GM to sell pure EV version of Volt in mid 2011

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evnow

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Got this from the Tesla forum.

GM to sell pure EV version of Volt in mid 2011

http://blogs.pluginamerica.org/outreach/2010/05/visiting-the-volt-and-an-ev-tease-from-gm.html

I got a much more concrete answer when I asked when GM would sell an all-electric car -- a mere 6 months after the launch of the Volt! That would put it somewhere in mid-2011, perhaps. It will have a bit more battery and lose the gas generator, so will be a lighter car overall, they said. What a one-two package that will be -- the first company to sell both an EV and a PHEV!
...
It will be an EV version of the Volt. I think they've kept quiet because they didn't want to steal the Volt's thunder when it's launched. When I asked GM's Shad Balch at the test drive when they might have an EV to complement the Volt, he said that their CEO had inadvertently mentioned the Volt EV in a press interview recently, so the secret is out. That's why he could answer my question with this news.
 
Is it just me or does Nissan's PR effort seem more professional? The videos showed enthusiasm but GM seemed...amateur.
 
AndyH said:
Is it just me or does Nissan's PR effort seem more professional? The videos showed enthusiasm but GM seemed...amateur.


That has been my perception on much of their marketing. So far Nissan has been acting like a professional marketing organization with effective and timely communication as it should be. There are some startups in mind that could learn a bit from this, cough, cough.
 
When will they let it be "tested in the wild". give the Volt to a few experienced EV drivers (former EV1 customers come to mind), and let them loose with it for a day each. Then we will get some real reports. These dog and pony shows are worthless.
 
EVDRIVER said:
There are some startups in mind that could learn a bit from this, cough, cough.

I'm sure they'll figure it out - sometime after they figure out how to keep the doors closed. :lol:

mitch672 said:
When will they let it be "tested in the wild". give the Volt to a few experienced EV drivers (former EV1 customers come to mind), and let them loose with it for a day each. Then we will get some real reports. These dog and pony shows are worthless.

I wonder about that as well. I still want to know what happens when the ICE fires up.

BYD was able to go from buying a defunct auto factory in 2003 to shipping 100 range extended 'EV' with 60 miles electric range in only six years - and they didn't know how to build a car when they started. GM couldn't do that because?
 
Profitable makers of any product hate to see their product replaced with a competing technology.

Refusing to evolve was likely one thing (of many) that killed (old) GM. By naming the new company "GM", I suspect that they want you to think that the old GM is doing just fine.

Fighting the evolution by "killing off" competing development, buying up patents or rights, or "influencing" regulatory groups is not uncommon, especially for those companies with "big bucks".

The 20th century was the "Century of the ICE".
Hopefully, we can help make the 21st century the "Century of the EV" so that the 22nd century does not become the "Century of Walking" (although that would probably be more healthy).
 
It sure seems heavy even with the ice removed and added pack capacity. So where are all the other batteries going? They have a secret alternate body and pack built? Perhaps this is GMs way of distracting sales temporarily away from other MFGs. I can't wait to se some real facts and spec on this and based on GM Volt pricing it seems like it will cost a bundle.
 
EVDRIVER said:
It sure seems heavy even with the ice removed and added pack capacity. So where are all the other batteries going? They have a secret alternate body and pack built? Perhaps this is GMs way of distracting sales temporarily away from other MFGs. I can't wait to se some real facts and spec on this and based on GM Volt pricing it seems like it will cost a bundle.

GM is already working on Gen 2 Volt battery pack. May be the EV will get that ?

Currently Volt has a ungainly T shaped battery that eats the middle seat in the back - making it a 4 seater instead of 5.
 
All indications by insiders and outsiders alike make it seem like the Volt is an incredibly well engineered car, for any car company, and not just by GM standards ;)

Lutz hinted over a year ago that GM would likely offer a "glider" version of the Volt. Of course their public face says that such a car won't be popular, and they're probably right, especially if it has a similar range. But it will probably have a lot more range without the 10-yr warranty requirement and the lack of weight from the ICE.

It's a shame about the back seat in the Volt... that, the ICE engine, and the GM badge are the main reasons I've decided the Leaf will be my next car.
 
http://gm-volt.com/2010/05/21/gm-denies-all-electric-volt-coming-six-months-after-launch/

GM says there won't be a BEV Volt.
 
From what I've seen, the Volt is a very well engineered car. It should sell well - assuming they get the price about right - as it offers most of the benefits of a pure electric car with the benefit that range anxiety is removed.

The technology behind the Volt is very advanced and people who are in the industry who have driven one are very impressed. I have to agree with some of the comments about their marketing effort... mediocre would strike me as being the right word.
 
Bicster said:
http://gm-volt.com/2010/05/21/gm-denies-all-electric-volt-coming-six-months-after-launch/

GM says there won't be a BEV Volt.

Actually GM didn't say that at all. This is what GM said - it is a non-denial denial.

GM has not officially announced plans to build an all-electric Volt

Let us try this as an example :lol:

Press : Gov Crist, would you be quitting the Republican party and running as an independent ?
Gov Crist : I've not officially announced plans to run as an independent.
 
LeafHopper said:
Compare the on-board generator output (71 hp) of the Volt with the Motor (160 hp). The motor hp is the maximum and would not be needed except at the maximum speed, on a hill, or with a head-wind. But I have to question, how fast the Volt can go using only the generator. And what happens with a hill or wind. I suspect that GM is not telling the truth about the performance. I also suspect that they sometimes use both the battery power and the generator when going up hills or with a head-wind. Maybe this is the real reason why they only discharge the batteries to 30%.
Where are you getting this notion about running only on the generator? GM certainly hasn't said that, and testers haven't either. They all say that the ICE cycles on and off while driving in "charge sustaining" mode. It's quite clear that the generator is used to keep the battery in some (still secret) charge range, perhaps between 25% and 35%. It's also fairly clear that the ICE is run in an efficient range of speeds and loads pretty much independent of vehicle speed and load. That's why GM can claim to get 50 MPG in charge sustaining mode.

One other "truth telling" point: GM has admitted that the car did have a performance problem on very long uphill grades at freeway speeds, because the battery would get down to the minimum charge permitted and the generator couldn't keep up. They solved that one by adding a "mountain mode" which tried to keep the battery at a higher state of charge but still allowed it to go down to the minimum.
 
mitch672 said:
When will they let it be "tested in the wild". give the Volt to a few experienced EV drivers (former EV1 customers come to mind), and let them loose with it for a day each. Then we will get some real reports. These dog and pony shows are worthless.

I doubt GM would want to give the car to an experience EV driver. They probably want to see how the car works in for a family with no EV experience. If I were designing the car for the masses, that is what I would look for in testing.
 
LeafHopper said:
Compare the on-board generator output (71 hp) of the Volt with the Motor (160 hp). The motor hp is the maximum and would not be needed except at the maximum speed, on a hill, or with a head-wind. But I have to question, how fast the Volt can go using only the generator.

The volt never allows its battery to go completely depleted. So when running on the gas engine, it is just going to be like driving a Prius or similar. After all, how often are you going to need 160 hp? That would only be when really stomping the gas hard like to pass somebody. Nobody is going to be requiring that much constant power. So the battery will supply extra power for those moments that you need it.

As far as the original part of this thread about the all-electric volt. I'm very curious about that. I have serious doubts that they'd do this. Mostly because I've watched the video by "ultimate factories" where they show the volt being put together from beginning to end. Well, the battery pack is pretty big already and just barely fits where they are putting it. In order to sell the car as a pure-EV, they would need a larger battery pack. Where is it going to go? I seriously doubt they'd have 3 or 4 little battery packs taking up the space where the engine and gas tank used to be. They'd have to do a complete redesign.
 
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