GM CEO Ed Whitacre is scheduled to make an announcement at 1PM Eastern time tomorrow. He will be speaking at the Austin Texas Chamber of Commerce. GM has also announced the Volt will be in Austin to participate in some “activities.”
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Whitacre will be announcing an expansion of Volt rollout. Right now we know California, Washington DC, and Michigan are three places the Volt will go on sale later this year. According to the report, New York City and Austin Texas will be added on as well.
GM will provide a real-time video stream of Whitacre’s comments in the window below:
Furthermore at 4PM tomorrow GM’s Volt marketing director Tony DiSalle will be participating in a real-time video webcast. He is expected to discuss among other things Volt production volumes and rollout plans.
This is getting very interesting. Stay close to the site, as soon as more is known you will be able to find out here.
Source (WSJ, subscription required)
+35
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:28 pm)Consider this the “Leaf effect.”
Nissan’s been cleaning GM’s clock with good PR over the Leaf and all the reported demand for the Leaf, notwithstanding the fact that a $99 refundable deposit represents a negligible commitment to buy.
This is a positive step, even though it won’t do me any good here in North Carolina.
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:34 pm)YEAH SECOND WOOOO HOOOO!! jk
I don’t think the rollout too big of a deal. I live in detroit and don’t really care about the volt being here first, because all the volt sales in those first few rollout cities are going to be the above-MSRP early adopters buying them anyways. They’ll be in my backyard first, but i and most people won’t be buying them until 6 months to a year after they first roll out in these “select” cities. after the 6-12 month mark, the early hype (and price hike) will be over, THEN i’ll get one, and by that time, they’ll be available in most places anyways, so who cares about the initial few cities? it’s only the difference of a few months, but also the difference of a few thousand dollars in price. Who cares if it’s not in your city first? In the beginning, you’ll either be mad that it’s not in your area, or you’ll be mad at the $5000 over MSRP if it IS in your area first. Pick your poision and be mad, or just relax and wait.
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:44 pm)When do they come to Canada?!?! I hope this is announced as well, so I can start figuring out how much I need to start saving…
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:46 pm)Finally, some good *new* news for the Volt. Lyle wont have to make the trip to Detroit it seems.
-3
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:47 pm)Maybe GM’s next move is to steal Lance Armstrong (who’s from Austin) away from Nissan. It would be more patriotic on his part to be promoting an American car instead of the LEAF.
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:56 pm)WooHoo! Coming to Austin! Too bad I have to work tomorrow:-( Maybe I can sneak away at lunch!
+6
Jun 30th, 2010 (4:58 pm)Well, some time ago it was clear Whitacre was wondering if they could spend more money to get the Volt out more quickly. I think the engineers told him they couldn’t accelerate the release date up the calendar more quickly as they just had so many things that had to be done in order. However, maybe they figured out how throwing some money at it could release it more broadly, thus having a similar effect to releasing it more quickly as it would reach more people faster in either case. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have some increased production numbers to go along with this. But we’ll see.
+4
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:03 pm)And he can drive a car that can actually pace the Tour de France.
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:07 pm)PAGING DAN PETIT. DAN PETIT, PLEASE COME TO THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE.
+5
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:09 pm)Up here in Central Alberta Canada…. I don’t expect to see a Volt till 2013 ish….
In the mean time I will “make due” with my 2010 Fusion Hybrid. I am really loving all the new technolgies in this car !!
FYI to all the Hybrid owners..
My Lifetime ( 9 months ) average over 26,350 KMs is 5.3 KM/100 KMS (53.2 MPG Canadian or 44.3 US MPG) Now that is impressive for a Mid size car.
I will be keeping the Fusion Hybrid as it seats 5 and am hoping the the Volt (with my current driving practices) will do better than the Fusion Hybrid in MPG ….
These are REAL WORLD Stats…..
Ray
+13
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:09 pm)I second that motion! And furthermore, I think our Federal Government should rescind the $7500 incentive for anyone to buy a FOREIGN made automobile using American taxpayers money when many or our own citizens are unemployed and hurting badly. Incentives should be for American made cars only. The LEAF will initially be made in Japan in case you didn’t know.
Keep our money on our own shores where it goes through the economy and benefits our own taxpaying workers!
We do not owe Japan or any other country any help with their car businesses when our own American companies need all the help they can get. Japan would NEVER give incentives to buy American cars. In fact they put up untold barriers to prevent our cars from being sold over there.
And don’t give me the old “when American cars companies make good cars I will buy one” nonsense. That’s sooooo last century. American cars are tops in quality now. So I say quit sending our dollars overseas. Spend the money HERE, on products made by American taxpaying workers, who spend the money here and keep our economy moving.
Go Chevy Volt!
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:19 pm)Good to see some recognition of what most on this board have concluded, that demand will be strong enough to exceed GM’s planned production levels for first couple of years at least, and some would say well beyond that.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:19 pm)Good news! Hopefully they will anounce increased production above the 60k per year.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:45 pm)Yahoo! Great News!
132 Days and counting.
NPNS!
+5
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:46 pm)as per 11 “I second that motion! And furthermore, I think our Federal Government should rescind the $7500 incentive for anyone to buy a FOREIGN made automobile using American taxpayers money ”
I agree!!
Our government is giving foreign companies $7500 per car while they put huge TARIFFS on our cars when we try to sell in there market… then we wonder why the economy is bad.
The Volt rollout will be soon enough… and if the demand is there they will make enough to meet the demand. Always have .. always will.
-2
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:54 pm)Do I understand you to be the first James, and not the one who calls himself “original” James (with a gravatar of a power button, and who tried to get you to put a number after your name)?
If so, I approve of your name-change.
By the way, you mis-spelled “Original.”
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:55 pm)I see that Fisker is relaunching their website in 32 hours (complete with countdown clock to the unveiling)…..is the Volt timing to beat them? Is Fisker going to announce their “official” delivery date of their car at the same time?
-24
Jun 30th, 2010 (5:57 pm)(click to show comment)
+34
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:03 pm)Somewhat OT, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned that Nissan has missed a date today.
Back in April when they started taking the $99 pre-reservations, they wrote:
Today is June 30, and they contacted everyone again:
Maybe there is still time for GM to recoup.
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:08 pm)That is true.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:12 pm)Does the the pick a dealer process information and process for home charging count?
-8
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:16 pm)Zachary Taylor (Jackson) cannot leave this site, he must continue to post until Volt is mainstream, no matter how long that takes. You hear me!
-15
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:21 pm)(click to show comment)
-16
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:26 pm)(click to show comment)
+8
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:26 pm)I still don’t know if they are going to tell us how many we get during the meetings tomorrow, but whatever the number is, I will let you guys know before i pick up the phone to call people on our local “want list”.
-6
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:32 pm)Don’t do it, dude! You’ll get negged to death!
(Pardon me a moment, there seems to be something in my eye …)
-23
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:34 pm)(click to show comment)
-14
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:38 pm)(click to show comment)
+9
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:39 pm)Either voting is broken again, or there are ten trolls on.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:42 pm)Where do the profits of the leaf go???? Not to the US that is for sure.
Tom C
+7
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:42 pm)It would be nice if GM just simply released the Volt in all U.S. states (and all of Canada where I live), because the Volt isn’t as dependent upon public charging infrastructure as other pure electric cars like the Leaf.
+4
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:50 pm)I don’t think that a one score difference is considered a “knock-out”. Especially when they’re comparing pricing that hasn’t been announced yet.
-27
Jun 30th, 2010 (6:50 pm)(click to show comment)
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:10 pm)Hey Ray,
From another Albertan, that sounds like 5.3L/100km, pretty good if you’re including winter warmup/driving!
FYI, the Tesla Roadster is now available in Calgary. GM might also target market all those blue-eyed sheiks if dealers can get away with prices above MSRP!
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:16 pm)Thank you Ray 10 I was just wondering how the Ford was operating for you yesterday .
Don’t pay any attention to the small minded people who post a negative , they don’t know any better . It was the way they were raised .
+4
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:19 pm)Some of the forces that will effect this automotive revolution are much more powerful than fashion or good marketing. The economic forces unleashed will, I believe, change the market landscapes forever.
Real world experience will prove the EREV architecture.
We will come to know that lithium ion batteries and electric drive are reliable.
All this hype, all these prejudices and all this boosterism will melt in the real world validation of quality, competence and reliability.
GM need not worry too much.
That said: the talk of expanding volume and rollout warms the heart.
-10
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:24 pm)(click to show comment)
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:38 pm)Fair point. Hopefully the production numbers will be larger. Also it’s not like this is a huge increase in the number of roll out areas. Initial demand should help provide guidance about total nation wide demand though the areas they are selecting should have the highest demand. It’s not as though you could extrapolate linearly based on areas that have historically been good markets for “green” vehicles.
Who the buyers are should be interesting. The areas with the highest penetration of GM cars and trucks are those areas with the lowest demand for hybrids. And vice versa. Nissan has said that 90% of those who pre-ordered the Leaf were not current Nissan customers. If we can restrain Noel GM may find that number to be 100%!
+5
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:41 pm)Yes, my thoughts exactly, +1.
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:41 pm)Sweet!
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:50 pm)Ya think?
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:51 pm)I’d give them a C- or D on the “begin preparing your home” part, but an F with regard to “more details on your spot.” It seems clear to me that “on your spot” refers to “position in the queue” not “purchase location”. Back to home charging, appointments are being made, but statements from Nissan are contradictory, and some from the company recommended for installation are verifiably lies.
Jun 30th, 2010 (7:53 pm)I think ten Leaf trolls got together and figured out they can vote everyone out of view!
Hey, the Leaf is great, don’t get me wrong. I actually think it’s a psychological experiment to see just how many people will buy a real EV, no matter how ugly.
I’m considering it! I want an EV.
Did anyone see the movie Trading Places with Eddie Murphy? Yeah, like that.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (8:20 pm)Waiting to see what Whitacre says tomorrow.
Not much going on here except a troll-fest. (Apologies to legit gm-volt bloggers.)
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (8:28 pm)Dude, you need to get over it. The UAW and Auto companies were HOGs that got very fat and then slaughtered. Hopefully all those knuckle heads in Michigan woke up and are now on track. Bottom line is that if Asia did not build small cars in the 70′s the US would have died from those old gas guzzlers coming out of Detroit. It made the US companies better for the 1980s. Then the US auto industry got fat and greedy again in the 1990s and paid for it in the 2000s. If Toyota had not launched the Prius and kicked ass, the US companies would have sat on their FAT ass. Bottom line is that people will buy good quality at a fair price. If there was no Prius, GM would never have attempted the VOLT. Most of the companies make their cars in the US now and support the area community far better than the US companies. So do you want GM & Ford to pull out of Europe and Asia? GM-China is very profitable, but WTF the Chinese should only buy Chinese cars right? How about Chrysler, guess they should pull out of Michigan after all they are owned by Fiat and Financed by China. Oh damn that’s right China owns our government debt which supplies GM with Cash. I guess GM should pull out. Of course Toyota should pull their huge operation out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, don’t want the foreigners to sell in the US. I guess that leaves FORD as the only American company that can be here. (Other than the little NEV guys and Tesla.) You need to stop sticking your head in the sand. It is 2010 and a global economy.
Jun 30th, 2010 (8:44 pm)That’s the email folks outside the initial target areas received today. I think those people in the initial areas got a different message.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (8:45 pm)Already stated it will be available in Canada starting with 2012 model year in late 2011.
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (8:59 pm)Here is a reprint of item #2, first victim of tonight’s Troll wave:
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:01 pm)… and here is a reprint of #5, also negged to death by the LEAF warriors:
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:09 pm)OT. I was trying to find an old article near start of May. Is there any list searchable by date?
+19
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:10 pm)To those who may be viewing this site for the first time (with a genuine interest in the Chevrolet Volt): It is clear that boosters of alternative EVs believe that there is something here to shout down. Keep coming back, and eventually the immature Troll army may allow something useful to appear on the Volt’s fan site.
The Chevy Volt is an EV without the leash. Why pay for a giant battery you use only occasionally? According to government statistics, more than three quarters of US drivers do all of their daily commuting in less than 40 miles. However, who wants to be tied down to a 40 mile range? The Chevy Volt has the answer: you only pay for 40 miles’ worth of expensive battery; when this is exhausted, a gas-powered generator fires up to carry the car another 300+ miles. Drive less than 40 miles a day, and you may not use any gas at all.
But wait, you say. LEAF is cheaper? Actually, Volt prices have not been officially announced. When they are, subtract a govt tax credit of $7500. You may find that for a truly electric car without limits, this is actually a steal.
There are other value considerations to make when considering a Volt. How long will the LEAF’s battery pack last? They haven’t said. Volt’s will be warranted for at least 8 years (possibly 10).
When the generator does run, the fuel efficiency will be similar to that of conventional hybrids. Add in the 40 miles you get from that plug in your garage, and the number goes way up.
Keep abreast of the home grown solution that the BEV fanbois don’t want you to see; if not here, then at http://www.chevrolet.com/volt.
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:14 pm)Seems like Nissan blew their $99 load. Chevrolet (to be GM correct) still has held back quite a bid and is releasing info at just the right moments to produce the greatest effective exposure.
Chevrolet.
Bishop (EREV representative) takes Knight (Leaf swordsman).
Check.
Your move Nissan.
+6
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:15 pm)This announcement is NOT a reaction to Nissan and the LEAF. We have been told for months to “stay tuned”, that more announcements would be coming in the summer. Even more specific was the statement that they would announce more cities for initial roll out.
GM is following their schedule. We just have to be patient. All our questions will be answered between now and November 10th.
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:23 pm)I am surprised they didn’t wait until July 4!!! I suppose marketing did a focus group and found that most people are not reading or watching news on July 4th. They survey said…. July 1 is optimum LOLOL
+9
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:38 pm)I used to think you were a crusader for your cause. Falling on your sword and all that. But now I’ve finally come to realize one thing:
You’re just plain old dumb.
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:44 pm)Is the Canadian mile shorter than the US mile or does Canada use imperial gallons?
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:54 pm)Re: expanded Volt rollout:
Still figuring 2012 here in the Mid-South…
All the electric vehicle news in the Nashville and Wilson County areas of TN is about Nissan’s investments in plant and staffing, and work with local governments on charging infrastructure.
Further on EVs, recently one local Ford dealer mentioned the upcoming 2011 model yr electric version of their Transit Connect mini outside but cavernous inside commercial van / taxi / wagon cool ride that is just aching for the aftermarket customizers to get going. Bet more than a few of those show up at some future Bonnaroo* all decked out in green-thought graphics and sin-bin interiors.
*http://www.bonnaroo.com/
Jun 30th, 2010 (9:59 pm)Or maybe his commute is downhill, both ways.
+6
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:00 pm)With the Tesla IPO doing well. And a million more gallons of oil floating in the Gulf each day. Think producing a few more Volt than planned may be a good idea?
Heard a great round table talk on a popular money channel today. The five speakers touched on all the usual points we touch on here. Our energy spending going overseas. Obvious risk of continuing our addiction to oil. A government that is willing to help alternative providers. Multiple means of producing power (algae, wind, hydro, nuclear, solar, bio).
It’s good to see the pieces coming together.
=D-Volt
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:06 pm)Now that the engineering team for the Volt have gotten the first car to production, the corporate and marketing guys take over. Here comes the pr department.
Please, GM, don’t cut the communication lines that we have so much enjoyed for the past few YEARS.
It’s nice that the new GM IPO and the Volt (and don’t forget Cruze) success come at the best marketing advantage timing, but what about the next step in the Voltec evolution.
Don’t go Hollywood on us!
+4
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:10 pm)What the heck is up with the trolls?!? Seems the pro-Nissan folks are a little jealous of the clearly superior Chevrolet Volt.
-16
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:20 pm)(click to show comment)
+4
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:25 pm)It will be exciting to hear of the new rollout locales. Austin and New York or Boston – Seattle has to be on that list – Our auto show isn’t until November, maybe GM will reveal us at the 11th hour?
Remember GM –
1) Seattle is your biggest Hybrid Bus customer
2) Puget Power committed to 2500 Volts and 2500 level 2 and 3 charging stations
3) Gov.Gregoire just signed on to I-5 quick charging stations every 60-80 miles by Nov.
4) Washington State gets most of it’s electricity from clean hydropower and wind.
5) Microsoft is currently offering Prius shuttle taxis around it’s massive Seattle/Redmond, WA campus – this has to change to Volt shuttles ASAP
6) A move is on for the state to offer businesses a reduced (bulk?) rate to install chargers at their establishments – and is in negotiations with 3 major charger manufacturers.
( my hot air not withstanding )
Come on, GM make me eat my words!!!!! I want a Vollllllllllt! You can have my Prius trade in.
Now let’s hope for the co-announcement of a new higher initial production run number!
RECHARGE!
James
+9
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:32 pm)Wow, so much hostility. Come on guys, there’s a lot more regulars here than there are trolls. Vote up the meaningful comments, and vote down the people who are just plain rude.
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:39 pm)Typ – Oh! – #2) LEAFs not Volts – my bad!
RECHARGE!
James
IF YOU BUILD THEM IN REAL NUMBERS THEY WILL COME
+7
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:42 pm)+1! Amen!
RECHARGE!
James
+3
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:43 pm)And you’re ignorant too!
+17
Jun 30th, 2010 (10:49 pm)Let’s skip the Volt vs. Leaf arguments. Yes they are different but both can help get us down the road to eliminating oil’s strategic importance.
+6
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:01 pm)Be careful there.
Your not as knowledgeable as you think.
As much as I won’t buy a Civic, I respect the Odyssey. That vehicle is designed in a US studio, manufactured and assembled with US and Canadian parts (78%) and has been a reliable vehicle that shows the way to create a goal for the UAW to build cars right.
The Volt highlights US manufacturing and engineering almost as much as Saturn did at it’s inception.
History buffs you guys are not. Even less so are you manufacturing engineers. Automotive engineers piss in your coffee and you never know it.
-20
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:02 pm)(click to show comment)
+9
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:13 pm)Is this really what your argument is based on?
The Volt battery uses considerably more of it’s potential than the Leaf battery does.
Don’t be lazy, do the end of life math.
Here’s a starting point example.
A battery that cycles to depletion has a life kwh output less than the exact same battery that cycles at 50%.
Next is environmental factors, but you already know the answer to that! (unless you live in San Francisco).
+7
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:24 pm)You are babbling again.
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:25 pm)My apology to anyone that has fostered the plan to ignore a post that has a lack of civility.
+1
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:35 pm)I’m in Austin… but 1pm is when I’ll be sleeping… otherwise I’d like to go out and take a look at the Volt firsthand. It will be nice that we’re now on the rollout list.
+2
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:37 pm)When this came out yesterday on the previous article.
I made this response and am still very excited_ I believe this is a very significant announcement !!!!!!
**** Well well well….. Looks GM they WILL BE BUILDING MORE VOLTS after all. With all the comments about a limited roll out it would make absolutely no sense to add more sites if GM was not going to build more VOLTS. Looks like the demand is much higher that GM let on earlier. It appears people are learning more about this extended range electric car and like the idea. PLUS the mess in the Gulf may have something to do with higher demand.
Of course I am speculating…. but expansion of the VOLT rollout speaks VOLUMES and I believe the new GM will be a more aggressive car company that is looking at building market share, providing high quality cars and, most important, building innovative cars for the future at a profit!
IPO anyone??
-1
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:42 pm)Man you know i’m lazy. It took all my effort to even write that up.
Hmmmm, thanks, this is a “gray” area where it is contingent on the vehicle owner. This is a “depends on the driver” and their driving habits/pattern.
I know your gonna want me to explain this and write it out so here it goes.
The volt is simple, you only get to use 50% therefore a high cycle count, longer life. Drawback, you’re carying 50% more weight and paid for 100% of it.
The BEV (i’m not a LEAF fan, but a BEV fan) you get the regular DOD range up to 80% therfore you have higher KWh useability and longer EV range. Drawback, cycle count is less and shorter life.
Now I consider both approaches adequate, so it’s pretty much a wash. Now here’s the kicker, If the BEV driver only uses half of it’s useable stored energy, the life of the pack increases dramatically. If the Volt driver does the same, use 4KWh, the same thing happens, life increases. IMO, both packs will probably live longer than the owner will own the car, 10yrs plus.
So this argument all depends on the owner/driver pattern. I can’t really argue it other than “your mileage will vary”.
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:51 pm)Fortunately for Nissan they are done. Sold out worldwide. They will just monitor the process and deliver the cars. Their task now is to get the demographic information from the hand raisers to the engineers and designers, to freeze the 2012 Leaf and for the Gen II Leaf program.
It’s a simpler process when you look at the board rationally…zig, zag, king me.
To what effect when no product is available, and availability will be limited upon release…how many of us wish this was not true?
Yes they seem to have held back quite a bit.
-5
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:54 pm)Should say:
Now here’s the kicker, If the BEV driver only uses half of it’s useable stored energy, then recharges,
Jun 30th, 2010 (11:55 pm)I once went through the though exercise of, what if they gave you 8 kWh now and 8 kWh later.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:00 am)This argument has been posted before. It’s no more or less valid then as it is now. Since neither car is on the road, it’s still a big hole in your argument. Why keep posting it?
And the fan vs. antifreeze/coolant factor?
I guess you live in a temperate climate.
The battery technology is the key. What will be out there when the batteries need to be replaced? The Leaf owner will need find out before the Volt owner will.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:09 am)Agreed, i’m done with it as I am not a battery expert.
If history repeats itself, it can only be better.
It’s getting late and i’m not as a jerk as normal. Going to recharge.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:15 am)Admitedly, I’m no expert on batteries but if the pack is as you stae, I think it would greatly reduce the price of the Volt closer to affordable. Of course i’m calculating the rebates. IMO, if the Volt were flexfuel and the battery pack is as you state, GM would be a stronger contender.
But alas, it is not so and the ship has sailed.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:32 am)So you must be a marketing and economics expert?
+4
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:38 am)Production, quality, procurement. The Leaf is drop dead simple. It’s a battery on 4 wheels. The Volt is not. GM has a market changer here and is protecting the development and marketing better than any vehicle out there. 2 years of OnStar data flow. Low volume, low contractual commitments, flexiblity of investment money. Rapid changes to market demand. World class in house engineering, domestic manufacturing and assembly. To allocate investment in the next Volt, the variables are much greater than just deciding battery size. It’s all part of knowing your customer and selling them the cars they want. The Volt has a lot of unknowns to us and to GM. At what MSRP will the Volt turn a profit and for how long? How much content needs to be removed before the Volt goes high volume? Can they use the same body stampings, high strength steel percentages, and sound insulation? Never mind the generator/motor capabilities.
The next Volt will be determined a lot quicker than the next Nissan BEV. If the Leaf takes off then GM had better get that BEV out there quick and they can. If the Leaf sits on the lots, Nissan looses.
The second factor is showroom traffic. GM doesn’t have Pontiac and Saturn anymore. No G6, Aura, Torrent, or whatever to increase GM floor traffic. It’s Chevy now. That’s it for high volume platforms. What will you find when you visit a Chevy or Nissan dealership?
The Sentra is a bland little car. The Cruze is not. Model for model Chevrolet needs to compete like it never has before.
Isn’t that the end game for the near future?
For some companies the near future is all they have.
Not GM.
+5
Jul 1st, 2010 (2:13 am)Anyone who is down on the Volt is just stupid. It is the most amazing car ever designed, it will take the world by storm. Especially Europe where gas is so expensive. I can’t wait to drive mine around town using no gas and then drive all over the U.S. whenever I choose without having to worry about a charge every 60 miles.
Jul 1st, 2010 (2:18 am)I’d like to see GM do a reservation system for the Volt. .23 cents refundable and you can reserve your Volt! I bet they’d sell 100,000 reservations. Could they then claim they’ve sold out all Volts for the next 3 years? I don’t think so. Rediculous.
-2
Jul 1st, 2010 (2:27 am)Is this news or hyping?
I think there are a couple of issues to discuss here – no not the power supply at 60mph+ – but more serious questions:
- are Europeans willing to grant access to inner cities to dual mode/serial hybrids?
- what technology development is needed making serial hybrids lighter (you know they have two times the electric power machines installed)?
- is the chassis light enough or should there be more deviations from conventional cars to reach the minimum cost?
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (3:14 am)WopOnTour:
Well said crew!
Very well said…
JMO
WOT
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (4:29 am)Wonder if GM is rethinking the hold on the Converj?
=D-Volt
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (5:08 am)Buick LaCrosse made U.S. News “Best Used Cars To Buy” top 10 list. Good going GM. Others on this list: Honda CR-V and Toyota Prius.
=D-Volt
Jul 1st, 2010 (5:23 am)Not for Nissan or Renault either, they have a gazillion electric models in the pipeline and fighting with each other to see which one goes first.. meanwhile the Nissan factories are busy spewing out batteries, motors and inverters. They can always bring out an EREV if Volt sales warrant it. I bet the LEAF will eventually be offered with several battery options.. a low cost, light LEAF 100 and the LEAF 200.. which one will be more popular?
Nissan may even make a go at becoming a supplier of components to other manufacturers, and hopefully they will bring their fast charger to the US and get it UL certified. Massive installation of 50kw chargers will happen along the 160k miles of the National Hwy System, the Feds will demand a US made charger for that. 4000 charging stations will be needed to blanket the system with stations every 40 miles.. perhaps with 10 chargers per station. It would take about $2 billion if low cost chargers were available.
Jul 1st, 2010 (5:44 am)Only if GM can make a profit at the price they sell the Volt for.. otherwise work on reducing the cost and then ramp up.
I never liked the idea of Korean supplied cells for the Volt, if the Hyundai plug-in and hybrids take off I fear they will get preferential status. How many cells is the Michigan LG factory going to make and when?
Jul 1st, 2010 (6:13 am)We know from early testing that GM has at least two battery suppliers. Things will work out fine.
=D-Volt
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (6:42 am)Herm said:
if the Hyundai plug-in and hybrids take off
Man, there’s gonna be used batteries everywhere when people start trading these things in for a Volt. — Let’s see, electric pontoon boat, (2 batteries electric ski boat) — Lots of possibilities.
+3
Jul 1st, 2010 (6:47 am)That’s not quite right.
GM evaluated 2 potential suppliers, LG and A123, and they ended up choosing LG.
A123′s chemistry is somewhat different, so that would affect the software and perhaps the mechanical design of the pack as well. So GM doesn’t really have two sources for battery cells.
And note that A123′s full scale production facility is in China. South Korea is a thriving democracy, while China is a centrally controlled communist country with a lot of issues surrounding human rights, free speech, censorship, etc.
We have to face the reality that the U.S. currently has no major battery production capability. Would you rather have your battery cells from South Korea or China?
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (6:54 am)I predict that GM will do something for us fanboys no matter where we are. Like allowing us to buy from the rollout area and take it home with assurance of support. Of course if the volume is not high enough to support the demand…
Still I don’t think they will abandon us.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (6:57 am)Soon the LG cells will be made in Holland, Michigan.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:08 am)As I understand it, the deeper discharge, even if only occasional, tends to shorten battery life.
And the other major factor for battery life is heat. The liquid cooling of the Volt’s pack should help a lot here.
I’ll be surprised if most Leaf packs last more than 5 years.
Note that GM has floated the idea of using a cheaper pack design with only a 5-year warranty for future versions of the Volt. I’m sure the Leaf pack design had something to do with this.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:16 am)IIRC, the Holland, Michigan plant will have a maximum cell capacity equivalent to 60,000 packs per year. So if Volt demand remains strong, some of the battery cells will be made in South Korea.
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:28 am)Mike D, I too live in the Detroit area, but I AM signed up at a dealership and NOT above MSRP. But if the supply stays too low, the above MSRP price premium will get higher and higher and could peak as much as a year after rollout. My approach was to not wait, get a commitment, at MSRP and hope that the dealer will get cars. Since I am number 2 in line I think/hope that I am in good shape.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:37 am)Just a comment on the Nissan Leaf and recharging the batteries. I live in a large gated community in Fla. In this community are stores and restaurants and sports facilities. I commute around the park by golf cart. One point for you potential Leaf Owners, charging the vehicle is a pain in the butt. I only have to charge it once a week over night, but leaving cable out all night, in the rain where people might walk and either trip or get shocked is a concern. Granted a small concern, but still a nuisance. I can not imagine trying to charge a vehicle overnight in an urban location, what with kids and vandals eyeing your cables and auto
As far as tax credits and incentives for foreign automotive companies, that to me is just wrong. We are trying to rebuild the American economy not the Japanese or Korean economies. Do not forget, Japan would not allow US auto makers to participate in their Cash for Clunkers programs. Japanese and Koreans protect their home markets and restrict competition, we need to do that same and stop being patsies for the foreign companies and manufacturers.
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:47 am)My approach is to wait for the 2012 Volt model, which should be available next summer. Hopefully GM will make this a FlexFuel version.
But hey, all approaches are valid. That’s what makes life interesting…
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:50 am)So I decided I’d finally get my name on Chevrolet.com’s Volt interest list today (in addition to GM-Volt.com’s)…
I put my email address in and a pop-up opened for my contact info (name, address, etc.)… The disappointing part is that the heading of that pop-up box said “Get Cruze news updates.”
What gives?
join thE REVolution
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:51 am)66 Chevy Super Sport:
I loved those “roof fins” on the 66 Chevelle.
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:57 am)I feel that any dealer that sells above the MSRP should disqualify the purchaser from the tax credit.
When the US government gave a tax credit to the Prius the price went up. So why should the government reward greed by allowing the dealership to tack on a bogus charge its not helping anyone except lining the pockets of the business courtesy of the taxpayer.
I personally would not allow the dealership any control of the tax credit it should be handled by an outside source after the purchase to keep it on the up and up.
+3
Jul 1st, 2010 (7:57 am)No 70
You are an a$$whole.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:00 am)How odd to add New York City! It is the only local municipality identified as a rollout location (assuming DC is more like a state). You can’t get NYC plates or registration; rather, you get New York STATE plates and registration. So really, this should be viewed more as a limited New York State rollout, since any New Yorker should be able to roll off a NYC lot with a NYS licensed and registered Volt and drive back to Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, etc. with no hassle.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:06 am)New York City is a TERRIBLE choice as a symbolic rollout location. NYC has an unusually large percent of mass transit riders, AND an unusually low percent of homeowers with garages for home charging. So not only is it a hard sell demographically, but it gives GM the bad image of going head-to-head against mass transit. Again. Ugh. There are soooo many cities in America that are car dependent that the Volt would be better suited for.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:08 am)At this point, when the products are not even available, it doesn’t matter how popular the Leaf is compared to the volt. It’s all just corporate PR for now. What does matter is now many vehicles Chevy ultimately sells versus Nissan and at what profit margin. I think when the volt and Leaf get to compete in the real marketplace both vehicles will sell well but to different markets. The leaf will be a very good city car and the volt will be a very good city and long range car. What probably matters even more is the other vehciles GM will be coming out with based on Voltec – like pickup trucks and minivans and even RVs and commercial vehicle platforms. The automotive world is going to see a big shakeup in the next 3 years.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:11 am)Jim in PA
But loads of people live in NJ and Connecticut and work in Manhattan. If NYC puts free parking for EVs, they’d be great for driving in. I think some of those commuters pay 3 or $400 a month to ride buses and trains in.
+7
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:14 am)Then, for kicks, you should visit an overseas factory (which obviously you have never done) and see all of the US and Eurpean engineers installing US and European machine tools and equipment. The really irony here is that places like China and Korea are industrialized only because they have a country full of what are essentially displaced US factories. That is gradually changing, or course, but nobody should ever lose sight of the fact that it is US technology that industrialized Asia. Their economies are not home-grown, and they owe us respect for that. But don’t hold your breath waiting for it…
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:17 am)I’m assuming they mean the tri-state area, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Long Island, southern New York State, northern New Jersey, and and southern Connecticut. Many wealthy suburban neighborhoods here.
But we’ll have to wait till 1:00 pm to be sure.
And then drive back to the original dealer for servicing? Sounds like a hassle to me.
+5
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:20 am)I’d rather see the transit authorities put in free parking at the transit park and rides for EVs. Parking in NYC is too limited and lucrative to give it away for free to individuals that drive to work alone in a 3,500-lb steel box! For the same money as a downtown parking space they could give EV drivers free transit park-n-ride parking AND a free transit pass.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that EVs may reduce pollution, but they clog the roads just as badly as ICE cars and have the same expensive wear-and-tear on the infrastructure. I support EVs as a replacement for ICE cars, but the minute any government starts subsidizing EVs at the expense of sensible mass transit they’ve lost me.
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:20 am)Already promised.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:29 am)Great post Jim! Even Japan owes us for teaching them how to be a modern society.
+4
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:39 am)Well there *is* that statue in the harbor – the one with the Lady holding up a torch…. You know the one I mean. To me it lines up pretty well with the theme of regaining our Liberty starting on Independence (from oil) Day, 2010. At least the timing is right.
Be well,
Tagamet
LJGTVWOTR!!***********NPNS.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:47 am)AnonymousProxy:
Not “shouting down” but more to reveal the truth and point out the lie. What’s the truth? What’s the lie? Well here’s an example…..
LIE!!
The Volt has a 16KWh battery pack and it is designed to only use 50% of it.Truth
You pay for 100% of the pack only to use just 50% of it. This is by design.LIE!!!
They (Volt fans) commonly make stupid comparisons like this by only applying a rule, in this the subtraction of the tax incentive, to just the Volt and say it will be more affordable.Truth
If you apply the rule to both cars price, you will then get the true comparison. Also they do not mention State tax rebates/incentives because they are typically more for a rebate on an EV than the Volt.One other lie they perpetuate is that the Volt runs on pure electricity. Unfortunately none of them will be willing to do a simple test to prove the Volt runs 100% electricity.
The simple test is to just connect a hose to the exhaust pipe of the Volt and channel the hose into the cabin of the Volt, roll up all the windows and do not use the AC or fan and simply drive till you have consumed both the battery after a full charge and the gas tank after a full gas tank, just as if you are taking a long trip.
Funny nobody will want to take that challenge.The Volt will also keep you tehered to the very same thing you want to eliminate. Foreign Oil. It is designed to burn oil and is designed to be convenient for you to brn oil. Volt fans will often praise how they can “just keep driving even if the charge is depleted….” or keep driving past the BEV on the side of the road”. But the truth is that great feature just transforms you back to a driver dependent on foreign oil. The name of the car shold be more appropriately called “Decepticon”.So in a nutshell, the primary selling feature is the ability to transform back to a dirty gas polluter. If you are here to get off of gas and you are looking to “End Dependence on foreign oil”, you are loking at the wrong product. You need to go elsewhere becuase this product is designed to keep the US dependent on the arab nations that want us all dead.
Range Anxiety = Dependence on foreign oil = Volt = “EoDEV” (Extended oil Dependence Electric Vehicle)
I wanted to clear up a few things here.
1) The Volt battery is over engineered so that GM can say that it will last 8 – 10 years. There is no historical data to support making a Lithium Ion battery cell for a car and assuring the public just how long it will last. This is just good business sense.
2) People who purchase a Volt will get a $7,500 tax credit. Period. If an all electric car (like the Leaf) gets more additional state incentives than the Volt… great. I am glad for all electric car incentives. I have done my research and determined that the Volt represents the best of all the options I am looking for. If the Leaf fits for someone else, good for them and extra kudos if they can get even more incentives.
3) The Volt is an Electric car and only runs on electricity. It is just a matter of where that electricity comes from. Depending on where you live in the US (and if you have solar or wind hooked up directly to your home – or have the option to purchase only green energy from the local utility) you would be charging your electric vehicle with a cocktail of electrical sources (coal, hydro, wind, nuclear, etc.). The Volt has the option of getting electricity from burning gasoline as well… on demand. While I agree with the poster that we need to cut oil out of the equation, I believe that cars like the Volt are an amazingly important first step, not an end all be all. A 70% reduction in oil use (the lowball percent of people who drive less than 40 miles a day) is an impressive first step. One step at a time.
Harrier1970
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:52 am)No kidding. I dropped the $100 just in case. I don’t think I’d really want the Leaf, but if I can’t get a Volt I might settle…
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:52 am)Well, I am not surprised that Austin is on the list. Per capita, I suspect Austin has a ton of greenies that will jump all over the Volt. I live in Austin and can tell you that it seems every fifth car is a Prius. As far as Lance Armstrong, I hope he has nothing to do with the Volt…it would turn my stomach.
For me, I will buy the volt at MSRP, but nothing more. So, I might have to wait longer afterall….
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:52 am)Good point. Most innovation comes from the U.S.
For example, many people seem to credit Toyota for inventing hybrids, but this actually came from a U.S. government program that started in 1993:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNGV
Toyota was scared they would be left behind, so they came up with similar designs of their own.
Then when OPEC lowered gas prices below $1/gallon, American car companies dropped their hybrids and EVs in favor of huge SUVs and trucks.
Toyota was smart because they took a longer term view, and continued with hybrid development in the face of currently low gas prices.
And that’s where Asia seems to consistently beat the U.S. They don’t look for quick profits. Most of their business decisions take the long term view.
For example, back in the 60s, the UAW wanted a raise in pay, and since times were good it was hard for GM to say no. But instead of a raise, GM offered union employees a pension with full health benefits. This allowed GM to keep their high profits at the time. But that decision, more than any other, led to GM’s recent bankruptcy. In 2008, if you took away payments to retired workers, union employees made about the same amount as non-union workers in foreign car plants in the U.S.. So pension and health benefits for retired workers is what made the U.S. auto industry non-competitive.
Just one of many U.S. business decisions that were great in the short term and horrible in the long term.
Jul 1st, 2010 (8:59 am)When was that promised? If that’s true, I’m getting more excited now!
join thE REVolution
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:00 am)Good point. And more crassly put, it is a nice symbolic middle finger to the regimes that tacitly financed the NYC carnage on 9/11.
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:07 am)The pendulum has swung the other way now. To limit the pay and benefit cuts to current UAW workers, they agreed to steeply limit pay and benefits to new hires. The new workers at GM, Ford and Chrysler (Fiat?) are earning less than the new workers at Toyota in the US.
Right now jobs are scarce for assembly workers so they can get away with it. Over time I’m sure there will be a revolt within the UAW when enough younger workers get the power to end the shafting they are getting at the hands of the older workers.
+3
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:16 am)===================================
It is good to hear from you bud!!!!
I hope everything is OK with you………….
The troll infestation has gone wild since you have been gone!
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:18 am)NYC? Who the heck has access to an outlet in NYC? Unless they are talking about the greater NYC, like Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, SI?
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:18 am)Yes, but over what time period? 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?
Specifically, the Leaf battery pack design appears to be much less robust, so it is likely to age faster. People will start figuring this out around the year 2016.
By contrast, GM says they will play with the points at which the charger shuts off and the ICE turns on in order to maintain 8kWh of usable battery over the life of the car. Here’s an example of how that might happen:
VOLT BATTERY AGING … New … 5 years … 10 years … End of life
Total capacity (kWh) ……… 16 …… 14.5 ……… 13 ………… 12
Charger shuts off at ……… 80% ….. 82% ……… 85% ……… 87%
ICE turns on at ……………. 30% ….. 27% ……… 23% ……… 20%
Available kWh ……………….. 8 …….. 8 …………. 8 …………. 8
I think people who live in or near the city still like to take longer trips as well. If Leaf owners use their other car for longer trips, this may actually use more gasoline than the Volt.
For example, let’s say you own a Nissan Leaf and use a Toyota Corolla for longer trips. With a typical driving pattern, assuming you only charge overnight:
Vehicle ……………… Gallons per year
Volt ………………………. 37
Leaf/Corolla ………… 39
Prius …………………… 228
30 MPG car ………… 380
20 MPG car ………… 570
GM has said that current battery technology doesn’t allow large heavy EREVs. I don’t have the link handy, but you can use the gm-volt.com search feature above to find it.
But there are many options for smaller EREV vehicles, like the Converj, Orlando, MPV5, etc.
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:21 am)GM had better make a profit on each Volt from Day One. If they don’t, they’ll eventually have to cancel it.
They didn’t cancel the EV1 because of the EEEEVIIIIL oil companies or because it made their other cars look bad. How does a 70 mile range in good weather two seater car make their other cars look bad? They cancelled it because they lost money on every car. Perhaps they could have brought the costs down with higher production volume, but GM has much better automotive engineers than I am, and they didn’t think they could. GM priced a $80,000.00 manufacturing cost car as if it sold for $45,000.00 retail. Of course they cancelled it.
They’ll cancel the Volt, too, if it doesn’t make a profit. They’ll have to. It doesn’t matter how much the customers love them. That kind of love could kill a company.
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:22 am)Short version.
Read the comments. Enjoy learning new stuff. Make conclusions using common sense.
Thanks for reading it.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:32 am)Good to see you back, Doctor. Have a great 4th!
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:36 am)That’s not how it usually works. What matters is the potential for longer term profit.
For example, I’m sure Toyota sold the first Prius models at a slight loss. It takes some time to figure out how to streamline the production process to lower prices.
Unlike the consumer electronics market, car buyers expect prices to remain about the same from one year to the next. So if GM comes out with an initial high price for the Volt, people will remember that for a while, and won’t even bother to look at the price again if it gets lower.
By contrast, if GM prices the Volt lower and takes a small loss on each one initially, then people will remember that the Volt is an affordable car, and be more apt to consider one when their current car needs to be replaced.
So long term profits may be increased by taking a small loss in the near term, and this practice is very typical for car manufacturers.
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:36 am)Thanks Jim. Yes, the site sometimes looks like a pilot for “Trolls Gone Wild”, but the core is still pure.
Be well,
Tagamet
LJGTVWOTR!!**********NPNS
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:39 am)Technically, you just named the 4 boroughs of NYC in addition to Manhattan. Just to clarify for people that don’t know, these are not “greater” outlying areas of NYC; Staten Island is just as much in New York City as Wall Street is. So in that regard, many people own houses in NYC, but as a percent of population it is definitely below the national average.
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:47 am)China at this point, I dont trust the Koreans or Japanese in these matters. Look at Ford and how they always limited the production of hybrids. I bet you GM forced LG to build a factory in Michigan for the same reasons..
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:47 am)Nice to see you back. (You have been missed). NY is also a huge market. It’s not as if everyone lives in Manhattan. And it’s a market that doesn’t buy a lot of GM vehicles. The coasts (and Austin — ha ha) are great target markets for the Volt. High interest in hybrids and low purchases of GM vehicles. Nissan has said that only 10% of Leaf buyers are Nissan customers. That’s an unbelievable number. GM may get this result with the Volt, which will be even more unbelievable given that its baseline of current customers is so much higher.
AKA letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
AFAIK “protecting” great new products by limiting their production has never appeared in a business case study as being a good strategy. On its face it’s rather the opposite.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:51 am)A123 is only in China because it couldn’t get funding to manufacture here. And it hasn’t turned out that well because some of its technology has been “adopted” by competitors. Here’s a story about it: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/08/business/la-fi-green-manufacturing-20100509
Jul 1st, 2010 (9:52 am)The EV1 was really a prototype with a limited field test. It was never supposed to make money. It was supposed to gather data for future EVs that could be profitable.
And GM even started experimenting with a series hybrid version of the EV1:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ev1#EV1_series_hybrid
So if the EV1 program hadn’t been killed, and the NiMH patents sold to an oil company, then we may have had something like the Volt 5 years sooner.
Once a viable electric drive car goes mainstream, that will greatly accelerate innovation in this area. We’re already starting to see that now.
And once the Volt gets some real competition, things will change dramatically. By real competition, I mean a car that:
• runs on electricity or gasoline
• has at least 30 miles all-electric range
• is built by a major car maker
• is real, with an announced production date
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:00 am)I disagree completely. It was a crash project forced on GM and designed to meet the CARB zero emissions mandate so that GM could continue to sell a range of cars in the 17 states that had adopted CARB standards.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:03 am)LOL, one of the hidden costs of doing business in China.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:33 am)Actually, I believe cars like the Volt are the final solution.
First, let’s look at the facts about oil. The United States imports around 2/3 of the oil we consume. Oil consumption breaks down roughly as follows:
• 44% gasoline (mostly for passenger vehicles)
• 17% diesel (mostly for heavy duty long distance travel)
• 5% jet fuel
• 15% fuel oil (home heating and industrial)
• 19% other (petro-chemical, plastics, fertilizer, etc.)
So even if all passenger vehicles were pure BEVs, that wouldn’t even replace 1/2 of our current oil use, and we would be no where near energy independence.
Replacing diesel and jet fuel with electricity isn’t viable. You can’t power a plane or ship with batteries, and there is no battery technology on the horizon that can power an 18-wheel truck across the country. So to me, it’s obvious that any real solution for energy independence must include bio-fuels.
And if bio-fuels are required anyway, why not use them for the relatively small amount of gasoline consumption that isn’t covered by EREVs?
So for passenger vehicles, I believe the combination of EREVs and bio-fuels is the long-term solution. Using cellulosic gasification, up to 35% of our current gasoline consumption can be replaced, without any affect on our food supply. EREVs can replace up to 80% of gasoline consumption. Together, that’s 115% – more than enough to completely replace gasoline, all using our current infrastructure of 110 volt home outlets and liquid fuel filling stations.
Couple that with bio-diesel and jet fuel from algae, and you may have a real solution for energy independence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxNeBQCRv1c
“If we took one tenth of the state of New Mexico and converted it into algae production, we could meet all the energy demands of the U.S.”
And by the way, cellulosic gasification is not some lab experiment. They’re scaling it up now:
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:35 am)Yes, the limited field test in California was forced, but I believe GM had started to look at EVs before that. My point was that the EV1 was really a prototype, never meant for mass production.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:38 am)Not so sure todays GM’s announcements are due to a “Leaf effect”
I think GM is running its own program.
They are looking at the growing demand, goodwill, and the realization they have a game changing product that will be a BIG winner and profitable for them.
This is the extension of the comeback the new GM is experiencing.
When there is demand GM has realized it is time to discuss expansion of production. That is what we will be hearing about today.
When will the new GM stock be available??
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:44 am)Thanks, DonC. Never one to be too hampered by reality, the NY market just about stretches to central PA.
I’m kinda hoping for something “moving” in the announcement today – always holding out the hope that GM won’t let the Independence Day opportunity slip through its fingers. I guess Paulianna lives on….
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
LJGTVWOTR!!**********NPNS
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:53 am)From what people have said the EV1 was killed by a changing of the guard at GM, which is why the recent lack of enthusiasm for the Volt combined with the departure of its supporters from the ranks of GM management is so troubling.
As you know I’d believe more with a $4/gallon gas tax! LOL (But in any event it’s great to see Paulianna — the latin cousin of Pollyanna — living on).
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (10:53 am)Let me add my “glad to see you’re around” and commenting.
(Check my last two normal emails.)
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:00 am)Yes, it seems like the GM marketing effort for the Volt is not nearly up to the standards of the GM engineering and manufacturing people. I sure hope that changes starting with today’s announcments. Dare I hold my breath?
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:03 am)Paulie is Poly’s quantum mechanical, gender appropriate twin. Both are Mr and Mrs. Anna’s kids.
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
LJGTVWOTR!!**********NPNS.
/Back at 1:00
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:05 am)If free parking induces a total of 13 or 14 new drivers to get off the trains each day, the entire transport system will collapse into total, permanent gridlock
There is simply no room on the roads for more drivers to make their daily work commutes, though there are a huge number of ICE cars that could be replaced with EV’s or ER-EV’s in the region.
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:17 am)BTW, a somewhat off topic question: the timestamps that appear here seem to be an hour before Eastern Daylight Time. Any explanation? Is the web hosting site in a timezone that is in CST?
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:18 am)Very glad to see Tagamet back with us.
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:18 am)There is some truth to that. The corrections follow…
GM has been building electric car prototypes since before Cadillac invented the electric starter (Their first hybrid?). However, show me the date Alan Cocconi was greenlighted for a production powertrain, and I’ll show you the date they were serious about putting one on the roads.
It was not a limited field test in Cal. It was a required condition to be met before obtaining the right to sell cars in 17 populous US states.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:25 am)We do have a lot of commuters. And, yes, public transportation can be expensive. (Although not nearly as expensive as parking in a garage on a regular basis.) But the last thing New York City needs is more people to ride in by car. We have too much congestion as it is. The point of EVs is to replace the ICE. Not the Path train. Or NJ transit.
I can see subsidized parking for EVs. Or free charging. But no way should the New York taxpayer make it cheaper to drive in–even in an EV–than it is to take the train.
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:31 am)… and you can know their location or their velocity, but not both at the same time.
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:35 am)US trade deficit in April–$40.3 billion dollars.
http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/ustrade.html
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:36 am)Is it just me, or are you PDNFTT purists only slightly less annoying than the trolls themselves?
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:39 am)And did the high-energy collision which created them also liberate a neutron?
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:39 am)Boy are they!!!! I’ll agree with that one
+2
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:43 am)Glad to see you back!
They’re announcing an expansion of the rollout. Personally, I think that qualifies as a celebration.
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:44 am)Just you Mr. President
Even the best plans are rarely unanimous. Hi Tag.
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:47 am)I’d say that too, if it was my hometown….yawn
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:52 am)The added advantage of Voltec from a purely environmental standpoint, is that the more concentrated the vehicles (in urban areas), the greater the likelihood that electricity is being used. Emissions will be more likely out in the hinterland, where vehicle concentrations are lower. By “environmental” I mean actual quality of life issues, with all climate concerns set aside, for the moment. “Livability” issues also includes sound pollution, if they don’t get carried away with pedestrian alerting sounds.
I believe that the car of the future will evolve from EREV as currently envisioned: It have a greater AER, and a smaller generator than the imminent GEN I Volt. This generator will be sized to provide the average (rather than peak load) demand of the car, or the amount necessary to overcome friction and losses at highway speeds (whichever is lowest).
Opportunity charging of various levels will eventually appear in urban areas, where they make the most sense. Outside of metropolitan areas, liquid hydrocarbon fuels will continue to rule; until there are (probably unanticipated) technological revolutions we cannot guess at today.
+3
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:54 am)Thanks for the good laugh, Tag… & welcome back! You’ve been missed, big time!!!
+1
Jul 1st, 2010 (11:59 am)Nope, but a Higgs Boson, though in an infinite number of positions.
Now back to the Volt (g).
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:01 pm)Well, I actually suspected that, which is why I asked.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:02 pm)I’ve been monitoring the behavior here and it’s frankly been a bit disappointing at times (lol).
Is the “show” started yet?
Tagamet
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:05 pm)So far, the link at top is showing a hotel ballroom lunch in progress. Anybody see Dan, Lyle (or anybody from the site)?
-1
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:05 pm)Clearly you don’t understand batteries. Discharging to that depth damages the batteries! Unlike the Leaf, the Chevy Volt is designed to be drivable in 10+ years. The engineering (or lack thereof) involved in the Leaf’s battery management pretty much ensures the car will be completely dead in 5 years (unless you can shell out big bucks to replace the battery).
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:11 pm)Just a lot of penguins. I thought that there was a recession going on?
Be well,
Tagamet
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:12 pm)Local Austin stuff being announced now (official recognition of penguins, mostly).
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:16 pm)I think this is just an Austin Chamber of Commerce lunch. There’s a Volt next to the stage, but Ed isn’t even first on the agenda …
EDIT: Oh, wait. I think the “Honor Flag” ties in (“presented by Chevrolet”). Could be a sign that GM is going with energy independence for the Volt rather than climate change.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:18 pm)This is with all the lovely Alberta Winter Warm ups and such.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:22 pm)That was my take too. Heartwarming.
Tagamet
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:24 pm)and now the introduction of the introducer… Sigh
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:26 pm)…Stay Tuned!!!!
/sorry ….
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:27 pm)AAAaaarghhhhh, locals, come on Jedd load up the truck already, embrace the Volt-age!!!
That one was for you Dan P. Congratulations and welcome to you and Austin, to our little club
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:28 pm)And here’s Ed …
-3
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:32 pm)Please by Volt. Volt is better than bev. Volt will make sure american people will keep funding our investors. Volt uses gas to keep our funs flowing and in future you will be buying from other supporting country Afghanistan for lithium. Volt is best bang for our future.
Volt is best car. You need oil to go farther than bev to feel safest. Please keep using oil products for our investors. E85 is not good for you America, you must be very carefull. Investors have best product for you and our investors will keep providing. Do not listen to those saying bev is best, they are wrong. Best to use investor products.
Thank you.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:32 pm)… and Lyle’s put a new post up.
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:34 pm)Thanks, That’s a bit sneaky.
Tagamet
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:35 pm)… and now, Ed is praising the Suburban as “quintessentially Texan” (they’re assembled in the State, but still ….)
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:41 pm)… and now, he’s giving out coupons, lol.
OK, now the Volt …
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:44 pm)initial locations for Volt rollouts will now include
NY, NJ, CT and Austin TX
(official)
Austin Volt will be driven to NY to arrive Jul 4th, “Freedom Drive.”
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:47 pm)… And that concludes the comments (heavy on New GM, light on Volt, except for the announcement).
Jul 1st, 2010 (12:54 pm)That gets me closer to a Volt since I’m just over the line from CT in MA.
Jul 1st, 2010 (1:41 pm)This is how the world works. Which is why I keep modding Michigan Guy’s comments down. I do prefer to buy local and buy American when I can, but the car business is an international business, and no amount of flag-waving is going to change that.
My laptop has an American nameplate on it, since it is “Designed by Apple, in California”. But it was made in China. Similarly, I own a Ford Ranger — I don’t know where it was made, but it’s an “American” vehicle, designed by Mazda. It’s precisely as American as the Mazda B8200. All of the electronics appear to be made in the same Chinese factories that made my Apple Computer. Does buying a Japanese-designed Ford vehicle full of Chinese parts make me a Patriotic American, just because it has a Ford sticker on it?
Would I be some sort of traitor if I bought the Mazda B8200 from the same factory that made my Ranger, on the day they happened to have Mazda stickers in the bin? What if my Ford was built in Argentina? What if I bought a Toyota built in Kentucky?
This issue is a lot more complicated than Michigan Guy wants to believe. Yes, the Chevrolet Volt will contain a lot of foreign-made parts. No, pointing out that fact doesn’t necessitate a -17 score — it’s true for every car made, and anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t looked closely at the parts under the hood of the car they currently own.
Jul 1st, 2010 (1:55 pm)Um, how exactly is “not sending a constant stream of money to oil-exporting nations, some of which hate us” not a benefit?
So what if $30k for the manufacturing leaves the country once… The cost of fuel (which is only going up) will stop leaving the USA over the lifetime of the vehicle. And, even if a Leaf owner sells his vehicle after a month, someone will own the car and likely be driving it, so it will continue to displace oil usage.
Also, the body-count for the American occupation of Japan is currently much lower than the body-count for the American occupation of Iraq. Also, the West Virginia coal miners that I’ve met would be happy for your business, and aren’t about to shoot any potential customers.
I think you totally missed the mark on the benefits to the USA of buying a foreign electric car. I do agree that making electric cars in the USA would be *better* economically, but buying foreign ones still seems like a big win to me.
Jul 1st, 2010 (5:10 pm)Do I see the final production side view mirrors on the Austin Volt? Glad GM is keeping this feature.
=D-Volt
Jul 2nd, 2010 (9:46 am)Emphasis added.
With the battery pack cost in the $10,000.00 range and the rest of the car not any cheaper to build than any other car the same size I don’t think it’s likely to be a small loss.
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