Remember that plug-in Prius we drove for a bit? Yeah, Toyota is bringing that technology to more models. The Prius has long been the popular hybrid vehicle but cars like the Volt and Leaf are stealing a good deal of the public’s love thanks to their plug-in ability. It seems Toyota is looking to recapture some of its lost karma by shifting the entire Prius line to plug-in hybrids by the 2014 model… → Read More
The awards just seem to keep stacking up for the Chevrolet Volt. Yesterday, the Volt was awarded a Gold Medal at the Edison Awards for innovative engineering that resulted in the world’s first extended range electric vehicle.
Also, on the same night, OnStar’s mobile app won a silver medal for Best New Product in Transportation. The OnStar mobile app allows for drivers to view vehicle data, unlock… → Read More
Road and Track is a great car magazine, but they forgot an important fact about April Fools’ Day: the date. Yesterday, March 30th, they outed some pictures of the Volt sans roof. Their post even discussed some new tech for the unsightly little thing, despite its lack of a regular size gas tank. “We’re extremely excited about the new GM-patented photovoltaic film that covers two-thirds of… → Read More
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… → Read More
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… → Read More
CrunchGear’s Matt Burns recently called the Chevy Volt GM’s “knight in shining chrome and white plastic.” Burns was not citing projected sales numbers, instead he was making the point that the Volt has saved GM by forcing the troubled automaker to “change internally and reinvent nearly ever aspect of how it does business.”
In support of Burns’ thesis, IBM and GM revealed new details on Monday on… → Read More
The time has come to fiddle around with all the options for your new Chevy Volt. Assuming you’ve got a spare $42K laying around. Yes, it’s not exactly the most affordable vehicle, nor is it, strictly speaking, an electric vehicle, but it is a practical, good-looking, and high-tech car, which is perhaps better.
At any rate, the official configurator is now live, and you can add and subtract trim… → Read More
While the Volt will charge overnight on a normal outlet, those with less predictable schedules may understandably want to opt for a 240V charging solution, which can cut the charge time to four hours. But you better believe you’re gonna pay. → Read More
Chevrolet has just announced the price for the Chevy Volt home charging kit : $490. That’s the price “before installation,” mind you. How much are you looking at with installation? → Read More
Want to drive the Volt or Leaf for just a day or week? Don’t feel like paying large for a car that hasn’t run its course? Call up Hertz and rent one. That’s right, Hertz has just announced that it plans to rent out EVs through its car rental and car sharing operations. Zipcar take note. → Read More
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.
More after the break. → Read More
I honestly laid in bed last night thinking about the Chevy Volt’s $41k price tag. Seriously. When I got the press release shortly before it crossed the wire yesterday, the price seemed about right for a first-gen Voltec vehicle. The $350 lease program looked even better. I was already totally sold on the Volt after driving an early mule over a year ago and the price tag didn’t even bother me one… → Read More
Ford‘s 2011 Focus Electric will run on Compact Power Inc.’s lithium-ion battery, the company announced today. The batteries will initially be made in South Korea at CPI’s parent company, LG Chem, with plans to start manufacturing at a new $300 million site in Holland, Mich. in 2012.
The Focus Electric will be a full battery electric passenger car made at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which used… → Read More
Feeling a bit forgetful? Worried that you’re not going to be able to find your way back to your car? Worry no longer, there’s now an Android app for that. All you need is an Android phone, and Chevy Volt with OnStar. Once you’re parked, you can speak your destination into your phone which will then keep track of where you are relative to that point, and help you to find your way… → Read More
Things are looking good for the Volt. Chevy said that the first pre-production Volt rolled off the line yesterday. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can buy one yet, but it’s still a pretty huge deal. For the future! → Read More
This test is no doubt neat. I mean, automakers test the exterior to make sure every piece can withstand extreme temperatures and they should. But how about the test where the Volt‘s battery is heated up to 200 degrees. Where is that video? I’ve sat in a few cars after they baked in the sun all day long and the exterior was cool to the touch but were at least 200 degrees inside. → Read More
GM has a lot riding on the Chevy Volt. It’s not the vehicle that will save the company from failure, (the Chevy Cruze will do that) but it’s huge PR halo car. It will be the car that draws everyone’s attention back to the auto maker and having the car work with a flashy iPhone and Blackberry app should help with that. → Read More
You wouldn’t think quieter cars would be a problem, but then again, you’re probably not blind. Hybrids and electrics make so little noise that they pose a serious risk to blind people, who often use the sound of a car passing to determine whether it’s safe to cross the road. Nissan’s Leaf, it was announced, will make a “beautiful and futuristic” noise at low speeds so that unaware pedestrians… → Read More
You know that strange viral marketing campaign popping up around the Interwebs as of late? Well, we know what it means now thanks to GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson and it’s somewhat impressive – and a tad dubious. GM is claiming that under the new EPA guidelines, the Chevy Volt will hit 230 MPG. The Volt would be the first car to ever earn a triple digit number.
Take a look at the current high-mileage… → Read More
Ready for more hybrid vehicles? Sure, why not, right? Honda is set to release two new hybrid vehicles next year: the CR-Z and Fit/Jazz. Both should come equipped with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system and further demonstrates that hybrid technology will soon be a standard option on most vehicles. There isn’t anything real exciting about either of these two new cars besides… → Read More
http://www.hulu.com/myspace/http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehulu%2Ecom%2Fwatch%2F53236/embed/NyvlaHJGUU6SIbsrwnKUrw Remember that episode of The Office when Andy uses his Prius as a stealth ramming device and lodges Dwight into some bushes? Japan, the land of everything mystical and wonderful, must have seen that episode too and has some issues with the quiet demeanor of hybrids. They are the best selling… → Read More
One lucky Californian dude is cruising in style after he took delivery of the very first production electric Mini. The Mini-E is available for lease on a very limited basis reminiscent of the GM EV-1 from the ’90s. Except this time around, the plug-in electric car will only be in customers hands for one short year instead of three. Presumably, the 500 cars will be sent back to Mini for testing and… → Read More
God bless the Internet. The Opel Ampera was suppose to make a Geneva Motor Show debut but the Volt’s cousin has been completed exposed early. Judging by the pics too, it seems that American car buyers are getting the short end too cause this Opel, well, she’s a looker. More pics after the jump. → Read More
You have to use your imagination a bit, but that is what the Opel Ampera is going to look like. → Read More
As we enter this new, slightly different age of “efficiency as performance” (sounds weird, doesn’t it?), I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more of this “greening” in addition to the rather symbolic changes we’ve been seeing lately. Case in point: a stereo system designed to be lightweight and energy-efficient. Not something I would have thought of, but every pound and watt counts, especially when… → Read More
The original Transformers movie was obnoxiously filled with shiny General Motor’s rides and it seems that theme will continue in the sequel. The latest GM wunderkind, the Chevy Volt, was apparently forced onto the writers at the latest minute ‘ccording to a web chat with the film’s head writer. Who knows how much GM is padding the producers pockets but at least we get to watch our tax dollars in… → Read More
GM, and millions of jobs, might be counting on the Chevy Volt to save the company, but a Chinese car company is a couple steps ahead of Generous Motors. The BYD F3DM is now for sale at a cost of $21,900 USD…in China. It features a plug-in Li-ion battery pack along with a 1.0 liter aluminum engine. Exact details aren’t available but it seems that this knock-off might have the $40k Volt… → Read More
Let’s say that Congress refuses to give some of that bailout money to Detroit—does that effectively kill off electric cars like the Chevy Volt? That depends on who you’re talking to. → Read More
Test Drive is a new series that we’re starting at CrunchGear wherein we get a hands-on look at new or interesting modes of transportation. It’s not limited to just cars, either. We’ll take a look at just about anything from scooters to rockets and everything in between. Last night in Manhattan at Terminal 5 we were privy to an intimate gathering to check out Chevy’s extended-range electric… → Read More
http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml This is a great clip. I’ll let the guys do the talking, but although I’m sure GM’s point man Bob Lutz is in full spin mode here, it’s fun that he’s playing the game. Its off-the-line performance is “adequate,” a term well-known by carmakers as meaning “god-awful,” but… → Read More
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