Beside the Volt’s high price, it should be an easy task for the designers and marketing flacks to make a solid case for a Buick Volt. There’s nothing premium or upscale about the Chevy model. The interior is more Ikea than Bloomingdales with graphic-laden plastic panels and glowing capacitive buttons. The vehicle would probable by similarly-equipped with non-power adjusting heated seats and a Bose audio system, as new interior material alone would transform the Volt from a Chevy to a Buick.

GM previously stated that each of the automakers four core brands — Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC — would have a Voltec vehicle. The Caddy sports coupe concept dropped two years ago at the NAIAS and it certainly feels as if the production Buick Volt will hit at next years.

OnStar has made a move out of being a proprietary unit for GM vehicles and into the retail front with their OnStar mirror. This $299 unit (plus $100 for installation) is being named OnStar FMV, or For My Vehicle. The subscriptions start at $18.95 per month or you can get an entire year for $199.

It’s expensive, but you get hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, assistance locating a stolen vehicle and even Automatic Crash Response thank to a built-in accelerometer. The best feature of the classic OnStar, remote door unlocking, is sadly unavailable.

Available this summer at your favorite big bog retailer: Best Buy.

Press Release

With all the Volt excitement, we haven’t really talked a lot about what other electric offerings GM has planned. GM has a new hybrid system they think can raise fuel economy about 25% higher. It’s called eAssist and it’s somewhat a mild hybrid modifier for existing vehicles. GM already plans to offer this technology in the 2012 Buick LaCrosse and now, they’ve announced it for the Buick Regal.

eAssist is a power management system that aids a gasoline engine. Normal power comes from a 180 hp 2.4-liter Ecotec delivered through a 6-speed auto. Also, there is a 115V lithium-ion battery that powers a 15 KW motor-generator unit to provide up to 15 hp and nearly 80 lb-ft torque of assist during acceleration. Having a motor-generator also allows for recuperation during braking and the battery allows for auto start-stop of the engine at idle.

Unlike the LaCrosse, the eAssist system won’t be available on the base Regal and instead will be an option. “It’s a cost issue,” GM insiders told WardsAuto.

[via egmCartech]

I recently got a chance to speak with Andrew Farah, chief engineer for the Chevrolet Volt. While getting keyed in on the enormous amounts of controls and tech that went into Volt, he mentioned that he had already been chosen as chief engineer for the next EV at GM, stating that, “[my bosses] figured that I had already made mistakes, so I won’t make them again.”

Farah, is a very enthusiastic and charismatic engineer, and in fact, reminded me of Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally. When I asked him what’s up next, he said that “..battery technology will have to get better and smaller..it’s a big energy balance and controls game.”

So, what exactly is he working on? We know that GM displayed a Volt MPV concept in Beijing; and this week at the Detroit auto show, GM CEO Dan Ackerson, told us they have solid plans to launch the MPV. Also, Ackerson said that the Cadillac SRX, we heard about, is “likely.” And, also mentioned, the possibility of a small hatchback and crossover EREV. Could Farah be on one of those teams?

Right now, many people think that the Volt it just too expensive, and in response GM is looking to lower costs. The first way to lower the cost is to shrink the battery, and to do that, engineers will have to increase the energy density of the battery cells. Tough task, I know. However, GM thinks it has the solution.

By licensing battery-electrode materials from the Argonne National Lab, part of the DOE, GM thinks they can double energy storage and therefore halving battery size. By using new materials called mixed-metal oxides, in the electrodes — the cells still come from the rare earth metal, lithium — engineers think they can double capacity.

What’s interesting here is that more vehicles are adopting the Voltec’s powertrain. The Volt was obviously a test of consumer interest — initial Volt production numbers estimated between 10 and 15,000 units are now nearly 25,000, Ackerson says. With only 326 sold in December, they might really have to push it although GM-Volt.com notes that at the end of 2010, there were 90 unsold Volts sitting in dealer’s lots. The Volt’s retail launch was held up until the EPA released the vehicle’s fuel economy numbers, which didn’t happen until the end of November with the first Volts being delivered in mid-December.

While the very next challenge engineers face is lowering the costs — the Volt isn’t profitable, even at $41,000 — what’s next after are new cars based on Voltec. When exactly? “Within three years,” said the CEO. I’m pretty sure we need them sooner.

Last year at the NAIAS in Detroit, Cadillac introduced the Converj concept, a vehicle based on the Chevrolet Volt. Most of it’s electronics were shared from the Volt, including GM’s new Voltec power system.  While it was definitely a cool looking car and was much talked about at the auto show, nothing came of it—most concept cars rarely make it further then the tenure of a GM CEO.

GM’s new CEO Dan Akerson, was in Detroit last Thursday where we heard him say that GM will be offering different versions of the Volt, not specifically a Chevy nor a car. Now the speculation is just what will be coming out. Andrew Farah, the Volt’s chief engineer, has recently stated he has been picked as chief engineer for GM’s next electric vehicle. Just what exactly, we don’t know.

Most rumors are pointing towards a plug-in electric Cadillac crossover based on the SRX. Similar to the research already done on the Saturn Vue, the same two-mode plug-in drivetrain will be used, according to anonymous GM sources. Also, a similar non-plugin two-mode hybrid version of the SRX is known to be undergoing testing.

This comes a time where electrification is becoming more accepted in the automakers plans for the future. Akerson is known as being a big proponent for vehicle electrification and was noted that GM is researching ways to double and triple production.

As the Volt has recently rolled off the line into showrooms, many will watch and see just how much consumers are into the whole electric thing. Our guess is that yes, now is the time. One thing is for certain; we simply cannot continue to use limited fossil fuels for energy. These steps the automakers are taking help provide a transition to renewable energy, ensuring a cleaner future.

[via GM-Volt]

EV batteries falling below 80 percent of their original capacity when fully charged will be candidates for replacement and reuse. Duke and Itochu promised to begin their project by testing Ener1 lithium-ion batteries extracted from a fleet of 80 EVs in a Duke Energy facility in Indianapolis.

The automaker GM embarked on a similar initiative with The ABB Group in September, specifically looking for ways to use spent Chevy Volt batteries in the smart grid. One vision of reuse for EV batteries proposed by GM would see them storing power from renewable sources in EV charging stations, which are used to charge plug-in vehicles.

Other ideas (as reported by MSNBC.com and Gas2.org) include using the weakened EV batteries to keep cell phone towers up and running during blackouts, or to stabilize the grid by storing power generated either during off-peak hours or from intermittently available renewable sources, like wind or solar, finally dispensing it during peak demand hours.

EV skeptics believe that production and recycling of EV batteries— at least until battery design and reycling related technology improves— might make electric vehicles more harmful to the environment than the highest-efficiency diesel models. That’s especially if a majority of electricity used to charge EVs comes from non-renewable sources, like coal.

Giving batteries a new life beyond the vehicle, and using them to shift electricity production to renewables as much as possible would quiet many of these worries. At the same time, companies like GM, Duke, ABB Group and Itochu hope that increasing the total lifetime value of EV batteries would ultimately reduce the cost of producing them as well.

In a press statement late Wednesday, The U.S. Treasury Department revealed that it sold 358.5 million shares of GM, raising $11.8 billion, and hanging onto a 37% stake of the company. With underwriters chomping at the bit to buy more GM shares to cover over-allotments, the Treasury could reduce its stake to 33.3% and sell 412 million* GM shares raising a total of $13.6 billion.

The L.A. Times reports that the GM IPO would set a new record:

A $23.1 billion total would surpass not only the record set by the Agricultural Bank of China but also easily break the $19.7 billion record for a U.S. company, set by Visa Inc. in March 2008. However, Visa’s deal was all common stock, leaving it as the largest by that measure.

In other company news, GM unveiled its 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at the Los Angeles auto show today. Earlier in the week its new, electric vehicle (EV) the 2011 Chevy Volt won the title of car of the year from two trade magazines, Motor Trend, and Automobile magazine.

The Volt is not a pure EV because it has a 1.4 liter gasoline engine-and-generator that produces power and gives mechanical assistance to the motor that drives the car. The gas engine assists the vehicle in situations where a driver has gone more than 40 miles, and is operating at highway speeds around 70 miles per hour company representatives have told several media outlets. That said, the Volt still qualifies for government tax credits provided to EV-buyers, and primarily runs on electricity.

GM reported its 2010 third quarter earnings last week including a net income of $2 billion, and revenue of $34.1 billion. By comparison, Tesla Motors, a Nasdaq-traded company that makes truly all-electric vehicles saw $31.2 million in revenue, but a net loss for the third quarter of 2010 thanks to hefty research and development costs according to its earning reports. Shares in Tesla Motors traded just under $30 ahead of the GM public offering.

*[CORRECTION: In the second paragraph of this story, I mistakenly wrote "more" shares, but should have written 412 million total. The word "more" was removed from the passage on Nov. 18 to correct the story. Thanks to @pbones for bringing this to my attention. - LK]

2011 Chevy Volt Image courtesy of (c) GM Corp.

In support of Burns’ thesis, IBM and GM revealed new details on Monday on the car’s electronic backbone and how it came together in 29 months, from concept to finish.

Although the Volt is far from the first car with computer functionality, it is a major technological step forward for GM. According to IBM, the Volt is equipped with 100 electronic controllers, its very own IP address and roughly 10 million lines of software code.  That’s far more than its peers and, according to Robert LeBlanc, SVP of IBM’s Middleware Software, that’s also more than today’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner which features a paltry 8 million lines of code.

“Think of it as a data center and computer on wheels,” LeBlanc says.

Given the Volt’s reliance on its software and electronic components, it’s no wonder that GM relied heavily on IBM’s software to put all the pieces together.

As explained in Monday’s press release, GM used IBM’s suite of Rational software products (which includes design and simulation tools) “to develop some of the Volt’s critical electronic controls for the vehicle’s innovative battery system, electric drive unit, and cabin electronics.” According to LeBlanc, IBM’s software allowed disparate engineering teams to collaborate, put products to the test and it helped them model and better understand how various electronic systems would interact.

That’s a significant departure from the past, when GM’s engineering teams would develop components independently, with minimal sharing during the development process.

Forging ahead, the GM/IBM partnership for the Volt is expected to be a template for the development of new GM cars: “We hope to extend the Rational platform to other vehicle lines. Cars are only going to be more complex, every automaker will have to deal with that higher level of complexity and interaction.”

Here’s GM’s promotional video on the Volt’s computer system and its relationship with IBM.

For more information on the Volt, check out recent CrunchGear articles here.

On Monday afternoon, the Dearborn, Michigan based company announced that it will invest another $850 million into the development of more fuel efficient cars and technology.

That cash, which is earmarked for 2011 to 2013, is still contingent on whether the Michigan Economic Development Council approves a robust package of incentives (due for consideration later this week). According to reports— if the package gets the greenlight— Ford will benefit from roughly $400 million in state incentives.

Upon passage, Ford plans to create as many as 1,200 jobs across the state concentrating that growth in several key plants, including Van Dyke Transmission, Livonia Transmission, Sterling Axle and its Dearborn Truck Plant.

Overall, the goal is to renovate facilities, beef up the workforce and invest in technology that will lead to the production of more fuel efficient cars. In its statement, the automaker says a significant portion of this investment will go towards the production of six-speed transmissions, with the hope that in three years Ford’s entire fleet will feature the new technology.

The company has been trying to make the six-speed transmission more standard, recently making it available in its entire line of full-size pickup trucks. While many cars on the road feature four-speed automatic transmissions, the six-speed is superior when it comes to fuel economy because the extra overdrive gears keeps the engine speed low.

For those keeping score, the $850 million investment is in addition to the $950 million Ford has already committed for the overhaul of its Wayne, Michigan Assembly Plant, which will be tasked with churning out many of the company’s electric and hybrid models in 2012.

Although Ford’s road to recovery has been far from easy (and there’s still a way to go with consumer remaining fragile), it’s fared better than its domestic peers. Just last week, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu singled out Ford for recently passing Toyota’s rating in initial owner defects and its growing traction among consumers (citing a NYTimes article).

The automaker, which reports on Tuesday, is expected to showcase encouraging numbers with analysts looking for record (yes, record) third quarter profits of $1.37 billion (versus $997 million for the year ago period). Another quarter in the black will mean a string of six profitable quarters for Ford.

Maybe it’s true after all; GM using its Voltec platform for something other than a compact/midsize sedan, a cargo van named Vivaro. Expected to be unveiled tomorrow at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover, GM will showcase Vivaro for those interested in low fuel consumption–like a small organic farm that only needs to make small deliveries around the city.

Opel will be the name under which Vivaro will be placed, but if reception goes well then hopefully Chevy will carry the name in the states. The van has 5 cubic meteres of cargo space and can hold payloads up to 750 kg–meaning a great delivery van in the city. Lithium ion battery packs power the van and are mounted in the floor–similar to the Volt. Travel is expected to last up to 60 miles on electricity alone; after the gas-powered motor will extend the range to 250 miles.

“We are convinced that we will get a fantastic reaction from the people who use such vehicles on a daily basis: Electric mobility will allow them to travel in city areas which are now off-limits to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles and the range-extender technology makes it possible to use an electric van for normal routine business,” says Chris Lacey, Executive Director, International Operations Opel/Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles.

GM spokesperson Randal Fox said there are no plans to actually build the concept nor bring it to the states, but if the past can teach us anything about GM, learn that “no plans” actually means we’ll wait and see. Does this mean an entire fleet of Voltec vehicles in the future?

[via Makezine]

It’s safe to say we’ve reached the pinnacle of humanity with this next bit of news: you’ll soon be able to update your Facebook status using OnStar. It’s the first “entertainment-y” option to be offered by OnStar, perhaps designed to cash in on some of the goodwill that has gone Ford’s way with its Sync system.

If the report winds up being true—this is based on unconfirmed information—then you can expect to update your Facebook status using OnStar.

Imagine this:

“Hello, OnStar. Facebook status update—In the car, about to drive.”

Pretty great, right? Eh, maybe some people will get a kick out of it. Nothing wrong with that.

The system would also be able to read aloud Facebook status updates. It would also be able to send and read aloud plain ol’ text messages.

All of this is scheduled to begin sometime this month, and will launch alongside a new advertising campaign, one that will presumably try to pain OnStar as something that’s now hip and groovy, and not just something you use to call roadside assistance.

There is nothing more American than the Corvette and its front-mounted V8 engine. Nothing. Not even the Mustang, baseball or Las Vegas. The V8 screams freedom of the open road. But that potent formula that’s been in use since the beginning might be getting slightly tweaked. GM’s VP of global engineering, Karl Stracke, mentioned to AutoWeek that the next Corvette might go hybrid to keep up with the rest of the sports car world. Blasphemy? Nope. Awesome.

The Corvette is nearly America’s 911 in that not much has changed since the very beginning. Where the modern-day Porsche 911 is remarkable similar to the 1963 original in every regard, the Corvette has gently evolved over time in both appearance and technology. In-line sixes powered the car for the first two years of its life, but then a V8 was offered as an option for the 1955 model and eventually went on to be the standard. Then the C2 model then set the styling cues for every future generation. But we’re at a turning point, though, and GM has two options: Stay the current course with big engines and get lapped by the best of Europe and Asia or follow the evolutionary trend, and turn the Corvette into a hybrid.

Nearly every auto company sells hybrid vehicles now and fuel economy is only one of the reasons. Sure, hybrids are typecasted as green vehicles thanks to the likes of the Prius and Insight, but the electric motor offers a few advantages for sports cars as well. Mainly that they provide on-demand torque not available with a gasoline engine. Drive the all-electric Tesla and you’ll be amazed at the face-smashing acceleration. But then gasoline engines, combined with clever gearboxes, can do things electric vehicles only dream about. That’s where a hybrid steps in and why auto companies like Ferrari and Porsche are currently exploring the same hybrid sports car idea.

The hybrid powertrain would also no doubt help GM hit the latest CAFE regulations by increasing its halo car’s EPA fuel rating, but also retain the Corvette’s claim of a world class sports car. Think about it: a hybrid powertrain would likely help out primarily during acceleration while Detroit’s latest V8 handles the blistering flat-out speeds. It would be perfect for tracks and roads alike. Combine this powertrain with the ZR-1′s suspension and you have a Nürburgring killer. (again)

As of right now, though, this is all rumor and speculation as GM hasn’t made anything official just yet. Stracke did strike-down the mid-engine, twin-turbo V6 rumors previously making their way around the car blogs. That’s fine. A hybrid Corvette is significantly more interesting than a baby-Ferrari-thing. America would not take to seeing its iconic sports car turned into a European clone. [via Autoblog]

Of course a lot has changed in the three year span it has taken the Volt to hit production. Nearly every major car company either already sells a few hybrids or there’s one coming soon. There are even a couple more pure electric vehicles that will compete for the same marketshare now. But saving any major manufacturing hurdle, the Chevy Volt should be the first mass-produced Extended Range Electric Vehicle to hit the streets here in the States when it hits dealers later this year.

The last big question should be answered tomorrow. What’s the price?

GM has long said that the Volt will save the company and while I personally think the mass-market Cruze is better suited for that task, the Volt will no doubt have a large halo effect. Consumers will no doubt flock to dealerships just to see the vehicle. But it’s not going to be in everyone’s price range. However, a large $7,500 tax credit should help GM initially by allowing the auto company to price the Volt aggressively while protecting their bottom line.

My guess is that it will hit the market with a $37,000 MSRP, which would work out to $29,500 after the tax credit. But that’s just me. Anyone else?

The Enhanced Vision System is designed with safety in mind just like previous implementations, but takes it to a whole new level. Let’s say it’s foggy or stormy. Ultraviolet lasers will paint road lines on the windshield and even read road-side signs to aid with navigation. An enhanced night vision mode even works with the new system to more percisouly identify road obstacles and animals.

All this is done with a series of front-facing sensors. This is combined with several in-vehicle cameras that track the drivers head and eyes to properly place the augmented reality layer on the windshield.

While GM has clearly put a lot of time and effort in the system, the company hasn’t announced if and or when it will hit its vehicles.

The reasons for designing and manufacturing your own engine are pretty easy to see, and it’s a lot easier to do with an electric engine than an internal combustion one. Not nearly as many parts, and you aren’t managing hundreds of carefully controlled explosions every second. That’s not to say I could design one, but clearly GM thinks they can, and we should give them a slap on the back for it. How good it’ll be, we’ll just have to find out, but in the meantime just buy some flags and start waving.