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Chevy Volt's powertrain and recharging clarified
Chevy's taking a moment to clear up some misconceptions about its eagerly anticipated plug-in hybrid, the Volt, which had long been assumed (by most) to use its gasoline-powered engine like a WWII submarine -- kicking on and charging the batts to full before switching off again. Alas, that's close but not completely accurate. The engine does serve only to feed the batteries (it's not connected to the wheels in any way) and will fire up when they are getting low. However, it will not fully recharge them, serving only to maintain a 30-percent charge as you keep on motoring. In other words, you'll need to plug that puppy in overnight if you want to get back to silent running and successfully avoid detection by destroyer battlegroups on your morning commute -- or spy cameras.
Chevy Volt hits the road, video style
The Chevy Volt had its big debut last week, and although the official pictures were far cooler than those leaked dudes-in-suits shots we saw a while ago, there's something about this slow-motion video of the all-electric-drive car in motion accompanied by some soaring Coldplay that pulls at our jaded heartstrings -- now if Chevy would just add in one of those fake engine sounds audio systems, we'd be in heaven.
GM's Chevy Volt finally really unveiled, for real
The 2011 Chevy Volt has been officially unveiled this morning and we are pleased to note that the new pictures are much more flattering than the "glamour shots" released a week or so ago. The interior of the Volt features a driver-configurable LCD instrument display, 7-inch touch screen information display (for climate and "infotainment" control), Bluetooth, USB and optional GPS. Of course, what makes this vehicle noteworthy is the sheer plug-in-hybridness of it all: the car runs entirely off of its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. For trips up to 40 miles, the battery's initial charge will suffice (granted you remembered to plug it in overnight). After the battery is spent, the gasoline generator provides electricity to the Volt's electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery for a range of "several hundred additional miles," according to GM. Hit the read links for far more info. and check out a drool-worthy interior photo and video walkthrough after the break.Read - Autoblog, "Officially Official: 2011 Chevrolet Volt finally revealed!"Read - Autoblog, "Walkthrough of 2011 Chevy Volt interior"
Chevy Volt rolls out into the open at long last
It's official public debut may still only be coming next week, but it looks like GM has finally decided to give up on the carefully-chosen teaser shots and let the hotly-anticipated Volt out in the open for all the internet to see. No doubt to the dismay of some, the would-be next Prius sure looks a good deal different than the far more angular prototype we've all come to know over the past little while, although we can't say we're exactly surprised given GM's mass-market hopes for the car. Still, it is quite the milestone for the auto industry, and hopefully only the start of things to come. Be sure to hit up Autoblog for a gallery full of more pics of your favorite GM execs -- and the Volt, too.
Reconfigurable Performance Display to show off engine stats in select GM cars
We'll be honest -- we still kind of prefer the days when hacking Wiimotes and other household gadgets was the preferred method for extracting more enjoyment from one's vehicle, but we suppose there's no stopping progress. Starting in 2009 (a few years too late for the Fast & Furious crowd), General Motors will begin to offer up a $295 Reconfigurable Performance Display option in the Cobalt and HHR SS. Said display will enable easily distracted drivers to quickly see how many Gs they're pulling, enable / disable Traction Control, Stability Control and Competition Mode, and get a visual on boost, cam phaser angle, spark advance, engine torque, etc. Oh, and it totally adds 10-horsepower when installed alongside a spare NoS sticker.[Via Autoblog]
GM taunts us with teaser shots of production Volt
Well, it sure looks like GM is intent to be milking the roll-out of its hotly-anticipated Chevy Volt for all its worth (and who can blame 'em), with it first offering a fleeting glimpse of the actual production vehicle on ABC the other day, and it now letting loose its first two official shots of the car that'll supposedly be rolling off the production line in 2010. While it's not much, the more interesting of the two (above) at least gives us a good look at the Volt's headlights, as well as what appears to be an LED fog lamp or daytime running light. Hit up the link below for the second, even less-revealing shot, as well as a few more pics that offer a glimpse of the Volt's design process. [Via DailyTech]
GM dropping Volt's range from 600 to 360 miles
The gas tank in the Chevy Volt is probably the least interesting thing about GM's hybrid concept, but it's causing some waves today, with reports that GM is trimming it in size, effectively dropping the vehicle's range from 600 miles to some 360. Apparently GM found that consumers rarely travel more than 40 miles a day (the range of the Volt's battery pack) and that longer trips didn't require a 600 mile range because "most bladders can't go 600 miles" -- so cutting down the 12-gallon fuel tank saves weight and cost. Sure, we can see that -- most of our cars can only go 300 or so miles before needing gas -- but it sure seems like the Volt is going from marvel of hybrid technology to just another hybrid in a much cooler skin.[Via Autoblog]
Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid priced at $40,000
Chevy's Bob Lutz crushed some dreams this morning when he announced that the Volt hybrid electric vehicle will run closer to $40,000 as opposed to the $30,000 he originally implied. To make us feel a little better about that extra $10k, he offered the fact that Chevrolet would be losing money on the first-generation Volt and Congress may offer up at $7,000 tax credit for plug-in hybrids anyway. So, in other words, we should be happy that it's as cheap as $40,000, right? As for the car's release date, 2010 is still looking solid.[Via Autoblog]
Bob Lutz test drives a Volt mule, deems the experience "electrifying"
We already knew that Chevrolet was testing out a fair bit of Volt hardware in modified Malibus, but the time finally arrived for bigwig Bob Lutz to take a test drive in one such vehicle. As General Motors forges ahead with plans to produce the vehicle and have it on the roads by 2010, Lutz was able to get behind the wheel of an "engineering development vehicle" with the 16-kwh Li-ion battery pack system; after cruising about with nary a drop of gasoline to thank, he semi-intentionally coined the experience "electrifying." It seems the version he drove wasn't exactly refined, thus he refrained from commenting (read: blasting) too much about the ins and outs of how it performed. Still, even 'ole Bob missed the "throaty roar of a [traditional] engine." We'll raise our glasses to that.[Via Wired]
GM cranks up battery tests for plug-in Volt
General Motors doesn't have long before everyone and their cousin expects to see at least a few Volts on the road -- and it knows it. In an attempt to make sure the deadline is met, the firm has battery testing going on 'round the clock in Michigan and Germany that will theoretically simulate a decade of use in just two years. Additionally, it's placing batteries in test Malibus in order to get a feel for real-world results. Still, GM has yet to definitively decide on the final engine or which battery supplier it'll end up working with, but as the eleventh hour grows ever closer, we can only hope that the pieces start to come together.[Via CNET, image courtesy of Reuters]
Hands-off with the Chevy Volt hydrogen concept powertrain
GM spliced and diced a Chevy Volt hydrogen prototype and put it up for the world to see at this year's 2008 CES. Rocking GM's fifth generation fuel cell stack en-lieu of a regular gasoline engine, we wouldn't hold our breath seeing this before the electric version drops in 2010. Peep the gallery below for the full run-down.%Gallery-13399%
GM reaffirms commitment to 2010 Volt launch
Although we haven't noticed an atypical resurgence in doubters, General Motors' Bob Lutz apparently has. The exec has come forward and stated that the 2010 timeline for its much-anticipated Chevy Volt is still valid, despite the fact that employees working on the vehicle are "becoming increasingly nervous." While speaking at the Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit, Lutz also noted that there was "a lot of skepticism within the company," but that those in leadership roles firmly believe that it "has to be done." More specifically, GM is hoping to "leapfrog anything that is done by any other competitor," and while we're delighted to hear that the commitment is still strong, three years offers up a lot of time for situations to change.[Image courtesy of WindingRoad]
GM mulling battery rentals for the Chevy Volt
Tossing out the idea of renting / leasing the battery of an electric car isn't exactly revolutionary, but it sounds like GM may be hitching a ride on the ever-growing bandwagon. Reportedly, the firm is mulling the idea of allowing Chevy Volt buyers to "rent the vehicle's battery as a way of pricing the automobile at a comparable level to a traditional, petrol-driven family [motorcar]." Apparently, GM is hoping to get ten years of life from the battery packs and to price the Volt like a "traditional mid-market car." Notably, no further information regarding potential contracts or sales strategies were divulged, but considering the launch date for this sucka is just around the corner, we're sure relevant decisions will be made soon enough.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Toyota delays next-gen Prius while GM inks deal with lithium-ion maker
It looks like those waiting for the next generation Prius to hit the road are going to have to hold out a little bit longer. Toyota announced this week that it would be delaying plans to bring its plug-in, lithium-ion-based model to market until 2011, as opposed to 2008, due to safety concerns over the company's chosen battery. In very related news, GM has struck a deal with Massachusetts-based battery developer A123 Systems to produce flat lithium-ion batteries for use in upcoming plug-in electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt. With regards to whether Toyota's setback could give GM an edge in the electric car game, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said, "I think that our No. 1 competitor has some problems with their technology, and I do think that it very definitely opens a window of opportunity for us to be first to market with a genuine plug-in hybrid," which sounds like fightin' words, if you ask us.Read -- Toyota delays next-gen lithium-ion PriusRead -- GM says it could lead electric car race
Chevrolet's 'Scratch Car-d' Captiva-cum-lottery ticket
From the same company that let consumers create their own ads belittling it as an eco-terrorist and worse, comes a new promotional stunt that earns one lucky winner the right to drive home in a vehicle that's been scratched up by several thousand fellow contestants. Billed as the "world's first ever Scratch Car-d," the specific Captiva that Chevrolet gave away in the UK's Covent Garden this morning spent two months getting coated with the same silver latex used to make instant-win lottery tickets, which was then divided up into 16,995 tiny boxes to reflect the Captiva's price in pounds sterling. No word on who ended up with what's bound to be a pretty atrocious-looking vehicle, but we're sure that this one won't be too hard to spot on the streets of London.[Thanks, Omar]
Chevy Volt heads into GM's production pipeline
Those of you as taken with GM's Chevy Volt concept vehicle as we are may want to take a minute to reconsider any impending car purchases, as the car is now officially headed into production -- in two different versions no less. According to Autoblog, that could put the car on track for a roll out in 2010, although GM isn't quite ready to get that specific. In addition to the plug-in gasoline model we saw earlier this year, the other version GM is working on is a fuel cell model, although it'll apparently be too expensive for volume production (diesel and ethanol-powered versions could also be headed to select markets). The plug-in gasoline version takes the rather ingenious route of using the gasoline engine to power a generator, which charges the car's batteries, which in turn powers the car itself (you can also simply plug it in overnight to charge the battery). That supposedly translates to a gasoline savings of about 500 gallons per year for the average commuter, not to mention a signification reduction in CO2 emissions. While there's no word yet on what it might cost, GM has reportedly said that it's willing to lose money initially in order to get the car produced and sold, which could certainly be a good sign.
OnStar signs with CDC to beam real-time crash information
While you'd probably agree that having a perfect stranger tracking your car's every move is less than comforting, we certainly wouldn't mind the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking a peek at our status in case of a crash. In a recent deal between General Motors and the CDC, the company's OnStar system will soon be working hand-in-hand with the agency by beaming "real-time crash data to help emergency services provide a more targeted response to those injured in a car accident." Basically, the OnStar system would alert emergency responders when one's airbag was deployed, but it would also send crash-specific information concerning the severity of the hit(s), where it was struck, and if it was rolled over. The idea is to provide more accurate information to officials that are required to make critical decisions regarding care, and this new system will purportedly go live sometime in 2008 -- if your OnStar will actually connect, that is.[Via MedGadget]
360 survives hit and run accident
Xbox 360 owner Zikronix was in a hit and run accident on Monday, and while he managed to escape with a bruised elbow, his truck and Xbox 360 didn't fare so well.According to the story, his system and games were flung all over the street after his truck rolled several times. There's even a tire mark on the console, and check out that mangled controller.He took the mangled console back home found that, to his surprise, it still started up just fine and played games and DVDs, even though it looks like the remains of the printer in Office Space.Check out his pix here, and watch the YouTube video after the jump. We still wanna know how this accident happened, but at least the 360 looks tougher you'd expect. Should have driven a Ford *ducks onslaught from Chevy fanboys*.
