Live shots of pre-production Chevrolet Volt

Pre-production Chevorlet Volt with Chief Engineer Andrew Farah

Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah takes the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt for a drive Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in Warren, Mich.

Pre-production Chevorlet Volt with Chief Engineer Andrew Farah

Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah takes the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt for a drive Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in Warren, Mich.

Plug it in! Chevrolet Volt's charge port

Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah plugs-in the first pre-production Chevy Volt after a test-drive Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in Warren, Mich.

Fitting of the battery pack into the Chevrolet Volt

The first production-intent Chevrolet Volt is fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack at the General Motors Pre-Production Operations (PPO) building in Warren, Michigan Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The battery pack is a technologically-advanced component of the vehicle with more than 200 lithium-ion cells, sophisticated computer controls, liquid cooling system and other components. About 80 production-intent Chevy Volts will be assembled at PPO, which serves as the birthplace of all GM pre-production vehicles before they are manufactured in a plant.

Command in Chief gets a tour of the Volt

General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson and other GM executives get a closer look at the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt Wednesday, June 24, 2009 in Warren, Mich.

Everyone gathers around the Volt!

General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson and other GM executives get a closer look at the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt Wednesday, June 24, 2009 in Warren, Mich.

Follow the author on twitter or contact via e-mail!

Read More...

Chevrolet Volt Reveal Live Shots!

Well...Here it is! Just a few live shots that I was able to grab.




I'm happy to see the shifter that tucks into the center stack made it to production!






Some of Volt's interior technological features include:

• Driver-configurable, liquid crystal instrument display
• Standard seven-inch touch screen vehicle information display
• Touch screen-style climate and infotainment controls
• Optional navigation system with onboard hard drive for maps and music storage
• Standard Bluetooth for cellular phone and USB/Bluetooth for music streaming

Read More...

Volt, Video and Vixens

Sorry to say, but I have lied about the vixens. I was trying to rhyme things that start with the letter V and well, this is what I came up with.

It's been a busy day, so what does that mean? Embedded video for you! It's more of the GM series that I like to call "man on the street." This particular show asks folks where you plug in an electric car and how much does it cost to charge it. As an added bonus GM slipped out a couple of Volt teaser shots and I've tacked them on to this post.

If you are a Volt fanatic, you can join a live discussion with Bob Boniface, Design Director for the Chevrolet Volt. Bob will take your questions on aerodynamics and how it impacts the design for the Chevy Volt. The chat session will be held on Tuesday, August 19 beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT. You have to register at GMnext to be a part of the chat and you can do that here.

Read More...

GM confident in Volt launch after battery tests | Reuters

GM confident in Volt launch after battery tests Reuters

"'I would say there's almost no reasonable doubt in our minds anymore that this is going to work,' said Bob Lutz, who heads vehicle development for GM"

GM is sounding more and more upbeat that the 2010 launch date will stand. It's my opinion that we'll see the official debut of the production car at GM's centennial event in September and then again in Paris. If the 2010 date is met, it might only be a few cars with things scaling up in 2011.

Read More...

Chevrolet Volt

A plug-in concept from GM. The buzzword here is E-Flex power. Basically in the Volt's case E-Flex means that the gasoline engine only exists to keep the batteries charged: kicking in at 30% and turning off at 80% charge. The goal is to offer fully electric drive for up to 40 miles. After which the engine would have to start up and charge the batteries. The example is given where a commute would be 60 miles. The first 40 are electric and the last 20 have the engine charging the batteries. With a 50MPG motor doing the charging the equivalent MPG for the 60 mile trip would be 150MPG (not counting the energy used to charge the batteries at the beginning of the trip). Another bonus would be the fact that the Volt would not need any special home based charger. The car would literally plug into a standard 15AMP circuit.

All of this whiz bang stuff relies on lithium-ion batteries that have yet to be perfected for automotive use. But just like Whitney Houston, GM believes that "Lithium-ion batteries are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way."

Read More...