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Motor Authority - blog Category: Volt

  • Toyota-GM hybrid partnership rumors stir again

    Toyota-GM hybrid partnership rumors stir again June 29th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, June 29th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 0 Comments

    Toyota-GM hybrid partnership rumors stir again Just ten days ago, General Motors denied a story that it was planning to license Toyota's hybrid Synergy Drive system, but today a new report has broken claiming Toyota could offer GM the Prius hybrid, to be re-branded as a GM product.

    Aside from being completely off the wall, the report doesn't really sit well with the direction GM has taken on its own two-mode hybrid products and development of the Volt.

    On the other hand, with today's announcement that GM will be withdrawing from the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture with Toyota in California, perhaps a re-branded Prius makes sense. It's at least likely... Just ten days ago, General Motors denied a story that it was planning to license Toyota's hybrid Synergy Drive system, but today a new report has broken claiming Toyota could offer GM the Prius hybrid, to be re-branded as a GM product. Aside from being completely off the wall, the report doesn't really sit well with the direction GM has taken on its own two-mode hybrid products and development of the Volt. On the other hand, with today's announcement that GM will be withdrawing from the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture with Toyota in California, perhaps a re-branded Prius makes sense. It's at least likely that the topic came up as part of the discussions that led to GM's decision to pull out of NUMMI. "After extensive analysis, GM and Toyota could not reach an agreement on a future product plan that made sense for all parties," said Troy Clarke, president GM North America. Clarke also said in his statement on the NUMMI that GM and Toyota had no future vehicles planned for their joint venture. However, the Prius is already under consideration for production at the NUMMI site since plans to build the car at its Mississippi plant fell through, reports Bloomberg. The presence of domestically-produced Prius-based hybrids from a company GM has a long history of partnership with might be too good to refuse. But with modern product delivery timelines what they are, getting a re-branded Prius through the approval process and into production would likely land it right in the middle of the Volt's planned late 2010 debut. Of course, Toyota could always just use the Prius production from the former joint-venture site for its own U.S. sales to meet the huge demand it is facing for its latest hybrid.2010 Toyota Prius Read More

  • GM pitching Volt as sporty, green alternative to Prius, Insight

    GM pitching Volt as sporty, green alternative to Prius, Insight June 29th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, June 29th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 0 Comments

    GM pitching Volt as sporty, green alternative to Prius, Insight At first glance, there's very little to differentiate the main contenders for your hybrid sedan dollar - the new Insight looks remarkably like the Prius. For that matter, so does the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Aerodynamic necessity is a harsh master. But General Motors is planning to set the Volt apart from the crowd on its sporty demeanor.

    Sporty is definitely not an adjective that can fairly be applied to either the 2010 Honda Insight or the 2010 Toyota Prius, though both are efficient and fun in their own way. Chevrolet is hoping its torquey electric-drive vehicle will shine with a superior chassis and more dynamic driving experience,... At first glance, there's very little to differentiate the main contenders for your hybrid sedan dollar - the new Insight looks remarkably like the Prius. For that matter, so does the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Aerodynamic necessity is a harsh master. But General Motors is planning to set the Volt apart from the crowd on its sporty demeanor. Sporty is definitely not an adjective that can fairly be applied to either the 2010 Honda Insight or the 2010 Toyota Prius, though both are efficient and fun in their own way. Chevrolet is hoping its torquey electric-drive vehicle will shine with a superior chassis and more dynamic driving experience, however, reports Edmunds. If that angle does play out successfully for GM, it will be a huge move, as the Volt is expected to out-do the Prius and Insight on fuel economy too, as its range-extended electric vehicle (engineers are quick to point out it's not a hybrid) architecture will allow for 40mi (64km) of electric-only driving. Just last week, the first integration prototypes were officially christened for testing, and work on the car is moving ahead on schedule for a late 2010 launch. Check out some of our previous coverage for more details on the upcoming Volt.2011 Chevrolet Volt pre-production prototype Read More

  • First pre-production Chevrolet Volt prototypes hit the road

    First pre-production Chevrolet Volt prototypes hit the road June 25th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, June 25th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 4 Comments

    First pre-production Chevrolet Volt prototypes hit the road You may think you've already seen the 2011 Chevrolet Volt inside and out (online at least) but in truth you've only seen mock-ups. The first real, complete pre-production Volts are currently testing on the streets around GM’s Warren test center in Michigan and these are the first images of the prototype vehicles.

    The vehicles have been fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack, which features more than 200 lithium-ion cells, sophisticated computer controls, liquid cooling system and other components. About 80 of these pre-production Volts will be assembled and continue testing until the car’s eventual sales release late next year.... You may think you've already seen the 2011 Chevrolet Volt inside and out (online at least) but in truth you've only seen mock-ups. The first real, complete pre-production Volts are currently testing on the streets around GM’s Warren test center in Michigan and these are the first images of the prototype vehicles. The vehicles have been fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack, which features more than 200 lithium-ion cells, sophisticated computer controls, liquid cooling system and other components. About 80 of these pre-production Volts will be assembled and continue testing until the car’s eventual sales release late next year. Because these are the first vehicles to integrate both the Volt platform and the Volt powertrain, they are being referred to as 'integration vehicles'. “The purpose for the integration vehicle builds is two-fold,” said GM's Rob Peterson. “First, they validate our production design, vehicle safety and performance capabilities. Just as important, the build activity provides valuable insight into the final vehicle assembly process to ensure a high-level of build quality and manufacturing efficiency when full scale production begins in November 2010.” With GM still in bankruptcy, however, the Volt's production milestones seem at once more relevant and completely fanciful, and with a $32,500 base price (after rebate) it's going to have a tough fight ahead of it even if production goes smoothly. GM has previously stated that its financial issues won't affect development of the Volt, however, so don't count the car out yet.2011 Chevrolet Volt Production model2011 Chevrolet Volt pre-production prototypeChevrolet Volt Integration Prototype hits the road Read More

  • HSV working on high-performance LPG system

    HSV working on high-performance LPG system June 12th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 12th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 1 Comment

    HSV working on high-performance LPG system Even V8 performance groups like Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) cannot afford to ignore the new spate of environmental consciousness that’s sweeping the globe. Whether it’s a case of consumers griping about how much they have to pay for fuel, or a genuine desire for greener performance cars, HSV is listening to the people and is currently working on several major developments in the area.

    We’ve already reported about the Holden go-fast division’s plans to introduce smaller non-V8 models, as well as a renewed interest at the company for alternative fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel.

    HSV has now... Even V8 performance groups like Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) cannot afford to ignore the new spate of environmental consciousness that’s sweeping the globe. Whether it’s a case of consumers griping about how much they have to pay for fuel, or a genuine desire for greener performance cars, HSV is listening to the people and is currently working on several major developments in the area. We’ve already reported about the Holden go-fast division’s plans to introduce smaller non-V8 models, as well as a renewed interest at the company for alternative fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel. HSV has now confirmed to Australia’s Drive that it is working on an advanced LPG system that promises to deliver similar performance to petrol. With LPG costing half as much as petrol in many parts of the globe, it’s easy to see how beneficial this system could potentially be – especially if the technology is loaned to General Motors branches outside of Australia. The new LPG system is called liquid propane injection (LPi) and is essentially an extra eight injectors fitted to the inlet manifold near a V8 engine’s inlet ports. A pump inside the LPG tank pressurizes the fuel and sends it to the injectors where it enters the engine still in its liquid form. In liquid form, air-fuel mixtures can be calculated more accurately, which in turn increases efficiency and boosts power. Current LPG systems inject the fuel in a gaseous state, making it much more difficult to mix with air in the correct ratio. There are other benefits to using LPG as well - the fuel releases less carbon-dioxide emissions when burning and it has a higher octane rating than petrol. On the other hand, LPG doesn't have the same calorific (energy) value of petrol, which means mileage is usually worse. LPG can also be difficult to find as many fuel stations don’t serve it, but any LPG model will be dual-fuel capable.2008 Holden HSV range Read More

  • GM opens advanced battery lab in Michigan

    GM opens advanced battery lab in Michigan June 8th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, June 8th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 3 Comments

    GM opens advanced battery lab in Michigan Despite a bankruptcy filing that's barely a week old, General Motors is fighting to preserve its image as a relevant and potent member of the automotive industry. To that end, GM today announced the opening of its Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, Michigan.

    The new lab is where GM will do the foundation work on its next-gen electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as further development work on the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Both individual cells and assembled packs will be tested and developed on-site.

    "The new global GM battery lab will benefit consumers across America by helping us advance the development of battery... Despite a bankruptcy filing that's barely a week old, General Motors is fighting to preserve its image as a relevant and potent member of the automotive industry. To that end, GM today announced the opening of its Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, Michigan. The new lab is where GM will do the foundation work on its next-gen electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as further development work on the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Both individual cells and assembled packs will be tested and developed on-site. "The new global GM battery lab will benefit consumers across America by helping us advance the development of battery technology in the United States and put cleaner, more efficient vehicles on the road more quickly and affordably," said Fritz Henderson, GM president and CEO. "Our new lab improves GM's competitiveness by speeding the development of our hybrid, plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt." Corporate-speak aside, the fact that GM is building the plant in the U.S. is a important step to keeping both workers and the public happy. There had been some fear that bankruptcy would offer a convenient excuse to export even more manufacturing and R&D outside the U.S. The Global Battery Systems Lab is a 33,000 square foot facility, and will house the efforts of GM's advanced technology team that is currently at 1,000 engineers and still growing. Forty-two thermal chambers and 160 test channels give the chance to evaluate batteries under nearly any condition imaginable. Power output at the plant is a massive 6 megawatts, enough to power a small town. Construction on the plant started last August, just before the economy tucked into its nosedive. It has been complete and under testing since May, with the official opening today marking the lab's start of full-scale business. GM says the lab is now the largest of its kind in the U.S.General Motors Global Battery Systems Lab Read More

  • GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S.

    GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S. May 29th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, May 29th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 2 Comments

    GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S. In an atypically cryptic press release, General Motors today announced that it will be building a new small car at an unnamed idled UAW-staffed assembly plant here in the U.S. The new vehicle will be in addition to the already-planned 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze, but it's not yet known which small car it will be.

    When the new small car will go into production also hasn't been disclosed, though with the Volt set to enter production late in 2010 and the Cruze aiming for an early 2010 release, it could be timed to fit between them, sometime in summer 2010.

    One small car candidate is the Chevrolet Spark, born from the long-lived Beat concept... In an atypically cryptic press release, General Motors today announced that it will be building a new small car at an unnamed idled UAW-staffed assembly plant here in the U.S. The new vehicle will be in addition to the already-planned 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze, but it's not yet known which small car it will be. When the new small car will go into production also hasn't been disclosed, though with the Volt set to enter production late in 2010 and the Cruze aiming for an early 2010 release, it could be timed to fit between them, sometime in summer 2010. One small car candidate is the Chevrolet Spark, born from the long-lived Beat concept revealed in 2007. Other models could also see U.S. production, however, especially with the ongoing brand shuffle at GM, as well as the expected bankruptcy filing coming June 1. It wouldn't be beyond the pale to see a re-branded Opel or Saturn model sold as a Chevrolet, such as the Astra. "Small cars represent one of the fastest growing segments in both the U.S. and around the world," said Fritz Henderson, General Motors President and CEO. "We believe this car will be a winner with our current and future customers in the U.S. "This vehicle segment, while important today and expected to be more so in the future, is extremely challenging. It takes a special effort by everyone to bring a domestically produced small car to market in a cost-competitive and profitable way - but that is what we are going to do together [with the UAW]." The new small car is apparently expected to be a major volume seller, with GM upping its estimate of the percentage of U.S.-built GM sales from the current 67% to over 70% by 2013.2011 Chevrolet Spark minicar2010 Opel Astra Read More

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