Man, it's been almost five minutes without GM's vice chairman Bob Lutz has given a positive Chevy Volt update. We just heard from him over the weekend about the possibility of a 20-mile-EV-range version someday, for example. Today, speaking in Dearborn, Lutz said that "there's almost no reasonable doubt in our minds anymore that this is going to work." This, of course, is getting the Volt out to the public. We knew this has been GM's message for a while now, but according to Reuters, Lutz said the testers of the Mali-Volts have "routinely had it to the high 30s, low 40s and they go up hills with it and everything." Well, if GM is able to go up hills with the Volt mules, then there's nothing to worry about, is there?

[Source: Reuters]

Click for a high-res gallery

GM product development guru Bob Lutz has become particularly enamored of electric drive vehicles recently. As one of the major internal corporate sponsors of the Chevy Volt within GM, Lutz has been even more vocal than usual for the past year about the E-Flex program. Unfortunately even though Lutz has been one of the few to drive the Volt mule or Mali-Volt, it's still a good 30 months (at least) away from Job 1. While biding his time and pushing the Volt engineering team along, he is adding other battery powered vehicles to his collection.

Lutz's latest toy is a new Vectrix electric scooter. The Vectrix launched last fall and according to company treasurer John Schnorr they have built about 2,000 scooters so far and sold about half of the those. While the bike was lauded at launch for stylish looks and decent performance, the original $11,000 price tag was deemed a bit to steep. Vectrix recently reduced the price down to a more reasonable although still not cheap $8,795. Schnorr was on hand at Lutz's home to personally deliver the new machine. Read more and check out the video after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman and Volt booster, told Edmunds AutoObserver today that the Volt is achieving its 40 mile all-electric target in initial on-road testing. "It is reliably meeting its objectives," Lutz confirmed. "Even with a rough calibration, even with the wrong drive unit, the wrong body, etc. etc., it has been hitting its 40 miles on electric power."

There was no word on which of the two battery suppliers' products was installed in these first drives on GM's proving grounds in Michigan. He did say the Volt's Battery Management System was successfully keeping temperature rises to a minimum and maintaining even heat distribution across the cells.

Lutz ever more enthusiastically says the Volt will debut for sale in Chevy showrooms in November 2010. And he went out of his way to underscore Chairman Rick Wagoner's interest and support for the Volt project.

[Source: Edmunds AutoObserver]

When GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz speaks, controversy usually follows closely behind. Unlike many high ranking executives Lutz often wanders off the defined script such as when he recently commented on global warming being a crock of .... I sure wouldn't want to be one of the PR handlers having to spin his words. In his latest chat with Detroit News columnist Manny Lopez, the electrification of vehicles was obviously front and center as it often is these days at GM. The EV1, of course, comes up and the accuracy of Lutz's claims will certainly seem open to debate. As recounted by Lutz via Lopez, GM tried and tried to find buyers for the EV1 but no matter how much they dropped the price, only about 800 people were willing to step forward. That was the reason for leasing the vehicles, according to Lutz. That statement seems highly dubious if EV1 fans are to be believed.

Certainly the market for the EV1 was extremely limited because of its practical limitations and the high cost, but it sure seems like more than 800 people were interested. Or maybe its a case of the hindsight that revealed there were actually 40 million people at Woodstock. Lopez and Lutz apparently also talked about how out of touch some (actually most, based on my own experience) people are with the realities of building a car. That's an area we try to address here on ABG regularly by discussing the technology that makes these modern machines go and what it takes to make it happen. One-off prototypes are easy to build but they aren't going to cut it when you have to meet modern customer and regulatory expectations. On a final note, Lutz revealed that the first Volt mule is now running with a lithium battery pack in it.

[Source: Detroit News]

The Lutz has spoken yet again (imagine that!) and the subject once more is the Volt. This time it involves reversing some of the recent flow of machinery between Australia and U.S. GM's Holden division down under was tasked with developing a global rear wheel drive architecture for the company which has resulted in the recent launch of the Pontiac G8. According to Maximum Bob, the Australians will get a crack at the Volt a couple of years after it launches in the home market. As with all new GM platforms, the E-Flex architecture is being designed to meet requirements in all major markets. That means passing U.S. and European crash requirements as well as mounting the steering wheel on either side of the cockpit.

Right from the initial briefings on the Volt, Jon Laukner and others indicated that E-Flex was meant for world-wide application with different power-train variants that are best suited to local markets. That's why the company has shown different E-Flex concepts in various countries with flex-fuel, fuel-cell and diesel range-extenders as well as three different body styles (Volt, Opel/Saturn Flextreme and Cadillac Provoq). What body style and power plant gets sent to Oz in return for the G8s and Utes is unknown at this point but the gasoline engine seems most likely.

[Source: Go Auto]

A little over ten days ago, GM's Bob Lutz told us that the Chevy Volt would not be ready for media drives until July. While that announcement was slightly newsworthy because it signaled a small delay/shifting of the timeline. Whatever. The news that the lithium-ion-powered mules would still be on track to be driven at all was a good sign. Lutz has now confirmed to Reuters that those rides are still scheduled for July but then announced a delay of a different kind.

Two companies, Continental Automotive Systems and Compact Power Inc., are supplying test batteries for the Volt. GM had been hoping to name a supplier for the production Volt's batteries in the first half of 2008, but that announcement will now come later in the year. Lutz told Reuters that, "We need a better handle on who has the technological capability we need and who is going to have the production capability." And all the Volt fans held their breath a bit longer.

[Source: Reuters]

So, was Bob Lutz right, or was it just bad luck? Just as I picked up a new Mazda MX-5 to drive for a few days following the Vernal Equinox, it has started to snow (and snow, and snow). We've actually had more snow this winter than I can recall in quite a few years. Getting 4-5 more inches of the stuff the day after the official start of Spring doesn't help the argument. However, regardless of what might be happening around here on any given day, (and getting snow on Easter is not at all unusual in Michigan) the preponderance of the evidence still seems to point to the fact that something is definitely happening to our planet. Earth itself will ultimately survive - as it has before - following numerous mass extinctions. The planet is not in peril. Humans and the plant and animal species that we depend on for survival, on the other hand, are. The planet will go on and new species will crop up for several billion more years after we're long gone until the sun decides to pack it in. But if we want to stretch out our time here, we need to be a lot more thoughtful about how we utilize natural resources. Was Lutz right? It probably doesn't really matter. The problems we face with collapsing fish stocks and energy supplies are of far more immediate concern anyway.

According to Bob Lutz, General Motors has known how to make a hybrid for years, but held off of building one because they projected that they would lose as much as $250 million per year building them. What they hadn't counted on, though, was that a huge perception gap would grow in the public eye between GM's technological know-how versus Toyota's, a gap that would end up costing the company much, much more than $250 per year. So Lutz is now clear they won't make that mistake again. "We won't make a dime on this car [the Volt] for years, and the board is OK with that." The unanswered questions remain: just how much is the Volt going to cost, and how much of a loss will GM take on each one? The answers to those important questions will surely make or break the future of the range-extended plug-in hybrid project from GM.

[Source: The Detroit News]

In commenting on the battle royal taking place on the testing benches at GM between two contending battery suppliers, "Maximum" Bob Lutz said Tuesday it was a "horse race. An apt analogy in a sense because the two teams, Continental Automotive Systems, using cells from A123 Systems Inc., and Compact Power Inc. who are using cells developed by its parent, LG Chem seem to be neck and neck in performance. No one has stumbled as the two sprint down the final stretch to the, oh, what's that? The finish line has been moved? O rly?

Apparently, GM feels the need to hold off on making the final battery supplier decision, that had been announced for April, as it continues to weigh the pros and cons of each product and conduct more testing. In light of the postponement of mule day, I suspect there is something they aren't telling us. Regardless of the exact timing of the conclusion of this contest, we are now taking bets in the comments section.

[Source: CNN Money]

At the ECO:nomics conference (March 12-14), GM chairman Bob Lutz was asked about his global warming is a "crock of sh*t" statement. In the video (which you can watch below the fold), Lutz was asked why he said it and if GM investors and customers should care that he said it. Lutz did not answer the why but he explained there are a "whole bunch of motivations for doing what we are doing." These motivations may include climate change, energy independence and conservation but the common denominator is wanting to get away from oil as a primary source of energy.

Lutz was also asked will people pay for higher fuel economy? Lutz said if we see a rise in gasoline prices to European levels ($8-$9 a gallon) people will start valuing high fuel economy numbers but right now it's just a small, altruistic segment of the population. Lutz continued, saying he finds it troubling that all of this green tech adds six or seven thousand dollars to the price of the car. Lutz thinks the technological path to 35 MPG CAFE is clear; the business way, on the other hand, is covered in fog because there are no free lunches.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

It seems every time GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz opens his mouth to speak, a news story is spawned. Sometimes however, there is less to the story than there appears to be. Case in point is the latest update on the Chevy Volt. Speaking in California, Lutz indicated that Volt mules (very early prototypes) would not be road tested until July. The thing everyone needs to realize is that vehicle development timing, especially on an all-new vehicle of this type tends to be very fluid. Schedules always have time built in for contingencies when the inevitable issues or delays crop up. Carmakers - and especially people like Lutz - are not used to be being so open about development programs and observers from outside are not used to watching what happens.

Timing slips in some areas and gets made up in others. Given that GM has never publicly released any hard and fast dates, but has only talked in generalities about targets, people need to just relax. The Volt is still nearly three years away from Job 1. There is plenty of opportunity for overtime, and lots of engineers and technicians working on the program. What we have seen with first prototype battery packs being a few weeks to a month or two late in being delivered is also entirely typical for this stage of a program. GM indicated that they MIGHT do some initial media drives of mules this spring. That in and of itself is pretty unprecedented. According to spokesman Rob Peterson those first drives will likely take place this summer and that is what Lutz was referring to. There have already been mule vehicles running with the engine/generator/motor combination for several months. They are not yet running with full lithium packs. That will likely start to happen in the next few weeks for internal testing. GM won't be letting any outsiders drive the mules until the cars are good and ready and confident that they are working properly. In the meantime, all the packs that have been delivered (at least four are known) are still cycling on the testers. Stayed tuned here for updates on the Volt when we have actual information.

[Source: Reuters, General Motors]

Wall Street Journal blogs about GM CEO Rick Wagoner recent talk to reporters in Washington about GM chairman Bob Lutz's recent comment that global warming is "a total crock of sh*t." Wagoner backed away from the comment, saying that "the comments weren't coming out of the company" and "I would have preferred to pass on the comment." Wagoner didn't back away from Lutz, though, calling him "the clear leader of GM's push to develop extended-range battery-powered hybrid vehicles."

So, what does Wagoner think about global warming? Wagoner says "the data is pretty clear that the temperature on the earth is rising." Saying the globe is warming is quite different than saying humans are a significant contributer to that warming. The "non-confrontational" Wagoner, as the Journal describes him, has never said he believes in global warming or not (see 37 minutes into the video below the fold).

What's GM doing about global warming? Wagoner says "it makes sense for us to put the business in a place where can respond productively." Wagoner also says that "a lot of things need to be done to address CO₂" and that GM is investing "a huge amount of money" to fulfill the company's responsibility as a big player in society. In the past Wagoner has said electric cars don't look like the answer but GM has come around to the idea.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

The great hydrogen debate of '08 continues to heat up, with Bob Lutz from GM and Katsuaki Watanabe from Toyota echoing each other's statements regarding fuel cell vehicles for the mainstream market. The general consensus seems to be that fuel cells are still way too expensive for use in automobiles and that, since hydrogen is still not available in most areas as well as being difficult and expensive to capture and contain, what would be the point, really? Additionally, General Motors has made great strides in their lithium ion battery development, leading Lutz to comment, "If we get lithium-ion to 300 miles, then you need to ask yourself, Why do you need fuel cells?" That sounds like a reasonable question. Moreover, Toyota seems to be looking past even lithium ion batteries and into other new battery chemistries.

These new statements from GM and Toyota are in stark contrast to Daimler AG Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche's comment at Geneva that with mass-production, fuel cell drivetrains could get "into the cost range of conventional powertrains." At this point in time, it seems that an agreement is difficult to reach when it comes to the future of hydrogen. For sure, powering electric cars with power extracted from hydrogen is possible, the question is whether the technology will come down in price enough to make using it feasible for our automobiles and whether it is a better solution than just storing electricity in high-tech batteries.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

GM's biofuel parade in Geneva marches on with GM vice chairman Bob Lutz and Mark Adams, vp of design of GM Europe, talk to the Newspress cameras about bioethanol and the new Saab 9-X BioHybrid. Lutz talks mostly about how ethanol is the best short-term way to use less gasoline. For those of you interested in why Mr. Crock of Sh*t's would care about using less gas, he says that reducing CO₂ emissions is just as important as reducing oil imports from unfriendly countries. Speaking about the 9-X BioHybrid, Adams explains a bit about the concept's aeronautic heritage (see the rear window) and talks a bit about the next-generation GM Hybrid system. Watch 'em both after the jump.

While we all wait with baited breath to find out if the reality of the Chevy Volt meets up with the promise, many other non-performance related questions remain as well. Cost is obviously a big one. The goal is for the Volt to be a high-volume mainstream car and for that to happen it has to be affordable. Affordability affects both General Motors and end consumers. The price has to be low enough that lots of people can buy it. At the same time, GM has to be able to get economies of scale to bring the piece costs down enough that they can afford to sell the car. Unfortunately, it looks like the initial volumes will be lower than some people had hoped for. In a report in the Globe and Mail, Bob Lutz has said the initial year volume will be about 10,000 units. Because of the new technology in this car, GM is clearly reticent about pushing out too many cars too quickly until they see how they work in the real world. Once GM gets cars in the field and sees that they are working reliably, the company will ramp up production. If everything works as planned and the cost of the batteries falls - as hoped - the volumes will climb quickly with a range of models being built from the E-Flex architecture.

[Source: Globe and Mail]