Chevrolet Volt

[Hamico]

GM are really betting the farm on this car, I hope it works for them and takes the fight up to Prius.....

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=56841&vf=12

What's the chance we will see them in a Holden dealership ?


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GM is testing new lithium-ion battery packs that will enable the Volt to travel 65 kilometres when fully charged. After that, a small petrol engine will recharge the batteries to keep the car rolling at an equivalent of 1.5 litres per 100 kilometres.

The company says it will bring the car to market late in 2010. It's expected to cost $US30,000 ($A36,000) to $US40,000 ($A50,000).

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[seedyrom]

It's expected to cost $US30,000 ($A36,000) to $US40,000 ($A50,000).
Cool.

So that'll be about $120,000 once landed in Oz?

2008 Chevrolet Corvette Base 2dr Coupe
- 6.2L V-8 430 HP engine
- 6-spd man transmission
- Dual zone front & rear climate control
- Leather seats
- 7-spkr AM/FM CD stereo w/ Satellite & MP3 capability
- Driver & passenger front airbags w/ occpancy sensors

CarsDirect Price: $40,876 (http://www.carsdirect.com/build/style?make=CH&modelid=38&zipcode=90210&trim_groups=coupe,)



Goodluck with the volt

[Carby]

No point bringing this car to Australia - to recharge it every night we would be using "dirty coal" so there is absolutely no benefit in bringing this car to Australia. Great for places that have no carbon emitting power generation eg Nuclear power stations, but I think we will miss out on this one.

[Fnomna]

I can see if there is any hint of success with these cars, then the ones who control oil will simply drop prices to kill it off.

[nudenut]

No point bringing this car to Australia - to recharge it every night we would be using "dirty coal" so there is absolutely no benefit in bringing this car to Australia. Great for places that have no carbon emitting power generation eg Nuclear power stations, but I think we will miss out on this one.
Not quite true - certainly in Perth most of our power comes from burning natural gas, which is much cleaner than coal and cleaner than car engines too. Power from a power station also has a much smaller carbon footprint because of lower losses - thermal efficiency of a modern car engine is around 25-30% while it's generally above 50% for a modern power station (even if it is coal fired).

But then there's also all the questions that apply to the Prius to consider its real cost (environmentally and financially):
- what are the servicing costs? (horrendous for the Prius)
- what's the projected lifespan of the car, and do you intend to keep the car for a long period? (high environmental costs in manufacturing)?
- are the batteries recyclable?
etc etc

Personally I reckon it would be better for the environment (and my wallet, and my driving enjoyment) to buy a 3 year old SS every 10 years than buy a new hybrid every 4 years, but then I don't have the "look at me I'm a greenie" wank factor, and people think I'm a hoon. :jester:

[Hamico]

Volt revealed...

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f70/volt-revealed-69246/

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[Evman]

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/gallery/data/500/medium/vol6.jpg

If they went into production with an interior like that, I'd even consider getting one...

EDIT:
Wow just clicked it IS the production version. I'm massively impressed!

[Mikey]

You have to wonder where this thing came from after the controversy surrounding GM in the documentary "Who killed the electric car"

If that car was allowed to have been successful back then, California would have been along way into installing all day charging stations all around the place by now. If this had happened then the Volt would now be an instant success in California at least.

[SCiFiRE]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=50835

[Hamico]

Holden boss confirms Volt for Australia at Sydney Motor Show......

http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2992183.aspx

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2008 Sydney Motor Show: It's official, GM's ground-breaking Volt is coming Down under in 2012


General Motors' Volt electric car was the bombshell of the 2008 Australian International Motor Show. Not that the car wasn't familiar to most auto industry watchers -- rather, the highlight was the news that the electric vehicle is definitely coming Down Under.

In a shock move, GM Holden Chairman and CEO Mark Reuss confirmed the Volt would come to Australia in 2012. What the Holden boss couldn't do was confirm details. At this stage, Reuss said, pricing and the badge the car will wear are still to be decided.

The decision to announce Volt for the Australian market was made overnight, Holden insiders told the Carsales Network. An indication of the eleventh hour nature of the confirmation is the fact Holden had no prepared statement for the landmark decision. Nor did Holden include any Volt announcement in its embargoed press material. The announcement even caught some Holden regulars by surprise.

Speaking at today's announcement Reuss said the Volt decision had nonetheless been some time in the making.

"We've been working on it here for a while... We've been developing the car for worldwide capability but we've been trying to centralise the engineering exposure of the car [so] we'll roll it out in left-hand drive in the [United] States, and then we'll start looking at the global markets.

When asked on whether the car would be badged as a Holden or Chevrolet Reuss said simply: "I haven't made any of those calls... I've been very concentrated on getting the car, and the rest of the Ecoline strategy in place here with Holden, quite frankly. We're going to work on that with our dealer body to find what's best."

Such is the rate of development in the EV (electric vehicle) field, Reuss said the 2012 iteration of the Volt will differ from the pre-production examples circulating now.

"We know there will be [advances in the Volt's technological platform]... It is a test bed of new technology so anything we find we need to do from a technology and improvement standpoint we're going to do as we introduce the car."

Unlike existing hybrids which still provide motive power to the wheels from their combustion engines, the Volt's drivetrain is pure electric. Recharged from main electricity the current Volt's battery powers an electric drivetrain. The midsized four-door can travel up to 64km on battery power alone, with the onboard petrol internal combustion engine kicking in to top up the battery charge once that range has been exceeded.

According to GM, Volt's recharge time on 240 volts is as low as three hours and the power consumed over the course of a year is less than that of a "household refrigerator".

Reuss says the car Holden will introduce will be a "genuine production car with production volumes." He said the company had completed a business case for the Volt in Australia, but said he would not discuss the details of the business case. Nor would he speculate on price.

"What exchange rate would you like us to use," quipped another senior Holden exec.

Reuss would not confirm when production of a right-hand drive Volt would commence. GM sources have previously gone on record saying the car would be sold in other key right-hand drive markets like the UK and possibly Japan.

The Holden boss did leave the company some breathing room, however.

When the Carsales Network asked whether Reuss was confident, he would meet his self-imposed 2012 deadline, he commented: "Obviously we're leveraging a car that's going into production in the United States first.

"We're dependent on, just like everybody else, our core company and the capability of it to deliver the product to the timelines. Right now we're on track...

"This is a rolling technology and things happen and we have to react quickly. That's what development is."

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[seedyrom]

2012? ... I'll stick with what i've got till then ... then i'm in!

[German Statesman]

It looks Prius-like with a Civic steering wheel, but promising

[KeenGolfer]

If it's priced appropriately it should be a huge seller. I'd buy one for the town run around / commuter.

[boyley]

Electric Schmeletric...pffft

I can see it now on volt forums 2020 and all of us comparing fords Force Cooled V240 to our naturally generated V415 and how TG Aus is still in existence:confused:

[WOMBIE]

If it's priced appropriately it should be a huge seller. I'd buy one for the town run around / commuter.

I think that's the key issue with most of us Drew but what is an appropriate price point to start with.As with all things once it becomes mainstream then they will be priced very competively for most people to attain if not just to consider it.In the meantime i'm just going to have to settle for the Swift....damn that thing goes hard :1peek:

[thermos]

Sounds interesting...$35K OK $50K NO.
Good for a daily driver.
For me the major thing would be to not have to fill up at Petrol Stations (or at least so often)

[Jac001]

The cost of the volt will be comparable to other hybrids on the market.

The Honda civic hybrid is around the $34K mark and the prius is $37k-$47K , so i would expect the volt to be at the top end of the market because it is a long range electric rather than a hybrid.

The most interesting thing about this to me isn't the volt itself but the technology.

The drive train could be into a number of smaller lighter cars such as the Astra. As the technology evolves, into larger heavier cars.

The whole concept of hybrids/ electric cars is about good publicity not 'saving the environment'.


Something i have wondered... as the engine is used to recharge the battery when they are drained and the batteries power the motor, would it be possible to have in a smaller/ less sophisticated battery and have the generator run all the time. I wonder if this would use less fuel and a conventional petrol engine moving the same weight?

[Excellent]

The Volt will get $7500 tax rebates in the US. I'm not sure if our government will be as generous. It would be crucial to Holden as a selling point to have some form of government incentive.

[Ausmartin1]

I've been following this one since the concept.
Can't wait for 2012 as it will suit me just fine - electric 99.9% of the time
If the price will be in the low 40k's some say 56K without any australian subsidy.
If 56K GM has lost another customer.
Let hope they get it RIGHT, as Sadly even their share price was $4.95 - the last time was in 1929 ! - O-oh.

Electrics are the future and this one is Mk 1.5a.
Can't beet instant torque at any speed, Eventually batteries or super capacitors will get better and combined with in wheel motors we leave the petrol cars of today in the dirt - like v8's would leave model T.
Eventually is the word - (affordable)

As to pollution ? Electricity even brown coal is still better than producing /refining middle east oil and shipping it here only to have ~ 1% of the fuels energy turned into energy that is moving you as a human only.
Electricty is much more efficient - we just need cheaper and better batteries would be nice......... & BTW it shits all over Hydrogen fuel cell crap hands down.

[chevypower]

GM have shown that you CAN mix efficiency with bold, masculine styling, which is totally unlike the Prius. The new Honda Insight and Clarity look ok though.