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 the soft-top’s surface,” says GM spokesperson Taylor Wildwood. Uh-huh.

Nice try guys, but those Volt engineers have more important things to do, like building rebadging the Volt.

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]

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.

Personally, I’d go with the rear view camera (sadly not standard), but skip the luxury options and polished aluminum. This car is striking enough without the bling, and heated seats always strike me as kind of decadent. You can always get aftermarket rims; there will probably be weirdo body kits too. Can’t wait to see a wing on one of these.

Actually, as I went to post this, it now appears that the site has crashed (I’m getting a 403 from the redirect). Better wait a few minutes.

What can we say? Want to be an early adopter and have the high-end gear? Don’t be surprised when they come for your wallet.

Here’s the press release:

[via Autoblog]

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?

With installation you’re looking at $1,475. (That price may vary, you should know, depending on various permutations.)

The 240V kit can charge your Volt’s battery in around four hours. That doesn’t seem too bad, right?

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.

While we don’t have official word on pricing, we’re assuming that there will be a premium–I mean think of the selling points.

1. Greener
2. Cheaper to drive (fuel)
3. It is already an expensive car
4. You’ll be cool while you drive one
5. You can run Prius owners off the road, since they require fuel, you own the road
6. It just Hertz so good

Press release below

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?

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. Then 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 bit. It’s not like I planned on buying one, but I could see where GM was coming from.

Then my post went up at 12:00 pm yesterday and quickly filled with commentors railing against the $41,000 price tag. That was followed by nearly every national news program claiming the Volt’s price invokes a bit of sticker shock. I thought, “Did these people really think the Volt was going to be the same price as a Malibu?” Apparently.

But then Rush Limbaugh opened-up on the Volt today and two things became clear. One, many people including Rush (and previously Letterman) do not fundamentally understand the Volt’s capabilities. I believe most consumers expected the Volt to be a mass-market vehicle and an instant hit in a sort of iPhone way. Yeah, that’s just not how the auto industry works.

I guess part of my acceptance of the $41k price is that I have GM in my blood. The Internet would call me a GM fanboy, but it’s something a little more deep. I’m more of a GM loyalist — being born, raised and still living within minutes of GM’s long-forgotten birthplace — Flint, MI (70 miles from Detroit). This is the place where under the leadership of Billy Durant, a bunch of separate automakers joined together and formed General Motors starting with Buick in 1908. It’s now a sorry remnant of its storied past, but things are getting better, partly because of the Volt.

GM is spending $230 million in Flint, primarily to retool one of the old factories into the manufacturing facility for the Chevy Volt and Cruze’s 1.4L gasoline engine. The Volt’s battery pack is being developed and  made across the state in Holland, Michigan. It’s safe to say that everyone around here is pulling for the Volt.

But if I set aside all the feelings I have about GM, I still believe that $41k is the right price for the first-gen Volt. Even without the tax credit worth up to $7500, most of the initial 10,000 available Volts will be snatched up at full retail. People are buying luxury cars right now and it’s undeniable that the Volt will give the Prius a run for its celebrity clientèle.

Bloomberg reported a few weeks ago about the state of luxury autos right now; BMW, Mercedes, and Audi simply cannot keep up with the demand. While I’ll be the first to counter that point by saying that a Chevy isn’t an Audi, the report clearly states that people have money to spend on cars. The $7,500 tax credit President Bush approved (Sorry, Rush, this isn’t Obama’s tax credit) back in the recession of 2008 is just a bonus for the first round of buyers.

With a price tag of $41k, GM is clearly targeting this higher-end market. The Chevy Volt isn’t a car for the masses — at least it isn’t yet — and that’s fine. It doesn’t need to be. The Volt isn’t a consumer electronic like the iPad. It’s a car and its story isn’t finished within the first month of sales.

General Motors isn’t just in the business of selling one vehicle. The once king of automakers originally earned that title by developing many similar vehicle’s around common platforms and powertrains. This practice, along with the “it’s good ’nuff” attitude, is one of the main reasons for its demise as well, but the Volt’s powertrain, named Voltec, isn’t the overused 3800 engine used by countless Buicks, Chevys, Pontaics, and Oldsmobiles for two decades. It’s one of the keys to General Motor’s future.

There’s no way to tell how much R&D went into the Volt, but it’s probably safe to say that it was far more than the average vehicle. Rest assured that the entire investment isn’t riding on this one car (two if you count its European twin, the Opel Ampera), but rather on the multitude of vehicles that will share the same underpinnings and electric powerplant.

GM already showed off a few such vehicles like the Cadillac Converj sports coupe concept and the production-bound MPV5 crossover. Those are just the beginning, too. The Volt is the first model in what is sure to be a large line-up of extended-range electric vehicles with the same electric motor backed by a gasoline-powered generator.

Part of the reason for the Volt’s higher initial price than, say, the Leaf is that the Volt’s essentially the first of its kind to be designed with mass production in mind. Simply put, it’s an electric vehicle with a range of 40 miles that also has a small gasoline engine that will power the motor with excess sent to the batteries until the tank reads E — supposedly another 260 miles. Think of it as a hybrid with the powerplants in different roles. In a traditional hybrid like the Prius, the gasoline engine and electric motor can run separately — electric during slow speeds, braking and idle — or combined together during hard acceleration. However, it requires gasoline to go and the Volt doesn’t (Volt’s primary power plant is the electric motor).

This is what sets the Volt apart from other alternative vehicles; you literally don’t need to run on gas — the gas generator might still pop on to regulate the climate if it gets too hot or cold while the Volt’s parked, though. But then the Volt can also drive long-range as long as there’s gas in the tank. Sure, it’s not the best at either as many EVs have longer range and estimates peg the Volt’s gas mileage around 50mpg, but the real story is that it does both, which no other vehicle can claim. Well, maybe the coach-built Fisker Karma but that also carries a $87k pricetag.

$41,000 is a lot of money for a vehicle that many thought would be the savior of General Motors. But the Volt doesn’t have to be a breakaway hit for it to be success in GM’s eyes. The Prius will no doubt outsell it for years and the same probably goes for the Nissan Leaf. But GM’s in this for the long run and the Volt is just the beginning.

The Focus Electric will be a full battery electric passenger car made at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which used to mainly produce large SUVs. The Focus Electric is expected to travel up to 100 miles with zero tailpipe emissions. Ford said it plans to have five electric car models on the roads by 2012.

Compact Power also makes batteries for General Motors‘ Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, due out later this year.

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 back. This is actually just part of GM’s plan for the Volt, which is going to be closely linked with the Google platform when it comes out. In addition to the location feature, you’ll also be able to check the battery level, monitor the vehicles overall health, and even run the A/C before you get in.

[via DVice]

When a pre-production car comes off the line, it’s typically used for quality control purposes, and to ensure that the manufacturer is set up for the actually production run. Hopefully this means that we’ll see the Volt sooner, rather then later.

[via TreeHugger]

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. What’s that going to do to the lithium-ion battery pack? I have so many questions.

Not much is known about the apps right now. In fact, the image above was flashed on the screen during the Volt’s presentation at the L.A. Auto Show. It’s probably a good guess that the meter is referring to the Volt’s batter life and the button might even be able to start up the gasoline engine remotely to charge the battery. But of course apps like these can do so much more.

Mercedes-Benz recently announced its iPhone and Blackberry app that can unlock doors, call for roadside assistance, and even locate the vehicle. No doubt the Volt’s app will be similar, but hopefully doesn’t cost $280 like the MB option.

Don’t expect anything too crazy though. It’s not like GM has the know-how to install a system like the one in James Bond’s BMW 750i.

GM-Volt via Jalopnik

Good, but any noise, however beautiful, may become a bother if you hear it all the damn time. So Chevy has stated that its noise, “a series of low horn audio signals,” will be driver-controlled. I have to say, I’m glad of that, because “a series of low horn audio signals” sounds like it’d really bug me. You’ll be able to turn it on and off like any other safety features, like high beams and hazard lights.

I wonder if in the future of car marketing there will be major competition between brand noises — if they’re all quiet, there’s no distinctive engine note, but they still have control over how the sucker sounds. I can just picture it now: “Yeah, the Toyota gets 50 more miles per charge, but have you heard the sweet woom-woom noise the new Fords make?” Or maybe you’ll be able to buy “roll tones.” Okay, I’m a genius. I’m patenting that.

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 kings and that 230 MPG rating really sinks in. The EPA handed the Prius a 51 MPG city ranking and the Insight a 41 MPG. The EPA says that the Ford Fusion hybrid can get 41 in the city and the Camary Hybrid 40 MPG in the city. With hyper-mileage tactics like killing the engine to coast down hills and fancy pedal work, a few obsessed drivers have pushed a few of these cars into triple digit territory.

None of these cars of course benefit from a battery pack that can power the car exclusively for 40 miles, though. The only real competitor to the Chevy Volt is the Fisker Karma as it’s fundamentally the same powertrain design but the EPA hasn’t had a go with that EV yet.  There is the Tesla Model S too, but that vehicle is limited by the range of a battery pack and doesn’t have an on-board gasoline generator like the Volt and the Karma and therefore will not be ranked under the same guidelines.

The methodology behind the 230 MPG rating haven’t been released. There is no telling how the Volt’s 40 mile electric-only mode factored into this ranking. The EPA revised its formulas in order to generate a more accurate real-world representation of what EVs can achieve and the Volt’s the first car to benefit from this revision.

Frank Weber, the Volt’s chief engineer and the tour guide during my Volt test drive, indicated that the 230 MPG rating is based on combined electric-only mode and charge sustaining mode with the 1.4 L electric generator running. We’re still curious about the actual mileage to be driven during the EPA’s testing and how the car will rank in highway mileage ratings.

But despite my bit of skepticism, you can’t deny that GM has something special in the Volt. However it’s measured, 230 MPG is a gigantic improvement for a lot of people that can take advantage of the Volt’s 40 mile electric-only range. Now here’s hoping that the Volt makes its way into showrooms sometime in 2010 despite issues with GM securing government loans.

[image via Autoblog]

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 the hybrid option. The CR-Z will be a standard fastback coupe while the Fit is a wannabe mini-minivan. (ask Biggs, he has one) But both small cars should get a boost in MPG with the hybrid system.

Honda, just like every other major manufacturer, has been developing hybrid technology in personal vehicles since the 90′s. The IMA system has probably progressed enough that it can finally be fitted onto more and more platforms meaning that soon it might become a standard option.

Fundamentally hybrids aren’t that difficult. They just employ a battery-powered electric motor to assist the gasoline engine under certain loads. The electronic acceleration assistance can make for speedy launches and improved fuel economy. Many of the previous issues like battery size and jerky transitions between the motor and engine have been worked out by manufacturers so be prepared to see a lot more hybrid vehicles.

Now, I’m not saying all of these new hybrids, including the two new models released from Honda, will put up Prius-type numbers. Oh no, Honda previously installed an older IMA system in the Accord but Consumer Reports only found it to help by 1 or 2 MPG. But having the hybrid systems installed is a great short-term solution to reach the high CAFE standards.

Congress put the bar high with the new MPG guidelines. By 2011 the majority of new cars will have to reach 30.2 MPG verses today’s standard of 27.5. That 2.7 MPG jump is a big hurdle and hybrid technology is one of the least expensive ways to reach it. Most automakers already have a developed hybrid platform, so now the task is to build it into more vehicles to bump up the average.

We’re finally reaching a plateau in next-gen vehicle purpalson systems; at least for a while. Hybrid is here to stay while extended range plug-ins like the Volt and Fisker Karma test the market. Soon, a hybrid system will be just another box to check on the new car buying sheet just like AC and satellite radio.