FastLane

By Dave Darovitz
Chevrolet Volt Communications

Hit the Hollywood search lights! Alert the paparazzi! Beginning this Friday, Nov. 27, the Chevrolet Volt rolls into Tinseltown for a few spins around the city of angels and a whirlwind tour of activities leading up to the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. The Volt will be popping up all over town, mingling with the stars and generally showing off to consumers and media alike. The Volt will even visit a local middle school for what could possibly be the world’s largest show-and-tell.

Starting Friday, it should come as no surprise to hear about the Volt mingling with local celebrities or maybe even having a power lunch at The Ivy; and it simply wouldn’t be a visit to L.A. without stopping by the places where hundreds of car aficionados congregate weekly to kick tires and talk cars – Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank on Friday night and “Cars & Coffee” in Irvine on Saturday morning.

The Volt will also be giving holiday shoppers something to wish for next season when it hits the Century City Mall off Santa Monica Boulevard early on Black Friday and camps out through the weekend.

Monday kicks-off a series of live video webcasts, which will be available on ChevroletVoltage.com as well as the Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt Facebook pages.

The first is a live assembly from Harvard-Westlake Middle School at 9:40 a.m. PST for more than 800 students and staff about the basics of electricity, including why it’s important and how this common energy source can be used to transform the way we drive. Middle school teachers and students from across the country are invited to participate in the live video webcast and can register here. There’s even a Weekly Reader student handout thrown in for good measure.

Later that evening, we’ll host our second live video webcast starting at 6:30 p.m. PST – a panel discussion on how cities can get “plugged-in” with some of the leading industry, government and policy officials and influencers. You’ll also have an opportunity to submit your questions live during the Q&A.

We wrap-up our live webcasts on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the trendy J Restaurant & Lounge in downtown L.A. where Chevrolet Vice President Brent Dewar will announce the winner of the contest to name the greenish-silver color of the Volt and then promptly take that winner outside for their very own test drive while you ride shotgun remotely.

After showcasing the Volt and upcoming Chevy Cruze to media, bloggers and influencers at the J Lounge on Tuesday, it’s on to LAIAS press days beginning Wednesday with the Chevrolet press conference at 9:35 a.m. PST and a press conference with Los Angeles mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. PST.

Stay tuned to Twitter (@Chevrolet, @ChevyVoltage, @philcolley and @lesleyhettinger), Facebook (Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt) and ChevroletVoltage.com for all the latest updates on where we are and what we’re doing – and feel free to come on out and join us whenever you can.

We’ve also created a page on Posterous that will be updated in near real-time with stories, photos, videos, tweets and Facebook updates from all the Chevrolet activities in Los Angeles starting on Nov. 27. If you’re out in L.A. and spot the Chevrolet team around town, email us at chevroletinla (at) gmail (dot) com to get your comments, photos and videos included on the page.

And speaking of being included, we hope to see as many of you as possible during our stops throughout the weekend and next week. It just wouldn’t be the same without you.

By Andrew Farah
Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer

Every kid is taught that crossing a street safely begins with “Stop. Look. Listen.” I’m currently going through this teaching with my two children, ages 4 and 6. Safely crossing a street is a milestone for every child and parent – and something most of us take for granted.

But, what if one of the two senses involved – hearing – was removed? And what if you already lacked the other – sight? Without the familiar sound of traffic, the simple task of crossing a street would be daunting, if not impossible. This is precisely why Chevrolet, GM, and the National Federation of the Blind are cooperating to identify a safe level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians to the presence of low-speed, silent-running electric and hybrid vehicles.

Vehicle sound is not noise; it’s an audio cue and information – for everyone. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we constantly rely on our sense of hearing as we go about our daily lives.

The blind must listen for traffic to determine when it is safe to enter an intersection, to safely navigate a parking lot, or to determine whether a driveway is clear. Now, think about the hundreds of thousands of people that head to the streets daily on foot or on a bicycle as a form of transportation, to play, or to exercise. They also rely on their hearing to know when automobiles are present.

A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demonstrated that the silent operation of low-speed hybrid vehicles is an issue for all pedestrians, not just the blind. In certain situations, electric or hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in collisions with pedestrians.

Our background in the area of pedestrian alerts dates to our work on the EV1 (a vehicle I’m proud to say I worked on). We are listening to the people who will interact with these vehicles in everyday life. A few weeks ago, several NFB members recently experienced a demonstration of the pedestrian warning alert on a pre-production Chevy Volt at our Milford Proving Grounds. They evaluated the alert from the front, sides, and rear of the car.

We will continue working with the NFB and other groups to gather the critical feedback we need to help create an industry standard so that the sound emitted from EVs is recognizable as the sound of an automobile and detectable by everyone.

On Tuesday, Nov. 17, members of the Volt team gave an update to media on the development of the vehicle. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the stories by outlets such as Autoblog Green, CNET Green Tech and GM-Volt among many others, but we thought you might like to listen to the podcast of the conference call and see what was presented during the update. We’ve also included a quick text recap below. -Phil Colley, Advanced Technology and Environmental Communications

Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah began the update by saying there is less than one year to go before the start of regular production for the Volt. The goal is to build a great vehicle for the customer and have the Volt be much more than a battery on wheels.

Here are some of the highlights from his presentation:

• GM has teamed with LG Chem to produce a great battery cell for the vehicle. It puts the team in a position to meet customer expectations and to use this technology to make vehicles beyond the Volt.
• Inside the Volt’s battery are cells, which are grouped together into modules that are grouped together into battery packs – or, the T-shaped objects that actually go into the vehicle.
• The Volt is meeting energy power requirements and is now balancing issues such as safety, regulations and customer satisfaction with other issues such as performance, durability, packaging and vehicle design.
• The team has completed the pre-production build process and is in the process of testing the vehicles. Some are being tested around the clock 24/7.
• The team has built all 300 packs for the Volt and the results have been excellent.
• There have been more than 250,000 miles of testing on the pre-production and mule vehicles. Some of the highlights of this testing include hot weather testing in Death Valley, mountain testing at Pikes Peak and a 65% calibration drive.
• Everything is not perfect on these drives, but there are not any problems that will not be handled before production. This is not unlike any other challenges that come with developing a new type of vehicle such as the Volt.

Engineering Group Manager Bill Wallace then gave a battery update:

• There are 50,000 cells available for testing and to date, none of the cells have failed in the tests.
• Pack development is lining up with overall vehicle development and both tracks will meet with the start of production in November 2010.
• Battery cells go through 150 tests, including cell crushing, cell overcharging and cell life cycling.
• There are three major battery modules (groups of cells) inside the pack and they are tested to measure pressure, stress and high dynamic impact, among other things.
• The battery pack itself undergoes more than 20 different types of tests, including corrosion, crash and life cycle use.
• The team learned that the battery is well protected inside the vehicle and the cell abuse tests have shown the cells to perform as expected.
• Since the vehicle is so quiet, noise is an issue and the team is working on ways to reduce ambient noise when the vehicle is in motion.

The team then opened it up for questions:

• In response to a question about how much the internal combustion engine will be started, Andrew Farah mentioned that the Volt is designed to be your only car and even though you can drive up to 40 miles on pure electric energy, the engine needs to be available when you exceed that range. He believes most people that have a Volt will have engine run once a month at minimum because of normal use.
• The Detroit-Hamtramck plant is in the process of being retooled and new equipment is being moved in. The plan is to do the next build of the vehicles at the end of March.
• The tweaks to the battery chemistries are very small. The adjustments are mostly in the life of the battery. It’s a challenge, but also a great asset for the vehicle.
• The battery pack weighs about 200 kgs. Future versions of the Volt will try to reduce that weight, but it is not impacting any of the goals in the vehicle’s development.
• GM continues to work with the University of Michigan. The school offers a special curriculum on energy storage systems and there is an ongoing intern program that works with GM. There are some students who have been hired who work on the charging system or in the battery lab.
• In cold-weather, the Volt has an electric cabin heater to provide comfort. At certain temperature levels, the engine will start to help warm the battery. Heated seats provide good bang for the energy buck.
• The biggest challenge in testing is hot-weather storage of the vehicle. Currently, ten years of battery life is the norm, but some people could get more battery life depending on the climate where they live and their driving conditions.

By Fritz Henderson
GM President and CEO

On July 10, my management team and I made a commitment to you: GM will rebuild itself by focusing on cars, customers and culture. Today, for the first time since emerging as a new company, we released preliminary managerial financial results. They demonstrate we are on the right track, but still have a long way to go.

We’ve worked hard to set a solid foundation for rebuilding our company. Our progress is evident: market share is stabilizing, our balance sheet is healthier and our cost structure is competitive.  In the US, our newest launch products like the Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain, Cadillac SRX and Chevy Equinox are generating higher transaction prices and residual values than previous model year vehicles. And we’re seeing the same positive momentum felt globally as GM’s newest products such as the Holden and Chevrolet Cruze, Daewoo Matiz Creative, Opel/Vauxhall Astra and Chevrolet Agile gain market share.

Our entire team is encouraged by these results  but we are not and cannot be satisfied. GM is still in a loss position. We know the upcoming fourth quarter will bring additional challenges and cash outlays. Our cash level, however, will allow GM to focus on improving the top line and keep investing in important products and technologies.

Perhaps the most telling announcement we made today was that GM will begin repaying US and Canadian taxpayers by the end of next month and we will continue paying down both loans on a quarterly basis.  We take these loans personally. They represent an enormous obligation to our fellow taxpayers, and we want to pay them back as quickly as you do.

GM is showing solid progress, but we must do better. New challenges are on the horizon and GM will be ready for them. In my eyes, success comes down to keeping our heads down and following our plan to build great vehicles as well as creating stronger relationships with our customers, dealers, employees and so many others.   Again, it’s all about cars, customers and culture. I look forward to what the future brings.

Privacy is a very important issue for consumers, and many have concerns about how the companies they interact with use and protect their personal information.

OnStar takes its subscribers’ concerns very seriously. We are committed to providing subscribers with safety and security, and our privacy policy support that focus. Recently, we’ve noticed conversations in the blogosphere about OnStar and privacy. Many of the conversations discuss misperceptions of our services and privacy policies.

We want to set the record straight.

Jane Speelman, OnStar’s Privacy & Compliance Officer is hosting a Web chat to talk about the privacy practices OnStar has put in place to ensure customer information is not used in a way that is inconsistent with the subscriber agreement. She will also talk about the common misperceptions about OnStar and privacy and why they are wrong.

The Web chat will take place, Thursday, November 12 from 2 –3 p.m. EST. Jane will try to answer as many questions as she can.

By Charles Freese
Executive Director, Fuel Cell Activities

One of the most difficult things about working with a new technology is helping people understand the “dollars and sense” associated with it. This is especially true when the technology is one that can be demonstrated, but is still a few years from commercial introduction. Take hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for example.

In 2007 GM deployed Project Driveway, a fleet of more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell electric vehicles. Project Driveway is still the largest and most experienced fleet of its kind anywhere in the world with more than one million miles of accumulated driving by real consumers. The vehicles were hand-built, making them very expensive, but the builds helped establish a new supplier community and resolved many technical challenges.

While the Project Driveway vehicles still amaze almost everyone who drives one, they use technology that is now four years old and was essentially a proof of concept. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t put early vehicles in the hands of real customers until a program reaches pilot production. Project Driveway’s purpose is to gain customer feedback, better understand the technology and evaluate the fuel infrastructure. More importantly, these vehicles were intended to prove to the world that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can become practical solutions for future transportation needs. It is a testament to the skill of the development team and the capability of the technology that these vehicles are refined enough to be used daily and meet or exceed customer expectations.

We are often asked how much these vehicles cost and we are consistently careful to avoid putting a price tag on a vehicle that people can experience but not own. Putting it bluntly, the cost of a demonstration vehicle is neither the right measure nor the right question. Even prototype vehicles with conventional propulsion systems are prohibitively expensive at this point in their development cycle. The important cost question should focus on what the technology will cost when it enters production and what value the technology provides the customer, including energy efficiency, zero emissions, improved performance, reliability, fuel range, short refueling times, and consumer acceptance.

With quantifiable learnings from the Equinox fuel cell fleet and a strong technology development effort, the fuel cell program left R&D about a year ago and became part of Powertrain, where it is treated like any pre-production program when it comes to seeking efficiency, cost reduction, design for manufacturability, and other elements of a production program. It is still expensive, but the costs are coming down dramatically. Our next-generation fuel cell architecture is 220 pounds lighter, uses about half the parts and roughly a third of the precious metals, compared to the still-impressive Equinox demonstration vehicles.

In some ways, we are a victim our own success. The Chevy Equinox fuel cell is a great car, but it is a demonstration vehicle with aging technology and high cost. The next-generation fuel cell system is much less expensive but is not yet to the point where we have vehicles on the road. The graphic below shows the significant physical differences and the tale of the tape between the Project Driveway propulsion system and the next-generation system. The things we are learning will continue to lower fuel cell system costs and we expect the fuel cell system will become cost competitive with other comparably capable advanced powertrain solutions. All these technologies have a common goal: to quickly complete a couple production learning cycles that will help bring costs down. Then the technology must be used in enough cars to achieve necessary economies of scale.

For today, we must help people understand that the fuel cell vehicles they can drive now would still be out of reach for most buyers. Fuel cells must cross the same “valley of death,” that every new technology must endure. GM is developing advanced hydrogen fuel cell designs that are clearly on a path toward affordable hydrogen-powered vehicles. As we move from petroleum to other energy sources we must consider the true technology costs and stay the course to achieve our long-term objectives.

Click here to see the full-size image.

By Susan Docherty

Vice President, US Sales

Today, we reported October sales for the new GM of 177,603 units, up four percent from last October – our first US sales gain in 21 months. Retail sales were up 15 percent for the same period. So, while no one is declaring victory … we are seeing signs of progress.

Our estimated share of the US market for October was 21 percent.   That was better than September and significantly better than last October.

With 95 percent of our retail sales for the month attributed to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, our sales mix is healthier than it was with eight brands.  Importantly, our six newest products (Equinox, Camaro, Traverse, LaCrosse, Terrain, and SRX) are off to a great start, showing improvement in traffic and sales compared to the models they replaced.  Camaro has outsold the Ford Mustang five months in a row; Equinox and Terrain are gaining share in the crossover segment; LaCrosse is bringing younger buyers to Buick; and SRX had the best month in its history.

We know we have a lot of work to do to earn consumer trust, change perceptions about our company and products, and strengthen relationships.  And, while we’re encouraged by consumer acceptance of our new vehicles and our October results, no one is celebrating.  We will continue to work hard every day to make our customers our top priority – and that means offering cars and trucks they “gotta have,” and giving them the service they deserve.

Stay tuned, and let us know what you think of our new products.

(Click here for a video in which Susan Docherty explains the sales numbers in more detail.)

Global electric vehicle development chief Frank Weber is moving back to Europe to join the Opel/Vauxhall senior leadership team and Doug Parks will takeover the reins of the Chevrolet Volt development team on Dec. 2. Doug was the global compact car team leader, or more specifically, the leader of the same architecture on which the Volt is based, and we expect he will provide the same tireless work ethic and attention to detail put forth by Frank and the entire Volt team. We’re sure there are lots of questions you have for Frank and Doug, so they’ll both be available here for a webchat later today at 4 p.m. EST to answer as many as they can. Frank has done an excellent job getting the Volt to the point it’s at today, and we wish him well in his new role on the Opel/Vauxhall senior leadership team. - Rob Peterson, Electric Vehicle Communications Manager