Official Chevy Volt Electric Car Website:

[ddeclue]

If everybody in America would go to this website and let GM know they are interested in a Volt by signing up right now then perhaps GM would try to accelerate the process and get a 2009-1/2 Volt out instead of a 2010 Volt.

http://www.chevrolet.com/subscribe/signup/volt/email_sign_up.jsp?vehicleCategory=electric&vYear=2010&vModelName=volt

Here's the Volt Website:

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/


The Extended-Range Electric Vehicle that is redefining the automotive world is no longer just a rumor. In fact, its propulsion system is so revolutionary, it's unlike any other vehicle or electric car that's ever been introduced. And we're making this remarkable vision a reality, so that one day you'll have the freedom to drive gas-free.

Chevy Volt is designed to move more than 75 percent of America's daily commuters without a single drop of gas.(2) That means for someone who drives less than 40 miles a day, Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.(1)

Unlike traditional electric cars, Chevy Volt has a revolutionary propulsion system that takes you beyond the power of the battery. It will use a lithium-ion battery with a gasoline-powered, range-extending engine that drives a generator to provide electric power when you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range.

Chevy Volt. Fully charged 2010.

[ContinentalOp]

1. Sorry, not interested in a car that is more expensive than the Prius and gets worse mileage.

Not to mention the antiquated technology they're using.

[d_r]

5. Not to mention the antiquated technology they're using.

what is antiquated?

[ContinentalOp]

9. The volt is a series hybrid. Antiquated might be an exaggeration...

but I understand that it's the simplest type of hybrid to produce. They got the idea by towing a generator behind an EV-1. The Prius is a somewhat more sophisticated combination of a parallel and series hybrid, meaning that the ICE works both as a generator to charge the battery and can also provide power to the drive train.

It will be interesting to see how the Volt and Prius compare in terms of electric range and mileage if and when the Volt actually goes into production and Toyota makes a plugin Prius.

[flvegan]

2. If it's still $40k, I'm not interested.

I think the Volt is fantastic and all, but I can't swing $40k.

[thunder rising]

4. There looking forward to the Gov subsidy in the form of buyer assistance for US autos

[Auggie]

3. Thanks for posting ddeclue. I wish everyone could as positive as you...

[ddeclue]

15. There are always haters out there..

some are just snobs who insist that their "foreign" car is better than my domestic - with no real proof whatsoever.

some want to punish Detroit in 2008 for the lemon they got 30 years ago in 1978. This is not your daddy's Chevrolet folks...get over it and be objective.

some want to punish Detroit for past sins in killing the EV1 - well get over your self-righteous attitudes folks. The best way to get results from Detroit is to ENCOURAGE them through interest in their products not by engaging in meaningless tantrums.

The Tesla motors car being held up as having superior performance to the Volt by the bashers here - they fail to mention it costs over TWICE the cost of a Volt at 89,000 vs. the Volt at 40,000.

You get what you pay for folks.

Doug D.

[NV Whino]

16. Let's see... isn't this the one GM is building in the UK?

Does that make it a foreign car?

[ddeclue]

17. Haven't seen any reports on where it is built.

so I don't know.

[ContinentalOp]

19. If I had to place a bet...

I'd say it's never going to go into production.

[blue_onyx]

21. The Volt will be built in Hamtramck, MI

[BeatleBoot]

6. Cool Commercial at the Website

Plus, I signed up, too!

Thanks!

[lapfog_1]

7. 10 years ago GM had the EV-1

which could go 80 miles (minimum) before needing a recharge (the wiki page says 160 miles, but drivers who were interviewed for the film "who killed the electric car" suggested it was 80 to 100 miles.

So, other than changing to Lithium batteries (from the NiMH) and adding a small gasoline electric generator, what's the big whoop with this car?

Why did they scrap (literally) the EV-1? We should we now reward them with a $19 B bailout? (GM alone, not Ford or Chrysler)

[ContinentalOp]

10. But this one gets a 40 mile range!

:eyes:

[ddeclue]

13. NiMH batteries have a limited life (charge cycles) and inferior storage capacity

compared to LiON which is why laptop makers don't use them anymore.

I think the 40 mile figure being cited is just GM being conservative in their estimates. I would expect to see improved numbers eventually.

Cost may also be a factor - perhaps the battery capacity is low because the LiON batts are costing a lot more than the NiMH bats did so they decreased VAhour capacity to economize. I would suspect that it should be possible to have a larger capacity battery that would easily exceed EV1 range performance.

Also it may be that the Volt is a larger car with better acceleration that uses more electrical power per mile - consider that most American drivers want a car with some "guts" and don't really like whimpy small car 4 banger 50-100 HP performance in their gasoline powered cars. The Volt may be giving a lot better acceleration performance and size with the tradeoff being range.

With large volumes cost should go down.

Doug D.

[lapfog_1]

18. Yeah, I noted that it used NiMH

I'm not sure that LiON batteries are that much better, given their propensity to overheat when discharging.

The EV-1 had a 0-50 time of 6.3 seconds, which wasn't exactly breaking records, is certainly respectable.

The (unpublished) acceleration for the Volt is 0-60 in 8.5. No numbers on the 0-50 time. Yes, even at that it's a bit faster than the EV-1 according to GM engineers.

The big advantage to the Volt is that it is 4 passenger. And the on board gas genset allows it a much longer range than the EV-1.

But the real question is why the 10 (or nearly 12) year wait? What is in this vehicle that simply wasn't available or possible 10 years ago? And the reported list price of $40K is not going to put this into the hands of workaday commuters. Even when I was a relatively rich bastard I spent only $32K for an Acura TL - fully loaded.

The real question will be how many units will they produce in 2010 or 2011? Will it be yet another EV-1? Now that gasoline is down to $1.75 in a lot of places, will they kill it off before it hits the showrooms?

And why should we reward GM when they had a vehicle that they could have been making improvements to for the last 10 years and been selling the heck out of them in the last 4 years... why should we bail them out to the tune of $19 B so they can continue making poor management choices? We can buy all of their outstanding stock for $3B. Let's do that, set of a new BoD and sweeps everyone in management out, keep the workers and set them up on a employee stock ownership and sell them the stock (all of it) over the next 5 years for what we paid for it. Make the new management a loan for the rest, and, oh yeah, offer government backed loans to anyone that wants to buy a car (at low interest). But only if they build an electric car for under $20K that has most of the specs that the EV-1 had.

[ContinentalOp]

20. "will they kill it off before it hits the showrooms? "

You can count on it.

[ddeclue]

23. depends on gas prices....

[ddeclue]

22. GM made fairly reasonable decisions when the oil companies lowered the gas prices

so that they could keep us hooked in the 1990's.

I personally owned a 4x4 3/4 pickup from 2001-2007 until the gas prices got to be too painful. Many Americans did because they could afford to do so. It was too hard to push fuel efficient cars in this country when Americans simply weren't buying them.

I used to own little 4 banger Mazdas in the late 80's and early 90's when gas was a larger part of my budget but when I started making more and gas prices actually fell somewhat after the first Gulf War, it was reasonable for me to swap out my 82 VW Rabbit with a 4 speed manual for a 95 Z28 Camaro with a 6 speed which actually got better mileage than the Rabbit and then when I was making a lot to buy the truck used.

People only care about fuel economy when it is a pocketbook issue. I think the oil companies intentionally keep gas prices low during Democratic administrations to remove political will to transition away from oil during periods of Democratic rule when they figure the administration is unfriendly to their business and then jack the prices up under Republicans who ARE friendly to the oil business to make a killing.

Let's see whether gas prices stay this low or not. My money is they do until Obama loses or loses the Congress. This way they can keep these electrics from running them out of business.

Doug D.

[nc4bo]

14. We should Palinize GM. A totally socialist takeover and bring back versions of

the EV-1 and to make it even more socialist, make the cars very affordable and provide tax credits and/or rebates to reel the public in.

Oh yea, gas prices would need to back to up to what they were a few short weeks ago as an added incentive. The higher tax on gas could help pay for the tax credits or other incentives.

Of course need jobs or none of this goes anywhere.

I'm a loon, no one has to tell me what I already know.

[HEyHEY]

8. Too little too late, they don't deserve my business.

[Vodid]

11. Pathetic

A DECADE ago, the General Motors EV1 had a range of 140 miles per battery charge, but the new Chevy Volt will supposedly only have a range of 40 miles per charge. The independent little car company, Tesla motors, has been selling a pricey little electric sportscar with a range of 220 miles per charge, and the best that the Chevy engineers can do is 40 miles? And it'll take them two years before it's ready to sell? Pathetic.

[lapfog_1]

12. And the average consumer wont' be able to afford either one.

Not knocking the Tesla, but it isn't aimed at the generic consumer, but the sport car enthusiast.

And the Volt is so limited AND pricey that I'm not sure what the target market is for it either.

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. I could buy a Prius and get it turned to a plug in and the total cost

of the vehicle plus modification would be $30k right now.

I have a neighbor that is converting his right now. I'm not sold on the volt.

[ddeclue]

25. Yeah that's certainly an option

and I mentioned it in another thread but most people are afraid to void their warranty like that.

Doug D.

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. I studied the Volt since it was conceived and am a car enthusiast plus

am very involved in alternative energy. Besides Tesla we have some
original companies out here that are running rings around GM but GM is unwilling
to support them.

[ddeclue]

27. Volt=40,000... Tesla=89,000 you get what you pay for...

Even at 40,000 most people cannot afford that cost.

I have seen various homebrew instructional guides on the inter-tubes on how to convert gas powered cars to pure electrics with big lead acid battery banks to run them but I have neither the time nor money to tinker on them right now.

Doug D.

[Ichingcarpenter]

29. 45 thousand ...... however

Actually California has a really good knowledge on Tech, computers, batteries and conversion.

More that GM is telling you. The US has the solutions but it doesn't have to come exclusively
from GM and Detroit.

The answers are here in the states but I'm afraid the Big three aren't listening.

GM.... the least....... then comes Chrysler and then Ford.

I've seen shit out here that should make America proud being on
the forefront of innovation, design and inventiveness but have
been shut done by Detroit condescending crap

[kirby]

28. GM is only making 60,000 Volts...

Big whoop. The industry estimates 10,000,000 total vehicles per year.