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]

General Motors enjoyed an advance marketing bonanza for the Chevy Camaro by having it play one of the Autobot heroes in Transformers last summer. People who were otherwise unaware of GM's ponycar revival got a heavy dose of it in the blockbuster, and it has been on everyone's (not just enthusiasts') radar ever since. It looks like the General will once again have a heavy presence in the film's sequel. Last week, for example, it was revealed that the HUMMER HX concept will be seen.

Now, we get word of another new model's appearance on the set. And this time, it's something ABGers might be interested in. While filming at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Transformers fans with cameras at the ready snagged the Chevy Beat hiding out under a cover. As you can see in the photo above, the Beat is parked next to the Camaro that's reprising its role as Bumblebee. The Beat's appearance is about as close as we'll get to official confirmation (for now) that we will see the Beat in North America after all. Popping it in Transformers 2 will generate a ton of interest in the little hatchback, which is obviously a natural market fit in this new era of $4.00/gal gasoline. Like the Camaro last summer, there's no better way to present the new model to a wide cross-section of the general public than by putting it front-and-center in a sure-fire box office blockbuster. Thanks to Cory for the tip!



[Source: TFLAMB]

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.

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]

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]

Click on the image to enlarge

Chevrolet has introduced a new version of the popular Matiz 0.8S city car, featuring a manual transmission. With low CO₂ emissions of just 119g/km, the new Matiz qualifies for road tax Band B, which will cost drivers £35 a year at current rates to tax their car, as compared to £115 for the previous Matiz 0.8S. Additionally, the upcoming Congestion Charge allows for vehicles which emit less than 120g/km to pass through un-charged. With a 54.3 mile per gallon rate of consumption in the combined cycle, the Matiz will be saving drivers more money when it comes time to fill-up. Chevy's new Matiz 0.8S is on sale now in the U.K. starting at £6,245. Feel free to check the press release after the break.

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]

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]

Chevy has two new TV ads for its Tahoe hybrid. First a little background. The Chevy Tahoe hybrid won Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year award last year. A full-size SUV winning a green car award supplied much comedic fodder for Top Gear (see first video below the fold). Okay, the first new Tahoe hybrid ad (see second video below the fold) begins with a riddle: Which is heaver, a hundred pounds of bricks or a hundred pounds of feathers? If you figured out they are the same weight, then according the ad, you are just as smart as the Chevy Tahoe hybrid, winner of Green Car of the Year award.

The second ad (see third video below the fold) begins with children wearing paper car costumes. The small paper cars are uncomfortable and have no room for their "stuff." Just around the corner, however, is a giant paper SUV and when the children see it, they are ecstatic. They throw off their small paper cars and run to the paper SUV. The teacher character in the commercial explains the paper SUV has the same fuel economy of small cars (like the Camry), room for your friends and most importantly, room for all that "stuff" the children are carrying around for some reason. "I guess they like it" the commercial's teacher character concludes.

I have to admit, I really like these ads. I think they're the best hybrid ads out there. I might not agree with the message that hybrid SUVs are green but at least these ads have a message. Recent hybrid ads from GM and Lexus are too vague for my taste. These Chevy actually persuade with facts about the Tahoe's fuel efficiency or the CotY award. Besides, SUVs are the only vehicles large enough to carry all my "stuff."

[Source: YouTube]

Finally, a chance to blog about the Jonas Brothers! Today (Feb. 19), at Walt Disney Studios, Chevy is "rolling out the green carpet" (aka sponsoring) a concert that will ask the more than 150 L.A area students that attend to "promise to live better," save the environment ... and also check out GM's collection of green cars. Jonas Brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick actually own a Chevrolet Tahoe 2 Mode Hybrid SUV (are they old enough to drive?) and the "young influencers" will also enjoy a car that pops popcorn using biofuel and a "hybrid" lab that mixes chocolate and peanut butter. The band was enamored with Chevy's cars after driving the Equinox Fuel Cell recently. Nick Jonas said "Being eco-friendly is important to us."

... that's it. I can't continue writing. I have been blinded by the unbounded, advertising synergy of this event. Enjoy the Kids of the Future music video below the fold.

Related:

• 2008 Detroit: videos of the Dodge Ram Hemi hybrid, Chevy Volt, E85 Coupe
• Tour bus that runs on "blubber" in Sidekick's Grammy Awards TV commercial
• Kia TV ad: Spectra is so fuel efficient, you will forget which side the car the gas tank is on
• It's Friday: the Ditty Bops tour by bike
• It's Friday: Is Jeep's "Rock Me Gently" ad greenwashing? o|||||||o
• Videos: Hard Rock cafe concert for Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance

[Source: GM]

Ladies and gentleman, GM has a competitor for the worst ad is the history of ads (I've embedded it below the fold). First, some background, the video background in the ad is apparently taken from a web video someone took of a dog licking a bare foot (also below the fold). You think that would be bad enough but it just gets worse. The following text appears over the dog's actions:

If you care about the environment, you could save water and let your dog give you a bath. Chevy cares about the environment. That's why we're working on an extended range electric car expected to go up to 40 miles without a drop of gas. The Chevy Volt concept.

Okay, I think I can almost see what they were trying to achieve. The ad recently aired on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, which is aimed at a young, hip, ironic, etc. demographic. But this is probably a text book example of how not to sell a car. There were criticisms that GM's advertising for the EV1 was designed to prevent sales. Is GM doing the same thing for the Volt? Or is GM just horrible at advertising? The ad has been airing since November.

[Source: Chevy, tipster Roger]

Recently, we told you GM shelved a hybrid Malibu TV ad to air in the Superbowl. MediaPost is reporting that GM will "advertise during the show (Grammys), with commercials - including one starring Mary J. Blige - that tout the Chevy Malibu and GM's "Gas Friendly to Gas Free" campaign." Is that Malibu ad for the hybrid version of the car? We will tell you after the Grammys (now with writers!) air February 10th.

This won't be Mary's first advertising gig with GM. Mary was also a part of GM's celebrity-packed show at last year's Detroit Auto Show. Whatever GM has in store for us on Grammy night, it can't be as unflattering as using the Greek character of Sisyphus in their Superbowl Yukon Hybrid ad. Someone please tell GM that Sisyphus' pushing that stone symbolizes unending, pointless punishment.

Related:

• Video: GMC's Superbowl ad for Yukon hybrid
• Yukon Hybrid Super Bowl ad includes imagery from 1976 animated short
• 2008 Detroit: videos of the Dodge Ram Hemi hybrid, Chevy Volt, E85 Coupe

[Source: MediaPost]

Super Bowl XLII airs Sunday (Feb. 3) and GM is debating if it should air ads for the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Vue hybrids in the iconic event. "The debate we're having is we're not sure we'll have enough inventory [of the new hybrids] on February 3 to warrant running an ad for them during the Super Bowl. ... We don't want to frustrate consumers," GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney tells InsideLine. Nissan, Audi, Hyundai and Toyota will also air ads this Super Bowl but not for hybrids. Toyota, for example, will air ads for the Sequoia SUV and new Corolla.

Related:

• It's the Colts, the Bears and Segways in Super Bowl action this weekend (2007)
  
• Honda to talk up superior fuel efficiency in Super Bowl ad (2007)
  
• Volkswagen kicks off cross-country DIESELUTION tour

[Source: InsideLine]

Seems the test drive date is not the only thing changing about the Volt. Bob Lutz tells Wired News the Volt will sell for more than the originally estimate of $30,000. How much more? Costs might go down on the second-generation Volt but Bob leaves open a price close to $40,000 for the first-gen Volts. Here is exactly what he said:

WN: What's the target market for the car? Will it be a high-end car, a mid-range car?
Lutz: I've always said I'd like to be able to sell it at around $30,000. The way things look now, it doesn't look like that's going to be possible. It looks like it's going to be more.
WN: How much more?
Lutz: I don't know. You'd like to have it at about $30,000 for the customer, but what I'm hearing from the team is we're not going to get there. They say we might get there on the second generation, and they say if they had a lot more time they might be able to cost-optimize it. I don't want to wait for cost optimization. I'd rather come out in 2010, and if it costs closer to 40 than 30, well, that's too bad.

When will we get to the see the new Volt design? "That I can't tell you. Sooner rather than later. I'll just say that" says Bob. I hope that design change is not too dramatic Bob. I don't know if I can take news of another big change.

[Source: Wired News via GM Volt]

The video above is GM chairman Bob Lutz eating a little crow on Bloomberg Television. In the past, Bob has said GM would beat Toyota by "a year" in the lithium-ion battery race. Now, that Toyota has said they will release lithium-ion plug-in hybrids ahead of GM's new EVs, Bob does not want to play anymore, saying it's "immaterial" who's first by a few months on next-gen EVs. The Bloomberg interview also has some juicy details about the Saturn Vue plug-in (it will have an 8- to 12-mile electric only range) and Bob says the Volt's internal release date is November 2010. Here is exactly what Bob said:

Bloomberg: Lets talk about Toyota. You know those guys. They came out yesterday and said they are going to have a plug-in electric car on the market by 2010. That's the year that you said as well. So who is going to win this race?
Bob Lutz: Well, I think it's immaterial who comes out a couple of months ahead of somebody else. And notice that they said they didn't say plug-in electric car, they said plug-in hybrid. That will be our Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid which still relies mostly on the gasoline engine coupled to a hybrid system which improves your mileage and it will have about an 8 to, maybe somewhere between 8 and 12 mile electric range. Not to be confused with the Chevrolet Volt, which is a genuine electric vehicle, which operates electrically all the time with the engine only coming in, in case of absolute necessity to recharge the battery.

Bloomberg: So, you are going to argue we're still going to be #1 when we get to 2010 coming out with an all electric plug-in car?
Bob Lutz: Yes, we are coming out with two. There is a great deal of confusion, frankly, among the media and the public, the difference between a plug-in hybrid and an extended range electric vehicle. We're doing both. The Saturn Vue is going to be a plug-in hybrid which will get about 8 to 12 miles purely electrically before it starts operating on the piston engine. The Volt is an electric vehicle, which in many circumstances will never use the piston engine at all.

Bloomberg: Lets clarify about the Volt though. Because it depends on a lithium-ion battery. You're still trying to figure out how to fully develop that technology. You're still sure you are going to have that ready for 2010? Can you give me a guarantee right now? (Smiles and laughs.)
Bob Lutz: (Sighs.) Yes and no. Yes, I guarantee that the official internal General Motors target date is November 2010. You know, so far, the batteries are not a hold up. All of the testing, bench testing we are doing on battery packs, they fully meet our expectations.

Bloomberg: When do you start production then? You gotta start production of those batteries sometime in 2009 to have them ready for the Volt. When do you start production?

Go below the fold for more Bob.

[Source: Bloomberg]