Chevy Volt
On Wednesday, I attended a press event to get a preview of the Chevy Volt and to hear from Frank Weber, Global Vehicle Line Executive and Global Chief Engineer for Chevrolet. The preview took place in a cool space at Terminal 5 — just off the Hudson River.
What I know:
The Volt is not a purely electric car — electric cars that can go for long distances between charges can't be mass-produced. It's not a hybrid — hybrids don't give us petroleum independence, instead, they improve efficiency. The Volt is a whole new propulsion category. The idea is this: you plug it in at the end of the day and it takes about 3 hours to charge. Once charged it can go for 40 miles without using gasoline. If you're driving more than 40 miles, once the electricity is gone, the Volt will seamlessly switch to gasoline power and can continue the same distance that any compact car's gas tank would provide.
The 40 miles concept really struck me as the brilliant thing. Apparently, after studying and studying American driving habits, Chevy concluded that most Americans drive less then 40 miles in a day. 40 miles is just the right distance to include a commute and some errands, or for a typical soccer mom's daily chauffeuring. So. If used for simple daily driving, the Volt will never need gas. And its estimated electric cost to run it for a year is between $250 and $300.
The whole idea is just really energizing. Like everybody, I'm watching the economy and wondering what's next. I love the idea of an iconic American brand like Chevrolet taking the lead on this. I hope it goes huge and brings back some of America's manufacturing strength.
Here's a video I shot (it's about 2 minutes) of Mr. Weber, explaining how much electricity the volt uses over the course of a year — it comes in somewhere between a fridge and a clothes dryer. So much less expensive than tank after tank of gas:
I first read about the Volt in the July/August '08 issue of The Atlantic. If you're interested, the article is fantastic and goes into detail about whether or not the Volt will save Chevrolet — and revolutionize the car industry. Although I've never owned a Chevrolet, as I read the article, I found myself cheering Chevy on and wanting this to be a blowout success.
The production date is November 2010. Some people are skeptical that Chevy won't be able to make this date. But Frank Weber was completely confident it would happen. And I'm totally on board. I'll be watching for the launch of the Volt and looking forward to it.
Other interesting notes I jotted down:
-Assuming the Volt is a success, its E-REV technology will be compatible with any of Chevy's compact cars and can roll out in other models depending on what the market demands.
-Even though the driver may never use the combustion engine, it will still meet all environmental standards required of any car.
-The dashboard will be touch-screen based and have very few buttons or knobs. The dashboard will track how many miles have been driven on battery and how many on gas.
-The battery goes through the center of the vehicle — and is concealed by a center console that runs through the car from front to back. After 10 years the battery can be resold in a secondary market for batteries — for use by hospitals or as back-up power sources. Overall, the battery will have about a 20 year life.
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Friday, October 31, 2008
10 Comments:
Hate to say it, but "electric cars can't be mass-produced" is not correct. Saturn had one over 10 years ago, and there are some in the works right now by japanese manufacturers. Problem is-- when you go electric you leave your fossil fuel providers in the cold, and that just won't do when every prominent person in the country has its pocket connected to the gas industry.
I have been reading about this car and have been super interested. Glad you got to see it close up.
Electric cars can be mass produced, the REVA EV from India is apparently being marketed in several countries around the world, and there are a lot of EVs being planned right now, which will in fact be mass produced.
But like you say, people are looking forward to an honest to goodness Made in the USA electric vehicle that they can proudly call their own.
Any plug-in vehicle is still technically powered by fossil fuels, because that is what electric companies use to power the grid with very few exceptions. If the people who buy this vehicle then pay extra to switch their electricity to a wind-powered option - assuming that is even offered in their area - then we can talk about a real reduction in carbon footprints. It is a cool idea, though. I would actually like to see American auto manufacturers spend more time focusing on the quality of their vehicles. If American cars didn't fall apart after three years, people wouldn't need to toss them and start with a whole new car - and THAT would help the environment.
Electric cars are a great start, but I want to see more research into vehicles that don't rely on any fossil fuels. Or better ways for our electric supply to come from alternative sources.
ANd unfortunately, a lot of moms can't shuttle their kids around in cars of this size. Three kids and two adults will not fit.
Anonymous, Alias -- you're right, I should have clarified.
From what I understand, the current version of the electric car can't be mass-produced in way that works for typical American consumers. Meaning, they're unable to be manufactured in a way that allows for a 300 mile drive without recharging.
I think I like the Volt concept because it would allow for basic daily driving using electric power, but could also seamlessly make the trip from New York to DC.
Caroline. Good point. That was brought up Wednesday in the Q & A. The statistics they gave us said that if all cars on the road right this minute were electric, it would cut vehicle fossil fuel usage by 40%.
I realize that's not perfect. But it seems like a big improvement.
Mamalang, as a mother, I also realize the limitations of the seating. But assuming it takes off, no doubt the technology would be adapted to family cars as well.
It takes a long time to make a car. The Volt was been worked on for years before it was announced in 2007. And it won't be produced until 2010.
If it doesn't work for the family car right off the bat, maybe it will be good as a second car for those families that commute.
I heard about the Volt last year and am very interested to see how it takes off in the market. Thanks for sharing!
and will they be able to get the lithium batteries to work right.. ??
if not, i think this is the end to chevy bc they have put all their resources into making this work..
and if it is a success.. wow!
invest in lithium!
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