SEP 16

This looks quite a bit different than the original concept that had a lot more style. This looks, well, more like a Chevy I guess. It could be a lot worse (like the Prius) in ID, but it would be nice to see a car company stick closer to the original concept, especially on such a potentially groundbreaking car...

Style-wise at least, they NEED to play it safe if they actually want "normal" people to buy it.

I agree that the concept looked REALLY cool, but this is way more palatable for the masses... Which is really what's most important in this case, right?

I think the style of the car is amazing. It directly competes with any other hybrid car out there. The only thing I am worried about is price. Chevy needs to ensure that the price is not only competitive, but irresistible.

I like the design. The original concept was cool, but all concept cars look cool. That's how they get you over to learn about them at auto shows. But I actually think this car looks like something I can see on the road for a long time.

I think the car is great, I love the interior, I'm tired of the same boring cars, but I think Curtis may be right, it needs to appeal to the mass market for the greatest consumer buy-in and my taste/style may not be in line with the mass market, i.e. I don't think my parents would care for the interior . . .

Great concept, good looks!! My main concern is how much the dealerships are going to gouge us on the "market adjustment" tag. There should be a law instated to protect consumers from any "markup" on environmentally friendly vehicles!

With spending potentially hitting $100 a week on gas soon, the price of the car vs. what you save look even better. $100 week x 52 weeks x 5 years = $26,000. The savings alone would have to factor in. Way to go Chevy. And if it is spurring most of its competitors to follow suit, then competition will force them all to lower prices. I love economics.

I saw the Volt at the L.A car show and i could not take my eyes off the car. Now that they have come out with a full version of the car it would be good if they can keep the price down and no worries about how the battery will standup to all of the rechargeing of the battery. This car should put them back were they need to be.

Looking to buy the Volt when it comes out and trade-in my Toyota Prius. It appears that GM has done everything well for the Volt:
1) Four door sedan (hatchback?)
2) Generally aerodynamic
3) Shaded Instrument panel, 2 cup holders, Keyless ignition, Bluetooth (standard),
4) Optional navigation system with onboard hard drive for maps and music storage
5) Well designed seats (stiching should not cut into vinyl with years of use
6) Glass rear hatchback allowing viewing from the rear (will a backup camera be available also?)
7) Rear spoiler which should provide an added attribute blocking headlights from cars in the rear getting into your eyes while driving or in bumper to bumper traffic
Dark lower sides and underbody which should eliminate rocks and road dirt from showing up

Overall very well conceived and executed!

Hoping: that the sound insulation is robust, the ride is smooth/tight, Options a-plenty (Navigation, HiFi/Satellite Radio Sound System, On Star, Solar Roof, Extended Warranty, possibly a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) version, off market accessories, etc.)

The redesign is primarily for aerodynamics, people. It was necessary to get the performance characteristics they promised.

I now have a 50 mi commute each way to work and back home. So when it came to look at cars this past spring, I did a little cost/benefit comparison. At even $3/gal for gas, it made sense to buy a hybrid. We settled on a Honda because I didn't care for the style of the Prius or that Toyota got into the jumbo SUV and truck market. I do conservation work for a living so I was glad the Civic hybrid made economic sense for me. After 5,000 miles, I'm still averaging just over 50 mpg!! I love it. The Volt would be my next replacement based on economics. Add the green factor made in the US and it gets even better.

How much gas is needed to charge the batteries? If it goes 40 miles without charging how much gas would be needed to go 300 miles?

It's exciting to see how far they are going to design cars that are better for the environment. We have the technology, it's about time we use it. I know as soon as it's time for me to get a new car it will be a Hybrid, or if the timing is right, hopefully the Volt. It's amazing looking, I am very impressed.

Aaron - the only problem with your example is that the Volt only goes 40 miles a day (unless you can charge up at work ), so assuming the car you're replacing gets 20 mpg, that would be 2 gal/day x 240 work days/year x $5.00/gal x 5 years = $12,000 in savings... Throw in weekends, and that could go as high as $18,000, but only if you drive every day. Anything over that, and you're still paying for gas! And we still haven't added in the few hundred a year for the cost of electricity.

All that said, $2,500/year gas savings (hopefully) a decent tax rebate independence from big oil will SO be worth it!

Good for them! Nice to see an american car company moving in the right direction. I would like to see them make any vehicle with < 19mpg becoming a hybrid and with the economies of scale the price increase would be less. Also help them to meet CAFE standards.

Does anyone know whether this vehicle will take advantage of recent breakthroughs in super-capacitors? Use these links if you don't know what I'm referring to. http://bznotes.wordpress.com/2...apacitors/

The Volt looks like a good match for the American market. You could haul groceries and a couple kids in it. The only drawback so far (imo) for electric cars has been their limited range, which has been under 100 miles per charge. The option of using gas as a supplement for long trips is great. Lots of rural and urban folks have to make "multiple-tank" trips on a regular basis, me included.

I have a few questions for the engineers in the audience:
1)What is the anticipated lifespan of a lithium-ion battery?
2)How much will replacement batteries cost?
3)What will happen to the lithium-ion batteries when they become defunct?
4)What are the by-products of lithium-ion battery production, and should we(or our children) be concerned about them?
5)I presume this car will allow a land line to recharge the battery, but in what time frame?
6)Why 4 Passenger? Look around on your drive home. What percentage of cars are carrying more than two passengers. In a country where 2,3 or more car families are the norm, wouldn't a combination of small, efficient, inexpensive, fully electric "commuter" vehicles and a larger "family" car (hybrid or EREV) be a more economically and environmentally feasible.
7)This is an opinion more than a question, but do you believe that GM, with its history of engineering based on 1960's technology, is really capable of delivering ANY type of modern, technogically advanced, quality vehicle en masse? If you do I'd like to talk to you about buying the Brooklyn Bridge...cheap!
What about trucks? The railway lines (which could have used electricity to power the engines) have been dismantled or ignored to the point they are barely serviceable. This system is worthless for moving freight over long distances. So environmental and economic factors relating to a large set of vehicles are being ignored.
I could not profess to be intelligent enough to solve the inate problems associated with relying so heavily on a finite, and environmentally noxious, resource such as Crude Oil. But it seems to me reducing that reliance, without creating additional problems, may be a good first step.

Why would gasoline be the only fuel to re-power the batteries? It seems to me that some different source (ethanal, natural gas,) or some other type of fuel other than fossil fuels could be used. That way this car and others to follow will be completely free of oil and the lunatics that are in control petrolium now. In my opinion the U.S.A. needs to cut all ties with the middle east and China a.s.a.p.

I forgot to put "of " in between control and petrolium

The Volt gets 50mpg on gas, so 300 miles=6 gallons

Now, as to the questions above by Marc Mescher:
1) GM doesn't know yet. However, GM is giving a 10 year warranty for the battery.
2) Several thousand. Again, 10 year warranty, which is the normal life of a car.
3) They will be recycled. The lithium is valuable for being reused in more batteries.
4) I haven't heard of any, and they have been in use in laptops for close to 20 years now.
5) 6-8 hours on a 120v outlet. This is due more to the limitation of your household wiring than the car. If they could offer one that could take 240v (like your drier does), and if you could get a 240v outlet in your garage, then probably 3-4 hours.
6) Three reasons. One: People buy for peak usage (or close to peak) as we can not afford to have two cars per person. Two: because people want the space for storing stuff they carry with them at peak usage. Three: Because some people won't buy a car without a back seat (like me). A two seater won't work for me at all. At least twice a week I drive around with two other people.
7) A) Yes. B) Your 'sarcasm' is no better than they (expletive) that WANT GM to fail in this. GM has learned from their mistakes and is pretty much betting the entire company on this car.
Trucks and other vehicles will follow. The first thing is to get the technology working on a smaller scale, then enlarge it to vehicles that will require a larger motor (such as trucks). Also, the railroads are having a field day right now. They are about four times more efficient in tons/mile than semi trucks. They are upgrading their tracks and everything else.

We need to put a foot forward not only by making
these cars but buying them and useing .
It would be great to see Trucking, Post Office and
short distance deliveries useing electric cars and cutting down money going to the Middel East. THE MONEY
SPENT ON THE WAR WE ALL COULD GET REBAITS FOR BUYING ONE

What's great about the GM branded E-Flex powertrain system in the Volt, is that the gasoline engine, used to recharge the battery, can easily be swapped out for a variety of Eco-friendly engines. In the near future, GM may offer a bio-diesel engine or, a little further down the line, a hydrogen fuel-cell generator. Either way, this is not only a revolutionary vehicle for GM, but for the industry. What's great is that GM will be spreading this tech to other vehicles and other brands quickly to lower costs to consumers.
Toyota should be ashamed for not working on a real electric vehicle. The plug-in Prius that is coming out will only get 10 miles per charge and even with that, it's still runs mainly on gasoline.
They'd rather bring more Sequoias and Tundras to the market and let the Prius do all the work.

I have been waiting for someone to go this route. This is same concept that the diesel trains have used for years.

The Volt gets 50mpg on gas, so 300 miles=6 gallons

Actually since you get the first 40 miles for free then 300 miles = 5.2 gallons

It will be great driving the car home and plugging it in after a day's worth of free solar electricity from my panels at home.

My commute is less than 25 miles round trip everyday to work, so unless I'm on a long trip, I won't use any gas; which is awesome.

I am a Honda lover though and wish that as they company they would be going this route. I haven't considered buying a GM car before, so now I will.

What are you simpletons so happy about? What do you think it takes to produce electricity?! Have you never heard of the cost, and waste involved, of energy conversion?!! That is why carrits and grains are cheaper than meat folks!!!!! Learn about science before you push your idiotic green agendas on society. You would be better off using the fossil fuel directly rather than converting it to electricity in a power plant with major energy losses and then transporting it by wire to point of use with another major losss and then storing it in a battery which was produced with major environmental consequences!!!! Get my drift?? First get an education, no, not in liberal arts, phylosophy or jurnalism but in science!!!! Untill then, dont shove your uninformed oppinion down people's throats!!!!

40 miles for free???!!! Are you nuts? There ain't any such thing as a free lunch! If you got it for free - someone else paid for it, you parasite!!!

Wow feast your eyes on the third largest SCAM to hit our shores in the automotive industry in the last decade. 1st is Hydrogen. 2nd are Hybrids and 3rd is this crap called "volt"

Let me get this straight. you ALREADY BUILT a 120-150 mile range 2 seater car that is PURE battery electric over a DECADE AGO and all you can manage 11 years or so later is 40 miles? and $40,000!! (meaning the money you pay for the car will NEVER be returned to you in fuel savings. NEVER unless off course you never EVER go farther than 40 miles per drive between charges. Then it will pay for itself in 6 or 7 years MAYBE.

I was very curious about the 40mile range. that number that SPECIFIC number really bigged me. No its not that its close to all our answers ie 42 but something else.

OH YES thats it. Just about any worthy homebuilt electric car using lead acid batteries has a range thats typically 35-45 miles max per charge.

What a coincidence. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN COINCIDENCES.

Off course the battery tech we REALLY need namely large format NIMH batteries (yeah the ones used in that 120-150 mile range car from 11 years ago) were sold to texaco and acquired by Chevron of which REFUSES to license them in ANY format that even MIGHT be used in an electric car.

GUESS who sold them that patent. You guessed it GM General Motors.

Guess who stopped making the EV1? GM
Guessed who CRUSHED (literally) every single EV1 except a few crippled intentionally museum pieces.? GM

SCREW GM. I hope they die a horrible slow painful death. Filthy Scumbags.

WE WOULD HAVE NO ECONOMIC TROUBLES AS WE KNOW THEM TODAY if they had continued with the EV1 and more importantly those Large format NIMH batteries we so desperately need and can not legally have.

I would not take a volt if it was FREE. ok maybe to take the battery and motor and junk the rest.

First, these comments seem like they are all written by GM employees. I'm not that enthusiastic about a car that goes 40 miles without a charge. Yes, it looks nice enough, but does it have to cost so much? I just bought a Hyundai Accent for brand new for $12,000. Get's 36 MPG. Best car I've ever owned. Used to own a Chevy Tahoe..grew out of that Mongo car stage. Why can't take something as simple as the Accent or the hot selling Prius and manufacture a true car for the masses? $I've heard nearly $40k for the Volt. Are you kidding me?

This sounds like the EV-1 all over again to me. Roll something out... to give the impression that it's giving people what it wants...price it out of range...have GM's public relations scoundrels make comments that the people are not responding to and don't want electric vehicles anymore...destroy all of the vehicles in production...then start producing big trucks again....the money maker for GM.

Hey Chris Taylor...you beat me to it. I agree with everything you say. This whole thing is a scam. We will never see the Volt in production in a showroom IMO.

And why do we have to use gas to charge the battery? Why not hydrogen? Why not ulitize thin solar film on the roof of the car? Why not utilize the energy caused by the brakes to recharge and lengthen the life of the batteries in city driving? What happened to the NIMH batteries? Has their patent run out?

Just beautiful. A true GM design with a Chevrolet character.
For people who feel they are smart, even shrewd, investors for their well being, it's not just about one's small world of home and yard and how they look in some manufacturer's product. If one buys on perception, that some product is better than another's, that isn't grounded investment thinking or action. Why would one buy when the profit goes somewhere else, where that profit is distributed all over that product's home terrain and enhances that terrain's quality and value, its living standard. Why buy and send, when the grounded thinking is when one buy's one's neighbor's efforts, when it sustains the neighbor, one's self, their own environment, and the larger home environment. It supports the tax base, the schools, the stores, and it sustains that one element of a secure society, its industrial base. Without a manufacturing core, there isn't any security for the whole picture, just a bunch of gateheads thinking they're safe in their own little worlds.
Perception isn't an educated person's method of making sound decisions.
No one will rescue a society on the downslide with a shrinking industrial base that undermines its safety and security in an unsafe unsecure world. When it sends it money elsewhere to strengthen that 'elsewhere'.
Two things are at the core of a sound strong economy and society.
Education, and manufacturing. One fortifies the self, and the other is fortified by it. Any society that doesn't make its own things is one that doesn't know the value of work and self sustenance. It loses its grip on core values. Step back a moment and think about that.
Skip the small talk about a color or bumper configuration and look at the big picture, and that core of manufacturing, where once fifty percent of the world's industrial capacity, that saved yours and my place for us to be safe in, and safe from the world, was in this country, in Michigan, in Detroit, in 1945. Detroit is the country in some measure, and everywhere in this country, part of it is in Detroit. One place.
One wouldn't promote that kind of 'investment' and apply it to one's self or one's own family.
Be proud of what your neighbors build, admire their technological effort, and clamour for more of it, at home, where your dollars are more wisely spent on your neighbor's products, not on someone else's.
Your neighbor is your country. Invest in your country, not someone else's. It comes back to you with a stronger home environment.
That is smart 'investing'.
The Volt is a great product. Buying it makes us stronger. Buying more of it will help lower the price of it. The effect is buying less of someone's oil and investing that money at home.
How clear is that?

The car looks great, the way it work sounds awesome. But as with any new GM products, I will stand back, cross my arms and wait a few years to see if it actually works! Hope GM makes it this time!!

Buster Poser,
Produce a better product and I and the rest of the not so gullible world will buy American. I'll admire the tecnological effort, when I am convinced that they gave it their BEST effort.

But I'm not buying...because the reality is... it's not the best...The Underachieving Volt is far from the best this country can do.

I am embarrassed.

GM! In case this car won't make it as an electric vehicle, please make it a gas-powered one, I'll be the first one to buy it. Love the styling!

Buster, are you a GM employee or a union hack? In either case, you haven't the foggiest notion of what you are talking about! GM hasn't priduced a decent, honest, well made product since the end of the 50's. Nor is it capable of any competition with Japanese. And quite francly, thanks to union pritectionism, neither are most of our companies... Just look at Harley Davidson Vs any Japanese manufacturer... You can buy a Japanese motorcycle made with personal pride in Japan with excelent fit and finish and forget about problems!!! Or you can buy, at nearly twice the price, 100year old technology put together by god knows what kind of union protected dregs who slapped it together to stay in one piece just long enough for you to plunk down your money!!!
GM operates on the same principle - which is why after the first rain my Suburban filled up with water because some drunk at the factory forgot to put in the seal. In the meantime, my 2 Lexuses have gone with nothing but routine maintenance for 6 years!!!! Wouldn't touch a GM product with a ten foot pole and no calls to patriotism will cause me to do so! Untill the day that GM and their unions show some respecr for the buyer they are OFF my shopping list!!!

@Alex Z

"What do you think it takes to produce electricity?! Learn about science before you push your idiotic green agendas on society. You would be better off using the fossil fuel directly rather than converting it to electricity in a power plant with major energy losses and then transporting it by wire to point of use with another major losss and then storing it in a battery which was produced with major environmental consequences!!!! "

Actually, I would love to compare scientific credentials. It appears you are much more ignorant and dense than the "simpleton environmentalists". How about you sit back and learn some facts before running your flapping lips with bullshit.

If you do any amount of basic research into the topic you'll see that the fact of the matter is that hybrid electric vehicles are a great way to reduce dependence on oil and have a NET POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

1) The argument that hybrid vehicles just shift the source of pollution is very shortsighted. First of all, PHEVs energy-based environmental (and political) impact is a function of the power sources that run the electrical grid. As new renewable energy and/or clean energy production technology comes online in the form of solar-thermal plants, offshore wind, on-shore wind, geothermal, carbon-sequestering coal, natural gas, etc, the PHEV vehicles continue to get "greener" and more environmentally friendly, while gasoline ICE vehicles only get less efficient.

2) Even with traditional coal, natural gas, and fuel oil powered power plants, it is much more efficient to centralize power production in one major facility than it is in millions of simple combustion engines in cars. no matter the fuel, combustion engines are in fact incredible INEFFICIENT, with as much as 80% of the actual energy escaping as heat. Large facilities can use advanced technology, materials, and processes that are too expensive or impractical to have in a vehicle, but which can dramatically increase the efficiency of traditional sources of carbon-based fuel, from simply recapturing waste heat that is injected back into the system to other newer, much more complex techniques of increasing conversion efficiency.

On the same token, centralizing the energy production makes it much easier to maintain environmental standards and control pollution. Again, large centralized facilities can use technology that is too expensive or impractical for individual vehicles that can reduce emissions and create a lot less harm to the environment, even if they were burning the VERY SAME type and amount of traditional fossil fuels.

3) all the advantages I've mentioned until this point has entirely disregarded future distributed energy sources such as home and business solar-voltaic panels and small wind turbines, among other future technology. Many people will be able to provide for a large amount of their home and vehicle energy needs through these systems. Obviously, the same cannot be done with a conventional gasoline or diesel vehicle.

Right now, hybrid electric vehicles that use petrol, diesel, biodiesel, ect are an important part of the transition to an all-renewable system. Although Hydrogen, natural gas, methane, etc is also a possiblity, the infrastructure to support it is not build yet. It's going to require an ENORMOUS amount of work and subsequent energy use and impact on the environment to build out the infrastructure to support, say, a nationwide hydrogen-based fuel system. They have to build out new plants to create hydrogen, pipelines, storage containers, etc. And even then, you still have to have a major distribution network to support the transporation of the hydrogen to individual fuel stations. This may become the future of transportation, but right now in the short-term, it is a whole lot easier and cheaper to focus first on reducing demand of conventional fuel through hybrid electric and plugin-hybrid electric vehicles. We already have an energy grid, even if it needs some work to support the new demand of electricity.

Regardless whether the future lies with hydrogen vehicles, all-electric, hybrid electric-biofuel, hybrid electric- hydrogen, etc, these unconventional means of powering vehicles are going to be a critical part of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and reversing climate change.


Instead of ranting your mindless drivel, perhaps you should spend some time educating yourself.

Sorry, but my credentiald are safe without your sorry oppinion. Nice little piece you wrote there. Copy that from some green manifesto, did you? But you missed the major source of potential free energy; The hot wind coming out of the uneducated greenheads, liberal hotheads and Al Bore wide-open-mouth followers. That source is right up there with methane production by cows!!We should put butt-hoses on them and colection muzzles on you guys!!!

It's going to require an ENORMOUS amount of work and subsequent energy use and impact on the environment to build out the infrastructure to support, say, a nationwide hydrogen-based fuel system. They have to build out new plants to create hydrogen, pipelines, storage containers, etc. And even then, you still have to have a major distribution network to support the transporation of the hydrogen to individual fuel stations.

Yeah, kind of like the impossible task of building the infrastructure to basically switch out our dependence on land lines to cell phones or wireless devises huh? Man that was soooo hard. We could rid ourselves of oil if we really wanted to...we could build hydrogen stations just as easily as we built microwave towers for cell phones. The oil companies just don't want us to go there yet. They are the ones winding teh key on teh back of Bush and Cheney you know.

Why hydrogen? We could have built Nuclear plants just as France, and many other European countries did. But the "Loosely coupled brains" and eco, or was it realy ego, nuts kept us from doing it! So this mess is squarely in their laps - although they will never admit it. They just keep hoping that you can defeat the laws of physics and invent a perpetual motion machine. The old "give me something for nothing" philosophy! And now that we have these nuts in charge of both houses in Congress....God help us, cause they surely won't!!!

The idea is that the volt setup can swap engines to work with any fuel type. The reason why a 40 mile range was choosen was because the majority of people drive less than that a day. So why have a 1200 mile range battery when you are only going to go 25.4 miles in the day? You have the extra weight and cost of that extra milage attached to the car in more ways than one. The battery is said to have a 10yr/150k mile warranty. Not bad.

So, why would anyone be upset with the 40mile pure electric range? I dont know. Maybe they are driving 41miles per day and they _want_ to pay the more expensive form of energy (gas) rather than have the cheaper version (electric) fuel their ride.

Price per mile the electric is cheaper than gas, desiel, natural gas and hydrogen. A lot cheaper. So much in fact that electric looks like a no brainer. GM have come out and said that the Volt tech is based on the different types of fuels being used in different engines to give power to the electric motors when the battery is low on juice. e85, hydrogen, AIR, natural gas, etc are all future posibilities. They will all most likely still be more expensive than just plugging into the wall at home/work. (except air, maybe)

The volt's 40mile range electric (unlimited range if you stop for gasoline) could give reduce a families fuel bill to 6-10$ a week from 25-30$ (40miles a day, 35miles per gallon gas).

I doubt this is a scam. The Ev1 was leased because it cost over 80k each. It was a failure.. I wouldnt mind having one or a similar car if it was cheaper. 40k for a volt is too much.. 30-35k maybe.. that is more like it.

Why all of the doodads on the dash? The CD player is old school. Replace that with a usb port or, better yet, WIFI. Use voice recognition for the rest. Move the center LCD to the passenger side and display nav and other info simultaneously on both the driver's dash and the passenger LCD. The dash needs to be de-cluttered.

The car is great. I love the styles. But the problem is...we as a middle class or lower, how are we expected to afford this kind of green? Everything go for green to save energy, yes that is great, but you are forgetting the real working people. Real life!!

I cannot wait to put my name on a waiting list for this car. Not too concerned about the numbers as I am about driving something that is very good for the environment.

Not much interested in design, etc. At this stage of my life I am looking forward to having something practical that can make me feel I am doing something that is better for the environment than conventional autos while supporting the US industry.

Stop worrying about whether it looks good or not, whether or not it has a cup holder, etc. and focus on the more important broader issues:

Revitalization of an American industry.

Reduction in fuel consumption and dependency on foreign oil.

Cleaner environment.

Let us try to leave the country and the world a little better for the future generations and stop being so concerned about whether or not someone will think we are driving a nice car rather than a car which is good to drive.

I think the Volt is a great looking car. I am glad that it doesn't look weird or geeky like the Prius, as I would never buy one. If Chevy can keep it under $30k, I will definitely buy one. I just hope that they can get it to market by mid 2010.

I'm sold. My next vehicle will definitely be an American made vehicle (the Volt).

It's astonishing how most people on this blog have no idea what this car means. For the vast majority of in-city drivers, it means using 0 gallons (drops, even) of gasoline. It costs two cents per mile to operate the Volt. That's a lot of savings when compared to the Prius' costing 10 cents per mile.
As for those concerned about the possible $40,000 price tag? Think about what the Volt will force other companies to do! Not long after the Volt is introduced Toyota and Honda will be in the mix, upgrading their hybrid technologies to compete, thus driving down prices! So, most middle/lower class people can't afford the brand-new Volt 40k sticker, but in 2012, say (when the Volt's competition arrives), the price for Volt or alternatives will probably be around the high twenty-thousand dollar range. Look at the long term effects of the Volt, and stop being so short-sighted, people!

The head of this car looks similar to the current Acura TL model.

Just as I suspected.
Closed minded RepubloMoronicans are just to stupid to understand that the Volt will help our auto industry, our environment and begin to wean us off imported oil.
Drill baby Drill? What a fool hearty plan that is.
Alaskan Oil? LOL! ANWR? LOL!!!
Google ANWR and try to find out how much oil is there and how long that might last....and all the while world demand for oil is increasing. You pump more we use more and they use more. It's time to get off the addiction, not order more drugs.

I agree that the car is expensive initially. Frequently when a car 1) Is being produced at a greater scale-> larger orders for parts, etc. (especially batteries), 2) Manufacturing process is smooth, 3) competition emerges, then the sticker price falls. Maybe GM is trying to pick off some "early adapters" who are not price-sensitive, then broaden the market later. Also, with 10,000 out there an early mistake doesn't embarrass the company with as many angry customers.

Factors that could make parts of it cheaper to build than a Prius; Mechanically the electric motor and gas charger concept is probably simpler than a complete gas motor and a complete electric motor. Perhaps the "converter" component in the Prius will also be absent. So if the batteries fall in cost, I see the car in the 19-26K range possibly in year three.

And this: a good way to know who not to listen to on a forum: the guy posts 95% personal invective and 5% (some wrong) facts.

Simple-the guy just answers factual questions factually and saves everyone the stress hormones. Unless you're starved for attention? Then go to a bar, a shrink or an "alt" newsgroup. That's what they are there for.

First and foremost, I like the styling of the car and 273lb-ft of instant torque is great. That on top of 17 inch wheels and a stiff suspension sounds great to me-did I mention that it is American to boot! Anyway, I did not see how many gallons the gas tank was to supply the generator if you go over the 40 miles and more importantly how many miles to the gallon it will take to keep the generator charged at that point??

I'm not an expert on automobiles, but since I will soon be needing to buy a new car, I would like to purchase one that will help save our environment and curb dependency on foreign oil. That should be every American's goal. This discussion about the Volt is very enlightening. Thanks to those of you who have shared your expertise. What I don't like are writers who must resort to insults and name-calling, like Alex Z's posts. There's no reason to do that. It only diminishes one's credibility. Also, Mr. Z, before you call people simpletons and uneducated, please show that you can use a dictionary. As an English teacher, I find that your spelling and writing skills need much work! Such writing seems to contradict your claim that you are a scholar.

The ZAP-X and Alias are some of the other really interesting pure electrics coming up soon. And the Alias is going to be built in Franklin, Kentucky where construction for the new manufacturing facility has already started.

GM is finnally making it back into the market and pushing stupid imports off the road!....

As for everyone that things that imports are top cars... they are not...

HONDA's... are like tampons every pussy has one!

Toyota nothing but junk, require repairs all the time, rust out quick and engines are knowing for buring oil after time.

USA... needs to give their head a shake and stop allowing imports to come over and be sold in USA.

LOL for all the smart ones (or at least they think they are) did you know, if GM or ect wanted to go to japan or china and open a factory and own 100% of it them self they would not? OR that if GM wanted to import cars to japan, there is a $35,000 tax and duty fee added to the car before it can be allow into japan or china??? With that said why is USA not taxing the living hell out of imports??

Once again, GM will be around forever, the down fall will be either be chrysler or ford followed by one of the import companys.

Fact remains, GM will ALWAYS be in the top 3 car makers list.

Also.. everone is so conserned about a "automaker" making a car that gets 50mpg or even 30-35mpg... WFT is wrong with you...

start doing some research and take your car and improve it right now....

fuck.. I have a 4x4 Chevy Blazer 4 door... rated at 18mpg hwy... I am now running at 32 - 35 in the city and 28 on the HWY with stock 4.3l V6, running NORMAL GAS...

this world is simply lazy and

to the guy who said you might make your money back in 6-7 years. how much did you make back on your last vehicle??

A few factual points to put out there to start. The efficiency of power plants varies by source - new coal plants get in the mid 40's, natural gas in the mid 50's, and nuclear, wind, and solar virtually unlimited.

To those saying drilling is a dumb idea - I don't think anyone is claiming that drilling off shore is going to solve the long term issue of oil (think 10 years) but there is certainly something to be said for lessening the impact (and money) that goes to OPEC while we're working on this conversion over to electric vehicles.

All that being said, the volt is a brilliant first step. Personally I need a little more than 40 miles but I know that's enough for most. The volt does in fact regenerate electricity when braking for those who are concerned about that and as others posted even when running on gas it gets 50 mpg - that's better than anything out there. One of the main reasons for this is that the engine runs at peak efficiency, no more shifting and watching the tach peak out and know that your mpg is going in the crapper. As for electricity costs, GM is actually conservative as most states have average prices of *less* than 10c/ kw-hr (exception to the Northeast,CA and TX) (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/e...5_6_a.html)

Overall, I'd say I'd like to lease this vehicle because, as others have pointed out, the cost will only go down in the future with competition and economies of scale so buying while it's expensive doesn't make the most fiscal sense. Lease for 3 years and then you'll be able to get one of the mid/upper 20's with, more than likely, a greater range.

One closing thought - I'd like to see GM make this vehicle without as many batteries and a bigger fuel tank so they can ramp up the economies of scale even faster (think like 10 miles per charge but still getting 50 mpg and make the tank size 8 or 9 gallons instead of 7).

And for those who are curious - cows and pigs have a greater impact on "greenhouse" gases than all of transportation in the US combined so if you're really worried about carbon emissions that much stop eating meat. As for me, I'm having a hamburger for lunch

The Volt looks like a nice little neighborhood putt-putt. Certainly more comfortable than a golf cart but for practical daily transportation, I will keep my Chevy Avalanche.

I agree with Rory. A different fuel needs to be considered for powering the generator for recharging the batteries. Especially given the intended use of the car (i.e. 40 miles per day). Gasoline goes stale in a short period of time. Unless the fuel is cycled through fairly regularly. Biomass and water accumulate over time in the tank and will inevitably foul the generator motor. Natural gas definitely solves the problem. Not so sure than Ethanol does though.

looks like a Saab front end and the profile of an Acura TL. Btw, hurry the hell up with getting this thing into production! How many years have they been working on this and still have to wait until 2010. Ridiculous.

Honda appears to be bypassing plug-in technology in order to funnel more of its R&D resources into hydrogen fuel cell technology - a near-term risky move with potentially huge long-term payoff since plug-in really is nothing more than a transition between hybrid and fuel cell technologies. Honda just unveiled its hydrogen concept car a couple months ago. Probably still 10 years away from rate production, not to mention waiting on the refueling infrastructure to allow "filling-up" on hydrogen, but by 2050 all passenger vehicles on the highway will be powered by hydrogen.

I love it - my wife may let me buy one now that it doesnt look too sporty (:

Practical - with a quick calculation id be saving 100-200 a week with this thing from gas.

Philosophical - if this saves a life in a another country like the ones where they dont like us, where its feesible to actually drill for oil and these sites have to be guarded by bullets and bombs... ill buy one for 40k.

Im not a democrat or a republican, im not very liberal or conversative - im just a human being with an internet connection.

And im sold on what the Volt can do for me, my community and the future of my country. So Im Sold on it. Goodluck GM.

Hey, for all you fellas in heated debate over environmental or Automobile Company arguments:

Arguing on the internet is like competing in the special olympics: Even if you win, you're still retarted.

Having quoted that, I would like to say that many of you are a bunch of freaking idiots.

Some of you are not.

WAB

Hydrogen is one of the worst ideas out there. What's the point in generating all this electricity if rather than plug it straight into your vehicle you're going to use it to create Hydrogen? Talk about massive inefficiency, Hydrogen fuel cells from creation to consumption are less efficient than anything out there. I understand the idea and I realize the gov't would prefer hydrogen as it would keep the tens of thousands of gas stations open but for the consumer it's a horrible, horrible idea. Combine that with the, literally, 100's of billions of dollars it would take to upgrade all the gasoline stations to hydrogen stations it just wouldn't be worth it - the feds will have to raise your taxes so much just to pay for the incentives that you'll pay more in the end. The volt is a good stop-gap until vehicles like the Lightning (look it up) that can recharge on a 3 phase commercial outlet in about 10 mins and get over 300 miles per charge.

Here is the bottom line. We in the US have been living in a bubble for years. Lets take a look at our friends over in Europe paying $9-10 a gallon for YEARS! I have an 07 Prius and getting 44-45 and using Royal Purple oil. I drive most of the time alone to work but shuttle my kids around on the weekends. We all need to applaud GM and any one else to get away from this. I am in the car business for years and have seen first hand the differences. The IRS your to give credit to the big gas hogs now they are changing. I drove a SUV that got 16 mpg. I have 3 times that amount now and I can spend more money on what counts than on gas. If we all looked to Honda, Toyota, and GM then a lot will change. Sorry but whats the point if you have to charge a car a little or all the stats. The car is not even on the ground yet. See how it makes an impact on YOUR life before you decide. I am saving 100's of dollars a month and that will allow me to get a car for my daughter when she is of age and I didnt have to compromise anything.

good news for coal miners and power companies!

filthyrichmond.blogspot

I agree with the guy who said that you would be better off buying a Kia or Hyundai for $18k that gets 35mpg then getting a Volt for $40k. Unless gas prices shoot up to $10 a gallon it will take a very long time to recoup the $22k premium for the Volt. Automakers should focus more on very small, efficent, commuter cars. The market is headed there anyway. Have you seen what Ford is offering for a rebate for the F150? Over $10k! As a rebate! I say bring on the micro cars from Europe and Japan. Who wants a Smart?

looselycoupled - Very well said! In additional to your well made points, most of these vehicles will be plugged in and charged during "off peak" hours, thereby taking advantage of energy that is being generated and not being immediately consumed. This is low cost electricity and more efficient use of power that would otherwise bounce around the Grid network and/or temporarily be parked in storage facilities before being pumped back into the Grid during peak hours. The Volt motor is very forward thinking in its modular design; it is designed to interface with future engine designs that will use alternate sources of generation. So to those of you out there like AlexZ, try to think beyond your immediate petrol needs. We will eventually run out of fossil fuel. Granted it is important now, but we need to shift away from it and the Volt is a step in the right direction.
Chris Taylor, GM didn't kill the EV1, the US market and consumer killed it with our thirst for oil and gasoline under $1 during the late 1990s. Why not hydrogen? Why not solar film on the roof? Simple the infrastructure and/or technology doesn't exist yet. One of your constituents equated the task of developing a hydrogen refueling network to the proliferation of cell phone signal availability. The example is simplistic at best. You cannot compare this task to that of launching a few satellites and erecting cell towers. The Volt is one execution to wean us off of oil. There will be others. That said there is not 1 silver bullet to take society away from using fossil fuel. It will only come from the development and employment of multiple technologies. This vehicle is a great advancement in sustainable technology and GM a US icon will be the first to the market. As Americans we should be proud of that. It is hard to believe there are so many negative comments. How about a little rooting for the home team. The success of our industry effects the lives of everyone in this blog. The biggest fallacy among our US citizens/consumers is that GM, Ford and Chrysler make bad vehicles that are over-sized and gas guzzlers. Do some research; GM is the only company to make large hybrid motors i.e those used in SUVs and more importantly in buses. All hybrid powered bus engines are GM engines. Look at the recent product launches from GM and Ford. Many of the vehicles are class leading in fuel economy, reasonably sized and attractively styled.

Jay, bitching about Hondas, has missed the point that the Volt BLATANTLY rips off the design of the Acura TSX and TL. OPEN YOUR EYES. LOOK AT THE SHAPES. Plus, GM simply does not have the reliability, build quality, or technological innovation that Honda does. This isn't because Americans are incapable of these things- far, far from it- it is because of unions and accountants that the passion and the pride and the quality have gone out of American automobiles.

How much does the electricity cost? How are we going to handle the increased load of millions of electric cars pulling from the grid each night?

Combining transportation with other energy use is probably good, if it helps us focus on one problem to solve. But how much of this is saving energy use, and how much of this is just transferring it to the utility companies?

Electricity costs vary throghout the country. Assume 10cents/kwh (higher than most). That is $0.80 to go the first 40 miles in the Volt. That would be well over of gallon of for my car, over four times as much.

We are going to handle the increased load by a combination of keeping power plants online that would otherwise shut down at night and building some more to supply an extra, which will most likely be needed anyways to handled the ever increasing daytime load.

As to energy savings, total efficiency from the grid is 80%, from coal burning to electric motor drive. Efficiency after the power has been generated, passed through the grid, and charged into a Lithium battery is over 95%. ICE engines are about 25% at best. That is a huge increase of efficiency. And yes, the utilities are going to make money onthis. They supply the electricity. If you want to install your own solar panels, generator or windmill, you can do so and decrease your monthly bill.

Reicky Mc Picky
Q: And why do we have to use gas to charge the battery?
A: You can use a wall outlet. They offer a gas engine as it is the easies fuel source to aquire in the US right now.
Q: Why not hydrogen?
A: Where would you buy the hydrogen from? I know of no hydrogen station in my state.
Q: Why not ulitize thin solar film on the roof of the car?
A: Too expensive for the energy collected and it would be in no way capable of maitaining the cars batter while driving.
Q: Why not utilize the energy caused by the brakes to recharge and lengthen the life of the batteries in city driving?
A: The Volt does do this.
Q: What happened to the NIMH batteries?
A: The power density of NIMH are less then that of Li-Ion.
Q: Has their patent run out?
A: No. Which reminds me, on the matter of NiMH batteries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_metal_hydride_battery#Patents_and_licenses

Sorry "teacher" if my typing does not meet with your approval!! Never considered that skill so essential.... Most of my life, untill retirement, used a secretary for that sort of thing! As to your suggestion to use a dictionary, no need, I do quite well thank you , IN 4 LANGUAGES ! No thanks to members of your profession by the way!!! As to YOUR qualifications to comment on the sciences I can only say that in my lifetime I have encountered such an abysmal level of ignorance among members of the "teaching" profession that I don't feel it worth my time to educate you!! Besides, I suspect that what set off your ire has more to do with my comments regarding unions, after all if it wasn't for unions most of you would have been canned years ago for total incompetence!!! As to the Volt, there is little new there, and I am quite certain that if and when built it will be to the usual low GM standards....
The scarrier thing in all this is the number of people who are out to "save the planet". These people somehow think they are a big factor in the scheme of things - whereas in fact they are just little ants, laboring on their anthill in the middle of the highway of life!.... How sad.....

The better question "Dave" is whether it is very smart to increase the number of expensive and extremely inefficient electric cars at a time when our entire country is suffering from a shortage of electric energy. A shortage, by the way, brought on by the irresponsible actions of the "save the planet" nuts!

We need to quit bickering and get back to the Volt.
If and when GM begins production of the Volt it will be a game changer. It will force all the other car manufacturers to respond and his can only be a positive result. All details be damed, if we can reduce our need for petroleum we will be better off as individuals, as a society and as a world. You are what you do, not what you say.

you know you want one - just shut up and get in line like everyone else

If I were interested in such a thing I would be looking at a Japanese maker. However, still being of sound mind I will continue to be a source of irritation to the greenhead numbskulls!!!

I must say I definitely like the look of the Volt better than the Prius's. But I do dislike the front of the car. And the plastic console inside looks a bit cheap is you ask me. Why can they never make a hybrid (or whatever you want to call it) that looks like a normal (and pretty) car?

Would it not be the greatest automobile industry coup if GM surprised the world with the car being production ready by next summer?

As a potential ex-pat, I welcome things that could encourage me to stay. I would love to see this green revolution take off.

Alex Z. Good job. Because of you some smart people have explained a lot more than was in the article. And thanks and for your informed comment on nuclear power.

Number of existing nuclear plants;

France - 58

USA - 110

Were you trying to play devils advocate? Because you have motivated several people to introduce some very informative data.

Only prototype hype - really if it were something then we would see under the hood.

Are you guys paid for this advertisement.

Besides its GM - you know its junk

AlexZ said: extremely inefficient electric cars


ARE YOU SERIOUS? You've got to be 1 of the dumbest people ever posting in the history of the internet. I cant think of another way to convert energy to motion thats more efficient than an electric motor. If 90% efficiency isn't good for you, perhaps you should look into one of the the other cars on the market... with their 15-20% efficiency petrol driven motors. Because it makes perfect sense to burn 80% of the oil bought from overseas. Much more sense than an electric car which only uses power that would've gone to waste overnight..........

Guys, we all know AlexZ is talking out his a**. Just ignore him and maybe he'll become irrelevant.

Personally, I would have preferred GM went with the concept design for the Volt, but I understand why they didn't. It's still a sweet car. A bit expensive for my taste, as I drive a $7000 GMC Sierra with over 200 thousand miles that's still the most useful vehicle I have ever owned. Nary a fault with that truck. Whoever says GM (or America) can't build decent vehicles is making an uninformed blanket statement.

I would like to see more technical information regarding the Volt powertrain, specifically as it applies to wearing/replacement parts. Are the motors brushed or brushless? I know it has regenerative braking, but how much does that ease wear on the actual brake pads? Did GM even USE standard style brake pads, or are they expensive one-offs for the Volt? Things like that.

Overall, I think it's a great idea that is even better because the technology can be upgraded with time and will dovetail nicely into a future upgraded power grid or more efficient/greener engine technology.

I'd like mine in black, please.

-Phil

HAS ANYONE HERE BOTHERED RESEARCHING THE SERIOUS EFFECTS THAT HIS VEHICLE HAS ON HUMANS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENT? THIS IS NOT A GREEN VEHICLE! IT EMMITS SULFER AND MERCURY INTO THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE BREATH, WHICH IS FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAT A REGULAR GAS ENGINE. JUST LOOK IT UP FOR YOURSELVES...

Ummmmmmm. All of the other arguments aside about efficiency, Why does no one besides Joe point out that this cars spits out Sulfer and Mercury into the air?

I like the idea behind this but come on, You really want your children having to breath in Mercury? Do any of you have any ideas of what Mercury will do to your body? It will collect in the oceans and lakes and infiltrate the water, the fish, the animals that eat the fish, and some of us eat the animals. Then you will be eating it, beathing it, and drinking it.

Come on GM, trading one Poison for Another is not the answer!!

Posted by EV..."Q: Why not ulitize thin solar film on the roof of the car?
A: Too expensive for the energy collected and it would be in no way capable of maitaining the cars batter while driving."

First of all, does this Volt make cookies too? Why do we want to maintain the cars batter.

Mr. Lutz, one of the Executive Whoopdeedoos at GM was on Steven Colbert in a very funny interview...and he claimed that they are offering an accesssory of a solar cell on teh roof to charge the car when parking it in the sunn..let;s say while at work al day. 8 hours of solar charging get you a full charge. Now there a big shift in our thinking. I usually am pissed if parking spots are full in my parking garage and I have to park on the roof...in the sun...NOW, there will be a fight for those very same spots.
This changes everything for me. Now GM is thinking rationally...I like this accessory.

looks a lot like Honda Civic type R

HOw do we get rid of that many lithium Ion Batts not to mention the explosion potential

I am a lifetime Asian car buyer and driver. American cars have always been a crappy alternative. But I think the Volt will be my first American car.

I think this is the signal that will finally push the old-school, subsidy dependent managers out of Detroit. bring on the young bloods willing to push american engineering to the next level!!

GM has proved with the newest Malibu, that Chevy can make a great looking highly rated vehicle. Now they pulled out all the stops and introduced a great looking INDUSTRY LEADING vehicle. My round-trip commute to work is 21 miles. It would cost me 40 cents to drive to work with the Volt as compared to $3.00. So just for driving to work each year with my current car, it would $780. As for the Chevy Volt's yearly cost to drive to work, that would be $104. That's already a $676 in saving right off the bat. Add in other general miles and we are talking saving another twice that. So around $1400 in annual savings X 10 years of warrantied ownership is $14,000 less fuel cost comsumption. Those total figures are the least that I would save. Add in a (hopeful $2500 or so tax break) from the government and the saving could be more.

My sister owns a Prius and we took it to the Grand Canyon and it did great on gas. I was impressed with it. But the Chevy Volt will best the Prius. I agree that the more competition the auto industry has; the more the consumers will win out in the long run. The Prius was the first REAL alernative for the consumer and the Volt is just a step or two above above it.

The Volt will completely sell out of all inventory at the dealerships.

More competiton will come to follow from other auto makers.

Costs will continue to drop.

Then I'll be in line for the Volt in around it 4th year of production.

Just a comment about an early poster (Marc Mescher on Sep 16) who mentioned that railways should be using electricity. I just wanted to point out that almost all heavy locomotives burn diesel to generate electricity which drives the large electric motors. The diesel engines can run at peak efficiency, and the electric motors have tons of torque with easy speed regulation. Sort of like the Volt.

Also, regarding his comment that the current railways are grossly inefficient in moving freight, modern business disagrees, and has been buying up stock in railroads for the past few years, including Warren Buffet. He knows that the railroads are still the best, pound-for-pound of moving large freight most efficiently. You never see coal on a semi-truck have you? A gallon of diesel fuel can move one short ton of weight 400 miles... that's pretty efficient. (Wikipedia: Fuel efficiency in transportation)

Main article: Diesel locomotive

EMD GP50 diesel-electric freight locomotives of the Burlington Northern RailroadStarting in the 1940s, the diesel-powered locomotive began to displace steam power on American railroads.

As is the case with any vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, diesel locomotives require some type of power transmission system to couple the output of the prime mover to the driving wheels. In the early days of diesel railroad propulsion development, electric, hydraulic and mechanical power transmission systems were all employed with varying degrees of success. Of the three, electric transmission proved to be most practical, and, except for some diesel-hydraulic locomotives manufactured for lower power applications, nearly all modern Diesel-powered locomotives are diesel-electric.

See wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive

To Marc re: GM quality. I read an article recently that said GM's quality is ahead of Toyota's now. What's hurting GM is it's higher labor and retiree costs.

Dear Dr. Detroit, I'm a republican, and having worked in Alaska, thinks drilling in ANWR is a good idea because the Volt will need some gas to operate it beyond the 40 miles electric range. Why send dollars overseas when they can be recycled here at home?

The production version of the Volt is more aerodynamic than the concept. This is one of the reasons it looks different. You can't fault the engineers for making it more efficient.


AlexZ, how do you explain this article?
I'll keep my GM truck.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/toyota-offers-to-buy-back-rusty-tacomas/

Not one person has commented on the biggest impediment that i see: Limitations on driving on our local 35 mph roads.

I would buy an non-luxururious EV today (under $20K) for running my usual short-range trips, but current law forbids EV's from running on roads with speed limits of 45 mph--which includes our local expressways. I hardly ever drive on freeways (prefer the expressways for better safety), but I'd settle for being allowed to drive on our local expressways in a non-luxury-priced EV.

Which all boils down to convincing local/state governments to allow EV's in the SLOWER lanes on our local expressways. Work on your City Councils for changes in regulations and motor vehicle laws.

TO ALEX Z: Poor spelling and punctuation CANNOT be blamed on typing! Your contempt of secretarial skills is just a poor cover-up of your lack of language skills and skimpy research work. Hit the books, Alex!

Linguist Jan

I was taught in school that you always lose something when you convert from one form of energy to another. Much of the hullabaloo in these comments and all the advertising shoved at us about being green seems to indicate that this is no longer true. Can someone please help with these questions?

1. When did the laws of physics change?

2. How do you get more than 100% output from a 90% efficient process?

3. Aren't the chemicals used to create these wonderful, extremely efficient batteries highly toxic?

4. If I can afford only a $25,000 car, can I get a government subsidy to pay for the rest of it? They tried this in Arizona and almost bankrupted the State. All you had to do was install a 2½ gallon propane tank in your trunk paid for by the government. Because of the scarcity of fill-up locations, there was no requirement that you actually use propane. The most popular vehicle was the Cadillac Escalade. Does this sound worse than a bank bailout?

5. What does it really cost to keep these babies running? You know, home and office electricity for recharge? Battery replacements? Electric motor and generator maintenance? Additional cost for repairs after an accident? Land fill expenses for parts that cannot be recycled? Costs of recycling? Disposing of my current energy ineffiecient vehicle? Ya know, the whole ball of wax.