Right now hardly seems like the time for General Motors to be planning a celebration. Its market share has dropped below twenty percent and it's burning through cash at a rate that has financial analysts everywhere warning of bankruptcy. Nonetheless companies don't turn 100 years old every day. With that in mind, GM is apparently planning something special for the big birthday party this September. In a bid to get people looking forward to the future rather than focusing on the apparent financial meltdown of the present, the guest of honor at the birthday party may be the production version of the Chevy Volt.

We all know that the design team lead by Bob Boniface has had to rework the Volt in order to get some decent aero numbers. The big question is how much will the design have to change from the original concept? However, even while looking ahead another two years to Job 1 for the Volt, the question of financials still can't be ignored. With battery packs that are expected to cost upwards of $10,000 per car at start of production, GM has already acknowledged that the price of the car will be higher than they hoped at launch and they are still likely to sell it at a loss. Unfortunately, GM doesn't have the luxury of profits elswhere in the company to subsidize the Volt the way Toyota did when they launched the Prius a decade ago. Regardless of the cash situation, this remains probably the most anticipated GM car in decades. Hopefully, it won't bankrupt the company in process of coming to fruition.

[Source: Reuters]

At this point any hope of picking up a first-generation Chevy Volt anywhere near the original $30,000 price target will likely come down to what tax incentives may be available at the state and federal level. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has told the Seattle Times that the first-generation Volt would retail for about $40,000. Even at that level GM won't be generating any profit on the car and likely won't start doing so until at least a second-generation model comes out. Unless automotive industry lobbyists can convince Congress to pass some of the proposed legislation that includes plug-in tax credits on the order of $7,000 for a Volt-type car, the price to the consumer is going to be at least one third more than originally envisioned. The combination of high gas prices that are driving consumers away from truck and fuel economy and emissions regulations will keep pushing GM and other manufacturers towards electrically driven cars. Lutz told the paper he expected one quarter to one half of all new cars between 2020 and 2025 to be electric with either batteries or hydrogen as the energy source.

[Source: Seattle Times]

Much has been said recently about both the potential cost of the Chevy Volt and who will supply the batteries for the production car. During our recent chat, Bob Lutz he told us that the current mule vehicles are all being tested with packs from only one of the two development suppliers although units from the other supplier are still being tested in the lab. Now, Volt Vehicle Line Executive Tony Posawatz has told reporters that a final production sourcing decision will almost certainly happen by the end of summer. Most of the speculation has been that LG Chem/CPI will get the nod although Continental/A123 Systems remains possible. CPI delivered its first prototype pack to GM more than 2 months before Continental and is already preparing to build lithium batteries in Korea for hybrid applications at other carmakers.

When it comes to the question of cost, we still don't know how much a Volt will cost, although Lutz acknowledged it would be higher than originally hoped. A sticker price closer to $40K than $30K seems likely. As one alternative to help curb costs, Posawatz revealed that sometime after launch, the company could offer a version with an 8kWh battery pack that drops the EV range to only 20 miles from the 40 miles that will normally be available. With rumored battery costs running over $10,000, this could potentially slash the cost by several thousand dollars.

[Source: Reuters]

GM's product development chief Bob Lutz is one of only a handful of people to have driven the first Chevy Volt development mules with the full lithium ion battery pack in place. The mules have now been dubbed Mali-Volts alluding to the Malibu body shells that contain the E-Flex. A post went up yesterday on the GM Fastlane blog about the drive, and shortly afterward I got to have a longer one-on-one chat with the Vice-Chairman. Lutz was in a particularly good mood and he described himself as "thrilled" when he finished his first 20 mile drive at the Milford Proving Ground.

It took 14 months to go from a non-functional concept to a driveable vehicle with an all-new powertrain. Right now, one of the two battery suppliers is in the lead and all the running vehicles are equipped with packs from that company. Packs from both companies are still being bench tested however. Both Lutz's drive and the 40 mile electric drive that happened around the same time occurred on the proving ground roads, although Lutz acknowledged that since everyone knows what the cars look like they can head out on public roads too. Check out the full story at GFF and the video after the jump.

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has just up a new blog post describing his first drive in the first functional Chevy Volt mule. The official terminology is "engineering development vehicle" but the engineers all refer to them as mules. That's because like a mule (part horse, part donkey) these early pre-prototype vehicles are a mashup of parts from existing vehicles and development parts for the new models. They allow engineers to get a head start on testing components and systems well in advance of the first "real" prototypes being built. The first Volt mules started running at the GM Proving Ground late in 2007 but it wasn't until sometime in April that a full development lithium ion battery pack was installed in one. It also wasn't until several weeks after that the Lutz got behind the wheel. The engineers had to actually get all the systems integrated and calibrated to a reasonable level so that it could be evaluated. It's still a long, long way from production ready, but Lutz was already impressed with the performance. Check out Lutz's words and we'll have more a little later on.

[Source: GM Fastlane Blog]

Since the inception of the Chevy Volt program in 2006, GM's goal has been to offer the range extended electric vehicle for a sub-$30,000 price point. That level has always been seen as the threshold to get high-volume sales of an electric car. Unfortunately, lithium ion batteries remain far too expensive to be able to sell the car at that price profitably. GM has always indicated that they expect the car to remain a money loser in the early years of production, but given the financial difficulties of all the domestic automakers, they can only go so far in subsidizing the car.

In order to help make the Volt less financially painful both for the manufacturer and consumers, GM is lobbying Congress to pass a new batch of tax breaks for plug-in vehicles. There has been on-going debate in Congress for some time about tax credits for plug-in hybrids and GM wants to make sure that ER-EVs are specifically included. A credit of $7,000 for the purchase of such a vehicle seems to be the target point. According to GM sources cited by Automotive News (subs req'd) a $30,000 price seems unlikely unless tax credits are passed by Congress and the White House. The House of Representatives already passed a bill last week that included PHEV tax breaks but the White House has threatened a veto. More than likely, nothing will happen until early in 2009 when a new President is in office.

UPDATE: typo fixed

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

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]

There has long been an interesting paradox in the realm of cars. For some peculiar reason, people who buy really expensive cars are willing to make more compromises to the foibles of the car and cut them more slack. How else to explain grief that owners of Italian exotics withstood for decades in terms of reliability, ergonomics and build quality. Buyers of mainstream cars that often have far fewer problems as a percentage of the number of vehicles built have a fit at every little thing that goes wrong. That same paradox exists today. The Tesla Roadster by virtue of its price and performance falls into entry level of exotic cars. Despite numerous delays in getting the car into production, and obvious compromised in terms of its functionality, most people have been willing to cut the car and the company a lot of slack, myself included. In my case my experience in the auto industry allows me to understand the difficulty of the task Tesla had. I never actually expected them to meet their aggressive timing targets and I've written on numerous occasions about the potential problems they might have. Nonetheless most people believed in the company.

General Motors on the other hand faces an entirely different standard with the Volt. In spite having a much more complex vehicle to develop with a much greater level of functionality and a shorter time frame than Tesla, GM seems to be being held to a higher standard than Tesla. At the slightest hint of time slips or cost increases, so many people jump on GM thinking that the car will never happen. Admittedly, we have yet to see a running prototype of the Volt (although they do apparently now exist) but that doesn't mean the company isn't fully committed to making the car happen. GM's task of creating a car that will be an affordable mainstream sedan for four passengers that meets modern standards will strangely mean that customers actually expect it to work all of the time. That's a situation that the much more expensive Tesla won't face to nearly the same degree.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Following his speech to the Commonwealth Club a few days ago, GM CEO Rick Wagoner apparently told reporters that a second E-Flex platform vehicle was also under development at the company's Warren MI technical center alongside the Chevy Volt. This second ER-EV is destined for the Opel (and presumably Saturn) brand. Following the debut of the Volt in January 2007, GM has shown two other E-Flex concepts, the Opel/Saturn Flextreme and the Cadillac Provoq. The Provoq is expected to make the production transition in 2009 as a conventionally-powered crossover.

The Flextreme, however, carries some of the design language of the new Opel Insignia that was recently revealed. The significantly more aerodynamic Flextreme also carries the hatchback/wagon type body shape that is more popular in Europe. An Opel-badged model would likely have an appearance similar to the Flextreme but with more conventional style body openings and without the pair of Segways in the back. It's unknown at this point what type of range extender would be used with the Opel although the concept used a diesel.

So far we've only found one source for this report of a second E-Flex vehicle and we're still waiting to hear back from GM for any confirmation or comments on any of this. As soon as we here back we'll provide updates.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

Scott over at PetroZero had the opportunity to pose some questions to Bob Lutz the other day and, as always, the responses were interesting. First off is the idea of the E-Flex platform operating entirely free of batteries, with the engine/generator simply running continuously and feeding electricity to motor. While this is certainly technically possible, the current E-Flex system is not architected for that possibility. The generator has no direct connection to the motor, rather it feeds the battery. The engine is designed to run at constant speed and wouldn't achieve anywhere near the efficiency if it had to provide transient operation. Because the motor requires more power on demand for acceleration, the engine would have to speed up. In this usage scenario, the efficiency losses of converting mechanical to electrical and back to mechanical power would come in to play as described by Toyota and others when they criticize the whole concept. A conventional parallel hybrid would actually be preferable in this case. The whole premise of improved efficiency from E-Flex is built on the idea that the vehicle will run off grid energy the majority of the time.

The other possibility that Lutz mentions is eliminating the engine/generator and going battery only. This is actually not a new idea and was discussed as a long-term possibility back in late 2006 when GM held the first background briefings on the Volt prior to its auto show debut. The idea is that if battery technology progresses to the point that a Volt type vehicle could provide a reasonable electric range without a range extender just by using a bigger battery, it could easily be done. The idea is mentioned in the first E-Flex technical description I wrote here. Finally, Lutz indicated that within the next two weeks he will be taking an initial test drive in a real Volt prototype. According to Scott this is an actual Volt prototype not a Malibu-based mule. I find that unlikely at this stage. A mule drive is almost a certainty though.

Update: Rob Peterson at GM confirmed that it is only a mule that Lutz will be driving. Actual Volt prototypes are still many months away.

[Source: PetroZero]

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

Sure, hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are already considered by the masses to be the pinnacle of green automotive technology, but they are still most certainly in their infancy. We've already looked at ultracapacitors, diesel, biodiesel and cellulosic biofuels as potential green technolgies, but each of those could be paired with an electric motor as part of a hybrid drivetrain. Although GM would like you to consider the upcoming Volt as an electric vehicle, the fact remains that it also carries a small internal-combustion engine onboard, making it a hybrid of sorts although many people (ourselves included) are referring to it as an extended-range electric vehicle. Because so many potential breakthroughs include hybrid technologies, we look forward to the idea carrying on as one of the most promising ways for automobiles to go green.

Now, what's Number 1?

The nation with perhaps the worst air pollution problem in the world may soon get some help from Detroit. Just as China was the second country after the U.S. on the world tour of the Chevy Volt concept last year, it will likely be the second place to the see the production Volt. Speaking at the Beijing Motor Show, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner told reporters that after the production Volt launches in the U.S., China will be the next country to get the new extended range EV. Right now the company is totally focused on getting the Volt to market here by the end of 2010. According to Wagoner it's going "right down to the wire" to meet the target. Battery packs are being tested and prototypes will shortly (if not already) be running with the 400lb packs from Continental/A123 Systems and LG Chem/CPI. Although GM will need to make a decision on a production source for the battery pack within the next few months, it may turn out that GM will continue to work with both companies. The supplier that doesn't get a production contract may remain on a development contract to ensure that progress continues to move forward on developing the batteries. A production supplier will need a contract soon in order to make the investment in production facilities in time for launch.

[Source: Reuters]

Apparently the the spy-shots of a Chevy Volt mule that turned up on-line late last night were not necessarily what they appeared to be. According to GM the photo's in question actually showed a ride and drive mule that is just testing suspension hardware. The gray car we saw earlier doesn't have any of the E-flex powertrain hardware installed. The giveaway would be the absence of a mis-shapen hood on that particular car. The red Malibu you see pictured here is actually one of the powertrain mules that has been circulating the roadways of the Milford proving ground for the last five months. Under that big lump on the drivers side of the hood lies the power electronics module. This vehicle actually has the electric drive motor, the engine/generator combination, power electronic module and a small nickel metal hydride battery pack. The pack is basically being used as a buffer between the engine/generator and motor so that those components can be tested. Powertrain and software engineers are using this car and other to test hardware components and start developing the control software that will make all of this work. Because the battery pack is so small, the engine/generator pretty much runs all the time in the charge sustaining mode that will happen when the lithium ion pack is depleted. The plan is still to start installing the lithium ion packs into mules like this one within the next few weeks.

[Source: General Motors]

Over at the Petrozero.org web-site, reader Scott has put his Photoshop skills to work creating a rendering of what the production Chevy Volt might look like. Working from one of the original images of the concept, the shots of the taped up wind tunnel model and what we've been previously told, Scott went to work. You can see the final product as the lower image above which is clearly recognizable as a Volt. Notice that the front axle center line has moved backward relative to the nose of the car and the front door cut line. The nose is now more rounded and less blunt than the concept. This is necessary to clean up the airflow around the front of the car and meet European pedestrian protection standards. The roof line, as expected, is higher and the base of the windshield is further forward with more rake, again for improved aerodynamics. The one area where the final car will likely diverge the most from this rendering is the curved side glass at the top of the doors. This will almost certainly (although I could be wrong) go away. The extra complexity of manufacturing the doors this way and the distorted visibility would likely kill that design element. Instead, judging from the wind tunnel model, the bottom edge of the side glass will probably be slightly lower than shown hear and the doors themselves will probably be solid.

[Source: PetroZero.org, thanks to Scott for the tip]

We've spoken with Denise Gray, GM's director of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (she's working to get the hybrid taken out of her title, considering the whole E-REV thing), about the Chevy Volt's batteries many times in the last year or so (read our talks from August 2007, November 2007, and January 2008). At the Volt briefing last week, Gray gave the collected journalists a 15-minute presentation on where the batteries are today.

The goal for these cells, from A123 Systems and Compact Power Inc. and currently being tested by GM, is to be able to move the Volt from a standstill to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds or less and to give the driver the expected "passing capability" and "predicted drivability." The trick is to provide this capability over the full life cycle (10 years and 150,000 miles) of the Volt. Of course, the 40 mile electric range in city driving is also important.

Gray said her desire is to have the batteries tested at every level. GM is doing its own testing, natch, but the suppliers will be feeding reams of data to Gray and her team on the thermal properties, the materials and more. There are more than 60 battery scientists, engineers and researchers globally in Gray's department, and then dozens more who are not directly tied to her. There are multiple battery cell and pack cyclers and thermal chambers/simulators in use at all locations globally. The challenge, of course, is to simulate 10 years of battery operations in just two years, give and take. GM's solution will be described in the battery test update.

Listen to Denise here:

• Next: A visit to the Chevy Volt's Battery Systems Lab.