonable-cost upgrades.When I first read about the Volt I said, "WOW! Now here finally is a truly viable, real-world vehicle that deserves the name ‘hybrid’!" I’d love to see GM grab the reins on this and use the opportunity to SET the market bar. The LAST thing we need is yet another bloated SUV that gets maybe 5mpg more than the last one.Now, as for something specific I’d love to see…offer the Volt with the OPTION of its onboard generator engine to use a fuel OTHER than gasoline! The United States has the largest supply of natural gas in the world. Vehicles have been successfully using fuels such as butane and propane for years, AND I might add, a "distribution network" for these fuels already exists! Take propane for example…you can buy it almost everywhere, and you don’t even need a fixed, onboard "tank" to hold it…make the Volt capable of using OTS propane tanks that can be quickly replaced…which means it loses nothing in terms of cross-country range, yet is completely OFF the petroleum "teat".A generator engine doesn’t operate in the same environment as does one required to provide motive force. It starts up, goes to a preset, optimal rpm, and runs at a steady state, allowing less "complex" fuels to be used, and this is all too evident if one simply looks to the private sector where industrious and inventive people have been "home engineering" all sorts of alternative fuel vehicles for years.Stylish is nice. Modern is nice. Gadgets are nice. However, underneath it all, the basic platform should be kept simple, and built to be upgraded either by the consumer, or manufacturer as technology permits.Another factor that must be addressed is PRICE. There are already quite a number of high-priced EV’s and alternative fuel vehicles using NASA derived technology that only a few can afford…and the people who can afford THOSE tend to have substantial economic resources which generally means they aren’t exactly fretting every night over the cost of gas. The high-priced vehicles will fail for one simple reason…low market penetration. It’s time for GM to reach back in time and steal an idea from an early 20th century entrepreneur…Henry Ford. Instead of building a few expensive, optioned out, over-teched vehicles, instead churn out a veritable swarm of reasonably priced, "good enough tech" vehicles that will get into the hands of MANY consumers.Anybody remember what Cadillac built between 1900-1930? How about Chevrolet? Buick? Anyone? But I’ll be almost EVERYONE has heard of the Model A and Model T Ford. What was the secret? It was bringing to market the right car, at the right price, at the right time to get PEOPLE into them. This is what the Volt should be about. Not another EV1 doled out to a limited market via leases, nor something like the Honda ECV–another boondoggle being leased out in a limited market, using high-dollar, unrealistic technology…that is of course if the idea is to actually do something positive about getting practical, low-cost alternative fuel vehicles on the road. On the other hand, if the idea is to suck up huge government subsidies and tax credits for the "effort" placed into R&D for a car that won’t actually effect change in the real world, then I suppose delaying production, continuing to "develop" the technology, and all that other hogwash is the order of the day.I mean, just how hard IS it to build an EV? People have been converting ICE cars in their garages for decades, AND even been building on-board or towed generator "systems" to allow cross-country range; all from parts and components sourced "locally" and "on the cheap". Yes, these "inventors" were satisfied with CURRENT TECH….like SLA batteries, but their existence proves it doesn’t take billions of dollars to put an EV or alternative fuel vehicle on the road…it just takes the desire to make it happen.Right now GM is standing in a wide-open doorway to the future with virtually no competition already extant. The longer GM takes to bring the Volt to market, the smaller that door becomes. Already an "upstart" company is planning to have a sub-$30K EV in widespread distribution by next year…using Chinese backing…an electric car with 120 mile range…nothing fancy or over-teched, but straight to the point.It’s time to stop designing, stop developing, freeze the concept, and get into production.If the Volt I can buy tomorrow lacks some goofy "gee-whiz" gauge or readout, I could care less, and I suspect I’m not alone in this regard.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:36 am)I JUST WANT AN ELECTRIC CAR!!
And I want one as cheaply as possible. If I want a bunch of superfluous add-ons, I would get a gas car!
All I need to know:
How long til charge complete.
How many "MPG" am I getting.
How long til battery is drained.
Please don’t start adding stuff, especially large LCD display screens that suck power. I want the battery to last as long as possible.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:45 am)Wow look at all the comments. Is anyone really even going to read mine? Reading yes, no, yes, yes, no over and over again gets old. haha! Is anybody out there. IMO it is a total waste of money and electricity. On board mpg, battery state, etc is all that is needed.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:52 am)I hope that someone has been working with the Bose company in designing a stereo that uses less power but really rocks. It should be built like a laptop with a touchscreen. USB inputs to store MP3′s. Also all of the accessories should be run off of a seperate battery that charges simutaineously with the other batteries. That being said, I think the most important thing is to get this car into production!! If the gas prices keep climbing I’ll buy a Prius and then I won’t need a Volt. I have never owned a foriegn car and don’t want to. Heck, how hard would it have been for GM to reinvent the GEO metro X series that got 60 miles per gallon without batteries?
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:55 am)Anything above the basic vechicle that add costs to the price of the basic car should be an option. All we want to know is:
1. How long until the full charge is completed.2. Percent of battery power left while driving.
If the Volt does NOT come in with a selling price below $25K it will be difficult to sell with the inevitable competition from Japanese and European manufacturers.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:05 am)I would like to see a boiled down version. I am someone that does not need all the options on a car. Would like to see an electric car with the bare necessities. Fm radio, cruise control and that is it. They should be able to put out an elecctric car with bare bones options for around 20k. And for thoes that need it all make then like they want. But for us that just want an electric car to get from the high prices of gas then I hope they build it
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:06 am)LCD screen do not suck up much juice. In fact alot of research now is being poured into certain polybenzene based matrials to establish an even more efficient and as thin as a credit card LCD. That being said, I don’t want a bunch of extra garbage on my new car. Honestly, all i need is the body of a small coupe or sedan with an electric motor that can get me up to 75 mph and sustain that for a while(I am still skeptical about the 40 mile range when the tesla and zapp cars can go 250 – 300 miles per charge, step it up chevy). About the monitoring the best time to charge, everyone will charge it at night, when it is the cheapest because power is in low demand while people sleep. Electric motors have been around for a long time, and we are good at building them. Don’t try to rip us off.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:07 am)Please don’t start adding silly web options to this car. What’s next, a myspace page for each vehicle?
My current Japanese-made hybrid provides a reasonable feeback as to gas consumption / electric usage in-vehicle. That is quite enough. I don’t see the need to check in on my car via the web while I’m at work via mobile Internet or whatever. I want a car to get me where I’m going, cheaply and efficiently. As soon as I’m out of the car I am too busy living my life to even care what the car is doing out there in the garage. Just hurry up, please!
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:22 am)great looking car give me a great price and not a bunch of stats that don’t really mean anything. I know I’m saving by driving the car. I don’t need to be emailed or told by the car how much I’m saving. I do need to know how much of a charge is left on the battery.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:24 am)I would like to see a full electric vehicle. So we can say good bye to OIL. I say good bye to OIL. Go ahead GM you know it will work. Remember the EV1…… you will sell a ton of them. Take back America and make a fully electric vehicle. I dare you !
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:25 am)I would like to see a full electric vehicle. So we can say good bye to OIL. I said good bye to OIL. Go ahead GM you know it will work. Remember the EV1…… you will sell a ton of them. Take back America and make a fully electric vehicle. I dare you !
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:26 am)I would like to see a full electric vehicle. So we can say good bye to OIL. I said good bye to OIL. Go ahead GM you know it will work. Remember the EV1…… you will sell a ton of them. Take back America and make a fully electric vehicle. I dare you ! http://www.pluginolympia.com
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:27 am)All of the options listed would be useful. You really can’t have too much information. Better to have more data features so that people can pick and choose what they want. A calendar that synchs with outlook and google calendar would be useful too.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:35 am)I would like, instead of a full roof top sunroof, a retractable
solar panel collectoin to recharge the batteries. The router internal network system would then balance the recharge on demand either via gas or diesel and solar.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:37 am)In reference to the questions above:
1) Yes
2) Yes, equipment expenses only, OnStar already offers this service, so I think the service should be included as part of the OnStar basic package
3) Yes, always like more information (I am electronics technician by trade and believe all information is important and aids in troubleshooting whether it seems important or not)
4) Personal opinion is this is irrelevant, I can maintain my own records and do my own math
5) No, I would rather maintain the vehicle myself and not have too much automated for me.
I am still watching this program closely because I want to see it succeed… one step closer to fuel/emissions free. As of the moment; however, I am concerned about the cost and the target consumer. Everyone wants gas mileage and everyone wants to get "green" but if the cost gets too high up there, it’s introduction would be for the rich who are busy driving fuel hog SUV’s and probably don’t really care about the mileage… the caring consumers will be unable to afford it. I agree with Greg(87) on all the extra electronics as well… only show the information I need immediately while driving, sell the vehicle with software for a laptop and a manual on how to read the vehicle’s computer… or is that too much for a consumer to have access to (I feel automakers are greedy and withhold this information so their proprietary technicians with proprietary tools, software, and parts have to make repairs)? Is it possible to install a solar panel for a roof? I know it isn’t a huge help… but it is a help and an extra that I would pay for since I move every couple of years from apartment to apartment and do not have an actual home to plug the car into at night. Is an A/C system for the battery more efficient than a liquid cooled system?
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:40 am)All the add ons sound great but I thought the whole idea of creating the Volt was to make it affordable to as many people as possible. If the car it overpriced what good is it if noone can afford to buy it? Guys lets be realistic and attack the problem the correct way, make a fully electric car without all the fancy gizmos and gets us more than 40 miles per charge.
How is it that the TELSA gets 200-300 mile a charge and the Volt only gets 40? The technology is there lets use it at an affordable price.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:45 am)I would like some of that information, but I don’t think I want a wireless router set up. I would prefer using a flash drive that I could use to get the data and then plug it into my computer where I access either a web app or client app to fool around with the data. No need to suck more power from the car than necessary.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:45 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail? Would prefer this information be displayed in real-time in the vehicle.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much? If it was part of a very informative LCD panel and navigation system I’d pay up to $499.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. This doesn’t seem helpful other than knowing that I am saving CO2 whenever I drive the Volt, but once I know this I won’t be checking it again.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? Yes
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? Not really. If it needs to be charged during the day regardless of rates, it will need to be charged. This isn’t necessary.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:45 am)Having wireless access to this data would be moderately helpful and useful. Most of that same information would be, or at least should be, also available on the car itself. With the cost of the Volt already rising from its original estimate, I would not be willing to pay very much extra for this service. It would help if this wireless service could be combined with with Wi-Max internet and cell phone capacity (in my case for the iPhone, in my son’s case the Blackberry on a different carrier), the ability to sync an iPod with my Mac at home, etc. If it this service is offered, (a) it should be relatively inexpensive, (b) platform neutral — that is, able work with Linux, Mac, and Windows through, for example, a standard browser, and (c) absolutely, definitely not tied to a proprietary system available only from GM. If this item were to cost a significant amount of money, say $500 or more, I would rather have the option of investing in a stronger battery — or seats that an older couple (65 and 67) could more easily get into and out of, etc. P.S. I hope that it will have an option for 220 volts (at my home) as well as 110 (at my son’s home and most guest locations).
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:48 am)I believe the most important issue as regards to how the Volt communicates to the User/GM is the method used. I would prefer IP communications over power line ethernet. This would make it more universal and secure. Few examples:
1) Connection at home to monitor the car with some of the software features suggested.
2) Connect to a public charging station so that billing would be communicated by the car to the billing service.
3) Connect at a dealer for diagnostics.
4) Connect to GM for software updates. I believe that this is important and requires a more secure approach that wireless cannot provide.
Using wireless communications involves to many security issues. There are many who don’t bother to secure their wireless networks.
Also the issue of having to have the right network name and login. I believe that wireless would limit were the car could communicate to the user and to GM.
With a direct connection via power line ethernet only two security passwords would be needed. One with GM for SW downloads/system monitoring and one for the user. An additional one for a billing agency could be set up for away from home charging at a public charging kiosk.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:49 am)I am very excited about the Volt project and agree that any delay in production is not what we need. For me, the price point is $30K. Its style is of huge importance, as well as a great interior and instrument panel. Certainly solar panels should be incorporated into the body as much as possible. I look forward to seeing the Volt in production. Otherwise I will wait for a Corvette Prius. But seriously, my 2003 ‘vette had the best instrumentation of any vehicle. OnStar is a fantastic safety feature. I would not be without it, and it is helpful to receive a monthly e-mail on oil life, etc. LarryLufkin@comcast.net.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:49 am)I voted no. The reason is that I would already expect information for electrical usage/gas usage be available without an email. And the delayed charge should be set by the user and not automatic.
The rest of that stuff sounds like something that will just drive up the cost and development time but not really add much to the vehicles functionality/usefulness. And I don’t want to encourage people to drive with there face glued to there laptop.
Please don’t turn this into a low priced luxury car. It needs to be 30K with a few options if you want Average Joe to afford it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:52 am)60 of my 77 years were spent in the car business, & for my own amusement, I customized (not for profit) a number of favorite body styles & drive trains with a generous application of the kiss principle. I think the Volt would be a better vehicle with cleaner (less weird) lines & as few "gadgets " (they break)as possible. I spent 2 wks driving a SatVue hybrid & studying , with a friendly service mgr, the online service manual. Cluttered! & not enough return on the extra cost.
Volt is appealing because I had been considering putting a small power unit in the bed of one of the EV converted pickups that was available locally.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:52 am)Yes, I think it would be very wise to include the option for uploading data on how the car performs for personal and corporate use.
The value I see in this is getting information back to GM for tweaking and supporting this new platform. GM should make this a standard feature for any "flavor" of the vehicle so that the engineering can be improved. This will give GM a significant advanatage over the other PHEV’s coming out. There will be surprises with this… testing/monitoring all of the environment/use variables will be impossible.
One caveat, do not make the data export tightly coupled to the software running the car. No "blue screens of death" … kin to the infamous Microsoft OS are reasonable. I do not want to see a hex dump while driving on the expressway.
Dan
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:55 am)If customers want this and that, they have to realize that all those extras will dig-in into the battery power and therefore will get less mileage out of the car. Why not start with the basics for now and when battery technology improves some more, then think about these things. As for myself I’d be real happy to have a heating and air conditioning system, a radio that sounds decent but takes little power (get help from Bose for that), accessories lights that can be control automatically and manually, And of course all the safety equipment needed on a car. Most of the drivers would use this car for commuting so a NAV would not be that important, plus the fact a portable one would take less electricity for those who must have one. Hey also, isn’t the whole idea to begin with, is to make the Volt affordable? I hope the Volt project is build with a lot of common sense.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:55 am)I would like to be able to come home in the evening from work, pull in the garage and roll the front tires over some sort of "car wash like hump" and then an LED light comes on in the dash showing "Set to Charge" or something. I want to make charging the Volt as convenient and simple as possible so the whole family will keep the car running on the cheapest possible electricity as often as possible.
Until there is "automatic wireless recharging", and a "smart grid" where your Volt can "talk" to the electric utility companies about charging times and price, I’d like to be able to program the home charging unit to charge the Volt at any time of the day or night over a month … or even a year.
Hopefully, the home charging unit will have a user friendly, very secure web interface where you can pull up a calendar on your PC and program it to charge the Volt according to your personal preferences, data from the utility companies about the cheapest times to charge, etc.
It would need to have battery backup and nonvolatile storage of the data … and perhaps the ability to synchronize with time servers on the internet, etc. It would also need to have some sort of "Charge Now" feature that would let you override the programmed charging times if you want to. Maybe just enter a private code on the charger unit in the garage to get it to charge at whatever time you want … knowing that it could be more expensive. Wealthy people might want to just disable all the programming and have it charge any time they want. Let them spend more for electricity if they want to. It’s their electricity bill.
Whoever makes this kind of web interface for the charger better make it user friendly or people will get overwhelmed setting it up and just not use it … the same folks who never could program their VCR, etc.
The same thing goes for all the electronics inside the Volt. A lot of smart design needs to go into the information systems for the Volt. Do good intuitive design like Apple does with the iPhone. Make it simple enough for your average high school teenager to figure out with a little time. All kinds of drivers will be driving it you know, not just people like us on this site.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:01 am)I’m currently a Prius owner, and my least favorite feature on the car is the touch display panel. It’s cute, but otherwise awkward to use … try changing climate settings while driving … it’s a pain.
Use the display as a display, and don’t get too "cute". I say no to the wireless … just not necessary.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:05 am)I think most users (main stream) wont care much other than, How far can I go till I need fuel (elec. or bio). I have a great idiea for this car I was going to offer to any manufacuter of hybrids, I would like to prsent it to G.M because they spent the time to build a better plan ( Volt ). Please contact me. Its yours N/C. I just want to help us all. ( I have prototype)
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:08 am)Much of what’s being suggested belongs in version 2.0. GM had better just get this vehicle on the road quick, or Toyota will get there first. That said, I do like the idea of knowing SOC with some degree of precision.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:11 am)I will not spend extra 500$ on a car that’s likely going to be pushing my finances, so if they have this option or not, it’s really irrelevant for me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:13 am)Someone mention solar panels on the roof. What most people don’t realize is, solar panels are not cost effective. They are still very expensive and require large surfaces to be effective. I know every little bit of power generation helps. The problem is customers would expect too much from them and they would be disappointed. GM could make it an option, but customers would have to be well inform before their purchase.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:15 am)I think electricity (kW-hr) and gas (gallons) per mile monitoring would be a usuful feature. I would hesitate to have GM produce a "CO2 Saved" figure as it is a number that is easily skewed based on assumptions (type of electricity used, compared to which other ICE,…).
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:17 am)Here is my take.
1. All of this needs to be optional. I do not want to see things forced on people that do not want it. But I do, and I am willing to pay for it, as long as it does not become a $2K option.
2. A built in wi/fi router or wireless client capability is completely unnecessay. Ethernet connection over standard electric lines already exists. So when I plug in the Volt, it would then be able to communicate through the power line to the adapter that then gets plugged into the router I have in the house. This stops any power drain on the batteries, as it is only running when the car is plugged in. Those adapters only cost about $50.00. This eliminates all the wireless hacking concerns.
3. In additon to the data logging/diagnostics being downloaded back to my PC, the connection should be able to give complete control of the charging, GPS, and music systems. I should also be able to program when I want the charging circuit to start and the heating/cooling system to activate, so the car is ready for me when I open the door.
4. Software updates from GM could be handled very easily this way. And in the first few months, I expect there to be several updates required, once the real cars hit the road. It is completely unnecessary to have to take the car to a dealer to do a software update.
4. If the dash is an LCD screen, I would like to be able to customize where and which displays are being shown at any one time. Some times there can be too much information deing displayed, causing overload to the driver. Even if it is not completely customizable, there should be several different software optional "themes" ready to go.
So except for the LCD dashboard and the ethernet of power adapter, most of this is software related, not hardware. And other than the up front cost of the initial option purchase, I do not see the requirement of any monthly fees, unless you want the OnStar options.
And didn’t we discuss this very heavily about six months ago on the old forum?????
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:18 am)Go look at a Prius and see what 11 years of development has produced and use their knowledge in developing the Volt. After your raised estimate of costs, I bought 2 of them and dropped my desire for the Volt.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:19 am)I would like to see a variation of the Volt that has an SUV body so that it is practical for everyday use…I would also like to see it designed so that the IC engine on board couldbe switched out to a fuel cell when a hydrogen fueling infrastructure is in place.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:23 am)As for the built in webserver, I’m not sure that would real practical for a standard option….. optional updgrade sure, but I don’t think it should be a standard option.
In my fealing the overal price of the car should be enough to make people want to buy this thing. If the price comes out above $25,000, I think most consumers will balk at it.
Keeping things simple, at least for the baseline model, is essential to keep pricing on this vehicle attractive. You want mass adoption, not just niche.
Simple things such as an iPod dock and built in Bluetooth connectivity are inexpensive conveniences which should be standard in my opinion.
I also agree that knowing how much charge (in terms of miles) is left and what your current mileage rate is, are very important factors.
Adding features uses energy that car can’t use for propulsion, so the simpler the better. Basic features such as Heat and A/C are a must. Driving features like cruise control, tilt steering and intermittent wipers obviously. Beyond that, the point of the car is to take you as far as possible without having to refuel/charge while keeping the overall price of the car low.
If you want to integrate some of these more obscure requests and high end items, …. do it as just that, optional updgrade. But keep the basic car at a price that the masses will get in line to buy.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:24 am)If this is an electric car, and an environmentally sane option, I think a large chunk of your market are rejecting a lot of the gadgetry and consumerism that goes with it. A monitor for hours on engine/battery sounds a wise option and necessary one. In all other matters, though, more gadgets means more material produced, means more waste.
Can we keep it lean and clean please? Else all this extra will just end up in landfill, non?
A radio will do because I can use my $50FM transmitter to play my IPOD/MP3 player through my stereo. An indicator will be essential for battery life, but otherwise I get my wattage readouts from my electric co.
I get that GM wants to sex up the image of the electric car, but we’re already converted!! My one comment would be that since the majority of those influencing Volt purchases will be women (as with most car purchases these days), you’d be wise to start considering the body design and practicallity of its interior before you consider the bling factor of flat screen displays & etc.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:26 am)Any extra features that delay getting the vehicle to market are bad. Don’t go for a home run on the initial offering. There will be follow on products, and you can add new features then.
Just make the car, make it reliable and affordable and fun. And make regular commercials for it, not ones designed to scare buyers off. And stop Lutz from trying to scare away environmentally oriented buyers; they are a large part of your target market for this car.
I’m still not convinced GM is serious about this. So far, the advertising makes it look wierd, not like a regular car. GM has been in business for over 100 years, don’t claim you don’t know how to advertise cars!
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:26 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
Would like to be able to download to a flashdrive –
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
Yes, but should be able to do the software and flashdrive port for under $100
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
NO
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
NO – simple math, I can figure it out myself
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
NO – information available from other sources – if a person is interested in this type of information, they can look it up.
Remember K.I.S.S.
Build a basic piece of transportation without a lot of bells and whistles (everything added to the car draws power).
What I would like to see is added range — 40 miles???, get serious — Tesla is claiming 200-300 miles per charge, seems like the LEAST you could do is 100 miles per charge.
My biggest concern is battery life – I have been driving an electric car for years and have NEVER found a battery that would last for more than a year or so (and I have bought some $200+ each batteries that claimed 6 to 8 years of life….). Whatever type of battery pack you install, make sure it will last and not need to be replaced every two or three years (the car would basically be worthless after the battery pack wears out!!).
Looking forward to the Volt – It will be my next car - I will drive my old car till the wheels fall off while I wait.
Len
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:28 am)I think the monitoring should be on the console of the vehicle. There is no need to have remote access. Ithink it could be abused.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:29 am)Keep cost down. Offer a smaller battery version for owners who mostly drive only 15 miles per day. Do something about a heater and air-conditioner, even if they are optional. Show the battery verus ICE situation to help users make the driving decisions that reduce oil consumption.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:29 am)For me the biggest option I’m willing to pay for is a solar panel in the roof. I live in sunny Florida and would love to soak up some of that sun.
WiFi would be cool but make it a pay for option, maybe part of the onstar which I gladly pay for in my other GM cars.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:30 am)I don’t know about others but I am looking for a car that will lesson our dependence on oil. American made is a must. There is no doubt in my mind this car will be expensive to build with the new technology. That still is no reason for GM to try and recoup their cost with the Chevy buyers of this car. This technology will be the future. I see big oil pushing for a higher price of the car and then pointing to it’s lack of sales as proof that the public still wants low MPG gas burning cars.
GM should include as much of the features that consumers demand in other $30K cars. Buyers are already paying a premium price of the car. The limited distance the car can travel. 40 miles will get me to work and back.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:32 am)Alot of the options requested should be done during testing so you can show the statistics of how well the car did (or didn’t do). But having this wireless option as something you want to buy, I guess is okay. I wouldn’t want it added automatically because that just increases the overall cost of the car. You’d definitely need some kind of monitoring system, but most drivers won’t need the "in the weeds" detail. I just want to drive the car and know I don’t have to pay the $4 a gallon for gas! Please keep it simple and keep it real.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:33 am)This feature would be most useful when the car is sitting in the garage, plugged-in and charging.
You could switch on the wireless data feature, walk over to your home PC and buy/write/download software to analyze your car’s performance and mechanical status.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:35 am)Get the volt into production and add up grades later. the desire is so strong we need to start with a basic model like the model T
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:35 am)Well, they should have some way of communicating with the electric grid for smart charging. (i.e. Demand response)
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:40 am)I voted yes, but I do NOT want this to be part of OnStar, while I’m sure that is a great thing for some people I don’t want anything to do with it.
That being said, I would not pay extra for it, but yes I would like to have it. I think that GM needs to set the bar high, include things such as this to generate more hype and get more consumers interested in buying.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:40 am)I just sat in the Smartcar, that is available now in the USA. Unlike the model in Canada, my knees hit a ridge on the dash. I will not get one of those. I sat in a Beetle, I fit fine. I am going to purchase the 2009 model in August.
I hope GM does not make that mistake, and build the Volt that will accomidate drivers with a 35-36 inch inseam. Americans are tall. Ssave the high tech stuff (wireless remote) and focus on who are you going to be able to accomidate with the volt. Is 6ft 2in the maximum? If so, too bad.
Five dollars a gallon hey? I hope GM builds at least three models of the volt, entry level, mid level, and one that has all the toys. I hope it is not a one fits all, and the cost is out of reach of the person that needs to buy it.
Howard Buckalew
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:40 am)i’m a software engineer and i can ensure you that it DOES NOT COST BIG BUCKS to make a wireless server. i’ve done it before in other products. and most of the needed software is freely available as open source and as it is basic web stuff, it is very secure. that said, things like this are a one person job for three months, if that if he knows what he is doing.
now if you went onstar, most of the interface is already done for you except the scripts to parse what data you are looking for.
now as for hardware, you can get a wireless router for $20 at your local store and this includes taxes and profit mark-ups.
as for what i would like to see is as much of the above as possible in the local computer screen (whatever that is in this case). we have the option to check those values or not. my avalanche has lots of info all shown in a three inch one line menu setup under the speed on the dash. this is simple and wouldn’t short change the total distance. keep it simple like what you already have in your GM products and it will go far for both energy usage and status.
k.i.s.s.
$35K is already high and your time to market is also an issue. don’t add to these issues.
i already get onstar emails about usage and whats left. keep real time data to a local menu on the volt and longer calculations based on some equations to an email. this will off-load the processing to some onstar/gm server processor. the local volt display should just show some data points that are important in those equations (as noted in desires above).
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:41 am)Question 1; The most important feature is ability of the driver to see how his driving affects mileage and learn to drive better. I find the feedback of my Prius is very helpful and has improved my driving. The driving public is tuned in to gas milage and this is still a good measurement to use. Emissions reduced, CO2 negated might be good information, but it also may be too hard to keep accurate.
Second, do everything you can to put as much battery capacity in the car so I can go as far as possible on electricity only. I commute about 37 miles a day, and I want to be able to do that without the gas engine running. You’ve done it before, you can do it again. This may scare the oil companies, but it is the most important feature for my childrens future.
As to the wireless option, don’t do it except as an option. OnStar and ODB handle everything I need. And the public still remembers that you are tracking information that is being used against them by the insurance companies.
Just make the car and get it on the road. Don’t worry about extras, just get the basics right. What good is a wireless network if the you don’t have the electric drive train right.
And I would add a little more power. 130kw to 140kw might be a little slow for some drivers. That’s about 187 HP equivalent. Maybe you can add an upgrade in a year or two.
Just do it!
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:41 am)I just sat in the Smartcar, that is available now in the USA. Unlike the model in Canada, my knees hit a ridge on the dash. I will not get one of those. I sat in a Beetle, I fit fine. I am going to purchase the 2009 model in August.
I hope GM does not make that mistake, and build the Volt that will accomidate drivers with a 35-36 inch inseam. Americans are tall. Ssave the high tech stuff (wireless remote) and focus on who are you going to be able to accomidate with the volt. Is 6ft 2in the maximum? If so, too bad.
Five dollars a gallon hey? I hope GM builds at least three models of the volt, entry level, mid level, and one that has all the toys. I hope it is not a one fits all, and the cost is out of reach of the person that needs to buy it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:41 am)We don’t even know yet how much the Volt will cost or whether it will actually become a reality. Let’s not bog it down with every gee whiz gizmo that could slow down development and add to the cost of the vehicle. The point is to get a revolutionary vehicle on the road that people will buy and drive.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:42 am)PLEASE GET THE CAR TO MARKET , KEEP IT SIMPLE AND KEEP THE PRICE DOWN, PEOPLE WILL BUY
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:43 am)None of the superfluous video screen features are necessary. The last thing we need is more incompetent drivers watching their display instead of the road.
Let’s stop the fluff and get to the chase. Here are some other concerns from me, a GM family member…
If you wonder why GM sales have been less than robust, how about producing something the shrinking middle class can afford — definitely below $30,000. I don’t expect anything between $20,000 and $30,000 to be no-frills. I expect everything included, and that’s not unrealistic. Stop overpaying your CEOs, and maybe you can pull this off.
I’ve been driving my ’96 Camaro for 12 years. If you want me to buy something new from GM, it had better be just as sporty, high-tech and under $30,000.
Regarding the environment… there is no reason any auto maker should produce an internal combustion engine beyond the year 2012. You must stop dragging your feet and quit bowing to the oil industry. I challenge you to stop manufacturing fossil-fuel burning vehicles by 2012. There’s no reason you can’t do it. If GM doesn’t get there first, someone else will.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:43 am)Get the volt into production and add upgrades later.The desire is so strong we can’t wait .Similar to the model T
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:46 am)Don’t reinvent the wheel and drive cost to the unobtainable. OnStar and the onboard microprocessor can handle most all anyone would want to know and more. Keep styling close to the original concept, use Cadillac cues and don’t GM bland it away from all of us really liking the car. Bean counters will try to make it all cheaper in materials, they’ve done enough to ruin our economy as it is. Let the engineers and scientists and designers make the car, leave the accountants and business suits to count the money.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:46 am)The car should have some way to tell the state of charge, like a fuel gauge does, but it does not have to so complicated. If you want to know how much you are saveing in fuel costs, just write down $40.00 everytime you stop at a gas station for a pop and no fuel.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:47 am)In answer to the GM engineers’ five questions, I would answer yes to #1- preferably a dash board readout of usage and dates. #2- the extra cost for this should entail no more than a few hundred dollars. The Volt is meant to reduce the cost of driving, and I anticipate it for the masses.As for my rejection of #3 and following, overcomplications compound the cost and the liklihood of malfunctions or difficulty in operating. User friendliness should also be a key componet of the Volt.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:47 am)I would like (and would pay for) a 110V 15a plug-out on the outside of the car (with a switch on the inside) so that I can run my sump or freezer during power outages.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:48 am)I’ve been an electric car advocate since the ’70′s, so stop the BS and get the car on the road! NO to wireless since OnStar already serves up most of the monitoring issues anyway. I have been a lifer GM owner and am getting frustrated with all the promises. 4 Chevy’s, 2 Pontiacs and 1 Olds. Am about to consider the Malibu Hybrid as an interim to the Volt. However, GM is not letting me pick some of the luxury items I want eg. leather seats. I am with most of the previous commentators and that is keep the price range $27 to $32,000. Affordable by most drivers. Above all, a QUALITY made vehicle is utmost to bringing the American public back to (mostly made) American auto.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:49 am)This is interesting discussion. Maybe this car would be good for having all this extra information for the customer. Since many of us early adopters are either technologically advanced or more environmentally concerned people. I know most people in the general public wouldn’t know what to do with such information. "I put the key in and it goes", ALF.
I think a good option on the charger would be something with the cost of electricity. I would think the utilities would love to delay the charging cycle to later in the night on peek demand days. It could be something simple as a load shedding arrangement that many utilities already have. To save money based on current cost of electricity, many utilities are not setup to do that for home users. So I don’t know how much help that would be. A load shedding device could be installed by the utility at the charging outlet as well.
As for information from the car, I guess I would be interested in more basic numbers like: estimate date that service would be needed, percentage of electricity vs gas usage and estimate of miles left on electricity. The other data that has been suggested would be kind of a wow type thing for me. But I don’t think I would look at it much, so not so useful for me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:51 am)The volt should at least have a wireless network card that allows you to connect it to your wireless home network. Obviously, there should be firewall security but for the most part it would just be nice to be able to access the stats data from your home computer.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:52 am)Given the stories I have been reading recently about the projected cost of the Volt, I am concerned that adding more features, if they are not purely optionally, will reduce the number of people that are able and willing to buy the Volt.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:52 am)LET’S GET THE CAR TO MARKET AT A LOW PRICE
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:53 am)The most important thing with this project will be keeping costs down…that’s the only way to get high buy-in once you go live. Keep it looking sharp, but make most of these special requests "options", so that your low-end commuters will be willing to plunk down the bucks to get in on it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:53 am)Anything you want to add as an option is fine with me but keep the price of the base vehicle low enough for the masses to afford it. Lets be totally honest here. The electric vehicle technology would be completely solar powered and cost almost nothing to keep running if GM & Shell oil had not bought up and eliminated all electric trains in this countries past in order to make sure they could sell more deisel fuel . This kind of capitolism cannot make us a stronger and healthier country and will not save us from foriegn oil dependance. I have purchased 8 new cars from GM in my car buying history and never have I bought from any other manufacturer American or foreign. I will not pay more than $ 25,000.00 for this car. When you care about a country and its future you make profit concessions at first that will pay off in the long run with volume sales. As the lyrics of the song go." You shouldn’t have took more than you gave and we wouldn’t be in this mess today". A lot of manufacturers will be hitting the market with their versions of plug ins and Hydrogen powered vehicles, you better make sure yours has the best range and is the least expensive or no one will be bying the GM VOLT.
I hope you understand my position fully.
Jim
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:54 am)I just want a car with 4 wheels and a battery. Save the fancy stuff for later.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:54 am)I too believe the most important aspect is to keep the car simple and reliable. On board solar panels on the roof and hood are very important to me for extending the range of driving. I live in the mountains and it’s a 20 mile drive to town. If the car could "recharge" while I’m shopping, etc. then it would be a useable vehicle. Also, being able to plug in to solar panels at home would be an important option.
No to wireless. Diagnostics plug in capability would be a plus. No need for on board music. Just keep it simple.
And extend the range as much as possible.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:55 am)Geez, just found this post and alreay 100+ comments!?!?!
#1 – in the vehicle
I am bound to be stuck in traffic some time, so I could play with this data while waiting.
#2 – max $20/year
Not sure what I would be paying for. If it is data processing, I would hope that all the processing and display would be handled within the car’s computer. In that case I would pay max $400 for the computer module.
#3 – certainly emissions data, CO2 and such would be interesting as well, but optional.
#4 – yes
#5 – charge scheduling – big YYYYEEESSSSS
I would pay max $400 for that option as we have different rates at different times
As for external interface, any one of the standard interfaces, whichever is cheaper/easier would work:
1) USB slot
2) SD card slot
3) WiFi HTTP server
In any case, would be nice to be able to export that data into CSV or spreadsheet files that can be loaded at home on a computer. For instance, I would like a detailed numbers of power draw from different components. Then I could see how much is HVAC using during summer at different settings, or what is going on during winter, etc. So I would like to correlate HVAC settings to power draw for instance. Smaller modules likes lights and wipers need not such detailed data, only the bigger ones.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:58 am)I like the idea of wireless networking to collect/share data but am concerned about security and potential for obsolescence. Maybe a base unit or card that plugs into your computer would be good. It could be paired with the car such that the car would only talk to the single device; it would be similar to an electronic key fob. Users could connect to and get data from their cars but it should be harder to hack than an open standards system.
I’d be willing to pay a bit for a wireless option but I think many of the standard data items need to be available on the screen in the car. Fuel consumption, battery status, remaining time til full charge, etc. should be standard items on screen in car.
The option to enter some data into my home computer on gas prices and electricity prices so I could see cost/performance/savings is appealing.
The wireless would be of even more value to me if it could access diagnostic data and trouble codes. It would be easier to maintain the car if I could get more data that a simple blinking light that is tripped by any of six different codes. I’ll pay more for an option that gives me real utility in addition to the nice to have data.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:00 am)GM,
To be a true revolution the volt needs to be made affordable. The base model needs to cost 15K or less.
I would like to see a powertrain that is mountable on a variety of models. It would also be nice if the batteries were expandable. Rather than make one big expensive integrated battery you should consider making a battery compartment with plugabble cells. Make each cell about 5kw, charge $500per cell and make the compartment (or compartments) able to hold 5-10 cells. This could then become an upgrade option and the consumer could select the number of cells and accordingly, the all electric range of the vehicle. Allowing the system to accept "plug and play" add on cells and additional battery capability opens the door to after market enhancements and makes upgrade easy as battery technology evolves.
GM is in a position to set an new industry standard in cell size and format, if you do it right.
The electric drive, controller, and battery should be made in a manner that allows fairly easy backfitting on existing vehicles and these components should be made available to the consumer. You could even sell it through your chains. I can envision a day when ma and pa Gogreen take thier Caddy to the Goodwrench guy and have a couple of hub electric motors, a battery and the necessary controllers backfitted for a couple G’s to boost fuel economy and performance. Many people will buy the hybrid for better economy, but they should also get better performance.
Speaking of performance there are millions of men (mostly) in this world who pay ridiculous amounts of money to add performance to their truck or car. Why dosen’t someone (Other than Tesla) market the performance enhancement aspect of having a couple hundred horsepower and skads of torque immediately available on demand at the electric wheels and, as a side effect, better milage. You need to figure out a way to rope the NAS-craze army into the electric revolution. Sponsor an electric drive or hybrid MONSTER TRUCK, the "GREEN MEANIE", and smash an old, gas, monster truck on national TV with it. Better yet, smash ten PRIUSES (Priuii??). Make an Electric Camaro that beats gas Corvettes one on one in the quarter mile and race them at NAS-craze events (I’ll drive the Camaro for you). Make a 4WD, Diesel, 1 ton, Dually, Hybrid that will pull the regular one backwards with all 6 tires smoking until its rubber melts off, then DO IT, maybe on Myth-Busters. I am sure Adam and Jamie would love to do that episode – electric cars are slow and weak – MYTH – Busted. To win the hearts and minds of America you’ll need to pull off some electric SHOCK and AWE. You can and should show, in dramatic style, that electric is not only more efficient and "green" but that it is also more powerful, faster and MEAN.
The simpler, the better. My Sister In Law recently paid $400.00 to have the plug wires replaced on her Chevy Venture – A mouse chewed the wires- it takes 2.1 HOURS of high priced labor to change the PLUG WIRES on that complicated beast.
Whatever you build, keep it simple please. And don’t make the wires tasty for mice.
R/
Steve
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:03 am)1. In the vehicle – I do not need more e-mails! I get enough spam already!2. Should be part of the screen display info already in program. It is with the Prius3. NO – I already know that it emits less than my Corvette or Prius!4. NO – I can figure that out myself – it’s an easy calculation5. Yes – Should be about a $150.00 Option – and relatively easy to do
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:04 am)I would love to see this car out as soon as possible. I would buy it tomorrow if I could. It has real advantages over a Prius.
This will be the car that could put GM head to head with Toyota.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:05 am)If ‘they’ put a plug on the Prius first it won’t matter what GM does. Just get a 40mile range phev in my driveway and worry about the gadgets later.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:05 am)To answer the actual questions….
Q: 1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
A: 1- In the vehicle is fine, but the option to have an e-mail sent has merit. However this should be accomplished from a "server" in the car that can connect via wireless (802.11 g/n) internet connection to the owners home wireless network. No need to PAY for OnStar (or another service) to make this happen. It is NOT rocket science and could be done very cheaply.
Q: 2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
A: 2- NO, see answer to #1
Q: 3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
A: 3- Not really, not primary my reason for wanting the car
Q: 4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
A: 4 – Now you’re talking, we should be able to tell the car how much we pay for electricity and fuel so it can make this calcuation.
Q: 5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
A: 5- Uuummm…. I would not a pay lot for a glorified alarm clock or timer to tell my Volt to start charging. I don’t think my electric meter spins any faster or slower at 3am vs. 3pm so I don’t think I would see any benifit from this option. Even if it was available in my area how long would it take me to recover the cost of the potion. I pay almost .16 cents per Kwh.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:06 am)While all of this proposed technology is cool, I see it as unnecessary. It may put the Volt financially out of reach for so many who would buy it otherwise. Give us some technology, but don’t go over the top.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:09 am)We have always bought station wagons or the equivalent. Presently we have a 1998 Volvo V70 and a 2006 Subaru Forester. It is unlikely we would buy a Volt unles it had a station wagon body style. Why buy a car unless it has all the space it can resonably have within its given envelope?
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:09 am)No! No! No! How many times do I have to say NO!
My driving habits and info are for me to know and not GM or Ford or whatever to do with what they please with! Just a little bit more info that any lawyer would love to get their dirty little hands on that will come back a hurt you with.
ID Theif is at such I high now just imagine that your ID for your car is stolen and that info is plugged into another car. Now the police have your info in that other car that was used during a bank robbery or worse place you at a murder. And even if you manage to get out of that situation, cause remember computers don’t lie people do, that erronious info will be with you forever.
Try and get a job or get a credit card after that. Imagine the credit card or insurance companies jacking up your rates because you drive 1 mile above the speed limit anywhere at anytime. Always monitoring you. They are looking for any excuse to charge you more money.
I have driven 30 years without the need for Nav Systems, OnStar and the like. I don’t need them now I will never need them. A paper map and some planning will do just fine thanks.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:10 am)If the automoble exceed $30K it will exceed my desire to purchase — unless it is a quality prodict like my 1992, Oldsmoble 88 which was still going strong at 275K miles (10 years) and getting around 32 MPG.
1. Battery: a. Charging transformer will accept 110v – 220v at 50 – 60 hertz. This will allow charging from most of the homes in the world. Being affiliated with the military I would like to have my car with me when overseas. b. Tracking Kwh used to change battery. c. Tracking battery depletion and estimated distance left on charge. 2. Engine: a. MPG real time measure directly from gas consumption not estimated by mathematical algorithms from engine conditions that are not a direct measure of consumption. b. Estimated distance on fuel left in tank. 3. Estimated distance from both battery and fuel. 4. Solar panel to change battery while parked. I would pay up to $300 for this capability. 5. Having the data available on a plug-in LAN in the automobile would be worth $400.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:11 am)Kept the base price down. Make the options more of a plug in type that can be added at the dealership or something we can do at a later date Can’t wait to get my hands on the volt. The U.S. needs to take back control of the Auto industry.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:14 am)I love the concept and look of the volt – why is it taking so long to get on the market? I do not want to pay a monthly/yearly fee for onstar so if there is any type of computer-based interaction it needs to be included… please get the car out and keep the cost down. I am a computer geek and would love any pc interaction supplied but not at the cost of delays and cost increases…
Wireless – cool but not necessary – option OK.
Internal access to info via pc interface – excellent.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:15 am)I would love to own a hybrid that is stylish as well as affordable. The Volt is the best I’ve seen so far. My dad worked for GM, so I would prefer to buy your product. However, if you price this car out of the average persons reach – you will miss an opportunity. All the extra costly tech stuff should be optional.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:16 am)I also see most of these options necessary. Don’t scare off the general public or you’ll have a discontinued failure out of the gate.
I’m for anything that keeps the price of this car low so that as many people as possible can afford it.
I want the Chevy Volt to be successful on a basic consumer level, first. The goodies can come later.
P.S. Install a simply etimer on you home electrical outlet for $7. Don’t build it into the Volt as a $400 option!
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:16 am)If some buyers want to pay for such options, then that’s cool. But I think it’s imperative to keep the base price down as much as possible.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:18 am)juat make it affordable
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:18 am)With all that DC power in the car, why not have an inverter to provide at least one 120V AC socket?
I’ve lived through the 98′ Ice Storm and had no regular electricity for 3 weeks. To have such a feature would have made this car sell like hotcakes in times of need. For people in a disaster or worried about disasters, the Volt would become THE car to have.
On the lighter side, imagine having a microwave in your car! Being able to power up anything, anywhere: Power tools, computers, etc. all without having to find and buy exotic power converters.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:18 am)Please, just build the dam thing already. The ecomomy is on the verge of collaspe. Gas at $4.00, the stock market falling, inflation. It’s sad, I have always loved General Motors products. As a kid, I remember my grandfather had a 64 Cadillac. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
GM has the know how, they sometimes just have such bad judgement. "They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" They had the EV1 10 years ago, what do they do. Shred them all. Buy Hummer. Now where are we. Toyota is on the verge of passing GM in production. Use some forsight.
"Build it and they will come" If the Volt will do what they say, people will line up for them. Build them well, and make them in large numbers. Don’t play games to raise the prices. Just for once do something riight. Our country is depending on you. Uncle Sam is in trouble. HELP!!
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:19 am)We already have one Prius in the driveway, and in the next 2.5 years will be in the market for our second hybrid. The 48pmg I got on my 320 mile trip yesterday was very nice. My SW2 has 205,000 miles on it, and still gets 30mpg. So, we want the most bang for our buck. We want a mass-appeal hybrid, or electric car, not so many bells and whistles that will price the car out of the reach of most drivers, but one with enough to make the car practical and affordable for the most number of people.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:24 am)I agree with people who say the MOST important feed back is current battery charge & Current "miles per gallon " As an owner of a
Honda hybrid the MPG really helps you see how your driving effects the mpg. Also knowing when & how the battery is run down
would be just as valuable
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:24 am)Question 1 – Have the info available in the vehicle, but not constantly/prominently displayed (safety issue)
Question 2 – Should be standard.
Question 3 – No, more interested in money savings, data provided would be of variable accuracy, depending on the source of electricity.
Question 4 – Yes, I would.
Question 5 – No – I can do that myself or get a timer.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:25 am)At this point I am looking forward to commuter transport, on board info for battery condition,distance,maintenance interval,etc is required. E-servers is an option but there are those that may find it useful and there are those who just want to plug and drive .Please keep it simple. (as an option.)
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:27 am)I would like to know how many miles were electric only, how many were with engine and overall miles/gal.
Also if we could input our electric cost so we could see an overall cost per mile figure.
This is all I would need.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:30 am)Please get it into production before I have to buy a new car, and keep it simple and inexpensive.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:31 am)We are trying to implement an evironmentally friendly car.
Bells and Whistles and gadgets do not help in that. Plus, these "innovations" will cerainly increase teh consumer cost significantly. And really, are people that lazy that they cannot go in there car to see the level of charge? Now you need to sent automatically to your cell phone. No!
Remember, we are trying to save the planet, less is more!
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:32 am)This could be "over engineering". I work for a manufacturer and see it all the time. GET THE PRODUCT TO MARKET!!! Bells and whistles can be added and fine tuned on future models. GM needs a home run NOW, in order to compete. The US driver needs the Volt NOW. Focus on what is necessary to get this car to market ASAP.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:32 am)I do believe that the inclusion of a remote server would be nice, bu I do not believe it should come at extra cost. This car needs to be afordable. The goal should be to make this the one EV that everybody would be able to get. All the rest is just bells and whistles, and that is not what prospective customers for this kind of vehicle will be looking for.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:34 am)First generation vehicles are always expensive, and most of the value is learning what can be done better in a second generation. Given that this is going to be a relatively expensive car, give consumers more, rather than less. A less expensive model can be manufactured once costs can be engineered out of the vehicle.
The Volt can’t be all things to all people. GM needs to decide whether it is going to be the ultimate "green" car, or compete on price/fuel savings vs. every other model. I’m sure everyone has noted that the Prius accounts for over 40% of all hybrid sales. Never, ever discount the value of the image that you create. People buy NEW cars because it says something about themselves to those that see their car.
It’s obvious where I am going. The Volt should give consumers more information not less. It should be part of the base car – it’s cheaper to build it that way, and the majority of your buyers – those that will pay the price – will want the information. It makes them feel good.
EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE AN EASILY FOUND "OFF" SWITCH. If one wants to save energy, turn On-Star off, turn the Nav screen off, etc. Yes, make sure we can recharge the battery through regenerative braking. It’ll extend the range in everyday driving.
Build the information right into the ECU. It should be re-used for every other GM hybrid. Get mileage for your investment dollar across your entire product line.
Are you working on your second electric product? Hit another market segment. Go after a performance segment with a Cadillac product. Go after the soccer Mom with an electric Enclave. Then go mass market with a lower priced product. One new introduction each year. Keep the ball rolling fast. Everyone else is chasing you hard.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:35 am)First off, get the car out the door.
Secondly, provide a way (preferably via the dashboard) to "tune" performance and usage of the battery only mode versus hybrid mode. For example, I travel 15 minutes (just under 10 miles) to go to work. I have to go on the highway for a good portion of that trip. I’d like the option to tune the car so that it doesn’t have to run on gas at all during that trip unless the battery gets low (and "low" is adjustable to some extent). Maybe during onramp acceleration it’ll have to, but it shouldn’t need to after that.
Thirdly, the web server is a great idea, but has to be securable, optional, and home network accessible.
Fourth, the clock option has merit, but needs to be very configurable. Specifically, it needs to be tunable to make sense if you have solar power at home. Frankly, if you can figure out a way to make a secondary direct current (DC) plug to connect into a home solar system so that the solar power doesn’t have to be converted to AC and then back to DC to charge the car, that’d be awesome. I would think that the plug could be added to the car for less than a buck or two (OK, maybe $5 once you run another cable to the battery) and third party manufacturers would probably happily produce connection systems to connect to the solar power.
Last, make sure the software managing the hybrid system is easily upgradeable. Option 2, for example, might not be doable when the car first ships, but a software upgrade a few months later is far preferable to needing to buy a whole new car to get features like that!
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:38 am)I say no to all 5. I don’t see the point in have wireless communication with a car that I can walk 10 feet to and get the info I want. With that said, I would like to see the following:1. GPS Navigation with touch screen (Optional)2. Bluetooth capability for phones (Optional)3. Miles per batery charge / gas, battery maintainence screen (shows charge amount, any potential faults in the charging cycle, how many charge cycles have been completed, predicted battery usage and output per cycle per cell and as a group vs actual, individual cell charges and total charge, temp), engine mainainence screen (temp, hours ran, recommended maintenance, Optimal engine statistics vs actual), misc essential info via an on board cpu and incoreratied into the dash / navigation unit
4. On Star (Optional)
5. Back up cameras (optional)
6. All wheel drive vs 2wd units
7. extra batteries installed (optional)
8. Optional wheel motors (lo performance, mid perfomance , hi performance)
Well, thats just my thoughts. I just hope GM can deliver as promised. I am looking foward to owning one if the cost is right.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:39 am)I will echo much of has been said already. I am in favor of a wireless solution for communication. I could get information on the charge of the care and keep track of operating costs. I do that for my gas car already. I also like the OBC information that was mentioned. This would give me maintenance information so that the car could be serviced depending on usage. It would be interesting to have information on the price of electricity at charging points.
Cost would be probaby 500 dollars to 1000, considering the environment the system wourld have to operate in . It would be real interesting tbe able to add other modules to it like GPS, compass, temperature, trip information, message feedback, and reminder calendar.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:40 am)As mentioned above, electric propulsion is too important for the Volt to fail. Therefore, I am an advocate of GM monitoring the car, esp. the batteries. OnStar telemetry with a weekly email wouldn’t be too much to ask. Fleet reports from GM would make great buzz. On the other hand, if the car is too expensive and too few buy it, the Volt will still fail. I realize initial costs will be high, but GM needs to work towards a $15K electric car, not a $40K electric car. Therefore I suggest focusing on making it cheaper and more reliable than making an iCar.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:45 am)Too many gizzmos and GM will blow it again. It has to have the basic electric management system and a 110V plug in so we don’t have to use any gas. In fact, the gas engine needs easy access so we can pull it out and fill it’s space up with batteries.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:45 am)We need to get off oil and NOT just another "toy" for the rich.
Whatever you do, PLEASE start with a basic model with Air, Electric Windows, Power Steering & a basic AM/FM/CD player to keep the resale cost as low as possible ($25-30K range). Let the after-market handle the bells & whistles.
Factory convenience packages are great UNTIL these "gadgets" raise the price so high that the Volt can’t be mainstreamed. The Volt is USELESS if the average Joe/Jane can’t afford it.
My one special request is that the battery pack/range-extender can be used for backup power for my home. That should be a fairly inexpensive and widely requested feature (120/240 outlet accessible from a closed a locked car).
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:46 am)Yes I want an OPTION of the web server. I don’t think it should be very expensive, but I would definitely be willing to pay for it.
1– "Email Reports vs. Alerts vs. Manual Retrieval" – Yes: These all should be options. Personally, I don’t want emails from my car, but I could see some people would. I want to simply add my Volt to my secure wireless network and browse to it from my web browser. The data should be available in some standard formats (comma separated variables and others) so that I can view the data however I want to view it.
A standard built in webpage that I could navigate to is a must, however I might want to create a spreadsheet that automatically imports the data, so please make it as open(read/retrieve only) as possible. You can make the browser required to write new data to the system or in-car configuration for security if you want.
2–"Price" – Yes I would pay, however I have looked into micro webservers and they can be built pretty cheaply, so I hope that this option would be in the $300 or less price range. (assuming that the webserver is taking advantage of as much overlapping equipment as possible…ie a small lcd screen was already included in the build-out.) GM should not look at this feature as a way to make tons of extra money, instead I see it as a differentiator: This sort of feature at a nominal charge should help people make the decision to buy this product. I think GM already recognizes that most people that will be buying an all electric in the first year(s) are going to be "early adopters". By their nature "early adopters" usually put a lot of thought and research into something before they buy it. They are the same kind of people that will like to have the data available and have that extra control over their car.
3– "Emission Data" This could be calculated by javascript in the browser… I don’t need this data while I’m driving the car, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be retrieved from the browser or data files easily.
4– "Cost Savings Calculator" – Yes, but again this should be trivial to put in. A simple javascript function can prompt a user for their current kilowatt-hr cost from the electric company and it could also suggest an average if the actual is unknown. This value might be interesting to see while driving, but on the other hand I don’t want to be inundated with unnecessary (unnecessary to the job of driving) data.
Current MPG, Average MPG, Charge State, Charge Capacity, and a few other values are very important indicators of performance and a sudden change in any of these (and some other) values could indicate a problem. Those are the types of values that should be available while driving.
Any values that are more "trivia" related and "feel good" historical data should be retrieved while the car is off or at least in park. I don’t want people driving down the road playing with all the data features when they should be driving! (Perhaps a passenger could be looking through the data, so do like some cars and when in-motion prompt the user to answer if they are the passenger or not… not fool proof, but at least a friendly reminder… you can’t save everyone)
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Yes, but not a lot more. I’m sure the equation for this is already known and the car already knows the time/date. (or it will be easy to program the time/date through something other than the radio) I don’t want to spend so much on this feature that I completely negate any cost savings that I would have gotten in the first year. It should pay for itself quickly.
This feature could be part of the "Advanced Data Package". In that package you get:
A> web server (compliant with all "standards based" browsers including the new IE8 coming out.), data log file retrieval through .csv .txt and other formats.
B> "smart charge" or "eco charge" where the system charges itself after rates are lower. (Keep in mind that some people get up at 5am or 6am for long commutes…I’d want my car to be fully charged by 6am personally…. so in this option you need to allow the user to specify the "ready" time.
Lastly, I seriously hope GM has been taking a close look at the very latest generation of solar panels (example: nano solar or others) and hopefully they can find out the feasibility of adding solar paneling as an option. I live/work out in the desert. There are only a few days a year that aren’t sunny. I would love my car to partially recharge itself with sunlight. The old solar panels aren’t as efficient, but I hear these new ones are between 5x and 10x higher current. Assuming that they are fudging the numbers for publicity, let’s say that they are only 3 to 5x the power… That’s still significant if the whole roof was a solar panel and a simple fold out "sun shade" was manually placed in the windshield area to keep the interior cool while juicing up the batteries during the day.
I don’t expect to fully recharge from my 40 mile commute to work, but after 9 or 10 hours in the sun it might give me an extra 10-20 miles on electric… that would be very cool! Nano Solar is being secretive with their proprietary panels not wanting to give away all the tech specs. If you sign a nondisclosure agreement with them you can find out if their panels could be used in the design.
Maybe Nano Solar and others aren’t the way to go right now, but it would be great if the car was design with the ability to add panels later as they become more efficient. I would definitely pay extra for mounting brackets or efficient solar panels to be installed at the factory if there are real gains to be produced. (Especially since this car, for me, would spend a couple days out in the sun without being driven, I could see this as a way to recharge without hitting the grid for it.)
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:47 am)I agree keep it simple and keep the wireless out of the car. If you are really too lazy to write down your info then most likely you are driving a SUV and using the drive thru all the time anyway.
A simple display on the dash for the radio and MPG info would work. Keep GPS out of the car, it’s a local car anyway so it’s not like you are in a strange town where GPS shines.
My guess it would be better to have a smart power meter control when to charge the car vice in the car. Then the owner will always have even if they trade cars.
GM, 2/3rds of my cars are GM, 07 C6 A6 3LT with F55, 99 Formula the other being a 05.5 VW Jetta TDI (43MPG city/highway). It’s a disgrace that I had to look to VW for a good MPG car. I have to drive 25 miles to work one way in stop and go traffic. Don’t loose your focus this car is all about MPG not frills. Nice radio that plays MP3 and Ipod interface.
Bring a great product to the showroom for a good price and don’t let your Stealerships hike the price up and keep them coming, you will put Toyota in the rear view mirror.
Timing is everything, don’t miss the train.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:49 am)For security & simplicity it would make more sense to include a wireless client (not an Access Point) in the car. Then, from within the car, you could search for wireless networks and tell the car to associate (hopefully with WPA-PSK encryption) to your home wireless network whenever it’s in range. Then the car would just be another host on your home network that you could access via its IP address or internal DNS name (if setup correctly). The server built into the car could then publish a webpage containing the statistics being talked about. This setup could also allow audio/video/etc files to be transferred to/from the car.
None of this should be very expensive. Wireless technology is fairly mature and 802.11g client hardware is very low cost. Having a computer with enough processor & memory should not be an issue. Nothing very powerful would be needed to run some basic web & file server functionality. If you wanted to send a lot of files to the car then storage price would vary depending on the technology used (hard-drive vs. solid-state storage). A low-cost hard-drive would work well if it was only used for file storage. The OS/Server functionality should be stored in flash memory so that the system still functions when the hard-drive fails. It’s then a simple matter to replace the hard-drive and have the system automatically format the new one for use. A small Linux kernel with samba & web servers could do all this with minimal customizations.
Also, with a wireless client in the car, you could associate to any wireless network and browse the Internet from the car. A track-ball (like the newer Blackberrys use) or a pointing-stick (like IBM notebooks use) could move the mouse. I would include Bluetooth keyboard functionality, but an on-screen keyboard would work too.
It has amazed me for a while that all of the large-screened factory NAV systems don’t already have wireless clients and a browser built-in to allow Internet access & mp3 imports when near a WAP. Verizon EVDO wireless Internet access (for a fee) via the OnStar system would also be nice.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:50 am)Remember 8 track? Todays toys becomes
tomorrows junk. I look for quality and not
a lot of fancy over priced gadgets
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:52 am)Yes to the options, no to the cost.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:53 am)Being in the battery business I know first hand how the typical consumer can abuse their batteries. The more systems for monitering the batteries the better.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:53 am)I agree with 190. Please make this an exceptional car- the CTS or Corvette for the envirnoment. Work on extra features in the 2012-14 model years.
Just make it beat the Toyota/Honda competitor. Then sell the heck out of it in ALL markets. With Toyota’s recent quality slips and GM’s lead in Electric technology/r & d – lets make sure that this is a winner out of the gate.
I would hate for a bad router setup to generate negative press for this car.
Ford has the SYNC technology from Microsoft- is that helping them SELL cars?
(I’m a computer professional, and I would be interested in such a setup…later)
First and foremost- Range, reliability, reputation- the three R’s for the VOLT.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:53 am)Given the current interest in the development of smart grid technology (Boulder, Chicago, southern CA, Mid-Atlantic), I think NOT making provisions for smart charging would be a HUGE mistake.
Our models suggest that electric power providers could pay vehicle owners more than $1000/year to keep their vehicles plugged in and on call as ancillary service providers. If the hardware needed to equip a car to do that runs a couple hundred bucks (once in mass production), who would say no to that?
That seems like a much more important issue that being able to see a nicely packaged information readout of how you’ve driven online (though the information tracking needed for V2G would probably make it much easier).
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:54 am)My largest concern is thee cost of this car. If it is not attainable by regular people it will be a flop. It needs to be under 30k as originally promised. Throwing in too many bells a whistles will hurt the price of the car and make something that could truly help the environment and put GM in the running with smaller cars a big flop in a sense. Something only available to the semi-rich.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:58 am)I think adding on anything but truly functional things will simply raise the purchase price of the vehicle. Quite frankly if they don’t keep cost down, it will not catch on and Chevy will have blown it. Honda or Toyota will keep it simple and sell a ton. Don’t blow it guys.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:59 am)Being in the battery business, I have seen first hand how consumers can forget about their batteries and inadvertly abuse them , so as many battery monitering systems as possible would be a must
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:00 am)Addendum:
Instead of wireless, I would be happy with a usb port too. It should be just smart enough to plug in a USB thumbdrive and automatically copy a .csv file over to the thumbdrive automatically with all the data available. If that is cheaper, that would be fine by me. I can toss the data into a spreadsheet program and see what I want to see assuming enough base variables are being tracked. Other values can be calculated as needed.
GM could offer a fancy software program that runs on a PC to reduce the data, graph it, and manipulate it for people that need the simplicity of a GUI.
Ultimately, I think the answer is yes: Yes, there should be data available. Yes, it should be an option. Additionally, YES it should be pretty cheap because there are simple ways of accomplishing this. Don’t spin your wheels on this question too long, build the car, and provide easy access to the data.
Stand-offs for solar panels is a great idea…I just read someone else that had mentioned this as well. Even if I only get a few extra miles per day charging it this way, that would add up over time.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:01 am)I am not interested in any more electronic gadgets, just keep it simple (like this comment), not too ugly, and affordable to buy and soon.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:04 am)As mention thoughout I’m for tracking idea’s but I’m for the cost of the car to be affordable. I plan to be a future owner of of the Volt when GM makes it available. Allow a low base pricethat would have very nice and usable figures but offer
like other cars upgrades that would let the buyer somewhat
design what they would want their Volt to have ot not have.
I REALLY LOVE THE VOLT SO PLEASE MAKE IT AFFORDABLE…
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:04 am)Hi, I am VERY interested in a volt. For me to buy it, it would have to cost less than $25,000. We need it to have a hatch back and be about the same size as a Prius, which we already own; it cost $21,500. I commute 8 miles each way and don’t need to burn gasoline; electric, charged at night would be fine. Dave Cobb.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:04 am)1) There’s no place to actually vote in the poll, not sure how the 926 people actually voted.
2)Electric savings times, will vary with locality. So on/off control of the charging outlet should be controlled, not by the car, but externally. I already have TOU, and the prime time is 1PM to 7PM in the summer here in Nevada.
3)I suspect that GM is smart, and I think they are, will advertise a base car for $30K, and offer many options. My Prius had a base price of $19.9K, but the one I got had $8 in options. Early adopter and techies, will pay for plenty of bells a whistles, the mass market may not.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:06 am)I would answer yes to all 5 questions. I would pay an annual fee of $79-99 for this ability. I would pay more if the ability to track electricity rates proved to make an appreciable difference in the cost to recharge the battery, or if more features could be added to the system down the road (like traffic, weather, etc.). To address the concerns of those worried that this system could be abused and that their vehicles could be tracked, I would suggest making this an option that is installed in every vehicle, but that has to be activated by subscription. I think those concerns are unfounded, but clearly there are enough people who feel that way that you would want to make sure they had a way of turning the homing signal off. I personally like the idea of the vehicle being able to direct emergency services to the scene of an accident in the event that my pregnant wife is is injured and cannot call for help. OnStar does that currently, so I’m not sure the Volt poses any more of a threat than the vehicles GM already has on the road.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:06 am)I’d vote for in-car display of any available ECU data (or calculated performance). But I would rather my purchase money go for more magnesium or carbon fiber to reduce curb weight, than towards wireless novelty devices.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:06 am)YES on all 5 – and yes this should be optional and when included we should be able to shut the wireless for those who are worried about being hacked/tracked – I think such concerns are groundless but its a simple matter to make everyone happy by including a off switch.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:07 am)The rumored cost ($30-35k) is already high and by adding more features it only drives the cost higher. To beat the competitors Chevy needs to get their car out into the mainstream even if it cuts their initial profit margins. Saturn back in the day released a vehicle very low priced and as it gained popularity the price went back up once people had a high demand for it. Get the Volt out for $25k and it will sell like hot cakes.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:07 am)For the power outlets inside the car, how about regular, 3-prong receptacles? Then I wouldn’t need an extra charger for my car.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:08 am)I like the idea of all the i car gadgets, and they are not far fetched, but I would like to see the Volt have options to allow it to come out with a kind of commuter version that gets closer to the $15K market. Afterall, the greatest practicality of the vehicle will be in it’s usefullness to replace the day to day gas guzzlers driving to work. GM could leave an option for all the gadgets and if consumers want to pay for more power, range and luxury – no problem.
Upgrading the car could also be an option with the i gagets. Overengineering the car and making it an expensive toy should not be the main objective for the Volt but, if GM allows the options to be developed then may they could market it like GL and XL or DX and LS gas cars are sold.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:09 am)Also – work with Apple to use their hardware/softwareMS/linksys etc software is pretty unreliable.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:09 am)1 In vehicle. Bonus points if I can get data out of my vehicle wirelessly.
2 No. Put in the cheap hardware and default interface then open up the API so that tech/car geeks can build their own interface for it and you can incorporate elements from those submissions into future versions royalty-free.
3 Not necessary.
4 No. I’ll smile everytime I pass a gas station. That’s enough for me.
5 Should be a standard feature.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:09 am)Wow, the responses to this post are pretty amazing.
GM, Execs, Engineers…. I think you have a really solid idea about the direction the Volt needs to take and the speed at which you bring it to market is paramount.
Cost seems to be the over riding concern as well as getting it to market quickly.
If you replicate Henry Fords’ vision of a Model T in every driveway by reducing the cost and ramping up production, you will put GM in probably the most powerful position of market dominance it’s had since the 1950′s and 60′s.
Go do it and show the lead……we’re truly rooting for you!
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:10 am)Also – work with Apple to use their hardware/softwareMS/linksys etc software is pretty unreliable.plus – how great would it be to have the car "sync" with my macs?
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:11 am)I think all of these should be available as options. The idea of this car, to my way of thinking, is in addition to beinging cleaner, is to be less expensive to run. Adding things that do not directly improve the car’s fuel use just adds to the overall expence up front.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:11 am)I say KEEP IT SIMPLE, and maybe they can actually get a car to market!
Why is it that a couple guys in a garage can build something better than the yet to be built volt in just 6 months? GM can learn something from these guys. Americans will buy an SUV with a 40 mile range on electric only, but unlimited range with gas backup engine. Even better that they are describing it as the SUV that gets 150 MPGs (normal people can relate and understand this better). The videos are worth checking out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-cPHtQ0tTw
They built that thing just by modifying an existing Saturn vue hybrid with mostly off the shelf parts. One thing they are doing that other’s aren’t is the use of super capacitors, this is explained here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YheGphfNHcY&feature=related
From what I understand the battery packs will be available in large quantities by this summer (just months from now).
It can do 0 to 60 MPH in 6.9 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpjxLntmajA&feature=related
This car has been featured on CBS:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhM70MnTIvk&feature=related
And CNN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v09_uTp08zg&feature=related
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:12 am)Hello. I currently own a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. I’m quite happy with the display readouts regarding battery charge and MPG on my vehicle, which came standard.
I agree that the cost on the Volt must be kept down so average consumers can afford one. So fancy displays would be nice as an option, but I don’t think time and energy should be spent on them if this will delay the release date. I want my Volt ASAP!
I do have two suggestions, though:
1. I’d love to see solar panels on the roof as an option. Even if they’re not primo efficient, they’d help those drivers who park their cars outside for the whole workday without a handy outlet nearby. I hear that solar technology is improving all the time, so maybe this will have to wait a few years, but it should be kept in mind.
2. I’d also love to eventually see an SUV version. I know, they’re not as efficient as a sporty sedan, but some drivers (myself included) have grown accustomed to the extra cargo space, higher ground clearance, and ability to go off-road. Not that I’d wait for an SUV version before buying a Volt–I’d gladly give up the benefits of an SUV to own a true electric car (with range extender, of course).
So please, Mr. Chevy Engineer, whoever you are–bring this awesome concept car into the real world for us fast!
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:12 am)Price point is becoming a concern for me. Produce the Volt with what are quickly becoming "standard" items, ie. VSC, ABS, traction control, seat mounted side and side-curtain airbags, rear back-up detection (typically camera), hands-free phone, voice controlled Nav, HID headlights, keyless security/entry system, autodim mirror(s), fog lights, CC, power windows/locks, …. for less than $30k or I’ll keep looking (and buying) the competition’s products.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:13 am)I just want o second this option .. I think this would sell the car and I would pay and extra $300 – $500 for solar panels to recharge the cells during the day when my car sits in the sun at work. I think this option is not only revolutionary but it is one of those why did we not think of this in the first place.
The reason that it is so benificial to me is that I do not want a sun roof or any of the sort as I am suseptable to skin cancer but the solar panel option would replace the roof with the panels and block out the sun to me when I am driving.
I hope the GM guys read this as this option would blow me away and I would drive to another state the first year they produce this just to have this car.
GM Guys way to go so far on this car and thanks for listening to us!
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:16 am)When you step into this new type of vehicle, I would think everyone would like to know just what is going on and if you are saving money. Also it would teach you how to drive more efficiently. With today’s technology, the extra cost should be minimal.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:17 am)No need to run up cost of the vehicle. Keep the price as low as possible to enable more people to buy. Can be an option for those who want to pay more.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:20 am)It’s important with the launch of the first Volt to keep it as cost competitive as possible. I own an electric car now. It doesn’t take long before the driver is aware of all the parameters mentioned as provided by the screen. Keep the Volt simple and as cost-competitive as possible to build market share. If the screen is offered it should be optional.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:20 am)JUST GET US THE CAR !!!
I’m ready to write out a check now. I may have to buy an inerim car before the Volt is available. My VW TDI with 250K miles is starting to cost me money on maintenance(the turbocharger just failed)Please get the Volt on the market ASAP.
The bells & whistles can be add-ons.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:20 am)I’m thinking Alice in Wonderland. Don’t put any effort into gilding a daydream. Punt that to aftermarket. Do the car. Do it soon. Price it aggressively. Make money the old fashioned way.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:22 am)JUST GET US THE CAR !!! I’m ready to write out a check now. I may have to buy an inerim car before the Volt is available. My VW TDI with 250K miles is starting to cost me money on maintenance(the turbocharger just failed)Please get the Volt on the market ASAP. The bells & whistles can be add-ons.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:22 am)I built a 45 mile/charge BEV for less than $3000. Surely you can make a plug in hybrid with 40 mile range for ten times that cost. Not that I’ll buy it. I have no need for a plug-in hybrid anymore. For long trips, I just use my gas car. For 95% of my driving, I use my electric car. Sorry, but maybe if you would have made it a few years ago, I would have bought one.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:23 am)To boost GMs sales and create a demand, as I sit on the side of the new vehicle market until the point in time when I can realize a dramatic increase in fuel efficiency. Though if you do not get off your guff, I might turn to Acura, and their diesel accord, in this day and age you should be more forward thinking company. You are getting your clock cleaned by others. Had you stayed the course, not listened to disgruntled dealers, you would be a leader, not trying to figure out how to stay alive.I used to be a dealer, and quit because I was frustrated with a lack of intelligent dialogue with the dealer body. I did not work with GM, however, though when the EV1 came out, I thought you were going to change the automotive landscape.You should find out who bought out ANUVU, and appear to have shelved their fuel cell technology, as if incorporated into your vehicles, you could change the world. Hopefully the oil companies have not bought their technology and shelved. It looked extremely promising.1–No as this would mean that you are remotely accessing my vehicle.2–I would be willing to pay for a USB access port, so that I could access the information and download it to my laptop.3–I am after a no frills vehicle, that does not cost4–I can do that via my laptop. 5–Yes I would be willing to pay a little extra for that. Though only if my vehicle will sell the power back, up to a point when rates are high. This feature should be attainable via a USB connection with some web interface. We do not need more wireless signals, to cause disruptions in our cellular electrochemistry.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:27 am)Things should be like my motor cycle if I want it, I add it. Or I add it later when I can afford it. Options are great but you need to get this basic Car, to the market now.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:27 am)There are many options that make sense including available battery capacity, fuel, diagnostics, scheduled maintenance, alarm status, vehicle position. All these options are possible with many vehicles today. One of the best selling points would be to have many of these options be included. As for power rate cycling, I am a member of a co-op that has off-peak power cycling and I am sure I would be able to install a managed outlet that would charge my vehicle during off-peak times when the rates are low.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:28 am)USB or Ethernet cable would be the way-to-go to get car metrics. I like this idea. Wireless access has too many security, efficiency, and cost problems.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:28 am)I am not to interested in the wireless feature it should be a option from a package; the main thing that would benefit the volt is to get rid of the moon roof thus helping the a.c. in having to cool the car down from all that sun coming in. What would be great is if they add some type of solar panel to help you run longer on the battery so the battery and stay charged longer w/ regenitive braking as well as solar.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:29 am)Two things,
1. Solar panel the hood, roof and trunk.
2. Engineer a wind powered generator where the spoiler is.
Thanks,
Kurt
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:30 am)I agree with RB (#2). As long as there is something to tell you how much battery charge you have remaining and miles per gallon equivalency, there is no need for the other things. People can calculate that stuff themselves if they really want to. No need to increase the cost of the car for unnecessary electronics (my opinion). It seems if you continue to increase cost, then it be an expensive alternative to various other electric/hybrids and diesel/hybrids that will be available by 2010.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:30 am)Two things,
1 Solar panel the roof, trunk and hood.
2. Engineer a wind powered generator where the spoiler would go.
Thanks,
Kurt
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:31 am)I agree with RB (#2). As long as there is something to tell you how much battery charge you have remaining and miles per gallon equivalency, there is no need for the other things. People can calculate that stuff themselves if they really want to. No need to increase the cost of the car for unnecessary electronics (my opinion). It seems if you continue to increase cost, then it be an expensive alternative to various other gas/hybrids and diesel/hybrids that will be available by 2010.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:35 am)Yes, I like the idea of this sort of data being available as a tool to monitor performance. Life’s busy enough so implementing this capibility following the K.I.S.S. approach is what would be appealing to me. No, not interested in a wireless router and would prefer to simply jot down on a piece of paper historic performance data.
A simple model for tracking daily usage could be a GM/Chevy provided website that allows a Customer to load their individual performance results. A driver owner retrieves details from vechile display, on an ad-hoc basis, then the individual manually loads it into their account via the web. The database is developed by GM/Chevy and crunches the numbers. The types of information stored could be easily tweaked and modified based on Customer interest.
I’d make the annual cost for accessing this "voltnation.xxx" website minimal; $12 to $24 dollars US. Of course the low cost of this service will be paid for by side bar ads placed by GM/Chevy and by building Customer loyality. I don’t mind focused ads on a website as they reduce the cost of use.
I’m looking forward to the day of laughing out loud while humming past a gas station in MY Volt.
John Petti
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:38 am)Any two of the five, which can be implemented the quickest, would be fine for the first year production vehicle. The clock is ticking.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:39 am)The essential data needed for the driver should be readily available, e.g., battery charge, current power demand, regen, etc. Too much information available to the driver could be distracting. All of the data that that Belloc listed should be available to download via a USB port; the software to analyze it on your personal PC should be a buyer option.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:39 am)I was going through the posts, and got around 50, and gave up.. Eyes getting tired. Anyway, my thoughts:
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail? Have it wireless or not, I don’t really care, but USB is a must!
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much? Couple hundred.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. Most would say no, either way, it won’t make or break the car.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? Would be nice.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? No. The rates here are the same all the time.
Wireless would be nice, at least to those who don’t care who’s watching. Even IF they did install routers, and somebody hacked in, what are they going to do? Change the radio station, or better yet, turn off your AC?
I don’t think the security issue there is much of a threat, you have bigger problems than that. I’ll bet (and can anybody confirm/deny this) they’ll use the same security/keyless entry as the Corvette and CTS. I have not seen, but have heard those systems getting hacked into, it’s somewhere around 40k encryption. Those of us who know about encryption know 40k is WEAK!!! GM, you can do better than that..
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:41 am)Yes to all 5 questions. But I suggest that those should not be options. Those should be basic features of the car and they should not add a lot to the price.
Think like the IT industry, not the car industry, provide a lot of IT features because they are not expensive (a computer and a GPS cost less than 1000, but adding that into a car makes the budget jump a lot, that is ridiculous).
More important than the gizmos, you have to create a truly new and amazing car. It’s time for "Creative Destruction" for GM to survive. This should be no "incremental" improvement. This car has to be great, and not because of the IT features, but the car itself.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:42 am)I want a plug-in, flex fuel, long life battery car. It does not have to look like "future-car". Just attractive.
Since I want to use bio-fuel I guess that means a diesel! Right?
My optimum would be to charge my car batteries using a considerable solar array on my home roof, and make my own fuel using free, abundant agricultural waste available here in central California.
Thanks.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:44 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
I could be wrong, but I think that GM already has an option for this included with its On-Star program. I would much rather have the information provided in real time in the vehicle.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
My current car (07 VW Jetta) had a similar "calculator" option as an add-on. I didn’t opt to pay for it then, but I would pay maybe an extra couple hundred for it on the Volt.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
I would like the option of turning the aforementioned info on if I wish. By default, it should be off so we’re not overloading the driver with extraneous info.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
DEFINITELY! It would be a constant reminder I why I was driving the Volt.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Um, wouldn’t the "paying more" negate the lower rates? Anyway, everyone already knows the lowest rates would be at night. So no, I wouldn’t pay for that.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:45 am)First off, I have to vote "No" to the posted questions. All of those extras will delay production and increase costs. GM was late to the party in regards to Hybrid technology and I believe that they will be late in producing an electric car.
Everyone reading this should realize that if this car becomes a reality, it will most likely cost over $45,000 and will come to market a good 2-3 years after Toyota or Honda begin selling their plug in electric car. The reason for the high price tag is that with supply being only about 100k/yr and demand will far exceed supply, dealerships will raise the price to decrease demand (remember the $10k add on to the price of the Mazda Miata?)
GM hopes to begin selling this car in November 2010? Are you kidding? Given GM’s propensity to delay, I’m guessing it will be well into 2012 before this car comes to market. Gas prices will be over $6/gallon by then (gas prices are already over $5/gallon in California) and electric car owners will be driving a Honda or Toyota because:
1. They will be cheaper (under $30k)
2. They will be the first ones to become available.
Just wait, GM will keep posting delays, cost overruns, problems with the plant, problems with the batteries, more marketing surveys, etc. that will push the release date well into 2012.
Go ahead GM, prove me wrong.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:46 am)1–Only if it doesn’t increase the cost of the vehicle
2–see above
3–no
4–yes
5–this would not help matters. Most people have same rate electricity costs, not matter what time of day.
Just get the car made, affordable, many of them.
You really messed up by offering huge cars at huge profits per for sale, and not caring about the people who wanted a car to get around in and not greedy. We don’t need hummers. We don’t need 3500 sized pickups to go grocery shopping! we need a 2-door, or 4-door hatch, go to work, shop, weekend away. Affordable. Safe. We don’t need muscle cars or trucks. Get that through your Board of Directors’ heads!
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:48 am)Get it to the public asap! It needs to seat 5 not 4.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:48 am)I have fielded many new products, but none as complex as a car. Data gathering from the units in the field is among the most critical parts of any project to determine if the assumptions used in design are valid. Therefore, the On-Star link should be a ‘requirement’ for the first generation. GM needs the data on how the car us used, and how it is charged. There may be (actually, there will be) customize-able options that allow improved efficiency or performance. We geek-types buying this won’t actually save money by buying Volt for a very long time, if ever; the motivation is based on supporting conservation of fossil fuels for either geo-political or environmental reasons. So, folks, give up the data – they will need it to build better cars, and it might even help optimize yours.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:49 am)I would suggest having some basic functionality as has already been submitted (mpg equivalent, range left, battery state, etc).
What I would really like to see though is a Volt SDK to create my own programs for the screen. Also, an SD memory slot would be needed as the storage mechanism for any programs I wish to load or other data I may want (mp3, pictures, spreadsheets, etc).
To prevent anything bad happening, access to car data would be read-only. Also, all car data possible should be able to be read, not some small subset, all of it! The only write access a program would have is to the SD memory slot, so that you could create tracking reports – such as mpg/day graph for the last 30 days.
With this, anyone could create whatever applications or reports they would want. People could sell these programs, or give them away, or whatever they want.
The only hardware that would be needed is a separate processor and memory space, so that it doesn’t interfere with normal operations like GPS, radio, or whatever they decide to build into the screen.
I figure it this way, this is what Apple is doing for their iPhone (http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/). So, if they are able to offer this ability to their hardware, and the phone costs under $400, then GM should be able to offer the "Programability Pack" on the Volt for $400.
If not, maybe they should partner up with Apple… actually, I would highly suggest they do. I never understand why certain electronic devices cost so much if built into a vehicle, like the $2500 GPS on a Ford Escape. Why don’t they partner up with a GPS company (TomTom,Garmin,etc) to push a more funcitonal $500 unit into the vehicle. So maybe partnering up with Apple would be a good idea, being that they focus on both computer and software technology.
Just my two cents!
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:51 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail? By the vehicle, of course! Who wants more SPAM e-mail, especially from your car?2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much? This type of thing is standard on most hybrids. It’s a selling point, and making it an option would be stupid. 3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. No. 4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? Maybe. It could be fun, and it would be an easy feature to add, but it is nonessential. 5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? Would I pay more to know when to charge? Only if the answer would surprise me. If the car’s just going to tell me to wait until after 7 pm I’d feel cheated.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:54 am)I would be fine with a weekly/monthly email with the info, but it would not be a big comtributing factor for me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:55 am)I would like to see a thermostatically controlled cabin heater that would run off house current, so on cold winter mornings it would cut down on pre heating the car and increase battery performance for morning commute.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:56 am)Volt: ENTIRE car durable and rustproof. AWD. Run Flat tires. NO uneccessary electronic gizmos, displays, prone to failure accessories. GM is notorious for low quality electronics, window operators, cruise control, etc. 5 star safety rating. Mechanical brakes to safely supplement regen. Anti-lurch when regen must stop charging batteries.
Mar 17th, 2008 (9:57 am)I would definitely pay more for a good Navigation system.
If the Navigation system communicated with something like On-Star, and could provide tracking and efficiency info, that would be great, as long as the Owner can select what info is available to be uploaded.
I would really only be interested in info that would help me drive more efficiently, or better. CO2 and how much I am saving is really of little practical value. kwh or joules being used currently would help me to drive using the minimum. I would not be opposed to entering in a $/kwh for charging and seeing the costs of driving as well.
One thing the auto industry fails at, is giving the consumer some ability to customize the vehicle’s behavior. For example: Do the Light come on at dark? What level of Dark causes this? You can imagine there are thousands of little option like that, that an engineer had to do a study to figure out what most people would want, and then hard code it.
One other thing that I would pay a lot for… HDD space for media, so I could sync with iTunes or something and get pod-casts/mp3s sync-ed over WiFi when the car is doc-ed in my garage. Most people I know have WiFi setup in their house. IT would be great to be able to connect and sync my media, so I don’t have to carry around extra equipment to listen to music/podcasts.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:00 am)If the data can be reported to GM anonymously, I’d be all for it. If any personally identifiable information would be reported to GM or any one else’s database, no thanks. Also, it’d be better to leave off the "bells and whistles" type stuff like CO2 negated and cost savings over fuel… That’s a waste. I don’t want my car spewing marketing angles at me after I’ve already bought it…
As for a "battery charge" meter, this is absolutely essential! I can’t believe that GM would be thinking of releasing a battery-powered vehicle with no battery charge meter!!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:03 am)I presently drive a PT Cruiser and the new Volt looks stylish and hopefully will get great MPG. I don’t need a minivan or pickup truck, but would like room for two persons in the back seat if the Volt turns out to be a four seater (even if they are crammed in there!), room for two backpacks in the trunk (so I can get my kids to school), and a real dedicated flat or square area for a purse, (not the wheel well on the passenger side where my teen’s big legs and dirty feet sit).
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:08 am)I want to see the cost of the Volt kept as low as possible. I don’t think that the car needs a wireless router in it. I think that as much work as possible needs to be done keeping upgrade ability a snap, like making the electronics and vehicle PCM flashable.
If you really want to read/track your vehicle’s data just provide a USB 2.0 port and you can download the data to a jump drive and read it in your computer.
I would like to see 2 different modes of operation from the PCM, economy and performance. This would not be that difficult to do as you would basically be looking at two different potentiometer schedules for the controller. In economy mode you would not have to consciously baby the throttle to get maximum mi/charge.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:09 am)What we should be asking for are such things as:
1. A battery pack that will be unaffected by cold temperatures.
2. An all-electric range of at least 100 miles at all speeds.
3. A recharge time of no more than 4 hours.
4. A battery pack that will last for at least 100,000 miles.
5. A maintenance-free battery pack.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:10 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
In vehicle. I dont feel confortable with my car sending information out. I do, however, want as much usage and cost data readily available in the car. This type of information is important for the vehicles target purchasers.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
More information in a conveinent, in-car, format- yes. Should not be an option though, make it standard and bump the MSRP.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Yes, built right in. Information is power.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Certainly.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
No, this can be easily monitored by the consumer.
My next new car will only be all electric, so get this to market!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:11 am)Wireless is nice, but not critical.
I do expect to have basic info on:
running avg battery drain
running avg ICE useage
I’m particularly interested in statistics that show how the battery is holding up over time. i.e. a new laptop battery lasts 2.5 hr.s, but within a 12-24 mos. lasts 30 mins.
GM really needs to seize this rare opportunity. (talking about the big pic here) Being an engineer who works on projects "like" this, I see every schedule slip as poor performance on the part of the actual grunt engineers. Just do the things that need to be done and quit covering your backside by overestimating time or slipping schedules or dropping features/performance. I’ve seen it over and over and over the last 20 yrs. and it sickens me. If you want to keep jobs in the US then put your heads down and get the work done. We need each and every one of you to put your reputations on the line and turn every unkown into a known. Personally guarantee that your part will work and work amazingly well. An opportunity to redefine personal transportation won’t come again for a long while.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:12 am)Just give me a reliable car… I am not too much for fancy stuff… No wireless computer hookups are necessary (I can see security issues developing around this)… I too work in IT….. Give me a 20 to 40 mile range on battery only… Make it so the batteries can be swapped out easily as technology improves and make them a standard size across models (modular).. Maybe even lease them to us… Idea… Let us buy the car but lease the batteries… Same modular design for gas power plant…. I look forward to this car coming to market as I think this kind of car is a environmental, economic and national security imperative…
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:12 am)Thr main thing is to get the car ibnto production ASAP at a price average people can afford
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:12 am)The main thing is to get the car into production ASAP at a price average people can afford.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:12 am)I hope this car is not like my portable power tools were the cost replacing the batteries makes it very expensive to operate in the long run. You must figure that into the cost per. mile over time of ownership. So lets keep the cost of the car down. P.S I posted this yesterday and i see it was removed.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:13 am)Jim #252
I completely agree with you.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:15 am)Just build the car for under $25k and have options available at extra cost…..
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:17 am)Jim #252 I completely agree with you. And make the darn thing extremely reliable, and not have silly mechanical and electrical problems. I don’t have a warm fuzzy about American cars to begin with, so prove me wrong by making a highly reliable vehicle.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:18 am)252 Jim & 259
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:19 am)Electric/gasoline usage monitoring would be fine as an option, but making it standard would be better. GM could use the data to make technical evaluations to the systems in the car. There are, however, some additional changes that need to be addressed.
Some on here think solar panels on the roof is not a good idea. With the advancements in Lithium-Ion battery and Nano-solar technology, I think this is very much doable. My Suggestions:
1. Optional solar panels, mainly roof area, (less prone to damage by accidents)
2. Lithium-Ion battery packs that can be replaced on an individual basis rather than having to replace the whole battery because of a bad cell or two.
3. Is a hypothesis: If one complete battery pack = est. 40 miles of battery operation, would two complete battery packs = est. 80 miles of battery operation, is does the law of diminishing returns make a drastic appearance.
Overall, these suggestions may give the average shift worker, whose vehicle sits in a parking lot 8+ hours a day, a chance not to spend as much money on gasoline, and would not help the high salary executives parking in their private underground parking. :-p
P.S. If GM prices this vehicle out of the range of the average blue-collar worker, then there would be no sense making it as only the rich will own them as a novelty.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:21 am)1. GM already has this option with Onstar.
2. A data port would be nice so that the owner can plug in a laptop and d/l this data would be beneficial.
3. Monitor: capacity, loss/use, time until fully charged.
4. Side note: Allow dealer to add one solar panel system to be added to note thus allowing owners to place panel on house and allowing them to charge Volt off the grid.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:21 am)K.I.S.S. Offer what ever options you wish, but we want a simple EV as soon as possible. State of Charge and display which teaches us how to drive (rate of discharge, braking rate, etc) are all that is needed. Rest should be options. AC should not require gas engine.Carbon emission means little unless utility is nuclear. Don’t get into false hype.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:23 am)As an engineer, I would encourage you to keep the initial programming simple in the 1.0 release and expend whatever budget you have in this area on the QC. By example, my 2007 Civic hybrid still has multiple programming problems and dealers in the field simply don’t understand it is almost impossible to duplicate a programming issue on a test drive. I personally don’t want this car to be all things in one. It is designed strictly for a future that is primarily about non-oil based energy. I applaud the modular approach to the design. Keep the weight down as if you were on the Z06/ZR1 team. Keep the systems simple. I don’t need it to brew my coffee on the way to work. I perceive this vehicle to initially be about the commute. Over time, you can approach developing models that might be usable in a single car family, but certainly not at the moment.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:24 am)i would need a status of charge indication . a battery life till replacement indication and indicator of resource use ie pure electric vs electric/gas
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:24 am)Hi- I have 2 big comments about this car, and all other GM cars-
1) Make them safe- both in side and front crash tests
2) Make them solid and of quality- VW can do this with their cars that are entry level (rabbit, jetta), why do lower end GM cars feel like a tin can with thin plastic trim? VW cars feel very solid and well built at all price levels.
I really want to buy American and can’t find a reason to. The cars are either not save, or just don’t feel well built. I now have a VW Jetta 2003 and it’s the most solidly built car I’ve ever owned. It’s a small car and the quality feels like what you would only get from a mid-sized car if it were American. I’m talking confortable seats, good gas mileage with a lot of pep, trim that feels solid and not thin, good safety rating, etc. Just because I prefer small cars because I like getting good gas mileage and like to be able to park on my street doesn’t mean I don’t like a quality product. Maybe VW understands this better coming from the European market.
American cars have the Japanese cars beat on style and innovative design features, but you need to beat them on quality of construction and safety to convert the masses to buying your product, no matter how "gee whiz" it is. I think if GM makes a small affordable car with good gas mileage that feels like a high quality car, you’ll definitely have a winner!
Oh, and PS- please make a station wagon version! Something with a back hatch and foldable seats with decent storage! I would so buy that car!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:24 am)More practical options would be solar pv sun roof or dash. Would also be interested in mutiple outlets for use as a backup generator. Would come in handy for loss of power, tailgating, camping, ect.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:25 am)1) Want both. Want the vehicle to display. But would like a usb port that will allow a data dump to any standard USB storage device (ie: thumb drive, hard drive, etc). Then the files could be imported and tracked on a desktop machine.
2) Not much, really, it’s only a usb port and a data dump.
3) Sure…
4) How? You’d need to know our electric rate.
5) No, but I think the charger should automatically charge the vehicle to the bare minimum rate (ie: 30% of battery) then wait until a timer is reached (ie: 1am) to begin fully charging the vehicle.
***
Now for my ideas…
1) I’d like to be able to plot my planned course via GPS. Then have the Volt estimate best efficiency. GM should combine road maps with topical maps so that it knows when the vehicle will be going up (or down) significant hills. Then it could optimize when is best to run the generator, etc.
2) Auto-inflation of tires. For high efficiency vehicles, air pressure can make a significant difference. I think it be good to standardize with auto-pressurizing system. I know Hummers and many luxury vehicles have this already. But don’t lock in the value, allow to be user adjusted based on region, modified tires, etc.
3) Please don’t use funky weird tires. My 2002 Prius does and it’s royal PITA. The tires wear out uber-quickly. And now aren’t even made so drivers have to choose between $500 every 25,000 miles for official tires. OR use non spec, non-LRR tires for a lot less and many more miles.
4) The high energy cost of air conditioning – in particular the first 15 minutes. When you get into a car that has been outside on a summer day it is often extremely hot within. It often can take 15 minutes for a vehicles temperature to become comfortable with the air conditioning blowing on full. I imagine such a thing will greatly hurt the efficiency of an electric vehicle.
There is an alternative. A simple small solar panel on the roof hook up to a low power fan and vent system. If the temperature inside reaches a certain level the solar powered fan kicks on and starts blowing the hot air out. Helping to keep the vehicle cooler (thus reducing the amount of time that the air conditioning needs to be fun at full blast).
5) Hand-crank generator. Hey, why not give us one of those hand-cranks (like you see on weather radios, flashlights, etc) just bigger and put it on the Volt. That could be used to power low-power items while at rest (ie: radio, reading lights, etc, etc)
6) Get rid of the cigarette lighters. First off, they’re old tech, bulky and needs tons of adapters. Instead give us a number of USB ports. Most devices either already can run off a USB port or you can get a power adapter to do so.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:25 am)I would definitley be interested in the data reporting. Although i think anything provided in car like, soc, time till depleted, miles driven on charge, ice hours of operation, time till next maintenance on ice, should come standard and be built into the cars management software.
The extra stuff like web-server, bluetooth, satelite link(on-star) i would be willing to pay for.
Point being to me when you build the most revolutionary car since the model T, the built in management software better be robust, and it better be able to give me reports on just about anything.
It’s only software!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:27 am)There’s really no reason it has to be done in a similar way to OnStar. I like Grizzly’s post suggesting to use a USB port, or provide a bluetooth connection or a wireless connection that can be used with your home network, and encrypted. Bluetooth might be a great option as many computers are equipped as well as cell phones.
I like the idea of the graphic display, but it should be something that can be turned off to conserve power, or it needs to be incredibly efficient. And it can’t be at a huge cost either. This car needs to be built rock solid, modular and easy to upgrade, and yet affordable. GM has it’s back against the wall competing with imports, and a quality built, revolutionary car like this might turn the tide.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:27 am)1 thru 5 NO
K.I.S.S. works for me!
Retired, don’t need long daily range.
my 92 geo bev works just fine.
would like the volt for trips.
come on gm get off the dime and build it!!!!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:27 am)i agree with some earlier comments… on-star already gives the remote access, why don’t we concentrate on some of the more important items, like the 100 mile trip, the shorter recharge times, battery life of at least 100,000 miles and maybe get some production out in 2009…
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:27 am)Personally, I equate this to my bicycle computer. I want the information like KwH used to charge, Miles driven, gasoline used, time/distance remaining in for battery, estimate of remaining range. As an extra, you can download all this through a wireless network. Maintainence warning would be nice as well.Personally, like my bike computer, I won’t pay extra for the option. When I need it. I’ll crack out the old pencil and paper and write it down. Then I’ll make the calculations on the back of an envelope.A lot of this information would be green geek bragging numbers. Nice for cocktail parties but not much more.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:28 am)I may just go with the Toyota, Honda, or Ford. If it is available for the 2010 model year, I’ll still consider it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:28 am)252 Jim & 259 Jean-Charles Jacquemin…..
RE: What we should be asking for are such things as:
1. A battery pack that will be unaffected by cold temperatures.
2. An all-electric range of at least 100 miles at all speeds.
3. A recharge time of no more than 4 hours.
4. A battery pack that will last for at least 100,000 miles.
5. A maintenance-free battery pack.
Sorry, guys! Item 2 is an unreasonable, outrageous request & there’s NO WAY we’ll get it —at least not for several years in an affordable E-REV design!
However, we WILL get (or ALMOST get) items 1 & 3-5 without even asking!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:30 am)Keep it simple, get it in the hands of the public immediately before we ALL go looking for used Priuses or Insights or heck, even 1992 Geo Metros that STILL get 50mpg!! Gas is quickly becoming a household’s #1 expenditure that a person has some control over. Get this car to the masses before we lose interest and go Japanese!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:30 am)I’d like pretty-much All data to be available via some read-only API, and the ability to run arbitrary code. In reality this is the only way customers are going to be able to get Everything they want: you can’t foresee what uses people will come up with for that data. If it’s available via some web-service-api (or any api, really) they can make their own apps/services (and of course GM can too). If you’re really after the Gen Y techy/engineering crowd (which I assume you are, as we’re the only demographic that would buy the volt), you need to stop asking questions like "would you be willing to pay more for (insert buzzword for some feature that we have no way of evaluating the worth of without actually trying it out)", and instead ask "how can we really give our customers what they want".
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:31 am)ps
not email reporting, i want real time, besides i’m at the source of the data. Plus the less i’m reminded that GM can satelite track my every move the better off i feel.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:36 am)Wow 278 post in under 24 hours.
This thing is getting serious, see ya’ll in NYC on wed.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:38 am)Lets keep it reasonable and apply some common sence. The consumers who need it most will need to be able to afford it.I am a little disapointed that there is no basic model with out all the add ons. People need this for the mileage now. The fancy add ons can come later.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:40 am)I like the features as long as there is no subscription.
1) I don’t want OnStar or any tracking features
2) A webserver is fine but obviously all under user control although I like the USB option better. The nice thing about a webserver is having your desktop able to tell you when you have enough juice to go somewhere.
3) It needs to be optional
4) This stuff is cheap, $100-$200 should be sufficient for all the options related to reporting
5) In-car reporting details are a must
Like others have said, if this is over 30k, I probably wouldn’t buy it.
Cheers
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:41 am)"Carputers" are a must option ( see zapworld.com electric autos for standard features on Obvio Models. ). They do it all except pour coffee. The 40′s and under crowds are e-savy and need to be electronically pleased. ( as an option )
"Maximizing Range on Battery is important". Go to 60 miles on battery and you just inherited most of the remaining market.
A crossover SUV option should launch at the same time.
Aggressive Warranty. Stand Behind what you make.
Don’t overthink this. Take Market share back from foreign automakers. Keep the Cost & Value inline with Median US Incomes. Cool Cars, with excellent ROI and Environmental Peace of Mind will get the Consumers "driving" in the right direction. We ( consumers) want this to happen, help us get behind the wheels Keep most of the upcharges broken out into optional packages. The price of gas is high, but it could change again.
Beat Dodge Zeo to market and I may be switching out all of my Dodge Vehicles for the future in GM rides.
I am in my 40′s. If I Like it, can afford it and can afford to help my college students at home get into one also, you may have the win of the decade.
How soon can we test drive?
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:43 am)#275 – The ONLY unreasonable part of the following is it should state "at reasonable speeds (aka 65 miles per hour). I’d compromise on an all-electric range of 80 miles at that speed. The technology is there now to do it. If this is an outrageous request, we are all wasting our time here.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:44 am)Desirables:
1) Throwback to earlier days, but a manual window roller with electric power windows when batteries are low. Combine the two into one (button built into roller)
2) Modernize the stereo speaker approach with a small, but high quality speaker headrests to reduce power consumption, possibly with MP3 player dock - SUBSTANTIAL power savings achievement possible through this feature
3) Fuel (electricity) gauge display to show power
4) Thin sandwich of foam in the roofing to keep heat out and warmth in.
5) Suggest battery be allowed to heat in car compartment if possible to save significantly on power drain by being outside passenger/interior compartment. Again, substantial power savings.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:45 am)I need to know the range that’s left in the batteries and the range that’s left via gas in the tank to power the ICE. Any car in this price range should include such info. I can figure out when to plug the car in. The rest could be offered as an option but release of the car should not be delayed to provide such an option.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:47 am)Client-side wireless in a personal home network is the only way to go. It should not be a router that will allow other people access.
With the car plugged in at home and a part of a home network. Music, video and navigation updates could be pushed to the harddrive in the car. No need for USB. Any usage statistics are only available on the home network. Bluetooth should be included so people can use their Cellphones hands-free.
GM will have to keep the cost under $34 thousand. There will some serious competition coming from other players like Honda and Toyota and it would be a huge mistake if they are priced higher.
I would like to know how the batteries will handle colder weather. Expected life expectancy of the batteries and future cost to replace also. These are the REAL important questions for the life of the car. Some people live in colder climates, especially during winter and would be incredibly disappointed if the car doesn’t get the mileage range as advertised.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:49 am)From the views of the concept car the roof looked to be glass, and solar recharging would be an interesting concept. I do not know the cost involed, but I like the idea of the car charing in the parking lot while working or sitting in the driveway charging my home facinating.
The high end wireless option I would not use, but being able to track information via USB I would like.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:50 am)These are options that we simply do not need.Keep it cost effective as so the masses can afford it.And get off the 0-60 time(the public is not interested in speed) and give us a car that gets 50 mpg ASAP.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:50 am)My post above hopefully is read by GM. The stereo system is a huge power question. I hope there is a concerted effort to look at this. As transport propulsion changes over to electric, the need to minimize this wasteful drain is easy if recongized ahead of production. Use small, high quality speakers in the headrests will point the way. Heck, my kids put on their MP3 players in the car and my wife and I never agree on music anyway. Make it personal, and save money, save weight on the car, and make the drivers and passengers happier. Small players are the norm these days and everyone owns and Ipod or MP3 player. Integrate, innovate, and save power.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:57 am)It is only right for GM to offer the volt in a choice of trim as they do with every other car. Example: Impalla is available in SS, LTZ, LT and LS. This is the only realistic approach. Cut out all the goodies for the economist and load it up for me, complete with all options(inside and out) and plush interior. I’ll sign up for an LTZ…please!
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:58 am)Dear GM, I’m ready to put money down today if you’ll release rights of ownership to the Volt Waiting List. I can start buying month by month now for the privilege of lining up for a car.
America needs electric cars. American-made, American-fueled. As a twenty plus Air Force veteran, with our military always centered on the oil lane highway and Oil Barons of the Middle-East, there is no greater blessing to see this day arrive. Hope Buick gets the quiet ride someday. Nearly abandoned Buick to buy a Prius rather than see more of my fellow military die over there.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:59 am)Keep it simple!!! Fuel gauge, battery charge level gauge and meter the rate of discharge. Tracking info. and other electronic details can be a task for On-Star. Would rather see solar panels to contribute to charging while parked or while driving. Maybe an 0n-demand all-wheel drive option for those of us who have to deal with snow and ice.
Mar 17th, 2008 (10:59 am)Don’t waste engineering budget on this stuff. Make the design as simple and inexpensive as possible. Make bus data easily available to third parties so they can do all the cool add-on stuff.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:00 am)Keep it simple. Make the basics work well. Make it comfortable. Put it on the streets.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:04 am)Thanks Massie. Almost forgot. Hope this is front wheel drive or rear wheel if the battery and engine weight is placed in the back.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:06 am)Is this a Chevy, Cadillac or Lexus? The market changes as the price increases. Having a touch screen that allows buyers to add their own or third party software might be one alternative. The Prius with touch screen cost less than $23 thousand when introduced. If EFLEX technology is successful, how about developing an EFLEX version of the beautiful Cadillac 16?
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:07 am)Leave off the Internal Combustion Engine. Make the Volt a true plug-in electric.
Internal Combustion Engines are 19th century technology with efficiency severly limited by thermodynamics of heat engines.
GM should focus R&D on improved batteries and forget about hydrogen and fuel cells, which will never be economically viable.
The EV1 had a good battery. What happened to that battery? What advances has GM made in battery technology in past 10 years?
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:08 am)Some things are very important to me while others are not. Increased driving range is the most important, and to achieve this, I suggest regenerative braking, and using a turbine in the front of the car to recharge the battery as the wind turns it. Think about it, 30 mph average around town and 55 mph average on the highway. Now that’s a lot of power!
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:11 am)1– In car data showing basic history of operation (ie: miles, hours, kw used, total hours charging, etc) only. No webserver…
2– No…don’t get distracted by "fluff" and "goodies" just get it built and into the showrooms as fast as possible…you already have the important aspects accomplished: an attractive vehicle, with a good electric range.
3– Can’t you just do rough calculations on "typical" or "approximate" emissions, and post on an owners-club website, or use in marketing materials? I don’t care *exactly* how much CO2 I’m creating – I primarily care that I’m not giving any more of my money to the Arabs or the grotesquely rich oil companies.
4– No. I know it’s less, and again approximate estimates would be enough to provide that extra "feel good" factor.
5– No. I can call the power company and get that info. I don’t really care about the exact figures..I already know it’s a lot less than gas – and obviously charging during off-peak times would be best…but I’m not the type of person to check the time before I start my dishwasher, or turn on the heat.
Please don’t waste time on thinking / designing /engineering lots of add-ons and geek features. Don’t get me wrong, I love tech gadgets, and have a whole office & house full of them…but you need to focus on getting this car into production. Focus on low-maintenance, safety, aesthetic appeal, and affordability. Then you’ll have a winner. We are purposely trying to eek out every last mile on our "local driver/work car" (99 Saturn) and drive it into the ground -and hopefully by then the Volt will be here. The only other gas vehicle we ever want to buy is a truck upgrade to tow the boat and gear. (An EV crew-cab truck with 10,000lb tow cap, wouldn’t THAT be something!).
Thank you!
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:12 am)I don’t want any crazy options, such as checking my car’s data remotely, that would drive up costs. I am fine with checking the data when I get to the car. Keep it simple.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:14 am)1–No, However, it would be nice if such reports could be generated by the vehicle itself, and uploaded via USB or some similar interface. Possibly just an easily accessible data log that could be uploaded to a program for conversion into a nice report. WiFi would be alright, so long as all the security settings can be customized. The last thing we need is people running around wirelessly hacking into cars.
2–Sure… $300 maybe? nothing or maybe a premium not to have it if the car has to be compromised by putting it on-line though (without options to shut it off or improve security anyway).
3–Sure Emissions and CO2 impact would be great.
4–Not a priority but sure.
5–Yes, in fact forget rates (do many areas actually have variable rates?) How about just being able to easily set up a charging schedule, or at least an automatic ‘charge tonight’ setting to take power from the grid when general demand is low.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:17 am)I would like to see Chevy offer up a "Solar" package. Maybe a solar panel that you can un-roll and place on the dashboard in the windshield, then plug it in and charge the car while you go shopping or something.
I am not sure if the technology is there for this yet, but it would be pretty sweet.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:19 am)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
in the vehicle
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
$200
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
only if it’s tax deductable
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
yes
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
yes!! $200
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:19 am)Come on GM, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. License Chevron/Cobasys NiMH that has been so successful in the EV1, and other EVs like the RAV4-EV. We can upgrade to LIon later.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:20 am)well i would say i agree with most people on here. we need a real electric car thats affordable.Options are nice as long as they are optional. Price in a bad economy is a big deal. There is one option that you need to keep and that is the "biodiesel engine option" without that im not interested , ill just keep driving my antique Bio powered mercedes
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:23 am)I’m probably not the first to mention this, but I think it would be a real asset to add a couple of solar panels to the vehicle. 3 big plusses for this:
1.) To be able to charge up the vehicle (a few % anyway) during the day while at work for example.
2.) Never really be stranded again. They way I see it, if the vehicle had a 100W solar panel on the roof, then say if you ran out of gas somewhere, and the battery was drained, after an hour or two you might have enough charge to get you a few miles to a gas station or something.
3.) Better ‘fuel efficiency’ since the solar power would always be there charging the car so long as it was light out, during the day the car would actually get better mileage, mabye 5-10%? Possibly a larger improvement if you’re stuck in traffic. Granted this might not even be enough to run the AC, but it’d help noticably.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:23 am)Yes, that biodiesel option needs to be in the mix sooner than later. I can buy a barrel of cooking oil cheaper/gallon than gas looks to be on the 4th of July
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:23 am)The main reason people would purchase this vehicle is to be geeked out by the lack of fuel being used. I believe all this information contained in the article would be great selling points. People like the Japanese vehicles because they include all these geeky things. Even the non-hybrids have all sorts of mpg information available.
The great thing about having program data available in the vehicle is it is a one-time cost, meaning once the software is written, you can install it on each car for free. Sure, updates will be required, but it isn’t like installing power windows.
Give the people all the info they can garnish from their car. Don’t make them pay a subscription fee. You will be ruining the good will of the costumer by doing that. Allow the information to be displayed on the car readout.
The car is expected to be fairly pricey already. Be sure to provide all the data a customer would ever want (remember value-added options in the mind of the customer, even though the cost to upload the program once it’s written is free), and make sure the interfaces work effortlessly.
People like information, even if it is useless. When we have information, we feel the company is being honest with us, even if we never use the information. Just knowing it is there is enough.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:25 am)1–In the vehicle, or via webserver when connected to a laptop, PC, or PDA. Does not need to be wireless. If wireless, should be able to turn off to conserve power. Needs to be open standard (ethernet, wifi, usb, etc) and not something requiring a $3000 mechanics "scanner".
2–A couple of hundred. Honestly, all of the sensors would already be there, this is just data logging. I definitely would not be interested if a service fee was required (although a service fee to have it e-mailed to me would be an acceptable OPTION, my answer to #1 still stands).
3–Emissions reduced and CO2 negated are kind of bogus figures (requires knowing efficiency of electrical plant, transmission lines, etc and can only be sort-of estimated). My thought is, if the car monitors it, I think the information should be available.
4–Yes, definitely.
5–This is a simple software modification to provide this feature. That said, I might pay more for the car that had this as an option opposed to the one that didn’t, but I might also be prone to do it myself with a timed electrical relay in my garage.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:26 am)I want a car that can travel at 100 km per hour for a distance of 50-60 miles. This distance should be attainable in worm and cold temps and be able to work well in hilly country as well as flat. If an elect car fails to climb hills it will be of little use to me, a car that dies on the side of a hill is embarrasing and can cause trafic tie ups. I am a retired senior and would love to drive a car like this for test purposes. As far as conecting to internet{ this is bullshit} keep it simple stupid and keep the cost low so more people can afford one. That all I have to say. Glenn
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:27 am)I agree with post 252, for the overall basics. The vehicle dash should have the basics such as MPG overall, battery status, engine hours, trip meters A & B, distance to empty (fuel). The vehicle should be offered at a competitive price to the general masses. Remember, Toyota, Honda, and the likes of Hundai, and the Chinese will not be far behind. I also liked the body panels on the Saturn SL’s and Vue’s and suggest that the Volt should have similiar panels and a safety cage similar to the Smart car. Upgrades could include the ideas posted earlier and an optional small TDI turbo diesel in the 700cc range. The standard gas engine should be able to use regular and alcohol fuel and be engineered to run on hydrogen or natural gas conversion in the future. The vehicle should come in three versions, a hatch back, sedan, and a sleek two seater hardtop sports version with moon roof, sort of like a Scion offering of three styles. The same drive components, dash setup, seats, and interior material could be used to save money. Offer a base model (sedan) at under $20K with options to $25K. The hatchback or crossover look for $24K with upgrades to $29K, and the sports version at $30K with trick tire and suspension upgrades to $38K. At these prices, you would have a winner, attractive to all walks of life with a long production run.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:27 am)I like some of the features of an on board computer such as a graphics display for electrical consumption and engine hours vs service however I believe it is more cost effective to download to a usb flash stroage device and then use a home computer with a downloadable program to track all the essential cost, fuel, and mechanical data instead of trying to do this while driving. This would reduce the maintenance costs of an on board computer as well as the overall cost of the vehicle. Everyone I know has a home computer (at least one) so the need for an interactive/programable vehicle computer is not necessary. Lastly security is always an issue so protection of vital user data can be minimized by not utilizing an on board computer. GM already uses this type of technology for repair and diagnostics now.
GPS is a must with map coordinates showing available fuel and recharge points.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:27 am)Unfortunately, the internal combustion engine is a necessity at this time if we want this car to be a huge success. The good thing is that the engine is only used as a generator to recharge the battery if it is depleted while driving (so you don’t get stuck!). If you drive under forty miles between plug ins, it never turns on! The option of running it on alternative fuels should be an option. Vegetable oil is my preference.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:28 am)I suggest offering an integrated wireless system that is standard equipment on all cars. A monthly credit card fee for wireless services would vary with the selections made from a broad range of individually priced wireless features. The consumer should be able to make changes to this menu, on at least a monthly basis, as their needs and desires change. Also some consumers may prefer to select from several discounted package deals that bundle the most popular and commonly used features. You might consider a discount for those who are willing to listen to short audio advertising messages. Also, a feed from the manufacturer giving their latest auto news would be welcome. The monitor should be reasonably large for easy viewing. There should be a Day/Night choice of screen brightness and also a Large/Small text display size choice. A partial list of wireless choices would include things like: Basic maintenance reminders, Service Bulletin and Recall notices. On-Star servicesLi-Ion battery status, rental, replacement and/or upgrade choicesChoice of vehicle performance, cost efficiency and emissions tracking informationBasic GPS with extra cost charges for additional trip and navigation optionsWireless telephone, email, stock indices/stock quotes, music and video options
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:30 am)GM, why do you have a "fuel cell" at the top of this page? GM recently announced that they were abandoning fuel cells. Fuel cells and hydrogen are insanity from an economic standpoint.
GM should stop wasting R&D effort and money on technology that will never be viable.
The only feasible source for large quantities of hydrogen is natural gas. It is much cheaper to just use natural gas as a motor fuel than to convert to hydrogen and then use in a fuel cell.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:33 am)Q#1- No to wireless network server tracking info. (option only).Q#2/3-No I would not pay for it or want it.Q#4-No calculation of savings needed or wanted.
Q#5-User can charge car at off peek hours.
*DASH GAGES- for usage and distance able to travel with battery and gas power extender (expected).
*NO to onstar for me.
*OPTIONAL GPS system.
* YES-USB port for diagnostic codes.
*SEPARATE dash gage for AC/HEAT consumtion.
*OPTIONAL solar panel charger on roof.
*MP3 player.
Question for GM engineer:
Why is GM Lition/Ion battery only able to travel only 40 miles on one charge but TESLA motors claims 200 miles travel on one charge on their Lithion/Ion battery?
Why can’t GM buy the battery used by TESLA motors as an option on the VOLT?
SUGGESTION #1: Volt (all cars) should have driver’s seat height adjustable, can be mechanical leaver does not have to be power adjustable. If I have to buy a cushion to drive I will not buy Volt.
SUGGESTION #2: Keep cost of volt low or you will lose market to foreign car makers again.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:35 am)I think access to meaningful statistical information should be available in the car or wirelessly locally.
It should be possible to schedule when charging takes place so that the owner can determine when would be the best time.
Cost needs to be $25K or less.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:36 am)the car is not a mobile command center with wifi and other bs add-ons. It is an economical, emission reducing vehicle and as such shouldn’t have all those other power sucking devices. It would be nice to have a 7" or so LCD screen which would include the radio and other pertinent functions like mpg, gas/battery life left, maintenance schedule reminders. This should be standard and everything else an option. It doesn’t need cost/benefit analysis, if people want that, they can get it on their own or in a monthly email like suggested above.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:37 am)I voted "Yes" on this question, because I think it might be warranted as an option. Personally, however, I am doubtful that I would want this option, assuming that some basic information can (and should) be provided without the option.
Specifically, I am a little puzzled why some of this information would be available only through wireless connection. The Toyota Prius provides feedback regarding gas mileage and use of the gas vs. electric motors without the need for a wireless connection.
Likewise, I would hope that the Volt, as part of the basic package, would provide info about battery usage, charge left, and likely range on electric power without the need for a wireless connection.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:39 am)Just make sure to make the car all-electric and safe and make sure I can plug it up at night like I do my cell phone. Most commuters only need a range of 150 miles to go back and forth to work. I want to get off our oil addiction and one of the ways to do that is to make sure we have all-electric cars.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:45 am)First of all- thanks for reaching out to your consumer base. I feel alot is dictated to us by car companies via the features offered and we are always left yearning for more. I really like the way this American car company is approaching the development of such a revolutionary car. I think the customer base for this is a very elite niche and has some great ideas on what can be offered as features. That being said, here I go on the answers:
1) Thought this option would be a standard option in the vehicle
2)Would like to conditionally answer no, but need to see what information is beeing paid for. I would assume that providing this info would be a standard option within the car and hoping that a USB port or other interface will be built in so the driver can download at their discretion (also to update firmware/software etc)
3)This would be helpful, but definitely not a necessity
4)I think anyone buying this vehicle will be crunching the numbers on a regular basis to see what the savings are over gas, but I already know what my electric rates are and the 8 kilowatt battery capacity, so it would be a quick calc. If you make it such that it is a calculator of sorts where ALL the variables can be inputted (cost of gas/cost of electric/miles given the miles driven in last couple of days, months, year etc.), I thing that would be a good tool
5)If more information on how the rates will be sourced and the payback period of the cost is revealed, I would be game for this upgrade. The smarter the car is and the cheaper it can be recharged is a win-win for all.
As a side note, can we also play a role in the design of the stereo? I am hoping that this will be as energy efficient as possible and allow us to add media devices or have DVD/wi-fi capability through the front panel. Would really appreciate it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:49 am)Provide the basic car A.S.A.P and embellish it later. We need to get off the OIL STRD
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:50 am)Stop jerking around with options and BUILD THE D*** CAR! All these features would be neat, but get the product to market so we can buy it and provide these features as aftermarket upgrades or in future models.
No wonder GM can’t make any money, they won’t sell a product that people want to buy.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:51 am)Upon moving back to the United States I was shocked by the state of our highways and bridges. I was even more shocked at the multitude of desperate and immoral ways government and business have devised to shake us all down but that is another story. They’re like the worst kind of drug addict.
The ideal is good but only if the Volt will be in the top 10% in terms of quality and top 5% in efficiency. Such information can be very valuable for maintenance and eventual resale of the auto (not the data to anyone!). Because of this, much work must be done to secure the integrity of the data against theft and forgery.
If the Volt is not going to be in the top 10% of quality and top 5% in efficiency that collecting such data will destroy the resale value of the car and in large part the original market for the car.
I’ll repeat what I said before: design this car so that GM takes as much money out of the hands of insurance, oil, communications, and ‘culture’ (media) companies as possible in order that the consumer has more money to spend on GM’s products and saves money overall.
That means safety first, efficiency second, and communications third. Culture? Culture is the things you do, not what you watch on TV.
Think about it. How much do we spend on transportation, ‘culture’ (movies & such), communications, and insurance today compared to 100 years ago? When you look at all the money paid out for these things it should no surprise to anyone the current financial state of America and the disappearing middle class we keep hearing about.
Why not setup 3G comm towers at dealerships and sell those services to customers at a much more reasonable rate than today’s cellular carriers? Contracts? Who needs contracts when most customers will be owning their cars 3, 5, 7, 10 years and more.
GM is the American middle class and for the American middle class to survive GM has to be the number one company in the world again. There is no way around that.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:53 am)Don’t sign up for email replys. Too many to delete.
Mar 17th, 2008 (11:56 am)Need to know how many miles until a charge is needed. Period!
Just get the car built please.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:05 pm)This post sure struck a nerve….
1. All of this needs to be optional. I do not want to see things forced on people that do not want it. But I do, and I am willing to pay for it, as long as it does not become a $2K option.2. A built in wi/fi router or wireless client capability is completely unnecessay. Ethernet connection over standard electric lines already exists. So when I plug in the Volt, it would then be able to communicate through the power line to the adapter that then gets plugged into the router I have in the house. This stops any power drain on the batteries, as it is only running when the car is plugged in. Those adapters only cost about $50.00. This eliminates all the wireless hacking concerns.3. In additon to the data logging/diagnostics being downloaded back to my PC, the connection should be able to give complete control of the charging, GPS, and music systems. I should also be able to program when I want the charging circuit to start and the heating/cooling system to activate, so the car is ready for me when I open the door.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:05 pm)4. Software updates from GM could be handled very easily this way. And in the first few months, I expect there to be several updates required, once the real cars hit the road. It is completely unnecessary to have to take the car to a dealer to do a software update.4. If the dash is an LCD screen, I would like to be able to customize where and which displays are being shown at any one time. Some times there can be too much information deing displayed, causing overload to the driver. Even if it is not completely customizable, there should be several different software optional "themes" ready to go.So except for the LCD dashboard and the ethernet of power adapter, most of this is software related, not hardware. And other than the up front cost of the initial option purchase, I do not see the requirement of any monthly fees, unless you want the OnStar options.And didn’t we discuss this very heavily about six months ago on the old forum?????
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:07 pm)GM will miss the boat if the price for this exceeds 30K, they need to price this in the mid 20K range and stop trying to extract every penny from the consumers. Vehicles like this need to be more available so the technology can be proven and lessen the dependency on OIL at 5.00 per gallon.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:08 pm)Thanks to GM for reaching out to this community.
321 comments? Is that a new record? Well done to all.
Great comments guys. I agree wholeheartedly with KISS.
I am all for whizbang options, but not if they add $1 to the base price, or divert one minute of engineering and development time from getting the base vehicle to the public. Generation 2?
So, I agree with #308 Glenn Morin, #313 kevin, #315 jay, #318 John R, and #321 Mike Massey, just to name a few. Right on guys!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:10 pm)Lets just stay with the basics right now. Keep the price down for the average Joe and Joann. Sure those options might be nice,but all kidding aside an affordable vehicle is nicer.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:19 pm)Please build the car ASAP. Most of the questions relate to software that can be added later! kws
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:20 pm)For now, the builders of the Volt just need to know what hardware to include – as the software can always be updated. With that in mind, I would like to see wireless (802.11g/n) with the latest security protocols (WPA, WPA2 or WEP2) along with GPRS capabilities so that a cell phone can be used for SMS (or similar) messaging to/from the Volt.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:21 pm)This car is (projected to be) expensive enough already. I’m willing to go over my budget, and keep my current car for an extra year or two for something this enviro-friendly and technically cool, but everything I’ve heard recently is about further increasing its cost. This is really sad as it’s pushing the Volt out of price range, to the point where I currently don’t think I’m going to be able to afford one.
I’d rather see GM consider options like a 20mi battery pack (upgradeable of course) for those who don’t need 40mi range, or are willing to pay the $1 in gas to charge the batteries for the last little bit. Even if I have to wait a year for production to catch up with demand, I will not be buying this car if the cost keeps creeping up toward Boxster territory.
The Prius sells well because it’s affordable, and saves money on gas for those with long commutes. My commute is short, so I spend very little on gas… it’s a hard sell to tell me to pay for the gas up front, and that I’ll get it back at a trickle. No matter how much I love the car, I can’t justify that sort of economics.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:23 pm)Please keep costs down and quality of ride comfort up. Instrumentation is very helpful and would appeal to most male drivers. Remote information could be an option but price and reliability are most important in these early stages. We will not buy another conventional vehicle so PLEASE hurry we are waiting for a Plug-in Hybrid or electric to replace our current "fleet".
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:26 pm)As far as the information about the operation of the battery, the ICE engine, tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, emissions reduced, CO2 negated, calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel, and so forth … I think that GM ought put in enough robust flash memory and processing power to collect as much imformation about the car’s operation as possible … that is, if it doesn’t drain too much electricity and all that.
If people want to be able to access that information, they could use the touch screen menu to go down a few levels to access it. Gotta balance that easy access to real time information vs. being distracted when people drive though! People are already distracted enough with their cell phones and other stuff you know.
As far as gathering historical data for analyzing stuff over time, people could pay a little more for OnStar and get the info over the web easy (for less computer literate folks). Other more computer literate folks with laptops could maybe plug into a USB port on the side of the display (same place the dealer mechanics do it?) to import the data into some software that you could download from the GM Volt official website. GM might could charge a reasonable amount for the software to use the USB port method to cover some of the development costs, etc.
Until we have quick charging batteries with 100+ miles of electric only range, I want GM to be energy conscious about all the electronics they put in the car. Put in displays that use energy efficient LED back lighting. Hell, use inexpensive LED lighting wherever possible … including the headlights. Try to get the latest low power, super robust computer chips for the computer systems too if it doesn’t add too much to the cost. Same thing with the heating/AC/stereo system.
In the first E-REV cars, people will want to run on electricity as much as possible. Especially with freakin gas prices going up like they’ve been doing lately. Gotta keep that in mind as you design the Volt. As the batteries get more range and prove themselves to be robust, GM can add more and more amenities and electronic gizmos like you might see in the Cadillac Escalade or the SUVs with all the entertainment stuff for the kids, etc.
Hopefully, some miracle batteries are on the way and we won’t have to wait too long to get all those fancy options in electric cars. By 2018 would be awesome … a true no-compromise, good all electric range E-REV with 200+ horsepower and all the fancy options you want to pay for. You just pay a LOT less for the damn energy to run it and we don’t mess up the planet with our emissions, etc.
There would be all sorts of societal/environmental/financial/political benefits for everyone … beyond just saving our own money at the gas pump.
Why pay more for energy if you don’t have to? Why be at the mercy of the whims of middle east fat cat oil shieks (and Wall Street speculators) on gas prices if we don’t have to? Cars like the Volt will be a huge success for GM because the benefits will be widespread. Only Wall Street speculators, OPEC, and most of the oil companies will be whining about electric cars. We’ll eventually get rid of the polluting electric utilities in time. Main Street middle class folks will be cheering GM on bigtime. It will make GM a popular company all over the world. Give the people what they need and want and the profits will come for GM … so they can keep on building great cars for the next 100+ years.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:29 pm)a mileage left to charge remaining would be helpful. for those devices that rob charge from the system like radios etc it would be practical to place those devices on their own battery which would be recharged every time you charge the main system. this would sequester the charged power only to motion use.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:29 pm)I’d keep it as simple as possible. Easy manufacturing, less recalls, greater quality control. Simple…or so one would think.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:30 pm)I like the engineering and specs of the car, but why does it need to look like an extreme performance car? This strange appearance detracts from its actual and perceived usability (e.g., passenger and luggage space), efficiency, and appeal. I hope that the released version conveys an environmental message.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:33 pm)Dear GM,
Please don’t let this car disappear like the EV1!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:36 pm)K.I.S.S. is the main theme. This forum is being responded by a lot of techies. Not a good representation of the masses. I do not want to drive over 70 mph. I don’t care about 0 -60 . All those extras just jack up the price. Wireless encryption on car servers? Will someone please just slap these people! If it cost to much I won’t by it. I has to pay for itself. These sports cars look nice but it has to be easy to get into. I personally like to be up higher as in a SUV. This car should be cheaper than a standard because the gas engine is much smaller and electric motor are not that complex. Get it under $20 K and change the world!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:38 pm)GM – Please please, keep it simple, and for God’s sake keep it as affordable as possible. Any extra bell or whistle that increases cost should pretty much be ignored. Battery life left, well yeah, my cell phone gives me that. Being able to connect to my car via wireless router? Give me a break! I thought a prime motivation for this car was lowering the costs of driving, so why load it up with features that cost extra money? We want a functional affordable car. If you build it, they will come….
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:38 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?You can display the info in the vehicle, but it should also be available via web server for the user to check from a PC. Email notification is fine, too, but I want a website showing all the info laid out to my spec. Kinda like website analysis services. (See http://www.alexa.com)2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?Yeah, I’d pay $500.3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.Everything. More than everything. I’ll decide what I need.4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?Not really, future fossil fuel use is irrelevant in my book.5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?Yes. But some sophisticated users groups will undoubtedly spring up that can provide the data on which those decisions will be made. It’s like to iPhone – open the car’s OS for independent developers. It is going to be a PC, after all.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:41 pm)Make the car modular, and release specs to make it easier for third parties (especially "garage inventors") to use the Volt as a base for their own ideas. The industry is in flux right now, and the Volt is in a good position to become the base for significant new innovation if only GM thinks forward and open instead of inwards and closed. For example, you could use the open source model for the vehicle management software or provide simple and well documented connection points for electrical and mechanical expansion of the different systems. I know there are big legal and regulatory hurdles to this kind of thing, but the potential reward is huge. Just look at the history of the computer industry for an example of how opening up specifications to third parties resulted in a big win for everyone.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:43 pm)What do we want? Make this a reality. Save your own company and this country at the same time.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/51
And please, do keep it to the level where tech minded individuals can work on their own cars at home. Keep it standard, keep it simple, try to limit reliance on proprietary, patented, and illegal-to-modify technology.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:48 pm)Wow!
I think this is great to be able to communicate directly with the GM engineers! Kudos, guys and thanks for asking.
First, I agree with Static #14, in that I expect to see a lot of useful display information from this unique electric car! This especially applies to the energy display screen, and I will be bragging about it to everyone who sits in it. Most people will want to see a simple screen to display info. easily, as the default. But, more informative screens from there would be great, as people get more comfortable with the system. Please include regenerative breaking energy in the display. I hope that gives you the ballpark I’m coming from.
Second, watching my mileage / energy use as we drive along is great, if the info allows me to adjust my driving to improve it. I certainly hope the display provides information to perform "pulse and glide", in order to get even better mileage.
1. Yes, but I don’t need the email.
2. Not very much, sorry.
3. Yes, it too would be great, but I’m not willing to pay much for it.
4. Same as 1.
5 Yes, but it should be a 3 year payback or less. Also, depends how sophisticated it is. If after set-up, I can just plug in and the system does the rest, that would be great!
Again, thanks for asking, Best of luck!!!
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:49 pm)I am more concerned about getting it in my garage, but there is no reason it could not be an option.
I want to add that special financing, maybe 8-10yrs could help alot of lower or single faimly income people afford the volt. Expecially if it is in the 30-40G range.
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:50 pm)All I need is a user configurable TFT LCD screen to monitor systems and instantaneous energy usage and history.
Most important, I need to address the GM corporate structure as to the pitfalls of what they are trying to accomplish. I applaud your ad department in tying an older slogan with your green slogan, i.e. "Gas friendly to gas free – An American Revolution". This is pure genius when promoting what you are doing for the beneifit of your customer base. However it can equate to poking a stick at the "Tiger in your tank" in regards to the oil industry. I returned to college in my 40′s and graduated near the top of my class. I was wined and dined by big oil and went to work in the industry. I can tell you from first hand experiance, you will never deal with people as greedy and uncaring about people or the enviorment as the oil companies. The 3 viable electric cars, Ford Ranger EV, EV1, and RAV4EV, all used nickel metal hydrid batteries. Cheveron has since purchased the patent rights to that battery over a 10 A/hr rating. Also, has Detroit forgotten the early 70′s, when they had to drop the compression ratios of their cars to live with unleaded gas? The oil companies had their little contrived shortage, even-odd filling days and in short order gave Datsun, Honda, and Toyota a strong foothold in our auto market. I’m afraid I can gaurentee the oil industry will do everything in its power to kill off your Volt. They understand that GM is betting the farm on this concept and would feel no remorse in putting GM into bankruptcy. I’m convinced that the rising fuel prices are allowing a war chest to be built up in anticipation of your Volt’s release. At that time we will see an accelerated downturn in oil prices to what ever extent is needed to remove interest in the Volt. We as consumers have no control over the final price of gas to propel our vehicles but we can control the cost of electricity. If the power companies start to gouge we have the option of solar and grid intertied inverters to keep prices from rising. The oil companies are running "feel good" ads, GM needs to point out that the continued use of the oil product will destroy our planet. This is war, big oil is the enemy and what GM is trying to do is be our planet’s friend (finally).
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:55 pm)The price of Volt seems to be moving towards the $30,000 range. I’m really only going to be interested in a version of this car that sells for $20,000 – $25,000. You can include whatever you want, but if it costs more than this… it won’t matter what the features are; I won’t buy it. The problem today is the 5 to 10 year pay back on saving gas $ vs. increased cost of the car. There are full gas vehicles that do this well, already. If these cars are going to really hit mass market success (millions of cars), then the payback timeframe needs to be in 1 to 3 years range. Otherwise, I’ll just buy whatever car has the features I want…. there is no financial reason to buy the product if it costs too much.
The question you need to ask yourself is "what does the average person need?". I need to know how much range I have left on my battery. I need to know how much longer before my car is fully charged. I need to know how much total range I have left (battery + gas engine).
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:56 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
No.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
Nope; nothing.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Nope.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Nada.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Sorry: no.
What I would like is the ability to customize the display I see while driving. Some things I might want to be able to choose from:
- Speed
- Wh used(trip)/remaining
- Instantaneous W/hp, torque, and rpm)
- Compass heading (cardinal directions or degrees)
- Time of day
- Time driving (trip), distance driven (trip), avg. speed (trip)
- Standard GPS stuff (map, ETA, etc.)
For the love of god, get Google or Apple or somebody with a brain to design it.
I’d also like an off-peak charging option. I plug the car in when I get home but it doesn’t start charging until midnight.
I haven’t followed your last six ‘we have no clue what we’re doing’ changes to the drivetrain, but will hold out hope and pray to Jesus there’s no combustion or liquid fuel involved anywhere.
Give us a 3-spd manual transmission (R, 1, 2).
Why does the proto look like the Tantrum?
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30431
What happened to the HyWire platform? (Scrap the H for some batteries, but keep the design, which was cool.)
Thanks for reading,
-Carl
Mar 17th, 2008 (12:57 pm)In vehicle display on battery SOC, time and distance to depletion, and the ability to see the depletion of my batteries energy graphically in real-time while driving, and optimum driving velocity for grade to make the charge last the longest would be all I would want. No wireless connectivity.
———————–
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
In the vehicle display of the cost from electrical usage and gas usage would be acceptable.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option?
No.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Yes.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Yes.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
No.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:06 pm)I am looking for an 8 person vehicle that is full electric. Yes yes, I should stop dreaming.
But really, we’re going to need to haul things and take loads… not just tiny 4 person cars to boost the fuel efficiency. I have money and I’m looking for a vehicle right now, but they simply don’t exist.
As to wireless… naw, I’d rather not have something that script kiddies could hack into and put up Goatse on my dashboard. A USB plug in (so you have to be IN the car to access it) would do. As for the features listed, I’d like to know all the data presented.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:12 pm)Note to GM: The more sophistication and techno stuff you put in this car so that the price skyrockets the less likely that anyone making an average wage will buy it. Driving the entry level cost over $40K will kill a fine idea and put this car in Edsel-land or else in Bill Gates’ and his friends’ garages and not in those of John Q. Public IMHO. The technology need not be expensive or sophisticated to provide basic information. I have a Pontiac 1997 Trans Port that came with an onboard mileage/fuel information center. The device gives me all the basics (e.g., average mpg, average speed, fuel used, mileage range remaining, temperature, and even a compass) plus instantaneous MPG. This last item is very critical to my driving habits. This is 1997 technology and it provides what is needed to make the car’s operator aware of how the car is performing. Surely that technology is cheaper today. If others want to pay for the fluff I say let them as an option. Keep the price at $30K or so and I’ll stay in the market.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:16 pm)Why add more devices to use more electricity. How about we focus on only having the things we truely need. For instance get rid of day time running lights or use bulbs and other stuff that uses less electricity. That way I can run longer on the batteries. Also find things to cut wieght again this would add to the total goal of more miles on electricity.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:17 pm)KISS: 1)Battery Mgmt SW already provides enough info to know charge on any cell within a few microseconds a simple user interface to calculate miles left on charge is all that is needed included in cost as feature not an option.
2) USB drive interface OK for music to radio but not sure any other data would be of use to user. Make fancy detailed info most will not care about an option.
3) Bluetooth &/or Onstar as option Not standard
4) Don’t like idea of remote monitoring since Cal. was not long ago talking about charging taxes based on miles and not gallons, even they see writing on wall. They did not use HW trust funds in past to fix roads why should we trust them to in future.
5) Definately provide as standard feature to tell car at what time to start charging. Volt users can figure out from their utility when that is & program accordingly don’t need a server to tell time do we? Smart meters are coming for everyone it is only time.
6) Read the owners manual it should provide recommended oil changes, even if engine is never used oil has to be periodically changed include a "simple" hours used meter for those who heavily use their ICE and expect to change oil before it gets old.
Bottom line I want a basic car that comes in a basic trim that meets needs at rock bottom cost. For those who want more bells & whistles make them pay as options. Doesn’t it cost enough already do we really want to price this car out of the market & cause it to fail or delay production due to "feature design".
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:21 pm)I think the batteries cost a chunk of that $20k. That’s probably not a practical price. One suggestion on how to handle all of the other suggestions: option packages.At the top of the food chain cost and options-wise could be the e-Caddy. GM has been struggling to market Cadillac to a younger crowd. Just imagine Kate Walsh stomping on the accelerator of a decked out e-Caddy with her spiked heel. That will sell to the top end of the market – it’s smart AND sexy.Then one base model for hippies like me who have $12 to their name and just want a car that is good for the earth but that we can afford.Option packages for everything else in between: nav systems, solar panels on the roof to recharge while you’re at work (that may sell heavy in the desert southwest), USB or wireless connections and advanced diagnostics, etc.So then we get both: a great car for the environment that is as affordable as possible, and options for lots of fun stuff for the environmentally concerned people who have some extra dough.And GM: please, please, please keep Kate Walsh as your spokesperson. Wowsa.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:25 pm)Many great suggestions that seem to have a thread:
Have a version of the vehicle that is information rich, but basic. Have options that let me customize the value of the car to me.
You can eliminate gasoline car features and replace them with electric/hybrid features.
I NEED to know what my charge status is, and what utilities to shut off to increase the range.
I would like a remote access feature (optional) and a solar recharging feature (optional).
The mid-range car MUST come in at no more than $30,000.
The body style should be distinctive, yet practicle. If I am buying a Green vehicle, I want people to know that I am thinking Green. Some may not want that so I propose Unique colors available only to the Volt, though the body could be the beautiful new Malibu. Purchasers would have the option of having a unique color and badges for the car, or standard colors and unique badges. I believe many of the ‘early adopters’ would opt for the unique colors. (I was first offended that Mr Lutz proposed the body would NOT look like the show car, but have come to accept that the volume of production will affect my cost and am willing to consider alternatives.
Finally, it seems that TIME is of the Essence. We are tired of being behind other manufacturers! The vehicle is timely NOW. Produce a reasonably priced version with the quality GM is beginning to demonstate it is able to produce again, and get it on-line!
My dream would be that I would have an alert sent to my phone when the car is recharged at a plug in point, or by my on-board film solar panels. (This should be a feature included when the panels are purchased, or could be purchased separately if the panels are not purchased.) The notification would add value because I would know when I could resume travel.
Charging should be available by 110v or 220v and selectable in case I am traveling and don’t have 220v available.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:26 pm)I’d much rather be able to use my Volt’s batteries and onboard generator as a power supply at home the next time a hurricane hits and knocks out power for 10 days.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:27 pm)While I appreciate the marketing aspects of these features I would have to say NO on all fronts!Time would be better spent focusing on the prize…a low cost, fuel/emission free vehicle which is readily available “NOW” to “ALL” consumer demographics. Forget the bells and whistles do something worthwhile by getting the product out the door…be the first to change the world. I can see it now GMC General Motors Corp becomes à “Green Machine Corp” …Lets go people get that ball moving times a wasting! Take it out of the hands of the Engineers and lets see where it goes…be brave. Sincerely disappointed…
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:38 pm)What is the competition doing I’m certain they will not sit back. GM needs to have the breakthrough which the masses are looking for. The volt needs tobe low in price ,funcational very clean and not cluttered with high tech gagets which intiminates the user.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:43 pm)The first Volts should be simple and easy to operate. The accessories should draw very little electricity. Get fancier later and make some of those new gadgets an option when the battery gets better. Use touch screen but don’t put the controls of the fan, a/c etc on it! It is hard for a driver to change the settings on a touch screen while driving plus women hate them. This is something I never understood why GM has done that in the past. I know it cheaper to manufacture because it is done through software, but it is not worth it. Ergonomics are important.
Good luck. Luck won’t do it in itself, great engineering will and I have fate if any company can do it, it’s GM.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:44 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail? IN THE VEHICLE.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? YES If so, how much? DEPENDS ON OTHER OPTIONS.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. NO.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? NO.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? N/A.
Also – comfortable seats that fully recline (my son has long soccer practices
– and lots of storeage.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:45 pm)I would have to say I could care least about those things. To me, a low price car with decent top speed, amazing mpg/fuel life and a good stereo is fine for me. Its not a status symbol, its not a way of life, its a way to get "to and from". I dont want wireless networking, or I would stay at home. I dont need to watch TV, or check stocks, or any of that. Give me a good radio (make it HD and XM compatible for those who want it), give it an MP3 input, give it a 500+ mile trip on one charge, and give it to me for less than 25 grand. THEN I’ll buy it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:45 pm)I suggest a computer architecture that utilizes a virtual machine for non-core features, such as feedback information and entertainment. Then make that virtual machine hackable, make the source code available. Of course all core functions would not be modifiable, and anything done wrong in the virtual machine would not cause a failure for the core systems, by design.
The volt might become a success partly because it would be the IBM PC of the add on market: it would be extensible and modifiable. Heck, GM did this with the small block chevy.
death to oil http://www.oiljihad.org
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:45 pm)Why not just add a few USB ports and provide open source just like Microsoft does with Windows…. errr, nevermind. Forget I said anything.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:45 pm)I’d think that this kind of new mass-market high-power tech would benefit from some carefully wireless monitoring [by GM] for at least the first few years,, to identify problems and help with maintenance. The add’l cost for adding this to a base vehicle is insignificant. Look at AC Propulsion as an example of this.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:49 pm)Bring back the EV-1 that was rounded up and systematically destroyed to the point where most people don’t even know an electric car already existed.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:50 pm)Every family has 2 cars. One is used for family travel, the other for commuting, errands, etc. It is not necessary that both travel 600 miles at a time. But they both must be cool.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:50 pm)Hello all,
I’m the GM engineer that asked Lyle to post my questions after reading Belloc’s comment. First of all, thank you all for your reponses. Your thoughts are important as we continue to define and engineer this vehicle. I see this readership as those that will buy the vehicle right out of the chute and I’m trying to make sure we can give you what you want. I’ve seen some reoccuring themes that I wanted to address. Here goes:
1: GM is indeed working to get the d*** car out as soon as possible. Me and about 200+ of my collegues think about nothing else every working day. Nothing in the questions I have asked are distracting us from two overriding priorities: First, keep the schedule for engineering and producing this vehicle. Second, make sure it has an EV range of 40 miles. With that being said, don’t expect timing miracles. We showed the vehicle to the public for the first time at the autoshow in 2007. Here it is one year later and while we are diligently working on the vehicle, there still is a lot to do. The fastest automotive product development processes are 2+ years and that is without development of new technologies (batteries, etc.). So, keep the faith and you will be rewarded with a Chevy Volt in the next few years.
2: I understand your concerns about privacy. My questions refer to information that would be available to you, not to GM. This charging, fuel economy and supplemental information would not be collected by GM, but be available for your review and use only.
3: There are two types of data that we will/can provide. First, your basics that everyone will have access to including battery SOC, fuel economy (including MPG equivalent), etc. just like the Prius offers. Second, we could add extras like EV miles vs. gasoline miles, cost savings over gasoline, emissions reduced, etc. This 2nd part is what I’m interested in to see if it is something of value. It will not be there if you don’t want it.
I’ll keep scanning the forum and if I see something that many people are asking about and I’m allowed to answer, I’ll post again.
Once again, thanks for all your help.
P.S. I plan to buy the Volt too, thus I want to make it the best vehicle possible.
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:53 pm)I strongly desire to see the Volt on sale asap! Cut the crap, cut the weight, cut the drag, cut the cost! Performance/price, not styling or features, is the measure. Performance is range/cost, not zero to 60. Get back to work!
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:54 pm)Having converted a car to fully electric, I know that all extras cost fuel. I would like to have all extras optional. the simplier the better for me. I think America is ready to change it’s mindset. Also I would like to purchase one site unseen. let me know where, when and I’ll have a check ready.
Thanks
Mar 17th, 2008 (1:59 pm)Make it simple, make the built in generator turbo-diesel powered for the best efficiency.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:00 pm)As has alredy been noted: the $30K+ projected Volt cost is already too high. Plus it adds more current drain and weight.
What do I want in an electric car:
* All electric (no hybrid)
* 2 seats + room for 2 bags of groceries
* 60 mile range
* 60MPH top speed
* under $20K
* overnight recharge (8 hrs)
Simple. Affordable. A vehicle that meets these specs would work for 99.5% of my trips. For that other 0.5% I can rent a truck or van.
In the wake of our current credit crisis people aren’t going to be able to extract home equity to buy a $35K vehicle – there’s no more home equity to extract. Think simple & inexpensive.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:05 pm)Amount of charge left, graphically or not, is most important to me.
I know how much gas I have in the tank, so I can plan ahead… So I’d like to know how far I can go on a charge (because I’m spoiled!)
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:05 pm)I think we should keep it simple and as low a cost for entry as possible so more people can get into the car and start lowering base cost for future buyers. Options are great for those that can afford them. I want to get one as soon as available.
Thanks
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:06 pm)What a great idea-optional solar panels on the car to extend battery distance-if that’s practical, it would be great! I would buy the car anyway, but I would also want this specific feature and would be willing to pay extra for it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:10 pm)380 GM Engineer
"…we could add extras like EV milage vs. gasoline miles…" I think I would like to know that bit of information.
"P.S., I plan to buy the Volt too,…" Its always encouraging to hear that people working on a project are also willing to invest their time and money into it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:10 pm)I think it’s a great idea.
For the record I was not suggesting that you would be broadcasting your website while driving down the road. Just while plugged in.
As far as security, you people send you credit card number across the internet but you are worried that people will find out how many miles you drove on Tuesday???
I think this information available on your car would be very helpful. Not just the Volt either.. Many people would like to have access to all the data on their car or when buying a used car. Imagine being able to pull up a nice list of all maintenance performed. Or maybe a nice email reminder that some maintenance is due…
What about if your kid borrows the car to go to the store and you see that it was driven at 100 mph for 50 miles!!! All kinds of uses for this tech. I’m sure we could all brainstorm some kind of report that would be useful for ourselves.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:13 pm)As you can read the more gadgets installed into an electric vehicle, the more power it will consume. Also the more the cost will increase. The car needs to remain affordable. Once the car gets over 20k, the additions become a luxury. At 30k it will take 6 to 10 years to recoup costs, with gas prices at 4 to 5$ per gal. A normal life span of a new car is only about 6 to 10 years, with 6 years usually the time when most look for new cars. Thereby if the cost balance is too high it become non-economical to own.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:15 pm)I agree with one of the previous comments Noi WIFI or fancy electronic gadetry that drives production prices up and is unnecessary to basic operator informatrion As stated before please provide only the following:
. How long until the full charge is completed.2. Percent of battery power left while driving.
If the Volt does NOT come in with a selling price below $25K it will be difficult to sell with the inevitable competition from Japanese and European manufacturers
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:16 pm)I think the ability to either have the volt know when the rates are lower, or to have the user program the car to charge between X and Y at night would be very nice. The other option would be to say you want the car to finish charging by Y and let it figure out the start time.
Would I pay more… not really. If it saved me $0.25 a night on charging and cost $1,000 more for this feature, it would be stupid to add it. It also assumes that you have a variable price scheme.
Email notices, meh that doesn’t really excite me. I don’t think everything needs to be wirelessly connected – let me throw in a SD card and pull off the info when I want, or have a display but I don’t need to get reminder emails all the time. Though if you put a card reader in this thing, hook it up to the radio! I’d love to have a bunch of mp3s on a card without dealing with cds or hooking up all the extra devices to listen to music!
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:21 pm)I would echo the many comments already on this post: the Volt should provide an instant energy usage and cumulative usage in the familiar miles per gallon format. It would be useful, but not necessary, to have some way of easily computing the energy cost per mile. For example, if electricity costs 30 cents per kilowatt, what is the cost per mile at the expressed cumulative energy use.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:21 pm)Please make sure that the cabin design supports a 95 percentile american male.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:23 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information by e-mail? No, but should be provided as part of On-Star
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? No. This is standard aquisition data. It should be free to allow the owner access to it.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc? No opinion.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? Yes.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? Possibly.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:24 pm)If he wasn’t confused before he asked I’ll bet he is now! I am amazed at how wide a range of opinions this thread has taken.
Now for my 2cents. I want it as cheap as possible. That being said, I would like to know how much range I have left. Anything beyond that is gravy. Oh and I could care less about emissions of any kind. Unless I have to roll down a window…
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:25 pm)A car i could fit in for a change would be nice, i’m sick of these low roofs, too tight to get behind the wheel because my legs are too long vehicals.
Something that isn’t going to break down, and something that will last longer then 5 years before a significant overhall.
Nice gas mileage. Not a Massive SUV, Truck, or Van. Don’t care about all the luxuries, i can live without them if the mileage is right.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:30 pm)I don’t really care what’s offered because I’m buying a PHEV Prius anyways! (just kidding! I will "consider" the Volt)
Seriously, it would be nice to be able to tell the car not to use gas at a certain point because in X number of miles, I’m going to be at the top of a peak in the road and the regen from descent (not dissent) will more than recharge the battery.
Current hybrids waste most of the free energy from going down steep grades after recovering only a little bit of it before the battery is totally full because the system is designed to maintain 60-80% charge at all times and it can’t "see" the free regen ahead. I’m not talking about casual grade declines, I’m talking about real California and Appalacian hills and mountains. Hybrid owners know what I’m talking about. I often wished I had an extra set of dead batteries I could switch on while going down really long steep declines just so I could recover all that free energy.
Secondly, I DO want all the information everybody here seems to be talking about, just like the Prius already delivers today, but I do NOT want some big, nasty, overly complex wireless system. Too much drama. GM isn’t exactly known for it’s electricical system reliability. But even if Toyota offered wireless, I wouldn’t want it. Why? The screen in the car already tells me everything we’re talking about! I’m not going to couch potato the night away studying the damned car in my home wondering why I’m so fat and tired all the time because I’ve bought into the option obsession of "more complexity will make my life simpler" and "more things will make me happier". Again, the Prius already tells us everything we’re talking about without being wireless. USB is fine, especially with diagnostic codes, but not wireless, not subscription, not complexity, not extra cost.
GM, do not test me. I’m not an impulse shopper. I’m not a Microsoft Sync type, I’m not a 1986 Buick Riviera touch screen blinded by sunlight customer. I’m not even an OnStar gimmick customer. (but I’d buy a CTS diesel/PHEV) I’m a Prius, subway, bus, bike and walk customer so I already know what’s better and I know what’s simple and intelligent. And I didn’t buy the car "for the environment". I bought it so soldiers (don’t start, because Iraq didn’t cause 911, neither did Iran nor will Venezuela) will stop dying for oil (which is refined into something called gasoline for those PROUD AMERICANS who failed the Jay Leno quiz), for the money saved, and, since using less fuel automatically creates less pollution, the "environment" is thrown in free – much like what you need to do with the information you plan to sell us.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:31 pm)Tesla has officially begun production line – http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/?p=57
GM – Get those mules going soon cause the race is now on. Once hundreds of Teslas’ are on the street in California, what will you be doing with nothing to show.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:36 pm)1– In Vehicle
2–No
3–No
4–No
5–No
Keep it Simple and Cheap!
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:38 pm)I’d like to thank the GM Engineer for posting to this forum!
As someone who regularly uses open-source software, I’ve found that forums that are frequented by the designers of the tools I use are incredibly valuable to me!
Thanks,
-Luke
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:45 pm)I’ve been a Prius driver since 2006 and understand what the console can do. I would like to suggest that I not have all the info data to hassle with. I know how distracting the console can be to the driver. Don’t misunderstand me, I do want all that data to get back to the GM Engineers as I think it is important. I simply do not want or need to mess with it. I am not an engineer and want to come and go as necessary without all the electronic hollabaloo that some other younger folks want.
I am retired and need you to make a car that works for me. I need the economy of an electric motor. The quality of a nice interior, the flexibility to have 4 people or a hatchback for hauling. Can it go all on electricity! That would be great! The ZAP is just too corny for me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:50 pm)The wireless connection from the car to check it’s statistics remotely can simply be a cheap WiFi access point, so any laptop can be used to log into the vehicle and retrieve the statistics, which you can safe off-line or paste into your favorite spreadsheet to create whatever statistics you like to keep on your vehicles. Access to the vehicle can be secure, as Wi-Fi can be encrypted and access controlled. This technology also meshes nicely with the original proposal – web server to present the stats.
Regarding the other questions:
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail? In vehicle and wireless accessible, see previous suggestion.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much? Cost of Wi-Fi Access Point: $25
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc. Yes, is bragging rights.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel? Yes, this is main motivator to plug in!
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest? Yes!!!! I already have TOU meter for my EV (S10).
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:53 pm)I did not receive a followup comment, perhaps I did not check the square below?!?
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:53 pm)1–Fuel usage — in the car. I do not need my information broadcast to the world, or my car hacked by some kid, thank you very much….but would very much want a real time display of electric range remaining, ICE range remaining, etc.
2 – see note at bottom.
3–C02 info — useless. Even if I wanted the information, unless you know how my electricity was generated, you can’t know how much CO2 I’m responsible for when driving electric only anyway…
4–cost savings of electricity vs. fuel — not in the car. I can figure the cost of gas myself, but if the charging station can keep running totals of KW used and costs, that would be great. Once I have a car to charge every night, I’ll probably switch to time-of-day pricing for my electricity, and the charging station should be able to tell me when I charged, how much it cost, etc.
5–charge when rates are lowest. Absolutely. But this should not be in the car, but in the charging unit at my house. I need a "charge it now" button (since I might be going out again in a bit) and a "charge it tonight" button, when I know I won’t need it until tomorrow.
But most importantly — KEEP THE COSTS DOWN. If this thing comes out too expensive (over 30K) , I (along with many others) will buy something else, or wait until version 2.0 — and if enough of us do that, there won’t BE a 2.0. Most of this stuff is simple, the data is no doubt there already, and displaying it for the user is a no brainer, and should not be expensive. If you HAVE to charge for it, make it optional!
Mar 17th, 2008 (2:58 pm)I am tempted to reject most added features in respect to the engineer addage " if it is not broke, it does not have enough features". Many of the listed options sound useful, and I am sure the on-board computer has the capacity, so one would assume that the options should work reliably ( emphasize "should"). There lies the important feature that GM must not overlook : reliability. Without reliability the product will fail. In addition, the vehicle must be safe, green, practical, and perform similar to a sedan of today’s standard. These goals must be met first and the all bells and whistles should come later (tell the marketing types to stay clear of the project until you have a great product).
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:00 pm)I still can’t believe after losing all their market share they’re just content to sit there and think of bad ideas.
Where’s a compact, eco friendly car all ready? I love how they always have to "phase" in new vehicles… like the masses aren’t ready or their too stupid to drive them… and that’s exactly why everyone is moving over to Toyotas… Get a clue GM / FORD / CHRYSLER – your brothers over seas are KICKING YOUR BUTTS.
Why do they wait for the government to tell them how to run their business? Oh wait, lobbyists… other way around.
Show us something REVOLUTIONARY all ready.
In the mean time check out this:
Top 10 Awesome Websites That Sell Cool Products You Probably Have Never Visited But Need To.
http://www.comember.net/blogs/firepixel/
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:03 pm)K.I.S.S. For the first round at least, then lets pimp this thing out as the bugs get worked out of the vehicle and the economy. I have to piggy back on another post a bit. I am a 1650 to 1700 mile a month commuter, I don’t really care to much about my emissions. I am comfortable in the knowledge that it will be less than my current car, which can not communicate with GM, (although it needs to) or Bill Gates (which I am glad it doesn’t), but it does let me know when it needs fuel, coolant, tail light, you know things that I really need to know to get where I am going. Which by the way is what all of this is all about anyway isn’t it? Keep it simple: Efficient = Practicality + Affordability with a splash of Reliability. Then later we can add the 20’s………………..
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:05 pm)1– In the vehicle is plenty good. We spend to much time in front of the computer anyway.
2–I agree with the other users, that if the car is over $30K, then it should be a standard feature. I think that the standard info of SOC, Mileage, RPM, and any other info that is standard in today’s vehicles will be sufficient.
3– Not Necessary
4– I can calculate myself.
5– Would be a nice feature…..what kind of electrical consumption are we looking at?
I live in MN. How will this car perform at below freezing and below zero temps?This car won’t be a victim of the Oil Industry and the Federal Government like the EV1, will it?.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:09 pm)Everybody loves bells & whistles, but not everyone wants to pay for them and time is money. Functional robust simplicity is the key to all great design.
Please K.I.S.S. the Volt!
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:13 pm)Price of VOLT sounds like it is going out of sight.
This leaves me out.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:18 pm)I agree with KISS philosophy. But as there are other car MFGs out there that offer all kinds of cool options, I would at least offer a few that aren’t too expensive, and provide the most for the buck. How about after you take the car in for service, the dealer can update your account with the latest "black box" info that that would be available on the internet. Yes on deferring the charge cycle till low rate times!!! A must for places like Los Angeles, where everyone turns on their AC when they get home from work. Cars would best be charged from 2am to 6am during the summer.
Maybe along with the OnStar option would be an internet update feature as the OnStar includes a cell phone transmitter.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:28 pm)Someone mentioned wireless security concerns. Seems like a valid point. The safest computer system is the unnetworked one. A simple port for data, diagnostics and software update should be sufficient.
Portable GPS systems are so affordable now, I’d have to see a clear advantage in performance to consider a built in system. Need a electric kwhr gauge to serve the fucntion of a fuel gas. Features available need to be competitive, but realistic. Don’t load it up with stuff that’s going to ditract from the main purpose of having a car.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:29 pm)I would personally not purchase this option (yet another device to break/malfunction) I like the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) approach. I would however pay for the polycarbonate roof (goodbye blindspots hello surroundings)
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:29 pm)OK, lets review:
The car has to seat between 2 and 8 people;
Has to be a sports car, van, suv, and truck;
Has to have absolutely no options;
Has to have every option known and some that are not known;
Has to cost between $15K and $40K;
Has to be delivered in quantity by the end of this month;
And has to use the girl that does the Caddy commercials!
Is that about it?
I think there are going to be some disappointed people when they actually see the finished Volt. I may be one of them…
Especially if it ends up as an electric Vega, which is what a majority of the people here are saying they want, but in reality will not be happy, if that is what is presented to them. Then it will be – "Is this the best that GM could do???"
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:33 pm)Please tell your dumbass CEO and Shareholders that GM has to start doing something radically different (producing AFFORDABLE zero emissions vehicles) or that is the end of GM.
Right now I would NEVER buy anything from GM, their cars totally suck!
Toyota is totally kicking your ass because they actually care about quality, efficiency and good design!
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:34 pm)PS To Lyle:
I think the site is getting overloaded, because it is really running slowly!!!!
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:35 pm)I agree with Ron,
Don’t let PERFECT become the enemy of GOOD!" We need the basic car far more than we need gee-whiz gizmos. I’d take one with manual widows, manual seats, manual steering, no airbags, no ABS, basic 2-speaker AM/FM radio, no trip computer, no On-Star, no cruise control, no rear window defroster, manual adjust mirrors, stamped steel wheels, boring grill trim, and even no "washer fluid low" idiot light. I know such a stripped down model would never make it in today’s market, but the point of my comment remains valid: Just make the car, and make lots of them! 10,000 just ain’t gonna cut it…
Let’s get this car on the road ASAP. We need a basic all electric vehicle NOW, not sometime in the next decade!
Gary
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:36 pm)I really have to disagree with the slams on too many features. Working in the marketing industry, it is my job to see to it that features are things you want and trust. Buying more things does make people happier and providing consumers with subscription content is something that is good for the economy. So I propose that we make it part of a package that includes equipment like gas guages and other meters that cost money to make but would be profitable as a package. Of course that would mean now knowing your speed if you don’t order the package, but it would be for the greater good because then everybody could afford feature rich, subscription service. Presto! Once it’s on the market for a while, it will become standard and then then everybody will get their speedometer back – even entry level customers. Don’t you want to reward yourself once in a while?
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:37 pm)I think the features described should be part of the on-star package that would be included with the vehicle, and any hybrid/electric/hydro vehicle should have the extra monitoring for the enhanced systems.
While I like the geek features described here (as i’m a geek), my concern would be the average user might find this hard, and how do you secure this information without having the dealer or GM setup the security for you if you don’t know how.
Wireless connectivity will be in vehicles, i’m not sold that this would be the best time to do it.
But I will give it a conditional YES
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:39 pm)I personally am not a supporter of this power option option but definatly would be interested in the solar panel option. Since I am prone to skin cancer and want to stay out of the sun as much as possable the clear roof is something I would want to avoid and I would pay to have solar panels in the roof instead of having a clear top especially if they coudl change the batteries decently. Please think about this option and I would pay to have it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:41 pm)We need this vehicle on the road at a price a lot of people can afford. If there’s a reliable and affordable Volt, then the Super Volt can come later. Henry Ford didn’t shoot for cruise control on the Model T.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:44 pm)Belloc @ 389,
I know how SSL works. I’ve sniffed the connection, analyzed packet dumps, and read textbook descriptions of the algorithm, and so forth. I trust SSL.
I also know how Wi-Fi works. I’ve sniffed it, snorted it, kismet’ed it, etheraped it, wiresharked it, broken it, fixed it. I use it daily. I don’t trust it either from either reliability or security perspectives. Even though the wi-fi transceiver is only a watt or two, broadcasting my information on the radio is a bad idea. If SSL weren’t so freaking good, I wouldn’t use wi-fi at all….
I can’t exactly take OnStar into my personal lab and poke at it with a sharp stick and watch what happens with a packet-sniffer. This sets off lots of red-flags when I’m wearing my computer-security (tinfoil) hat. My life isn’t very interesting, and my family (including my long-term girlfriend) is entitled to know where I’ve been and what I’m doing. My employer is entitled to that same privilege when I’m on the clock. But, outside of these people who are involved in my life and any people who I might directly affect by my actions, what I’m up to is really nobody’s business. I know I’m a tinfoil hat, but if you’d spent as much time mucking about with computers and networks as I have, you probably would be one too.
No OnStar for me… My cell-phone and credit-card are bad enough! And, yes, I’m under 30.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:44 pm)I don’t want something that I have to pay a monthly wireless bill for. All I need is the cars basic health information and battery charge data. It would be nice to know how many more miles I can drive before the car will switch to gasoline engine to charge battery. I can work around that if I can get 40 miles of driving on the battery full charge from my house outlet.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:46 pm)I think OPTIONAL should be the operative term. If GM wants to sell this car to people who will actually drive it (as opposed to play with it) price is going to be one of the most important considerations! If the car costs ten or twenty thousand dollars more than a comparable gasoline powered car people won’t buy it even if gas is five dollars a gallon – it won’t make economic sense.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:47 pm)(No wi-fi nor OnStar devices in the car for me, either.)
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:48 pm)(No wi-fi nor OnStar devices in the car for me; I didn’t specify in the conclusion of comment #422.)
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:56 pm)Luke @ 422
So just get a SSL certificate assigned to the router.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:56 pm)Any chance you folks could give the plans to Toyota or Honda for free so that we could have a good implementation of the car? Give them some lead time to clean things up, and I think we’ll have a stellar product we can all stand behind, here.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:57 pm)As a GEM E-4 driver (9000 miles so far) I am eagerly awaiting my opportunity to buy a Volt. I would like a display so I could get an optional GPS Nav. system and one could also get an optional display for various parameters. It should come standard with charge level, etc. but the other less ordinary functions should be an option; I mean if I plug it in in my garage and I come out to find a green LED saying its charge, why would I want or need to wirelessly connect to find this out?
I find with the GEM that it does regen when it reaches 25 mph and is programmed to not go above it, but if I use the breaks, regen is an advertising myth – it doesn’t happen or it is so low an effect that it is not noticible by meter or performance. I have thought it would be nice to have a way the customer could dial in the amount of regeneration, sort of like inhibiting overdrive on a normal car, to get more engine braking.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:58 pm)Thanks for giving me the opportunity to voice my opinion.
Love the VOLT but the price can’t skyrocket. The key here is to invent things that everyone can enjoy. All of the items should be an option. Everyone is different and I think building the car this way will maximize your overall sales.
Mar 17th, 2008 (3:59 pm)Everyone checks their gas mileage on a new car, but after a couple of months they no longer do it. Leave off that option. There is no off peak electric rate here in Massachusetts so charging during an off peak period is not possible. If some one wants to do that just buy an electric hot water tank timer. Cost about $25 and you can set it to charge during the off peak period. They can handle 9KW heater elements in the hot water tank.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:00 pm)I really like the idea of being able to schedule charging to take advantage of th lowest electricity rates. The other stuff would be cool but not a requirement. I would be willing to pay a small amount for all the cool stuff. Perhaps a one time payment of 100 to 200 bucks. I wouldn’t bother with monthly bills (even very small ones) too much trouble.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:04 pm)I like the Keep It Simple comment .. I love amenities in a car but checking status remotely? Not necessary. Wifi? What for? I’m driving it, I’ll be busy. OnStar, good idea, great safety feature, simple to implement. Blue tooth, goes without saying. MP3 port, absolutely. For those wanting performance info, how about something like a zip drive incorporated into the key… plug it in to your computer monthly to update the stats. You know, simple.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:04 pm)Guys, have any of you bought a new car recently. You pay 500 to have a 6 disc cd changer, and there 15 years old. Some of the amounts on here are almost hillarious.
I want the cars onboard management system to be as revolutionary as the car. It is going to have the sensors for any type of data we could need built into the PMS (power management system). Like SOC, Distance till ICE kick-on, miles per KW/H, MPG, motor hours of operation, etc. I want a LCD panel that will give me the ability to crunch all of that data and filter it anyway i want.
Honestly though this goes back into my earlier point of how there needs to be package levels (deluxe, standard, economy, etc.)
There’s alot of guys on here that want to put a seat on a battery and go, and more power to them. There is also alot of guys in here including me that think for this car to be succesful in the general market, not just the niche market this car must be able to provide you with at least all of the comforts your used to from standard ICE (powertrain) cars.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:06 pm)Dear GM, Please stop kissing the ass of the oil cartel.
Signed,
Stolie
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:07 pm)I say cut out the crap. If you want the Volt to be revolutionary and not evolutionary, then the price needs to be affordable. Yes, you’re always going to have California douchebags who want to "live green" because it makes them feel less guilty about being an energy hog. For the rest of us, we want an electric car because we want to REDUCE our overall costs of getting to work and back, not increase them with an absorbent car note.
I think the Volt, in it’s current state, is a complete miss. The people who drive sporty cars buy them with the understanding that they consume more fuel. That’s great if you’re aiming for the aforementioned douchebag market. If you really want to make a product the rest of us will buy, you’ll use the developments from the Volt on a low-cost, no frills vehicle with some real utility in it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:07 pm)I really don’t care what features are available, I just hope that GM allows people to buy these cars outright…instead of just leasing for a short period like the EV-1.
It looks like it’ll be a great vehicle…I’d hate to have to give it back if regulations allow GM to drop the program.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:08 pm)Keep the data display simple, easy to read, and useful. No extra data, just stuff like miles left on the current charge, miles remaining on current fuel, time remaining to full recharge. Keep wireless to a minimum, the more wireless there is the better the opportunity for smeone to hack into the car. But most importantly, build it soon, before some other car company beats you to market.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:10 pm)#426 Smart Consumer
Any chance you folks could give the plans to Toyota or Honda for free so that we could have a good implementation of the car? Give them some lead time to clean things up, and I think we’ll have a stellar product we can all stand behind, here.
Much be so much going on the Honda Toyota site your out trolling.
Tell Honda & Toyota we all said:
Thanks for waking up the sleeping giant (GM).
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:10 pm)All I would like to have as far as displayed information is basic battery SOC, fuel economy including MPG equivalent etc. as mentioned above. I would not pay extra for additional fuel economy displays or wireless data. A great option rather than additional fancy displays would be an optional larger battery pack for increased electric miles, without using oil based fuels. I want the Volt to provide the greatest number of electric miles possible, and I would be glad to pay extra for an optional larger battery pack.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:12 pm)Is this question about a web server meant to be a joke, or is it just one more indication of how obscenely oblivious American automakers have become to the American people?
Don’t get me wrong — I’m a programmer and an Internet addict, and need to be plugged into the Web at least once every ten minutes. But I don’t give a good healthy bowel movement about a web server in my car. I’m mostly concerned that gasoline has become ridiculously expensive, and yet every energy-saving vehicle pushed out by Detroit is just as ridiculously expensive.
Listen to me — I’m poor (programming doesn’t pay much these days, believe it or not), I can’t afford much gasoline. I’d love to save money on gas, but how the hell do you think I can afford to buy one of these overpriced hybrids you make? Why is it that the only people who can afford to save are the ones who don’t need to do so?
Don’t worry about the goddamn webserver, the CD player, or the cup holder — just build a dependable, inexpensive electric car that can get me to work every morning.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:14 pm)As a doctor of medical research, I don’t want to be thinking about whether my car is charging, charged or depleted while I am at work (or at home for that matter)…this is a commuter car that gets me to and from work everyday, reliably and efficiently…the only caveat for me is that it has to also look good (a convertible version would be perfect). GM can provide such a car to consumers that fills that glaring hole in the world’s marketplace of hybrid cars. A ZEV car that looks great! As far as the features of the display goes, I would very much like to see what my reduction in emissions is (meaning I would enter data about my current relatively efficient SAAB), and see my reduction in monthly costs (meaning I would enter information about my electric bill), but I would probably only look at this information for the first few months; meanwhile learning a more efficient driving style. And this is the reason that it is most important to have these details available to me while I am in the car, in real-time (or at least while I am sitting at a traffic light). I would definitely support having an internet link connection as an option for those who would like, but for me to check the status of my car online would be a superfluous option. The advantage of the internet connection would be that if electric companies had a floating cost of kilowatthours (based on usage), then you could program the car only to charge at a time when costs/usage was low, getting realtime info from the electric company…but I suspect that if I just program a charge at night at 2 am I will be in good shape. To be perfectly honest, I simply would expect my car to be charged in the morning, and have enough juice to be able to get me home in the evening, so having the option to check it first online with my coffee or just before leaving for home from work…what’s the point?(hey just a thought…as an alternative to a car based webserver, what about having the car based wifi…no monthly cost, less energy intensive, and one could get all the info one would want about it parked in one’s garage, and even at work (just have a base station set up in the parking lot)).
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:15 pm)Manual windows, no wi-fi. I am on a budget and my debts literally eqUAL MY INCOME. Pardon the caps lock. See? I do not need gadgets. None. Zero. It not only reduces the driving experience for me, it makes me feel cheapified. I do not like the aesthetics of extra gadgets. I LOVE manual windows. I require to get to work and the grocery store. I would like a wagon or hatch so I do not have to put my recycle bins in the back seat which should be for people not dirty bins. Favorite cars: early Porsche 912 and early Toyota Corolla. Both have lots of headroom, legroom, and MANUAL ROLL-UP WINDOWS.
Signed,
Stolie
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:15 pm)Lets start with the simple stuff. Make the car inexpensive, and safe.
Next Optimize the range for commuting in a day.
I currently drive a Lexus Hybrid and the biggest quirk I have is not knowing my range left. This is mostly based on gallons of gas, but is so highly variable that they don’t compute it. A simple average MPG and gallons left calculation would be nice.
I’m looking for this as a fun commuting car, which means I will pay for the extra bells and whistles but they should be options for people to choose, not drive up the base price.
Whoever the moron is that said don’t put daytime running lights on; wake up, smell the coffee and pay less for your insurance premiums (oh yeah, it’s safer too).
Safety should be primary, which does mean more weight and less milage, but if you’ve ever seen an accident victim, every little bit helps.
And people – ITS AN ELECTRIC CAR, YOU CAN PUT OPTIONAL ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT INTO IT!!! MOST OF THE TIME YOUR DRIVING HABITS WILL OFSET THE USAGE AS YOU REGENERATE FROM BRAKING, ETC. I HAVE ONE, I KNOW. My milage is directly related to the speed I am driving and the way I am driving, not what electrical devices are turned on, unless I’m in bumper to bumper stop and go traffic, in which case the car runs on the battery only until it has to use the engine.
BTW, can you make the electric motors powerful enough to accelerate without kicking on the ICE. That would help in the commuter lanes when doing the stop and go thing to improve mileage.
IPOD input, LAPTOP input and stand, MOBILE UPLINK OF MY CHOICE hook up would be good as well – no proprietary stuff, If I want to use Verizon, I have the account already, let me use it.
Enough rantings.
Make it safe, fast, cool looking, lots of gadgets (optional), and amazong mileage…. come in under 30k, and it’s in my driveway.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:16 pm)No. Less data for the NSA the better. I know you think it will not be used but so far every bit of info that leaks out gets use to the detriment of the citizens.
But really just get it to market. It does not have to be perfect. But just do it already or else stop talking and go work for someone that will execute. I have no faith in GM but that does not mean change cannot happen.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:17 pm)Standard size radio. I wanna pull your model out and replace it was a pioneer I can.
two: run the power lines through the middle of the frame, not the door sills think of the firefighters, powersaws and jaws of life.
no DRLs (applies to all cars)
no apple ipod specfic inputs
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:17 pm)Who will service these cars? Is there special restrictions or education restraints on the mechanics at the GM service center? Will they be certified by the time the car is available?
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:18 pm)Who will service these cars? Is there special restrictions or education restraints on the mechanics at the GM service center? Will these persons be certified by the time the car is available?
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:21 pm)Typical engineering new-product design: overly complicated UI.
Just let me plug it in at home, with a safety lockout on the plug so I can’t drive away with it plugged in and a beeper (maybe on the keyfob) to remind me that it needs charging.
Keep it affordable. Max 1-year payback versus gas.
KISS.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:21 pm)I have been working 40 miles from my house for 20 yrs. All I want is to drive an electric car on the freeway to work ,plug it in, and drive back home,and plug it in. A radio ,heater ,ac and cruise control would be nice.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:22 pm)Take a look at the "Eye-Fi" SD Card with built-in WiFi.
After you take pictures, it transmits those pictures to your computer and/or to a central site and then down to your computer.
Instead of running the server in the Car (which is an interesting idea), send the data to a centralized server via the user’s WiFi network or via a USB/SD card download.
If it’s uploaded to the central server, then I can access the information "anywhere" and show it off to my friends. GM will also benefit from a centralized repository of operational data that can be mined. And, they can update the analysis and display any time because it is sitting on their centralized web servers rather than sitting in 200,000 to 2M cars.
BTW, where’s the waiting list? My wife already agreed we should get on one. Normally I wouldn’t drive a GM car (BMW, Porsche, Acura, Mazda). But this one is too cool for school.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:23 pm)Two things: Availability and Affordability.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:24 pm)I would like GM to concentrate on reliability. The car should get the maximum number of miles from a charge and be consistent. There should be enough electronics to be able to monitor performance but not so much as to increase the cost of the car or make the car more difficult to use. Internet connectivity, monitoring from your home is not important. We travel everyday in our cars we can wait until we are behind the wheel. If GM concentrates on the wrong problem the car will be delayed and cost more.
Robert
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:27 pm)How about a very small gasoline engine that is for the sole purpose of charging the batteries and nothing else? That way I could drive cross country. Currently I can not afford to do the travel I would like to do including visiting family and to vacation with friends. Currently I have to sit at home on a pillow and contemplate why I have advanced degree, get up 4-5am every day to work and when all is said and done, income = bills with not even left over to make a co-pay to a dentist or doctor. I buy insurance for both, apparently for my death bed since I don’t go otherwise. Currently I drive about 40 miles per day. Anytime I make a trip out of town I end up paying dearly to the credit card company. I just do not have the extra money for $100-$400. in gas to go somewhere.
Signed,
Stolie
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:28 pm)I think the in-car electronics should be kept to a minumum, the more power they consume, the less milage we would get.
Keep is sweet and simple.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:29 pm)I basically want a sound car, reliable with minimal planned obsolescence. That is, I want Toyota quality comparable to what I obtained through 2 Corrollas with over 210,0000 miles each (an ’88 and a ’94) and a ’97 4-Runner in current operation with 206,000 miles. Give quality we Americans can be proud of!
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:30 pm)"the pretty graphical display of the battery depletion in real-time while driving would reduce your range. What a waste"This comment is pinnacle. what is the intent of this car, GM?! bells and whistles or economy/efficiency?? Will we also be adding norton antivirus chevy volt edition to our shopping cart? Can’t wait to run security updates while the car is charging only to find out the next morning that there was a bug with the latest security fix. give me a LARGE break, guys.Ive been driving a honda insight for 5 years because i didn’t need half the crap the prius had/has and surpise surpise the insight gets better gas mileage. If gimmicky ideology is behind the development of this vehicle (volt) I’ll wait for honda to do it RIGHT. additionally… i think having a web server calculate your $$ savings is pretty useless if you’re PAYING for the service in the first place. is that.. practical? Getting these numbers is *REALLY* simple math.great intent behind opening this up to the community but discouraging to know these are the considerations keeping this car from being in production years ago….. oh… wait. GM DID have something like this in production years ago… can we get a version with NO DVD PLAYER? am i the only person who does not watch DVDs on my trip computer while commuting to work?i just want an efficient *vehicle*. please make one. thank you.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:33 pm)What about a Convertible? I’m not impressed with the massive body and short/low windows. & cabin. I’d like to see more fluid lines, and a little more window space. Offer a variety of models from basic to bombastic and I think you’ll satisfy a lot of potential customers.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:33 pm)I need the volt in its simplest most economical mode. all of the fancy extras can be options. also I need the Volt asap.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:39 pm)I agree with the respondents who want just the basic performance information similar to what I get in my Prius. Too many gadgets will just intimidate the average driver and needlessly raise the cost. Remember right now only the devotees are providing you feedback, but in the end you want this car to have mass appeal.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:40 pm)*What about a Convertible?*
A convertible would be grand! But think of the drag, and the loss of battery life this would generate? no pun intended…
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:40 pm)I do not want a fuel cell car.
DO NOT WANT.
Give me an electric car with batteries. Give it a backup gas -> electric generator for when I need more range. Make the generator natural gas or propane, if you really really must.
But stop trying to sell me on these hydrogen cells. They’re a false solution.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:45 pm)BTW, I do not understand the people asking for low electric consumption of accessories and scrapping real cool features such as dashboard layed out on a touch-screen LCD.These people have no idea how much electricity is used for the vehicle propulsion and that the accessory usage is peanuts, you won’t notice it in your range. Really.For clarification: TOU = Time Of Use, this is an electricity meter which switches to different rate based on time of the day. During the night and most part of the weekend you get an electricity rate of less than 6 cents per kWh, while in the summer weekday afternoon the rate can go up to some 30 cents per kWh or so. Since you will typically charge at night (I have a sprinkler-timer setup to allow me to charge duringthe cheap rates, unless I overrule the timer) this allows to get an even larger cost saving than the efficient electric drive already provides. Yes, it does. I have an EV, so I know what a mile costs in electric power.My other vehicle is a Prius, the only reason I do not only have an EV is that too often I need to drive more than the EV range and the truck cannot carry a family while the Prius seats 5 comfortably. The Volt would replace the Prius as long-distance vehicle, while still allowing me to drive EV-only for most of the miles, so I would be almost entirely oil-free.I do not care if the Volt gives 30 or 40 miles EV-only, as long as it is reliable like my Prius and affordable enough to make sense with rising oil prices to come close enough to call it break-even between the Prius and Volt. It helps that the crude is climbing fast, has broken through the $110 per barrel and likely no ceiling in sight….
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:49 pm)overlooked topic #1: oh by the way the chevy volt now a fuel cell vehicle??@#$%? Is this true, or just jumping on the buzzword bandwagon? i *thought* the selling point was that it’s an electric car.. curious why the prototype display shows "GM FUEL CELL PROPULSION SYSTEM" GM, you’re really scaring me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:49 pm)I prefer a wider stance than the Prius with less roll than the Prius, more the feeling of a Camry rather than the small car feel of the Prius. Don’t cut corners on fit and finish. Make it reliable.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:51 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
> I’d prefer it tracked in a Web site where I could log in from home or work.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
> $0. Frankly, GM should do this for free because you could centrally gather long term performance data and mine it for future optimizations. By me showing this to my friends, it becomes a form of viral marketing to push the sales of the Volt well beyond those of the Prius which does not offer this service.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
See comment #2. Yes, of course. BTW, it could be part of the GM viral marketing and real marketing campaign. 200,000 Volt Drivers have cumulatively reported X-carbon foot print offset and Y-gallons of gasoline saved over Z-million miles of driving. (Again, GM, why should I pay for you to gather and leverage my data?).
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Absolutely! I by my uploading my current electricity rates to your central servers, coupled with my driving data, you have a huge marketing capability for evangelizing the Volt over other competitors.
Helping me achieve optimal cost savings is not just beneficial to me, it is something I can show my friends and, again, this becomes part of the viral marketing for the vehicle.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
$100-$200. $500 tops. I don’t know why smart timers can’t be built in. My goodness. An automatic sprinkler system is <$100. My microwave oven and my coffee maker have timers in them. Why can’t GM provide a charger that is time operated or optimal dollar charge rate operated for free since I’m already going to pay $20-$35K for the bloody car. This is the problem with automobile manufacturers — you’re always nickle and diming for things that cost $20 to manufacture and should be just part and parcel of the car in the first place (like back-up obstacle sensors).
You want ubiquity in these data services, not nickle and diming opt in. Think of this as a marketing cost rather than as a service.
For examples of other services that manage to make a successful business without having to charge "extra" to participate:
Eye-Fi for data transmission and download
Logitech Harmony Remotes for centralized Web server device configuration (car as a device? cool!) and storage of this information, sharing of useful information.
DSL Reports and Weather Underground for centralized consumer data reporting and distribution.
And don’t make this care "Cheap". I hate "Cheap" and ubiquitous. The only thing standing in my way of buying a Tesla or a Fisker Karma is that $80-$100K is irresponsible for me. I don’t want a Prius because I’m not interested in making a "green" fashion statement. I do want better efficiency and I want something somewhat sporty. I may be a "DoucheBag" as some have said on this thread. But what do I care? Early adopters spend more "money" on technology which allows companies like Tesla, Mercedes, and BMW to recoup the early development costs more quickly and allow it to hit ubiquity more profitably than if the company goes for ubiquity right off.
Right now I’m waiting for Nanosolar to come out with price performance efficient panels that perform better than traditional solar panels. Then I can offset that further with a cool plug-in hybrid like the Volt as opposed to a dumpy car like a Prius or some form of souped-up golf cart.
Frankly, if the Fisker Karma were $40-$45K, I’d probably jump on it. But, sadly, GM, you just don’t warrant that level of cool factor. But you’ll probably end up with a Volt buyer in me if you deliver soon.
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:57 pm)Redesign the entire car. the outside looks like shit. or you could just hand your plans over to a foreign automaker and they would do a much better job
Mar 17th, 2008 (4:59 pm)Can I just buy one NOW? Where can I make my deposit? I know I have to wait until it comes off the end of the production line, but can’t I get on an official Chevy waiting list?
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:00 pm)Options I’d like to see:
GPS
iPod Connection
Bluetooth connection to OnStar
Vehicle Data Collection Module w/Download
Scheduling of Charge Cycle
Batteries to Grid Option
Would love a 110AC outlet available on the car
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:01 pm)I was reading another person’s quote about car cost. When I first started looking into the Volt the price was suggested to be around $30K, which was more than I really wanted to spend, but was a possibility. Now I have read, that the price may be closer to $40k. In that case, as another person commented on, it would not be worth my time to purchase a Volt – I would go to something else. So, as far as the options, whatever gets it within $30K or less with at least all the power options. When I first heard that the Volt may be in the $30k range, I was hoping that it came fully loaded and not base sticker price which would be nice around $25k.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:02 pm)When building the internal combustion piece of this car, consider alternative fuels such as E85, either as a flex fuel component or to run strictly on E85 with the higher compression and better mileage…and what about an E100 option? and bio-diesel? or all of them? …probably asking too much, eh?
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:05 pm)I want reliability and a low price.
If you can’t do these two things, forget it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:07 pm)422 Luke,
You may have used a script to sniff and "break" Wi-Fi when encrypted with the outdated WEP protocol (outdated in terms of security, no actual use) but since many years Wi-Fi has the standard AES-CCM encryption that is safe enough that the US government has approved its use in their wireless networks (see the FIPS approved standards protocols) so it is highly unlikely that you have been able to break that… Take your tinfoil off and smell the roses. Every $25 Wi-Fi AP and laptop can be configured to have *secure* communication these days. And yes, I work with Wi-Fi professionally and know what the hardware is capable of, whether customers enable those capabilities is a matter of their own paranoia and need for privacy, not if the radio can do this. As security expert you should know this.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:12 pm)Remember this car is supposed to be an economy car serving two main purposes:
1) Replace imported petroleum fuels with domestically produced electricity via the plug-in feature and conversely
Maximize miles per gallons of gasoline (or other range extenders but preferably gasoline .) and
2) Bring the vehicle in at a reasonable, lowest possible price.
Also remember: The plug-in hybrid/or whatever the current concept/name embodied in the Volt is the silver bullet that will slay OPEC if our people recognize the importance of electric fuel as the ultimate substitute for petroleum both short and long terms.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:17 pm)i’d like to add my vote to the "not interested in horsepower, acceleration, or top speed" category. give us efficiency and range!
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:17 pm)The idea is to make a good running, electric car, that is affordable, and appeals to the masses. Fancy tracking systems, etc will just add to complexity and cost and most people won’t care about it after awhile anyway. Here’s my top 3…
1) Affordable.
- approximately $30k
2) Attractive looking vehicle.
- already accomplished if you keep the existing look of the prototype
3) Good, common sense features that don’t slow down availability of the Volt or bankrupt GM and appeal to the masses.
- Simple device that provides remaining range in miles.
- Ipod direct connect. CDs are dead.
- Upgradable engine. So when new fuels become available, you can easily swap engines to take advantage of the new fuel, instead of buying a whole new car.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:29 pm)Give me a resonance charging (wireless) system. Ill drive over it in my garage every night and charge without having to plug in. Give that option to the general public and they will be more receptive to the ideas of a plug-in hybrid.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:31 pm)I have to agree with the KISS and the KIA (Keep it Affordable) concepts. I’m holding out for an EV and not buying a car until after the Volt and other EVs are available. I expect a lot of competition after the Volt is released, including commuter cars with a much smaller price tag.
Who knows, maybe a commuter car and a compact family car are all I need. What I do know is even at the original $30,000 price tag I would have to think long and hard about the Volt. Now, come out with something at $20,000 and a lesser battery warranty and then we have a deal without any need to think about it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:34 pm)As someone mentioned before, if data collection were possible (for GM) just think of the marketing possibilities! You could actually say things in your advertising that was backed up by real world numbers! What a concept!
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:36 pm)My electric car would be like the Smart car or Mini, well built and reasonably simple/economical. The dash should only have speed, efficiency (like MPG), and remaining miles. The one fancy feature would be if the car could individually monitor its batteries to detect problems of individual batteries. No fancy graphics to distract me.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:39 pm)I think the Volt will have what I really want, which is the ability to drive gas free and environmentally friendly. The options that are been recommended I think are feasible through Onstar. But hey, the more the better as long as they are options for the buyer to decide.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:40 pm)Hi, I say Keep It Simple! Why build it so the cost goes skyhigh. A few Bells and Whistles but why go overboard?
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:45 pm)I’d vote for a published spec and a serial port. build the car and let the geeks (me) build items to access that port. Consumers want easy, and geeks want access. There is no way my wife wants to know any of that information. It only needs to go in the direction she points it.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:46 pm)It’s great of GM to offer this forum and listen to its customers. I personally would be happy if they made an EV1. Period. That was ten year old technology that could beat the pants off anything from Toyota.
In the meantime, the best consumers can do is try to influence the upcoming ZEV program changes being contemplated by the California Air Resources Board. Visit this page and weigh in with your opinion.
http://www.pluginamerica.org/action/governor
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:46 pm)Hey, let’s not geek this thing until only the pocket-protector crowd thinks it’s relevant The idea should be to make a mainstream vehicle that appeals to a wide crowd. After all, who do you think will be the main market, especially if it climbs to +$40,000 – as it looks like it’s going to. Simplify the car, don’t stuff it with Wii-gadgets and dazzle-craft.
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:54 pm)Sell me something that can be used as an all electric, but when needed, be able to turn on an ethanol/gasoline engine that will charge up the batteries while driving, then shut back off again when not needed. It must be able to charge off 110 in under 8 hours. America is ready for change. I currently plan on buying a prius and doing exactly what I’m talking about. If anyone already makes a kit please let me know. I want the volt to replace my prius though as soon as it is released. Hurry up people, this car may single handedly save your companies ass!
Mar 17th, 2008 (5:58 pm)I would consider this option as long as information would be only up-loadable to my device and password protected. I would not like this info to be sent to GM or any third party, so I wouldn’t need web connectivity. GM would either provide software or have a common format like Excel for this info.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:00 pm)Baloc @ 427,
All putting an SSL certificate on the car does is assure me that I’m talking to the car that I typed in. If I use SSL fully, then I can have a private chat with the car that I expected (though the fact that I’m chatting with the car is still being broadcast loud and clear). However, this does not authenticate me (or any random person with a wi-fi card) to the car.
Using SSL does not solve the problem of random people talking to the car and either breaking it or making it do stuff that I didn’t ask it to do. It does not provide a security model for the car. It does not provide a way to deal with the inevitable mistakes in the implementation of that security model.
With a wired-only interface, you can be assured that anyone who wants to muck about your car has to get inside first. This is, at least, the same standard that we have for tampering with the ECU and ignition in conventional cars — and the legal mechanisms for dealing with the conventional kinds of tampering are at least well defined and understood by most people. With a wired USB connection inside, we’re least we’re not making the problem worse!
No wireless for my car. Period. I’d like to drive in peace… Without having to give a thought to playing dueling cantennae with the teenagers next to me at the traffic light — and without having to wonder which minimum-wage callcenter manager is goofing around with customers’ cars behind closed doors at a callcenter far-far away…
You can do what you want, though, it’s up to you!
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:02 pm)#1: "By the way, the pretty graphical display of the battery depletion in real-time while driving would reduce your range. What a waste." You can’t be serious! A couple of milliwatts is not going to reduce the range more than a sixteenth of an inch!
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:07 pm)Cor van de water @ 471,
You’re right that old WEP is a joke. Log a million packets, crunch, and pwn.
However, you’re not looking at the big picture. See the authentication, buffer-overflow, and legal issues that I raise in my previous post. Encrypting the connection is only a small part of the overall computer-security picture.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:13 pm)And by putting the wi-fi unit in the car, these issues become something that every mechanic must then have at least a minimum level of professional-level IT skills to deal with…
Why not keep just it simple and give the owner unfettered access to the read car sensors, state, and logs via USB?
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:14 pm)Why put more toys in something. More little computer things just means more to go wrong. And with outside access there is always a possibility of someone hacking it and messing up the cars programing. Is society so lazy today it cant even write down information to track them selves, have to have a computer do all the work?
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:23 pm)1.Neither, no wireless server ! K.I.S.S. I purchased a Honda Insight instead of a Prius in part because I did not like the Prius’s more complicated screen. All you need is a Amp meter or bar graph showing amps in and out of battery. This will help optimize driving for max range. You should also have a battery state of charge meter or volt meter. After you have driven the car for a week or two you will have a feel for range . You do not need anything more.
2. No I will not pay extra. The only option (it should be standard not an option.) is cruise control (don’t leave off cruise control as Honda did on Insight) and A/C, something you can get some use out of !
3. A total waste ! Just driving in EV mode will be near O
4. A total waste – I can calculate myself !
5. No – This is ridiculous.
K.I.S.S., just get it in production ASAP
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:24 pm)Enough power to get the Hell out of the way when something goes wrong on the highway.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:26 pm)I would like it to be simple, to get me to work and back and not cost me an arm and a leg in gas. A slightly higher Electric Bill would be just fine. A 2 passenger model would be great (like the Smart Car).
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:32 pm)Seems like the notification feature could be integrated into OnStar fairly easily. Personally, I’d rather see a potentiometer knob on the dash to vary power output & performance, depending on your mood.
Also, probably alone on this…but I’d like to see an SS version. 0-60 in under 6 on a full charge, but still awesome mileage. I actually blogged about it, if anyone’s interested.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:34 pm)K.I.S.S. What all the extra’s for? Just a simple "fuel" gauge is all that is needed to keep track of the state of the batteries. I would prefer that the money be spent on increasing the range of the car in electric mode, either through increasing the batteries or decreasing the weight of the car.
As for the peak/nonpeak times for charging, I won’t need to know that, for I plan on pugging it into my solar panels; so I know when my peak is.
Please G.M. keep the fluff to a minimum, and give us a reasonably priced plug-in. If people want all the fancy extras, let them pay for them.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:49 pm)Look, I’m not interested in all this green, carbon-footprint reducing crud. I like the looks of the car and i can save on gas. that’s why i would buy this thing. If GM does their usual thing and ruines the look of the car (Luts said he’d change the front grill and have bagel tires), I won’t buy it. Leave it as it looks, including the cool wheels. If i’m giving up on performance, i at least need looks. What i’d like is 0-60 times in the 5 seconds and handling like my G35.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:49 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
In the vehicle would be great, and expected standard. Weekly/Monthly via email with some added bells and whistles seems like a possible add-on feature that could come with Onstar.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
I’d only be willing to pay for the On-Star subscription type add-ins. Part of what will make this vehicle have its allure should be the high-tech data available at your fingertips as standard equipment. Every vehicle these days has gas mileage, instantaneous economy, range left, etc. The volt should have the equivalent for an electric car included, at the least.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Sounds interesting. I think something like this would be more beneficial as a marketing tool for GM. By comparison, the Prius website had some statistics showing how much gas was saved using some average metrics and the vehicles they sold. Having GM do this with the Volt would really help the company stand out as far as emissions and fuel reductions.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
I don’t think this will be necessary, no. I do look forward to observing all the interesting stats about the battery depletion, and expect to try to lessen the drain on the battery as much as possible, improving my driving habits with any luck.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Not me. I plan to plug the vehicle in when I come home at night. I don’t expect the grid to be very intelligent, just a time of day usage structure, so I’d like to be able to set it to charge at night. If it doesn’t have a timer built-in, I’ll just buy one.
However, taking this a step further, if V2G really takes off, I’d like to have the ability to program the volt to take electricity off the grid when there’s ample available (and presumably lower cost), and put it back on the grid when the demand is there for a premium. I don’t know to what extent the utilities allow residential customers to alter their energy rates in real time though to supply/demand.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:51 pm)1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
In the vehicle would be great, and expected standard. Weekly/Monthly via email with some added bells and whistles seems like a possible add-on feature that could come with Onstar.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
I’d only be willing to pay for the On-Star subscription type add-ins. Part of what will make this vehicle have its allure should be the high-tech data available at your fingertips as standard equipment. Every vehicle these days has gas mileage, instantaneous economy, range left, etc. The volt should have the equivalent for an electric car included, at the least.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Sounds interesting. I think something like this would be more beneficial as a marketing tool for GM. By comparison, the Prius website had some statistics showing how much gas was saved using some average metrics and the vehicles they sold. Having GM do this with the Volt would really help the company stand out as far as emissions and fuel reductions.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
I don’t think this will be necessary, no. I do look forward to observing all the interesting stats about the battery depletion, and expect to try to lessen the drain on the battery as much as possible, improving my driving habits with any luck.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
Not me. I plan to plug the vehicle in when I come home at night. I don’t expect the grid to be very intelligent, just a time of day usage structure, so I’d like to be able to set it to charge at night. If it doesn’t have a timer built-in, I’ll just buy one.
However, taking this a step further, if V2G really takes off, I’d like to have the ability to program the volt to take electricity off the grid when there’s ample available (and presumably lower cost), and put it back on the grid when the demand is there for a premium. I don’t know to what extent the utilities allow residential customers to alter their energy rates in real time though to supply/demand.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:52 pm)I will not spend the money people are talking about. I will buy a DTS for 40G even if gas is $4.00
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:52 pm)Option 5 would be great and worth paying for. I could do without the rest.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:56 pm)Need input from not output to utility so that programmed decisions can be made as to when to charge the vehicle. This is important to reduce charging cost and also to prevent overloading the grid during the day. Employers may very well start offering a charging plug as a fringe benefit.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:56 pm)I currently have a photovoltaic system on my roof (20 panels) which allowed me to lower my electric bill to $50.00 for the entire year! I would suggest that GM sell the panels w/ installation as an option. I’m not sure how many panels would be needed to generate the e- for a 40 mile charge.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:59 pm)As I’m sure that all of you past and future posters will understand, the design team will make the vehicle like any production car that GM has made before. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a diehard Gm guy. My father has been working in the most productive GM engine plant for the last 20+ years. So believe me when I say, I LOVE CHEVY VEHICLES!
On to the VOLT. Aside from the items that all ready go into a vehicle, NOT be in the VOLT. There are plenty of people voicing opinions and I;m sure that there is at least one person who like the same stuff as me. That being said, please oh please do not put in the following. Do not do to it what Dodge did to one of their recently launched vehicles. I don’t want an ice box in the glove compartment. I also don’t want a fold-out speaker system. Illuminated cup holders are for the blind, they are unnecessary. Cheep plastic interior will not, and never has been, a good idea. Gadgets and gizmos are only a temporary distraction from cheep interior accents. Stay away from the plastic used in the Equinox. I currently drive one and have grown bothered by the strange feeling of the hard plastic. Stay away from the center console with the window controls. If there are child locks on the windows and anybody can get to them, it kinda defeats the purpose of the safety mechanism. The 4 speed GM signature gear box is horrible, at least a 5 speed would be sufficient. If my limited knowledge of electric motors serves me right, you should use at least 5 speeds.
Good luck and God speed VOLT team.
Mar 17th, 2008 (6:59 pm)Keep the options short, make the distance far, keep the price down. Get this product rolling down the assembly line! We are all getting robbed weekly by big oil! Please don’t delay!
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:01 pm)Simple is best. Accurate feedback on charge status, charge remaining with estimated miles remaining, miles per charge, combined mileage (gas +electric), charge time remaining when plugged in, a simple external (on car driver side) and internal(dash) green, yellow and red light charge indicator that the driver can easily see to know battery charge status.Go with a Flex Fuel engine.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:03 pm)Yes I want an all electric vehicle. One I can charge overnight from ordinary house current…But not from GM.
Once upon a time I found a GM vehicle I wanted to buy; the Oldsmobile Alero. Great price since I got the GM employee price with my father being retired Aerospace employee.
But then the emergency flashers stopped working, THE TURN SIGNALS STOPPED WORKING, there were several very prominent and loud buzzes and rattles, and I warped the brake rotors.
So I decided to make a list of all the problems and get them all fixed. I was not expecting everything to be covered by warranty, I would have been happy to pay for service. But making the list and handing it to the service dept was a HUGE MISTAKE. Somehow they assume that if you write out a list you are hostile. Service manager yanks the list from my hand. Without a word he demands my keys and takes the car for a test drive. Upon return he goes on and on about how it’s my fault the brake rotors are warped. Fine. I never said it wasn’t my fault but they sure are cheap rotors. Next he lays into me about how people expect too much for warranty coverage. Fine I didn’t expect to get everything for free. And then here’s the kicker, he gives an estimate of a few hundred dollars to fix the turn signals which you may remember do not work at all! This I could not take. I explain the car is under warranty and the TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK. His response is they must determine the cause of failure and if it’s my fault I pay. At this point I left and drove home in a new car with no working turn signals.
So according to GM I may be responsible for their decision to risk my life so they can save a dollar on a turn signal switch. So I continued to drive for MONTHS with no turn signals. Try it. Sounds easy but it’s not. Very dangerous to have no turn signals at all.
And to top it all off, 3 months later GM has a recall to replace the turn signal and emergency flasher switch. But not before they try to screw me out of a measly few hundred dollars to fix their problem. Not to mention having absolutely no regard for the safety of a customer driving away with no turn signals.
I can still get the employee price today. Great price. But that experience has have me swear to never ever buy another GM vehicle. I actually hate GM and my local dealer now. Short their stock and make money on their downfall.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:03 pm)I see the Volt as a commuter car. It should be comfortable but it doesn’t need all of the frills. I would guess that the distance to work and back home again stays the same for over 95% of the people so after the first week you’ll know if you can make it there and back without using any gas. If its going to sell to the mass market, price is more important then including the geek options. Soccer moms want to drop their kids at school, do the shopping, pick the kids up and taxi them to practice or whatever and be able to schedule a convenient time to recharge (the car) if needed or not. Heck, if the first 40 miles are gas free so what if the last 10 cost you a 1/5 of a gallon that still works out to 250 mpg overall. I don’t need a bunch of frills and privacy invasion to tell me I’m saving money and polluting less! Keep the price under $30,000. The father under the better so that more people can afford it and we can cut our dependence on oil which would do wonders for our economy and our environment.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:05 pm)All I want is a fuel gage and to be able to fit into the car. I’m 6’5" 280 lbs and getting larger each year.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:05 pm)I am waiting to buy a electric car. I need a 60 mile turnaround. I need it now.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:09 pm)I just want the wireless and the ability to check the car status from a PC within my house, and of course WEP, or WPA security built in. It should only have the ability to check status for the owner only.
Maybe warm up or cool the car off from the browser also, just a thought.
Manage the Audio MP3 library in the vehicle.
Price: If the service is a just from the vehicle to your wireless router in house, then I think it should be a flat option fee.
One more thing I just thought of. Imagine you could track different routes to work, and get feedback on the most efficient one. Before driving to work, you go in the browser and select route(1) then drive to work. The next day select route(2), so on so forth. Then you would get a comparison on the most efficient one in your browser.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:10 pm)I live in San Francisco which is a perfect city for an electric car. Most days we need to travel less than 10 miles by car. And not smoging up the city would be a nice benefit. Most people I know that live in the city would get an electric car but for one fault. They need to be plugged in. Most of us don’t have private garages. If we have a garage it is a rented space in a complex or a spot in a large shared garage that has no outlets. Most of us have to park on the street in random locations. So if you can overcome this fact of life in an urban city and give me a car that when it gets the inevitable ding in the fender (meaning the car isn’t the same price as a small home) I’ll buy your car.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:10 pm)Hey GM:
Look, you have to realize that most people think of the Volt as a phantom, a distraction. All this talk about "what we want in it" isn’t helping you.
The thing you need to do is GET IT ON THE ROAD. What I want out of it is showroom presence, a price tag and a delivery date. If it’s good, I might buy one. Wait 2 more years, and all these people writing these nice comments will be driving Hondas and Toyotas.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:12 pm)Reading this thread which I believe is perhaps the longest I remember on this blog, it’s obvious that the Volt needs to come to market and needs a dose of K.I.S.S.
That said, I think that obsolescence is something that in the near term CAN be avoided. What we’re looking at is engineering this car so that it is not only cost effective, but also viable (upgradeable) in the future.
The way I see it, if the system board that controls this car can accept usb 2.0 and an expansion slot (like ANY PC) the details of what’s included, and what could be, need not be worked out at this point. These can be add ons and future sales for GM, and will not add to the cost or delay it’s release. This would be the smart way to build this car.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:14 pm)Give me a very small, very simple all-electric car that plugs in and has a 50-mile range, for $15,000, and I’ll buy it tomorrow. That’s more than enough for most of the MILLIONS of commuters out there.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:15 pm)The Volt just needs to be very reliable and priced for the masses.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:17 pm)1. Yes
2. Yes maybe up to $200
3. No. Change to .. Real time display of engine RPM, Battery volts, Amps from engine, Amps from battery, total amps, KWH running total battery only. Also nice would be regular stuff like, engine temp, oil temp, manifold pressure and temp, Odometer, … all the regular stuff.
4. No. Change to Ability to log data by punching in a record button and stop and save data to a flash stick.
5. No. Change to .. Can communicate by WiFi from garage or possibly to other cars while driving.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:21 pm)Less is more. I want a small little electric car (no hybrid: adds extra weight and complexity. I never want to have to get an oil change ever again, for example). It doesn’t have to carry much – just room for me, one other person and a couple of bags of groceries. It doesn’t have to go fast (60 MPH top speed is fine). It does have to go at least 60 miles on a charge. It shouldn’t cost much: couldn’t something like this be made to sell for under $20K? A car like that would sell like hotcakes especially in this age of soon-to-be $4/gallon gas.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:32 pm)I agree this should be an option, that can be added in aftermarket also. Not everyone wants to know all the tecno info about the car! I also feel that GM should think seriously about adding solar electric cells to the roof of this vehicle as this would add flexability to the charging system! (ie. one way to work and let the volt charge all day at work and that way you could strech the nonuse of gasoline!
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:39 pm)It isn’t the hackability / big brother that concerns me so much as the inessential cost, both monetarily and to battery life.
What audience is the Volt targeted at? If it’s geared towards gearheads, i think that’s a fault. But if it’s trying to act as a crossover to get the more drivers using hybrid vehicles, then give it more directed simplicity. What information is useful, and is it presented in such a way that a user can recall it easily?
Meaning — i don’t care about a DVD player, or a way to check the car’s stats wirelessly; i want the ergonomics to be comfortable, the UI’s to be simple and intuitive with options for more advanced displays, i want it to handle well, and for the hybrid portion to not interfere with my life.
If the driver can’t learn to instinctively drive the car, the driver will not be happy.
Mar 17th, 2008 (7:50 pm)I own 2003 chevy truck with Diesel, my truck already tells me everything in realtime and running totals. I don’t use onstar but I’m sure GM looks in from time to time. be nice if it would give me the trouble codes. My boat motor (03 Johnson) can be hooked to a laptop and all the info downloaded. nice. everthing most want or don’t want is already there. Some just want to turn it off, some want the car to email them. Some just don’t care. Make it user selectable and free for those who will share it with GM. Or at least give us a choice unlike Onstar. Get it to us soon. by the way I want a Truck with a diesel engine/APU. tks I’m ready to buy
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:02 pm)Don’t reinvent the wheel. Do some market research and find today’s best selling $25k to $30k car. Copy all the good features from that car in the Volt. Add one or two new low cost innovative features. Make the Volt ~$30k, reliable, and produce a car with the exact same look as the prototype. If it does all that and can be pure electric with the mileage stated, they’ll fly off the lot.
Mar 17th, 2008 (8:19 pm)I tried to read all the posts, but there are so many. Like many, I don’t care about GPS tracking, wifi capabilities, or emails about my energy savings. What thrills me? An electric car that:1) Can travel 100 to 200 miles on a charge. I could handle 40-80 miles a day, but I need a way to travel farther on occasion2) Have an interior that feels large and comfortable for both myself and my passengers. What better way to convert others to go green than dispel the myth that comfort must be sacrificed? When my wife and I go out with another couple, I want everyone to pile into the car, have no seats adjusted to fit people (doesn’t apply if they weigh more than 300 lbs. Don’t care what you say, that’s Big), the car to start silently, lights dramatically fade down, the ability to easily slide my ipod into its cradle on the dash, quickly select my playlist via the in-car display, ease back into comfortable seats as my music starts, watch as a large display hihglights all the cool information of my car, navigate roads with a little zip, and ultimately cause my passengers to go "Wow! This is so different. I like it. ALOT. My next car is going to be a Volt"3) Options to include an extensive GPS package, wifi, etc etc4) Hatchback option5) Reliably trained mechanics at the dealership. I don’t want maintenance to be alot more expensive (I want to be able to do things. change batteries, change tires, etc etc etc)6) Under 30,0007) Under 30,000 with normal options! 8) Basic Package 25,0009) If you want to wow people, create a complete green system in which you offer customers to take them off the grid. When someone comes into a dealership and asks for a volt, have a specially trained representative show them the car, answer the typical questions, and then ask the customer if they can sit down and talk for five – ten minutes. Then the rep should say"imagine if you didn’t have to worry about electric bills, large heating bills, etc etc etc. How much would that be worth?" and present a 3 step program to make-over the typical family with a house into an independent environmentally friendly entity. Step 1 buy an electric car. Step 2 Buy green power (solar, wind, etc) Step 3 improve home. I shiver at the having someone show me that a local company could install 4 solar panels on my roof, another company could improve my windows and insulation, and this would be my expense and this is the return. Is this too much to ask for?
Mar 22nd, 2008 (1:55 am)GM need to keep the price down. The VOLT needs to come
out with a sticker price of $28,000 loaded to compete with Honda and Toyota. I saw the Volt in New York. I was not
totally happy seeing one of Brake Lights out. However, I pointed it out to the ground crew to fix sinceI know the car get moved around for shows etc..
I actually thought of some great ideas for the car .
As an active driver of 2 Hybrids I feel the car is under powered ( 0 to 60 in eight sec.). GM needs to Beef
up the Motors and prove a high MPG return.
I would like to see an actual MPG of 80mpg or better.
Salon AB had the same type of car concept idea in the 1980′s
by the way. I gave them many good ideas back then but
they did not have the funding like GM.
I think GM can come out with a good plug in
vehicle at a low price. By 2010 or 2012 the price may be
$30,000 to $50000. Remember the volt will
need a 5 star crash test rating. The fancy add ons
are nice, but, the cost needs to be kept down.
One way is via Software ,USB, Blue Tooth and a Laptop.
Anyway , i am starting to save my pocket change.
Mar 30th, 2008 (2:09 pm)In response to the 5 questions:
1: Yes, provided in the vehicle
2: Yes, though I don’t understand why this option would cost more. Certainly any computer can calculate these stats.
3: No, we know we are reducing emissions, there is no need to brag about it.
4: No, I don’t need to calculate cost savings.
5: No, rates are fairly stable in No. California.
Mar 30th, 2008 (4:13 pm)#519
Bob Gaffney
You hit the nail on the head! Honda or Toyota will have something on the road before!
“What killed the electric car……….” sadly it was it’s own looks.
Apr 3rd, 2008 (1:49 pm)This vehicle should be designed strictly to save fuel, increase travel distances on batteries, and be safe. Anything other than this would be disloyal to the soul of this car. I am saddened to find that GM is still holding on to the idea that fuel is required and immediately drops effeciency to 50mpg when it kicks it. They have the ability to improve upon that. Please keep in mind that any ‘additional add ons’ would negatively affect the effeciency of this vehicle. We shouldnt be thinking of things to add, but what can we truly do without to improve this vehicle. I am certain that once an actual prototype is up and running, the numbers will change. It would be interesting to see how charging it with breaking AND the occasional charge via the gas powered motor will increase effeciency and distance in the real world. Please do not kill this vehicle with unnecessary ‘toys’ before it even gets into production. Think Green and stay Green!
Apr 3rd, 2008 (2:04 pm)Edgar is absolutely right. Everyone is so excited an actng like it is Christmas and we get throw everything we want in the basket. Be realistic and make this car into what it should be. HIGH MPG!
Apr 3rd, 2008 (2:14 pm)It is vital that the car achieve very high reliability at introduction. Don’t add a bunch of failure-prone options; save them for later years.
Apr 5th, 2008 (10:07 am)I would like to see GM package some solar panel deals for buyers to opt into. I would like to get a solar panel/storeage package that would load a battery back during the day and alow me to dump the energy into the vehicle at night. This would be a partnering arrangemetn with GM. Also I assume the Volt engine will run on Ethanol. At least i hope so.
Apr 5th, 2008 (10:30 am)I am just wondering why so many people think that GM should be worried about solar panels? I think GM should concentrate on getting the car to production and in an affordable fashion.
If GM and other car makers can put several hundred thousand EVs on the road each year then people who know about solar panels will start making daytime chargers that can cover the car, be embedded into the paint, or fly behind the damn car like a kite tail.
Apr 6th, 2008 (11:41 am)I want a low power consuming rear LED panel (green colored) that says MY CAR IS GREENER THAN YOURS .. scrolling of course.. when the car is in the battery depletion mode.. leave all that other wireless stuff off..
if it turns out that the car will be $40k then you have to “load it up” to justify the cost to many people.
Apr 7th, 2008 (5:32 pm)I’m not gonna hold breath for this car. IF and WHEN I see it for sale on a car dealership I’d buy it in a second. Have you ever seen “Who Killed the Electric Car?” I’d HATE to see the same thing happen with the Volt
Apr 8th, 2008 (9:04 pm)All this talk and nobody wants to consider the EMF factor from any of it! Keep mine simple and cheap, red I think. Lets go GM, full production NOW.
Apr 11th, 2008 (6:38 pm)Hello
I like the Chevy volt with exception of the brakes. I think I read that the rear brakes will be drum brakes. I would have a lot of trouble buying a car with disk front drum rear which causes longer stopping time. I know the a lot of the breaking will be by using the motor as a generator to recharge the batteries BUT as happens fairly often to me I need to stop as soon as possible and only all disks brakes will do. Also disk brakes will be needed when I go down mountain roads and the battery becomes fully charged or the system has a problem.
Please no drum brakes or little tiny disk brakes, save money some where else.
I want to buy the Chevy Volt as soon as possible, if the planned batteries are not availble as planned consider a battery pack that might give say 10 miles and later changed to the latest battery.
Thanks for reading this
Rodger
Apr 11th, 2008 (9:23 pm)Hey Rodger, about the brakes? Don’t follow so close! Then you won’t have to stop “as soon as possible”!
Apr 12th, 2008 (8:15 am)Good point Kim…
I have been doing long coasting stops for years and avoiding situations where I need to stop short. Between that and not starting out fast when the light turns green i have enjoyed a significant improvement in my gas mileage.
Apr 13th, 2008 (1:24 am)I didn’t take the time to read all of the e-mails, but my Direct Inputs to the engineers are here. 1. Will you use LED’s for all lights to save battery power, even headlights if LED’s are developed bright enough with the required range for good visibility? 2. Will you use the motor or motors as alternators when braking, so as to change a large part of the kinetic energy back into potential energy? This is exciting. I will be very happy to be one of the first 10,000 Volt drivers in Washington State.
Apr 14th, 2008 (9:25 pm)Let’s shoot for a price point of $25,000 or less. Keep the fancy toys out and concentrate on keeping it effcient and reliable. A max range of 500+ miles and at least 50 miles without using any “fossil fuel”
If you want to get really good…build the engine to use everything from gasoline to ethanol to kersosene. Make it so that when the oil companies raise the price on one fuel the consumer can simply move to a cheaper alternative and vote with their dollars!
The big thing though is TO GET IT OUT AND ON THE ROAD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apr 15th, 2008 (12:44 am)$40,000.00 for a Freaking Car? GiVE ME A BREAK!! Originally when I caught the Volt fever with all the Buzz and Hype I really thought GM had a winner!! GM SAVE YOUR MONEY..This car is completly priced out of the range of the American Driver! This project is destined to FAIL, FAIL, FAIL! I really thought you were interested in building a REAL car??? If someone has 40 Grand to spend on a car, they don’t worry about the price of Gas!! Who in the world would want an $800.00 a month car note? Good Grief with folks loosing their homes because they can’t afford to keep up the payments.. Heck People most people’s house notes cost less! Is this GREED or do you just DON’T GET IT? If it really costs this much to produce this car, why don’t you scrap the project and sell a sub compact that gets 40+ a gallon for less than 8 Grand? That would be a WINNER! America needs 40 plus a gallon fuel milage in an AFFORDABLE car. I am afrain GM has pushed me into a Yaris.. I was waiting, but there is no longer a need to wait, I can’t afford a 40 K car. I hope you can sell it but I can tell you that you had better market this car to the people that are making $150,000.00 a year. Check out what the average American makes a year…. They would never be able to even get the loan unless you are financing the car for 20 Years!!! Enough said.. I am as disheartened as I am with the GM Fuel Cell Projects.. All SMOKE AND MIRRORS!! This car will never make Mass marketing, nor mass production at these prices.. I predict GM will try to market this Car at over $50,000.00. Can’t you guys just make something simple and affordable?
Apr 16th, 2008 (12:09 pm)First a general comment, for people aiming for a car @ 25K$ or even 30K$ you need a reality check, even before I came here I expect the Volt to be in 35K$ to 45K$ range and I would buy it in snap. Just remember the cost of the Prius the first time it came out. If you want a cheap car, go buy a sub-compact car.
Now back to the subject, all this data we are talking about actually as more value to GM then to us to see the overall performance of the Volts on the road as they can use that information for the next generation of Volts. And for that reason, if GM decide to add it as an option, they should price correctly as they could cut themself of very valuable data.
I also beleive it should be part of OnStar. WiFi is not secure, period. I can already see the news about hackers who access a Volt remotly. So OnStar gather the information everytime you stop/start your Volt, to access the information you simply access a Web site with basic dashboard, but they should also allow access through RSS/API, enabling outsider to create smart application to present an endless suite of reports.
If there is a data related to GPS, I should be the only one who can enable this feature from the car if I want to.
What data? Well there is the onboard data that I want to see while I’m driving
1- Current Battery status (Using, Charging, %)
2- Depletion rate and Time/Distance before generator start recharging.
3- Depletion rate while recharging and Time/Distance before a refill is needed.
4-My driving performance compare to an optimal performance.
5-Time to destination and base on my driving performance, can I make it without refueling.
6-Screen color should change when I go to recharge mode, it’s a simple reminder that won’t drive my entention of the road.
7- Find out my energy cost when I use AC, defrost and other electronique device.
As for data uploaded by OnStar, everything that can be capture.
As for the initial question:
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
No, see my initial suggestion about the Web.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
Only if it’s part of OnStar.
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
Yes, but not onboard.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Everything related to cost is too specific to the local market and will require too much data entry. So no, this is something you should do afterward from a Web report for example.
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
No, but I want to be able to program when my Volt would start recharging.
Apr 18th, 2008 (8:47 am)First of all, if the car comes out at $45,000, what is the point of buying it?
There is no money savings at that point, period. I am sorry to say this, but your average consumer cares more about their own pocketbook, well before they give a crap about the environment. So thinking they will pay more, JUST for the privelage of driving and eco friendly car is insane.
The purpose of this car should simply be this: RELEAVE OUR DEPENDANCE ON OIL!!!!!!
Do we really have to spend $45,000 to begin to do this? If so, I say screw it. I’ll keep my $38,000 explorer limited, and chug along at 16 miles per gallon. I’ll let all you morons willing to spend $45k for this thing “save the world”. When the air car comes out at $18k, I’ll be first in line.
Sorry to rant, but this anticipated price point for the vehicle has lost all interest in it for me.
Apr 18th, 2008 (9:29 am)JC:
I just want to try to understand your logic:
You spend $38K on an explorer and get 16 MPG.
You will not spend an additional $7K so you can use possibly NO gas.
But those that will do this are morons?
And how do you figure that a new technology, hi-tech car with a battery pack that we have been told costs $10K alone, should be sold at $18K??? If you think this is possible, you should start a car company, and make millions!!!
Plus, until I see a sticker price on the window of a Volt, how do you know for sure it will cost $45K?
Your request to relieve our dependence on oil, may have an up front cost. But from your post, you are just not willing to do anything that will inconvenience youself at all.
That is just a sad commentary on the state of our country….
I am not a “tree hugger” by any definition, but I am willing to do my part to stop using as much fossil fuel as possible for transportation. And if that means paying more up front for the first generation of vehicle that allows me to do this, then that is my contribution. It will then allow GM to make further improvements in the technology, which should help to reduce the costs.
If that makes me a moron, then so be it!
JMHO
Apr 18th, 2008 (9:35 am)#550 Jim
Bravo…..I agree completely as do many, many people.
Apr 18th, 2008 (9:48 am)I’m sure a large part of the cost will be that GM has to guaranty that pack for 10 years.. hopefully that will come down. I have tought that having a few large cells is better than having 100 cells in the pack, easier to repair.. and I hope they have good diagnostics built in to the pack.. The volt is about $10k more expensive than a typical GM car, plus development of course. The fewer Volts they make the more expensive they will be. Unless GM decides to eat the cost.
Apr 19th, 2008 (8:47 am)#549 JC
You are one of the people (SUV drivers) that could benefit most from this technology. For sake of argument, if you only used the electric range of the Volt, you would save the $7000 difference in price in less than 3 years! That’s at $3.50/gallon (today’s price). Every time the price of gas increases, your payback time is reduced. Something to consider before you write off this technology.
The math only gets tricky if you’re already driving a Prius or other low cost, high mpg vehicle. Obviously the payback time is greatly increased.
Apr 23rd, 2008 (1:03 pm)Why should I have to give up something to be fuel and price efficient.
Are you telling me I have to buy a scaled down vehicle in both size and features in order to be fuel efficient.
If that’s the case, let’s do a real comparison. Go buy a Chevy Malibu for $20,000, which you could get comparably equipped with the “basic” volt as everyone is saying they want and are willing to pay $45k plus for. Now that you have $25k difference, as I said before, the only difference in the two vehicles is gas consumption and it would take over 10 years to make up for the price difference, even assuming $5 per gallon of gas.
I realize the point of my loaded explorer vs a basic car that doesn’t consume much, if any gas, in terms of cost vs fuel consumption. I like the luxury features in my vehicle and if I’m going to give them up to drive a more fuel efficient vehicle, I’m not going to pay more for it.
GM knows that people will pay more for this vehicle, simply because you won’t have to buy as much gas for it during ownership, so the price will be inflated accordingly.
Apr 23rd, 2008 (1:54 pm)at $25k price difference from a malibu, you will not recover the cost in gas savings.. but instead you will have pride of ownership of one of the first Volts in your block.. and the eco freak chicks will flock to you
If you want to buy an EV from an economic point of view then you wait for the flood of electric cars that will come out of china.. after all they own the lithium battery factories.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/12/14/chinas-changan-autos-first-hybrid-model-jiexun-hev/
Apr 24th, 2008 (1:25 pm)True indeed.
May 2nd, 2008 (2:17 am)I live in Australia and found out about the volt over the internet. I think it is a great car and its something that out domestic market desperately needs. Because our fuel prices are higher than the U.S.,
People are no longer buying large cars anymore.
For decades, the most popular cars down under where the Holden Commodore (GM) and th Ford Falcon. They are both large cars. But that is ancient history, as fuel prices are at and all time high and crude oil prices are destined to go through the roof next year. People these days are buying small or medium cars such as the Hyuandai Getz; a popular cars among young Australians or the Toyota Corolla which is the best selling car in the country, averaging 12,000-15,000 per year.
But we need something better, more powerful and greener than existing car in the market. The fuel economy of the volt is highly competitive and performance from the 120kw (160hp) electric motor would be class leading. General motors should already see the trend of small/medium cars in Australia and seriously consider making a Right Hand drive version of the Volt and Exporting them to Australia.
Or we could even make them here, as we are exporting Commodores to the U.S. as Pontiac G8′s. Australia has the capacity to build good quality cars in large volumes so the volt would be an ideal choice.
Only the price tag of $45k, would be a dealbreaker for most Australians.
May 2nd, 2008 (3:25 am)I hope you will use LED’s for all the lighting inside and out for the Volt. LED’s sure would decrease the draw on the batteries and increase the range especially at night.
May 5th, 2008 (7:30 am)These features are geared toward “Early Adapters”, who are into all the tech aspects, and are interested. This car, and this fuel type needs to be adopted by the masses! Keep the costs DOWN, and literally sell millions. Respect Prvacy. Review the posts and that’s the summary of what people are saying. Keep anything as an option, if people want it, it is available. Necessary info MUST be there, such as remaining charge and miles. People will want the flexability to charge whenever is necessary. I don’t want to come home with 12 miles remaining, and not be able to run errands of 20 miles because the car will not start charging until 2:00am. As you can read in these posts, the option needs to be cheap for “smart charging”, to compete with manually installing timers. You must keep the costs down, or the car will only be bought by people in a niche market. NOTE to GM. You need to check the competeition, Tesla will market a cheaper vehicle after they gain manufacturing competencies. They already see the demand and are responding. ZAP is introducing very resonably prices cars. Dodge has also introduced one. You’d better hurry, and you’d better keep the barrier to entry HIGH, by keeping the sales price of the car LOW, or everyone will be in the market very soon! Here’s your chance to own the market, will you?
May 15th, 2008 (7:44 am)[...] [...]
May 24th, 2008 (2:48 am)The marginal cost of selling the dashboard software is ZERO - why should you charge extra for any of the features mentioned above? Put as many software bells and whistles as you can (as long as they are easy to use and helpful) and make them all FREE. That creates the barrier for entry you are looking for. If you want to charge, charge for the communications (onstar) - that should cost extra since you are using a data network and need to support that cost – but a careful look at marginal cost of onstar might reveal again that this stuff is pennies per user after the initial rollout cost. Make it free! That can be your competitve advantage and allow you to stomp Toyota, Honda, and the rest.
I have driven Jap. cars for years – but would love to own this Chevy if they can make it right. Cost is an issue, but at $3.50 -$4 gas you can probably figure a way to make it breakeven in 5 years with a comparable subcompact. $30000 is a good number assuming it doesn’t cost me more than $2000 to swap out my battery pack after 60-100000 miles.
As far as adding contollers to time when to charge? leave that to the owners. Rates vary so much and most homeowners aren’t billed on peak usage typically – only commercial users are billed like that. Leave that stuff to the smartmetering folks and the people involved with demand response on the electric market – it shouldn’t be GM’s job to market that any more that it is their job to sell gas.
I do like GPS units that tell me where the cheapest gas is though, and how to avoid traffic. Check out the dash express – very cool GPS application if you aren’t paranoid about privacy.
May 27th, 2008 (2:25 am)I grew up with GM vehicles in my family for generations and I am a very loyal gm owner. I really would like to see you stick it to the imports and ford with the volt… Have you considered an optional solar panel to help extend the volt’s range to over 40 miles on electric? As far as options use a touch screen for the information center like my caddy srx. Maybe allow the person in passenger seat operate it while vehicle is in motion with some sort of a pressure switch in the passenger seat. I have seen a non touch screen nav system in a jeep commander and it’s a joke. The co2 and rates is nonsense unless you are a die hard green freak. just let the customer know when charge is low. The example screen looks cool with the fuel saved. Probably pay 900 – 1200 dollars for the navigation touch screen upgrade.
Jun 2nd, 2008 (5:24 pm)[...] [...]
Jun 10th, 2008 (4:26 pm)As a pilot, I look at LCD displays all day and I am here to tell you, they are a pain in more ways than one. Glare and sunlight/washout are common but dust overlay is by far the worst issue I encounter daily. Most American’s don’t lavish on their cars and dust acretions on the LCD sidelit by a rising morning sun can completely obliterate the display an LCD presents. If the LCDs are embedded, the lens surface must be seriously hard polycarbonate (expensive!) to withstand the rigors of cleaning with whatever is handy (most often). A car with a dash full of LCDs is going to get hammered by the press and the users.
To the questions:
1–Would you prefer the tracking information for costs/electrical usage/gas usage, etc. be provided in the vehicle or by a weekly/monthly e-mail?
My water softner tracks peak usage over a 30-day cycle and makes progs for upcoming demand. If a water softner can provide basic utility information, a few microprocessors and PROM chips can be cobbled together to do the same for a $30K car. This information can be updated over a weekly period with each weeks data held in perpetuity in the unit memory so that battery age can be ascertained over time.
2–Would you be willing to pay for this option? If so, how much?
For an electric vehicle operating on the fringes of technology, simple cost and performance data is essential for the customer. A gas gauge ain’t gonna cut it. This should be a basic part of the onboard “intelligence.”
3–Would you like other information, such as emissions reduced, CO2 negated, etc.
No. That kind of information is simply generated by the onboard computer and adding it should be a no-cost option -IF it is included. I don’t see most people paying premiums for data pages. Not enough nerds out there to support anal assessments of driving efficiency and cost. Most just want to get in and drive with reasonable vehicle self-test and self-assessment data capabilities.
4–Would you like a calculation of cost savings of electricity over fuel?
Again, that would be a simple item to add to the operating system. A “Gallons Saved” per charge and cummulative over the life of the vehicle would be adequate. To get real answers the owner would have to upload fuel costs for the region the vehicle is operated and that seems “unfun.”
5–Would you be willing to pay more for the vehicle to know the rates for electricity and delay charging until the rates are lowest?
This is a critically essential (read DEALBREAKER) option but any user can simply use a timer charger set to operate during off-peak periods. I drove a GEM Car for years and used a wall timer to not only specify charging periods (off peak in Phoenix in the Summer!) but limit charger runaway (a safety feature). Charging during off-peak persiods is THE ONLY way this vehicle can be supported in numbers off the current grid.
Jun 11th, 2008 (8:28 am)Beware of “feature creep”! When developing a software application, usually once the features have been decided and coding has begun, the client with add something that will put the project back months. Maybe GM should concentrate on getting the Volt built. We can add stuff to future generations.
Jun 11th, 2008 (11:19 am)I want to drive your Volt EV, I now drive a Prius which I would not even have if GM had made the Volt first! GM you are losing big bucks while others are about to make it BIG ahead of you! So whats the problem? Are you going to get it on the showroom floor in quantity fast enough? I am waiting to buy my next plug-in Hybrid or Electric Vehicle and I won’t wait forever. Gas is way out there now and getting worse every single day. I want to put that wasted gas money into something I can own and use. When the right one appears, I will buy it! If you don’t have one available for me, then it just won’t be a Volt. This is your call not mine!
Jun 11th, 2008 (11:32 am)565, Exactly. We bought our first Prius this past January to replace a Jeep getting 15 mpg. We are in the market this October to replace the ’97 SW2, and I think GM is going to be late to the party again. I’m sorry, a 40K vehicle will not do, and making us wait another 2-3 years will not do.
Get the vehicle on the road, darnit, and it will sell!
Jun 11th, 2008 (3:50 pm)After posting above, I spent some time reading the posts and talking to friends in the market for just such a vehicle. I came away with a solid understanding of who a big chunk of your market is: Former SUV owners.
If this vehicle is a compact sporty car with no utility, it will bomb. Provide another lightweight composite chassis about the size and volume of a Toyota RAV4 or Honda Fit and you will have a functional utility vehicle. A 2-door sedan with a small trunk will be a bomb considering you are only offering 40 miles before the batteries are toast.
Most commutes average 40 mi.
Good luck but, I think the posters above pretty much echo what I have heard from the higher-income buyers. It better be a home-run. It better be priced right. And it better be utilitarian. Tesla has the high-end sports car market covered. An overpriced, impractical flashy mule will just sit on the showroom floors.
To be a success, this car needs to provide more than “glitz.” And it needs to be within the price range of the common non-GM customer, if GM is to widen its customer base.
Jun 12th, 2008 (9:35 pm)Just make the module replacable and we can upgrade to fancy fancy later.
Jun 17th, 2008 (12:04 pm)Webservers are a “well-used” tech now…it should not take much effort to include it. Of course, the On-Star folks may not agree. On-Star is a nice OPTIONAL monthly service with a fee, but the automotive industry needs to get “on board” with the tech industry. Web servers are included in low cost devices now. The failure alarms and maintenance data should be considered the owner’s data, and this data should be accessible easily without requiring equipment/service from a fee based service even if the business provides access to this data free of charge.
Jun 17th, 2008 (12:25 pm)Should it be only monitoring device or both monitoring and control? It could be control as well. For instance cruise control, acceleration speed limit, climate control, charging timing (not to wake up at night and put your plug in), prewarming or precooling time set, electric range extension, gas usage mode (in case gas get cheaper than $ 0,2 per gallon).
Jul 2nd, 2008 (11:04 am)Praise to GM! The Volt is the right solution at the right time and will impact the world.
Volt owners will be like a social order of their own, and spread the word. GM needs to be ready to make lots of them things.
GM; we do need three things (besides the car) from you.
1. BIG tax break for us and for GM. Uncle Sam needs to help us to help you in this endeavor. It is in the county’s best interest.
2. Legislation for electric rate discount for night charging EVs. We’ve got plenty of generating capacity at night, and currently nothing to do with it. Buying electricity at night helps the utility companies out , makes them money, and is in the nation’s best interest.
3. This seems like a tiny thing, but for psychological reasons, and for the “spread-the-word” social movement which makes for home-run sales, it my be a big thing:
We need a little meter that tells us the cost of the electricity for our wall-plug charge.
When we go to the filling station, the meter on the pump tells me the cost of the purchase. With the Volt, we’re going to be plugging-in all over the place; at work, the grocery stores, the department stores, even the hamburger stands. How much should we pay for the juice? They aren’t going to know, so we need to tell them.
“That’s see, that’s six-fifty for the burgers, and here’s a buck tip, and I got eleven-cents worth of electricity from your plug…”
Maybe the readout could be on the car at the plug port. That’d be more costly, but cute.
I bet Volt owners are going to make those passionate EV1ers seem ho-hum.
Jul 5th, 2008 (8:01 pm)I sure wish I could log on to my car right now and check it’s status. Maybe I could sync it with my i-tunes library!
Aug 11th, 2008 (10:00 pm)My Chev truck (over 300,000 mi) sits in the parking lot at work all day long and gets pretty hot inside.
Solar panels don’t look like they use to. they are flexable and thin as paint.
Can the Volt re-charge for the trip home?
Aug 12th, 2008 (12:18 am)You are right, there have been many advances to solar technology and I would love to see an option (maybe an add-on) where a solar panel could be connected.
I would think that the top of the car would be big enough to support a 300 watt solar panel, just based on current wattage/surface area ratios. Assuming most people have their cars parked for 8 hours a day, what would be enough solar capacity to give them an extra 12 miles of driving time by the time they are ready to head home. (8hr * 300w = 2.4KwH, and only 8KwH is used to drive 40 miles, 40 miles / 8KwH = 5 miles/KWh, 5 miles/KWh * 2.4KwH = 12 miles).
Also, I should note that a lot of people where I live take about an hour to drive to work and another hour back, the time driving would actually add another 3 miles of drive time. (once again 2hr * 300 = 0.6KwH * 5 mi/KWh = 3 miles)
This would effectively boost the range from 40 miles to 55 miles, and as you mentioned with the advances in thin solar technology, wouldn’t add hardly any weight to the vehicle.
Nov 17th, 2008 (12:01 pm)I wish the Volt were smaller with higher range. I’d prefer a truer commuter car,more like an updated EV-1. I like the iMiev Sport with all wheel ‘in wheel’ drive in the two front wheels, but made by GM.
Our country desperately needs electric cars charged by Solar/Wind/Nuclear/Hydro electricity. I’m glad you are making a plugin car. Thanks
Nov 18th, 2008 (9:35 am)GM has a reputation for gimmicks rather than reliable, long term quality or safety. If you fail to build the Volt or whatever without a 5 star crash rating, parts as reliable as a Lexus and paint and plastic equally durable, you will fail again. It is not esoteric mystery why people choose Japanese product the most. My wife and I have graduated from Chevrolet including pick up trucks to Toyota and Subaru. There is great satisfaction from owning and driving a safer and much more reliable vehicle. One miserable, 103F car cratering afternoon in Philly, EVERY broken down car was from the “Big 3″!
Dec 1st, 2008 (10:24 pm)I personally would like to see OBDII, ABS, and air bag trouble codes output to an LCD screen on the dash so I don’t have to buy stupid scan tools. The diagnostic output would help the consumer fix simple problems like broken wires or bad sensors. I would pay extra for that feature and I’ll even help write the software, I’m a firmware developer.
Feb 11th, 2009 (3:16 am)40 miles range?
what are they thinking?
just put a 3 times bigger battery in it!
120 miles range would be acceptable!
why do we need to buy the batteries fom LG?
GM cannot even make a friggin battery?
GM just got billions and they have to buy a battery?
pay me a billon and I build a plant for you idiots!
batteries are getting too hot – cool them you idiots!
batteries are expensive – built a robot factory and save transport costs!
damn friggin idiots at GM – that’s why the US is finished!
even Cessna build the new LSA in China – terrible!
Jun 10th, 2009 (12:48 pm)I don’t know about all of the “gadgets”. The on-board diagnostics terminal would be great but how many sensors are really needed to monitor a battery powered vehicle (obviously monitoring the electrical aspect ought to be a part of the dashboard instrumentation anyway).
What I would really like to see is a stowable solar panel incorporated into the car (like a tray in the trunk or under the rear bumper) that could be set up to “top off”, if not recharge, the battery without having to “plug” it in. I am at work at least nine hours a day while my vehicle sits in a parking lot baking in the sun. It would be great if I could “top off” the battery charge enough to get home without using the gasoline engine. My round trip commute is 52 miles, just over the 40 mile limit.
Jul 10th, 2009 (7:04 pm)New GM is retarded if they think an average Joe is gonna spend 40k on a ‘new’ type of vehicle… as if… If Ford could slap some batteries inside a frame I’m sure that they would outsell this stupidity. And please – make it look a little more like crap and change the promises and then introduce a Cadillac version… GM is clueless like asking the public what they will buy – do you people seriously want to sell vehicles through public opinion? Gimme a break – never got the choice to support the company and now I have to deal with this ongoing series of stupidity…
Dec 10th, 2009 (8:24 am)Really interesting understand this. When cleaning my window blinds I take them down and put them in the bathtub by means of Dawn dish washing liquid. I let the soak and the rinse till the water runs clear. You might have to do this a couple of times. The blinds are easiest to handle once they are pulled all the method up as soon as you take them off the window. Loosen them in the tub.