egmCarTech » Chevrolet Volt

Video: Chevrolet Volt Super Bowl XLVI ad features Aliens

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:21:25 +0000

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General Motors has just released its Super Bowl XLVI commercial for the Chevrolet Volt for the big game on Sunday.

Titled ‘Aliens’, the 30-second spot shows the curiosity about the Volt and its electric powertrain extends to extraterrestrial beings from galaxies far, far away.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Refresher: The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit, which allows it to drive 40 miles on battery power alone. The system puts out 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp 1.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to travel additional miles while averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A fully charged battery and full tank of gas will allow the Volt to travel 379 miles. The 2012 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving under electric power only, 37 mpg when in gasoline mode and over the long term it is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered and electric-powered driving. Prices for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt start at $39,995 but with a full federal income tax credit (which range from $0 to $7,500), the Volt can cost a total of $32,495.

- By: Omar Rana

GM misses Chevy Volt sales goal in 2011, Jan. 2012 also sluggish

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:09 +0000

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Sales of the Chevrolet Volt dropped sharply in January with GM only selling 603 units. Blame for the drop in sales goes to the negative publicity the Volt has received from a government safety investigation.

January 2012 turned out to be the worst month for the Volt since August, where it was only delivered to 302 customers. During the fourth quarter of 2011, GM averaged monthly sales of 1,259 units.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

GM executives say that they are unable to gauge the demand for the Chevrolet Volt until May or June due to the availability being tight and some dealers still receiving their first batch.

In 2011, a total of 7,671 Volts were sold, way short of GM’s 10,000 goal.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoNews

Bob Lutz tells right wingers to stop criticizing the Volt, provides strong facts

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:27 +0000

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The Chevrolet Volt has been under a lot of scrutiny after a crashed Volt’s battery shorted by coolant caught on fire three weeks after a test by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ever since, the Volt has become a top-topic for right wingers.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Bob Lutz, who conceived the Volt with a team of advanced engineers, has now written an article asking right wingers to stop attacking the Volt.

Some of the points Lutz points out:

Not one Chevrolet Volt has ever caught fire in normal use or in accidents. Not a single one.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even after the highly artificial crash test (placing the car on its back, even though it did not roll over in the test) nevertheless awarded the Volt NHTSA’s highest crash-safety rating: 5 stars. Volt is supremely safe.
The crashed Volt, its battery shorted by coolant from the period unjustifiably spent “feet up,” caught fire three weeks after said test. (I submit that this would provide adequate time for surviving passengers to exit the vehicle.).

Check out Lutz’s article on Forbes here.

- By: Omar Rana

Report: Operations with Chevy Volt restart after heavy scrutiny, complete with new TV ad spot

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:16:01 +0000

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In light of the concerns of fire with the giant laptop batteries powering the Chevrolet Volt, nearly everything came to a halt as the plug-in electric hybrid was under heavy scrutiny after a Volt randomly combusted after a crash test. But after a hearing in front of a U.S. House panel with the U.S. National highway Traffic Safety Administration, nothing out of the ordinary was found and as a result, operations with the Volt restarted, complete with a new marketing campaign.

“The world is learning from Detroit again. And we couldn’t be prouder,” said GM’s CEO, Dan Akerson in a full report after the hearing.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

In terms of the new marketing campaign, GM will be releaseing a new television spot that will first appear on News Corp’s Fox News channel.

Check it out after the jump.

- By: Chris Chin

Source: AutoNews

Report: Chevrolet Volt controversy hurts sales despite getting cleared

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:56:50 +0000

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GM North America President Mark Reuss has admitted that the Chevrolet Volt sales numbers have significantly dropped for the month of January due to the bad publicity currently surrounding the model.

Reuss sites the government investigation of the Volt crash test fire is “definitely a component” that contributes to this month’s dip in sales. In contrast, December was the model’s best month, with roughly 1,530 unit sold out of the entire year’s 7,700 total.

Currently, GM is changing courses with its marketing for the Volt to attempt to build the model’s reputation back up. Airing a new commercial dubbed “Morning in Hamtramck” is one of the first steps, which is an ad that emphasizes the car’s Detroit roots that will run for a month.

Another approach GM has taken is the “open letter to America” thanking those that stand by the car, written by CEO Dan Akerson, along with his testimony Wednesday during the Volt fire hearing. Akerson still claims the Volt is a safe vehicle, and Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, agrees. LaHood also denies any government interference in the investigation of the Volt fire and believes the releasing the information on the investigation was premature.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: DetroitNews

Chevrolet Volt owners may soon charge with renewable energy

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:33:04 +0000

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New technology is in the works via OnStar and PJM Interconnection that will allow Chevrolet Volt owners to use renewable energy to charge up their EV’s.

PJM Interconnection’s role in the system is to collect data on the percentage of renewable energy that is available on the grid, and then transfer it on to the OnStar cloud, dubbed the Advanced Telematics Operating Management System. The ATOMS system would then manage the charging from there.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Google’s ‘Gfleet’ is being used by OnStar and Google to test the technology on 17 Volts. “This demonstration shows that in the near future customers will have a real signal of demand for renewable energy,” said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president of planning and business development. “As customers configure their Volts to favor renewable energy for their charging cycle, this real demand signal will influence utilities to tap into renewable sources.”

- By: Alexandra Koken

Report: State of California to get its own Chevrolet Volt version

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:20:42 +0000

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In order to tap in to a niche market, GM has decided to try and grab buyer’s attention with a modified version of the Chevrolet Volt model.

In certain regions throughout the U.S., car-pool stickers are offered up on some models, such as the Toyota Prius. To try and grab a bigger piece of the market, the Volt will now be released modified to be able to drive in carpool lanes with only one driver, something very few models qualify to do.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

The new model will probably come badged as a special edition, only for release in California. Given the states proclivity to all things ‘green’ and the 30% of sales that went to the state last year, it’s probable that the new Volt variant will be a success.

Check out the vehicle’s mentioned in this article:

By: Alexandra Koken

Source: USAToday

New Toyota Prius V outsells Chevrolet Volt in 2011

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:28:47 +0000

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In just 10 short weeks, the Toyota Prius v managed to outsell the Chevrolet Volt that was available for all of 2011.

GM sold 7,671 units in 2011, and 7,997 in its first 13 months, while the Prius v hit dealers in October 2011, and by the last week in December 8,399 had rolled off Toyota’s lots.

With a 220,000 unit sales goal for all Prius variants, Toyota is looking to boost its sales by 60% from last year. Missing its goal by 10,000 units last year, GM struggled with production and availability, along with crash fire investigations. In addition to these issues, the Prius starts at $26,400, while the Volt has a price tag of $39,145, another contributing factor to the quick success of the Prius.

Overall, Hybrid sales make up just 2.2% last year’s auto sales, down from the previous year’s 2.4%. While Nissan missed its sales goal of 10,000 units for last year, 9,674 Leaf models were still sold.

Check out the vehicle’s mentioned in this article:

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Free Press

GM CEO to testify in front of U.S. House panel regarding Volt fire

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:45:43 +0000

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General Motors CEO Dan Akerson agreed yesterday to testify in front of a U.S. House panel next week regarding how safety regulators handled the investigation into Chevrolet Volt crash fire risks.

“Dan has agreed to testify at the hearing, and he looks forward to doing it,” GM spokesman Greg Martin told The Detroit News. This will be Akerson’s first testimony on Capitol Hill since he took over as CEO of GM in September 2010.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is also expected to hear from David Strickland, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25 and will be titled “Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA know and when did they know it?”

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoNews

Opinion: Some call electric cars novelties, gas cars still rule, is that where we stand?

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:30:57 +0000

After egmCarTech’s trip to the 2012 North American International Show, we walked away with a little bit of an epiphany. But before I get to that, we were expecting there to be a huge influx of new cars with alternative powertrains. In other words, I personally was expecting every make to be pitching their push forward towards electric and hybrid powertrains.

But to my surprise, there weren’t. And that raised some questions. Ever since Chevrolet introduced the Volt and Nissan brought about the LEAF, I thought I’d be confronted with a great number of concepts with brands bragging about how EVs are the future and how everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. But some countering examples include Mazda, who just unveiled the CX-5 crossover, which is said to get up to 35 mpg on the highway. Then Ford’s stand was heavily pitching their EcoBoost lineup, both of which were suggesting that greater fuel economy is still better achieved by gas engines instead of alternative powertrains. Does this mean that the electric car craze was short lived? And apparently, we’re not the only ones wondering where electric cars are going now that they’ve been on the playing field for almost a year. Some journalists think that the electric car craze is “fading into the background.” Analyzing the current situation is one of egmCarTech’s latest additions, Sawyer Sutton, with his piece of mind.

Check out his two cents after the jump. And of course, we here at egmCarTech encourage our readers to engage in discussions and debates in the comment section below. So, without further adieu…

With expected sales of the Nissan Leaf to approach the tens of thousands in the coming years and direct injection gasoline engines, I cannot help but jump into the EV versus gas brouhaha. As we’ve seen at the Detroit and LA Auto shows, many gas powered cars are impinging on economy formerly reserved for hybrids. Naturally some journalists are lauding the success of gas engines (a well-established method) over electrics (a perceived novelty). It isn’t that simple.

First, the argument that gas engines trump hybrids and electrics from an economic standpoint is a bit provincial in nature: the rest of the world knows about diesel engines, which are far and away much more efficient than gas engines. Diesels are comparable if not more efficient than most hybrids. There is an issue with this though that I will get to soon. The closest we as Americans have come to a small, efficient diesel commuter car is the original Honda Insight Hybrid (70 mpg). Little VW Lupos etc. grow on trees in Europe and get similar results.

Why aren’t they offered here? A), the Lupo is not safe enough to sell in an American world of SUVs, light trucks and semis. B), if we couple the unsafe factor with the artificially high cost of diesel in the US, it’s tricky to see why VW would sell them here. C), this is a bigger issue than the Lupo, or the lot of tiny cars on sale everywhere else: there is not enough diesel in the world to allow the US to switch to diesel. Pretend you are making a loaf of bread and have poured oil, maple syrup and water into a glass bowl, there are of course three layers according to the different densities. When heated and refined, crude oil behaves the same way: one of the many layers is gasoline, one is diesel, one is kerosene etc. The long and short of it is that the US uses 40% of the world’s gasoline supply, and the oft-quoted 25% of greenhouse gases. There is no capacity for that to switch to diesel, so in an effort to keep fuel prices down, there are transitional solutions like hybrids and EVs to chip away at the expanding demand.

Second, the additional wrench to be thrown into this mess is that China’s quickly emerging car culture/market is heavily gasoline based. Meanwhile finite oil resources are being mined quicker than ever, making companies like BP who make solar panels and gasoline resort to environmentally damaging and frankly expensive technologies like tar sands oil extraction.
I think you might see where this is heading: gasoline engines whether you love them or not have a limited time on this planet whether you live in the US or Uganda.

Third, EVs and hybrids have their own set of perhaps equally damning issues the least of which is not the fact that the car has traveled half a million miles around the world before it is assembled and in the hands of a consumer before it gets thrown away at 250,000 miles. Sure, Americans are much more guilty of treating their cars like disposable cameras than most developed cultures, but the cost/benefit of refilling a hybrid with batteries every 7 years or so is questionable. The added complexity of the hybrid powertrain does add efficiency, but it also means another $3-$5 thousand lump to be replaced like one might replace an engine or transmission. Volvo has a 124 mpg diesel hybrid costing over $70 grand because at this point it’s a marketing experiment. Is this too part of the solution? Maybe if we find a way to make bio diesel from algae (one of the most efficient ways).

Four: Electric cars are powered with essentially laptop batteries (lithium ion), if you have replaced the batteries on your laptop or even your smartphone, it is not cheap. There is a good reason for that and it doesn’t have to do with profits: disposal of batteries is only a little bit more fun than disposing of spent nuclear fuel rods, totally unrenewable and unsustainable. That is their Achilles heel, but if gasoline jumps to $15/ gallon in the future, electric owners aren’t going to be the ones fretting.

Coming back to the original argument of electrics being a novelty; they aren’t, they are here to stay in some form or another. The argument itself is very narrow minded because it covers a small gap in our automotive history. Extracting hydrogen is tricky and while it is not a silver bullet that will save us all, it may play a significant role in the future. Fuel cell hydrogen cars are at some level of course, electric.

So where does that put us? Our lifestyle needs to change significantly. The US fixation on conspicuous gasoline consumption has done no favors to the cost of air travel, something that really needs fossil fuels at this point. Battery powered planes, hydrogen powered planes or nuclear planes, no thanks, it’s just like having a plane with no human pilot. Your Aston Martin that you drive 1,000 miles a year is not killing polar bears in the Arctic, nor is the fetid snowmobiler that pulled right in front of my car as I was driving down the snow covered hill today, it’s our lack of legitimate public transportation and our unwillingness to walk and ride bikes when it is reasonable. I know this makes me sound like I am a bearded vegan socialist from Vermont who enjoys using a fair trade and organic composting toilet only after grazing over crunchy granola and lightly killed soy milk, but the fact of the matter is that my ideal garage would be filled with massive earth moving equipment, old European cars and prewar American cars. I am merely being realistic in terms of our environment and how much it costs to continue our car culture.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

- Introduction by: Chris Chin

Prompt Source: AutoNews

General Motors’ Chief Technology Officer announces retirement after 43-year long career with GM

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:39:44 +0000

General Motors has been known to be one of the many leaders in automobile innovation and technology. Such examples include the brand’s hybrid technology, a wide range of advanced engine technologies and vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt.

But such things wouldn’t have happened without GM’s Vice Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, Tom Stephens. And to cap a 43-year long career, Mr. Stephens announced that he will be stepping down from his position on April 1^st, later this year—this is most likely not an April Fool’s joke.

“Tom Stephens is an engineering icon within our company and within our industry,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “We have all benefited greatly from his passion, wisdom, and commitment to product excellence. His talent and contributions to GM are deeply appreciated and his expertise will be missed.”

Stephens held positions at Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and several others before his last and final position as Chief Technology Officer, leading departments such as GM’s newly created GM Powertrain Division. And during those times, Stephens helped develop the first ever Cadillac Northstar engine, develop nearly all of GM’s advanced engine technologies today such as Displacement-On-Demand or “Active Fuel Management,” and GM’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, like in the Volt.

- By: Chris Chin

GM offers fix for Chevy Volt battery, NHTSA seems to be okay with the solution

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:43:13 +0000

It seems that the great brouhaha over the Chevy Volt fires may be coming to a close as there is a soft recall out for all 3,800 Volts out there. The meat and potatoes of the fix involves reinforcement of the battery enclosure and a sensor to monitor coolant leaks.

The nature of the recall is one of cost cutting; given that GM is offering a few paltry dealer incentives for Saab owners, it makes sense that they only chose to offer the fix as a voluntary action. The free fix will also be offered to the European equivalent: the Opel Ampera.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has approved of the recall. Administrator David Strickland said he is “comfortable” with the recall, but the investigation produced by the crash test fires is far from over.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

The NHTSA is not finished investigating whether or not the recall, which involves a reinforced protection cell for the batteries in addition to a coolant leakage sensor will completely negate the risk of fire.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Report: Chevrolet Volt, Fiat 500 named worst product flops of 2011

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:46:41 +0000

2011 was a pretty outstanding year for new product launches in the electronics and automotive industry. However, what were the worst product flops of 2011?

Publication 24/7 Wall St. looked at the biggest product launches of 2011 in order to identify the worst top seven worst and guess what cars made the list? The Fiat 500 and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

Read more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Obviously both products are fairly new to the U.S. market – the Fiat 500 being the only car that the brand came back to the U.S. with and the Chevrolet Volt being the first plug-in hybrid sedan on the road.

Click here for more news on the Fiat 500.

Your thoughts on these two failures? Let us know in the comments section after the jump.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Yahoo Finance

GM moving to safer lithium-phosphate battery for Chevrolet Spark EV

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:40:28 +0000

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Following the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery become the subject of a major NHTSA safety probe, GM said that it is moving to a less volatile battery chemistry for its upcoming Chevrolet Spark Electric that will go on sale in 2013.

GM said that it will be using phosphate-based lithium ion batteries from A123 Systems that are less likely to burn than other lithium chemistry.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Spark.

Obviously this shows how quickly the technology in electric and hybrid vehicles are changing. The Detroit automaker and other EV companies have started engineering future models with lithium-phosphate technology because the batteries cane be safer and can also last longer, said James Hall, principal of consulting firm 2953 Analytics Inc.

Details on Chevrolet Spark’s specific markets, range, quantities and pricing will be announced later.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

House Republicans ask GM CEO why he didn’t notify public of Volt fire sooner

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:46:40 +0000

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House Republicans have sent a letter over to General Motors CEO Dan Akerson asking him for a ‘detailed narrative’ on how the automaker learned about a fire risk involving the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery. They have also asked why GM didn’t let the public know of the issue sooner.

The House’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has asked GM and NHTSA why they waited until November to tell owners, dealers and emergency personnel about a post-crash fire in June involving a crash test performed on the Volt. The test-Volt caught fire in a storage facility three weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested the vehicle for side-impact safety.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

However, GM and NHTSA didn’t announce the the fire had occurred until November.

“In light of the public outrage over Toyota’s delayed disclosure, why did GM fail to disclose safety deficiencies with the Volt for five months?” the letter asks Akerson.

Better have a good answer Akerson.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive news

Report: GM engineers close to fixing Chevrolet Volt battery issue

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:45:51 +0000

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General Motors engineers are close to finalizing proposed fixes for the Chevrolet Volt battery pack that engineers believe would get rid of the risk of fire being triggered days after a crash, according to sources that spoke with Reuters today.

The Volt has been under fire since the NHTSA opened a formal probe into the plug-in hybrid electric-car this past weekend following test results that caused electrical fires up to three weeks after crash test.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Sources say that the proposed repair would involve laminating the circuitry in the Volt’s battery pack, reinforcing the case surrounding the lithium-ion battery. The solution would better protect the coolant system from leaks in a severe crash.

GM engineers are expected to provide an update senior management by the end of the week. The fix is expected to be of relatively low-cost.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

Report: GM to redesign Chevrolet Volt battery

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

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GM CEO Dan Akerson has said that the company may redesign the battery of the Chevrolet Volt to address issues raised after the NHTSA opened a safety probe into the plug-in electric car.

“We want to assure the safety of our customers, of our buyers, and so we’re just going to take a time out, if you will, in terms of redesigning the battery possibly,” Akerson told Reuters in an interview.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Refresher on Chevrolet Volt Lithium-ion Battery Problem:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

Report: GM to buy back Volts if owners are worried about NHTSA investigation

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:49:10 +0000

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Earlier this week, General Motor said that it will allow any Chevrolet Volt owner concerned about safety a free GM vehicle loan until the NHTSA completes its investigation into the plug-in hybrid’s lithium-ion battery.

The NHTSA opened a formal probe into the Chevrolet Volt this past weekend following test results that caused electrical fires up to three weeks after an initial vehicle New Car Assessment Program side pole crash test.

In an effort to keep Volt customers satisfied, General Motor CEO Dan Akerson said that it is willing to buy back Volts from owners concerned about the government’s investigation and their safety.

“We’re considering it,” he said of the buyback. “What we’re finding is that we have an intensely loyal group of Volt owners.”

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Spokesman Greg Martin said that of the 6,400 Volt owners, only 33 have requested a loaner.

Personally, if I owned a Volt, I would just request a Chevrolet Corvette or a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe until NHTSA figured things out – but that’s just me.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Free Press