GM to shift focus with Volt unveiling
July 8, 2008 by George Skentzos
General Motors has in recent times become synonymous with big-displacement petrol guzzlers, and with fuel prices hitting record highs, it has begun to take its toll with dwindling sales across its low-mpg range.
In order to change its image, the brand plans to turn over a new leaf by streamlining the release of its production version of the heavily promoted plug-in Chevrolet Volt.
General Motors plans to complete its production version by as early as August to be unveiled on the world stage by September to coincide with the automakers 100th Anniversary of its founding.
Following GM stocks hitting a 54-year low in the past week, the centennial launch of the Volt is aimed at shifting the focus of its investors and consumers from the current sales slump and moving toward the development of more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The campaign trail is set to begin with a very special cameo by the Volt along with many other GM cars in the upcoming blockbuster Transformers sequel scheduled for release next year, the same platform which launch the concept version of the yet-to-be-released Camaro in 2007.
The Volt is designed to achieve a range of roughly 64km on a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at a standard electric outlet.
As well as capturing energy from braking, the Volt will also incorporate an on-board engine to power the battery on longer trips.
GM is currently in a race with Toyota to be the first to introduce a plug-in car to the marketplace, and is currently in negotiations with various suppliers to provide the all-important lithium-ion battery.
Korea’s LG Chem – who will provide the batteries for Hyundai’s LPG hybrid – and German auto parts supplier Continental AG are the front runners competing for the Volt battery contract.
Print it: 
Suppose its a good move. Can’t see this being a lot of good in most european countries where people live in flats and park on the street. I guess the electrical supply companies will install a network of charging machines to clog up the streets and make a killing on supplying electricity (probably at a similar cost to petrol).
The vandals will get some fun out of cutting the cables and nicking the copper for resale!!! Mmmm now lets think.
A range of 64km. What a waste of time!
So if you live 33km from work you wont make it home. To solve this they are putting an engine onboard to power the battery???? so that’s an engine plus petrol? Why not replace this with more batteries?
There are electric cars with ranges up to 300km like the Telsa Roadster and the Mistsubishi i MiEV that will get you 160km. Even still GM it self has the EV1 with a range of 260km. What is Chevy thinking?
This seems like a very poorly thought out design. Plus all that weighty metal, only Americans would buy rubbish like this.
One word – TESLA
Yeah that low range makes it seem like a waste of time. Plus the car is hideous
the volt is just another ev1. something will be leaked and GM will recall all of them and crush them like the ev1. All because Gm is controlled by the Oil business.
I agree Bob & Jimbo. They had the ev1 – it was even uglier than a Prius but did the job, back in the mid 90’s. Why dont they use that ‘old’ technology, and just refine that…. oh thats rite, they crushed them and burnt all the manuals. Or maybe they are held in GM’s offices in Saudi Arabia?
er jimbo, the range of 64km is on the battery alone (electricity) – it can use the actual engine (fuel) for longer trips (recharging the battery a little as well).. therefore if you travel less than 64km to work and back each day – there is no fuel cost at all. that’s a bonus i believe.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
By the time it comes out in 2010, it’ll probably be too late and underdelivering.
The onboard engine which is used to charge the battery only (I.E. no petrol motor to run the car at all) will allow the car to go 1000km on roughly 10 litres of petrol.
This car will change everything – check out gm-volt.com – This will make the Prius look like a Model T ford technology wise. It will hopefully be the first good american car in a long time.
it wont sell unless it gets respectible power figures.
the skin they are dressing it in wont attract the true greenies/grandma drivers.
people who buy a car in this sort of clothing, will expect decent performance.
its like sugar free softdrink.
sure the idea sounds great, great taste and you wont get fat, but unfortunately people with weight problems and that are attracted to softdrinks, will notice the difference.
if there is a difference, they wont buy it.
sure this car might look the same, it may look tough and the rest of it, but if it doesnt equal performance of the petrol equivalent, people will stick to the real version
its a different story trying to flog off a muscle car with hybrid tech than flogging off a rice burner with it in it.
this will be a very interesting development none the less
The general recipe for this is a winner. (Plugin hybrid with a range of 60+km). It’s just a question of who gets the right balance of practicality vs performance.
It looks like GM are pitching the Volt as a pseudo sports car so would need to do sub 7 sec 0-100km to have any cred. Certainly no problem for an electric drive system.
Others (Toyota, BYD – Chinese Car co,) are pushing more for a mainstream/family car – presumeably lower price, higher vol but less performance.
Can’t believe some of the ignorant comments above:
Infrastructure: We’re talking electricty mate! – its hardly like the hydrogen infrastructure challenge. Most people will have access to a power cord where they park their car each night (or daytime at work).
Range: 60km/day = 22,000km per year which is well above the national average – and that’s before you kick in the on board petrol generator. Energy running costs would be 5-10% of a regular petrol car.
I reckon BYD will be the game changers – low running cost and low purchase price and 3-5 models to choose from. 2010!
Spot on Market maker.
Not a car for a driver, but the countless ‘motorists’ that plague our roads (just getting to and from work) would benefit from a car like this. I say bring ‘em on and let the motorists buy them so we petrol-loving DRIVERS can get on with ejoying our drive happy that the tree-huggers have been appeased. (Although I do forsee an environment depicted by ‘no name’)
Might make fuel cheaper though…
From what I’ve read, the test mule has done 0-100 in around the 6 second mark, this ain’t no Prius.
Nahh I`m gonna pick myself up a Mitsubishi Miev next year in rice land. But the Hyundai Elantra LPG Hybrid is also a winner.