The Truth About Cars » Volt Birth Watch

Volt Birth Watch 172: 3rd Generation Sustainability?

Edward Niedermeyer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:55:31 +0000

“In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation,” goes a famous line in the Great Law of the Iroquois, “even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine.” Though TTAC tests the thickness of GM’s skin on a daily basis, GM is ahead of the seven-generation [...]

Volt Birth Watch 171: Weber Bails

Edward Niedermeyer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:36:22 +0000

Frank Weber, the man in charge of GM’s electric vehicle line, will be leaving GM for a senior leadership at the soon-to-be-sold (or not?) Opel. Weber previously worked on Opel’s development of GM’s global mid-size (Epsilon II) vehicle line, before becoming the head of GM’s electric vehicle development program in March 2007. Weber is the [...]

Volt Birth Watch 170: The Color Of Money

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:52:33 +0000

GM’s styling department was originally called “Art and Colour,” an indication of the importance The General has always placed on color. And since the Volt hype campaign is leaving no gimmick unturned, GM is offering fans an opportunity to name the greenish-silver color that debuted with the first production-look Volt. The prize? An early test-drive [...]

Volt Birth Watch 169: The Price Is Wrong

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:14:51 +0000

Having a hard time guessing the value of the Volt showcase? Join the club. Everyone knows what the Volt is by now, namely a four-seat, 230 mpg, extended-range electric sport sedan that’s currently under-budget. But what does that sell for? The closest thing to a consistent answer we’ve heard from GM on this point is [...]

Volt Birth Watch 168: Shakedown Cruise, In More Ways Than One

Robert Farago — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:16:18 +0000

I know these Volt Birth Watches are polarizing. So if you’re a Volt booster, look away now. ‘Cause I’m about to excoriate GM for attempting to keep the cloak of invisibility around its taxpayer-funded plug-in electric – gas hybrid Hail Mary Chevy Volt. Now I’m fully aware that any such criticism may spark (so to [...]

Volt Birth Watch 167: The Midwife Bails

Edward Niedermeyer — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:22:20 +0000

Bob Kruse, GM’s executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries and the man in charge of the Volt’s battery development and integration, is leaving General Motors. The Detroit News reports Kruse is leaving to start an EV consulting firm, creatively named E V Consulting. “My departure from General Motors has [...]

Volt Birth Watch 166: Diminished (Battery) Expectations

Paul Niedermeyer — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:09:28 +0000

Ever since Bob Lutz walked down from Mt. Lithium with the Volt’s Ten Specifications, the most potentially expensive and critical one was that the battery pack would have a ten year/100k mile warranty. No longer. Gm-volt.com reports that in a survey of potential Volt buyers, a number of Volt parameters were spelled out, in order [...]

Volt Birth Watch 165: Audi Prez: Tesla Another “Car for Idiots” (If You Know What He Means)

Robert Farago — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:02:30 +0000

“Audi of America President asserts that sustainable technologies, not ‘silver bullets,’ will drive automotive progress.” And there you have it: President Johan de Nysschen public clarification re: widely disseminated reports that he called the U.S. taxpayer-supported Hail Mary-shaped plug-in electric/gas hybrid Chevrolet Volt “a car for idiots.” [Press release after the jump.] Clearly, de Nysschen has [...]

Volt Birth Watch 164: Audi Prez Facebooks on the “Car for Idiots” Volt Diss

Robert Farago — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:16:42 +0000

I tell my kids, if you’re going to apologize for something, never use the word “if.” I’m sorry if I offended you” is not an apology. Audi of America Prez Johann De Nysschen is not, by nature, a word-mincing machine. Only now he is, ish, via Audi’s Facebook page. An online report today, subsequently picked up [...]

Volt Birth Watch 163: Sportier Than a GSXR

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:12:35 +0000

Volt Birth Watch 162: Vauxhall Ampera Driven! Ish.

Robert Farago — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:13:47 +0000

AutoExpress never met a car they didn’t like. Or, if they did, they kept that opinion to themselves. In keeping with the advertiser-pleasing house style, the British car mag offers readers a “review” of the Vauxhall/Opel version of the Chevy’s Hail Mary-shaped plug-in electric/gas hybrid. Despite the fact that the car isn’t in production, regardless [...]

Volt Birth Watch 161: Charge!

Edward Niedermeyer — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:30:39 +0000

More details about the Volt’s charging system emerged at a GM FastLane livechat with charging equipment engineer Gery Kissel. Kissel reveals that the Volt will have 120V and 240V power chargers, but the 240V unit will be wall-mounted and hard-wired. Though the 240V charger will refill batteries much quicker (3.3 kW), it won’t be [...]

Volt Birth Watch 160: Chevy Volt Now On Sale!

Robert Farago — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:25:37 +0000

One of our Best and Brightest, Kixstart, sent us this heads-up: Jeff Belzer Chevrolet in the Twin Cities is running a newspaper ad today suggesting you “Order Your 2010 Chevy Volt! 230mpg EPA City!” Who could resist? When I called the dealer, “Mary Jo” answered. After a preliminary question or two Jeff Belzer, himself, called me back. Yes, they’re really [...]

Volt Birth Watch 159: MSM Double Negative on Volt’s Chances of Success

Robert Farago — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:08:20 +0000

The numbers for the Chevrolet plug-in hybrid electric Volt—running costs vs. the competition and the manufacturer’s margin—don’t add up. Never did. Right from its inception, GM was demurring on the timeline for the theoretical vehicle’s theoretical profitability. Early adopters, economy of scale, yada yada yada. Even after GM’s prearranged a $7500 tax credit with Uncle [...]

Volt Birth Watch 158: Volt a Four-Seater?

Robert Farago — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:20:52 +0000

Autoblog—nope. Can’t do it. Not allowed. TTAC’s Best and Brightest have forbidden me from flaming AOL’s . . . uh . . . website. So I’ll just point out that the off-camera comments are largely supportive and wonder why AB’s crack team weren’t allowed behind the wheel of GM’s Hail Mary plug-in hybrid. I mean, there [...]

Volt Birth Watch 157: GM’s SEC Filing, Form 8-K, August 7, 2009

Robert Farago — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:52:30 +0000

GM’s SEC Filing, Form 8-K, August 7, 2009 is 3100 pages long. Full marks, then, to someone at Autocar [UK] for reading the document and winkling-out this bit about the Volt’s viability (there’s that word again). Props, also, to our Justin Berkowitz for finding the unidentified source of Autocar’s report and doing same. It should be [...]

Volt Birth Watch 156: EPA Repudiates GM Volt’s 230 mpg Claim

Robert Farago — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:31:52 +0000

“EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM. EPA does applaud GM’s commitment to designing and building the car of the future—an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying American jobs. We’re proud to see [...]

Volt Birth Watch 155: The 230 MPG (Alleged) Game Changer

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:18:00 +0000

GM announced today that it expects the Volt to receive the first-ever triple-digit EPA rating (including 230 city MPG). GM’s John Lauckner goes into a little more detail at a Fastlane livechat: Guest: Can you please explain the 230 mpg rating. I must say I balked at your gamble on EREV instead of full hybrid like [...]

Volt Birth Watch 153: GM Plays the Babe Card

Robert Farago — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:54:21 +0000

How did we miss facesofgm.com? I mean, it’s not like they have four (five?) other websites offering the public a look down the nationalized rabbit hole. But now that we’ve found it, well, way-hey! Clearly, New GM is playing the babe card; all three “faces” are female. Mel Fox by name, Mel Fox by, uh, [...]

Volt Birth Watch 152: Born To Lose

Edward Niedermeyer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:50:02 +0000

Volt Birth Watch 151: 30mpg+ During ICE Operation

Robert Farago — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:10:17 +0000

Jon Lauckner, New GM’s Vice President of Global Program Management, picked up the FastLane webchat-a-phone and confirmed that he can’t confirm a final price for its tire-squawking (true story!) Hail Mary hybrid. This despite the fact that the Volt—or at least a small squad of hand-built prototypes—is due at the Chevy showroom—or at least down [...]

Volt Birth Watch 150: GM “Dedicated Hybrid” To Undercut Volt?

Edward Niedermeyer — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:07:52 +0000

With the Malibu mild-hybrid out of the picture and the Volt project still in integration testing, GM-Volt.com reports that the General is developing a “dedicated hybrid” model alá Prius and Insight. According to GM’s Ed Peper, the 4-banger manual Malibu’s 33 highway mpg makes the extra cost of a mild hybrid a tough sell. Besides, [...]

Volt Birth Watch 149: Jean Jennings Loves Her some Volt

Robert Farago — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:45:13 +0000

In fact, Jean Jennings loves her some, well, anything—as long as the company providing the four-wheeled thing butters her bread either directly or indirectly (via advertising). Way back in March 2008, TTAC took the president and editor-in-chief of Automobile magazine to task for pimping for Jeep. Now, even as Old GM becomes Old GM II [...]

Volt Birth Watch 148: The End of the Beginning?

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:52:16 +0000

Ahead of schedule and under budget? Maybe this one will come down to door closing sounds. So why the flashback to the concept bait-and-switch? If the Volt’s butterfly-into-larvae morph doesn’t remind folks of the Old, Bad GM, what will? Ask Farah for yourself at his Live Chat Confessional, 4 pm Eastern, at Fastlane.

Volt Birth Watch 147: Heavy Lifting

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:17:03 +0000

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama made a campaign promise to have one million plug-in hybrids on America’s roads by 2015. That’s an ambitious plan, considering we didn’t hit the million hybrid milestone until eight years after the Prius was introduced. Back in April, GM’s Volt Man Tony Posawatz admitted to MSNBC that “it certainly [...]