Chevy Volt Concept: A New Kind of Electric Car
By Beth Lowery
GM Vice President, Environment and Energy
I was proud to participate in the unveiling of the Chevy Volt electric car concept today. What a cool-looking car! As you may know, GM has worked on electric cars for years. We've taken a lot of heat for some of our past decisions on that front, and we've been paying attention to our critics. We get it – we're not perfect, but we've learned a lot. The Volt incorporates many of those lessons and represents a giant leap forward.
For instance, we've added a range extender using a system we call E-Flex. Basically, it works by using the onboard engine to generate additional energy for the battery. On a long trip, this system would continually charge the batteries, even after the initial battery range is passed.
The range extender can be used with any type of onboard engine, whether it is powered by gasoline, ethanol, electricity or hydrogen – hence the "Flex" in E-Flex. This system will make the Volt the most versatile electric car when it comes out, virtually eliminating gasoline use for those who only take their cars for short distances, such as back and forth to work, while providing the ability to recharge while driving.
Sounds good, right?
It sure sounds good to GM ... but the big challenge now is for us to turn this concept into reality – no easy feat, but one we are deeply committed to.
The Volt clearly isn't the only solution to our reliance on petroleum, and some solutions may work better in some areas of the world than in others. That's why GM is working on a whole range of technologies to address petroleum dependence, including hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, Flex Fuel vehicles that run on either ethanol or gasoline, and biodiesel-fueled vehicles. That said, we believe the Volt is a huge step in the right direction, and as technology continues to improve, so will our solutions.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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Looks remarkably like the Aero X and did not SAAB have the plug in first!!
Please build this car!! It is absolutely awesome! I will be the first in line to buy one. This car should be out in less than two years for GM to really jump ahead of the competition
It looks good and is a good idea. I’d like to also have a really impressive high performance version of it too. Bring them to market!
The electric car will return to GM, and it will be a vehicle real people can actually live with. Thanks for putting the Chevrolet brand on this, the name the world, I’m sure, will come more and more to know as the leader in quality, economy, safety and value, as well as for performance and style. And thanks for turning the present backwards hybrid concept around to a more logical and economical orientation. This is much closer to a destination design for energy independence, not merely a rest stop along the way. What’s good for the world will be good for General Motors. Sign me up!
This (the Chevrolet Volt) will call for a new documentary: Who Saved the Electric Car?
It’s an interesting idea and a much better take on the hybrid, technologically. But the design needs a bit of work. I was underwhelmed with the interior, which still has commonplace, domestic bar-style dash. A car that modern deserves something more ergonomic, something that envelopes the driver more. A shorter wheel base might also look a bit better. And please, Detroit, lose the chrome. All of it. It looks cheesy. That grill would look better if it was just a bit more sophistacated and bit less “Grillz”
Make a five door version with a diesel engine and I’ll buy one in a heartbeat.
What a cool looking car! You’ll sell a million.
Nice concept but the car is extremely ugly.
Please please please start putting powertrains like this in vehicles that people can buy as soon as possible. If you can pull off the Camaro in a few years from concept to reality (so far . . .), you *should* be able to start delivering cars with plug-in hybrid powertrains by 2011. I mean, you still are the world’s largest automaker, right? (Bob, stop reading now). When the CAFE standards get raised despite all your lobbyists efforts to the contrary, you’ll already be ahead of the fuel economy pack with a fleet of plug-in hybrids!
As an economist, I’m actually hopeful that the bean counters at GM are finally starting to get it with this one. This could be a win-win-win for GM. If you will just build them at the economic sweet spots and sell (not just lease) them ASAP, you might even make some money.
Hey Notwerk, then don’t buy one!! And “lose the chrome”, the only chrome on the car is the grill. The other 99% of the population will more than offset those who will always find something to complain about with this vehicle.
I’m looking forward to the day it goes on sale. The only thing that I would change is that I want Blue instead of Silver.
Paul, “Make a five door version with a diesel engine and I’ll buy one in a heartbeat.”
Sorry it’s only a four door with a rear liftgate and since it’s not a hybrid why would you want a diesel (which costs more per gallon). I guess that the 100MPG & 640 mile range is just not good enough for some people.
GM, BUILD IT
(AND THEY WILL COME!)
Obviously if you could bring this car out immediately, you’d jump the market and could probably sell half a million the first year. Unfortunately, Toyota and possibly Honda are probably working on very similar capabilities, and the battery technology is still in development. I don’t have to tell you you’re in a moon race–I’m just hoping you can surprise us for a change and win!
That said, great job on the concept. I doubt the gunslit windshield is practical, but this is not the car people will ever buy so it doesn’t matter.
Please keep the beancounters away from this car. For once in your careers, have the wherewithall to build a truly class LEADING car instead of “whatever we can get away with” cost and corner cutter. Load it with all the latest technologies, safety and creature comforts and make the designs truly workable, and not too “George Jetson-like”. Tell your buyers that vehicle sales should be the goal, not lowest price wins. You MUST get rid of that mentality at GM. Whoever is behind the cheap is good and cheaper is best mentality should be shown the door. Continuing down this misguided path is NOT your way to profitability. You must put money into the product and look to be a market leader, not follower. You have the opportunity here – don’t follow the normal development path where lowest cost is the driving force. Take a stand and let the design and engineering and product development teams specify the best class leading technologies. GM must be willing to buy the best if you ever expect to re-gain market share and stake your claim on a piece of the market. This is your second chance to do it right. Detroit certainly doesn’t need another team to strike out.
This car looks awesome! It is about time for US companies step up to the plate. This one looks like a homerun. Get it into production within two years with keeping the price under 30K and this car will certainly be a top seller. I hope to be driving one soon!
From an automotive business point of view, the Chevy Volt probably makes GM one of the leaders in the “concept market” of hybrid passenger vehicles.
Like most people, I enjoy visiting car shows to look at the concept vehicles. However, I’ve always taken home a production passenger vehicle at the end of the show. If feasible (it does not share the traits of the NASA space shuttle), I suggest that GM should move this vehicle to the “production market”; so the general public can drive it.
I can’t wait for you to get this one on the road so I am converting and S-10 to electric now. Should be ready to go by the end of the month. Get this into production and I will trade in my other ICE for and Volt. Let’s make middle east oil irrelevant!
Very cool! It would be nicer if the car had a longer drive range with the batteries before the generator kicked in… such as the Tesla Roadster, which has a 250 miles a charge. Even if it were 100+ mile range, that would be great!
Diesel could be a fuel option.
And it looks pretty good… a lot better than a fugly Prius.
Great concept. This one needs a fast track approach.
Personally, I’d like a 2-door wagon like the Nomad, something I could work out of, or haul the kids if I had to. With a ladder rack on top, it would replace my pickup.
Thank you, Beth, for posting this, and all of you for starting to bring this car into being. Here’s how The California Cars Initiative, promoting plug-in hybrids since 2002, responded to the news (see the entire statement at
16 Points about GM’s Plug-In Hybrid):
“We commend GM for being the first out of the starting gate in the Great Plug-In Car Race of 2007. GM’s announcements are the biggest victories yet for CalCars.org and other PHEV advocates. Now our campaign is in third gear. We’ll work with the auto industry, government, fleet buyers and advocates to get to the day — soon, not in a decade — when customers can buy PHEVs as easily as any other car.”
The California Cars Initiative is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit startup. We’re a group of entrepreneurs, engineers, environmentalists and consumers, since 2002 promoting plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). CalCars.org is itself a hybrid, focusing both on public policy and technology development. CalCars was first to convert a hybrid to a 100+MPG plug-in hybrid in 2004.
Congratulations!
On the Saturn Aura and Chevy Silverado NA Car & Truck of the Year.
On you sales success in China and Asia.
On the phenomenal Chevy Volt.
You know being you #1 fan just got a little easier.
The concept is wonderful, but I have to ask: Is GM making this car to get into the good graces of the ‘environmental’ public? Knowing that if they make it so ugly that no one will buy it? Very conspiracy theory, I know, but I think we are all wondering how intrenched automakers are with the gas companies??? [But maybe they'll surprise us all and make a great hybrid car that gets 3 digits to the gallon, and it (or a version of it) will look like any other car on the road?!]
Da Fonz, “Why would you want a diesel” if it costs more per gallon?
Maybe because diesel engines are 25-40% more efficient than gasoline engines?
Or maybe because biodiesel (or even straight vegetable oil) has almost 30% more energy content than ethanol AND takes less energy to produce?
Or because if the playing field were level (as it might become if more diesel engines existed), diesel fuel would cost LESS than gasoline?
Or because diesel engines are far superior and longer-lasting than gasoline engines?
Hmm, other than those reasons, you’re right — I can’t see why I would want a diesel engine in this or any other car!
Regardless…
GM, you’re on the right track — now just start making them, anticipate advances, and perfect the technology as the numbers increase. Please and thank you.
Wow. I was absolutely speechless, when I saw the Chevy Volt for the very first time on Sunday.
Of course we urgently need those car in Europe, either, since we are paying up to 7$ per Gallon.
I think there’s no need for further discussions. I just took part in the Chevrolet Volt Survey. So far there voted about 99 percent of all people for the production of the Chevy Volt. The earlier, the better!
This would be the only car that I would be interested in from GM even though most of my past cars have been GM. If they do build this car it would be trouble for Toyota. Toyota does not get this concept.
I gotta have this car! It is what I have been looking for! Hope you guys can really make it work! GM has got to get back in the game. MAKE US WANT TO BUY AMERICAN AGAIN! We invented the car, lets be the best again!
In addition to my previous comment:
If it’s technologically possible and viable, as far as production costs are concerned: What about the integration of solar cells in the Chevy Volt’s roof and hood, at least as an option? This might deliver significantly more electricity for recharging the batteries, especially in those countries/regions, where’s more sunshine in the average. As I believe this could be potentially interesting to those nations in the Middle East, Southern Europe, Australia and, of course, many areas in the USA.
This is extraordinary. GM is showing some real leadership. I am not a car guy. I am much more concerned with energy security and the environment, so I have been unimpressed by GM’s decision-making for a long time. But if GM does a good job with this technology, this car will have significant geopolitical impact…the kind that we can use more of. Do the right thing, GM.
GM — please build it and I’ll gladly dump my Prius.
I would be willing to make a down payment to get on the list of first ones to get this car. Even if the production date is a little open-ended. How about a refund if it does not go into production within 3-4 years? I’m absolutely serious about this and am sure there are many others that feel the same. If GM wants to see what kind of interest there will be in this vehicle – they should start up a pre-puchase program.
This concept is right on the money in my opinion. Sort of like reversing the current hybrid and making it a mostly electric car.
If you can actually deliver this technology to viable and sensible vehicles, it will do A LOT for GM’s image in current markets. You need to gain back your East Coast/West Coast customers, who are hooked on VW’s and Toyota Priuses. and by showing them you have the ability to produce such a car, then you won’t be able to produce them fast enough.
My only qualm is that I would probably dampen the extremity of the design down a bit. I understand this is simple a concept car shell to showcase new technology, but when and if you produce a car like this, you need to make it pallatable to a wide consumer.
I am so tired of people bashing gm all the time.Excuse me,they have made a great car exceeding all your expectations as far as EPA is concern and you still have something bad to say.What a banch we have become.
Toyota,honda or volvo,benz or what so ever have not announced a car like the volt so lets give credit where its due.GO GO Go GM!!!!!
About time GM saw the light! Ugly car! You don’t need a grille on a EV. The EV-1 was a far better looking car. Just reserect that as a 2 and 4 door, even a wagon. You would sell more than you could make!
I don’t really care how ugly the car is. But that it be electric to spare the air and keep our money in USA. Not supporting people who hate us.
The Volt is a good start at serial hybrid production but the high performance configuration negates any reduction in potential energy conservation impact, after all a joule is a joule no matter where it came from and Force still equals Mass times Velocity.
How about a fast track program to get serial hybrid technology in to an enviromentally concious platform like the Aveo or Cobalt where their light weight would fully leverage the energy conservation advantages of serial hybrid technology?
BUILD THIS CAR! This is a car a lot of us have been waiting for. GM needs to get this car out in 3 years or less. Oh, and how about making this powertrain available on the 2009 Camaro as an option. If you could make it perform like a V6 and get 50-100 mpg city, you’d sell a bunch, and have a one-up on it’s closest rival the Mustang.
I expect to see GM produce this about the same time UFO’s land on the white house lawn. No use getting excited about something just presented at a auto show just to try and boost GM’s popularity.
I have money ready to buy a practical PHEV, 40 miles electric range is more than acceptable…….An all electric version with longer range created by replacing the ICE with batteries would catch my eye too.
I knew G.M. wasn’t sleeping. Great Car & I will buy one.
The Volt looks terrific, and a firm step towards a practical, electric-based vehicle. The overall approach is a vast improvement over the initial electric vehicles (good thing Al Gore isn’t running GM).
However the key is to get the package to first work in a Malibu-sized vehicle, one that weighs about 3300 lbs. If a vehicle this size & weight could get 100-120 mpg of gasoline –plus electricity– and it can be brought to market by 2010 or 2011, then GM has hit the mother lode. Fuel cell technology can later applied with it and scale to all sized vehicles. End of oil dependence. Let the power companies scramble to provide more electricity. There are plenty of ways to create electricity, including hydro and wind. It would be ironic if the Government, which has such a disastrous record of managing & protecting our energy sources, should be bailed out by the very industry it hold in such complete contempt.
But we’ll see. The car still has to be delivered to the showroom. But deliver this type of styling, and the mileage, and the Prius will become a latter-day AMC Gremlin.
Well I hope to be second in line to buy one behind Jeff! These are some great comments – thanks bloggers. Notice how positive almost all of them are? I think there’s a message there. I even have to agree with Da Fonz, for once!
Bob Larson is right about this being a race with Toyota and Honda. The same LA Times article yesterday which announced the Volt made reference to the rumor we have heard so often that Toyota is getting ready with a 90 mpg Prius. Please make it happen, sooner rather than later, Mr. Lutz and Co.
I also second the motion of Denny, thanks for making it a Chevy. We are the Chevy faithful. If a high tech, high mileage, GM car actually materializes out of all this, our family will be at the head of the line with Jeff to buy one, even if it’s a Saturn. but a Chevy would be 100 times better.
Also, this is a much more appropriate size of car than a Vue for this effort. If we have learned one thing as road racers, it is that weight is the enemy. Part of the appeal of the Prius is that it is a step up in size from the “B” sized cars that are so hot right now, but the hybrid system allows superior mileage anyway. My wife is afraid to drive an Aveo in LA city traffic, but she would drive a Cobalt or ,God forbid, a Prius. Even so it would substantially smaller and lighter than a Vue, which is all to the good.
On the subject of weight, I think gtjeff will be pleased with the composite body panels. Absolutely, play to you strength and hard won experience. I have a cool book showing the original molds for the 1953 corvette body. 54 years of experience has to count for something. Can you use that in your marketing?
Beth,
The Volt looks great. Now, let’s get those batteries developed and get this into production ASAP. If you can do the Camaro by Model Year 2009, this needs to be in dealers in Calendar Year 2009. Great work and good luck.
It’s great to see a major automaker finally moving forward on what small companies have been proving possible for several years (see Energy CS, CalCars and HyMotion). But while the announcement is exciting, GM still isn’t giving any solid timeline on WHEN we can see these cars on the road or HOW MANY cars are actually going to be produced – at best they say 3-4 years if the battery technology is available. There is a demand for plug-in hybrids NOW – there are hundreds of cities, counties, utility districts and fleets already placing “soft orders” for such vehicles. Such early-adopters of these vehicles would provide test markets for GM to refine the technology and build public confidence and interest in these cars.
I have to admit I’m a little concerned that they will use the announcement of these concept cars more to clean up their image than clean up their product line. There is a lot GM can do between now and when we may see these concept vehicles actually on the road.
We all know increasing fuel efficiency is the direction automakers need to head – so let’s get past the hype of a handful of concept vehicles and look at what they are doing with the rest of their fleet. Overall average fuel economy from the Big 6 is worse today that it was 10 years ago and GM is still heavily dependent on its gas guzzling truck lines. In addition to that they are still fighting tooth-and-nail against increasing fuel economy regulations, suing states that try to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and in December argued before the Supreme Court that carbon from tailpipe emissions was not even a pollutant. GM is still planning to expand their Hummer line to become 25% of their overall sales. Consumers still have limited options to find fuel-efficient cars that are affordable, well-built, and fun to drive. There are plenty of things automakers can do today to increase fuel economy – and I’m tired of being shown distracting concept cars that we won’t see for 3-4 years if ever.
I’ve been working with the Freedom From Oil Campaign to make automakers honestly prioritize fuel economy and move beyond oil – check out what we do .
GM at it’s Best !!! Excellent concept, I am ready to make GM number one again, when can I buy it ? make that when can I buy two
I hope these go on sale soon. The genset takes care of the range problem with electric vehicles. Using a bigger battery pack to increase electric range would be great. Use nimh batteries in it.
Bill
You created the GM EV1 Series Hybrid prototype in 1999. While the specs are not as good as the 2010-2012 Chevy Volt, it is not radically different. There is no reason you could not have produced these already using NiMH batteries. Please minimize the delays, and don’t make perfect the enemy of the good.
I agree with Eric Anderson, 1/8/07, 12:14 PM.
I too would make a down payment now to keep the faith and get on the “pre-purchase” list.
Where do I send the check?
Great looking car! I drive a 2004 Prius. I have $30K in CDs in the bank that will come due in the fall of 2009 which I will use to buy my next car. I am not wedded to Toyota, I am wedded to getting a plug-in hybrid. So if the Volt is the only plug-in hybrid available then (i.e. 2010 model year) I WILL buy it. Thank you for pursuing this technology, this is where we need to go! Thanks, -Bill
GM has talked the talk. Let’s see if you folks can walk the walk.
The serial hybrid (Volt) is a game-changer. Prius and co. will need to do serious catchup if you can pull it off. My money and my cheers to whichever company can do the 100mpg production car first.
This is very exciting. I just bought a compact (Scion XA) car, but only because I can’t get a Plug Hybrid. When they are available, sign me up. I’d rather by electricity and batteries from the U.S. than oil from OPEC. I very much like the “series-hybrid” approach. Seems much less complex…
I currently drive an electric-only Toyota RAV4 EV, so I know electric cars are practical vehicles for most of our every day driving. A plug-in hybrid vehicle, like the Volt, would make it practical for practically all of our driving. The technology is there to make the car today. So rush it into production right away and see how people rush back to GM. Consider making an expandable battery pack an option, so people can buy extended electric-only range if they wish. It is also feasible to have the extended range be an option for the driver, so that the extra batteries can be added as needed for longer trips. As someone who has never purchased a GM vehicle, if you build and sell a production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, it could be the first GM vehicle I will ever buy. Make it a five-seater, so that it can be everyone’s family car. And make a minivan version for all the “soccer moms” and dads among us.
E-Flex is a great concept and it’s what everyone has been asking GM to do and that’s what makes this so disappointing.
I was hoping for a production vehicle, something that would be on sales at dealers 6 months form now not another “maybe by 2010 car if there are better batteries”. Come on the EV1 was a 2 seat car and it could go 140 miles are you seriously telling us that in 2007 with the improvements that have been made in batteries that GM’s engineers can’t build a 4 seat car with a 40 mile range?
If the batteries really are still to heavy for a car build an E-Flex Chevy Colorado and/or GMC Canyon. Just build something that people can actually buy.
Every time GM builds one of these concept cars with no solid production plans you’re critics get stronger.
too heavey, not aerodynamic and not as usable space inside as the Prius. Also only a concept. Wheres the 50+ mpg cars that lead up to this great idea.
I’m disappointed, again.
I am very supportive of this design and would absolutely love to buy one. The sooner we see this, the better. If there’s a mailing list to get updates on this, please sign me up.
This is the car I have been waiting for. I just wish this was a product announcement with a delivery dates.
As for as a battery that is available now, why not use the nano-Titanate NanoSafe battery by Altair Nano. It has a battery life of 15,000 cycles and a power density of 4 KW/kg. The cycle life looks a lot better than the A123system battery. Give me one that’s going to last.
I want to become a GM family again. I would be glad to dump my Lexus for a Volt that is reliable and will last.
Thanks, GM. You are on the right track.
Hello,
In several previous posts, I have mentioned that perceptions take a long time to form and often longer to change. Well, the times they are a-changing.
Here is a quote from CNN.COM regarding the Volt and in reference to Toyota:
“Hard to imagine (and even harder to type) but based on {what} we have seen thus far, GM has an upper-hand in the Hybrid stakes. “.
Here is the link:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/0701/gallery.detroit4/index.html
Just thought I would share this.
Thanks,
Chris Hayne
AWESOME CAR ! EVERYHOME HOME WITH SOLAR PANELS ON THEIR ROOFS ARE GOING TO BUY THIS CAR. NO POWER BILLS, SAY GOODBYE TO GAS STATIONS AND BEST OF ALL HELP SOLVE THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE CRISIS!
THANK YOU… PLEASE SELL THEM SOON !
GM,
Well, I think you’ve come as close to my perfect vehicle as anyone could who didn’t actually read my mind! Electric propulsion, and a flex-fuel generator to keep the batteries charged! Would you consider offering an option of maybe an amorphous PV array that is permanently connected to the battery charger to allow the sun to assist in charging while driving and more importantly when the vehicle is just sitting in the parking lot? That would be one simply incredible option!
Great! Build it – But how about lots of mass production hybrids that get better than 50 mpg. Right now I drive a fuel efficient Chevy Prism. I know it’s a Toyota Corolla with a Chevy label but I wanted to buy car made in the U.S. and the Prism was made in California. I will be in the market for a new vehicle within the next year. I’m only looking at vehicles that top 40 mpg which leaves out the Saturn VUE. Right now the only companies that have the vehicles I want are Toyota and Honda. I know GM can catch up. Please do it before next year when I buy my next car!
Ms. Lowery: The Volt looks great
terryb Jan 7 10:13 PM: I was thinking the same thing – the Volt would be perfect powertrain to go with the Nomad concept version of a few years ago.
Noel Park: The Volt is about the size of the Astra 5-door which should be perfect for your wife. And if it had the 53-54 Vette styling and utility of the Nomad Concept with optional extended cab style rear doors it would sell.
Hopefully GM will create a line of “Volt” models -
from 2 door to 5 door with at least one hatchback.
Paul: Looks like GM is going to build your car.
I am guessing the production version will be “toned down” a bit and have at least 5 passenger capacity and plenty of utility.
Hopefully, a diesel will be an option as Beth hinted but as usual the real culprit to no diesel is the overly strict emission standards.
Gereon Langlitz: Great idea with the solar panels, if I am not mistaken Mazda used one to power a interior ventilation fan on a vehicle a few years back – so it should work on the Volt.
As far as the critics, where is Toyota’s plug-in? They brought overweight, inefficient pickup to the show. One that gets 4 MPG LESS than the Silverado/Sierra even with a 5-speed and much less power.
Don’t see any concepts from anyone else either.
Please bear in mind that 2010-2012 is only 3-5 years away and is within the typical auto industry development time for a entirely new product.
GM does need to really bring the E-Flex platform into production. May I suggest building the car with the best batteries available in a real world product development program like the GM Fuel Cell Vehicle.
Looking around the web, especially the “green” sites, the Volt is getting a very positive reception with most reservations centered on whether GM will actually build it.
Do me a favor, one of my diehard Toyota co-workers actually said that he would buy a Volt for his wife. Build it so I can see if he is being sincere.
This looks very promising. If GM executes this concept (and they should be able to do that in about 2 years) then they can become great again.
But I am skeptical. It may be another smoke and mirror show to hide the killing of the previous EV for some positive PR, but I will laugh in their faces when the ZEV mandate that was recently approved in California and 10 other states does kick in in 2009 and Toyota or Honda has their line of EVs ready to roll, while GM is still waiting for batteries. That part of the story is bullcrap, as there are hundreds if not thousands of EVs on the road today with batteries that go 125 miles per charge. Take 1/4 or so of those batteries if weight and cost is an issue – 30 miles range is plenty if you have the engine onboard to recharge them while you go. No waiting for a recharge.
Sweet part is that IF you have 6 hours (like drive to work, plug in, drive home, plug in) you never have to go to the gas station again!
Until it becomes clear if GM is serious about this concept, I will continue to drive my S-10 electric truck to work every day and for long distance use my ‘gas guzzling’ Prius.
I didn’t know this blog existed before setting out to find a way to communicate my reaction to the Volt announcement with top GM executives. I can make due with this forum.
Gentlemen: In my 49 years of life I’ve never been a GM customer. The company simply never made any products which spoke to me. Currently I’m a Toyota driver, but I’ve owned many vehicles from VW and BMW, to Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Honda, Isuzu and Range Rover (my SUV phase).
The Volt completely changes the game however. If it is truly representative of GM’s new direction it will make a loyal lifetime customer out of me. I’ll also teach my young children what’s great about the thinking behind this idea when they’re old enough to appreciate it. That’s a promise (two actually).
I hope you’ll follow through and be in production soon.
Best regards
This platform reminds me of the world’s first hybrid.
Porsche’s hand built vehicle back before 1900 also was a series hybrid. It was his 2nd design and was 83% efficient. The Prius that came along 100 years later doubled the other billion cars roaming earth to 37%…What about the Volt?
All the diesel-electric hybrid trains that built America are series hybrids. So are the nuclear-electric series hybrid submarines. Even most of your gas-electric driers are hybrids.
The Volt is a hybrid, not an electric car, yet…Why did it take so long to get back to Porsche’s 106+ year old design and make a leap forward in efficiency?
The Volt is probably more efficient than the Prius and could be the most efficient car on Earth, if released to showrooms…
A prosperous year and much luck getting it through safety and smog testing GM.
I applaud your vision!
“we’ve added a range extender using a system we call E-Flex. Basically, it works by using the onboard engine to generate additional energy for the battery.”
Excuse me pls, Ms. Lowery, but that’s not the description of a technologically advanced electric car, I think the public already knows the concept under the name ‘hybrid’ since some years…
“When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range.”
Hmm. I’m underwhelmed. Pls compare your specs with those of another, really electric, car that’s already in production:
“The Tesla’s giant lithium-ion battery pack gives it the power to hit 60 in four seconds, to run 250 miles without a recharge, and to charge rapidly at its home charging base (a one-hour charge will take you 80 miles; it takes a 3.5-hour charge to go 250 miles).”
http://www.slate.com/id/2154425/
The Volt generally sounds like a good idea, but why can’t GM cope with the product of an obscure little company that sells only a few hundred cars a year? Try harder. Right now you’re only second winner behind Tesla Motors, if at all.
Part of GM’s discussion around batteries claims that they are not ready for prime time. The limited production GM EV1 had a 150 mile range with NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries and 1998 technology. Similarly, the Toyota RAV4 EV (also 1998 technology) has a 120 mile range. (GM EV1 is past tense, because they were all removed from service and crushed; Toyota RAV4 EV is current tense, because there are still hundreds on the road, including hundreds owned by individuals such as this commenter.) In mass production, those NiMH Ovonics batteries can be placed inexpensively in a Volt TODAY.
Alternatively, GM can license the technology for combining a bunch of Lithium Ion cells into a battery pack from AC Propulsion. AC Propulsion is using that technology today to convert Scion xB cars into all-electric eBoxes.
Again, in mass production, the Lithium Ion batteries can be built inexpensively.
Tesla Motors has created similar technology with Lithium Ion cells to build a car that can go 250 miles on a single charge. With GM’s manufacturing prowess and volume, battery packs one-quarter the capacity could be quickly adapted and inexpensively built to power the Volt TODAY.
Bottom Line: there is no need to wait for better batteries. Make a car with the acceptable batteries available now, and then upgrade to better batteries as they become available.
Right now, for this car, GM stands for “Good Marketing.” Please change that quickly into “General Manufacturing.”
While a 40 mile range will probably be acceptable to many folks, there are also many of us that have a longer daily commute. Could you PLEASE make available an option to increase the mileage available under EV only mode, perhaps in 20 mile increments. I know that battery cost can be rather high, but if it’s an option, then we’ll be the one’s deciding how much we’re willing to pay for the increased range.
Good start, although my personal preference would be for a vehicle that’s a little more practical, such as a CUV.
I and my family have decided to not purchase a new vehicle until we can purchase a plug in or more efficient vehicle. The volt or anything built on the Volt concept would get us into the new car market instead of purchasing used vehicles. I WOULD buy the best vehicle for my needs with this technology.
Build it.
Very cool. When will it be built?
My second post on this, but I have a question for GM: If the E-flex concept is flexible on the “source of electricity” end, couldn’t you also make the battery pack modular in a way that it could keep up with emerging battery technology? I say this not only to make the car more obsolete-proof, but thinking that you could target a Volt to appear sooner (like 2010) which uses proven battery technology like from EV1, and maybe have a 20 mile electric-only range.
If you could produce the EV1 so many years ago, I would think you could do a Volt like this now, at least for warmer climates. Then when your joint ventures produce superior battery modules, consumers would have the option of making the swap. This would also allow you to announce a targeted on-sale date, which would give you a lot more “greenie” points than a “just you wait and see, someday!”
As for me, I currently commute less than 10 miles a day, but if I drive our GMC XUV I still use about a gallon of gas each day, because of the short trips in local driving. So I could definitely stay all-electric most of the time with existing technology. And even for those who drive longer distances, they would still end up using a lot less fuel than they do now, based on your Volt specs, even compared to cars like the current Prius.
You just know a plug-in Prius is just around the corner, and Toyota will be hailed once again as the Savior of the World by most of the media. GM needs to be there at the same time with something to deflate Toyota. You did it with the full-sized trucks, now you need that same urgency with your E-flex car. I’m really hoping you’re just being sly about the Volt and you’ll surprise the marketplace with a car that beats Prius at its own game, by 2009.
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With all due respect, Beth, many of us remain unconvinced that GM “gets it” when it comes to being truly competitive and committed to environmentally friendly vehicles. Proof? One has only to read GM VP Bob Lutz’s recent blog of just two weeks ago in which he goes back to basically begging our government to help save GM from the big bad Japanese, who apparently have eyes on the full-sized truck market now, the last bastion of Detroit supremacy in the automotive market–and the source of most of its profits–to see that the game hasn’t changed.
It will take far more than a concept car and a bunch of verbal promises IMO to undo the damage GM has done to date through its constant (and ongoing) fight against improved fuel efficiency and clean air standards that most Americans consider crucial today in cleaning up our environment and getting us out from under OPEC’s grip.
Sorry, Beth, but GM can’t have it both ways. Either it truly commits the company to these goals consistently across the board and in a steadfast manner, are it is once again blowing smoke up our proverbial keesters.
Larry Hayes
Manager
Google Groups Tidalforce Owners Forum
Beth,
The Chevrolet Volt is a pleasant design and a very welcome suprise concept. Great work designers! I would like the wish GM the best of luck with the new lithium-ion battery development contracts. I would also like to wish Denise Gray all the best in her role of director of hybrid energy storage systems and hope her collaborative research with the (USABC) yeilds the results to put the Chevrolet Volt on the FAST track to production.
GM has heard the call loud and clear, and for that I thank all the hard working men and women making the hybrid future happen today.
Comsumers want a true real world hybrid with the features shown on the Volt.
Now follow through and sweat the details to produce a world class vehicle.
Lead the way GM!
Hey Matt Meaddows… No American invented the car!
It was invented by Carl Benz (a three wheeler) and a bit later also by Gottlieb Daimler (a coach-type car). The two later on found Daimler-Benz, known today as DaimlerChrysler.
PS: Diesel is cheaper or equal to gas in all European countries (for tax reasons).
What a crew of bloggers! I love it! Come on Bob, make it happen!
Did anyone see “Hybrid autos save money in long run, study finds”, Los Angeles Times, January 8, 2007? This story got a lot of play on the radio news in LA yesterday, so I assume it must have gotten some national coverage.
A good summary might be the following paragraph:
“But a new study by Intellichoice.com, which specializes in automotive cost-of-ownership data, says that hybrid buyers are still the winners when you factor in costs of financing, fuel, insurance, state taxes and license fees, repairs, maintenance and depreciation.”
They include a table of the “lifecycle” costs of avaiable hybrids compared to similar conventional cars and trucks. Even the Silverado/Sierra hybrids come out less expensive. Amazing! Who knew?
GM Executives:
You should consider expanding the product offerings on this line of technology. You might be surprised what premium early adopters are willing to pony up, giving you essentially beta testers who pay you!
The broad “glass” roof of the Volt is perfect for integrating cheap thin film solar from nanosolar.com (up and running soon). Consider parterning with them to at least produce concept vehicles for the next generation.
Also, consider making some battery only models. Fine tune the A/C induction motor and electronics. Open a branch R&D facility in Silicon Valley. Make a Corvette that either beats the Tesla or is cheaper.
So much of GM’s recent decisions can be explained by you needing cash and needing it now (therefore taking government contracts to focus on hydrogen, or selling off the EV battery patents to Texaco-Chevron). The type of things I mentioned cost money, but will have profound effects on your employee morale, creativity and productivity, and will lay a foundation to reap benefits for the future. It’s all about attitude.
Just makes my heart go pitter-patter and brings a tear of joy! GM and America can still lead!!! This is certainly a global game changer. I feel like it’s my first prom all over again. Yes, I have a long memory!! Anyway… Questions:
How much will it cost? Can I purchase, or will they only “lease” it to me? Can I take delivery in 2008? Can I have the option regarding all electric range (40-60-90-120 miles) at extra cost when I purchase. Can I use it as an auxiliary power source for my home in case of emergency and for power tools, toys etc. with 120/240vac plugs under hood, in the trunk and maybe under the front seat? The skateboard evolves! We can again be proud to be American!!
Dear Beth and GM.
I decided some time ago that the next vehicle I purchase would have to have the ability to plug in to the electrical outlet that is in my garage where my electric assist bicycles now reside. I’m taking a stand on this and am telling everyone I know why: to save our planet and to get out from under the control of other countries who supply us with the fuel we desperately need in this country to exist as a free country who must have the ability to travel to do anything. We can drastically cut down on this dependency through the plug in hybrid car. I hope GM follows through with the plug in quickly so that I can be one of their customers again.
can you put an S-10 body on the Volt frame? i love my mini pickup, extended cab version. I almost did an EV conversion of my S-10 before this announcement.
I am willing to put a deposit or “soft order” in on one at my local dealer of $500.
I also bought a bunch of GM stock.
The hopes and livelihoods of thousands of folks ride on the success of this.
Love this concept! Quick thought…not an engineer but couldn’t you use some kind of wind-power to help keep batteries charged? Little fans in the grille that act like wind turbines..spin while you drive creating electricity…that kind of thing?
The Chevrolet Volt has given me a reason to start using my GM Visa card once again.
PLEASE, built this vehicle, I will buy it CASH, no financing needed. This is the vehicle I have been waiting for.
I had completely gave up on American vehicles, and was waiting for the imports to release the first modern day EV.
I was content to let GM and the rest of the American auto industry rust away to nothing as all they ever sell is just a redesigned/rebadged gas guzzler.
Finally, I can tell myself to buy an American car again only if you sell this vehicle.
I will be paitently waiting with cash in hand for a vehicle like this to be sold.
I’m waiting………
-Joe O’Brien Jr.
Please check out the discussion generated by Volt on Green Car Congress.
I will not buy another vehicle until I can get a fuel efficient flex fuel plug-in hybrid. The Volt sounds like the one but I will buy the first such vehicle that becomes available regardless of brand because of the urgency in dealing with global warming and oil dependency.
I think GM should get this car on the road as soon as possible. The EVI was the “stereotypical EV car” it wasnt sleek and stylish like the volt. The E-Flux is very creative and smart. I would get it in black! People will buy and you’ll make $ and also help contribute to a better world. GET THIS CAR ON THE ROAD!
-Andrew-Nashville, TN.
if everyone buys this car the pollution moves from the car to the power plant that generates the electricity to charge the batteries. since the “greens” want cars like this BUT they do not want non polluting nuclear powered electric generating plants what do we gain?
Bob Larson would like a Volt pick-up truck, and so would I. Design it along the lines of the Chevy SSR, and GM will have a winner there, too. It sould be a lot more of a winner than the original SSR…a gas guzzler if there ever was one…
The VOLTS drivetrain rocks!!!! I’m in complete DISBELIEF seeing this concept coming from GM , full aware of GM’s dark past with the Ev’s???
I sincerely hope and PRAY that GM and all americans will start Winning soon with the immediate production of the volts or volts drivetrain with many different style vehicles . GM Please Pledge all your time and recources in MASS PRODUCING a Plug in hybrid , even if it’s a Geo Metro plug in hybrid ….I’ll buy IT!!!
Like many other bloggers upgradeable batteries later is fine, even options for different qaulity battery packs and offering base models that can be purchased by most americans , Lets just get this in the publics driveways soon. Before I’m driven to buy toyota and Honda as I understand there are a few companies now that are converting The PRIUS into Plug in ….
Re: Battery availability
The only issue with batteries for the Volt is cost. The Li-Ions exist (A123, Altairnano, etc), but they’re expensive today.
So, GM, instead of pressuring Congress to lower CAFE standards, why don’t you get them to enact a $6000 tax rebate for plug-in hybrids (ones with an all-electric range of over 30 miles). That’d mitigate the battery cost and you could get this thing on the road sooner.
Everyone knows that Toyota’s planning a Li-Ion hybrid for 2009. You’ve got a great chance to take the lead here, but waiting until 2012 is going to make you an also-ran at best.
The Volt concept raises a lot of questions.
For instance: if I drive from San Francisco to LA (a distance of 400 miles) at 80 miles per hour and the battery runs low after 40 miles, does the little gas engine produce enough juice to keep me going at 80 MPH?
I’ve never bought an American cars because they’re mostly garbage compared to Japanese models (despite the spin, this is absolutely true). I’ve also made the decision to put off my next car purchase until I can buy electric. Build the Volt and I will absolutely buy it. I would have bought a used EV1, but you crushed them all. So silly.
Please build the Volt and lets stop burning dead dinosaurs to get around. The future is electric – wind farms, solar power – it’s just a matter of time.
And please forget that ridiculous idea of fuel cells – I’m sure your petroleum buddies will figure out some other way to make money, but don’t encourage them will this ludicrous technology. Just build an electric car and let’s get on it with it already!
You’ve made some unbelievable mistakes over the last 10 years trying to placate the oil industry. They’ll survive – let it go. Start building electric cars and you’ll take a big step forward on being forgiven.
I have never owned a GM vehicle but if you produce this car that could very well change. I think this is a very pragmatic solution to reducing our dependence on oil and reducing our CO2 emissions. Plus, just imagine, if everyone drove this kind of car, the air and noise pollution in our cities would be considerably less. Please just produce this car in a reasonable time frame and make it reliable. I don’t mind paying a little extra if it means a better quality product will be the end result. However, I will warn you that you have a race on your hands. I will buy the first plug-in car (with electric range of 30 miles or more) from a major manufacturer that comes to market.
Awesome baby! I’d buy one. I hope you find a way to commercialize this even if it is in a run of 5000 vehicles. If GM can’t do so profitably in house, outsource the commercialization. Do what IBM did with the first PC nearly thirty years ago with a small skunkworks project. GM’s been busy. Need I say you are stealing the Detroit Auto Show. I’ll be there this weekend and can’t wait to see the GM displays.
build this car asap
then create an after market business in product updates.
add a CD reader to each car so that when updated components are purchased a CD can included to reflash/reprogram the cars computer. this way the car can be personalized for each drivers needs. then send me mucho dinero for this great idea.
This is such a brilliant concept by GM and I am thankful they have the guts to show it. The styling is not that great and I think for such a ground breaking car they should make it a more iconic small car to match the Beetle and Prius 2. The body does not fit such a unique concept.
Still this sets the stage for the future of the car. Start perfecting the electric drive system and controls. Introduce electric steering and remote electric breaking. The car will become almost solid state with no fluids and hydraulics. Only the little gasoline generator heart will remain until the battery tech improves. Then the space for the engine can be replaced with that 500 mile charge battery. All other components are the same. A beautiful evolution!
I wonder if they will develop this with BMW and Mercedes like the hybrid project?
The Volt definitely captures the excitement of the real 66 Olds Torondao (”My Dad’s Oldsmobile”) and the Malibu SS (the first new car I bought).
Dad is up there in special spot of Heaven for 70 year 100% loyal GM customers saying “That’s a REAL CAR!”
The Volt concept makes me wonder about a lot of things.
For instance: if the Volt is a “no compromise” vehicle, the little 1L engine must be good enough to keep you going under extreme conditions: battery empty, driving 80 MPH on a freeway (or 70 MPH up a freeway incline) with airconditioning on.
In fact, if this is true, then even without the large battery this car should be very appealing. If you leave off the large, expensive battery and only put a small battery, you would still have a very appealing vehicle, if it gets 50 MPG this way, right?
If a small 1L engine is good enough, then why do conventional cars have such big engines?
Along this line of thinking: why do we need to wait for the arrival of large Lithium batteries, if today you could already make a Volt with a small NiMH battery, with 1L engine, that gets 50 MPG? You could just leave the large battery and plug-in feature for the next version. And you would have an immediate competitor for the Toyota Prius.
What do you think?
Why not make a more rational battery that doesn’t cut north-south the interior of the car and takes away any possibility to seat people on the middle of the car (hey, think about 5, 6 passenger seating to maximize the number of people carried by a PHEV). Instead, make it a flat one under the floor that passengers step. By making this, you’d also lower the center of gravity and make it more spacious, creating a 100% flat floor all around (allowing the center passengers to stay with their legs closer). And also, it’d be great if we can have solar panels to keep the batt full without using the combustion engine the more we can. Hey, it’d be great to leave our hypothetic Volts under the sun and, instead of dealing with a hotter-than-hell ride, meet one very fresh (because the solar panels, with the car stopped, would also feed the ventilation to cool it while parked, and also filling the batt up to go another 40 miles or more without gasoline.
Does having an engine that runs at a constant RPM mean than emission regulations can be met cheaper/easier????
If so, get this type of platform (diesel-electric) rolling for bigger vehicles with one of the great ECOTEC diesels from Europe…
May I suggest a vehicle name for the Saturn brand…”ION”. It appears the current vehicle with this name is scheduled to be discontinued. Also, the new “ION” could be available with a “LI” package (ION-LI).
Timbo, 1/9, 11:07 PM:
Right!
If the Feds can subsidize the Prius to the tune of $3500+ per car for the first 65,000 units, they can d*** well do this.
Thrilled with GM’s Volt announcement. However, GM has already proven that a Gen 1 Volt could be produced very quickly with NiMH batteries. Early adopters would flock to an early release, until Lithium pack is ready for mass commercialization. We can’t afford to wait for “perfect,” which never arrives, anyway.
plugsandcars.blogspot.com
Plug in electrics sound great — if you live in a house with your own garage.
But what if you live in an apartment with a big open parking lot?
How do you recharge them on a trip when you’re staying at a motel or hotel? How much will those motels charge to let you recharge your car?
It seems part of the needed infrastructure will be for places such as apartment buildings and motels to provide facilities for recharging.
Diesel-electric hybrid
In some respects the Volt will be similar to diesel-electric locomotives that use diesel engines to turn generators that in turn supply electricity for traction motors at the wheels.
When the batteries are depleted, will the Volt
operate like a true series hybrid, with the engine (gasoline or diesel) turning a generator to supply electricty to the drive wheels?
If that’s the case, why not use a small, efficient diesel instead of a gasoline engine? A diesel engine that does nothing more than turn the generator could operate extremely efficiently in a narrow RPM range.
There are already plenty of small, clean diesel engines in Europe. I hope your plans to wait for development of an efficient and cost effective Lithium-ion battery pack also include plans to develop a small, clean, efficient diesel to go with it.
Beth said,
Actually, there is nothing innovative about that. That is how diesel-electric train locomotives have operated for decades.
A looming lithium shortage?
If the wave of the future in personal transportation involves lithium-ion batteries, will there be a day when we become just as dependent on lithium as on fossil fuels? Has anyone investigated whether there will be enough lithium to do this?
And speaking of lithium: Wasn’t Capt Kirk’s starship the Enterprise powered by dilithium crystals?
i like the design, the wheels are pushed all the way to the corners. this car might not be a beast in a straight line but there is no way it wont handel well with that low wide stance.
the powertrain is great, it eliminates most of the complexity, weight and cost of a hybrid while providing most of the benefits. by using fuel to extend range you avoid most of the problems with pure electric cars. you can fill it up anywhere, instead of sit and wait while it charges.
this might be the first look at the car of the future. a true electric car that makes sense in the real world at a price that makes sense for the consumer.
Ever since my two day rental of the EV1 while on vacation in LA I’ve been waiting for a car like this!!!!!
BUILD IT!!! NOW!!!
The electic drive is the only way to go. The hybrids out today are over complicated inpractical, unreliable and extremely expensive to own.
The electric driveline is extremely reliable and in the long run much less expensive to own.. and most of all.. they don’t need gasoline.
All we have to do is give GM a level playing field.. stop giving unfair advantages to it’s foreign competitors and we will see the best cars ever built.
GOOD JOB GM…
GOOD JOB GM ENGINEERS!!
Congratulations on creating the most buzzed-about concept vehicle at this auto show. I hope it gets built without too many compromises. As far as I can tell, the biggest things holding back production of this vehicle are the cost of the battery pack and its potential impact on safety. If those concerns can’t be completely met by the time model year 2010 rolls around, I hope you’ll consider releasing the vehicle with a downsized battery pack (hopefully still with the option of a full pack for those who can afford it) until the remaining issues are worked out.
As your company pointed out with previous concept vehicles like the Hy-wire, electric drivetrains allow designers a great deal of flexibility in what they create. I’m disappointed that it took General Motors until now to realize that this was possible with series hybrid designs and not just hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but better late than never!
Making it a plug-in vehicle is a nice touch, and I think many of your engineers have already realized that electrical distribution is more efficient overall than hydrogen is ever likely to be. The Chevy Volt is an elegant 80/20 solution to the problem of transportation. Get 80% of the people to their destinations on electricity alone 80% of the time, and use other sources the other 20% of the time.
Barry above just mentioned the “skunkworks” IBM PC project, and I’m sure the Volt will be regarded in many ways like the PC was as a disruptive technology that helped legitimize a whole new way of doing business. Whether or not GM reaches the market first, the Volt concept has enlightened many to the fact that plug-in hybrids are a great next step in restoring the energy balance of the human race. Thanks, and good luck!
(Oh, and I grew up riding and driving in Chevys. I’ve got myself a VW Jetta TDI at the moment, but it’d be nice to have a bowtie in my parking space again in five more years.)
I know a lot of people here are saying, “build the Volt and I will buy one.” Sometimes consumers say something and then the product comes out and no one buys it. BUT I THINK IT’S DIFFERENT IN THIS CASE!!!!!
The Environmentalist have been asking for Plug-in cars and Electric cars for years now. They go out of their way to get their cars converted to run on batteries. THEY WANT THIS CAR.
And then there are others, who want to become less reliant on middle-east oil. They say, give me something that uses less fuel and doesn’t compromise.
Then there are others, who want the latest technology (ie. Prius, I-pod, I-phone, blackberry, bluetooth, NavSystems). They would all want to buy this car to show off!
There’s yet another group. Those that just want a better mousetrap. Get them from Point-A to Point-B without spending a lot of money. They’d be happy with a 40mpg car out of GM, much less one that might never use a gallon of gas.
Then there is the last group. Those that want to give GM another try. GM fans. They would flock to this car, because they could show all their Toyota and Honda friends how progressive GM actually is.
I’ve talked to 20-30 people about this car, and all of them said if it were reliable and styled right, they’d buy one, if not for the whole family, at least as a second car.
YOU WOULD OWN THE MARKET. Everyone could live with this car, and most would want to! Could you imagine!?!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!?!
Build 4 to 5 vehicles off this platform . . . a midsizer, a high roof car looking crossover, a 2-door and an SUV-looking crossover and you will not be able to make enough of them, guaranteed. At least get one out! Think of the eventual part sharing and economies of scale, and consider if these were sold in North America, China, Europe, South America and get this . . . . Japan! You could sell 5 million off this one platform. And if all the talk is true, you could always swap in the Fuel Cell in the future.
But DON’T WAIT! The cat is now out of the bag, and if Toyota or Honda or Hyundai or Ford or DCX or Nissan or anyone else thinks this is a good idea, how long do you think it will be before they come out with one and OWN THE MARKET? You may miss your opportunity and you may never recover. I only pray that I’m not looking at a Toyota version of this technology on the road 3 years from now, thinking, “What were all those positive comments about GM about on the internet back in 2007?”
Again, the cat’s out of the bag. Put the current battery technology out there and start building. Gen-2 can get the latest batteries, and Gen-3 can get even later battery technology. Figure out how to upgrade people’s battery packs or convert them to Fuel Cells as new technology emerges. Make it easy for people to settle on this one now and not worry that you won’t get them something better for relatively little cost add or inconvenience.
I’d buy one today if it were available and only got a 20 mile range. My roundtrip to work is only 35 miles. If I knew that in 3 years, I could upgrade my battery pack for say, $2000-$3000, I wouldn’t think I’d even have to be concerned about current technology battery life. People upgrade their computers every 3-4 years too.
THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING, AND I’VE NEVER BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH GM. BUT THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG. THE CLOCK IS TICKING. Good luck, GM! I’m pulling for you.
So Awesome. Please make it happen and make it affordable for all of us. We have seen so many concepts and so many that we can never have. Please do it fast and let the oil producing countries choke on their crude.
Many company is researching and developing this kind car. GM should put this car to market asap!
A strong move into GM’s (and the industry’s) future that must be accomplished in time for the 2012 model year. 2011 would be better.
Get this car on the road ASAP.
Use this type of powertrain for all future GM vehicles.
Yes, but they always seemed to have trouble with them at the most inopportune times…
If anyone is still reading this far down the page…
The technical challenges are not huge here, but still, we should not trivialize the technology. Let GM make this perform as well as its legendary lines of automatic transmissions for smoothness and the responsiveness the small block is famous for.
But, while I understand the idea of a concept is to attract attention and the car is beautiful (I own a DB7, so I know beauty), this is not a car for the masses. This car needs to be for the masses to make an impact. Put this drivetrain into the next Malibu, Impala, Colorado and Sivarado.
The Concept shows strong DNA to the Camaro, but a LOT of people that aren’t in the Navy or are not 16-year old boys, don’t find the Camaro attractive. The Camary is perennially one of the ugliest cars on the planet, yet they can’t keep them on the lots. Also, I highly applaud keeping the car’s interior that of an actual car, unlike the popular hybrids today.
I hope, even if you sell them at break-even in the first year or two until battery prices fall, you still build it to advance the technology. There will be new and surprising sources of electricity (soon) for those OEMs that have found a way to properly harness the electron.
Right direction, Can GM pull it off as good as Toyota? My ext 2 cars will be max mileage and minimum body.
I love the idea that GM is taking a lead in alternative fuel studies for the future, but I worry this will become another EV1: a project GM puts effort into, and then loses interest. I already see that with the Sequel. I thought hydrogen power was where the General was focusing its effort.
We are having our home converted to
PV solar electric next month. The first
company to bring a Plug In Hybrid car to the public will get our business.
At last some hope. I am a former EV1 driver who had assumed that our family’s next vehicle would have to be a Toyota. I just hope that this is not just hype. I seem to remember seeing a vehicle called the Triax at some of the auto shows in 1999 that was also a PHEV. Never again saw the light of day. I am waiting but not much longer on GM to produce a vehicle like this. Your call……
I want this car. Please build it as soon as possible. I am anxious to park this wonderful American car amongst the Prius throng at my yoga class!
The next car I buy will be a PHEV. I hope it’s yours!
Ah, lithium-ion batteries.
Hope GM has checked with Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Sony and gotten their opinion on them. All had problems with overheating and exploding lithium-ion batteries in their computers during 2006. (Would really ruin your day to being going down I-5 at 70 mph when the lithium-ion battery pack decides to go critical mass.)
Will there be enough lithium?
The really big question though is will there be enough lithium to support a world-class company using great numbers of large, heavy-duty lithium-ion batteries for propulsion? (I’m sure GM hopes the numbers will be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. And GM isn’t the only auto company with an eye on using lithium-ion batteries. Renault has also announced their intent to develop hybrids using lithium-ion batteries, and does anyone think Toyota, Honda, and the others won’t be close behind?)
So will there be enough lithium? That’s a thorny question, and the probable answer is troubling:
Lithium is a strategic commodity with most of the world’s supply coming from Chile and Argentina. (Brazil apparently also has some reserves.) World production and demand are now closely balanced and there is little excess supply to meet the already growing demand for smaller lithium batteries to supply consumer electronics. A world-class company deciding to use massive amounts of lithium will surely put big smiles on the faces of the lithium speculators of the world.
Part of GM’s challenge will not only be hoping their supplier can develop a practical, low-cost, reliable (one that doesn’t tend to overheat and explode), lithium-ion battery, but also to keep the price of lithium from shooting through the ceiling as they get closer to the rollout date of the Volt. (Perhaps GM has already been secretly buying Chilean lithium mines?)
Let’s also hope Chile, Argentina, and Brazil don’t decide to become the Organization of Lithium Exporting Countries (OLEC) – we’ve already had more than our share of problems with OPEC.
Could it be we will some day curse “Big Lithium” as we now curse “Big Oil?”
I can see some design elements from both the Saturn Curve and Chevy Nomad concept cars in the Chevy Volt. Speaking of Nomad, why isnt it in your lineup-a home run hitter sitting on the bench?
The Volt is an interesting concept. I like the plastic panels, Bob. I would bet a lot of Saturn owners will be interested for this reason as well. The EV1 had an aluminum chassis, the Volt should also, since it would reduce overall vehicle weight by 100-200 pounds. The Honda Insight was built with an aluminum chassis as well.
Imagine what the weight reduction would be on an aluminum chassis, plastic paneled Silverado or Escalade? GM has two of its four spaceframe plants half empty. No other manufacturer could even come close to the unit volume GM could produce. That technology could be a game changer, with the right product mix.
GM should consider using the Kappa platform instead for Volt. A spaceframe will minimize overall vehicle weight, while maintaining 5 star crash ratings. Kappa has a much better rear suspension and rear brakes than what is proposed for Volt.
Be first to market and you will have a hit on your hands.
Am now commuting in a GM-built S10 electric truck and my wife just bought a prius. I would trade both in a heartbeat for a less-bulging version of this vehicle.
The Volt is a great idea. I may buy a Cherolet someday. Please don’t make it look too futuristic.
I would like to 2nd (or 3rd) the vote for adding an option for the nanosolar thin film cells on the roof. Should cost GM practically nothing as it would only be provided to customers willing to pay.
I like the power train concept. But the body style is not what I’m looking for. I want a good looking car but I really want a practical body style more. That means a wagon style. Next best is a hatch-back. One of the reasons the Toyota Prius has done so well (and why I bought one) is not just because it is a high-MPG hybrid, but because of the cargo-friendly body style and and many interior niceties. You should keep in mind that for a big ticket item like this I want more than a pretty face; in fact practical features are more important to me.
More on my previous post (that the batteries are already here, and that it’s just a cost issue), see:
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/653.html
Tax breaks are the way to get the initial cost down. This car will actually reduce the amount of oil this country needs to import. If that’s not worthy of a tax break, I don’t know what is. You’ve got a receptive Congress who’ll be happy to see the break go to an American company. Let’s do it!
Suprize us and get this out in 2008 or SOONER!
GM is on the right track with this one, but they need to take it one step further. Is it that difficult to create an all electric vehicle with a plug-and-play option for longer trips? Removable power sources with a better controller would be a more flexible design.
I don’t understand why an electric car has such a big grill, but other than that all I can say is build it build it build it.
I would love to see this technology applied to a pickup truck with a real towing capacity of say 5000 or more pounds. To be able to commute under electric power, and have enough torque to pull a boat, would be a dream come true for me. I’ll start saving right now for such a driveway mate for our Prius.
The Volt is the answer now.Since 1983 I have only purchased GM products usually every 3 or 4 years.That would continue indefinitly if GM would produce the Volt before another company beats you to the market.This is your baby make it walk.
The people are unanimously in favor of getting this car to market ASAP! Suggest you get your dealer network to start taking advance orders so that you can accelerate the introduction. All I see is upside for this solution.
Fantastic concept car! I’ve been a GM credit card holder for 15 years and have used the savings he purchase my last 2 vehicles. I used to be a stockholder too, but have been discouraged with GM’s direction for some time. Since before the EV1 I’ve followed electric power for cars. It didn’t take much reading to determine that technology available back then did not Support all electric consumer autos, but it was capable enough for hybrids (or range extenders if you prefer). I expected to see something like this from GM a while ago, but am pleased by GM’s commitment to build E-flex vehicles. I only wish GM would commit to build them sooner, with technology available today. The hybrid Saturn Vue, Silverado, and new efficient Tahoe and Yukon show GM has listened some and they are commendable. I am willing to buy another GM, but the next car I buy in 2-3 years will be a plug-in.
E-flex is a great idea, especially for a global company like GM. That’s what an electric drivetrain allows for, tremendous flexibility. 50mpg using a 50Kw generator sounds very efficient. Is this genset currently available or is there some development needed for this component too?
The Volt concept raises a lot of questions. For instance: if I drive from San Francisco to LA (a distance of 400 miles) at 80 miles per hour and the battery runs low after 40 miles, does the little gas engine produce enough juice to keep me going at 80 MPH? – Posted by: EJ
It would definitely be good to hear some more about the Volt’s design and especially more detail about the controls. The Volt’s specs do show the generator capable of 53KW peak output. Traveling 80 MPH would consume approximately 13kW. AC load is relatively minor, so there shouldn’t be a problem going 80 uphill. Acceleration may be limited at times but it appears they don’t intend to drain the battery completely and it sounds like they intend to charge the battery with the generator. I hope they also plan to power the motor directly too, without going through the losses of the battery as much as possible.
Some have expressed concerns about battery charging just moving pollution from the tailpipe to coal fired power plants. While pollution from power plants is a legitimate concern, it should not be one boo plug-ins. Only 23% of energy production in she US in 2005 came from coal (http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pdf/pages/sec1.pdf) and a lot of the charging energy will come from existing excess grid capacity. Grid capacity is sized for peak demand, which occurs during the day while most business are operating. Additionally, newer plants (of all fuel types) are much cleaner than previous versions. An even better reason to support plugins, is the flexibility they provide that GM is so vociferously touting. Currently there is a tremendous amount of investment in solar PRODUCTION (not research) capacity (several hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps in the billions)! Electricity can come from many sources, including your home’s roof!
So, GM, instead of pressuring Congress to lower CAFE standards, why don’t you get them to enact a $6000 tax rebate for plug-in hybrids – Posted by: timbo
Excellent idea! How about start at $4500 for 10 mile battery and increase $500 for each additional 10 miles of battery capacity. Incentives to buy products work best.
Please don’t forget to include ample outputs, 120v and/or 240v. Home gensets cost a lot and there are a lot of folks along the coast that would love to have the 50KW generator for backup power, hot to mention as a remote power source too. If this could be done and the tax incentive too, then I could afford to spend $10-15K more for the Volt than for a conventional auto. And that’s before considering operational cost savings.
Can I have the option regarding all electric range (40-60-90-120 miles) at extra cost when I purchase. Can I use it as an auxiliary power source for my home in case of emergency and for power tools, toys etc. with 120/240vac plugs under hood, in the trunk and maybe under the front seat? – Posted by: Tim
If the E-flex concept is flexible on the “source of electricity” end, couldn’t you also make the battery pack modular in a way that it could keep up with emerging battery technology? I say this not only to make the car more obsolete-proof, but thinking that you could target a Volt to appear sooner (like 2010) – Posted by: Bob Larson
In mass production, those NiMH Ovonics batteries can be placed inexpensively in a Volt TODAY. – Posted by: Arthur Keller
Take 1/4 or so of those batteries if weight and cost is an issue – 30 miles range is plenty if you have the engine onboard to recharge them while you go. – Posted by: Cor van de Water
Come on the EV1 was a 2 seat car and it could go 140 miles are you seriously telling us that in 2007 with the improvements that have been made in batteries that GM’s engineers can’t build a 4 seat car with a 40 mile range? – Posted by: Benjamin Howard
What everyone is saying here (I apologize to all those who had similar comments that weren’t included) is that a Volt or some iteration of the E-flex system can’t come soon enough and the technology is already available to design a sellable car now. Another consistent theme is to include as much “flex” in E-flex as is possible. There are better high power energy storage devices available today than LI. Unfortunately, the one’s practical for cars have low energy density but they can be coupled with a LI or more convention battery to augment peak power during acceleration. Thus, you could start with a 10 mile pack and not sacrifice performance or utility.
E-flex is a bold step, TAKE IT NOW!
A couple of things left off earlier post.
A seldom discussed pollution issue with cars is break dust. This is another benefit of electric drivetrains and regenerative breaking. So, not only does economy improve and break component maintenance gets reduced, but pollution also is reduced. I’ll take the clear skies over the red haze any day.
One high power, lower energy density technology for augmenting acceleration and allowing smaller battery packs that I’m sure GM is well aware of is ultracapacitors (see http://www.maxwell.com/ultracapacitors/products/modules/bmod0063-125v.asp). They have tremendous cycle life and efficiency, perfect for capturing regen break energy and for acceleration loads.
Don’t induction motors generally get more efficient as they get larger, more powerful? Would a 190-210kw motor make sense if it were more efficient and only weighed a few pounds more. This would allow for a single drivetrain to be used in more applicationS, more flexibility. Along the lines of increased flexibility and power is mode selectable performance when it is appropriate. Upon engaging the car, the user could select max efficiency, max performance, or max range. Of course the mode could be changed during operation too.
Of course, all of this is much easier said than engineered.
Good luck and shoot for 2008 for production.
Oops, 2005 US electric generation was 50% not 23% from coal.
Im what you probably would call a “treehugger” living in Denmark. I own a company developing energy saving devices and I try to use public transport whenever possible.
I have always had small, fuel efficient cars (mainly FIAT) and would NEVER buy an American car!
UNTIL NOW!
Get the Volt to market faster than a.s.a.p. and I would love to be the first to drive one here in Denmark!!
Remember that this country is only some 200 x 200 miles, so the range of the Volt would be sufficient for most people here.
GREAT concept and cool design.
Get it out to us now and don’t get overtaken by the Japanese!
Regards,
Danny
Don’t wait, build the Chevy Volt now. You must also bring back the EV1. And this time forget the renting and sell it.
While waiting for a GM EV,
I will continue using my 1999 Ford Ranger EV NiMH battery pack.
Just had to mention (if anyone has been reading ALL the comments) that “force equals mass times acceleration” and “impulse equals mass times change in velocity”.
I teach science here in Michigan and am happy to see that the Volt has instilled some hope in Michigan being seen as an automotive leader. I recently heard Tesla is “coming to town” as well. The more, the merrier. The “green” people around here have gone beyond the idealism of environmental husbandry and into a practical realism that I think the public can really latch onto.
I’m glad GM has seen this, and seems to be working on practical solutions. My humble advice is to do this quickly, but do it right. The last thing ANYONE needs is for consumer confidence to plummet because of problems due to the need to get-it-out-quick.
The time-line of getting out a spendy sporty version in 2008 and making available a practical non-buggy under 30K version in 2010 is fine with me.
The first company to market a reliable all electric will get my business. For a daily driver to a from work at 70miles a day I am sold the moment its out. Reliable and first…It could look like the Aztek and I would still buy it.
Oh yea, the volt looks fine to.
Yo Bender,
1. A diesel generator vs. a gasoline generator is only 24% more efficient (remember this is not a parallel hybrid).
2. Currently diesel is 16% more expensive than gasoline (lowest cost today).
3. Gasoline is 12% more efficient than E85 (but contains 600% more petroleum products!!)
Therefore, if ‘the name of the game’ is to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil then you’ll have to put your money where your mouth is and buy the Volt and run it on E85.
And Gary, the batteries in the Volt are Nanoscale LI and are not subject to the thermal runaway problems associated with conventional Hi-Power Lithium-Ion batteries found in laptops and the like. (read more, blog less)
While Chrysler has sold out to the Germans and Ford has been passed over by the Japanese, GM is the only one keeping the flag from being trodden on. So either ‘get the picture’ or ‘get the shaft’!
GM, GREAT CAR!!
CAN’T WAIT TO DRIVE IT.
CAN’T WAIT TO BUY IT.
Great looking car but you need to accelerate the time line. Too much of the market share is being lost to the Japanese. Why not produce some cars right now and let consumers drive them on an experimental basis like your EV program, this should give GM an early introduction date.
Also how about the same concept and platform on a luxury car like the Cadilac.
Great concept.
Forget lithium based batteries due to skyrocketing raw material cost, safety and liability risks, and endless engineering challenges of dealing with inherently runaway checmical reactions.
My advice: check out Firefly Energy batteries instead and get this car to market ASAP. Who knows how much time we have? Come on … get a move on.
JP
I am waiting for a plug in flex fuel vehicle. I hope you come out with the vehicle first! I can’t imagine that Toyota and Honda are not almost there!
We waited for GM to fix this awful lack of imagination and environmental concern for a long time. It would be wonderful to be able to go back to GM.
Biodiesel is less energy intensive to create than ethanol, does not alter performance of diesel engines, and is more readily available. That’s why I want a diesel car. I know where I can get biodiesel nearby. To get E85 I’d have to use half the tank just to get home.
I’ve been reading about the wonderful success of GM in the Detroit auto show and now that they may bring back an electric vehicle makes me think twice after Toyota introduced its larger and more standard powered Tundra. I think the big two (Ford and GM since Daimler-Chrysler is foreign owned now) really might want to consider joining forces, because if you don’t, it could mean the end in America for the American Dream. I don’t know, it depends on the share holders considering the joining of two companies that hold junk-bond status doesn’t seem lucrative, but we’re talking about the future success for both companies with electric car technology and continuing to stand the last ground in American manufacturing industry. It can’t hurt either Ford or GM to share technology together in the electric car or other development even if they still stay as two seperate entities. If you think this shouldn’t happen, just play Allentown by Billy Joel.
Og
It’s time to stop saying that the vehicle is still waiting for the battery technology before it can be produced. Use the 35kw battery pack that AltairNano is providing to Phoenix Motors! This will give the Volt a range of over 100 miles on electric only. Having this much “EV only” range available would be great for those of us with a long daily commute, and I’ll bet would be acceptable as ‘good enough’ until an even better battery is available (perhaps if this one ever needs to be replaced).
Get it done and let us start taking advantage of the opportunity.
Is there enough Li in the world for enough batteries?
Wind is a cube function…how about a more aerodynamic body and better visibility for safer driving?
Hope the electronics are better than standard GM…If the acceptable failure rate for GM electronics had been stringent, GM would probably be making money now.
How about this technology in large pickups and SUVs? Bigger impact on overall fuel use and great torque for hauling. Not to mention having a generator at hand for remote job sites.
Bling makes it swing, style’s worthwhile, but while everyone’s being cute the planet’s goin’ down the chute.
Make a plesant looking “everyman’s” car that will get you to and from faster than a brisk trot and JUST DO IT!
This is a graet car Gm should take into production right now and i don’t know where they are waiting fore because the batteries the Volt needs are already there delivered by Altairnano Abbat A123 and electrovaya. Take also a look at the 640hp Mini QED constructed by PML .success wih this braketrough concept.
I think this car is way less visually appealing than the EV1 – tone down the techno design!!
But what REALLY matters is that GM is moving in the right direction (after swaying so terribly wrong). Electric vehicles are the way to go, if we as a nation also invest in alternative electrical plants (wind, solar)- I am driving a 2003 diesel jetta now – and fill it with 98% biodiesel – but would love to trade it in for a plug in due to the unsustainable practice of soycropping….
We American consumers are awake and environmentally aware – Glad to see the Car Companies are finally catching up!
This car is what I want – I live if North Ogden, Utah – Cold winters – Hot summers – I would love to test one ASAP. Let me know if you need testers for extreme climates – Put me on your list of buyers…
Build it. I want to drive a clean car!!
If this car does what you say it will do, you have changed the world. The E-Flex propulsion system is an elegant design. I would love to see this in an Opel Astra body style. What about a pop-up recharging nozzel that you drive into a receptor basket that is installed in your garage. Kind of like an in-flight refueling connection.
Please, please, please build this car, or one similar to it.
The only things I would change is that I would try to bring the side glass up a little bit, so that it is in line with the “belt line” of the greenhouse.
Other than that, the car is absolutely stunning, and the concept is stunning. I know everyone in my family would seriously consider buying one. I know almost for sure I would.
I am so excited about the prospect of being able to go virtually gas free!
Build it, Build IT, BUILD IT!
I hope you build this car and begin selling by the end of 2010. I’ll be the first of many to buy this vehicle to do the right thing:
- make american car makers great again!
- save our enviroment to save our children
I just hope this is not a project that will come to reality when I am 40-50 years old, and I’m only 25!
It’s about time!
You better hurry… Toyota is leading the way. My next car will be an EV and I hope it is a Chevy Volt.
I can’t wait to buy a Volt! I hope it’s out in a few years. Sign me up! I’d pay up to 35k for this sweet car. I hope GM can deliver on this car as it would be a great step forward.
I am currently on the market for this exact vehicle. Too bad it won’t see the light of day for a while. Well, I’m off to buy a Toyota or a Honda. Cya
It seems to me, that if American companies want to survive in this industry, then they better da**ed well start being the leaders in developing, and bringing to market truly eco-friendly cars, or they may as well pack it in…’cause it’s a comin’ with or without you.
If this car came to market tomorrow, and was priced competitively (I would be willing to pay a premium), I would buy one tomorrow…sign me up.
I agree with the above comments. Please build this awsome car. It is super cool!!!
This is a great idea for a car. I hope you start building them soon. I would buy one in a heartbeat.
I’ve been a car guy for a while and I’ve never seen a reaction like this. Further, I’ve never personally had a reaction like this.
THIS IS THE ONE. DO IT. DO IT NOW.
This vehicle could change everything, but please don’t wait for perfection, because you’ll miss a huge opportunity. As soon as you have something reliable, that won’t break down, put it in the showroom. We know the tech is still in the development stage and consumers if advised of the facts before purchasing will buy even while there are still weaknesses. There is an insatiable hunger out there. The messages above indicate you’ve got green conscienciousness, oil dependence/security fears, and good ole nationalism just waiting for a champion. Embrace it, we beg you.
Put a basic version on the road as soon as you possibly can and add options, other models, try out and perfect all the different fuel variants after. You could make headlines every 3 months as the newest upgrade comes out for what could be one of the most marketable powertrains ever. As is mentioned above, you leave a space for an extra long range battery, add the solar panels (even if the actual power produced is only a mere drop in the bucket, it would be a marketing coup, imagine racing stripes of solar panels!!), start with a simple gas or diesel and add the E85, biodiesel, and fuel cell variants as you go. How about a commitment to have a E-flex option available for every Chevy or GM model within 10 years. On a side note for any Canucks, Alaskans, or Nordic nations friends who might read this, we’ve already got block heaters and battery warmers plugged in for 2-4 months of the year. It might as well be filling the tank. I realize the batteries up north would be much less efficient but with the warmers, and that optional extra we’d do just fine.
I’m working overseas and I’d buy right now just to have it when I come back. Hell, I’m into pro touring and would love to stick a powerful variant of this under the hood of my 70 Nova. You’ve given us hope, now make us believe.
Hey GM, great concept. I’d buy one in a heartbeat if it went into production. My only suggestion is to also make a 4 door version. Now all you have to do is find enough testicular fortitude to get out of bed with the oil companies and do it. Let’s not hear any more excuses about how “no one is interested in it” as was done with the EV.
Hi,
I drive an electric truck every day and love it. I can’t wait to see the Volt.
1. How about using two motors, 1 per drive wheel and eliminate the differential, and the oil.
2. Front drive, so the regen braking can really work.
3. Get GM into the electric motor design as a core competency. Hey, they don’t outsource the key gas engine designs.
Very exciting drive architecture, MUCH better than Toyota or Honda designs.
It’s good to see our beloved Chevrolet and Gm manufacturing partners are listening to the people who put the profits in thier pockets! Give us back an electric vehicle with no emissions and lithium ion battery technologies. Add solar recharging capabilities for at work recharging and you have success. It is possible to build and market and two to four seat vehicle with a range of 120 or more miles at an affordable cost with profits for GM. When you build it we will all come and buy one, none of us like pollution and import oil dependancy I would plop down a 50 percent deposit in a minute if you made the cars available.
Now all you need is retractable solar panels in the trunk to recharge the car while parked.
I just saw “who killed the electric car” which documents how GM and other car companys took working electric cars off the road. It is good to see that GM is learning from their mistakes and again looking into producing an electric car. But stop looking and start selling it.
Let’s roll with it. The look is good! Do something bold by integrating solar collection into the paint job or glazing or both. If everyone in China soon becomes a motorist, then our planet will thank you.
I didn’t have time to read everyone else’s post, so forgive me if I am repeating something. The “Flex” idea in E-Flex is brilliant! GM – This is what you need to do: Put this type of vehicles into the market quick, before Toyota and Honda do. Also, make sure that the cars are quality and live up to your reliability. Poor reliability and nothing new is what is killing Ford. Also, keep the price in mind – in order to sell volume of these cars, the technology can not cost more than the gas it doesn’t use. As great as the Vue-Greenline is, the extra cost does not pay for the gas it saves unless you keep the vehicle for more than 5 years or gas is consistently about $3 a gallon. This is fantastic innovation, keep it up. One last thought – keep as much production in the states as a lot of people buy cars from you because you provide American jobs.
This is a great change of direction from hybrid technology. Electric cars make far more sense the the current brand of hype hybrid. I just hope that this vehicle can be in production soon.
What do you call an American electric car? Answer: a concept car. What do you call a Japanese electric car? Answer: a production car!
I’m very confident that GM won’t build this car, but I’m very excited to buy the Japanese version. Seems like a modified Pruis could drive the first 40 miles on electric only. Maybe in the 2009 or 2010 Prius model? Oh what a feeling!
This eflex is clearly all hype – Volt is a just a concept car. I am buying a new car soon and technology leader is Toyota – they actually sell hybrid cars that work! 40 miles with lithium batteries sounds too little. Make it 80 miles like in EV1 and then i do not need to buy gas at all. I would rather plug it in and save in than visit gas station.
If you build it I will buy it.
I have never bought a GM product but I would buy this in a heartbeat. In light of our dire situation wrt global warming, this vehicle is a huge step in the right direction. 90% of my day to day driving is over distances of less than 30 miles (50km). With this vehicle, I would rarely be burning fuel, my impact on the atmosphere would drop significantly. I believe that within 20 years everyone in the US in Canada “should have to” drive this type of vehicle. We had to make the change from leaded to unleaded gasoline in the 70’s in Canada. The change to an electric car is significantly greater than adding a catalytic converter, but it is needed. If our politicians are really serious about dealing with climate change, these kinds of technologies are needed now. Maybe governments should encourage their purchase, how about no sales tax when you purchase a Volt?? Way to go GM, now just make it affordable.
If you build this car and others like it, that run on electric, with range extender flexibility,, you will take back the #1 position from Toyota/Honda/Nissan and the rest of the foreign answers to high gas prices. Build it and we will come– buy it. Sorry, corny but true.
Great design and concept. To bad it will never see the light of day if the oil barons can stop it.
As the owner of a Highlander Hybrid Limited, I think you have a great concept here. When the concept is ready for production (sooner the better) I would like to see it available in more models (i.e., mid range sedans and crossovers). It sure is nice to have some roominess, creature comforts and all wheel drive, while still conserving fuel.
One of the biggest mileage killers in the Highlander Hybrid, is during the winter when the gas engine doesn’t shut down to maintain heat in the vehicle cabin and maintain the gas engines operating temperature so it is “ready for duty”. I believe your concept overall will be way more energy efficient than current hybrids.
Can we do this in a sports car concept? The instant torque out of an electric motor is phenomenal !!
Good luck and hope to see these products available to buy as soon as possible. I will be a very interested future buyer. I sincerely would like to be buying American again!!
I like the looks and the specs. My car needs to have some capacity to carry stuff. Perhaps another model on the same platform, with a design similar to the Mazda 5. I see others have already suggested 5-door and Nomad bodies. Ohm-ad?
The inductive hookup for charging was a cool feature of the EV1. I hope the Volt, and variants, have the same setup.
A protype for this was published in Mother Earth News several years ago. An Opal (? memory problems) was converted to electric propulsion using a 48v motor, a mechanical modulator to control power, and a 48 volt lead acid battery pack. An 18 hp gasoline engine and generator was used to charge the battery while underway. I cannot remember all the details, but it had a reasonable range of 30 to 40 miles extendable with the generator and a top speed of 60 mph.
The Volt would be perfect for all of my local driving and you can put me on your list of prospective customers.
BUILD THE VOLT IMMEDIATELY!!!
GM needs to make money, this car will do that. If GM is unsure if they can get Li-ion batteries or have to wait till 2010, they should use NiMH until they can use Li-ion. There are NO EXCUSES anymore. Both batteries are viable now… not later. The RAV4 using NiMH are still going strong, the same could have been said about the EV1 using NiMH.
Plus, they should increase the 40 mile electric range to 50 or 60 even 100 miles. It is possible to get the 100 miles especially with the Li-ion. That would get those with an hour/50 mile commute there and back on electric.
GM’s only hope is to make this happen.
Maybe if you had not killed your first electric car, GM would be the number one car seller in the world again. Bad choice to substitute the Hummer for the EV. Bad choices kill companies. Maybe you can still redeem yourselves and our country.
BRAVO…..That pretty much sums it up. Way to go GM!
I am “just” a middle-class American consumer. Here is what I look for in the order I look for it and yes I want it all:
1) Safety for my family
“Earth Stewardship”
2) Reliability
3) Efficiency
4) Cost Effectiveness
- Initial Cost
- Use Cost
- Maintenance Costs
- Resale Value
5) Utility/Flexibility
6) Comfort
7) Performance
9) Visceral Appeal
10) Support for the Ideals I love and believe in … those of the founding fathers.
I believe a conscientious effort to serve will result in a “best possible solution” which excludes greed, but encourages and rewards innovation and creative service.
I have long waited for a return to American principles that will accomplish these goals. I am a pragmatist in the since that I know man’s base nature is NOT good, but I am a dreamer full of hope knowing that Jesus can redeem each of us and set us back on the path of service and love of our neighbor in its myriad manifestations. He changed and continues to change my life every day as He changes those of countless others everyday.
The underlying concept is a good one. One of the major problems with switching to an alternative fuel is infrastructure (ie: you don’t see many hydrogen stations around for fuel cells). The idea of building a car to support multiple fuel types can help to bridge the gap.
However, GM really needs to fire their entire design team. Every car looks like a copy of another manufacturer. The retro looks from Dodge in particular. GM has been uninteresting from a styling perspective for years. Even the Corvette looks like a shadow of its former self.
Please start building this car immediately!! I just bought a new Passat but I’d ditch it in a heartbeat for one of these. I know I wouldn’t be alone either!!
When will it be available to the public to buy? I’d buy an electric car over a gas car any day. It is a much better idea than hydrogen fuel cell cars and ethanol.
This thing is ugly, I would be embarassed to be seen driving it. Those wheels are freaking huge, and whats the deal with the wanna-be custom chop top look? Quit trying in vain to be “cool”. Being a GM product, its reliability would also be in question, as would its real-world efficiency, or rather lack of it. No doubt the typical 30 to 40 somthing idiots drool over this tacky trainwreck.
WOW! This thing looks like one of the Batmobile models. Can I get one in black?
Hurry up!
This idea is much more intelligent than relying solely on plug-in power. In our rural area of TN, there is very limited bus service (as in almost none), so everyone pretty much has to have a car. I drive at least 30 minutes in commute time each day just to get to where I work.
I would love to buy this car! I currently have a 2001 chevy prizm (101,000 miles), and it has done well, but i would like to get a bit more gas mileage!
GO VOLT!
I am 6 ft 3, and weigh 240. I hope I can fit in the volt. If I can, I’ll buy. I have bought an astro, malibu, 2 pickups and an Aztec. I bought a 2500 hd, hopefully the last pure gas/deisel I’ll ever buy. Build it, and America will return to GM.
Please make this car!!!!
I just finished watching “Who Killed the Electric Car,” and shame on you GM, for not supporting and growing the community of electric car buyers. The only way I see redemption for GM is if they bring this car to market. Not just in a limited and difficult to puchase method, such as that used to sell the EV-1, but to all comsumers nationwide. The Volt addresses the only problem with the EV-1. That is, many consumers can only afford one car that must be flexible enough for the occasional long trip. The EV-1 max range on a single 6+ hour charge was about 100 miles, therefore limiting a single-car consumer’s travel to rely on planes, trains, cabs, or friends. The Volt can solve this issue, and remain environmentally friendly, and protect US interests by also running with E-85.
My only concern is the extra weight added by having a combustion engine severely limits the efficiency when just running off of electricity. I think that consumers should be able to buy an electric only version for less money. This way in a multi-car household, the electric only could be the work and grocery commuter, and the “plug-in” hybrid could be the flexible, long trip machine.
To learn more, go out and rent a copy of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” today!
This is the coolest car I have ever seen. I love the fact that you can go 40 miles on just the batteries and then plug in the car to a 110volt outlet therefore possibly never having to use gas again!!!! Also as an added bonus provide you provided a 12 gallon E85 gas tank!!! This car can’t get any better in my opinion!!!!
Why is GM going to wait 3 – 5 years before they release this??? I know they want to make sure that the Lithium-Ion battery technology is where it should be, but just look at the Telsa Motors Electric Car, i think that prove that the technology is there. I think if they wait 3 – 5 more years that may hurt them because it might give ford and such a change to come out with an electric car in 2 years. I think use the current lithium ion technology available it can give them 40 miles right now. Then every year afterwards work on improving the technology so that every year they can get more miles out of the battery. 1st year: 40 miles, 2nd year 60 miles, 3rd year 80 miles, etc. Im personally going to wait until this car comes out and then buy it. I might wait until the year after it comes out (if my car lasts till then) in hopes that they can increase the range from 40 to 50 of 60 miles. Also if they keep the interior the way it is ….. OMG!!!!! That is the hottest interior in a car i have seen!!!! Although they probably will change the way it looks but if they could keep one thing i think i would want it to be the dashboard and such. Those gauges are so 2032 Star Trek like, thats hot!!!!
The only thing i would ask for them to change in the car is this:
Currently if you want to rapid charge the battery and don’t have access to a plug to plug it in you can put the car in park and charge it that way.
Why not instead of PARK, NETURAL?? That way when i’m stopped at a red light or in traffic i can slip the car into and out of NETURAL a lot faster then PARK.
So in summary:
Come out with the Volt a lot faster then 3 – 5 years.
Improve milage from 40 to 50 miles.
Don’t change interior
At least keep the dashboard
Change rapid charge from PARK to NETURAL
GM Keep up the good work, i look forward to owning the Volt!!
Fantastic idea but will it work on the road in a real commuters daily drudge?
I am willing to try it out and give you the needed feed back from a consumers point of view. My travel is approximately 26 miles each way with a mix of highway and city driving. Please let me know if this is an interesting concept for creating a new car that people would want to purchase.
Thanks
Steve
I’ve served overseas twice with the military. I suspect many problems of ours and the world could be solved if the importance of crude oil could be reduced to that of any other resource. We have to start somewhere. Put me on the waiting list.
This is definitely a doable concept. PLEASE consider this concept for mass-production. Unlike the totally electric EV1, this “flex” technology may be easier for the public to embrace and therefore may save you some hassle with demand issues. Also, the fact that it would be capable of long trips will keep it sensible for anyone to buy. PLEASE start production of these immediately so that you will be able to handle the demand, and PLEASE let us OWN them and not just LEASE.
People often say that Safety and other features are at the top of their list when they purchase their vehicles, but when asked very few people actually take the time to do any research except for the star rating…which again most people don’t know what that rating represents.
With this in mind, can we not just presume that all vehicles produced by the major manufactures are to be safe and get past that as an issue.
Another problem North Americans have is that they believe larger is safer. What they don’t think about is how unsafe that large SUV is to other drivers in smaller vehicles. Stop thinking so selfishly.
My opinion on the volt…great, bring it out…the sooner the better, make the fact that it’s a hybrid transparent…I look forward to the point that people just expect their vehicle to be a hybrid (at least a hybrid).
I look forward to seeing the action that GM takes to show show its commitment to “our” environmental problems.
You should only offer leases on these and then shred them after a few short years. Then you can pretend like you’re working on another new concept for years while mother earth pays the price.
Build the electric car. I will buy one!
why didn’t you build this 10 years ago. If you built it, it would be a huge hit. build it and i will sell whatever car i am driving and buy this one!
hurry and build it!
I would be happy to buy this car as is! Bet I would also like to see you reach your full potential. The EVs GM made in the early 90s got over 200 miles a charge and later had the ability but no desire to give them 500 miles per charge. Why with better technology are we only getting 40 now?
Very cool! Great new look for GM. Electric option is fantastic for GM — shows they’re catching up to the other automakers. But get it to market fast. GM has some cool concepts, but many times, they never make it to market before the other guys. Don’t mess up this one.
And the body type is very slick — looks somewhat similar to the new Camaro. Don’t want to long to get this body to market — what about introducing a gas engine model.
Nice looking vehicle. I was thinking of buying a new vehicle in the next year or so. I will now hold off until this *concept* becomes a production model.
I have worked on electric lift trucks since 1966 and it is about time some one makes a car that is practical and will be a great polution stopper. I would like to have one but will it work in Minnesota. I donn’t think I will have trouble maintaining it with my experience.I am 64year’s old. HENERY FORD made a car that every one could afford can you?
I would love to buy an American car, and support an American company. The reason this has never happened is that they have been unreliable, unsightly, and poorly designed cars for longer than i have been alive (which accounts for their comet-like depreciation). If GM can build this car (and by ‘can build’ i mean not cut corners), we will sell the Acura and the Lexus, and stand in line for the inevitable, demand generated, 6-12 month waiting list to buy two. It truly is nice to see that GM has pulled its head out of the sand and remembered why and how it got to where it once was, by being an innovator. The new generation of Tahoe is a great opener; now build this car, because its time to get your lost market share back from Toyota…
I have only ever purchased Japanese cars. However, if GM actually made this car I would have no trouble purchasing it.
What a great Idea that is overdue.
I have been doing research on building my own EV. http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/4214/links.html#EV%20Parts
The problem is, after sinking $8-10K into a used vehicle, I will most likely have a 2 seater that will need new lead acid batteries every 3 years (or sooner) and it will be far less efficient than a factory built EV or Hybrid, and much less reliable, but I can do it NOW with off the shelf parts. Obviously Lithiom Ion will make a huge difference in weight, size, and how long the charge will last, as we as consumers have seen with laptops and battery powered tools. Safety has to be an issue, especially with recent recalls on laptop battery issues, (and thats obviously a much smaller battery pack), So how does it fare when in an accident at high speed? I understand GM’s need to evaluate and test, especially products produced outside of their control, (batteries, tires, etc.). Tires for an EV need to be harder and have less rolling resistance, but how does that equate for traction and safety?
I want a dependable, safe vehicle that can haul my family of four and accessories.
I will replace my commuter vehicle with the Volt when it is produced in a Heartbeat! It can get back home, if the charge is not enough, unlike the ev-1, and it will be produced by GM, so I know it will be safe and reliable.
Please GM, build this vehicle soon, and help us keep our $$’s here, versus overseas, (in oil expense, and vehicle competition).
nice car, nice shape, nice idea.
this car may make money and bring GM back up since alot of people buy toyota prius, and the prius look like crap.
I would love to se the Chevy Volt build.
I’m ready to buy it! Please build it!
Where can I buy this car?
I can’t find it anywhere, I am ready to buy a car and what to know where I can purchase it!
Please continue on the good work that will leave us independent of the oil countries.
Mary
If someone from GM would contact me I would like to place a deposit. When you make this car I will buy it.
I am a middle of the road kind of guy who is not given to blog postings but when it comes to the electric automobiles I am passionate about them. Anything we as a country can do to reduce our dependence on foreign oil is a good thing. I am no far fringe commune living guru I work hard for the dollars I earn and always seek to spend them wisely. To me this would be a excellent and wise investment in our country’s future and could actully pull me away from purchaing another Toyota Prius. Please do not let this electric auto be “killed off” like past attempts have been by others.
Have the vision to go forward with this, have the backbone to say “this is what’s right to do” and give us here at least the choice of buying such a fine automobile from an american company instead of looking to someone else for such a product. Thank you.
Darn, I just built an electric car. It’s a 1971 Fiberfab Avenger. It’s a piece of junk compared to the Volt, and I am furious with automaters because they did not offer a pure electric drive auto at a reasonable price. It’s about time a large company have the guts to produce a modern car. It’s about time we evolve from Ford Model A technology of reciprocating pistons and use the clean smooth power of electricity.
Now, please build it. I will help you. If you need any EV electrical engineers / project managers, please contact me.
Hi there, The Volt is a nice step in the right direction. Please check out the Tesla at http://www.teslamotors.com Now that is the future. Don’t get left behind again. All electric on lithium ion batteries!! I know you can do it. Don’t let the oil companies stop you! Good luck
I must be the cynic, chuckling mildly in the hallway. I seriously doubt you will build this car, or anything like it for a long, long time.
This is a concept car. We’ve seen this before, and not just from GM. They roll out an idea people like, wait four or five years, then go to market with some watered-down version and wonder why people aren’t as excited as when you showed the concept.
For the record, GM already built this car, and slaughtered it in 2003. It was called the EV-1. The only reason GM built that car in the first place was the California Air Resources Board held a gun to the automakers’ collective heads and told them to make it or get out of the state. We all know how that turned out. Automakers and big oil ganged up on the committee and pressured them into repealing the Zero Emission Vehicle act. Which they did, followed promptly by every automaker pulling their EVs from the market.
The problem is we need a car like this today, as in, right now. If it were on the market, it would sell, and herein lay the problem. By putting an in-demand car like on the road, they’d threaten the profitability of the oil companies, put companies like Midas and Jiffy Lube out of business, and please an environmental lobby that no one seems to like, including environmentalists like myself.
No, GM will get its toes wet and create some gawking buzz, but in the end won’t have the guts to actually market and sell (as in, not lease) the car. If GM killed the electric car program in 2003, why would they now revive it? What credibility could they possibly have? What trust must they build with consumers that they won’t simply pull the rug out from under our feet as they did just four short years ago?
I dare you to produce this car and prove me wrong.
I think that GM could hold the number one spot, as far as auto manufacturers goes, simply by building this car!
You know that if GM does not build an electric vehicle, Toyota will.
Please build this car.
I just invested $38,000 usd on a solar electric system to light and power my home.
Beside the green impact ,I feel very good about it because i no longer buy power that is made from imported oil. Given the chance, I would be very happy to drive a car made in the U.S.A. and powered by electricty that I make at home. Please build me an all electric car.
As an owner of three Priuses I have been anxiously awaiting a pure serial hybrid. The first is replaced by a Malibu Maxx, the second was a victim of hurricane Ivan and the third one is a joy. Especially when you see the factor of two on the gas milage.
Because of the Japanese connection I offer the following haiku to urge you on before it’s too late:
At Detroit Auto Show,
Chevrolet Volt announced.
Will it ever be ours?
My worry is that GM is about to pin this project on the Li-ion battery.
But what about the Ni Metal hydride of the Prius?
Or the http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search- bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=6,979,513&OS=6,979,513&RS=6,979,513
Firefly foamed graphite lead acid battery out of Catterpillar?
At 76 I can’t wait to be able to buy Amercan again.
First of all, I can only hope that this is a sign that an American car company has woken up to today’s market.
As for the gas, E85, diesle, biodiesel debate, the biodiesel would be the greenest of the fuels. It can be made from the oil extracted from mashed soybeans that are fed to cows and as such wouldn’t compete with a food source like E85 does. It is currently priced similar to petrodiesel yet is only adding a tiny amount of carbon to the ecosystem that wasn’t already there. Plants fix the carbon through photosynthesis, then we use the carbon as fuel, then the plants fix it again. If only electricity and transport vehicles were clean. E85 is certainly better than gas, but its distilation process still requires a lot of energy and it isn’t petroleum free.
A suggest for the diesel model from someone who lives in New England: put in a fuel injection pump heater and return unused hot fuel to the tank. Biodiesel has a tendency to jell in the cold weather and this method worked wonderfully on a VW diesel Jetta running on biodiesel. It starts on even the coldest winter days here. For the Jetta, this is only an option with the primium package, the Volt should have it standard.
Please, don’t let there be a movie entitled “Who Killed the Electric Vehicle, Again”
Please make this VOLT by Chevy
available soon as I want to live to buy one? I am 71 with the cash in hand now and 3 degrees in engineering so I would like you to beat out Honda who will have a diesel powered 100 mpg car available soon built in Indiana at their new plant they are building now! So please hurry the VOLT into production!!!
Jon PC = Jon Peacy
I just started reading about it today, what about solar cells (on the roof) so you can also get away from pluging it in to charge it up.
Please don’t wait, get it in production and take the lead
Lets See, Its been 20 years since i stopped buying Gm Products…They had no style ,a Buick looked like a Chevy Ect, you get my drift!!!…BUT IF this is the new GM ,with all these new and exciting products coming out.. Hey all i can say is watch out Toyota..the General IS BACK,,,If you build the VOLT,,I dont think you will be able to make enough…thank you Beth
I am ready to put a deposit down on this car. I applaud your effort to make a more environmentally friendly vehicle.
I own a 2005 Prius now, and have driven 31,000 miles in 1.5 years. I love the technology inside the car so I hope the Volt improves the interior by making it more futuristic and quirky with secret useful features (such as a power outlet in the back for electric coolers, etc.)
It should definitely implement a great stereo and Navigation system and I would buy this in a second. It’s a much sexier car than the Prius and I hope it feels stronger too.
PLEASE build this car and don’t abandon this electric vehicle GM!!! Also, I still see those EV parking outlets all over at Costco’s, etc…. California still has that preliminary infrastructure built in… maybe this could be used for cars like the Volt as well?
Great Idea. The American Auto industry should take the lead. Either make it work soon and affordable or have the Federal government do it in a “Manhattan Project” type program. It is that important to the future of this country.
Finally! An American automaker that is actually going to implement a design similar to one that was described in an American magazine over 20 years (where a small gasoline engine was going to operate a generator to recharge the batteries on an electric mini-van with small independent electric motors at each wheel). Hmmm… what took so long?!
However, I really have to question why such a large combustion engine (1.0-litre turbo) is needed to run a generator. There were vehicles in Japan and Europe back in the ’80s yet that used gasoline engines smaller than 660cc to drive 2-seater and 4-seater cars, sporty little 2WD and 4WD turbo cars, and even small 4WD mini-vans.
I understand the efficiency of using a turbo engine, but certainly a smaller turbo engine could be used to drive a measely little generator… after all, it’s not actually putting power to the wheels, just to a generator.
I would certainly be more interested in buying it if it had a smaller engine and smaller saddle fuel tanks since it would take less fuel to operate, and thus, be a greener vehicle. I’m sure the reduction in weight would add a little to the overall mileage as well.
awsome!way to go GM
Go 40 miles with not gas, nice! The fuel economy absolutely rocks. Electricity is cheap compared to gasoline. Something like 1 cent per mile vs 10 cent per mile. Forget hydrogen, it is a distraction, the infrastructure will never be there. I am an EE and this solves several problems, (foreign oil, emissions, etc) and can work economically, also. The styling, I’m not sure about. Keep the price under $28K and you will sell a ton of these. I would buy one of these if the price was right.
GM: Shut up and GET IT INTO PRODUCTION. I love GM, Chevrolet first out of the family, but am tired of seeing concepts that never come to fruition, then the damned Japs come out with a product first and make themselves look better than the Americans. Want to keep your market share – GET OFF THE DRAWING BOARD and INTO OUR HANDS!!!!!
As for cool cars… why in the “H-E-Double Hockey Sticks” did it take years before the Camaro (which still isn’t available) to get into production??? Oh, yeah, let Ford Run amuck with 3-4 years of Mustang Sales and let Chrystler bring out it’s bad boys before releasing it.
Enough. If you get anything out of this posting it is: GET IT INTO OUR HANDS. Remember continuous improvement is better than postponed perfection.
Stop screwing around. AND DO NOT PURCHASE CHRYSTLER. Look at automotive history, anytime two manufacturers merge, they go out of business summarily!!! Get out of bed with Opel as well…. they’re a corporate leach!
If GM was metaphorically my kid, I’d have one heck of heart to heart with it.
Long Live the General, and may America reimerge in the media spotlight as being superior to foreign competition (as it truely is).
Cliff Peters
Current owner of 6 GM vehicles, and will never purchase another brand.
GM,
Please read the comments above and seriously take to heart ALL of the comments from your consumers. BUILD THE VOLT and learn from your mistakes with the PR nightmare that you presently have on your hands (EV1 and related issues). Like the one person suggested above – KEEP THE ACCOUNTANTS AWAY FROM THE CAR. Build it, don’t depart too much from the concept, don’t make it cheaply….and I wish you the best.
CONSUMERS – You should buy or rent the DVD “Who Killed The Electric Car?”.
Thank you.
It’s a great concept. However, the reason I don’t own a hybrid or something similiar is because hybrids don’t get the great gas milage where it’s hilly (or they lose power). Also, I use my equinox to haul stuff all the time. The volt doesn’t look very big at all, but it would suit my purposes of getting to and from work in good weather. I wish Chevy would come out with something like this, but in more of an SUV form (I also have trouble getting in and out of a lower sitting car.) I just wonder if it would be feasible for an AWD version?
You’ve hit a grand slam with this prize! Let’s put it on the market!
Can GM really do it…I hope so.
If anyone reads this that has a say and some part in the future of this car, please push for this car to be produced like it is your dying wish cos we need people with a real say in this to give all of us (the public with money to buy this car) a voice that will actually be heard!
Love the concept. Now if built in a Mini-Van style [sliding side doors w/removable rear seating leaving a flush flat floor]with leather seating & front/rear AC and Heat…why I’d be your first customer.
My primary “passengers” are 2 German Shepherd dogs, “stylish” or not, the small van model is the only way to go. Don’t really need seats except for the front buckets.
Locomotives have been this way for years. Bring the Volt out now with Li-ion, 10 min recharge 100+ mile range charge. AT least 3 companys have that technology now!
Then once restuarants, hotels, shopping malls and auto dealers get a network of standard chargers dump the eflex engine and extend range with new-tech batteries/solar panels. Forget alternate fuels, it’s a bottomless money pit. Electric is the flex-fuel of the future!
I think the volume & tenor of responses on this blog should provide you with all the information you need on the importance of this program. Getting this out quick (even if “generation one” battery packs come up short of the 40 mile goal) will provide GM with huge intangible benefits beyond the revenue/margins associated directly with this product (which will sell at list by the way):
- You can’t buy the kind of marketing and visibility this product will provide, not only with media coverage but also the evangelical promotion of customers and fans of this “electric” vehicle (Think Prius-like halo … on steroids).
- You’ll get people into your showrooms who wouldn’t normally come in even to get out of the rain.
- This will be a big help for you on the coasts and with the large & growing group of environmentally minded consumers – along with the larger superset of those also conscious of the economic and political benefits of reduced energy dependence or fossil fuel consumption.
- Introduce it with a plan/program to provide battery recycling (if feasible). This wwould be the kind of sustainable/product lifecycle cost/impact acknowledgement that will cause environmentalists to turn on their heels and change you from public enemy #1 to their poster child.
- Lastly, don’t underestimate the significance of this program … it’s more than just another car to sell. While success with new Aura, Silverado, etc. are of near term/tactical importance, This has huge strategic significance to GM. Do NOT let any near term margin challenges derail this program (this car will need NO marketing) and will effectively market your other vehicles. I’m hoping you have a more aggressive timeline for this than you’re willing to commit to publicly – imagine the positive impact of exceeding expectations?
- I’m due to buy a car in about 3 years … If you’re ready, it’ll be this one. And I (like a lot of others) would put down a deposit right now to show intent and get on the list.
Best of luck – Model year 2010 has a nice ring to it.
A great looking car and an intelligent concept for powering a vehicle. In CA, AZ, NM certainly it would seem a crime not to have some solar cells mounted into the roof to, at least, trickle charge the batteries. If lighter composite materials replaced more of the metals in this vehicle we might be able to reduce the weight enough to extend the charging range, or reduce the size (and weight) of the batteries. I am aware of the extra cost impacts of these innovations but we have to invest to make the change and the economies will repay us in the long run.
This is a great direction for GM and I hope they increase their resources dedicated to producing more efficient vehicles.
GM stands on the brink of making a paradigm shift in the auto industry. In doing this, they also have the opportunity to influence, shape, and change consumer perceptions regarding their corporate image of being once again the world leader in technology, design, and innovation. They have thrown down the gauntlet and ask themselves from designers, engineers, managers, and executives to rise to the challenge and make the Volt, E-Flex, and Plugin Serial Hybrids a reality by bringing this vehicle into production as soon as possible.
We are witnessing a turning point in history and a milestone in transportation not seen in over a hundred years. Consumer confidence is high and desire to lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions and reduce Fossil Fuel consumption is even higher. The race is on, and those automakers with insightful management recognize that they must make the hard choices and take the chances and bring solutions from concept into reality sooner rather than later.
GM has an award winning design and brilliant technology with the E-Flex system, but waiting for the ‘perfect battery’ to start production will not win the prize. Therefore, I pose the following: produce the Volt now with a smaller ‘disposable’ (yet recyclable) battery pack that gets replaced with an upgrade at a later date. Take the $5000 projected battery cost you will get from the sale of each unit and put it into short term investments. The 400,000 orders you will have up front is almost $2 billion. The interest alone from this over 2 years would pay for any cost overages and/or R&D necessary to bring the battery pack to production, or may well pay for an even larger battery pack with extended range once they are available in mass quantity.
How do you market this? Even without the battery pack for plugin all electric mode, the backup engine should still deliver 50 mpg. Offer a free battery pack upgrade within three years of purchase to gain the all electric features. Everyone who has voted to buy a Volt will gladly purchase this vehicle in this configuration. At the end of two or three years, the battery technology should be available to install the upgrades. Everyone wins. GM beats the competition to market with a high mileage winner that transforms at a later date into an unbeatably efficient solution.
This would be a bold and highly unconventional move to sell something with a promise to change the propulsion system at a later date as an upgrade. But, these are challenging times and Plugins are probably the most competitive product platform the auto industry has ever seen. That requires someone to push the envelope of conventionality and take some chances. Entrepreneurs never became successful without taking chances. GM has a window of opportunity to take a leadership role and be a corporate role model for America once again. Make the hard choices, take the chances, be the winner. Everyone that buys the Volt will be standing on the podium holding up the gold medal with you.
How soon can I order one?
We just bought a new Solstice and will be ready to buy another new car in about two years. Please build this Volt. It will fit my needs perfectly. 90% of my driving is, round trip 40 miles. The thought buying almost no gas it thrilling . 2-27-07
I will not be buying another vehicle until the Volt is available. I hope this will be a production vehicle soon?
This car would look great in my garage next to my Trailblazer,Silverado and 1960 corvette.GM missed the mark by not selling your last electric car and it seems the company is not listening to what the public wants.I design things for a living and if you stop listening to the customer you are done…someone will listen and give people what they want
Being an ASE Auto tech, an FAA aircraft mechanic, and living in Michigan. I must ask what is the expected longevity, and repair vs replacement would be in these wheel motor units, and suporting cableing and suspension? In rust belt invironments of course. Money saved in fuel may well be spent on more costly repairs.
It is shameful that this is being rolled out now as a ‘new thing’ when in the 90’s there was already GM’s electric car. It is unclear why that got killed – many theories exist. What is sad is that it takes a crisis of catastrophic proportions before profit driven companies will abandon the unsustainable easy profits and put real resources behind Earth supporting options.
It also reflects sadly on me that as a voting member of society I have not been in effective action since the environmental crisis showed up on my radar 15 years ago.
I don’t care much if the look of the car is great, as long as it is electric – the statement I am making when I drive one is not ‘look at my impeccable taste in choosing this cool looking car’ – it is rather – ‘I am committed enough to making sustainable choices that I drive this’.
Man, what a cool car, I’d buy one! I drive a Suburban but would stop to get one of these. As an electric car it blows the doors off the others in this competition.
Whoever puts the first plug-in hybrid on the market will have me as a customer. I am less interested in appearance than in a reliable vehicle which pollutes as little as possible. Our Toyota Camry hybrid is a nice stop-gap but we want to PLUG-IN. Current battery technology could have this car on the market soon, as others have noted. I hope it happens. Sandra
Electric is the way. As you all know petroleum is going down soon.
I’ll buy one today. Please design for families not for pot-bellied mid-life crisis-cruzers, which is what this Chevy looks like.
Please build it so I can finally purchase an American car.
Please build this car. I want to buy it. People everywhere
want to buy it. This car can
start a new trend in America.
I am glad GM used this great design for Volt and not just existing car’s body that most manufacturers use for their hybrid vehicles! That would let the electrical vehicle to stand apart on the road and will give the owners a sense of special pride driving a clean car. I will be anxiously waiting for the date production begins on Volt.
As a Chevrolet sales person for the last 22 years. I say its about time. But remember on thing, keep the price reasonable so the average American can afford it.
Right now this is all TALK. I saw the EV1 at Epcot Center in the 1990’s which GM said was their car of the future. That never came to pass for many reasons. However, I thought it was a great idea. Until we see these on the road they will continue to just be TALK. Maybe GM should also consider that most vehicles carry 1 person. Maybe you should consider a smaller vehicle that was meant to be purchased by EACH family member rather than one large one size fits all. Then you could sell 4 units rather than one.
GM, All I can say is “IT’s about Time!”. The US is the biggest polluter in the world. We are the main contributor to the Global Warming quandry that we are starting to witness. Get this car into production as soon as possible. While I drive Toyota’s and Honda’s now, I will glady go out and buy 1 or 2 of these vehicles. It is great to see GM is starting to be more energy and pollution conscious. Keep the price affordable and you will send the other automobile manufacturers into bankruptcy! GO GM!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent concept, if you’re really serious put it into limited production with existing technology.
Place the fuel cell on the shelf, hydrogen just supports GM’s Oil company buddies fuel distribution system.
I am pleased to see GM climbing back up. While the Tesla is a great idea, the price is for the upper class. The Volt should be directed towards the middle class. I started seeing the initial plans of this car at EPCOT in Disney World about five years ago. I am not going to buy a car for a few more years, until the current one I own has died. However, I urge you to start production as soon as possible, so you can:
1) Climb out of the current slump you’re in.
2) Stimulate the American economy and reduce the outsourcing of jobs.
3) Increase competition among outher manufacturers, so cars will become even more efficient and cheap.
4) Decrease greenhouse gases
While starting with the Volt is a good idea, you should strive towards having a broader range appealing to almost every consumer. Also, have different options for the batteries to increase the drive range. The flexibility of the fuels to power the generator is wonderful.
I will probably be replacing my current Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight in about 5 or 6 years and I hope that the Volt or a similar model by GM is available.
Overall great job! I hope you can get this out ASAP so you can be #1.
-Mike W. Atlanta, GA
This is a great idea for car buyers. It will help protect the environment and help free our country from OPEC politics. I would love to see this model available to the public. I would also like to see Chevy adapt electric or hybrid power to the Malibu and the Impala.
I am not in the position to buy a new car right now, but when I am I will want to buy a plug in hybrid. Please build this car. Make one that’s AWD too.
A tiny step in the right direction, but I’m saving my pennies for the upcoming Tesla “White Star” in 2009, which I will pre-order on the 1st day they take orders. I refuse to buy ANY more gasoline or even Biodiesel or Ethanol. ALL-electric ONLY for me.
My first NEW car will be a plug-in hybrid.
Will it be from Toyota or Nissan? That’s up to GM.
Great concept car for someone like me who travels only a few miles to and from work everday. I like the style except for one thing, the side and rear windows are too narrow and would block the driver’s view. I vote tht the next hybrid Chevy makes will be a Camero or Monte Carlo because there are a lot of us out there that will always want our sports cars. I am a 53 year old female who owns a 2004 Monte Carlo and I’m loving it!
Almost too good to be true. You need to get this car to market before the Japanese. Also why not have an additional battery pak to alternate between?
I want one. When can I get it?
WOW, you guys have to sort through allot of stupidity in this blog. sorry.
My comments about where you should take e-flex would be make a tall wagon semi-suv about the hhr size with this platform and or a Nomad type wagon (you have a show car from the same time as the P. Aztec launch around there somewhere) with the Saturn coup style quad doors. Both with a easy clean utility back end. Also do what gm has always been good at many options to personalize it.
Making the e-flex electric producing system modular would be helpful for those of us who would like to upgrade that part of the system in the future. I.e. buying the fuel cell, bio or other alternatives when they become available
For an alternative power making source (for the ultra green among us). What about the weird air car idea (compressed air could power the generator) how much power would a 2000/5000/10000 ppi tank hooked up to a generator make?
p.s. Could be that working with ford and the hy-series about the batteries might give both of you a real chance at fast tracking the battery stuff and getting people home for buying cars.
Thanks for your ear
Jeff
This car has a great style. The only problem with ‘chop top’ styles is having a good view out the back window. Other than that, for a gas saver the looks stylish, I’m interested.
I want a Silverado version!
Also, hope you cool the batteries well (consider active cooling?) – don’t want a flamable laptop battery issue occuring with that much battery sitting beside me…..
I love the idea! I would definetly buy one!
High time GM gets into the front seat
Hope GM don’t slip up and allow the competition to take over
I am driving GM cars from past 34 years
all 5 family cars are GM
I want to drive this car
Wow, It would be a great car. I have a GM now and love it. Only around 18 miles per gallon. Definatly willing to trade in GMC CANYON for something like this. It would impress my cliets. I work for an ECO friendly paint company.
Hey if you can actually buy these not just lease them that would be great. (For those that do not get the inside joke research ev1 then you will probably realize what i mean.) For this event has impacted me on my view of GM as a whole.
Can I place a deposit on a Volt NOW? Build this car car GM and I guarantee I will buy one.
I am a Chevy owner(2 Blazers, 2 Corvettes and an HHR)and I am excited about the Volt now that I have seen it and read about it. Today, the people I know buy a car for a specific purpose and have a immediate perception when you mention an electric car, usually slow, small and short ranged. Based on the E-flex technology have you considered making E-Flex an option from the Malibu to the Impalla instead of a separate line? I think a design such as you have would open the electric car to fleet sales because you could drive this car from coast to coast on roughly 4 tanks of gas and never have to worry about plugging it in at some motel. The acceleration is there and the range is there I think you have come up with a great concept. You can stop all of the comments about how it looks when you offer it as the perfect “option” the same as engine sizes.
The Car sounds like a great alternative to what is available. Still an electric powered by gas that is only a concept car? With all the heat that is on your company I would have expected a lot more effort, ie full electric. Still this car is a great idea. I am selling my gas car and I am not buying a new vehicle until a full electric or a vehicle such as the volt are available. I cant imagine why you don’t already have either one in your fleet. This is a step in the right direction. It makes me feel like maybe GM still cares about what their customers think.
I would buy this car as soon as I know its going to hit the market.
Please build electric cars… We have the technology – put your engineering degree to work at GM!!!
I’d really like to see this technology come to market not just for a sports car but for a family vehicle as well. And I’d like to be able to BUY it, not just lease it! Make this a reality – you’re on the right track!
WHY NOT BUILD THE CHEVY VOLT NOW, WITH PERHAPS LESS PERFORMANCE, USING ALTAIRNANO’S NANOSAFE BATTERIES UTILIZING THEIR PATENTED LITHIUM TITANATE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY. AS LITHIUM BATTERY TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES GM COULD INCORPORATE INNOVATIONS AS DEVELOPED IN LATER MODELS.
The car is beautiful. Question is, how much electricity will it use compared to gasoline. Looks somewhat like the Saturn conv.
Volt presents the consumer with the first fully integrated technical solution to diverse driving needs. The concept vehicle demonstrates GM’s real feel for market pulse. Bringing it to the market in this concept design with developed systems will win the market.
this is the car that america needs. when will it be available ? how much will it cost?
“The battery technology is still under development”?, …the technology is already there, Tesla and others are already using it, …you’re behind already, …is this to be the EV3? Stop talking, start building.
I love the concept, its wonderful. To be honest if this vehicle was for sale today I’d buy it with out a doubt. I just hope its put out sooner than later. kudos on the biodiesel, many people have become very environmently friendly and are definitely interested in reducing greenhouse gas emmissions. Put it out as soon as possible, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
This is the car that all the world need, but just a question, how many km must the car run powered by gasoline engine before the battery would be charged?
GM,
I’m one more driver of foreign autos. I’d hapily buy American if you put the Volt on the market. The battery technology is here, as are the consumers. Please build this ASAP. Good luck!
The design of this concept is excellent! It has the potential to truly revolutionize passenger vehicle propulsion. There are thousands of Americans eager to support GM by purchasing a production version of this model. The prevailing sentiment seems to be, get this concept to market sooner rather than later. If GM can do this I believe it will realize even greater success than Toyota has had with its hybrids.
A key component of this car is the fact that it has a style that reflects the technology that sets it apart while not making it look like something ridiculous. It is great that someone finally stepped up to the plate to respond to the actual problem regarding fuel consumption rather than try to band aid it.
As a middle class citizen, I would have a hard time swallowing the range that this vehicle should target. I have seen cars of this nature in the $100k range, too rich for my blood.
I would be interested in the test market for this vehicle. It would be interesting to know how this vehicle would perform under all current environments (i.e. snow, rain, heavy traffic, mountainous driving, extreme heat, and long trips)
One problem that I see would be the ability to repair the vehicle. Today’s mechanics have become better at using computers to troublshoot, however, one would have to be a AC/DC specailist in order to diagnose issues with this car.
Overall, I would love to see further studies and would strongly encourage the current production of a more economical version rather than waiting some five years for this technology to fade out again.
Nice glance into the future of automotive design and function. However, there is only way that I would purchase a flex-fuel and/or an electric vehicle. And that would be if the auto manufacture would warranty the battery pack for as long as I would own the vehicle, thus I would never have the expense of replacing them. Any vehicle that has to have a major operational component replace after only 4 – 5 years of service is not worth the savings in fuel.
Are most of your readers teenagers or do american men have an underdeveloped frontal lobe. This car will not sell millions, the average family will not buy this car, more likely some yuppy 20 something banker (w-nker?). The idea is great, but for god’s sake when is someone going to build the car 100s of millions of normal people will buy world wide. On a semi-related topic. Apple is making squillions in the non-computer market these days. Just imagine what General Motors could make in the worldwide lawnmower market using this technology. Just an idea.
I travel 70 miles one way to work each day. 140 miles round trip plus any addition miles during lunch. I have accumulated 460,000 miles on my Honda Accord. I want one of these cars. Build it and we will buy it.
I am greatly surprised by the effort GM is making towards the needs of the economy and the Global Warming issue. I am in complete support of the Volt!!! not only does it address a national need (now) but also provides the basis for generations to come. Please do not hesitate to produce this vehicle and others like it. Sure, some people may have gripes but no one is perfect and if not now when???? So kudos to GM, finally a product I am especially pleased with.
Congratulations on designing an amazing vehicle. I love the concept of the electric motor drive with the extra generator. This keeps the system straight forward and I believe it will result in a very reliable vehicle. The distance options are phenomenol at 640 miles on 15 gallons of fuel. I drive a 2002 Chevrolet Impala and it is easily the best car I ever owned. It has so many positive features from great cargo space, outstanding gas mileage, comfortable interior, and being a fantastic highway car. Since it is such an aerodynamic car, I think that it would make an excellent candidate for a full size version electric vehicle. If the Chevy Volt is anything like the Impala (I think it will be even better) the car will be a smash hit. Keep up the good work and thanks!
Please build this car now, it would be great if an American company would take the lead and build this car before the foreign car manufactures do and make them available to the general public. I hope you won’t wait until its too late, and I hope some one at GM has the foresight to not let other big players ( the oil company’s, etc.) to influence weather or not this car will be built. As far as looks I think it will be another classic like the “70 Chevlle”. Don’t wait until the oils gone.
I have always bought GM cars and trucks. I had a 1995 Chevy S-10 that I just sold last year with 125,000 miles on it. These cars and trucks really are the longist lasting vehicles on the road. I now own a 2000 Chevy s-10, I was considering a Toyota car as a replacement, however if GM can market and sell this new car in 3 to 4 years I would be one of the first people at the dealership in line to buy one. You guys have a great idea here, take it and run with it, please. America needs this car!
I would buy and invest in GM in a heartbeat if you offered a diesel plug in hybrid. the greatest car company in the world needs to get back in the game. you have the inteligence and ability to change the way the world lives. forget hydrogen!!! clean biodiesel,hybrid, and plug in is the logical answer. Please respond
I am looking to buy an electric car here in the UK & the choice currently is crap. When will the big manufacturers realise that there is a massive market here in the UK for a quality build car that car do 100+ miles on electric OR can run 40+ miles on electric but have a fuel tank for longer runs. My wife only uses her car for the journey to / from work & occasional shopping – the Volt looks like it could be the perfect solution for her. If you want someone in the UK to do a test for you….??!!!!
I too have seen “Who killed the EV”. Will GM have the guts to build this car, or better yet drive this technology farther in doing so. Who knows, I know I’d buy one, but the question on my mind is are you going to SELL these cars GM or just lease them only to take them away to the crusher again. I mean you did it before. So GM I would buy this product from you or any other manufacturer that has the balls to build it.
So why not more pure electric range than 40 miles? Sounds like you guys at GM are still afraid of the big oil companies. The only reason to limit the range to 40 miles would be so that the counsumer would still have to, potentially, visit the gas station at some point. More than likely not E85, or Hydrogen, or any other form of energy which has 0 infrastructure….just oil…. seems to me that GM just doesnt want the blood of the EV1 on their hands, or the oil companies breathing down their necks, to they build the Volt.
I would urge GM to get this car to the market ASAP, even if the battery isn’t ideal. A car that can go 10-20 miles on battery power will still meet many driver’s needs. If GM can’t capitalize on this idea, other companies (e.g. Tesla Motors, Toyota, Honda) will. As an American, I would love to buy a GM car, but I will not until they can come up with an efficient method of transportation. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
What is most interesting here is the frame/suspension/drive train. Don’t let the body and internal finishing and options distract. Thses can be had anywhere.
As a proof of comcept/reliabilty. etc. why not get it to market faster without body? Lets see what the kit building industry will do with a reliable foundation upon which to add their creativity and customization? I am so tired of “me too” transportation.
Here is a chance to show some individuality built on a leading edge foundation only one of the big manufacturers could deliver.
GM’s Volt is a car I will plan to buy, I am ordering a E85 vehicle now to support American owned auto makers, the environment, while trying to do my part to reduce US independence on foreign oil. But, the Volt is truly something that I will, if possible pre-order, if it helps GM to bring this vehicle to production earlier.
The way I see it, supporting the Environment and US auto companies is the best way to help make our local area and the world a better place to live.
do it…its time. but note, it must be able for distances more than 250 miles and can load much things in the trunk!!! do it, now. Thank you
I would certainly buy an E-flex car. My drive to work is 4.1 miles and my drive to church is 19 miles. With an 8.2 mile and 38 mile round trip, I wouldn’t have to buy gasoline. Also, Maryland is powered primarily by nuclear and natural gas. So, a Volt style car would be very clean indeed!
Please build this car!
How much would it cost??
WOW! I cannot believe the foresight of your company. I am incredibly impressed with the idea of flex fuel. Bravo to your engineers and a standing ovation for your vision. Thank you for your efforts, I am waiting on the edge of my seat until the day I can drive your car.
I’d be interested!! I’m all for anything/anyone that helps try to improve this world!!
What the hell took you so long? This car should be out in the fall of 2008!
Although I would like to see a bit longer range on the overnight charge (~60 miles), I am planning to buy the Volt in 2010. Electric is better than hybrid and is technology that can have an immediate impact. The electric infrastructure is already in place and charging can even be done off the grid! The small recharging engine makes the Volt usable by anyone.
What a great comeback by GM!
The prototype can increase mileage on electric drive up to 250 miles by partnering with Altairnano in Reno to use their lithium titanate batteries. Phoenix Motors are doing this right now!
PLEASE make this car soon.
I have owned nothing but Chevrolets for the past 15 years. I need to replace my Impala next year (2008). I intend to buy a car with superb gas mileage, which probably means a foriegn car. I would buy this VOLTS in a heartbeat if it were available. Please don’t wait!
So has anyone given thought of the lithium ion battery? I mean, my laptop gets awful hot on occasion, let alone did we forget the battery recall for exploding Dell laptops? Now I am sitting on top of a very large one right next to a 12 gallon fuel tank. Also, my laptoop battery eventually will not carry a charge, now we have 6 years of battery life that will slowly not perform as well as the years go by. What happens after 6 years? How much does that cost to replace? Finally, the money I save on fuel, am I going to spend on electricity? What is the equivalent to recharging this, a 50 inch plasma running for several hours straight or worse? These are all relative questions that I think need to be considered. I live in Milwaukee and work downtown. When driving out to clients, I drive less than 40 miles round trip. If this becomes reality and they address my concerns, this would be the perfect vehicle, I may be able to go months without refilling. I hope they can calm my concerns, because I would purchase this hands down.
What are you guys waiting for.? Get it done and be number one again.
would like one
Looks fantastic! I am looking to get rid of my current car, ‘01 Eclipse. It’s not fair that this car isnt ready for me! I can’t wait, lets get this party started.
im pretty suer GM will not go through with this.
are you kiddin me?
its a very cool car. but i cant see them doing it, thats why the say concept. they just want people to think they are being environmental
I am all for this car making it to the road. You could put the EV1 back on the road as well and people would by that but like you said enough heat. I want this car and it would be the only way I would invest in another GM product. My last GM product was a 1986 camero which fell apart during it’s warranty and that was the last GM I ever considered. So yes Build this car and I will buy one.
Hey! I hope you don’t kill the Chevy Volt like you did the EV-1! I’ll gladly trade my 2006
Honda Element in for a Chevy Volt. I commute 124 miles/day
with an average commute speed of 78mph (nice ride, no traffic).
Do you want to save GM? Then sell innovative vehicles!
The Volt specs look great!
I am not a car fanatic. I don’t collect posters or gaze dreamily into the headlights of the so called “Classics”. I am a former Marine with a degree in electrical engineering who has tired of the OPEC driven lifestyle.
Please stay as close to the prototype as possible for the appeal factor. Lets get hooked on its beauty and soon the technology will follow.
Good Luck
Awesome, its great to see an american car that americans would actually drive.
PLEASE, put a charge port UNDER the car. This way, you can drive onto a pad in your garage, which senses the full weight of the car, then raises a metal charger up into the charge plate.
This is the car that will put GM back on top and keep them there…as long as they create a fleet of them. It’s ridiculous what you did to your other electric but the addition of the booster engine would make up for that short sightedness. Don’t wait till 2010…you’ll get beat by Toyota and Honda….do it with the urgency and dedication the auto company’s put into helping the USA win WWII….do it NOW….I’m on the waiting list but I can’t wait four years…..I need a car in about two…tops!
All I can say is $140 a month on gas bye bye!!!!!!!!!!!
Post a comment…where to begin?
I believe the U.S. has to take radical steps to get away from our dependence on foreign oil and to protect the environment for future generations. Its worth noting that I have been part of the problem because I own a 2001 4runner. Knowing that, I decided last year to purchase a hybrid.
I was waiting on three things to make a new vehicle purchase; the first being a plug-in hybrid, the second being a hybrid pleasing to the eye, and the third a hybrid that is capable of driving purely on batteries for at least 50 miles.
Before seeing the Volt I figured the car I would buy was going to be a Prius since Toyota is planning on having a plug-in available over the next couple years. But this choice still left the problemn of little or no distance from batteries alone and the problem of the Prius not being easy on the eyes. I understand the wedge shape for less wind drag but arent we talking about a city dwelling vehicle. Therefore, drag should be less of an issue.
Now here comes the Volt! I am thoroughly impressed. A hybrid with sufficient to good distance from just batteries, one that is easy on the eyes, and is plug-in capable.
Just for you GM I will forgo purchasing a new vehicle until the Volt is coming off the assembly line. But do hurry and don’t get talked into changing the body design too much.
Thanks in advance
It is an incredible car and one that would make the USA proud! DO IT as quickly as technologically possible. I will buy one immediately.
There is no excuse as to why this car cannot be built by 08, or current models be fit with this powertrain.
The 40 mile range is complete garbage. and don’t tell me it cannot be done. Pheonix is making a vehicle that has MORE than double the range of the volt… and it’s a truck.
If you guys don’t make this until 2010 there might not be anything left at GM to save. I would get rid of my toyota in a minute if this car was available to me. But I am not waiting to 2010 for this. someone will beat you to the market if you wait that long for “technology that you have to develop” even though it’s will make it to market this year. –> Phoenix and Tesla are just two of the companies.
Build it NOW and I will buy an American.
Please build it asap. I am a lifelong GM customer and want to continue as one.
While the design is vivid, it’s the technology that is significant. With adequate battery design and the system that you’ve laid out, you could offer Americans a real reason to “buy American”. A vehicle that WORKS for people who work for a living. Make it right, make it well, people will line up. I’d suggest a flexible design for the vehicle itself: passenger / cargo, utility, quality, reliability. We don’t need silly design cues or useless bells and whistles. We need what Toyota is already selling.
Do it. Do it right. And make us proud.
Just Do It!
I will buy one, maybe two.
I live in San Francisco, and admittedly drive foreign cars as a rule. However, I am going on the record as willing to buy this car. Attention GM engineers- I am an engineer as well, I see your plans to offer the charger engine as a biodiesel, or gasoline engine. I challenge you to go the distance- offer a CNG Hydrogen combustion (not fuel cell) option as well. I will buy the adder! Put yourself on the map. If you dont have the budget/bandwidth to develop the conversion kit, partner with an external vendor (there are several) who would love to develop this concurrently..they can sell separately at the same time as the launch. GM will be back on the map!! Good Job!
I think this car is fantastic. I still like the idea of a 100% electric car like the EV1 better, epecially with battery technology allowing Tesla vehicles to get 250 miles per charge. Having said that, I do think the Volt is a great step in the right direction. I would certainly like to buy an American vehicle again and this could be the one.
I saw “Who killed the Electric Car” and I will hold a grudge for a long time against GM. You had the technology and if you’d been responsible, instead of stupid, we wouldn’t be at war with Iraq (oil). I have a Honda Insight and laugh at those gas gulping polution makers all the way from the pump (55-72 mpg). I’m pushing Honda to get theirs out first. You had your chance!
I really really really want an electric car– NOW! I’d love a Tesla most of all, but I don’t have $93K. If there is an affordable, high-quality alternative, I’d trade in my BMW (yes, I really do drive a Bimmer presently) in a heartbeat. I don’t want to contribute to the climate change or pollution problems we have, we need to leave the earth in better shape than it was when we found it!! How hard is that??? Oh, and by the way, Down with foreign oil!!
If I could sit down with Mr. Rick Wagner and tell him one thing, it would be this: Put the Volt into production. This vehicle is very important to the revolution of the design of the automobile, more so than any other concept going into production now. The Chevrolet Volt is a groundbreaking design in automotive hybrid technology, and it needs to come to fruition rapidly. This vehicle provides a way for Americans to drive an American vehicle that would be at the forefront of new automotive technology within the United States, and, potentially, have a global impact. This vehicle provides a great way to help we Americans conserve the resources we have now, and lays the foundation for cleaner, more efficient vehicles yet to come.
Children are asking us: What will we do to make the future a better place?
My answer is this: GM, build the Volt. We owe it to ourselves and the coming generations to shift into high gear in the development of more efficient and clean running automobiles.
By building this vehicle, GM will be investing not only in our future, but in the future of our children as well.
Well overdue. Try the Tesla car for a high performance option. GM should have kept their all-electric plugin from the early 90’s. We’ll see if they actually “sell” this one or only lease it. Regardless, I’ll be proud of GM if they finally go thru with this. And it’ll be my first car as a new physician. But if another manufacturer gets one out first I’m going with them.
Please build the Volt, NOW! I can see the electric car becoming the preferred performance platform of today’s hot rodderer. There isn’t an internal combustable engine that had full torque available from zero to rated RPM. Only an electric motor can do that… How about a “crate” electric motor kit with 400 HP, and a torque of 600+ ft.lbs from zero to 3450 RPM’s. Talk about a sleeper!
Great idea and a great looking car. I drive long distances in northern California…all over the Bay Area and this car would make my life a lot easier. This would be a great production car for Chevrolet. If you ever need someone to test it out, like your “Project Driveway” for the Equinox. I’m your man.
Nice concept. There may just be some hope for you guys.
Please make sure the vehicle has good seats with nice back support, like my Jeep Cherokee and like other pick up trucks. (I rented a Pontiac G6 and I thought the seats in that were good but, when I rented a Malibu I did not like the seats. I always liked pontiacs anyway – I had a 71 GTO. We owned 2 Corsica’s which I think you marketed to a segment other than middle age males, because I found no back support in the seat. Same deal with several Cavalier’s I owned.) If you can make this affordable, I would absolutely love to buy one. It seems to me you are on the right track 100%. An electric pick up truck (S 10 size) would be great too.
Start LEADING and stop following.
Build this let people BUY it.
It has been years since I’ve taken GM seriously as an automotive company. As far as I’m concerned, the biggest WMD on the planet is oil, and any company that prides itself on selling wannabe military vehicles (Hummer) that gets about 8 miles per soldier isn’t playing for my team. So finally, after 35 years since the first “oil crisis”, GM is flirting with the idea of mass producing a vehicle that should have been available in the ’70’s. Well excuse me if I’m not falling over myself with sniveling praise…that said, shut up and make the d*mn thing already.
I drive less than 40 to and from work. Build it, make it affordable and I will buy it.
I only wondering if Cheverolet is looking at the European car the Tesla. Right now this car gets 250 miles off one charge…takes about 4 hrs to charge I know. On electric costs its roughly 1cent per gallon if you were trying to compare it to mpg standard car. Other than its extemely high price tag the only thing keeping me from buying that car right now is you can not do a road trips with it.
Same as most electric cars and the reason why I will probably wait till 2010 to get a VOLT. I would love to see a combination of these two cars. Probably would be my dream car, well that with some solar recharge capabilities. It would be nice to be able to charge your car up just using the new solar tape plugged into the lighter or possibley built in. Heck the solar cells even would make a pretty finish for the car….hint hint.
Great direction GM! I hope you can release it to the public very soon. It is this type of power train that will greatly reduce our dependence on oil. Please invest in a whole line of plug-in hybrids. I want to see SUVs, pickups, minivans, etc. plugged in at night! Also, please make a lot of them. Hopefully this will bring down the costs. Thanks for asking!
I am glad that Chevrolet is showing innovation and a lead in the area of electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles are possible. I built one in my garage for a couple thousand dollars, got it legalized, and drive it as a commuter car. I still have my Chevy Malibu for long distance driving.
I predict that the auto companies that transition to electric transportation will survive and those that don’t will perish.
Please build this car. IMO electric and biodiesel are the way to good. Just no more LF9 type design flaws please.
You had your chance and blew it. You could had been the leader in electric cars.
Stop talking about what you are going to build.
BUILD IT!
The Tesla is the leader. What are you going to do about it?
This is truly a new revolution in the automobile industry, and paves the way for new fuel solutions in an extremely practical way. I am impressed that Chevy had the forethought to base this on the new Delta platform; this offers potential to plug this amazing drivetrain concept into some very affordable cars. Imagine that: a more innovative fuel solution than those currently offered by foreign competitors, potentially at a lower price-point. This drivetrain was designed for people like me; my next car WILL be a car with this drivetrain if you choose to put it to market… I’m willing to hold out as long as it takes!
The need for an all-electric car is here, now. This is a great start, but we still need to make major advances in battery technology to get to where we need to be.
I hope this does come out in the next 2 years. I drive alot, and it looks like my Malibu Maxx (which we love) has been taken away. Don’t know what I’ll go to if this doesn’t come out. Really need to trade next year. My Maxx gets way better mileage then MPG says. Need someone to test one of these?
The idea of using a petrol engine purely for charging the batteries and not actually powering the car is a great concept.
A long time coming, but worth waiting for!
Please make it available in the UK and at a comparable price to that of the USA.
Yes, please make it available asap and I will be in the line up to buy it. I like the plug idea for short trips…
I want one. I’ll trade you a Prius for a Volt!
I’ll buy one for shure, and the fact that it’s a chevey is the best part, driving a car like that would make up for me driving my vette.
Given GM’s obstructionist and unethical track record for the last 70 years, I am not optimistic that we’re ever going to get what we need – an inexpensive, plug-in, purchasable, 100 mile, practical around-town car for the average dirver. But I totally and hopefully support the effort and would buy one if it became available soon. It would be nice if Chevy – which my family has aways preferentially bought – would show some leadership not only technologically but also morally by producing a car for the good of both people and the environment.
I want to commend GM for being both socially and environmentally responsible in researching an alternative fuel, plug-in hybrid car. I would much rather pay my gas money to an American farmer than to a huge oil company buying oil overseas. If an alternative fuel, plug-in hybrid like the Volt were produced, I would be compelled to buy it since the simple act of driving this car would profoundly impact both our country and the environment. Please offer more E85 flex fuel engines. Please build diesel engines for cars so that that bio-diesel as a fuel can become a more viable option. Please build more hybrids. Please build the Volt.
I was sad to see that the volt wasn’t at the Rochester, NY Auto show. I’v Very Excited about this, and GM is going to need a new platform to compete with Dodge’s hybrids coming out 2009
Also If GM produced this they have my sale, guaranteed.
I’m a MI resident, I’m 25, and I would do just about anything I could to own the Chevy Volt. Alas, it is currently a concept car.
I know MI is stuck in a cycle of job cuts and times for the auto industry are tougher than perhaps ever. Don’t get discouraged, get innovative. You cannot continue to run your company as if this technology did not exist. Be revolutionary. If you do the right thing, THE PROFITS WILL FOLLOW. I would have NEVER even consider buying a new car, BEFORE HEARING ABOUT EV’S. I’m content with my 6 year old (import) car. But after seeing “Who killed the electric car” (I’m sure its the thorn in your side), my husband and I have vowed to have an electric car. I have always prefered foreign cars because I believe they are built to last in a way U.S. cars are not. IF GM RELEASED AN EV I WOULD IMMEDIATELY BUY DOMESTIC, not because I like the car, (this would never warrant me purchasing a new car), but because I would consider this puchase a wise investment in American ingenuity, corporate courage, and JOB GROWTH in my home state of MI.
PLEASE MAKE THIS A REALITY – SOON.
i sincerely hope the chevy volt is not a bunch of hype that will never be realized because of too many ‘technical’ issues. i know that ev are used in other countries and we need companies to make it happen here, now.
As someone who has been a Chevy disciple for over 40 years, someone who remembers when Chevy was USA1, someone who has driven and restored Camaros, GTO’s, and Corvettes,
someone who cheered Jim Hall’s Chapparel as it flew around the high banks at Daytona, I can only say that I am thrilled that Chevy management is finally emerging from the dark ages that started with the Arab oil embargo of 1973. For too long, GM has stubbornly refused to accept the future. Now, with the Volt project, Chevy is challenging Toyota and the rest of the world. All the way Chevrolet! The Bow Tie Rules! At last I can again be proud that my blood is not red, it’s Chevy engine orange. Perhaps the spirit of Zora Arkus Duntov still hovers near the halls of Chevy engineering.
Nice design, looks great on paper. If you build it I will seriously consider buying one. Until then, I will not buy a GM product. My next purchase is a hybrid or full electric.
I drive a BMW 328 now.
please make a regular electic car….Dont tell it cant be done..Henry ford built one for his wife..Granted he had to change the battery every morning…then work on the lithium battery concept… I know plenty of people that would by a small sporty electric car, wasnt it you that had the small pickup out in cal that the ranchers loved or was it Ford…anyway just make the regular electric car plug it in at night, go to work, grocery store, come home, plug it in…what is so hard for u guys to figure out, like i said make it a regular electric with todays batterys, and contue to work on the new battery concept…Joel
I fit your target market: my commute is about 65 miles each day, I’m an early adopter, and a car-guy. And what I’d like to see in the production Volt is:
2+2 configuration: I’d use it as a commuter car, and I would carry 3 passengers only at lunch time. When I want to carry my muddy mountain bike, I would use my SUV, not this car.
Keep the dual charge-points. The outlet in my garage is on the left, and an outlet at the parking deck at work would likely be on the right.
Top speed: at least 90 mph. My commute is fast interstate, which often reaches 80+ mph
Safety: Stability system, curtain airbags, excellent handling, and a strong rigid unibody for both active & passive safety. Your target here is the MINI.
Communications: I don’t care about OnStar or nav systems — since I follow one of about 3 routes to work every day, the chances of getting lost are pretty slim. But I would like a built-in noise-cancelling bluetooth microphone that I can bond to my cellphone, so that I can participate in conference calls on the way to work.
Quality: Keep the bean-counters away. Use materials that last and are appropriate for their use. Follow VAG’s lead on this — good design costs a little, bad design costs a lot. You also want a balance of quality — the interior should be of the same design quality as the exterior — you don’t want a mismatch like in the Saturn Sky.
Convenience & Audio: I’d like to see a Homelink garage door opener, and direct access to the music on my iPod. HID headlights would be nice, but aren’t required. LED taillights, however, are a must-have (both red stoplights and amber turn-lights) — they’re a safety item since they turn on faster than incadescent bulbs.
Price: If all the above are true, I’d be willing to pay $30k-ish, which is in the range of a similar Acura (they’re you’re competitor with this car, not Ford)
Thanks for listening, and I hope to see one in the showroom in about 2.5 years.
Please build this car! I am waiting to purchase a new car that it a plug-in hybrid or fully electric. This certainly has the right looks, that other hybrids have been lacking.
Simply said…please make the volt…!!!
Gm should build this car, period. There are already some in the automotive testing field “professinals” if you will who are allready doubting the possibility. prove them wrong. work out all the kinks on the battery, put in a smaller turbo diesel, do whatever it takes to make this car. even if interior quality is not up to par with honda or toyota there will be millions who will buy one and millions who will buy your other cars, diesel powerd trucks, and new hybrid SUV’s. (by the way the new hybrid escalade looks like a sweet way to make every one notice you more. stick that in your pipe and smoke it peta members).
Wow! I have been a GM/Camaro addict since 75, and I have been holding out for a gen5 Camaro…that is until I came across this, the Volt! It’s time has not come, it time has always been here…get this car in production, and I will purchase one…build it, and we will come…
Does anyone know what is the estimated release date for this car??.. I am Ready to buy one.
I want. Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!
Build it. I’ll buy it.
The same goes for any other automaker American or foreign.
‘Till the day I die, I will never buy a new car that isn’t a plug-in with realistic all-electric range (like the Volt). I will continue buying used.
The first automaker to market with a practical plug-in vehicle (like the Volt) gets my new-car business…period.
But of course I’d prefer to give my money to GM for a new car (like the Volt)
A few parameters. 1. It needs to look good. 2. It needs to be enjoyable to drive. 3. Quality should be evident in the design and materials. 4. It needs to come with an optional pack allowing a solar panel to be set up on your house so that it could be charged (from a battery, or from drawing from the power grid over the low demand night period, having contributed to the grid during the high power demand daylight hours – and truly reducing the enviromental impact of the car). 5. It needs to be able to support the normal comforts in battery mode (air cond, power steering, stereo). 6. The backup power source needs to be ecologically perfect (a fuel cell? A system of slotting in and out solar charged replacement batteries as part of the service at a traditional filling station? A highly efficient exhaust scrubbing system to eliminate emmissions?). 7. The backup power source needs to be powerfull enough to offer range without onerous compromise (ie a 300 mile range without needing to fuel the backup power supply, a comfortable 60 or 70 mph cruising lope with air cond and stereo on sustained over the entire 300 mile range). If the vehicle could meet these parameters it could be veiwed as a inexpensive zero polution commuter, with the capability for occasional long trips while still maintaining zero pollution and good economy – all within an enjoyable, enthusiasm generating driving package).
please build this car. I would like to buy american. My priorities are price $20k or less, little or no gasoline usage, and ability to perform adequately for daily highway commute.
In the short term, you competetors are “the smart car” that is coming to the u.s in January 2008. http://www.smartusa.com. Also, the Aptera touts some impressive features but they make no claims on market availability date. http://www.apteramotors.com
Please build this car… It can give you a stronghold in the emerging alternative fuels market especially if you get it out sooner rather than later. Plus properly market this product as well, people will buy if they know it exist. I will buy one and so would other family members.
GM,
For various personal reasons I will not purchase a car brought to the market by a Japanese automaker.
That being said my options in the electric/hybrid market are almost non-existent.
As someone that travels 250 miles roundtrip 4-5 times a month and 100 miles 6-7 times a month I will be first in line to purchase a vehicle from GM that incorporates this technology.
Let’s quit talking about it and build it!
Bradley
Build it! It’s about time an AMERICAN builder has a concept electiric car that people can actually drive. I don’t commute any more, but for short trips to the store, the electric only is great. For the longer trips, the 150 mpg/640 trip is GREAT!
Only one thing: Does it HAVE to look like Godzilla stepped on it?
I will be one of the first in live to buy this product. I have spent over $400,000 in my life buying GM vehicles and would love to help the environment by buying a car like the Volt. Please let me know as soon as you have these ready for production because I will put my deposit down.
Thomas
I have been against buying any GM vehicle since the company refused to leave the EV-1 on the roads, buy seeing that you are finally embracing the advantages of an ELECTRIC vehicle, not just an electric assisting motor, I pledge to BUY one of the first Chevy Volt when they make it to production.
Please continue the good work and specially the hard work on doing the right thing. Remember the mistakes of the EV-1 and create a marketing campaign that shows PEOPLE and CARS, each one excited about the other and remember the people they can go electric without the range limitations of current low-production EV’s.
Thank you GM for bringing the light and leading the future in America with a reliable Plug-In Hybrid!!!
At chevy you guys need to make cars muscluar looking like at dodge. This car is nice and i’d buy 2. Chevy is a family tradition in my family and unlike FORD (found on road dead) you will take new routes of cars and suceed.
I would like to see a chevy Equinox powered by this same drive train. You are using it for “Project Driveway” this fall. Why not drop the power plant in the same Equinox and you have a ready made plug in hybrid. Since I don’t live in the areas where you are testing the Hydrogen powered one, you can let me test the plug in Hybrid. If you are already making 100+ to test the fuel cell it would be less per unit to make 100 more gas/electric ones and you would have real world results. I would prefer an Electric Equinox over the Volt since the size fits my life better.
Please build this car. I am 27 and when I buy a new car it WILL be a hybrid, probably a Toyota or Honda because American auto makers have turned a deaf ear to the millions of us who need automobiles but hate that they run on oil. If the Volt were an option, I’d pick it up in a heartbeat. The sooner you catch on, the sooner you’ll regain your position as the #1 auto company in America.
Be the first company to make a hybrid plug-in, and bring this car to the market.
Finally the EV is back. I have been very disapointed with the car market for a long time, even current hybrids dont really make that much of a dint in energy dependance. Cars like this will definatly make a great difference and being sold under the Chevy brand name it is sure to make a huge splash! I would definatly be interested in something like this and same with my wife. My parents, friends are constantly winging about the price of petrol and I definatly would prefer to get my energy through the grid or with solar panels on my house. I loath how petrol prices are forever changing and rip people off with cycles etc. My only problem with this car is that im sure you could extend the range of the battery power easily. The old EV models from the 90’s had over 100miles range from electricity. PLEASE PRODUCE THIS CAR EVERYONE WANTS ONE!!!
You should build this car – beat toyota to the game.
I have been a die hard Toyota fan, but I am wowed by this car. I like the specs and looks. I would definitely buy this if (1) It was actually built and (2) It was made by American Labor. I would not buy it if it was assembled anywhere but the USA. Toyota has me because they assembled my last 2 cars in the USA, and they are building (or assembling) more innovative and efficient cars here. The efficiency is equally important to me as the need to keep my fellow Americans working. My message to GM, Build it and Build it here and you will have a customer in me.
Please make one in a wagon style. I need to haul tools, a ladder and supplies around town short distances. A small wagon with this type of drive train would be prefect. Thank you for thinking ahead, America needs answers GM at solve the problems.
Hello GM! Please build it! I’m hoping that with the Chevy name badge that it will be somewhat affordable – let’s hope that this new technology is affordable to the everyday working person, not just the rich elite. With gas today at 3.19 a gallon for regular, I paid 42.00 to fill up my tank that will last me a week. That’s 168.00 a month for fuel – in one car. My wife drives her own car as well. My commute is 60 miles round trip. The Chevy Volt would make real sense for me if it did not cost 30K or more. Please make it affordable. I can’t stress that enough! We already have enough high priced Vipers, Corvettes, Ford GT’s, Shelby Mustangs and the like. GM would be well advised to build a car such as this before the likes of Toyota or Honda hit the market with a similar one. Come on GM – just DO IT! Take this risk, if you price it right, it WILL pay off! USA all the way!
If you build this, I’ll jump out of my LEV BMW and back into an American made vehicle! Please bring it to market – and soon!!
I would literally buy one of these today.
We are ready to trade in our Saturn on a new vehicle. Looks like we will have to by a Honda Civic Hybrid instead.
But in 2010 I will be ready to trade my Honda Insight in on a Chevy Volt. Please build this car. Diesel or SVO would be a nice option as well.
My opinion is that GM shouldn’t have killed the EV1 and that this car is a little too late to make up for that. I already own and love a Prius.
It’s about time! We had an energy crisis 30 years ago and you are offering only a hybrid concept car at this time! Shame on you! Yes, get it built and on the market. NOW! These types of cars should have been built years ago. What are you waiting for? Another energy crisis in another 30 years?
Great car! Please build this technology. I would absolutely buy a car like this. The only thing I may night like is how small the windows look. Are they hard to see out of? I am all for the new technology!!!!
I am pleased to see that GM is revisiting the idea of electric drive. However, I am disappointed for more than one reason.
First of all, even mentioning hydrogen anywhere near this car cheapens the entire idea. Hydrogen is not clean. Hydrogen is the worst idea for alternative energy yet conceived, and has already set us all back billions of dollars and years of CO2 emissions. Hydrogen must be generated from other chemicals, such as water, which uses significant amounts of energy, which could be better used POWERING AN ELECTRIC CAR!
Ethanol is almost as bad. Instead of generating electricity with solar cells, instantly and at 20-30% efficiency, ethanol proposes to use thousands of tiny green “solar cells” (which are far, far less efficient than solar electric cells) to generate a chemical, which can then be burned in an engine at below 40% efficiency (a good electric car will use electricity put into it at 80+% efficiency, for comparison).
My second complaint, other than the mention of alternative energy bait-and-switch programs, is the use of 110-volt sockets for charging. I understand that GM, selling as many cars as it does, cannot personally install a 220-volt charger. However, selling a 220-volt charger would improve both time to charge and cost of charging by a lot, and not having a 220-volt charge capability for this vehicle is selling it short, just like GM did with the EV1.
My last complaint with this vehicle is its poor range. This car, with just a few hundred more pounds added to it, could have a safe, long-range (150+ mi) battery pack. Tesla motors uses a 1000-pound battery pack and gets 250 miles a charge. so, couldn’t GM have a 500-pound pack that got, say, 100?
Also, why is that 3-cyl engine turbocharged? Why add all the weight of turbo, intercooler, etc for a charging engine?
Honestly, it still looks like GM is trying to force people to use ICE engines, and gasoline (even if E85 or hydrogen were viable fuels, they’re not available anywhere).
I can’t knock this idea entirely, because it’s still the best electrically-driven car for the best price right now. But in 5-7 years, Tesla Motors will have an all-electric family sedan, with a range of probably 200+ miles. Good luck competing then, if this is all you’ve got.
Are you planning to combine a flex engine with a hybrid? I believe this will give you a superior competitive advantage
Love the idea, it will be a car to get in the near future, please start mass produsing the Volt soon. I love and enjoy the Cavalier I own, but would love to have a car like the Volt to use for work and please make sure it is affordable for not just the people how make a lot of money but for people who make about $20,000 a year ok GM. thanks.
What a shame knowing they had the EV1 technology before everybody, with a range of 40 miles for the Chevy Volt, keep on buying gas my friend. Look at the stats from an EV1:
-Freeway commuting with minimal stop and go: 130-150 miles per charge.
-City driving mixed with freeway (including “performance demonstrations”): 100-130 miles per charge.
-Worst case – hard use including driving in the hills: 75-100 miles per charge.
Nice concept GM but Toyota have already the same technology without the plugin feature (Prius)… but i’m sure it will be soon on there next car before 2010, and surely with a more advance technology. Hybrid technology is nice for long travel, but please be more serious and give this Chevy Volt a 100 miles range at lease, not with battery extender options please!
This is a wonderful concept car design. Most people use their cars to drive to work, shopping, kids to events and around the neighborhood. The scary thought about an all-electric car has been the unexpected event that may have let someone stranded by driving too far or not starting out with a full charge – not “balancing the checkbook”. But your plan to allow on-the-fly electric generation from comforting and widely available fuels is excellent. I would buy one today if it were available. Please continue this car program and get something into production – our world cannot wait!
Denny’s comments on 7 Jan got it right. This design is MUCH better than the 1st gen hybrids and solves the objection to pure electrics (What if I need to go more than 40 miles?). We know the electic mode will meet the daily requirements of most people, but this design prevents them from needing a 2nd car for longer trips. Every car built after 2012 should use this powerplant technology.
Can I have a Suburban version in 2011?
Only question – why did you make it look like a d*mn Dodge? Oh well – the real car can look better. You ARE going to build it, right? Don’t blow your chance to lead!
I love the idea of the Volt, even though the EV-1 looked better and imagine how good it would be with a mega giant auto manufacturer like GM behind it. I’m crushed that it didn’t survive because GM made a beautiful, efficient car.
GM has been working on the electric car for over 10 years, I find the projected 50 mpg estimate of the future Chevy Volt Concept lacking, when there are cars now that get about 60 mpg. However, I will buy a car from the first to create a fully electric car for about $10,000 more than I would pay for a non-electric car. I have no brand loyalty. Also I agree with another commenter who said a diesel-electric car would be something GM should consider. Perhaps if GM gets the ball rolling here we can stave off the Oil Peak crisis.
While we wait for GM, check out this electric car already coming off the production line (Not a Concept, a Reality): http://www.teslamotors.com/index.php?js_enabled=1. It’s too expensive for me, about $90,000. This car gets 135 mpg and runs 240 miles on one charge.
Well, I’m in the market for a new car. My Bonneville will last about two more years. I was going to buy a Prius because you destroyed the EV-1. Now this is proposed. If GM truly wants to impact the world as Henry Ford did with the Model T then you MUST build this car in the next 16 months or so. The foreign company’s are racing to beat you and if they do the USA’s car company’s will be relegated to past greatness. This car must have comfortable seats, up-to-date technology (music ports, gps, etc) and a reasonable middle class price point. Only then will GM be able to capture the market share once again. A Volt in every driveway should be GM’s new mantra….Henry Ford did it and he didn’t worry about the oil company’s desires or pressure….he did it for his company and you need to to!
MY GOD MEN.. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ?!?!?!?!?!?!
What happened to the EV-1?
Why are we going back in time for 25 years?
I speak for the huddled masses who eagerly await the coming revolution. Soon the day will come when we plug in our cars.
I will not buy another car until I can plug it in, and drive it at highway speeds, without gas. I would rather buy American but in this case I will get the first available plug in car that I can afford.
The technology is here, now, it is not a hurdle or a challenge. It is just a matter of priorities. If you want to grab market share and maintain and grow your loyal customer base you will make this a priority. If you don’t, you will lose, soon, to your competitors.
Sure you made the EV1, but not for everyone. When everyone can go to the local dealer and purchase or order a plug in electric car then the revolution has begun. I hope it is a GM dealer.
The Volt concept car is flashy but you really should put the volt drive train in your existing cars. Put it in the Sky and Solstice to really rock Teslas world. Put it in the Saturn Aura to create the perfect family car. Make an electric truck or El-camino. We want an Electric Chevy!
It makes no sense to engineer electric cars from scratch. Design electric, or hybrid, drive trains for the models you already have. Make it an option on numerous models.
Do it first, make it affordable, make it now.
Electric for everyone.
We hate buying GAS, at any price, it is liquid EVIL. Right now we have no choice, please give us a car that gives us a choice.
considering the hardships of the fuel-cell, this is a great idea, and i bet that the point was to use as few components as possible. hopefully all of the body parts can be made of the lightest materials available. ie; carbon fiber. the look of the car has to change though, to attrack a more wide range of people. also a small to mid size car and suv lines of that power train are a must. could the engine be any smaller than 3 cylinders and maybe with a k&n air filter? make sure to take it to a higher quality than your japanese competition, so i can say that it is worth owning.
Get the car to market for under 35k and I can guarentee myself buying one instead of having to buy a foreign market hybrid.
I want this car, badly. GM NEEDS to build this car. Chalk me up as another who will be knocking down the door’s at the dealership when this car is released. On that front, PLEASE make sure that the dealerships DO NOT begin their price gouging when this car is released. This WILL sour the release of this car, and alienate customers.
This is a great idea. You should definitely make these vehicles. You sould actually make several lines with this vechicle concept. There should be an economy line for the low priced market all the way up to the luxury line. One thing that always bugs me about technology that is supposed to be “green” is that the “green” technology is too cost prohibitive for most people. If you want to make a difference in the environment, you have to make it possible for all ecomonic groups to be able to do their part.
By the way, I love the chrome. The concept model looks super cool.
I am so excited about this car. I am so glad GM decided to revive the idea of an electric car. The American people may not have been ready for the EV1, but more and more people are realizing the benefits of being environmentally friendly. America IS ready for the Chevy Volt. Make it as fast as you can, we need it!!!
yes i will buy this car..but lets go!…consumers want this car NOW!! if you guys and the oil barons weren’t so busy ripping us all off, this car would be out already…yeah i saw”who killed the electric car” and i’ve been pissed at you ever since..and why not cover the whole car in that new solar adhesive?…THEN it’s also charging by the sun as well!!
(your welcome) GET US OFF THE NIPPLE OF OIL!!!
Hey GM now i know that you guys build this it will be alot cheaper then some pepole. But hey get on the ball Teslas woppin your @#! They got the lithiom ion battery thats big enough and theres doesent have any gas at all. O and also guess what there about to build a plant. but guess what you guys got all that crap so get on with it.
The body design is very impractical. The windows are too small. Visibility out of it must be horrible! A lot of space is wasted on the big hood. Take a look at the SMART car from Europe (smartusa.com). It has a great design and use of space. They have a total electric version. (www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/the_smart_ev_co.php)
Build something to be available in 2008.
If the Volt had been available when we recently purchased our Civic Hybrid, we would have seriously looked at getting a Volt instead.
So, now you have a few years (3, perhaps 4) until our now “older car” needs to be replaced. Please try to have the Volt available then.
If Honda can release a nicely-equipped Civic Hybrid for just over $20K, you could be VERY competitive with a Volt coming in at around $25K. And the Volt is a much snazzier-looking car, to be sure!
My feeling still is: you are not going to make this car. Why? Because you still use lame excuses like “The battery technology needs to be developed…” Bull! The battery technology is already there. There is plenty of cars out there that can be ordered right now (like the Tesla Roadster with a 250 mile radius) with Lithium batteries. Yes they are expensive (100 grand) but for a reason: they are sports cars and produced only in small series. GM would have the advantage of selling a mass produced car with much cheaper components. Are you really willing to go electric? I doubt it. The Oil multis still own you and they won’t let go off their highest profits in history, at least not in the next forseeable future.
Proof me wrong and BUILD this car!
The Volt is the solution I’ve been waiting for. I never had a chance to lease an EV-1, and had some doubts due to the limited range. But, truth is, a pure electric car would work great for me for most of my driving needs. My commute to work is less than 20 miles one way, so I’d do fine even with the 60 mile range of the pure electric EV-1.
But, the Volt’s E-Flex Drive System is ingenious in how it opens the car up to a much larger audience. The sub-40 mile drive range using the battery would work great for my commutes to work. The extended range using the flex fuel combustion engine would take care of my longer range driving needs. If the EV-1 could meet the needs of 90% of the drivers (quote from the movie Who Killed the Electric Car?), the Volt could easily meet the needs of 99.2% of the driving population. There are those who will insist on their SUVs and pickup trucks, but I’m hoping the E-Flex Drive System will trickle down to those models as well.
The Volt is a car whose time has come.
WE ARE WAITING.
The 40 mile electric range is impractical. Why 40 miles? Why not 60 miles? The standard commuter does more than go straight from home to work and back (you know; mundane things like shopping, lunch, transporting the kids to their extra-curricular activities, etc.). Why not offer mileage upgrade options to enable the customer to match the vehicle to the commute/errand range they need. Think practically!
Also, why don’t you take all that engineering know-how and step-up the production schedule on this thing and whatever else is in your electric-hybrid stable. Three years is waay too long. If it’s a money/talent issue. Surely some VCs will want to step up and help you out on this. Time is of the essence.
Please build the Volt with the following features:
o 30 hp diesel engine. As long as this output is over the average power consumption and system losses, why would this car need anything more? This engine can run all day on 2 gallons of diesel.
o optional solar panels for the hood and roof. I live in the southwest (almost always sunny) and average less than 10 miles/day on weekdays. Its not unrealistic to believe that solar charging may be sufficient for my weekday automobile energy requirements.
I can’t tell you how exciting this concept is. Please execute the project at the quality standards of the Prius and help us greatly reduce our gasoline consumption!
Gene
‘96 Metro
‘06 GTO
When can i buy one, because as soon as i can. I will
Great idea, BUT, don’t copy what’s already out there as far as size. There are enough small hybrids out there. Build a range of full-size vehicles all on the same platform (sedan, wagon, minivan, sport coupe, etc.) America likes bigger cars and Chevy can take the lead again. I believe most people would gladly give up 100 mpg for 75 mpg to get a full-size vehicle.
After 30 years of Chevy and GM vehicles, I defected for a Camry Hybrid, because the new Impala got less mpg than the Impala I was driving. I’ll come back for a bigger vehicle that does better than the 40 mpg I’m getting now.
PS – Don’t price it out of middle-class reach like you did with the SSR. You could have sold a whole lot more of them if there had been a V-6 version with less performance options. The HHR should have come out 5 years ago to have competed with the PT Cruiser, but it’s doing well even playing catch-up because it’s economical, gets good mpg and reasonably priced. Learn from the past and don’t make the same mistake with the Volt….please. Build what America wants and start production now using available batteries. Gen2 can always have better battery technology.
I love the Chevy brand and I will continue to invest in American made vehicles like the Chevy Volt. This car looks great and is what people like me are looking for! Iowan’s like myself want a safe and practicle vehicle, with power of course. More and more scientific evidence is placing the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emmisions in our hands, let’s keep Chevy ahead of the game. Today’s consumers are searching for the first car to meet their environmentally friendly expectations and I think Chevy will be true to it’s slogan, “The American Revolution.” Let’s manufacture and market these cars so we can invest in them!
Give it solar panels, increase the battery drive range to 100 miles, and redesign the exterior. Not everybody is into the super-long and and flat look. Also, four doors would be nice.
I really like the concept except for the overly futuristic designed exterior. It would be great if you could introduce this kind of engine into normal models such as the malibu or impala.
If you build it, they will come. Count me in!
I’d like a greater range, like 100 miles. That’s a holy grail that will be great for marketing, and even if I don’t use all the charge, by not depleting the battery every day, the battery will last longer (less recharge cycles).
How about a factory or dealer option to eat away at some trunk space with extra batteries?
Why is this still a concept? We need this kind of vehicle now – your new slogan could be GM – Green Matters.
Get Busy Boys!!!!!
It’s about time! I wanted to lease an EV1 back in 1997 but you never supplied them to Florida. Drove it at EPCOT. I would have used it to commute every day and for grocery store trips, etc. and saved my AWESOME Chevy Camaro SS for fun and recreational drives!
It looks like you’ve addressed pretty much ANY need/desire/complaint about EVs with this one! GREAT job! LOOKS great too! Now PLEASE, follow through and support (AND MARKET) your own product as well as support those who believe in it! MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS. PUT IT ON TV – EVEN THE CONCEPT!!! Japan would & does! Otherwise Japan will copy the idea and take credit for it 3 years from now as usual! Everyone out here thinks Japan was first (before the EV1) and that they invented all the related technology that GM invented! Which translates to confidence in YOUR COMPETITORS for YOUR WORK! What’s the matter with you guys?!
GM needs to MARKET it’s products better and TELL PEOPLE about the cutting-edge features/technology/research. Every time I tell people about the EV1, they either had NO IDEA about all the fascinating engineering that went into it (most aerodynamic, no transmission, REGENERATIVE BRAKES!) OR they never heard of it. People think HONDA or TOYOTA developed those for their HYBRIDS!!! TELL PEOPLE!!!
One question though. If you would let us know here or somewhere, great. Otherwise just be aware that people will wonder. The EV1 got up to 150 MPChrg at the end. I read that a 400 MPChrg prototype was in the works waiting for new battery technology back then. Even the Gen1 EV1 got up to 90 MPChrg and the lame Honda/Toyota copy-cat EVs got up to 70. The Writespeed X1 gets 150. Teslas 2007 EV gets in that range or better as I recall. So why does the Volt only get 40 MPChrg when you should (and HAVE ALREADY DONE SO) be able to get 3 or 4 times that? I hope you’re not trying to appease BIG OIL. People WILL NOTICE! And Japan WILL top that and GM will LOSE AGAIN! Don’t let that happen this time!
please build it! it would be a huge seller!!! i am waiting for them to come out so i can buy one. One way to laugh in the face of the oil giants and foreign oil dependance!
I want this car!!! Please build it before any foreign automakers do and you’ll have a HUGE hit on your hands.
It’s cute but the 40 miles on batteries alone is a joke. There are cars available right now that get over 250 miles on a charge, they are strictly electric but come on. This is General Motors, you guys should be able to get over 100 miles on batteries EASY, even with the gas engine taking up space. If this car was available now I would buy it though.
My current Car, a 1991 Mercury Sable with 293,000 miles is getting 30 MPG.
This is not a small car either, it packs a lot of steel and has a large footprint compared to todays cars.
I am still driving it today because no one has anything comparable, and it runs great (ok, transmission sucks though). This is the original engine, with just regular maintenance. I have never had it pulled apart, but I am on my third transmission.
Build us a tri-bred car. Hydrylics for the take off & stopping, electrics for the motor, and bio-fuels /solar roof for the recharge.
In the meantime, I would consider the opportunity to trade you my Sable for your Volt on a temporary basis.
What a great Idea!! As soon as I can afford a new car I will by the volt, unless you bring back an updated EV1, maybe call it the EV2. I think that would be a smashing success!!!!!
UGLY! But I want one anyway, NOW, because greedy oil companies making record profits while I struggle to pay bills really pisses me off!
I’ve been holding out for 10 years to buy a new car … waiting for a practical electric.
I’d buy the Volt today!!!
Just one small request, make it truly “Flex”ible by allowing extra batteries as an option to extend the range, don’t force us to buy an E-Flex combustion engine or hydrogen fuel cell.
Better yet, provide an open architecture that allows future electrical storage technologies to be added or removed as modules. The computer industry has successfully been doing similar things for many years. This encourages third party suppliers to jump in. Why try to do it all yourself?
Please build this car!!!! It’s about time we show the rest of the world that American engineering and know-how is still #1.
If GM doesn’t do this now, toyota will steal this concept.
I am and always have been a Chevy owner. I currently own a 2006 Cobalt, am having some issues, but overall am pretty satisfied. For the Volt, I like the design and the idea of reversing the hybrid model. I am not very fond of the interior styling of some of GM’s concepts (Camaro/Volt). I would like to see an Acadia like dashboard with OLED touchscreens and voice command… something to compete with Ford’s Sync System.. I’m sure Microsoft has licensed the software to them and reserved the right to develop it for other companies. As far as battery storage.. I think GM should jump in with R&D money with MIT and their Nanotube Supercapacitor research… if you are unaware, Ford has. Current battery tech may be moving as fast as it can, but it is definately not keeping up with consumer electronics. And sadly, current battery tech such as the Lithium Ion is hanging on to its title as “advanced” in the auto industry but it cant power my laptop more than a couple of hours.. and hours for recharge. In today’s world, you need to talk seconds not hours… supercapacitors, or some branch technology WILL HAVE TO bring that.
Hurry up GM and get this thing going, because Honda and Toyota are gonna eat you up in no time.
It’s time to join the 1990’s.
Build it already. I grew up in a ‘GM’ family, but bought a Honda CRX HF in 1992 because GM didn’t have anything that mixed style and fuel efficiency. Build it already, I’ll buy it!
I would like to say how wonderful I think your new concept is. I hope you put every effort to getting it to market by 2010. I am writing because I have two suggestions. First, when developing the next generation Delta platform you should consider engineering in the option of placing the electric motor in the rear. It would be wonderful to have a torque rich electric car with 50/50 weight distribution and true sports sedan handling. Second, please consider offering a diesel option at launch. If you plan on having a simultaneous launch in Europe you undoubtedly will need a diesel for that market. Given the small size of the engine you could evaluate the option of sourcing the engine form Europe as a way to not take on the risk of producing it here but give you a real opportunity to judge demand. My guess is you would be surprised at the demand for a diesel option. Plus, it would allow you to be the undisputed environmental champs of any car manufacturer.
Good luck
Please produce and sell this yesterday.
It is style and serious substance all in one. I wish you guys could start selling this ASAP!!!!!!!!!
It would overnight bring GM and Chevy back to the top and crash the price of oil. This car is not just a car. This is also a gateway towards changing global politics and taking power away from dangerous oil producing countries like VZ.
Please, Please, Please, for the sake of our world, produce this technology on all your vehicles as soon as you can.
Thank you.
The Chevrolet Volt $30,000 USD is a great idea, but what about a cheaper car (10,000) with an electric motor powered by the gas engine without batteries?
Since diesel-electric locomotive exist since 1925, why does General Motors have not done the same for cars since time ago?
Well, I am not an engineer.
Build this and I will buy my very first Chevrolet!
I understand why you’ve chosen to limit the charge capacity (but not why only to provide 40 miles). Batteries are expensive, heavy, take up space, and present a disposal problem. So if you limit the battery capacity to a typical day’s need, you get a lot in return. Perfect.
*** BUT ***, you’ve limited it to 78% of work commutes; not daily need. I think all of us out here would like to be able to ONLY USE GAS when we go out of town. 40 perfect condition miles per day may cover 78% of commutes but we all stop at stores, malls, restaurants, pick-up/drop-off kids, etc. I would like to be able to do ALL of my typical daily driving without using gas. I think for most of us that means > 40. I KNOW if you bump it up a little you’d have a GRAND SLAM! And you guys NEED it & deserve it! Don’t settle for a triple and let Japan hit it out of the park on you! You have a winner. Go 110% with it! And better EXPLAIN why it’s so much less than Tesla & EV1s (as I have above).
And DON’T WAIT until 2010-12!!! The Japanese will not. They’re surely working overtime to copy your idea as we speak . . . and they will use current batteries to bring it to market while you’re still waiting for your 400 lb battery to be developed! GM has a chance to knock Japan’s small Hybrids off the market with this. It should ALREADY be on the market with plans for other EVs (Saturn Sky, Pont G6, etc.). Forget the 400 lb battery! Tesla uses a pack of current laptop-style li-ion batteries for 250 MPChrg! Use 1/4 that amount NOW and get the car out there – even if lease only. And design the batt pack so when a better option comes out in 2010-12, you can swap them! The current batts should last until a better battery is developed anyway.
And ADVERTISE IT AND INFORM the public like JAPAN DOES!!! I feel like we need to hit you guys over the head and knock some sense into you! And if you EVER merge with Renault or some KOREAN company, I will NEVER buy a GM product again! What are you guys thinking to even HUMOR such an idea?! People have a much lower perception (failure/worthless/disposable junk) of them than they do American makers! Just BUILD GREAT CARS LIKE THIS ONE! NO EXCUSES! NO TEASING THE PUBLIC AND THEN DISAPPOINTING US!!! DO IT! Or Hire me and I’LL DO IT!
If GM wants to regain prominence as the best car maker in the world, they will take the lead with the production of a car with this technology.
GM wasted an opportunity with the EV1. I watched “Who Killed the Electric Car” and I don’t believe one word the excuse that GM put forth.
It was all about money and pressure from big oil and government.
If it’s one thing that GM bigwigs ought to know about economics is that when a new technology is created, so is a new industry. That’s how it has always worked.
If GM wants to make it right with the people…they’ll go with electric hybrid technology, and SOON!!
Otherwise Toyota and Honda will have all the market share. That is who I will buy my next car from since I believe they have the best interests of the consumer in mind when it comes to energy conservation.
Boggles my mind that GM cars have not improved the average MPG since 1985. I know it can be done and you’re enigineers are not stupid.
I’ve ranted enough, just build the car.
And stay AWAY from the hydrogen idea.
Thank you
Hi, I would buy the Volt. I live in the northern Arkansas mountains 19 miles from the nearest town I do business in. I live on an open ridge top overlooking a south facing forested river canyon and plan to add a wind generator to my land. I could let the constant night breezes charge up my Volt so I would never need to buy fuel for my everyday business travel. It’s very important to our society that these plug-in vehicles be developed imho.
what’s the point in still having the internal combustion engine? this vehicle uses Li-ion batteries right? well, if the EV1 used the same battery technology, it could have gotten up to 300 miles in a charge!
I think GM should produce a vehicle like the EV1, but that people would really want, to enjoy driving and take their family places! I’m sure GM could make a mid-size sedan, that could seat 5 passengers, and still have plenty of trunk space that could get up to 250 mpc (miles per charge).
and don’t make the car look weird on purpose! The EV1 was a beautiful looking car , from the front, but the rear side of the EV1 was the freakiest thing i’d ever seen!!
i hate the way this ‘volt’ looks… with the front wheels so far forward, and how can anyone see out those windows? (i realize it’s just a concept)
i think that GM should make another EV that runs solely on battery electric power that can get the range people want. YES, IT CAN HAVE THE RANGE PEOPLE WANT!
let’s say you drive this hypothetical EV2… you and your family want to drive from Los Angeles to Fresno, CA. (hint, i’m from around there) so you take off from your home, kids safe and comfortable in the back seat, with a fully charged battery. But you run into that gridlock on the I-5, don’t worry, you’re not wasting any battery, because the motor isn’t running, there’s no exhaust coming from your car, unlike the other thousands of cars around you.
when trafic picks up, you start to travel faster taking this vehicle fast enough to get a speeding ticket! maybe 85 mph?
say you run out of charge around Bakersfield, CA… after driving a few hours, you need to recharge… you might need a little lunch too, so just plug in your EV2 somewhere (there’s 110V outlets everywhere, so you can’t say “uh, where’m i gonna plug it in?”) You could have a quick one-hour lunch break at a Denny’s while your car charges in the parking lot! (yes, there are outlets in the parking lots)
you come back to see that you have 85% charge! oh wow! 85% over lunch!
so now you continue down the road, quiet and comfortable, in your EV2 until you get to your in-law’s in Fresno, and they say, “oh wow! what a cool car! how much does that cost at the pump?”
and you say jokingly, ” well, it’s like i pay 70 cents a gallon!”
you never have to get an oil change!
never go to a gas station again!
brakes last even longer thanks to regenerative braking!
conveinently charge at home or wherever there’s electricity! that means everywhere!
if anyone even thinks about commenting to argue with me, you’d better think twice, because there’s no way any configuration is better that this!
ya know what! i half about half a mind to go buy a chevy cobalt and convert it to a fully electric car that goes 250 miles to a charge. and then just recyle the internal combustion engine! why don’t you give people a choice like that?!!!
Companies constantly taunt us with what they could do, but rarely do it. The Chevy Volt should be built. America should lead the way. GM has always been a leader and Volt is something GM can tackle.
BUILD THE CAR!
Build it… and we will buy…
I’d like to add one more VERY important suggestion: You need to make the public aware of some things (you can see it even in these posts here from fairly informed & those interested enough to surf here). Let people know this car/tech exists, what it is, how it’s different, and the benefits of that difference (WHY THEY WOULD WANT ONE!). Heck, most people NEVER HEARD OF THE EV1!!! – Even when it existed! GM needs to let potential consumers know:
* That GM is EVEN conducting/leading such R & D (that goes for Hydrogen too – avg. person has no idea that GM was first approved for Hydro tests in Japan for example! I’ve told several friends in the DC/VA area about your upcoming Hydrogen SUV handout/test. They never heard of it! – TELL PEOPLE! Their perception is Japan does it all while GM sets mired in the past. Why? Because Japan TELLS talks to us. Japan steals your ideas, produces them, and SHOWS US! Japan actually invests and BUILDS on the PRODUCTION of these things.) – ADS & follow through.
* That the Volt concept even EXISTS! – ADS.
* Why this is NOT a hybrid and why it’s MUCH BETTER! (This is a PURE Electric-Drive with a generator onboard for recharging. No gas engine needed to boost power over 30 MPH or when accelerating like a hybrid. BETTER because can operate 100% GAS FREE FOREVER as a daily use vehicle and great (150MPG) to excellent (53.3 MPG) beyond when needed. People aren’t getting that already! – ADS.
* That, unlike a Hybrid, THEY CAN DRIVE GAS FREE WITH THE VOLT! (And can keep going when they need to!) – ADVERTISE!
America needs GM to pick themselves back up!
I would like to buy the Chevy Volt, soon and I hope you hurry as I am 71+. I would like to buy one that could operate without gasolene and all of those carcinogens from the exhaust – but I like the idea of a turbo/with/E85 to take advantage of the 105 octane fuel which is what your SAAB Division did and got better performance + more mpg’s??? You can do it so please build one VOLT for me before I die of waiting!!!
Jon PC= Jon Peacy
Gentlemen:
I’d like to get in on your field test of this product. What will it cost? To whom do I send my first installment (or the whole amount). Sign me up please. I’d like the bio-diesel version.
Currently, I have a Camry. For 20K I can have it converted to an AC drive electric vehicle. The same company will provide (for an additional fee), a small trailer to tow behind that runs on bio-diesel. This generator will do for the electric Camry what your FLEX system will do for the volt. Maybe the economy won’t be as great. But I can have it now. By the way it runs on current battery technology (not dependant on rare metal).
Don’t drag your feet or you’ll be left in the dust again.
Great concept car – I am excited to see this materialize.
Dear GM,
The very existence of your company is now at stake. Toyota will likely pass pass you within the next year to be the World’s largest automaker. Once it was said; ‘what’s good for GM is good for America’. Well, we can get back to that if the company could please suspend years of bad assumptions and terrible business models and build this vehicle. In fact, GM needs to build a four door version as well. The car can do for GM what the Model T did for Ford. So, gentlemen, it’s your future to either seize or destroy.
The electric vehicle is coming!(With or without GM) The American government and it’s oil industry can’t stop the European carmakers. The fuel over there is three times as expensive and the smog is as thick as in LA. The gasoline-Smart (http://smartusa.com/) is already one of the most successful cars in Europe (I drove a rental one when I was in Germany in March 2004, great car!). When they go electric they will outsmart GM and the Japanese altogether. The Gasoline version at British prices per today is only $13000 (US version is promised for next year @ $15000). And they ARE building the electric version already- see any of the European Smart websites (smart.com)
(GM isn’t going to start the Volt until 2010, maybe 2012…)
Yes, the Smart is a small car (it may take a while for the average Americans to reshape their car image – away from the monstrous SUV to the present shape of European cars) but small cars is what we need. If you think there ever will be a “fuel-efficient” truck or SUV- think twice. Heavy cars can’t be efficient. The Hydrogen powered Hummer given to Arnold Schwarzenegger is a joke! Heavy weight SUVs and conservation of energy/clean air don’t go together: Any cars, even electric ones need energy! The Hydrogen or the electicity will have to be produced using available energy sources (preferably clean ones!) and they are still restricted. The only valid solution to our energy/global warming/air pollution problem is one that includes conservation of energy. That means: USING LESS ENERGY. This again means: SMALL and/or LIGHT cars!
So GM, you did a nice job with the Volt-”Concept”: You got people’s attention. Now BUILD this car (to get the ball rolling) THIS YEAR and at the same time come up with the real solution: Give us a lightweight Electric-only Vehicle that cost less than a Smart and is build in the USA and has a larger range (150 miles will do) and offer the same technology as Mercedes does whith the Smart (or better!). Do this and I will be your customer again (I urgently need a replacement for my Chevy Corsica!)
Well…here we go again with rising oil prices and gas that will be at or over $3 a gallon this summer. I can’t stand it. I want this car and all anyone at GM says is “we have to wait for the battery technology to catch up”. That is crap! You create the car with the technology we have NOW. Then you allow for swapping out the battery pack when improvements come along. No excuses, no wavering. To do so will be GM’s death to foreign car makers. If you don’t think that they are trying to trump you, you’re fools and don’t deserve to stay in business. All along the big three US car makers whined about CAFE standards and begged the government not to raise them. Had you three increased mpg 1 mile every year since the late 70’s we’d have cars that get 50+ mpg now. But no, you allowed us to burn and waste gasoline and foul the air and heat the planet, all so the oil company’s could make the most profits in history. For what? All it’s doing is eroding the middle class in America. Disposable incomes are plunging. The Volt is a step in the right direction in reversing a multitude of problems that have been created. Build this now, get it into showrooms for the 2008 model year. You will have a runaway sales juggernaut and I will be one of the first in line to purchase one. Otherwise I’ll be turning to a Prius or one of the cutting edge Japanese introductions that are sure to hit showrooms in the next 16 months.
This is a great concept. Such a simple idea packaged so nicely will surely be a hit. I would be interested in knowing some performance specifications. Will this car be a practical commuter in traffic like DC where even a 20 mile commute may take an hour and a half? How is the acceleration and top speed?
If this car is produced I hope everything is done to keep it affordable. It’s important to make cars like this accessible to as many people as possible. From the looks of it GM has made it really desirable!
I personally think the volt is not only a great idea but one truly aspired by the demands of today’s eco neccesities. I would without a doubt trade in my 01 cadillac for that beauty.
Make this baby, and I’ll trade in my Beemer. Make it a ragtop and I’ll buy two!
Build it and we will buy it. Ethanol and biofuels are a scam but this is an answer to our energy problems and it looks awesome. Go Chevrolet!
Would it be possible to add more batteries to get, say, eighty miles of pure electric range???
awesome car!!!!!
Go GM.
Finally a real true electric hybrid vehicle that is very practical and family friendly.
Very sharp and attractive design. it makes a statement.
Leave it to GM to come thru with the car of the future. You make us proud.
I can’t wait to see it on the road. The only better thing you can do is make it reasonably priced so everyong can benefit from it.
This is a great idea, I thought I saw something about the possibility of the charge system possibly being a fuel cell. That would make the Volt a truly zero emission vehicle. Fuel cells have advanced quite a lot since the Hi-Wire concept. A fuel cell would be perfect in this situation, having a constant load charging the batteries would be the optimal use of a fuel cell. The power density of the fuel cell would probably be better than the combustion engines as well…
What a stupid, impractical design (i.e. style). Electric vehicle yes…how bout something a little more utilitarian…..a chop top oldtimers roadster I don’t need. Why do all electric/hybrid vehicles need to be either ugly or “concept.”
This is a winning idea. Execute it well and it can save the enterprise. I would like to see this with low/no-sulfur diesel, which may be a more optimal solution for running optimized for a steady-state generator.
Consider that electric motor drive has the benefit, in addition to being very efficient, of being very high-torque, so it should satisfy the power-hungry buyers who can step on it hard to feel good and show their friend, yet unlike V8 I.C.E., would be quite efficient under normal driving conditions.
I drive a Civic Hybrid. I would buy the Volt in a heartbeat.
If GM doesn’t listen to this crowd it will be only their lost because if these people don’t get their Volt they will buy a Tesla White Star next year
I want one! Particularly if you make a mini-van or truck version.
I love the concept. Everything looks great, but I AM TIRED OF WAITING! Get off your ass and build the damn car!
You can still sell them with less than optimal battery technology to people like me. I live less than 10 miles from work, so a shorter range Volt, that can be upgraded later with a higher energy density MODULAR battery pack would seal the deal for me. A 25-30 mile range would be just fine. I could even plug it in at work! I already own a vehicle I can keep for longer drives.
Why not generate some interest now? Why not get into the market now? Take the thunder away from other companies. There is no technology advances that are needed here. Pretty much everything is off the shelf componets. Why would a company like GM wait to produce such a vehicle? I just don’t get it. You are doing the research anyway, you might as well make some profits, or at least grab the majority of the market share and generate some loyalty.
This powertrain is the best idea to date. I can’t wait to see it in the showroom and trade in my WRX for a *gasp* GM. If GM decides to build any vehicle with the plug-in E-flex driveline, they will become the leaders of the hybrid revolution, instead of watching Toyota win by a landslide!
Finally! If you build it, they will come! I believe we all want to have an attractive form factor of vehicle that is also good for the Earth and saves $$ at the same time. Keep it up and make it affordable (buy/lease)
The Volt concept is fantastic. MANY Canadians and Americans would buy cars that are capable of reducing fossil fuel use. If GM can jump ahead of the competition with an electric power train they may just be able to save themselves.
To Some Bloggers Here:
THIS CAR IS NOT A HYBRID!!! It’s WAY better. 100% Electric Drive with an onboard FLEX-FUEL generator to recharge the batteries that ONLY RUNS when the batteries are nearly discharged. Hybrids use 2 synchronized engines to drive the wheels and the gasoline engine runs at any time using gas (just SLIGHTLY less of it) at any given time. THIS CAR can run FOREVER ON 100% ELECTRICITY as a commuter car (if GM boosts the charge capacity a bit more than 40 – 60 should cover commutes PLUS stops at the store & dropping off kids, etc.).
GM:
This is something you HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC so they will not think this is just another Hybrid (with Flex-Fuel which will probably appear on Japan’s worthless Hybrids soon making them a little less worthless).
And GM, Build this car and STICK WITH IT! Build on it like Japan is doing successfully with their Hybrids. And as a result they are selling more and more – offering more and more choices – selling more and more – repeat – repeat – build – build! Don’t drop it if sales/leases are low at first (LIKELY DUE TO POOR MARKETING!!! People need to be educated about these things, told why it’s awesome, and that the thing EXISTS!!!)
And don’t THRILL us with the awesome styling but then make a BORING version of it when you produce it. (I don’t know how you guys finally did it – the style is AWESOME! – Interior needs to be less cheap plastic-y though! – you can finish it inexpensively but well like the late Z28 Camaros for ex. – but with a less boring steering wheel – see Ford Mustang’s) And forget the handful of boring geezers who want a boring car (there must be a lot at your company – we all believe that out here – FIRE THEM!). All the younger people who buy cars more often and will be future customers (or NOT) DON’T WANT BORING CARS! We don’t want to be bored and disappointed. And we don’t want to have to make excuses to our friends why we bought a GM! We want to buy a car that turns our heads and turns our friends’ heads. We want THIS CAR (with a less cheap-y looking interior)! COOL, EXCITING, HEAD-TURNING, GAS-FREE, and PROUDLY AMERICAN FOR A CHANGE!
(Good job on the Saturn Sky b.t.w.! – ADVERTISE IT!)
I love the look and the idea of the Volt and hope to see it soon. I wonder if it could come in different packages. What if you used a hydrogen/Diesel engine like the one Ford has? Would that not help in bringing hydrogen to market? Would it not also help free the U.S. from depending on oil imports? Lets hope we will find out.
E-Flex is a great concept, and is exactly what is needed to reduce our dependency on oil.
As others have mentioned, diesel-electric
trains are in development that are similar in
concept to E-Flex. Perhaps you could
work with one of them to bring E-Flex to market
sooner? For example, here is a link to what
GE is currently doing:
http://ge.ecomagination.com/@v=030820071036@/site/index.html#hybr/introduction
If you build this, please try to ensure that
you invite EVERYONE to the party: everyone can’t
afford to buy a $30,000 car. You need to have
multiple price points so that everyone feels
that you have a car for them that gets great
gas mileage, helps the environment, and is
affordable. Perhaps you could also build a
two seater commuter car called the Chevy Spark?
My entire life, my cars have always carried the Dodge nameplate. If you build this car, it will definitely be my first Chevy.
Sign me up for two today. This will make up for the mistakes made with the EV-1. I want to buy American, but I will buy a Japanese Hybrid if this doesn’t come to market soon.
BUILD THIS CAR!!! man that car is the best idea so far by a long shot!
First, thank you for re-introducing the electric car. With the gas price now a day. This is the car that everyone has been waitint to buy. The idea is great,and so the design. I just hope they could build another one with the same method, but more family friendly style. And hope that the quality would be great too. Otherwise, other auto makers would copy and make better quality car than GM.
I love it, but I want more… Please consider the following suggestion to make the all production Chevy Volt even better:
Add a 120 volt convenience outlet to the vehicle. The year before last we lost power for about a week during an ice storm. Like everyone else, I had to go out and buy a small generator to keep my family warm and quickly found that stores sold out of them fast. Imagine how much nicer it would’ve been to have a plug in hybrid that could provide the emergency power source I needed with having to drive all over town to search for a generator that for the most part will sit unused for years and may not start if ever I need it again.
Don’t let this car slip through you fingers, because if it’s not on your showroom floor it will be on someone else’s and I’ll be buying theirs.
Please feel free to use this account for your marketing or sales.
The new volt looks great hopefully gm will continue with these sleak high performance looks in the future.
IF Chevy pulls off this car without a serious glitch, it could be the first time I’ve considered buying a Chevy, rather than a Toyota, in 25 years.
Love the car! Please make it ASAP!!!
I would love a wagon option, so I can haul all of my work stuff with it. I need a wagon for my job- I refuse to go SUV- too big and hard to get into, park and drive in the city, for me at least. Not to mention, SUV’s seem like a glorified truck! A cute, peppy wagon about the size of the Ford Focus would be ideal.
Build this one ASAP and knock some wind out of Toyota’s sails!
I read through the posts here, plus with the poll you’re running…there are a LOT of people willing to buy this vehicle! Me included! That alone should give GM management a reason to push this vehicle forward NOW!
Growing up, my family has always owned GM vehicles, and I’m proud to have continued that tradition! Our two latest vehicles are my wife’s ‘03 Pontiac Vibe and my ‘05 Crew Cab Silverado.
We all understand that you want to make a truly flexible vehicle, but it’s okay to start “small”. There’s plenty of available technology for you to make an EV2 or hybrid right now! You don’t have to wait for the next big technology break-thru to pursue this! Build what the people want! There are a lot of small companies that are doing conversions or building from scratch and doing them well. Hit them up to help create/design the next best seller, or buy them out and incorporte their technology!
Iran is creating yet another conflict for us and gas is starting to push up to the $3.00 mark again and it’s not even summer yet! Plus don’t EVEN get me started on the big oil companies making nearly $40 BILLION in PROFIT per year!!!
America needs an American EV/Hybrid NOW, and GM has the know-how and the dealer network in place to take advantage of mass marketing them!
Please give us what we need and want!
I love the idea for this car! I will be looking buy a new vehicle (I’d love to stay with Chevy) within the next 5 years. If you make it an affordable, good looking, and enviromentally friendly car you can’t lose with this one!
Build it and it would change the equation with the oil companies
Super idea! Great looking car! Can’t wait to get one.
The electric propulsion is the future of transportation, no doubt about it!
The range extender is now necessary because of the lack of performance in actual batteries… Or because the Petrol industry is still too powerful?
Great idea. I read a recent review about the batteries and keeping them charge and your idea about an engine generating electricity is also very good. But what if you built a solar collector into the roof and hood of the car, then convert it into electricity. Most are usually parked outside for a long time anyway!
Ok
I have been waiting for this car since 1973. Where has my electric car been??
Lets push the electric range and should it not be possible for engine to run 0-100% ethanol?
This car would be a perfect fit for me as it would satisfy all commuting without using fuel. The range extending back up generator could be an option, reducing the cost, but for most would be necessary. This vehicle should be fast tracked to the market or other automakers will beat GM to it. The battery technology is adequate for this vehicle, just expensive, for now.
Electric drive is our only alternative to the transfer of wealth to middle eastern countries and regimes that will threaten our national security in the future.
The the CEO of General Motors:
With all due respect, may I make a couple of suggestions?
1.) Kill off all other concepts and produce this one. To ignore the consensus here is fiscal suicide!
2.) Roll out not only an E-Flex sedan, but also an E-Flex minivan and an E-Flex pickup truck. I would trade my Toyota Tacoma in an instant if I could get an E-Flex pickup truck!
3.) You have been listening to the customers now for a couple of years. Hear us now! We not only want this, we NEED this vehicle! Push up the production date to late 2007/early 2008 and you’ll sell out very, very quickly! You will not keep these on the showroom floors, and you’ll rattle the cages of every other single automaker worldwide.
Based on the responses here, this vehicle holds a worldwide audience. It would be highly unwise to deny them!
Show the world what General Motors, the UAW, and the United States can do. Forget all other concepts and build the Volt!
You make Louis Chevrolet proud once more!
Way to go Chevrolet!
Only the Best will Do
I don’t need an electric car which speeds from 0-60 in 7 seconds. I don’t need an electric car with a 500 mile range. What I do need is a safe commuter/around town vehicle(40 mile range is perfect, I have never lived more than 20 miles from work) using today’s battery technology. Simple, reliable, plug, charge, and drive. I know you can do it. Don’t make me wait for a “pie in the sky” battery technology, because you think I want an environmental replacement of 110% of the capabilities in my current gasoline vehicle. No need for DVD player, no need for huge cargo capacity, no need for high performance stats. It just needs to be an affordable, basic people mover. The world needs fewer concept cars and more reality cars.
Like many others posting here, this will be my next vehicle if GM can get it to production for under $30K.
I already decided that my next car will be an all-electric. Not a hybrid, an all-electric. After doing the math on the Prius and hearing the real-world mpg I realize that they are a bunch of hype. Saving some gas is better than not at all, but my Camry gets as good highway mileage as the Prius, and it’s bigger and more comfortable.
This car would meet my commutting needs. The “extending range” option is the genius part that will make it practical for non-EV nuts like myself to buy.
Now on to the requests:
1. Make the battery pack upgradeable. Technology will certainly improve. 5 years later it would be nice to upgrade to more efficient batteries.
2.MAke the “range extender” engine the most efficient one possible. There’s a debate going on in these comments as to whether that means diesel or gas. I don’t know the answer, but that’s what degreed engineers are paid for.
3. Have the courage to take the leap and make this the best car you can. That will put you ahead of the pack and allow you to stay there — much as Toyota thought they would do with the Prius. I would never have considered buying an American car. But this one — I will.
4. Work on getting the electric range up even higher. I want to have zero-emissions as long as possible into a drive.
5. Consider making the electric motor upgradeable. As that technology improves over time — as it will — it would be great to be able to go back 4 or 5 years after original purchase and upgrade the engine, just like the batteries.
6. Spend some time making the electricity-absorbing components as energy-efficient as possible. I’m talking about a/c, radio, cd player, dashboard displays, lights, etc. The more efficient these components are, the higher the all-electric range will be. Like most people, I am not about to give up my a/c on a 90 degree day, and I got to have my music.
7. Build some solar collecting into the roof. Maybe solar panels could go onto the roof and trunk lid too? It may not be a ton of electricity, but every bit helps.
8. Possibly contradicting #7, but… I want a moonroof option. I love it. It makes me feel less cooped up in a car. It would be hard to go back to a totally enclosed car.
9. Make enough of them the first round that they are readily available everywhere. Learn from Toyota’s mistake about not building enough of the Prius. The long waits and jacked up prices (some dealers were selling them for $6K over sticker) was ridiculous. That’s why I didn’t buy one. It also kept them from being as visible on the roads as they could be. You want your electric cars out there en masse, in the public consciousness, so lots more people will be into them.
Good luck. These cars can’t get here soon enough.
The next vehicle that I buy will be one that I can plugin and charge from my solar system.
So if GM want my money they will have to build this or similar cars.
I would also like to be able to use the vehicle as a generator.
This is a vehicle that shows that GM gets it. That “it” is not all about big trucks and SUVs. It’s not about $60 to $100 per week fuel bills. This is one of the few american cars I am excited about and not just the fuel flexability in it but the looks. It would be great to see a car very close to this concept come to production with the same lines and open feel. I look forward to seeing how close and how soon a Volt like production vehicle can come to market.
I love the design and soon will be commuting 20 miles round trip to work and less than 2 miles round trip to any store makes it a very attractive concept for me. I would buy one in a heart beat. My only question is how much power does it draw in the 6.5 hour full charge mode? That way comparing cost could be easier. I currently own a GM vehicle, And a VW vehicle for commuting to and from work which is currently a 150 mile round trip. I would keep one traditional gas/diesel car and one EV Flex vehicle untill the infrastructure was built up. This type of combo could be an advertising idea with so many households having 2+ cars nowadays. Market it as the “GM’s Total Solution” One shorter range vehicle for local commutes and one traditional GM vehicle for longer or continuous duty.
If the E-Flex things that let the Volt run on fuels other than electricity was removed, and the Volt could only be run on electricity, would that increase its electric-only MPG?
But that’s one thing I keep hearing: there isn’t going to be one solution to global warming. It’s good to see the auto industry – especially such a large company as GM – take on the challenge.
When available???????
We in Europ would love a car like this…
Belgium Eu
Well I think I have a responsibility to add another vote to the production of this vehicle. This concept of an e-flex engine really does sound like the real bridge across the current and future market. As long as this comes to market with a price tag under $60,000 I’m sure it will do well. Though I am actually a Mustang guy I have to support this even though its a Chevy.
I’ve driven electric vehicles for years and will need another one soon. Please get this one out ASAP! Don’t wait for the lithium technology to be good enough for you in 3 years or so, use NiMH. Even a 20 mile all electric range would be a start. Market as a Chevy pReVolt … as in a revolt against global warming, Big Oil, War, economic strains, etc, etc … make sure it runs on E85, better yet vegetable oil (but you need to get it to market ASAP so probably E85 would be quicker).
Also please design in the ability to offer a 240V variable rate and voltage fast charge option. Preferably 50A NEMA 14-50 plug capable, or at least 32A 240V to fully use the existing public charging infrastructure.
i like it. i dont need that much car though. im more interested in saving gas/air/water pollution. make a 2 seater thats lighter and smaller. not some 10000000000$ model eihter. something afordable thats small and light. we can keep on fighting oil wars in the middle east or you car makers can do something smart for a change. if you actually advertise these cars unlike the ones you made in the late 90’s the electric car might actually stand a chance. make a 2 seater. i dont have a family so i dont need all that room and wasted weight.
Please build this car and FAST!I think many Americans are ready to make the switch to electric but still want style to go along with it. Also, please make a minivan,there are many of us that need a short range-large space vehicle for transporting the kids all over the place. SIGN ME UP!
second post: smaller and lighter. thats my vote. from what i keep reading, hydrogen is a wash. boils off too easy. MIT said that years and years ago. anyone preaching hydrogen is just trying to confuse the issue and keeps us from real changes from oil to something new. growing food to turn into gas sounds dumb to me. save the water for people. push the electric boundry and think solar too. recharge my car while its driving, sitting, while im at work. make it lighter. i dont often see more than one person in a vehicle either. look around, you’ll see what i mean. i could get by with a single occupant vehicle. never needed a 6 passenger car ever. sounds unrealistic but maybe its time to think outside the box before everything melts.
you killed the electric car. bring it back to life.
Cool technology and HIP enviro sells product. Get this on the market and put a huge gap between GM and the competition! BUILD ‘EM AND THEY WILL SELL!!!
YES!!!! Please produce this car, I would definitely buy it!!!! The people and the environment desperately need an electric vehicle.
I am very excited about the volt. I can’t wait to buy one in 2010. Please make them available as widly as possible. If not just make one available for me in central Wisconsin. I will have a miniature wind turbine installed on my rooftop by then so a portion of the charge will be taken out of thin air.
Why didn’t I see any Volt coverage at the LA Auto Show? It seems California is in a good position to support this product.
Take care,
Carlo
Add this foreign car owner to the list of people interested in the Volt.
I have never owned a GM vehicle but would be very interested in purchasing this one should it be placed into production.
I’m about a year and a half to two years away from my next car, so hurry up
.
As a current Hybrid owner and a 60 Mile per day commuter, I know first hand the savings these types of cars deliver.
I can’t wait to buy a VOLT plugin and really save fuel!
Sign me up!
I would hope that GM would get this project up and going as fast as possible or it’ll be left behind by Toyota and Honda (again).
If the Volt becomes available soon, I’d love to buy it! I’ll be looking for a new vehicle in 2 – 3 years!!
If it was affordable you would sell them out in weeks. Its time to move forward and bring the vehicle to the masses.
Great Concept! The plug in as primary power is the key. Now link it to nuclear power plants to solve global warming and reliance on foreign sources of oil. Then you have a true paradigm shift. France generates 70% of their electricity from nuclear power plants. We generate only 20% of ours from nuclear power plants. France is safe. They have had no problems. We can triple our 104 existing nuclear power plants and still be 10% behind France. Demand for electricity is high in the daytime and low when we sleep. Simply triple our nuclear power plants, run them at full capacity 24 hours a day and use the excess electricity at night to recharge the Chevy Volt battery for use the next day. Nuclear power plants emit no greenhouse gasses. Electric motors emit no greenhouse gases. Nuclear power plants do not use foreign oil. Electric cars do not use foreign oil. Imagine the freedom gained by our foreign policy if we had no vital interests in the Middle East because we did not need their oil. Chevy Volt + more nuclear power plants = a very good future. In fact, it could be a paradigm shift. As development continues work to expand the battery capacity. Try to get up to 200 miles on a charge. After 4 hours of driving a person will be ready for a meal anyway. Work on a battery that will take a flash charge in 1 hour so a person can recharge while eating dinner and then drive for another couple of hours. Then you would have truly practical vehicle.
I will believe it when I see it. GM builds concepts and Toyota builds the cars. GM be first for once and make this happen and don’t let this go the way of the EV-1. If you make it happen, I will buy one otherwise I will buy the Toyota when it comes out.
I am ready to order, get this thing on the road NOW. Even if it is not perfect, being able to drive around a few kms without burning gas is WAY COOL. I know there may be some challenges in a cold climate but nothing that an electric preheat while plugged in couldn’t solve. How about a turbo charged small displacement engine to drive power accessories and create heat white having a turbo boost to increase available generating capacity when the battery condition becomes critical. I have a 2 liter eco turbo in my Saab and the thing rocks. 6 litres per 100 kms easy going but 200 hp as needed. A 1 litre turbo could deliver the goods in the volt with outstanding results. Also, I don’t know how you see the regenerative braking working but a simple solution would be a mid-point acclerator system where the mid point is neutral (coast), the depression supplies power and the released position would engage the regeneration. The actual brakes would then be only for hard stopping and could in therory be very rarely used. I wanted an EV-1 but it was not available in Canada. Get the Volt up here ASAP. Thanks
Our country and the world needs a car like this and others like them now. The future of our children depend on these kind of decisions big companies like GM make. As the baby boomers begin to retire this car will be a big hit with them. I know i will buy one.
JUST BUILD IT — WE WILL BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I called my local Chevy Dealer today and told him to put my name at the top of his list for first customer to reserve one of these. He agreed and put my name down for first customer reserved.
I am going to be sure to be the first person in northeast Oklahoma to get an e-flex Volt. Don’t let us down GM – make this happen!
Build it! I would buy it. I commute about 40 miles one way
and work at a generating station
so plugging it in would be no problem. If you need someone to field test it I’m ready.
PLEASE BUILD IT – It would help us as well as your company. I have the money where is the car. Do I have to buy a Tesla?
I’m anxiously awaiting GM to come out with a more fuel efficient car. Although I’m happy with my 2006 Malibu which is doing 40 miles per gallon. I want to get into something even better then that.
The volt looks nice to me.
Kevin
I own a Prius, and have driven Toyota vehicles for 15 years. I’ll be the first in line to buy the Volt when it comes to market. Finally, a US car company that isn’t afraid to go head to head with Japan on clean cars. Thanks!
I LOVE THIS CAR!
BUILD IT!
I WILL BUY IT!
I don’t buy American cars, but if this car was on the market today, I would.
I realy hope GM goes ahead and makes this type of vehicle. My last GM purchase was back in 1980. If this comes out I will be back in your show room. I was so disappointed when you dumped the EV1 and thought the foreign market would be the only one to turn to. I agree with others that this could help GM. I hope if you do this you also create a good support group for do it yourself repair guys like me. It seems in the past the foreign cars are way past you on this. You have my attention… get producing!!!
I love the idea behind the car though it’s less than aesthetically pleasing. I would definitely be interested in purchasing one if there were changes to it appearance.
I want one. Where is MINE?!?!?!?
Do it,for God’s sake build this vehicle and I’ll buy one.However,please take these points into consideration:
-Give it some style.Please don’t follow the Prius/Insight “stupid look”.Some of us are car people.
-How about offering several body styles unlike the competition.A ragtop,sedan,wagon and what about doing an El Camino?After all,some of us on occasion haul a little more then people…
-Keep the prices on earth and don’t let the dealers gouge us on the initial batch!
I currently drive the 87′El Camino I purchased new.It’s been a wonderful car and kind of an investment as a collector car.A new Chevy after 20 years of faithful service would be nice,one with the potential of the Volt will result in my ordering one!
You guys are in a gloves off,bare knuckle,knock down drag out fight for your lives so heed the consumer’s words and put Chevrolet back where it was when I was a kid.ON TOP!
Just make sure you plan to build plenty so you don’t have 80% of your buyers on a waiting list or worse, moving to buy a Toyota “Amp”. You can bet that the foreign car companies see the excitement around this car that just makes so much more sense than a hybrid, and it will be a race to market.
I would buy this car today if it were available and affordable. PLEASE PLEASE release this one soon!! It’s the perfect solution for my needs!
We are beyond thinking about it. We are beyond talking about it. We all need to move toward a sustainable future as quickly as we can. Bring back the EV-1. We need this mature technology on the road NOW! Build a car we can drive presently. Build it to be modular, like a computer, then upgrade the batteries as they improve. Why wait?
Build the Volt and people will buy. Plug in flex-fuel hybrids are the wave of the future, not hydrogen. I want one yesterday.
We are supposed to be a leader in automotive innovation. GM has the experience from the EV1 project to release the best of both worlds. Electric for short distance commutes, and flex fuel for long distance- both domestically produced- both in our nations best interest.
Just make sure you market it correctly. Don’t make the mistake of the EV1 days and deliver a remarkable car that is only known to a small percentage of Americans. Tell us how fast, how far, how much- show the style, performance, and numbers, and you will have people waiting in lines to take this thing on a test drive.
By 2010, I’m really hoping one of the big 3 will have a good flex-fuel PHEV ready. The technology is here today. Just wrap it up in quality engineering and deliver it at an affordable price. I would pay +$3000-5000 on top of the price of a gas car for a PHEV.
I suggest forming a line of PHEV vehicles. One size doesn’t fit all- but one company with several PHEVs can. I will be a first time GM buyer if you do it right. Give it a chance GM! Build the Chevy Volt!
Hey, I’m sitting here with 5 friends, we were thinking of buying new Altimas, but now that we saw your car we will surely buy your car. We just love it and the second it comes out you will get 5 new customers;) (and maybe my little lady to
Build it already! If you don’t get it here soon, I’ll just have to buy another Japanese car.
One other thing, when you build this thing, please keep in mind that many of us want it for it’s practical benefits (ie I won’t need to buy gas to get to work and my cousin can come back home).
Please note that:
1.I am not trying to make a political statement.
2. Don’t design this thing so that only persons with pocket protectors would belong in this thing.
3. Allow me to choose real tires/wheels and not those super-low-rolling-resistance ones that probably don’t brake or handle in weather well.
4. Allow me to be able to load some bags of groceries alongside a gym bag.
5. Let me have a sunroof and consider a roadster!
First of all, congratulations to GM for going the serial hybrid route. (Note to GM: stop calling it an “electric car”. If it burns fuel, it is still a plug-in hybrid.) I’ve long believed that it’s best to take advantage of electric propulsion and relegate the combustion engine to generator duty. Unlike a parallel hybrid, this arrangement can go fully electric with a minimum of re-engineering. The series architecture alone would lead me to choose the Chevy Volt over any other hybrid vehicle.
Some other things I’m fond of are windows. I’d appreciate a design change to make the vehicle look more like a normal passenger car and less like a miniaturized armored personnel carrier. I can’t say there’s anything in the styling that I actually like.
What confuses me the most about this car is the range. GM is claiming 40 miles from a 16kWh battery pack, for 2.5 mi/kWh. That number doesn’t seem to agree with other electric vehicles that have been built with lithium batteries. Wrightspeed claims a range of over 100mi from a 25kWh pack (4 mi/kWh), the Tesla roadster claims 250mi from a 50kWh pack (5 mi/kWh), and AC Propulsion’s tZero prototype had an observed efficiency of 170Wh/mi (6 mi/kWh). While all of these cars are light two-seaters that don’t have to lug a gas engine around, I’m surprised that the Volt is only getting half the range per unit of electric energy. I would have expected a 16kWh battery pack to produce a range of about 60 miles in this application.
What worries about this concept is that the publicity still shows the overly-conservative attitude toward electric propulsion that doomed the EV1. Note how the word “concept” seems to be part of the car’s name, and how the battery technology is still talked about like it isn’t ready. Please, GM, stop wringing your hands and just build the darn thing!
Why doesn’t GM start taking “soft orders” or down payments on the car? Fully refundable, of course. But GM could use the interest in R&D of the Volt. I’d but down $5-10k if fully refundable. No reason not to, it’s working for Tesla.
I just got back from the NY auto show and saw the Volt. We cant wait until 2012!!!! Build this for release by 2008-2009 and you’ll have a HUGE impact in the market
I’ve been looking for a car like this for 25 years. I’ve even considered building my own. I would like to see a built in photovoltaic charging system as a option. Most cars sit in a sunny parking lot all day while their owners are at work.
we NEED an electric car….start making it already so I can buy 2 or 3!!!!!
How long ago did you have a successful electric car??? And now you are showing one off a decade later as a concept? You had the technology a decade ago so just build it already!
Build a small SUV, Car and truck…all electric and you will have a success on you hands…that is if big oil doesn’t get them dirty first.
If you make it cheap, then great. But as other people said, Tesla and other companies are doing better. The ZAP-X SUV has 644 HP and does 350 miles to the charge for only $60k.
Please do not delay to long I am 69 and would love to have one of these electric cars before it is too late for me and the country. If the tesla car will be on the road this year, why don’t we get fired up and build. Step out on a limb and watch the country flow to your show rooms.
PLEASE build this car ASAP!! I will be purchasing one at my local Chevy dealership the first day it hits the showroom. I would love to drive back and forth to work on a daily basis and never use a drop of gasoline.
I think it’s great that Chevrolet is working on this concept. The car is a little ugly, though. You won’t be able to please everyone on that score. The Prius is ugly too, and look at its sales. I am driving a Ford Escape Hybrid at the moment and really enyoying the SUV experience together with 33 mpg avg. But as other posters have mentioned, this hybrid business is just a stopping place along the way. I love it that the Volt offers different fuel options as well as the electric capacity. That bit is brilliant.
What about a small SUV style for families and sports-people? The stylishness without the guilt!
Best of luck, GM!
In the late 90″s I told some friends at Ford they needed to be selling a car like the Prius because the price of gas will be going way up soon. They finally came out with a Ford Escape ( a good vehicle but too high priced) So we bought a Prius instead a great car…. HOWEVER GM is getting ready to produce the true second generation vehicle, the Chevy Volt!
This is your chance to bring GM back as a true automotive leader and stay as the #1 auto company.
If you can make this car with great mileage that will use primary electric power, next generation battery , plug in capability, a tuned fixed RPM alternative fueled generator for long trips ( maybe all wheel drive?) and affordable!… the world will beat a path to you…. including me.
It’s really disheartening to see all of these vehicles with the “concept” tag as the companies touting them don’t really intend to mass produce them. If Chevy would actually produce these cars for the masses, and offer them at a fairly reasonable price (ie, not at a crazy premium just b/c of what it is) then I would definitely step in line to buy it. Oh, and one more important note – I have never purchased, nor have been interested in purchasing a Chevy product until now. Come on Chevy, do the right thing – get back in the game and win some new customers while helping wean this country off its oil dependency!
I am happy that an American car company has a plug in hybrid concept car. I wish it had the versatility of a small station wagon.
I have been burned 3x by purchasing GM vehicles – that is 100% of all the GM cars I have purchased have had serious quality problems and didn’t make it to 100 K. It would take an awful lot to get me to consider a GM again; this might be it.
Bring this to market soon. I would be a proud owner of a GM vehicle again
What are the AMP requirments at 110V for a circut to charge the Volt at home?
Well I think this is a cool car but I wish they would just lose the gas engine. I’d buy this car as soon as it comes out with no hesitation. I hope thats soon.
I thought you folks were asleep at the wheel. Finally!
his is what GM needs to get back on track. The best of both worlds with a true plug in eletric car, with extended range from an alternate source. Combine this with build quality and usable space and GM might have a jump on everyone else. You just need to work the media on this one. Unfortunately, this han’t been getting as much attention on the American media outlets. I actually spotted this on MSNBC’s Canadian site.
GM should stop waiting to see where the market will go with the next fuel source. With this idea there is no need to wait like everyone else to finally make the concept a reality. The technology is here, now all they need is the guts to be first with mass production. Hybrids are nice but they are still favoring oil. Electric is the future “the future is now”.
The idea is GREAT! You guys could have (SHOULD HAVE) made an EV1 with a generator 10 yrs ago!
However, the interior looks junky and cheap (esp. the steering wheel and instrument cluster/area). It doesn’t match the exciting exterior, which has a QUALITY FINISHED look – rare for GM! Match them! You can (and have on rare occasions) do it inexpensively but nicely finished.
The exterior is PERFECT!!! Don’t change a thing! It’s exciting, fresh, and modern without being outside of the current style solar system. I will buy this car with the EXACT EXCITING EXTERIOR STYLING ONLY! (or VERY VERY CLOSE!) If you take all the excitement out of the style when you produce it and make it look boring and ordinary and cheap as you usually do from concept to road (NO EXCUSES! Dodge & others do it!) . . . if you disappoint us AGAIN . . . you will LOSE EVEN MORE CUSTOMERS – some of us will never look back!
Don’t try to satisfy EVERYONE and end up with a vanilla car that no one likes. Only devoted tree-huggers and a handful of Geezers (most of whom will back-out over price) will buy/lease it if you do! Forget the Geezers who want Model Ts. You have to make an EXCITING car to attract the general masses (to whom the concept makes sense but will not sacrifice exciting style!). Your future repeat customers want a quality look & feel head-turner. And that’s what you’ve got with the concept Volt (pending interior refinements). DON’T BLOW IT – AGAIN! If you want to satisfy Geezers too, make a Buick version of this . . . but DO NOT RUIN THIS CAR TO APPEASE GEEZERS!
Build -THIS- car >> TODAY
Do it GM, and get yourself back into the US auto market
I want mine in blue, when can I pick it up?
Steve
AS A PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. All kind of things I could say about GM and this car, but I wouldnt know where to stop. So to keep it simple, YOU SHOULD BUILD AND SELL THIS CAR. AND YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE THE PRICE AS HIGH AS YOU CAN JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE ARE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL BUY IT ANYWAY AND YOU CAN ALWAYS LOWER THE PRICE LATER ON. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE GM WILL MAKE MORE MONEY BUT TRUST ME YOU WILL LOOSE WAY MORE THAN YOU GAIN JUST THINK ABOUT IT AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT SOUNDS WRONG BUT IT IS RIGHT. THIS CAR (AS ALSO THE CAMARO) SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AND TIME. AS A PRODUCTION CAR NOT A CONCEPT I KNOW GM WANTS TO FEEL THE WATERS AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE BUT GM SHOULD HAVE ALREADY KNOWN THIS. SO DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BRING THIS OUT AS A 2008 OR 2009 MODEL AND STOP PLAYING GAMES WHEN YOUR ACTUALLY READY TO DO SOMETHING THERE MAY NOT BE A GAME FOR YOU TO PLAY. SO STOP WITH THE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR TECHNOLOGY JUNK YOU COULD DO IT IF YOU WANTED AND DONT EVEN GIVE ME YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE CAN BRING IT THE SOONEST WE COULD DO IT IF WE WERE READY WOULD BE 2010. BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND WE BOTH KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO PRODUCE THIS YOU COULD BE TOOLED UP FOR MASS PRODUCTION IN NO TIME AT ALL. IF YOU WAIT TO BRING THIS OUT UNTILL 2010 OR LATER IT MEANS NOTHING AND EVERYBODY THAT WAITS THAT LONG WILL WAIT ANOTHER YEAR TO CHECK OUT TOYOTA AND HONDAS VERSION. THATS IF YOUR STILL IN BUISNESS THEN. IF THIS DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO YOU ASK YOURSELF HOW FAR OUT OF TOUCH ARE YOU FROM YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND YOU SHOULD GO DOWN TO THE SIDEWALK HIRE THE FIRST PERSON YOU MEET TO REPLACE YOU AND QUITE THEY WILL PROBABLLY MAKE 100,000.00 LESS A YEAR THAN YOU AND MAKE GM MILLIONS MORE IN PROFITS. WHY ARE YOU WAITING MAYBE FOR GRANT MONEY ECT. SO YOU DONT HAVE TO DUMP AS MUCH OF YOUR OWN MONEY INTO THE PILE. YOU ARE LOOSING MUCH MORE THAN YOU ARE SAVING IN MANY WAYS. OK OK, I SURE THIS WAS A WASTE OF TIME, BUT I AM DONE IF I SAID ANYMORE I WOULD HAVE TO PUT YOU ON MY RESUME, IF I HAD ONE.
GREAT POST BY VINCE AND JOHN REEVES GM PLEASE READ THESE 2 AGAIN.
GM DO IT AND ALSO PUT USA AUTOMOBILES BACK ON TOP
The Volt is the most exciting and desirable concept car from GM in 30 years. I am a real fan of plug-in hybrids. Plug in hybrids offer a real solution to our nation’s addiction to oil. I would gladly pay more for it so that I can get to work without worrying about oil embargoes and shortages. GM, please do the right thing and make this car.
the style is so cool .ive never liked fords or dodges
Please save the electric car. With SAAB exterior styling and your previous experience with the EV1 there is no reason why this car would not be a success. How soon can you build it?
GM: Please build THIS CAR! (w/ bit longer range!) Tesla’s Roadster’s range: 250 MPC. Use 1/4 – 1/3 of their batteries NOW = 63 – 83 Miles! AND USE CURRENT BATTS FOR NOW!!!
OTHER BLOGGERS:
THIS IS NOT A HYBRID CAR! It’s NOT A “PLUG-IN HYBRID”! It’s MUCH BETTER! It is a 100% ELECTRIC DRIVE. If the GENERATOR breaks down, you still have 100% performance!!! If a Hybrid’s GAS ENGINE DRIVE goes, you’re either STUCK or have to drive under 30 MPH (if lucky)!
It’s like GM’s EV1 with an onboard battery charger that’s only used IF you go beyond the charge range. For around town use, you can drive it FOREVER and NEVER USE A DROP OF GAS! EVER! And the charger can run on ALT. FUELS!
HYBRIDS HAVE TWO DRIVE ENGINES that work together to drive the wheels. HYBRIDS USE GAS MOST OF THE TIME! They cannot rely solely on the electric engine as this car does! That’s why HYBRIDS only get 50 MPG or so (and much less in reality).
GM: This is why you need to advertise/market/get the word out/educate the public about your products!
Nice video on the Volt and these new concept cars here: http://tvjersey.com/2007/04/concept_cars.php
Honda is coming out with a diesel. They already have a better electric. If you get your act together and produce the first Diesel/Hybrid you should be in the drivers seat for the forseeable future.
The last car I bought is nearly 10 years old. The next will have to last as long or longer. The window of opportunity for the Volt to be that next vehicle is getting smaller.
Get with it. We’re waiting.
The volt is a great looking car, I’m 24 and I would take a cool looking car over one that saves me five more miles a gallon. The prius is a big car right now but I would never drive one because its so ugly, the volt on the other hand is sweet looking. I would buy one if GM decides to release it. I think they should incorperate some form of solar panel into the roof and over the body of the car so that when the car is parked outside in the sun it recharges its own battery, taking away the need to plug it in at night. Then the car would be truly self sustainging, that would be great to only fill up a twelve gallon tank once a month or even every couple of months depending on road trips and driving habits.
I sell GM Vehicles and I would love to see this be produced and come out on the lot – I would trade my Malibu and purchase the first one we get!
If the Volt’s available when I’m ready for my next car, I’ll be able to get what I want on this side of the Pacific. Please please please let me buy American!
Hi, I am so glad you are trying to bring an electric car to market. It looks really strange though, like a cross between the Batmobile and a cougar waiting to pounce. The front windshield is so narrow that the car appears to be squinting. It seems to me that not a lot of women would drive a car that looks like this, and you don’t want to alienate half (or more) of your potential market. It’s a very self-absorbed look. If the car were more practically designed and simpatico-looking, I’d buy it in a New York minute.
When can we get this car, and why doesn’t it have solar panels for a roof, trunk and hood?
I don’t trust you to actually build this… You’ve had since 1973 to figure out Hubert’s peak is a reality. You let your (and the US) leadership position world wide slip slip away, betting on customer ignorance. You were never serious about the Impact (EV-1) and launched it only to discourage any competing interest in EV development. And I think you launched this fa√ßade at the auto show to discourage competition once again and never intend to bring it to market; and one has to wonder why not? The battery technology has been sufficient for this design for many years. After all, your Impact had a range of well over 100 miles! What are you waiting for again? Show me I’m wrong… If you do, you’ll own the market! I drive a 1990 Corolla and my next car will be a factory produced Plug-in Hybrid so I can drive at 1/4th the cost of gasoline and tell the oil importers to stuff it! Show us what you’re made of!
Please put the car into production now. I would like to see an electric car in production and FOR SALE not lease only like the EV1.
This looks like a real answer for the next practical step in power train technology. A small SUV or Wagon style is a must for other than twenty-somethings, however. Let’s get it going!
I drive a Silverado now. If you could make a SUV or Light Truck to give me the ability to shuttle kids and haul stuff home from Lowe’s, I’d buy two of these Electric vehicles as fast as you can get them to the dealerships.
Just build it allready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think the car is great it is a wonderful first step for the enviorment and for GM way to step it up!!!!!
Toyota will not stand a chance if this goes out!!!!
Make the green house taller.
Use NIMH batteries. They are ready now. They don’t catch on fire. The oil companies own it so the economic sting there is less.
Build them on this continent.
Do it now before the globe warms any further and we can bring our troops home.
The overwhelming consensus on the styling here is great excitement and anticipation. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE IT IN PRODUCTION!!! I know there are a few Geezers here who want an AMC Pacer and a FEW Girly-Girls who want something “softer” . . . but they are LARGELY IN THE MINORITY! Please sell this car AS-IS and don’t disappoint the overwhelming majority! That MAJORITY DOES NOT WANT ANOTHER BORING ORDINARY-LOOKING CAR! Don’t KILL our excitement in production! The technology alone isn’t going to sell the car.
If you want to sell to Geezers and Girly-Girls, then FIRST sell this car AS-IS to the majority and THEN LATER offer a Buick Geezer version and a Girly Pontiac version.
Another overwhelming consensus here is that people want a little more MPChrg. 40 Miles on flat roads in perfect conditions is not enough (and we know it’s not a technological limitation). We would like to use NO GAS for a typical ENTIRE day’s use! Please do this. If you don’t, Japan will. And that means LOST SALES TO JAPAN and a reinforced PERCEPTION that GM BUILDS JUNK! Don’t shoot yourselves in the foot AGAIN! DO IT RIGHT and NOW (laptop batteries for now)!
It’s too bad that GM/Chevy web site doesn’t allow us to request additional info on the progress of this vehicle.
Current battery technology is already sufficent to last the life of the vehicle if a few more batteries could be added to allow a longer driving range.
There is no need to keep delaying the initial release of the vehicle. We know that battery tech will continue improving and that future generations of the vehicle will be able to take advantage of these improvements. If your little sports car could be made production ready in record time, why can’t you make a vehicle available that will have a much greater impact to your company and customers?
Looks like a good start. As a son of the great midwest, I’d like to make sure this car works well in the winter months around here. The Ford Fusion and VW Jetta are good cues for the size, form, and interior design. The real trick with this project is to make the car look new and fresh but normal enough for someone to drive to work everyday (the EV 1 looked silly, so does the Prius). I’m excited to see what comes of this at least.
Don’t give up GM!
To whom it may concern:
I am 41 and have never owned a GM car, instead always choosing Nissan, Saab, Subaru and Volvo. I never even consider GM as an option.
I found this site tonight because I googled “electric car”. Honestly, I don’t like the look of this car because the body looks totally out of proportion to the lid. And I suspect that the visibility is lacking, given the small size of the windows. However, my environmental concerns FAR outweigh my aesthetic concerns and I WOULD ABSOLUTELY BUY THIS CAR. I’d buy 2 if there was a 4-door option available. Would pay a much higher price for a 4-door wagon.
Never thought I’d ever post a message on a GM site either…perhaps this indicates a shift in paradigm for both of us
Hope to see it soon!
I love everything about the concept, except the design. I would love to see one of these look a lot like a Cobalt SS.
should be made with NIMH batteries now but intrests prevent any production by panosonic by spurious patent infringement lawsuit. if the law suit was valid then ovinics/gm/texaco/chevron/cobasys would be selling them.
Has GM considered using solar cells embedded in various locations on this car to provide a trickle charge to the batteries while its parked at work or the mall, etc.
The cells could be mounted anywhere a black panel or strip would be aesthetically pleasing. This added feature could extend the battery range.
This is all assuming of course that the batteries you are currently sourcing will live up to expectations.
Just a thought.
GM – take a lesson from Nike and Just do it! Make your mark! The Prius is the current “green” flag waving car, no matter how misguided that is as from “dust to dust” it causes more environmental damage than a Hummer!
Make the Volt THE Must-have car for 2010!
I think this looks like the most interesting car I have seen for a long time. I would like to see it produced and for it to be affordable to a middle class or working class family. I drive 60 miles a day.
I think it’s the best in the world. I want mine in red or black. Please hurry, I can only wait another 2 years, then I absolutely have to buy one, immediately!!!
Please make this and other plug in vehicle as quickly as possible.
Thank goodness you are again taking a look at an electric. I tried to rent/lease or whatever an EV-1 years ago without sucess. I currently drive a RAV4-EV and own a Chevrolet S10-E. The electric vehicles work fine for me driving nearly 85 miles per day. Why not start with the volt with NiMH batteries—after all GM paid for a great deal of their development cost. They work fine in the S10 and even better in the RAV4. Too bad Chevron/Texaco currently controls the patents. When Li-ion technology improves you can make the switch in production. GM needs to again gain the leadership they lost after giving up on the EV-1. If GM doesn’t follow through on the Volt, someone in the Pacific Rim will!
Your web page says “If we could…”. Who are you kidding? GM built electric cars ten years ago. If you wanted to build the Volt you could. So build them already. Quit stalling. You’re not in the PR business, you’re in the car building business, so build it!!
Please make this car so tall people can fit in it without there heads touching the roof (i’m 6′2″ and a senior in high school). I think this car has a lot of potential as long as it’s economical for people and they don’t have to give up features that are found in most cars today. Please put this car in production, if it meets my standards, I’d be willing to buy it (if I fit in it comfortably).
I think we are at the brink of a technological revolution in the automotive industry. The volt is surely a great thought and concept. Your alliance with A123Systems for a Nanotech battery can really change the game and here is where the fun begins.
There are several other entrants in to this market like Tesla motors, Phoenix motors, Feel Good Cars and other chinese interests in the electric car arena.
Altairnano, EEStor and several other battery technology companies are touting revolutionary battery technologies. I think the time is just right to move to a production class vehicle within the next year.
The gas engine is so premitive compared to today’s electronics sofistication. Gas engines even today need oil changes and tuneups ( engine oils, transmission oils / services and god knows what else ) / Alternators die etc.
An all electric drive system will be virtually maintenance free. I calculated around $5000 in savings a year for a true practival EV. If this vehicle is available at around a $30-40K price range, I am sure these will sell like crazy and blow the competition away.
I hope GM does the right thing and make this vehicle a reality.
Very good looking car. I can see this car being the next “big thing”.
I hope GM takes the initiative to follow through with this concept car. The US is one of the last countries to step in the arena of better gas mileage and renewable energy. Everyone else has beat us to it!
Regards,
Keith
Fantastic Idea. I would buy one if it is less than $25,000. Priced at $20,000 per unit or less, could have a great impact on consumers and the environment.
Having driven both a 96 and 99 EV1 for the duration of the leases and currently have an S10e I can attest to the fact that GM can build a superior vehicle IF IT WANTS TO.
While I’d like to see a less restrictive glass area in the final design and the option of a clean Diesel or multifuel engine the basic design IMHO is a winner. Since my driving style is 40 miles or less per day my use of the petrofueled portion of the motive power would be minimal especially if I could plug the car into to a 110 or 220 AC outlet at night as I currently do with my S10e pickup.
Finally, I would prefer to purchase a vehicle made in the USA by a US corporation. The Volt seems like it really fits my lifestyle.
It is about time this technology comes out. Maybe American Auto manufacturers will see that we really want to buy from them but their gas guzzling style is on its way out of vogue. I hope that it will drive other companies (Ford, Crysler) to push to get alternative energy autos on the market that are both luxurious and environmentally friendly… Though I’m quite wondering if this car would still look luxurious if I put some GM bumper brackets in it… I think it looks great as it was…
What’s funny is that for a car that you are trying to hype, you are sure doing a good job of making information about it difficult to find. Why isn’t this information on the front page of GM’s website? If I were you, I would be pasting the opportunity to buy this “car of the future” on every website in the world.
Talk about a way to save a dying company.
GM, it’s about time we play catch-up with the Japanese on the use of advanced technologies! This concept is one that Universities around the US have been designing for you for a decade now! WHY, WHY, must I ask you again, WHY has it taken the largest automotive company in the world to finally wake up? Now, with that said, you have a great concept that needs to hit the streets ASAP! The electic motor and battery technology is available as we speak so what is the big delay of WHY this can’t be produced now? I would buy one the second it rolled off the production line. From reading this blog you have a lot of eyes looking your way to buy this concept. Several key things to note that others have mentioned: 1)Build it so it can be upgraded (batteries and motor) so as technology advances, the consumer can upgrade if they choose. 2)Offer both diesel and gasoline (E85 complient) versions. 3)Match Hyundai’s leading warranty 4)Use this technology in all of your vehicles (sedans, SUVs, trucks & sports cars).
If you follow those basic principles Americans will buy American again! Foreign competition as well as BIG OIL companies will run away with their tails between there legs with record losses! GM will stay on top and rack in those record billion dollar profits that are today sucking Americans dry at the pumps! Your slogan is “THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION”, well it’s time to see that revolution on our streets with this car!
Great Concept, now BUILD IT! This should not be just one car, GM should make e-flex available on EVERY VEHICLE in its line-up. People will buy. I certainly will (unless the other carmakers beat you to it). If you do so, and you do it fast, you will become the #1 automaker again.
I knew chevy could do this. Why can’t we have it now instead of 2010? Will a small pick-up also be available?
JEFF COOKE:
Just want to point out to you that it’s JAPAN who always plays catch-up to GM w.r.t. major cutting-edge technologies! Problem is, THE LOSERS IN GM’S MARKETING BRANCH DON’T TELL ANYONE! They should be FIRED! Then Japan copies GM, MARKETS THEM WELL, lets people THINK they invented the goodies, and MAKE ALL THE MONEY GM COULD HAVE MADE IF THEY ACTUALLY TOLD PEOPLE!
GM put the WORLD’S FIRST MODERN EV into production from 1996-2003 (the EV1). Japan played catch-up with poorly performing and ugly copies (they weren’t able to reverse-engineer GM’s technology – maybe due to the lease-only availability). The EV1 was a MODERN MARVEL (I drove one). Had everything any car has and more. They were VERY reliable. People fought to keep them in the end.
GM was the first (and only last I knew) company permitted to operate a fleet of Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered SUVs on JAPAN’s public streets! BEFORE JAPAN’S OWN because they didn’t COPY THE TECHNOLOGY FROM GM YET!
Japan doesn’t invent the major technologies. They COPY it, then market it, and package it/finish it better while GM scratches it’s collective head! It’s what Japan does best.
Several Bloggers mentioned Diesel engines. THIS IS AN ELECTRIC CAR! It says right here on the website that the GENERATOR – that’s ALL IT IS – WILL run on E85, BIO-DIESEL, proposed pure Ethanol, hydrogen, or gas. The idea is not to NEED even a drop of combustible fuels around town! 100% ELECTRIC DRIVE!
GM: Do you see why you need to market better?!
Concept: Stunning
Styling: Stunning
Urgency: Paramount
Go rent Sonatas for a week for EVERY member of the decision-makers team: “This is your TARGET”.
Then drop all of the barricades to urgent production.
Americans need to understand (like the Brazilians do) that we must not allow Middle-Eastern and Asian economies to continue to siphon our resources.
Don’t neglect GE; its backing is essential. GM and GE!! Boast about that cooperation to the world.
Battery longevity and reliability of high-current switching will be hurdles that must be convincingly overcome in order for the engineering community to sign on conceptually. If you can get THOSE guys talking at the water-coolers about this car, GM sill be inundated with orders for VOLT. You had better not UNDERESTIMATE the needed production capacity (i.e., like Daimler did when they bought the PT Cruiser).
People will have photos of this car as their wallpaper; don’t make them wait 2 years before they can order one.
Build it now!!!!! I would buy this car yesterday!!!
I think this is just another scam. GM will not build the Volt. The Volt concept is for GM to tell congress and the public that they are doing something about the enviroment.
Waiting for the battery technology is a lame excuse.
Sorry people this concept or fuel-flex technology will never happen. Government needs to force the idea.
First off thanks for taking a risk showing this concept and then giving drivers a chance to comment on it publicly.
My hope is that multiple departments (and LEVELS) at GM read these blog entries and think about them like I did. There has been a lot of commentary on a lot of different fronts and this is free (although somewhat biased depending on the posters intent) market research for a lot of areas. I see tidbits that could help out for marketing, engineering, management, accounting, global product development, and desgin.
I am willing to be contacted by you for further follow up.
COST:
My GM Card $’s are waiting to be used on a Plug-In Hybrid vehicle. This VOLT would fit the bill for my daily commute and errand running. Please use every good idea/thought you can to keep the price in line with where Toyota prices the Prius (another 5 seater) – as they will probably have plug in version by the time the VOLT comes out. YES the Prius has a different fundamental design, but the end result is you plug both in and can run 20 miles without gas and get great mileage per gallon. That is what the average consumer will notice.:-)
Also make sure that the VOLT will meet the conditions required for the maximum federal tax credit available the year it is released. The accounting department knows what I mean… and they need to work with Marketing to help highlight this
Please don’t jack up the price by the tax credit amount… instead figure out how to built this with an Invoice and MSRP comparable to the Prius and then let the marketing department and dealers use the tax credit as a selling piont to easliy BEAT the overall cost of the VOLT vs the Prius. (I would hope that this approach is a “slam dunk” since a tax credit doesn’t cost you significantly more — other than ensuring that engineering department has the VOLT meet the strictest standard for the maximum tax credit. You are already looking at the best ways to reduce emissions by using E-FLEX – so that shouldn’t be too hard.)
STYLING:
I would suggest that you make the 1st model a Chevy with the distinct styling that the VOLT has – this car needs to be instantly recognizable as “something different” and “something innovative”. Why? So that people will notice it AND ask owners questions about it. So that E-FLEX has an initial impact that is visible on the OUTSIDE as well as the INSIDE of the vehicle.
For example — I wouldn’t recognize a “Saturn VUE greenline” as a hybrid… unless I looked at the back of it and notice the ‘greenline’ tag. Just looking at it from the front or sides, I probably wouldn’t ask the owner questions about his hybrid. Same is true for other hybrids hiding in plain sight — Ford Escape, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord come to mind.
Your 1st E-FLEX vehicle needs to INSTANTLY catch the eye and have people wonder about it. You need to be able to recognize it and never confuse it with another vehicle. Perhaps people won’t like the styling, but they will start wondering about what this car actually does to get the power to the pavement. Especially if have seen it on a TV commercial(or with Leno) or somewhere and want to know how it works OR how it sounds when you drive it OR how big the engine really is OR if they ‘fit’ inside. (Please make sure that it can fit a wide range of sizes in front.)
Some people don’t want to be on the bleeding edge or have perfect strangers come up to ask them questions. SO for them, please reuse the basic architecture across your brands with the distinctive features for each brand — perhaps
a Saturn that has a sedan and wagon version
a Buick that has a larger greenhouse, premium interior and more traditional styling
a Cadillac with front and rear electric motors for increased performance and a ultra modern ultra cool interior ESPECIALLY with a ragtop.. imagine only hearing the wind and the tires… no engine.
a SUV from GMC that uses the same underpinnings…
DRIVETRAIN:
I like the fact that you are allowing choices. The E-FLEX is a good idea. Let the consumer choose the fuel for their onboard ‘generator’ Gas/E85 vs. Diesel/BioDiesel. FYI an electric powered by a low emissions engine turning a generator to power electric motors is the equivalent of a Freight Train — adding battery storage and “the Plug In option” makes the VOLT even BETTER. (Think of it as ’something old’ with a new spin on it.) If you want more inspriation look at the
That way if I live in the corn belt and E85 is available at 25% of the gas stations I can choose to use it. I realize that E85 may have less energy per gallon, but the reduced emissions using E85 may outweigh the cost of lower energy per gallon. MotorTrend keeps mentioning that E85 isn’t available everywhere – so it won’t sell cars or solve emissions problems. What they mean to say is that E85 isn’t in LA and it won’t be a selling point for cars in LA, but in the midwest it will be.
If people want to go fill up with BioDiesel (or regular Diesel) they can choose to across the country. Just make sure that all engines are ultra low emissions.
Multiple posters metioned using todays existing battery technology and produce this car now. I’m not convinced that you can go that route and keep the price in line…. BUT *IF* you can figure out a way to use current battery technology (and keep price relatively reasonable), PLEASE make sure that the battery system can be ‘upgraded’ to the future version you are hoping/waiting for.
Yes, I realize that could make it harder to sell ‘new’ cars to ‘existing customers’ when the new battery technology is available. (You could still sell a battery upgrade to ‘existing customers’.) However there is a flip side to this problem… it will be easier to get people to ‘buy today’ if they can ‘upgrade tomorrow’. Futurist/tech/geek/hybrid enthusasts will see this as a selling point to buy YOUR vehicle over the competition offered today. Those people will then TELL EVERYONE who asks about their car is upgradable — how GM took a leap of faith that it wouldn’t cost them future sales as these front runners would seriously consider any and all ‘plug in’ hybrid technology that is available today. (For an analogy to the PC world…Ask your engineers if they buy a great new PC that was the fastest thing today… but they would be ‘locked in’ and couldn’t upgrade the motherboard or memory. OR they could pay a 2 – 3 % premium for one with a set of components with the ability to upgrade.) You could apply that same analogy to the VOLT and use that 3% to fund the better battery research – foster goodwill with the EV community and make some additional profit upgrading when the next battery technology arrives.
Just as important … when the current technology battery pack reaches end of life, you want to be able to easily upgrade them without retrofitting the ‘new’ batteries.
CLOSING:
Sorry this is so long, just keep up with your multiple approaches to flexible fuel – I applaud that. Each may fill a need and there isn’t one ‘right answer’. Thanks again for trying something old with a new spin on it.
MatL
It’s all been said already so I’ll make this short. “Where do I send the cheque? I want one!”
Yea Baby Yea!! General Motors makes the electric car a coooool thing. I’d take a Chevy Volt anyday over a boring Prius. It’s like comparing a Corvette to a Camry…Way to go GM!!
If this car actually hits the showrooms, I’l be among the first to buy one.
However, I have to agree with Brian. I question GM’s motives (and integrity), and don’t actually expect that this car will ever see the light of day.
Interesting that GM claims to be waiting for a battery supplier when they sold the patent to their existing NiMH batteries to Chevron/Texaco (who wasted no time in burying it – just like GM literally buried it’s entire line of existing, perfectly functional, electric cars).
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070330151429AAjAZok
Prove me wrong, GM, but until you do your credibility is absolute zero.
Robert
I agree with Brian, they have no plans on building the Volt. In a couple of years you will hear some lame excuse why it was not possible. This is a managment PR stunt.
The bean counters are deciding why it is not possible as we speak, the reason does not matter. The same bean counters that said that Hybrids would not sell. My money is on Volvo or Toyota making this real. American car companies are in a slow death spiral thanks to CEOs that take huge profits but do nothing except sell the long term health of the company for short term gains so they can take home the huge bonus check.
This is another concept that will never happen or will take 10 years and be lame when compared to the what is on the market at the time. How long have they been pulling the Camaro around to auto shows but it still has the concept tag on it and no production date?
1. I would like a roof top (hard top) option for solar panels when sitting in the parking lot at work.
2. I would like the option to add/remove battery packs to match my average daily commute. (battery cost, weight savings)
3. Please provide more publicity on the efficiency of grid supplied electricity.
I want to know when this car will be available to the public. Seriously.
My wife wants to buy a car, but I told her, why? Her car works fine. I see no benefit in buying another car. It goes from point A to point B and gives no trouble. However, a car that prevents me from dishing out $80 each week (two fillups)to that darn GAS station for her sonata would definitely be worth buying! Plus, a new car would make her happy! As they new like pretty things. I am saving to convert my geo metro into a full hybrid right now. All I need is a small diesel generator to charge the batteries. I am using a transmission adapted electric motor and lead batteries.
Start producing this car and you will sell more than toyota is with the prius.This car will keep GM ahead of all the other auto makers. What we need a car company with enough guts to put this out their. Around the same price as the prius. Lets start doing something about saving the enviroment. Must be produced before 2009 or you will lose the market to Honda or Toyota. This is what America needs to keep the automotive market. We must take action to what is happening to our planet instead of ignorance and doing nothing. Put this car out there and give the people the choice not the goverment. The goverment was made by the people for the people. Let the goverment start Making actions like this one.
Looks like a 4-door Camaro. Perhaps trying playing off design concepts from the ill-fated EV1. I think something more reasonable is required.
I was wondering whether you have considered using a Sterling engine as a power plant for the Volt? I realize this may be cost prohibitive and still be too large for the power output needed. It’s interesting to think about because with your E-Flex system this is really the first viable way to utilize the power of a Sterling Engine for a car. With E-Flex you have a way to deal with two major problems of Sterling engines (they take a few minutes to warm up and it is difficult to keep them efficient and vary the power output) in cars because you can initially run on electric power and you dont need to vary the power output as much.
Thanks
There is a good article in Design magazine about the volt. They were talking about how the battery technology isn’t up to snuff. http://www.designnews.com/article/ca6418917.html?nid=2879&text=volt
I also want solar panels on the roof and I don’t want a glass windshield, I want polycarbonate that won’t break from a rock chip. Has GM contacted anyone about their Ideas or is this all hype like some people think? The article I was reading said the car wouldn’t be out for years and we can’t wait that long. GM needs to produce the car ASAP. I am in the market for a new car in the next year or two and there is nothing I want to buy out there. No car company will bring their small diesel engined cars to the US that get 70 miles to the gallon. Mini Cooper – Mini One and the Smart Car coming next year.
I hope they build this as soon as possible. I just hope that they don’t mess up on the small stuff. They may have a head start but if they miss the comfort details the competition will soon catch up and take over.
Also a diesel engine option would be great.
You should put this car into production, I think a lot of people would buy this it, I certainly want one.
I saw the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” The EV1 was kept secret so well that nobody in the state of Michigan new the car existed!
Electric Vehical search opened my eyes. Makes GM look like a bunch of greedy hypocrits! My money says you’ll crush the volt too. Or you will price the volt out of range for the common man.
Now it’s time for you to put up, or shut up.
I think each wheel should have a seperate control system so that the car can get home on one drive motor if one or more systems are down.
This May of 07,I will have been maintaining diesel electric GM&GE locomotives for 43 years,& still going.Where have you been?Tell me where to sign!Thx.Mike,C@MOTIVE POWER INT’L.
I love it! Please build it, I want to drive it.
Also the look of the car is much more appealing to me than the Hybrids that are out like the Pris for example.
Wondering what you are hoping a price tag on the volt would be?
I would love one and if you need someone as a product tester I would love to volunteer. This reminds me of the GM that I remember, ahead of the curve not behind it.
I have never bought a new car in my entire life. I swear by my wallet, that if GM makes this car, I’ll be at a dealership the day it comes out.
Just make it.
Please let me know when this car will be available to purchase.
Let me first of all say that I have owned two Fords, One Dodge, Three Chevys, One AMC, two GMCs, two Jeeps, and two Saturns (pre GM buyout). There is no question that GM was in the wrong by killing the EV1. I am still of the opinion that was a bastard move and unforgiveable as well. Now, watch out!! Global warming is all the rage and GM rides in to show off their latest toy and be the king of all. Personally, you can stuff it, as you could have given us this car fifteen years ago. Now you will without a doubt want an exhorbitant amount for the Volt because it is “new technology”. The bottom line is this. GM’s cars have been crap from the mid 80’s on and by pulling things like what you have done to Saturn within the last three years, leads me to believe GM can still not be trusted with my money. Build this car, I’m sure it will sell. I’ll spend my money to have my ‘94 Saturn converted to all electric operation. Go cheat somebody else.
I think that the current crop of Hybrids uses the electric motor to increase performance rather than economy. GM has a great idea in the concept of driving the car strictly by electric motors and providing a “range extender” with a motor to generate electricity. Why not develop a compact Gas turbine engine that could use any combustible fuel (including distilled alcohol) and get a range of 80 to 100 miles from the battery charge such that the engine would hardly ever have to be operated. I don;t particularly care for the body style of the Volt though. As one other entry said, be sure to include other high end features such as Bluetooth IPod integration and entertainment for keeping the kids entertained.
Ok, Folks. My old van is paid for, but yes, it’s a gas hog.
Any ideas on the cost?
I think it’s a fabulous idea! Goodbye foreign oil!
Well done American engineers!!!!!
You had the ability 10 years ago! Quit stalling and build it.
You also need to quit the “range is around 20 miles or so” comments. 10 years ago you had a car that could go 5 times farther.
Build it already!!!!
I vote for the Volt to cut emissions, even though it is not cool at all. It is one of the ugliest things I have seen and seems stolen from 30-year old sci-fi. GM can better, in product and looks, if only the overlords wanted.
Please make; will buy.
Four seats better than two.
Sporty? Love it.
Make a great car and day.
Hi Beth,
I am very excited about this vehicle. I have been searching for an affordable (90K is not affordable for me) electric or diesel/electric hybrid. My ultimate goal is to eliminate (not reduce) my family’s dependence on oil, foreign or domestic. I am much less concerned with environmental impact than I am with contributing to the oil industry.
I would stronly prefer a biodiesel solution, but E100 would work, as well. E85 doesn’t completely solve my needs and is almost unavailable in my area. I don’t believe that hydrogen cell technology is ready enough for consumer use and would still result in paying the existing oil infrastructure companies for fuel. I’ve had more than my share of that.
Again, I thank you accepting comments on this incredible product. I can’t wait for it to come to market, almost regardless of styling options (but a high-performance version wouldn’t hurt things any).
Cheers!
I think that GM has a real chance to seriously undercut Toyota with a car such as the Volt in North America, while overwhelming the competition in Europe. Of course all this is predicated on GM being able to actually hold firm and produce the damn thing at a price people can afford.
At the same time I must also add that perhaps Brian is right when he speculates that this could simply be a “GM scam”. No matter how lofty and flowery the Volt may be as a concept, the need to pad quaterly earnings could kill this project very easily.
This car sounds like an excellent commuter car. Being a commuter car I can only hope it is as reliable as current models and the suspension is robust enough to stand up to the rough roads in the northern climate
Awesome concept. I love the flexability of the drive system and the different type of fuels available. Eneregy diversity is the key to energy independence. That being said, I am aware of GMs history of killing the Pacific Electric Red Car and the EV1. I will believe the Volt when I see on the showroom floor, and I will do what it takes to buy one too (if it is affordable).
GM: If you put this car out by 2009, you will regain your market share and create many new and loyal fans. If the Volt turns out to be vaporware, you will continue to spiral downwards in sales, profit, and popularity. Please do the right thing not just for our countries political and economic interests, but also for your own pocket books.
It’s about time!! I want a 2010 Chevy Volt. I am in the market to purchase a vehicle. I will wait for the Volt to make the better green choice. Please place me on your order list.
The volt looks like a great car, I would love to have one. One suggestion although I do not know if it is possible could you put in a fuel cell and incorporate a small hydrogen gererator so that when you plugged it in when the batteries are full charge it would start making hydrogen and fill its own fuel cell?
GM, I have been a Toyota fan for years. If you give me an electric vehicle I can afford I will finally be able to buy American again! I am buying next year and would love a small ex-cab truck, or something like it. The VOLT is a good start but hope you can produce with all the hype – MAKE ME A BELIEVER!!!!!!
Hello All!
Its a great pleasure to see this car. Its a beaty and i must say that i will try to be the first who will buy this car, from Romania. Is a piece of art and about the perspectives that will bring to the future? A great life without all those gases wich are killing us every day. Great work Chevrolet!
Make a diesel NOW. You have them available for trucks. Make a diesel passenger car first. Then, in the pipe dream room, dream about this car and if it becomes available, and I am still alive, I’ll buy one.
I can’t believe GM is marketing 30MPG cars as if they are the next best thing. Diesel is 40MPG at the least and has been available for over 20 years. Not much of a “revolution” here at GM
I drive a Toyota corrolla and have never bought an american car. If Chevy comes out with the volt and it looks as good as the concept then I more than likely will trade in my Toyota.
If the Volt is even 1/2 of what is being touted, i’ll buy 1 (maybe 1 for the wife also). I, like some others have no use for the oil companies and any vehicle that reduces and/or end our reliance upon them is a good vehicle.
Make it good and under 40k and you will have a winner.
Now what you also need to make ia an electric minivan.
Love the concept! Put it on the market already! Grow a pair and just do it! Didn’t Toyota just surpass you today on sales???? Get on it!
Just wondered how long it takes to charge the battery?
when it comes to drive the volt on electricity only, why not mention the fact that you can recharge it on your destination,
be it at work or elsewere and thus double the range .
And why not make a fully electric version, that is no hybrid ! .
I’m buying a cheap car now so I can afford to get this one as soon as it comes out. I’d say the need for this is obvious and the demand high. As far as I know, Toyota, who is now #1, has no plans for a plug-in but they may well have one in the wings. Bring it!
I wish the federal government would quit wasting money by subsidizing the production of ethanol and put the dollars behind battery development so that every car maker could start producing this kind of excitement!!!
Dear GM,
I was wearing a big smile today while reading that you are no longer #1. You are today harvesting the results of past decisions, like the merciless killing of the EV1. You had the opportunity to become pioneers and leave the competition years behind and blew it!
Because of this, I swore I would never purchase a GM vehicle, and I never have. But if you build the Volt at an affordable price (under $30,000) before Toyota makes the Prius a plug-in, I will be the first one to sign you a check for the full MSRP price, something I know you aren’t used to experiencing.
Still, I’m sure my insignificant check doesn’t tempt you, but I have the hope that your desire to have a better future harvest will make you want to plant this seed.
Time to get with the program and produce this EV/Hybrid beast. The market needs a hybrid that looks good, and yours is hot! The other hybrids just look lame and don’t have the umph that it sounds like the Volt has. I’d buy one today!
I want to buy ASAP. Please produce ASAP. My wife is a retired Chrysler worker and I have always purchased Chrysler but would change as soon as you get it to the dealer nearest me. So please hurry. I want to stop buying foreign oil.
Beautiful…It’s about time someone stepped it up and produced a vehicle like this. An SUV in this setup wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Just want to know, when can I get one?
I’d buy this vehicle simply to spite Big Oil and the Middle East rip-off machine. It would be remarkable how cheap and “available” gasoline would become if automakers quickly adopted this strategy. But — mark my words — GM will never, NEVER build this car. And that’s because it’s so sensible. They’re NOT innovators, they’re followers,and poor ones at that. The only way this vehicle will get built (and believe me, it won’t) is when some other company (like Apple) comes out with it first. Then, GM can say, “Me Too!!”
after seeing the movie WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? i was so angry and frustrated with the auto industry for destroying what should have been the next big wave of vehicles….we now have a second shot at this. let’s not blow it!!! the design is very slick; but dont stop there, offer one that accomodates consumers who want an emphasis on PRACTICALITY (4 door? higher up off the ground? better rear view, i.e. no blind spots?) Looking forward to it!
I would absolutely love to see this vehicle on the road today. I’m shopping for a gasoline-free vehicle right now. I will most likely purchase a Mercedes or VW turbodiesel (the only passenger cars available in diesel!), but I would prefer to buy an electric vehicle, if one was available.
My personal perferences for engine / motor types are prioritized like this:
On the styling, I believe that it would be more interesting if GM offered the range-extended electric motor as an option on its existing product line. This would allow customers to choose the style / type of vehicle that most suits them. This would also prevent matters of style and appeal from impacting the viability of this new technology.
As an example, I would have already purchased a hybrid vehicle if there had been styles and options suitable for my own needs and tastes. Not everyone would be willing to plunk down $30,000 for a subcompact car that gets double the gas mileage of their current vehicle. On the other hand, many more people would choose an electric motor as an option instead of a gasoline engine if it was available in their vehicle-of-choice. I, for one, would instantly purchase a Pontiac G6 or Chevy Impala if they had an electric motor option. GM has always had a reputation for building inexpensive vehicles for the mass market. Consider leveraging the existing business infrastructure to introduce the electric motor to the same customers. I think you would find an amazingly positive response.
This is your opportunity to take the American car market back. Please make this car! Please promote it! Please build lots of ‘em! You got my email address now, so feel free to spam about all things Volt! I want it!
This car is always what I thought a hybrid powertrain should be (run entirely off batteries, charge batteries with a highly efficient combustion engine). While I’m not fond of the styling of this vehicle, the powertrain is the perfect thing to transition us into oil independence.
The Volt is truly amazing and seeing as how the Prius costs about $30k and lacks the syle promised by the Volt, I think it is a shoe-win. I made a site at http://www.chevy-volt.net if anyone wants to scope it out.
As of right now I proudly own two GM vehicles. A Chevy Cavalier and a Chevy LT1 Camaro Z28. I think is horrible that Toyato is outselling everyone right now and, I think this is a great way to combat the fuel efficiency of the Japanese automakers. My Cavalier is amazing on fuel consumption. But, I want better. I am GM loyal and would love to see this come to the market before gas prices get too out of control. Any hybrid for that matter from GM. Thanks, Kevin
I am very excited to see this technology. I think that this car will help to make up for the loss of the ev of the 90’s.
I will be even more excited to see a vehicle that will hold all the people and gear of a family of 6 : )
This is the car that will change the world. Let’s get it off the drawing board and onto the market immediately. Why keep waiting?
If this car were available tomorrow I’d be at the dealer with my checkbook to buy one.
My next car will be one with low environmental impact. If it was today, Prius. And if this car is zero-em. then it would certainly be a candidate. Although I think Prius styling is week, I think the Volt styling is too agressive. Most people who will buy an electric car will be liberals — they’re not interested in the muscle car look. Tone it down, then I would buy for life.
GM has about a year or two to make a dramatic comeback and regain the lead. Volt could be it!It exemplifies bold design and cutting edge technology! Follow up with a full size SUV (for those of us that do tow) with similar technology or biodiesel engine and I will leave you a deposit check TODAY for Volt and “green” Suburban replacement! Listen to the people! Half a million responders can’t be wrong! They WANT Volt now! Will GM listen?
The Volt has a gas\electric engine that makes it a gas electric hybrid not an electric vehicle that it’s categorized as on the Chevrolet web site. GM canceled the EV’s because they only got 70 mile per charge. Claiming no one wanted a car that could only travel 70miles between charges. So the Volt that gets 40 miles per charges is considered an improvement? What? Remove the gasoline engine replace it with a bigger, better battery and sell an electric car that gets 100+miles per charge. The 100-mile number sounds good to consumers and would cover an above-average days driving.
As a car company, you are not in the business of selling fuel. I want an electric car, or a air compressor car. I will not buy another gas car. I am glad your company is working on this because I like to buy American if I can.
I vote Yes!
The last American car I bought was a 1974 Nova. It was a piece of junk and when it came to service the dealer was no better. I have heard that Chevy/GM are improving. We’ll see. The Volt sounds like the most inocative and exciting thing Chevy/GM has ever done. If it lives up to the hype and it is well built and reliable I might buy two of them..
Jim
As one of our countries few oil independent influencers, you (GM) need to lead this country away from oil. The auto purchasing public wants a better solution than that offered by the gas electric hybrid. GM please do what the government is afraid to do – give us an electric plug-in that uses no foreign oil. You have some of the best automotive engineers and designers in the world – stop following the Japanese, change the game and lead and you will win. Just give us something to buy NOW not in two years. If we make solving our reliance on foreign oil as important as going to space was in the early 1960s and we can change the world (environmentally and politically). GM you hold the keys, whatever road you choose the rest will follow.
After killing the EV-1 and now dropping from the number one slot of Automakers, you would think GM might actually listen to the public and put something on the road today.
We do not need a concept car, we need a working production model today. Revived the EV-1 assembly line, stuff it with the technological advancements made over the last 7 years and make the vehicles available.
Sit on your hands for too long and GM may become #3.
“This (the Chevrolet Volt) will call for a new documentary: Who Saved the Electric Car?”
Are you kidding me?
Allow me to answer your movie-title-question:
Aptera
Phoenix Motorcars
Tesla Motors
Zap!
Zenn Motor Company
a lot of independent people who care about the environment and their wallets.
GM does not belong on that list. Many all-electric cars will be on the road way before the Volt is available for purchase (if they don’t pull that lease-only jive). In fact, Tesla is building a manufacturing plant that will have the capacity to create 10,000 electric cars annually. Unlike GM, the plant won’t be built in China – it’s planned to go up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
What’s stopping GM from bringing back the EV1 (they probably still have the damn blueprints) and marketing it correctly? Yes, that means advertising it in other places than California and Arizona. I live in New Jersey, and hadn’t heard about the EV1 until this year when I started researching electric cars.
GM dropped the ball, as Ford and Toyota have done as well. Luckily, companies like Zap!, Zenn, and Tesla have picked it up and rolled with it.
I read somewhere on this site that you were waiting for battery technology to advance in order to procede with production of this car. Why?
As others have said here in part, build it and they will come. You have the opportunity with this car to strike a blazing trail in the automotive industry. The performance specs for this car that I have seen make it more than acceptable for my use and most likely for thousands of others as well. The only thing that I ask is to make the engine capable of running on biodiesel.
What are you waiting for GM? (Personally, I have very little confidence that any one of real power in your organization will read this or any of the other worthy commentary here, so I expect no answers.) The best answer you can give is the announcement by your company that you plan to produce and sell the Volt, now. Not in 2009 or 2008. Now.
quit asking stupid questions and put them on the market already!!!!
My family is already saving to pay cash for this vehicle as soon as it comes out. This vehicle needs to be available soon!!! Release this soon before we are forced to by Prius.
Chevy, this is AWESOME!!!!
Please Please Please make this car. it is time for a big auto maker to step up and build a good plug-in EV
Sign me up, I’ll buy one the day you release it! and tell all my friends to do the same!
When you totally ruined the reputation of the diesel and the electric car (EV1) I swore that I would never come back. But in 2002, I did breakdown and bought an Impala and again in 2005 with a Gran Prix…prior to that I bought all imports since the 1980’s. I’m going to buy again within another year and I’d buy this IF you actually build it and IF you don’t BOTCH it like you did your early attempts at diesel & electric. As everyone else has said, the Japanese are going to “eat your lunch” if you don’t build this car soon..I’ll bet a copy of this is already on the drawing board in Tokyo right now and they are trying to figure out how to make it even better. JUST DO IT!!
Firstly, I would say it is not a great looking vehicle, too aggressive looking (GM marketing guys, this isn’t a good thing, despite what you think) and those tiny windows would provide hopeless visibility, a surefire way to cause a lot of accidents. Make a car which is practical and functional, that works and will appeal to the broader public.
But most importantly, give people the option of replacing the backup IC engine with a larger lithium battery so they can go all electric. The fact is, people are lazy, and if they have the option to just drive around on fuel and not bother to plug it in, many of them will do just that…
I know a lot of people still buy new trucks and SUV’s. I see it in my own neighborhood. However, there are people out there, like me, who care about the environment, reduction of oil imports and our reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Not that these people don’t, but the shift towards conservation needs to start now, not 2, 3 or 4 years from now. You have to build this car as soon as commercially possible. I believe there is a market for it, especially with the ICE backup/range extender. I think a Diesel powered backup engine would be a good bet and get great fuel economy. It would probably be able to turn a little larger output generator with its extra torque on hand.
I would also like to see the price as reasonable as possible. It needs to be affordable for the average consumer and not a toy of the rich. I’m sure there will be government incentives that will help with this.
I would go to my local Chevy dealer today and shake the hand of a friend of mine who has been trying to sell me a Chevy for the past 10 years and buy this car from him. That is after driving Honda’s for the past 20 years. You’ve got something there and I think many others would do the same.
After killing the EV1 this seems too little too late! Yes this is a lovely car but until it is made available at a reasonable cost to every Canadian and American, I will continue to shop around to the many other producers of electric cars…Concepts are not what we need…We need real solutions to the global issues and these concepts have been around for a very, very long time…Battery technology is out there already…who or what is holding this back…NOT the consumers, that’s for sure…if we can’t buy from the standard manufacturers we will buy on the black market and get what we want…ELECTRIC VEHICLES…no noise, no emmisions and no more need to be a slave to the internal combustion engine and the Oil and Gas companies…make it available and we will buy it…stay in the past and the land of greed and you will be left behind…I truly hope that you can get your act togehter and make this product an economical reality and I will be more than happy to support GM (and forgive them for the horrendous conspiracy to kill the electric vehichle technology, forcing the population back into gas “slavery” when the light had already been turned on…) We have seen the future and unless global changes occur, global standards adhered to, there will be no planet for our great grandchildren to inherit. Please do the right thing and lead North America with your head held high with a clear conscience and a pride in your technological achievements. Congratulations on a beautiful concept car…NOW MAKE IT A REALITY!!!
Sincerely, Michele Bell
Paradise, Newfoundland
Remember your concerns about consumer acceptance of front wheel drive?
Move beyond your concerns and apply the “volt” technology to your entire line of products.
A grateful country will respond in droves, giving new life to your market share.
the public is so ready for the Chevy Volt concept to show up at the dealership, you can’t produce this car soon enough.
And PS, how about a wagon version for my wife?
IF this car becomes a reality, and IF it looks and performs the way it’s being advertised, it will FOREVER change my opinion of GM built automobiles. I have currently have no faith in American manufacturers, but would purchase this car (or any like it) tomorrow if made readily available. Do the right thing and make this possible! The young, American consumer will support your efforts by driving this type of vehicle!
gas prices will be at 4.25 this
summer. STRIKE WHILE THE IRON
IS HOT
I hear lots of people saying nice things about the car, however, plenty of people said nice things about the EV-1 and claimed they’d buy them, yet few people came up with the “cash in hand” to get GM’s attention. You gotta be willing to put your money where your mouth is in the end.
I was very unhappy when the Metro was killed, given its great mpg. It seemed foolish to me and still does today. Few hybrids actually get near what they claim to in mpg. I own 2 Metro and I never intend to part with them. I have owned a Metro since 1992, so it ain’t just the more recent gas prices that caused my choice. I loved the Metro, I really like the newer Aveo (except it has no econo version engine)and I like the Volt. I really doubt it will ever be built though. Even with the insane cost of gas people are still buying new gas hogs left & right against all logic.
I like the persons idea about offering existing car models with hybrid power plants. It’s a swift way for GM to take the lead and move in the right direction. It should be an option on every GM sold.
Steve
We need this vehicle as soon as possible! I have a 3 mile commute one way and this would be perfect for me.
I can’t wait!
I don’t realy need blinding speed or a sports car look. I am looking for economical clean transportation to and from work.
I have a photovoltaic system that powers my house. With the volt I’ll be able to charge/power it off of electricity produced by the sun. OPEC’s days are numbered!!!
When will this technology be available?
The sooner, the better for everyone.
The styling is way too agressive for main stream. But here is an idea add the technology into the body styling of the 08 Malibu and you would have something ready for mass sale by mid 08 or 09 model year. This could be the golden goose that could GM back on top. The only reason to buy a Toyota or Honda is to get over 35 MPG. If you give the people 80-100 MPG with no emissions I think you could sell 3 million domestically. Try losing that huge nose on the Volt. It is way too big. It also hurts visuability. Also consider raising the roof an inch for head room. Plus expand the wheel base to create more interior. That will also increase the area of the truck. Plus lose the big wheels. 17 IN rims are fine for most base models. Also, put nav in each car standard with DVD capabilities. one touch start is good too. Get this too the show room floor by 09 and you could keep from losing me and others like me who want change. Otherwise you will lose a lot more sales to toyota and Honda.
Put the car in the Market.
It will sell.
So, are we supposed to forgive you (GM) now for destroying all those EV1s? What a waste of perfectly wonderful vehicles (and they were not even recycled; those cars were just crushed, along with any respect I ever had for GM as an auto company.) For those who aren’t quite sure what I mean you can check out the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
i think the car is a wonderful step in the right direction, id love to own one would make being a student incredibly easier if we were able to save money on gas. hope to get one in the future, id like to see it out within a year or two hopefully.
I vote NO because:
1. It looks like Tim Burtons Bat Mobile. (Build an electric car that looks like a car people will drive. Make it look like the Cobalt make it look like the Civic).
2. It gets 40 miles per charge? (This must be a typo because GM canceled the EV when they concluded no one wanted an electric car with a meager range of 70-80 miles per charge?)
3. It’s not an electric car it’s a Gas\Electric hybrid (Hybrids are NOT the answer they burn gasoline and produce pollution just like any other internal combustion vehicle. A gasoline-burning engine is not the solution to the problem of the gasoline-burning engine. Change is).
GM will get a YES when they:
1. Makes it look like a car.
2. Makes it electric.
3. Remove the gas tank and the combustion engine. Replace them with a battery.
I am a die hard Ford Mustang driver, however the greater good is to support the Chevy Volt. I would like to know if there is a waiting list in progress for purchase when they go into production. Being a two time Iraq veteran I can tell you that the concept of this vehicle or type of vehicle is a sore spot with anyone in the Arab world. If you try and discuss alternative fuels or electric vehicles with them they will automatically begin to argue mondain points. They are aware that we (the American Public) created the Arab world as it exist today (Thanks to Texaco), they are also aware that mass production of this type of vehicle would return them to a completely tribal and irrelevant society. That is just my two cents, anyway, I want to get on the waiting list as soon as possible.
YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE BUILT THIS CAR LONG AGO. IF YOU WOULD HAVE MAYBE YOU WOULDNT HAVE LOST YOUR CREDIBILITY. YOU USED TO BE NUMBER ONE REMEMBER THAT AND GET OFF YOUR DUFFS AND BUILD THIS CAR .
When will GM finally learn the business? It’s obvious the market is ripe for a total electric plug-in vehicle. People want it, the environment needs it, the country would be far more secure with it and we wouldn’t now be crippled by the high price of gasoline. It’s hard to be sympathetic with the financial woes at GM and Ford after they killed the electric vehicles a couple of years ago. All I can say is, let’s get it right finally! How fast can you build them? How many people will you be putting back to work by building them. You KNOW there’s a market… let’s get with it! I’m just kicking myself because I don’t the resources to start up my own company to make them.
Speaking for myself… I refuse to buy another vehicle until I can buy a total electric plug-in.
The war in Iraq is purported to be costing the US taxpayers more than 400 Billion dollars. If the government would use even a fraction of that money, say 100 billion to subsidize electric plug-in vehicles we would be much better served. If you do a little math 100 billion dollars would cover 10 million cars with a $10,000 subsidy each, at $20,000 you could put 5 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road. My guess is that 5 million cars that use little or no fuel would solve the entire Middle East oil import issue. So what are we waiting for – a perfect solution. The government needs to do their job and lead this country in the right direction and stop protecting special interest
Bring on the Volt, build the Holden Statesman here as an Impala, the Commodore as a Malibu, dump Buick and Pontiac, and move GMC back to a commercial brand.
Too little too late. If I can’t get a pure electric car in 3 years, I’ll build it myself. The kits are already here…why aren’t you, GM? You built the EV-1 from scratch…by hand. Why not just put an electric motor in a Cavalier, and away we go…10 YEARS AGO! Short term profit=short term thinking. Or did the oil companies stop you…for $$ I’m sure. Make a smaller faster version AND LOSE THE GAS and I’m there. I see this as a step back from the EV-1.
Why does America wait to be a dollar short and a day late? We should have had this machine on the road over a decade ago. I currently have several vehicles on the road and they would, undoubtabally, have ALL been vehicles of this type had I been offered the choice. We can’t afford to lag behind anymore in a worldwide based economy because catching up will not be an option (IS NOT AN OPTION).
Do you think. . .
LOVE IT… my name will be on the waiting list i will camp out for it. I will not buy another gas car, but i also need a truck to tow with, hint hint! try it on models you already have i don’t care what it looks like. please keep under $30k we’re a military family and can’t afford much more since we want 2. hurry up!
you know there was a time just about 10yrs ago when gas was $1 a gal. and i was younger and could only dream of a camaro SS.
forget mpg give me 0 to 60. now I’m older and and gas is $3.23 a gal in Guam where my family and i are stationed for the military. My wife and i don’t care about how fast it is or how cool it looks. it could be uglier then a scion and I’d drive it if it saved me money at the pump.
So GM do this: make it safe, make it affordable (not just affordable for your vp’s on up) and make it as or more reliable then Honda and Toyota. And I’ll have 1st two on Guam, and my first GM ever.
P.S. You wouldn’t want any more documentary’s making you profits go down.
Build it. In Right Hand Drive. So Holden can sell it in Australia. Please!
I like this concept more than the hybrids that don’t plug in. Being abel to commute to work and not use any gas is what I want. I have a 22 mile round trip commute so this would be perfect for me. GM please don’t kill this one like the EV1’s. I think this will put your company in the black again. I know I’ll buy one. I think half of the American people would buy one if you can keep the price under $40,000. People are talking about alternatives to gas all the time now.
The whole concept is great, but i would love to see a charging system greater than 15 amps, 120 volts. Most home made EVs have 5-10Kw chargers, which would be a real plus in the chevy volt. most chargers are adaptable to 120 or 240, from 15 to 40 amps
Bring this car into reality!! I love the design! It would be a wonderful alternative to gasoline, but. . . if the car costs as much as a house loan, not everyone is going to be able to buy it. I’m sure everyone grimaces in pain when they see the price that gasoline costs now. I know I do! Still if the car payment costs more than a house payment, there are only certain people who can afford it. Brillant idea, now bring it to life!!
Are any of you GM folks actually reading this?. I hope so, listening to your potential/past customers woudl be step 1 in beating back the Japanese domination.
This would be a good move! Realize, however, that the buyers of this don’t need the sexiest/most expensive version you can imagine!Simple is good. The simpler the maintenance on this, the better. The simpler the price, the better too! Then businesses will buy more too.
I have all American cars, but the difficulty (designed in, or ignored in) in maintaining them is frustrating, please do follow the Japanese example so I can stand to stay American.
This is an awesome idea, and would make up for crushing the EV1s!
Ready for great idea number 2–are you listening before you go into bankruptcy??– Whoever makes the first Hybrid (Plug In Preferred) MINIVAN to come to market in the US will be BILLIONS ahead.
Also, what’s wrong with Diesel? We are dying for cheaper transportation, crank it out! Stop aiming for 1960’s/1970’s goals/styles and crank out some practical transportation. You can win, just start listening. Serve the consumers, not the dealerships! We’ll be loyal, you’ll see!
Congrats on a great concept car, now crank something out, it doesn’t have to be as sexy, but 60 mi on a charge is a great idea. Can I have an optional solar panel on the trunk/roof to juice up in the parking lot? A lot of us rich greenies would go for that you know, it’s green and practical–what’s not to like! Just make it reasonably affordable ok? Now please, go get working on a Hybrid or Electric gas or Diesel MINIVAN and save your company and our domestic jobs and GNP! Be glad to correspond if it will benefit your design/marketing, I have plenty of experience in both. Thanks for a great concept car & get busy!
This car looks fantastic, which means you won’t produce it I’m sure.
Please build this car! I work for an organization that wants to make a difference in the world. One way we are making a difference is by building a “green” facility and by giving commuter credits for our employees who bike to work, ride share or use a vehicle with alternative fueling. I would prefer NOT to purchase a vehicle from one of your competitors…please build this car!
Please Please keep working on this technology! I think the majority of Americans will be willing to pay a little more when purchasing such an impressive car! I hope to be looking for a new car with in 2-4 years and I WANT to be looking at this car first! Keep up the work! Keep making it better for the environment!
where does the power come from for heat?
Does engine have to run all the time in winter to keep windshield clear?
This car is a great idea, i think it would put GM way ahead of the competition. If the production car looks anything like the concept, this car will be fantastic!
You can build it. Or, you can sit back and watch your Japanese competition build it and take customers instead. Prius already operates in decoupled mode. You’re not that far ahead. Get on it. Making the generator a (bio)diesel engine is purely common sense.
So, when are you going to build this? I currently drive a Prius, but I’d love to support a US automobile manufacturer. It sounds like you are more interested in what the consumer thinks than your main US rival is….
BTW, please do equip this with a sunroof that can be opened and that has an opaque sliding cover. These cars get HOT with all that sloping glass!
This Flexible platform will cost this Chevy Volt some performance, fuel economy, and profitability by going solely the serial hybrid route.
I have a chevy avalanche and got a chevy cold air intake installed just recently. But i would love to try Volt if already in the market.
Please build this car, it’s time for American auto makers to start looking forward to new innovative technologies instead of back at gas guzzling V-8s, we ought to be leading the world but instead we’re falling behind Toyota.
The Volt & Sequel “4WD electric drive train” is an answer to my quest … a truly flexible and universal vehicle platform.
The Volt & Sequel are great concepts, but for production I’d suggest that GM offer batteries and “range extender” as options that can be installed/replaced by a technician at a dealer or service station … ie no batteries, ICE/generator or hydrogen Fuel Cell included as standard equipment. Specifications and perhaps a certification process would encourage development by third party manufacturers with a plethora of electrical generation/storage technologies.
If a “4WD electric drive train” (batteries not included) was available in GM production vehicles, I’d buy today!
P.S. Today’s EV market has similarities to the PC business of 25 years ago … the successful PC manufacturers made the basic computer and left the options to third parties. An industry was born! With its experience in EV’s, GM has an opportunity to make history repeat itself … ie make the universal and flexible “4WD electric drive train” vehicles with “batteries not included”.
I have cobalt SS (280 Horses, 31 MPG) that I would love to trade in around 2011. Can the Volt be ready by then?
Thank you for investing in a couple great LiPoly Battery companies, I hope they come through for you.
The concept is great but please change the wheel and tires to R18/215, those concept pizza cutters look silly from behind. I really love the mini 2008 Camaro look that was used for the concept.
Let Toyota have the lead for a bit and then watch as they lose their boring car market share to Hyundai and their cheap Lexuses.
Build the Volt Concept and make sure you offer the same powertrain in the Solstice or Sky!
I love that you’re building it but IMO it is REALLY UGLY. Seriously. Please make a cute one.
Hello Mr. Wagoner:
You’re right on target with your Volt, and well on your way to redeeming yourself after your decision to kill the EV-1. The Volt series hybrid appears technically ingenious and unlike any hybrid in production now.
There are so few 5 door cars that I ask you to consider this when your stylists cut the rear deck lid down to practically nothing, aswe find in today’s styling trends.
Please have your stylists and focus groups consider a wide age range of drivers, because being older, I can’t handle the small windows; we need them for safe driving!
I grew up in Detroit, loved GM cars, but today you make not one I want to buy. All is forgiven if you can pull off the Volt; I’ll once again be proud to drive a GM car.
Put this Eflex system in the body of the Opel GTC concept and I’m sold.
This is exactly what GM needs to compete with Toyota. Build it.
Who ever said they wanted a high performance version needs to learn phisics. The massive amounts of tourque an electric motor can produce can be produced almost instantaniously. This is the performance version! Body design is sleek looking too. But ditch the gas engine. on long drives the gas engine will be working too hard. a small diesel from your dewoo company or from opel will provide maximum efficiency because they work best at a constant speed and That is what industrial generators use. And scince they are diesel they’ll run forever giving you the ability to steach out that powertrain warrenty far surpassing any hybrid car currently on the market. This car if produced will be the next VW beetle in that it apeals to everyone therefore sending the amount you would sell through the roof. This could put you back at number one and scilence those jokers who said you killed the electric car. You’d be in the clear with Al Gore and you’d start turning a profit again in the states. Making this thing is an all around good decision. come on, I’m a die hard GM boy. Heck look at my e-mail name. I love the duramax,and advise everyone about the good things you guys do. so If this doesn’t go through to production I might have to painfully switch my loyalty. Don’t make me do that because then all my family and friends who rely on me for car info ar going to switch too. and seriously toyota already took your first place and Hyundai is ready to steal second from you. Why? People think they are more styleish (the concept cars at least), cutting edge, economic, etc. come on don’t be pushed around by any one! build this car and get the bill for electric cars past in CA so you would be the only one to be able to sell cars in CA for about five years while everyone else tries to build an exclusively electric car.
its about time… im glad to see chevy putting out a car that can not only go head to head with the toyota and honda hybrids, but also is helping to reduce how much we rely on fossil fuels. 150 mpg cars are a reality, and im sure if the oil companies didn’t bribe the auto industry so much we would all be seeing 300 mpg cars. the technology is available here and now and has been available to us for years now. the volt is a fantastic concept and I will probably look into it if chevy makes this car able to do everything they say it can. good job on the design of the car as well. I look foward to future models like this. Hey how about pumping the colbalt, Impala, and all other 30 mpg vechicles to 50mpg? i know you guys at chevy can do it. bring the car of the year award back to the US and take it from Japan
Please don’t shrink this wonderful concept down in scope. Shoot for the Implala W platform and not the mini car Delta platform.
There are a multitude of asian mini electrics coming out starting next year.
GM needs to maintain their position as a leader in the industry.
Make another mini electric. But not your first offering.
I’m 21 yrs old and I love this car it’s so sexy (i like 4 door cars but i still want the volt)and it’s the smartest thing anybody has thought of in years. If you think about the gasoline you breath in each day its so eww. I’m thinking about getting my first car of course i have to learn how to drive first lol but my husband wants a challenger and he said he’ll let me get the volt if it comes out soon. Otherwise were getting the challenger so please hurry. Also i hope it’s not to much money if you have a round about number you should put it on the site. So people have an idea
OK…I think EVERYONE agrees that this is a HOT car. It’ll sell like hotcakes and put GM back on top. Over and over and over, you’ve heard it GM…now it’s time to act. Here’s what I think you should do: 1. Stop all future product development on ALL vehicles (even your coveted Camaro!!). 2. Re-assign every engineer, designer, product developer etc. you have to this project…nothing else is developed until this car rolls off the assembly line. 3. After you implement the Volt, transfer the Volt technology to every vehicle in your lineup until a plug-in version of every vehicle is available (except for maybe trucks).
Absolutely love it.
I’ve been waiting for a series/PHEV vehicle. In our mountain and snow environment, I would like an AWD option. Which should be no big whoop for a Series PHEV.
PHEV V2G technology will enable energy independence. Bring it on!
Sounds like a cool car.
Hopefully it will be advertized better than the EV1 was. GM, promote this not only as a way to help save the planet, but also a way to have fun while doing it. Get people to want to buy it. I want to buy it. But not everyone does. It needs to sound fun and exciting. Not wierd like the EV1 was.
Email me and I’ll come work for you. I’m getting a BS in Vehicle Design. Let’s make this the best electric vehicle ever.
please build it, my 18 mile commute is perfect!
Please build this car for 2008 model year. I am buying a car for my son, and he can simply not afford gas. I worked for EDS for 10 years in PAD; I know you could have done it last year. Make money, what is the problem?
After I read about car and before I saw what it looked like, I said that if this car was available now, I would buy it.
When I saw that Chevy was going to make an electric car again, I was shocked because of the whole GM electric car ordeal in California and Arizona back in the 90’s and early 2000. I’m really excited about this car. It looks really cool.
Amazing…Not just the car but the response you are getting. There are too many responses for me to take the time to read them all but its clear that we (the consumers) are ready to buy. Could the venicle be put into production earlier using high end batteries available today? When battery replacement time comes in a few years, the batteries could be upgraded to the new technology (whatever it is at that time).
Just one more thought. Could you consider equiping the vehicle with some type of photovoltaic charging system. This could be as simple as integrating cells into the dash. Even simpler, provide the owner with a photovolaic front window sunshade. Those of us who live in the sunny areas of the country would love to put that energy to use for something other than frying our legs on the seats.
I will really be glad if and when this comes out. I’ll hold off buying another car until it becomes available.
The first american Car I will ever buy. Please built it soon, Great concept, good design.
In my industry, when we beat the market to a radical new technology, we show it in a group of at least 4 design options.
That way if a buyer doesnt like one style, they can have it in another.
Since this particular body design is seen as ugly by many people, why not offer this EV in several styles. The concept of an EV is a paradigm shift for the whole market.
If you don’t get out in front you’ll lose market share to Teslas WhiteStar and Miles Javlon XS500 and Spyders next sedan and ZAPs CRX.
Why not do your very basic Silerado truck in electric. (highlight the “EV” in the middle of CHEVROLET on the back!)
Why not a cute litle camaro or neon type car in electric.
To many people, not just me, this style looks like its for paranoid angry mean and old haters who just plain don’t want to see the world outside their windows.
Thats not the psychology of an early adopter of new tech, or of those who try and cut our carbon footprint.
People who are open to new ideas like this EV buy cars that look responsible and so they have big windows to avoid hurting any kids. They love other people. They are good: they want the world to survive us. They are happy. They want to see whats happening. You can sneer at them as treehuggers, but they buy cars too.
So please offer it in a couple bodies. Don’t tell me you can’t design for do-gooders.
Hire iPODs designer. Or Lotus.
Or Teslas designer. Theres cool design that do-gooders love. You need to open your heart to them.
Whoever is first to $25000 though, thats the EV I’ll buy. In case its you, please offer it in nice sedan styling, like a Camry/Civic/Accord or….how about make a huge statement:
bring back the exact EV1 style!
That is now the most cherished car in America that we never knew existed till too late.
Dear GM Executives/Employees?Engineers,
Thanks for developing the Chevy Volt, it would be really nice to see this vehicle in showrooms next year thus enabling me to buy a domestic vehicle that surpasses what the Japanese manufacturers are building.
Unfortunately my experience with GM leads me to think that this vehicle will be delayed until the Japanese or European companies start selling thier own versions and establish the market.
Please release this car for 2008, and help me rebuild my belief in American Technology and Ingenuity.
Yours truly,
Tribu
I have been looking for a hybrid as my next vehicle. I’ve been waiting for something like this that is american made and comparable to hybrids available outside the US. I am excited to see if Chevy can pull this technology off and make it affordable at the same time. Good luck Chevy… I am rooting for you!
I am very impressed with this drivetrain concept, it shows actual vision and foresight on the part of GM. Compare this to the non-gas concepts from other manufacturers and there is no comparison. I have read over half of the entries here, and the same points keep coming up, and I agree with all of them:
1. To secure competitive advantage, GM needs to get this car out by model year 2009 (late 2008 calendar) or model year 2010 at the very latest, or it risks being beaten to market by the Asian automakers.
2. If GM gets this car out in late 2008, it needs to follow up in the next 2-3 years with multiple body styles (crossover, sedan) to get a wider reach in the market.
3. The beauty of this drivetrain concept is that it can work in the present, so GM should focus on engines using fuels that work with current infrastructure (diesel, biodiesel, gas, E85) and not hydrogen fuelcells.
4. This car will lose a lot of buyers over $30k, and if it can get close to $25k it will have a very large following.
5. If the “base” model is between $25-30k, there would be a market for higher-end models with thin-film PV roof & hood, and larger battery packs.
6. People are much more impressed with the drivetrain than the styling, so focus more on making room for all the right components, batteries etc, even if the finished product needs to be a little bigger, or look more like a “normal” car.
7. This is a big chance for GM to redeem it’s image, and if they don’t follow up on this, and put their money where their mouth is, consumers will have every reason to “go Japanese” and not trust GM again.
I wish this car were available now. I hope it comes out soon enough. I’d rather buy American but I’ll buy the first production 4 passenger car with either plug in hybrid or your E-Flex type power plant.
Forget E85 which is just raising the price of produce…The Volt is the way to go. 2008, 2009 whenever, sign me up! I want one ASAP. REALLY. I work 17 miles from home and would love one of these…..
I think that America should start a new program, similar to the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) program. I call it the OVPA — One Volt Per Adult. Every adult citizen in America needs to trade in one of their current cars for a Chevy Volt. I don’t care how…whether paid, leased, subsidized via state fleet sales or what.
We need to get the Volt into the hands of each and every driver in America…the World!
I am a gm tech we need this car to be a four door.It needs to be out now to compete with other auto manufactures.Gm should also make sure they design a hybrid system for all its car lines.what about a turbo diesel hybrid with the highest mpg of any car ever.
I’d love to see this car and the same technology on other platforms. I’d buy a plug in hybrid or E Flex MiniVan today!
I am an aerospace engineer who lives 30 miles from work. The other day on the way to work I presented an idea to a fellow engineer that was essentially identical to the Volt, which I was not aware of at the time. This would be ideal for my second car. Unfortunately, I have a family of 6 so it would not replace the family vehicle. I think if you could also sell a minivan based on this concept you would find a lot of additional interest. They may not be glamorous, but they sure are practical.
If cash flow is important to GM now and if the availability of proper batteries is the hold-up, start selling the Volt ASAP without the battery package, and provide the battery package when it is ready. I would be glad to drive it in gasoline mode until the battery is available.
i would buy the volt as soon as they came out please make this car
I own 2 BMW’s and have not considered buying a car from GM until I saw the Volt. Even an expensive version is interesting to me. Just get the dang thing to market. I’m so tired of 25-30 MPG. I want something I can plug-in. If you make it I will buy it.
-Chris
Its about time, that Detroit flexed its innovative muscle to revolutionize the automobile again. Kudos, for choosing Lordstown to build it.
I will keep my current vehicle until this one hits the market. Cool design, and great for the environment….win win.
I think your biggest problem is going to be that you will not be able to produce enough of these. Maybe you could bring a plant in Michigan back online, to have it built there would help the state immensely.
I currently own a honda insight. I am currently getting 55 to 60 miles per gallon. I like the car but it is ony a two seater. I have always driven GM product prior and am very interested in the Chevy Volt.
Please begin production of this car right away! I want one!
I would like to see the Volt in production as soon as possible. I would like to have 200 – 300 watts of solar panels on the roof and hood. I expect that the car could be driven at least 10 mi / day with just solar in the southern U.S.
Ethanol, Biodiesel, and Hydrogen are just pretend fuels which use more energy to produce then they contain. I would prefer to plug into the home natural gas line than the electric supply. A small low pressure compressor and small CNG tank along with the solar could eliminate almost all of the gasoline demand for my driving needs.
Dear GM,
I have been working for GM dealerships since 1998 first as a salesman and now a CSI Manager. Teaching was great (21 years) but the car industry is fantastic. I have been waiting for a wow vehicle….forever.
My wife and I read your website info searching for that magical word, “Hybrid” and ran into the Concept car Volt. My wife immediately started hounding me to get her signed up to test market driving them back & forth to school where she teaches. She knows if she likes Volt everone will want one! Granted, it’s not the flying car you guys promised us but it fits the bill in coping with $3 per gallon gas.
Sincerly,
R.W. Major
You could use a sexier comercial.
When does it come out?
Please build it. I will buy it!
Again I am going to put my two cents in about this car. I’ve noticed alot of people talking about adding solar cells and photovolic laminant to the roof and even wind turbines to the grill. All cool ideas however they don’t really produce enough energy to do anything more than run the radio (if that).
Several people have also mentioned wanting to build an all electric if Chevy does not produce this in time. On both of my tours in Iraq I would vent my frustration with the entire culture of the Middle East by researching alternative fuel and even going so far as to design and work schedule a build for an all electric kit car. It is very possible to do, however a one off garage build would cost between $50,000 and $80,000 to build if you want to do it right and get the required performance out of it, it would also take a year of weekends if you had nothing else to do. The best bet for those of us who have jobs (as in not retired yet) is to wait for a mass production vehicle. The major upside to any all-electric vehicle is that they have a very short pay back point. Even the Tesla at a modest $120,000.00 can pay for itself in 8-12 years once you add up the $2500 annual tax rebate, other state and federal ensitives, not to mention the absence of the gas pump.
As for technology, why is GM not looking into “in the hub electric motors”. The latest concept vehicles for the military are going to envolve “flat” electric motors that are integrated into the wheels of the vehicle. The technology that GM is using in the VOLT is reffered to as an “electro-hybrid” by military developers (by the way GM is the contractor). The hub motors are 98% efficient and also have combat benifits (blow off two of six wheels and still keep going), no fuel tanks to rupture or explode and no more noisy generators to haul around with you across the desert.
The short story is that the vehicle already exist, it currently has machine guns, rocket launchers and IED armor mounted on it, but it does exist and works great.
I am currently driving a desk, if for some reason GM feels that an Army Logistics guy could help them get this and other vehicle successfully on the market sooner then they are of course welcome to let me know, I would help just out of boredom and spite for the Middle East. Finally, please let me know if there is a waiting list happening for this vehicle.
I really hope this car will be built. If it is, it will be the first car I’ve owned and the first car I’ve driven since I gave up driving over a year ago for environmental reasons.
Could you give us the public an update on where you are with this vehicle? Can you tell us if you’re even considering our ideas about solar panels on the car, GPS, softer more supportive seats, etc? I want one by next summer and I’m not hopeful that you will be able to provide one for me. If that happens I will have to turn to another manufacturer and I don’t want to. I want the VOLT.
Build it and I will buy two. It is something that GM should have done 30 years ago (I know, battery technology wasn’t ready then). I want on the waiting list now!
I’m one of those people that drive less than 40 miles roundtrip to work. I’m sick of feeling like I’ve been robbed every time I fill up at the gas pump. If you build this car, I will absolutely look into buying it. Thanks for joining the eco-revolution!
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes.
The sooner we can buy these types of cars the better.
You can’t build these fast enough. The demand for this technology cannot hardly be opver-estimated as the anti-carbon ferver builds. Please find ways to ramp up developement.
Chevy VOLT is the best technology to date for a Automobile.
On a even playing field GM and Ford have no problems.. its the playing field that lets companies like Toyota to keep all competitors out of THEIR home market that is keeping us from having cars like the VOLT now. GM hybrid deisel electric buses are now in 50 of the largest cities in the US saving half the fuel of the German made Buses… with much less maintenance and much more reliability. Toyota is paying NO TAXES at the plants its opening in the big dumb USA.
Japanese mfrs are here for one reason.. and it’s not the interests of the American citizens. They are here to suck as much money out of our economy as they can.
JDPowers states.. “GM earns more quality and reliability awards than any other mfr.”
Unfair Trade is our problem… and why we have no electric cars to date.
The Hybrids like the Prius are a joke. A car that costs $30K and is taken to the junk yard before its 10 years old ..is nothing more than a rich persons play toy… to the average worker making 50K/yr .. expensive hybrids are meaningless. The only hybrid that makes any sense is the FORD Escape… try to find one.
The CHEVY VOLT is the best idea ever concieved for commuting by the average person. Level the playing field and we will have cars that finally utilize technology more advanced than the Model T internal combustion engine and driveline.
I’m an avid electric car nut, and this is the perfect car.
To the detractors that complain about the 40 mile range, that’s the perfect goal. Enough battery to end the majority of non-electric driving, with a life that makes economic sense.
I’d rather see 100,000 cars that go 40 on pure electric than 400 that go 200 miles and will never be mainstream.
640 mile range would make a truck driver start praying for a break. That’s a mainstream car.
I’m not a huge fan of the looks, but I’d buy it for the electric. It’d be nice if they could have a more classic car shape, like the charger, in my opinion.
I am so happy to see an american company finally take the lead on something. I have sworn by Japanese vehicles for 15 years. I am probably going to buy a subaru WRX this christmas simply because no american car can compete! I would just love to have some american made car suprise me with some cool technology that is useful and reliable! I am finally FINALLY suprised! wow! Build the Volt… Make it as good as you say it is, and pray for high gas prices to help your sales!! :>) I will buy one and I will tell all my friends. As for Ideas… It looks FAST… Make sure it actually IS FAST. Perhaps have a -slow -medium -fast setting that limits acceleration and saves power around town and a fast setting that will make your friends jealous! It sounds stupid but that is VERY important. :>)
If you need a volunteer to test the Volt in the Northeast…I’m the guy. I’m in that percentile that would love to stop using gas and GO GREEN.
I had a chance to ride in an EV1. Loved it. Hope this vehicle comes out sooner rather than later. Hope it comes out BEFORE I have to replace my 1998 Checy Blazer.
—Drew McDermott, Schenectady, NY.
I really like the flexibility GM has built into their new concept, the Chevy Volt. It truly is something for everybody, and the next-generation of electric vehicle. It addresses the market’s needs by adopting an ultra-adaptable strategy. One that can take advantage of multiple fuel sources depending on your needs at the time, while still delivering optimum performance and environmental benefit. I’m buying one.
Please build this car, but do not make the same mistake as Honda – it needs to have leg room and head room so big Americans and our tall children fit comfortably in the car. I love my Prius (roomy, great trunk space, low emissions, 50+ mpg), but want to buy American again. I am 100% behind biodiesel – even if it is more expensive than what we are currently paying for gasoline. We need to look to the future.
THANK YOU for taking this leap forward in human civilazation. We are in the midst of one of the great changes of our times and only those that have the courage and will to lead the way, no matter what, will reap the great rewards of success down the road ahead.
Beautiful design but GM has it all wrong….a hot looking electric car? No way. Save the design for the upscale drivers who don’t care about the price of gas. Give the rest of us a nice boring small four door sedan for our families thats electric, low-cost (initial and maintainence) and gets us from point A to point B. Thats all.
I just finished watching the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car and felt more loathing for GM than I ever had before. I then googled electric vehicles and found the Volt. If GM chooses to build this vehicle, not only would it mend the damage it’s done to its own image, I would even trade my fuel efficient Scion xB for one.
I am interested in an electric vehicle. I have usually short commutes and the Volt would suit me wonderfully. For long drives, I can always use my Impala. I have this extreme compulsion to drive past as many gas stations as I possibly can/ I was ready to buy and you didn’t produce it before/ I had the power setup in my garage and you didn’t build the car for Michigan. My driving is 40 miles or less, 99.9% of the time. You could always give it a propane heater for Michigan winters, I could empty the barbecue grill tank every year:)
Rick Laviolette
why didn’t you just keep the first EV on the market? any why don’t you just build the thing instead of acting like there is no market out there? when has a company EVER made a blog to determine if they should put out a car? this is a senseless waste of time. build the d@mn car.
The styling is absolutely sexy! With the engine technology being convertible to accommodate various distances, this car would definitely fly here in the CA Bay Area. Add the latest internal technology, and you’ve got the CA yuppie crowd. Go GM!
i think you should take all this flex fuel stuff and throw it on the pontiac solstice platform so it will be lite and sporty and save u money if gm made a car like that for under $25,000 they would sell billions
We need more cars like this on the market. The sooner the better. Count me in line to buy one!
GM and others if you are reading this far..
Yes, build it and quick. Looks great.
Wife just bought Prius, and it is a very impressive car. Top quality in first month not one thing wrong with it. Touch screen, nav, backup camera,push start. The only think it doesn’t have is heated seats.
Anyway, build with this quality and you will sell a lot. Including to me.
PLEASE WATCH THE MOVIE “WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?” YOU ANSWERS ARE THERE. THIS IS NOT NEW. COME ON GM HAVE SOME BOULES AND STAND UP TO THE OIL CO.
Yes, buid it. I will buy it. I drive 20 miles per day. This is perfect for my driving habits. If you dont make it, then another auto maker will beat you to market, and it will be too late for you to catch up.
Please try to increase the 40 mile electric range.
This car is a no brianer. I am sick of going to the gas station. On a serious note, this care would be great for my wallet, the environment, and our security. I am ready to buy!
Since visiting EPCOT Center in 1983, I have been amazed and excited by the engineering marvels developed by the good people at General Motors. To my disappointment, these concept vehicles have never made it to the showroom floor. General Motors currently has the best concepts I have seen, but refuses to build them.
Ms. Lowry, please ensure this vehicle, the Chevy Volt, is brought to full scale production, and allowed to see the retail sales floor. America needs an alternative solution to the competitors, and the non-renewable energy sources.
Very Respectfully,
Eric
In the wake of the EV-1 episode, I swore I’d never buy another GM product. IF this product comes to market in the near future, I may have to change my mind. Consider adding solar panels to the vehicle to assist in re-charging the battery on those sunny days when it sits in the parking lot at work. This is the right answer and is long overdue.
I need to purchase an car but i don’t want to buy a vechicle that cost me half my pay check to fill up today and my entire check tomorrow… and keeps me at the mercy of the enemies of my country… Does GM offer EV now? 2008? 2009?Americans don’t need EV concepts we need EV NOW!9/11/2001 was 6yrs ago Americans don’t want to continue to be dependent on our enemies gas.GM needs to take the lead here…Save America and in retrospect save itself.It’s the patriotic thing to do and it would bring GM a lot of respct increase sales and regained market share.It might even bring some hope and pride back home to the Good Old USA
Regards
Kathy Hilding
You should have had it out a couple of years ago. Your behind the curve. Know wounder Toyota is the largest car maker. Thats a disgrace. I would have bought one a few years ago, let alone now with the gas prices. Toyota can’t make them fast enough and sells them for what ever they want. What a nice position to be in. What I really like about the Volt is the ability to plug it in and not need gas at all. Also, useing other than gas for fuel. Get one out soon and I will gladly buy one or two.
Jim
It is high time that American automakers lead through innovation. I am a city dweller and live less than 8 miles from my job. Sadly, public transportation is not readily available so I have no choice but to drive. Bikes and/or mopeds are not an option due to saftey concerns but an electric vehicle would be perfect for my day to day commute.
A dual/tri/quad mode car is an excellent solution for those of us who just want decent daily transport.
please GM we need to lead, our country needs you. If you build they will buy, stop letting Japan build the best cars, we can do it, we need to do it. Bottom line lead not follow. Make the best not the cheapest.
Omigod!! A GM product that I actually find myself wanting to own! I always wondered why no one tried this technique before in a car – after all, it worked in diesel-electric submarines decades ago.
By all means, keep the ability to charge while parked. This way I can get to my office and let the car “snorkel” in the parking lot so it’s ready for the trip home. I also prefer the ability to use diesel so I can tap off my heating oil and shaft the gov’t out of their fuel taxes.
BUT – It’s going to take more than high tech alone for the car to succeed – like long term reliability & world class build quality, which are foreign concepts to GM now. I refuse to accept a second-rate car no matter how “green” or “patriotic” you paint it to be. So by all means build the volt, but build it as well as Toyota could.
Great concept car. I would love to see it in production and seriously consider buying one, especially with the flexible fuel option. How about adding solar panels to trickle charge the battery while we all work, though?
I would definitely buy the Volt if it was under 25k. I want it now!! Build it!!!
After GM’s debocle with the way they handled the electric cars in california who knows. Until GM finally starts understanding what the consumer wants instead of what some idiot thinks they want GM will never sell anymore cars and go out of business. In my 20 years of driving I have not seen a company that is so out of touch with what their consumers want. I would buy one of these tomorrow if they were available. Which in GM mentality means they will never come out.
Please build this car! Until we can drive without depending on Big Oil, we will continue our current problems in the Middle East and pollution/global warming here at home. I would love to tell the Saudis, Nigerians, Iranians, and Hugo Chavez to eat my electrons.
Sweet! Two things though…
1. Why is it not already out?
2. What kind of premium are you planning on attaching to it?
Contrary to the cynics, people are smart and will call you on over-pricing it. I want to buy an plug-in A to B (54 miles) for under $16k. Can you do it?
Hopefuly this electric car program is not going to be like the last one GM had (EV1)
I want to purchase an E-Flex vehicle in either a 4 door sedan or minivan version. I would buy one of each if they were available today.
The first model should be a 4 door sedan. Let’s face it, the Toyota Camry is the most popular car in the US. Make an E-Flex model with the same comfort similar performance, all electric mode for 20 to 40 miles and average 40 miles per gallon or better when running in engine assist mode over long distances at 75 mph and you would be #1 again!
Please bring this vehicle to market within 2 years. I want to purchase this vehicle now.
I don’t trust you guys at all. I’m staying with my Prius and Toyota who was smart enough to get it from the beginning. Also, we can’t make enough ethanol for E-85 to be a real longterm solution. Electric, diesel and hybrid diesel seem to be the best bets for energy efficient cars. Diesel can be made from clean coal technologies like Sasol’s and from plant waste materials.
Nice car… but this car will never come out. GM proved there intensions with EV-1. I highly doubt this car’s capabilities anyway.
I was a ford kind of guy…the
bride has always been a chevy gal. I tried the pontiac vibe…and have been a believer in GM products ever since. If you can pull this chevy volt thing off…I will become a chevy man. Until you put this revolutionary vehicle out I will forever back GM by leasing GM.Give a hoot…don’t pollute! Its a start guys,keep the ball rolling.
This is a great idea on many levels. Can I place my name on the list to buy one when you build it? Richard
Finally, high-level executives at GM are waking up to the realities of our world today.
I applaud Bob Lutz for having the courage to stand up and commit to creating a vehicle that is good for our economy (yes… the entire economy will benefit from kicking our addition to oil), for the people of the US (who will undoubtably celebrate NOT having to visit the gas pump as often), and the people of the world (who will definitely benefit from fewer carbon emissions from cars).
I for one commit to buying this vehicle once it is in production. And I have personally spoken to 7 of my friends who have all committed to the same.
Mr. Lutz… MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
Thank you.
The time has come for this car. We need to move it out of the concept phase into mass production. The demand was there with the EV-1, but BIG OIL made you pull that off the shelves. Really tired of the promise, we need to see action. What a great statement it would be for an American company to stand on the front lines of this revolution instead of on the front lines securing OIL in Iraq. Let’s go one step further, put Solar Panels on the roof to recharge the battery on the go….America can do it, and we need a company like GM to feed it to us…………THE TIME HAS COME SO UNLOOSEN THE TIES AND GET RID OF THE BEURACRACY SO WE CAN GET THIS THING ON THE ROAD!
No need to post this.
What is the approximate $$ that you will be asknig and when (approx.) will this be available for purchase?
Thanks, -Karen
You cant bring this car to market fast enough. We want this car yesterday.We are all tired of George Bush and his criminal cronies using this war to profit from gas prices due to the instability he purposely created in the Middle East.
The Volt is an amazing prospect and will be giving the Prius and Civic Hybrid a run for their money. I compiled some videos, audio clips, pictures and more, check them out online at http://www.chevy-volt.net
I really want to see the volt built very soon and not just for talk. Why isn’t it out already, it sounds like a bunch of talk. You really should build it soon and make it avaliable to everyone in every market. I really miss my EV1
Great car, i think you should make the volt in with many different body styles because if not, thats all you see is one car one the road
If you build this will the a/c system run on a electric a/c compressor so you don’t have to use the gas motor to use the air conditioner ? : Therefore extending the milage to the electric motor ? Also will this vehicle have regenerative braking ? ,to help charge the electric motor ? without using the gas motor ?
GM -
you people are truly scary. You make a big to-do about a concept car with no delivery date, and toot your own horn about how environmentally-conscious you’ve suddenly become. Meanwhile you hope to increase your Hummer sales – by something like 25% – and not that long ago you testified carbon dioxide was not a pollutant.
Seems to me I remember when the cigarette companies did much the same thing when they tried to pull the wool over our eyes with their ‘cigarettes do not cause cancer’ BS.
You big execs pulling down the huge bonuses – are you laughing behind your hands at what sheep the American public has become? how easy it is for you to lead us down the primrose path, cheering GM on for a car that does not, and very well might not ever exist?
If you were serious, you’d put a DELIVERY DATE on this new miracle car. and you’d yank those gas-guzzling monstrosities – Hummers – right out of the showrooms. But you haven’t changed. You’re no more interested in the environment than you ever were – you’re just out to make as much money as quickly as possible and rape the earth and everyone on it in the meantime.
I’ll frankly be very surprised if these comments get posted on your site. And even if they are, they’ll be buried at the bottom where no one will
see them anyway. (you ought to list the comments from newest to oldest. No one is going to scroll through hundreds of letters to see the latest remarks and so the same 10 or 20 at the top will be the only ones read.)
Please do!
Please build this car! I want one!
I would consider buying one. There is a lot of criticism towards US automakers because of the quality and lack of for-thought when it comes to environmentally friendly technology, but I can give you the benefit of the doubt, as long as your company is serious about the future of this type of technology. So, put this car on sale.
I don’t buy new cars. I always bought 2nd hand because they have better value for money.
Traditionally, I am a Ford buyer. When opportunity came, I bought a reconstructed Prius with 58k miles thro ebay for less than half the price of a new one. It’s good and functioning. I love it. It saves us lots of money.
But I also hate the Prius – because the moment we drive above 35mph the gas engine kicks in, it drops to 50 mpg and above 60 mph, it drops to 45 mpg. When the temp drops below 40C, we get 38-40 mpg at 65mph. We drove between Maine and Seattle thro Wyoming and Montana mountains. We got a miserable 38 mpg, just as any ordinary 1.5L car could achieve. What a piece of cr**.
I have never had to work more than 25 miles away from work all my life.
Please make a car that is better than the Prius. The sooner the better because, I will wait for someone to discard their older VOLT for a newer model.
If you made the VOLT, I promise when I shop for my new second hand car, I will not buy a Prius or a Ford. Unless they also made something like the VOLT.
Dear all Car Consumers worldwide and all car manufacturers.
Please start building the electric car. This volt is great. I would be among the very long list to drive on first. I would pay to drive one of these every day to work, and not worry about gas being $4 a gallon. Ideas like this is what need to happen in order to preserve the world we live in. Electricity is the future, and our lives and mankind depend on it.
PLEASE BUILD THE CHEVY VOLT and I WILL BUY IT!!!
If you build it, we will buy it! I want one! Make the batteries upgradeable for longer charge life. This will make the mileage rating grow as battery technology improves.
GM
Get this car manufactured and on the road.
Please don’t wait for another opportunity to pass you by.
Make it affordable, and don’t tell me “it cost more up front, but you’ll save the money on fuel cost”.
You don’t have to make billions on this car, you need to get back in the innovation game.
Good luck with this vehicle. I’ll be waiting. Keep in mind you have a lot of overseas competitors that are try to get my money with new technology such as better gas mileage, new fuels, and price right.
Sincerely Jim
Please build a station wagon version of this vehicle. Although the Chevy Cavalier was not a great car, the size and shape of the Cavalier wagon was great. This concept is just too ugly and why reduce sales of such good technology by wrapping it in a body that has limited appeal.
I’ll be in line to buy one if you make a practical and good looking wagon version, but if it is ugly and not space efficient, I’ll pass. The other auto makers will come up with something, if you don’t.
Thanks
Why such a short range on all electric? Tesla motors boasts a car going up to 200 miles on all electric charge that only takes about 3-4 hours to charge?
This concept is great. An indirect drive hybrid with a properly sized engine and small, low-cost, relatively light batteries. Costs will be low due to 40 mile electric range batteries and a relatively small 3 cylinder engine. It will be light because it won’t have a full sized gas engine and a huge battery pack. No complex, heavy electric/gas transmission/power converter drivetrain. It is basically a plug in hybrid done right. The concept platform is a little out there on styling, but if this could be done on something like a Solstice it would be awesome. I would love to own a plug in Solstice or similar car.
Too bad it won’t be built until the top two Japanese automakers are selling 40K units a year of their own plugin or indirect drive hybrids the US.
As a veteran of Iraq, I would absolutely positively buy one. This is the type of product we need – right now – please make this. I am so sick and tired of seeing gas guzzling SUV’s with “support the troops” stickers. People, wake up, buy a Volt, use less gas, stop lining the pockets of countries that support terrorism, and do your part to protect America.
You better get on the band wagon with this car or someone will beat you to it
Well, most of all, I’d like to see 0-60 in 7 seconds or better. I like the fact that you’re using a tiny engine to charge the batteries. You can probably get an even smaller engine with better efficiencies from a motorcycle company though, perhaps you should look into that. A small engine can and should be optimized to go all out at high revs. Also, Wouldn’t it be better to have AWD with a smaller motor driving each wheel? The motor could be placed near the center of the axle where conventional cars usually keep their differentials. That way, a motor failure won’t get you stranded and you get free AWD, traction control, etc. Another feature you may want to think about would be like an “overboost” where the electric motors produce more than their rated power for brief period as needed like when passing.
GM I think the car is a GREAT IDEA!!! I really hope you guys put this car into production. I also hope you guys build a truck also. Guys good work and it is a great idea.
I love it! It is SO HOT!But I need a 4-door version. So many hot sporty cars come in a coupe style. I want style and functionality! Pontiac has a Sedan style Grand Prix-one of which we own. VOLT wins my vote- and so much sexier than a Prius!
Please build this car I would buy it.
Show the world that America still possesses the technical know-how to build this. I’m tired of getting beat-up by my european friends….
I have Prius and bought many Toyota’s – but this would switch me back to American cars. I live in a windy area and would love to hook it up to an alternator on my windmill at night. Free mileage from the wind. How cool it that? Please build it and I will buy one.
I like the car and the “E-flex” idea.
If Chevy made this car I would buy it!
And I think it would be so popular, I would buy stock in GM, that way we could both make money.
Please build this car. It’s innovation is whats needed to bring GM back into the forfront in the industry.
When can we expect these cars to go into production?
With the $3-4 per gallon gas, we need the Chevy Volt now!!
With my commute to work and errands, I wouldn’t use a drop of gas, how green is that!
WE NEED THIS CAR!!!
I make compromises everyday. To help the environment, to help America, and to help my family. This car doesn’t require compromise.
I’m in the process of putting up 8.4 Kilowatt PV Solar electric system on my house, while still being grid connected. Having a vehicle like this would an excellent step towards energy independance.
I’ll take 2. Silver for me and White for my wife.
This should have been produced in the late 70’s. If so gas prices would not be as high as they are now. I would buy one now and so would many other people. It seems that this good idea for transportation has been bought out by the oil companies to protect their profits
Please build this! The world is ready for a cost efficient Electric Vehicle. If you build this and price it at around $20k it’d sell like hot cakes.
Why is this car still a “concept” and not “in production” right now?
It’s most likely just another carrot; a fuel-efficient car that’s “just around the corner” – a corner we never seem to travel around here in wasteful North America.
Why don’t we still have electric vehicles on the market? Big oil (and the car companies) are making too much bloody cash to give a rats a$$ about the environment or what the consumer really needs/wants.
How long before an efficient electric vehicle is actually produced by one of the Big 3 in North America? Personally, I’m not holding my breath.
I plan on either converting a hybrid Prius to a plug-in, converting one of the other readily available hybrids to a plug-in, contracting someone to build me an electric car, or buying something from ZAP within the next year.
I’m holding off on buying anything until I can get one. I think this concept is the best solution as far as versatility and economy is concerned. Besides it looks BAD TO THE BONE!
A very cool looking car, a wonderful concept, but I have two concerns:
1) Even with the on-board charger, will the internal combustion engine remain cool with extended drive time? (I have family on the Ohio River but I live on Lake Erie)
2) Northern Ohio winters are strenuous; 40 below is not unknown. In summer temps approach 100 degrees. With this broad fluctuation of atmospheric ambient, will the expected battery life remain at a decade?
A great concept I think will sell and sell big. What are you waiting for? Japan. The engineers and designers need to be working overtime on this to get it right and get it to market.
I love this car idea. I especially love the fact that it can run on biodiesel.
However, there’s one thing I absolutely need in order to make this work, and I’m not alone in this. I don’t have a garage. I live in an apartment complex, and my parking spot is not close to my house. This means that I’m going to have a very hard time plugging this car into my power supply. What would really, really help me to make this work would be for me to be able to take the battery out of the car, plug it into a wall socket, and charge it overnight inside my apartment. Once I have that, I can use this car forever.
What do you say?
I love the idea and wish you’d produce this and the EV1 again! Mass production will drive down the cost of these vehicles to produce. I want one of these cars (if it’s under $25k). Tell me when I can go buy one. I really don’t want a Toyota.
Thank you for putting out something that the world needs. Two years ago I was talking to some co-workers and said wouldn’t it be cool if an electric car could generate it’s own power. Like to have a windmill to catch the air passing by the car, or a small gas motor to generate the power. And with the wind mill the faster the car would travel the more power it would get. The more power it would get the faster it could go. When I look at the Volt it looks like a Camero and the doors make me think of the Citreon C-6. I can not wait to drive one. So please, please keep the price under $22,000.00 with AC and a killer sound system too. Thank you thank you thank you. I am proud to be from the USA Thank GM
You people deserve to fall on your butts if you cave in once more and do not pursue electric car production (like the EV-1 situation). American ingenuity and know-how in electric propulsion transportation can give GM the “shot in the arm” it needs to survive and probably prosper. You people would be heros.
Please build this car. People will buy it. Gasoline is hovering around $3.50/gallon here and will likely go to around $4.00/gallon by Memorial Day weekend.
This car is long over-do and needed NOW with the prices of Gas and the state of the envirment. If the 60 Mile range holds true, I would use gas only two days a month, a savings of $150 each month. Please GM get it out of the concept and into the showrooms.
Global warming is here, now. We need to replace all gas and bio-diesel combustion engines with electric cars. The cars can have continuous daytime charger units on the cars as they sit in the sun all day. These built in solar collectors can be designed into the sunroofs. We need to develop technology that consumes carbon dioxide from the air, like plants do. A device installed on the front of every car that either collects, filters or consumes carbon dioxide this, would start to offset the over production of greenhouse gasses.
Make the Saturn Sky electric and you will sell millions, it is a great looking car!
Sounds good, now the electricity company can be the new oil zaars. All this will do is raise the price of electricity and make todays oil baron tomorrows power baron. Find me a car that runs on water and I’ll buy into it, other wise I don’t care.
Lets look at what happens. E85 is made on our own soil. It only cost 1.35 a gallon when it came out. Oil prices raised to a new high after getting screwed around by iran and poor global relations. but, the e85 made on our own soil somehow raised too. its just another way to screw the American public. The government is greedy and needs your money to pay congressmen obsurd amounts to screw you out of more money. If the electric car does get its start, you can bet you’ll pay more tax on that car then a gas based car.
Not only that, hte more power you use, the more they’ll charge you. I won’t be supprised if the electric company charges extra money in the future for anything over “normal household usage” meaning you’ll pay for ‘fuel’ one way or another.
BUILD A STEAM POWERED CAR and water will just cost more. Make a car that runs off of pure human waste and they’ll install a device on your belt that charges you to pee.
With the Toyota plug-in Prius coming very soon, GM had better get this to market right away. I’ll take two the moment they’re ready (I just spent $108 to fill my wife’s Suburban!). Take preorders now, you could use the influx of cash for battery R&D and beat Toyota to the punch.
I’m waiting with baited breath for the VOLT Diesel Hybrid.
This is awesome, I want one, when will I be able to purchase one?
Pat in Alaska
C’mon, hurry up with development, because I need a new car! Also, will you have other EV models, perhaps some less aggressive looking ones, and with larger windows?
What are you waiting for? let’s get this off the drawing board and into the showroom before I can’t afford one because of someone on wall street that predicts bad weather and the price of gas goes up because of a shortage that never happens
Every day that you do not have this car ready for sales is another day of missed opportunities.
Get the car out with the best available batteries and start gaining experience.
I am ready to buy now.
With two children in the Middle East, my perspective may be slightly skewed but it’s about time US auto manufacturers considered an alternative to the ICE vehicle. Maybe my grandchildren will have the opportunity to purchase a means of transportation that is not contributing to the madness over petroleum. As a former US auto industry worker, I welcome a new way of thinking and operating by Detroit.
I think the concept of this car is phenomenal. Electric cars are limited largely in their range in battery storage capabilities. The ability to regenerate that electricity using a generator coupled with the electric engine is a great idea to go around that problem, especially since it would still deliver a better fuel economy than other conventional cars.
I heard that this car is not going to be produced because we are still limited in our technology storing energy in batteries. As much as I understand the need for that technology, put out the car with its electric engine and generator and keep working on the batteries! You’re already improving the MPG above what most consumers of this size of car are accustomed to! It will surely require some improvements like all products on the market, but right now there’s nothhing like it. Get it out!
“The Greatest Trick”
I think GM would have balls to pull off and beat everyone to market. I would have to say would be to roll out the Volt as a Chevrolet sedan, as well as a fleet vehicle with alternative power trains. Build a high performance version for Pontiac. Market high mileage versions for Saturn and Saab, and roll out a high end luxury version for Cadillac similar to Lexus.
Please GM, prove us all wrong, beat everyone to the punch, and go beat Toyota at their own game. Because I’m not buying a hybrid until GM builds one better than everyone else.
This is exactly the technology I’d like to own. It would fill my needs well.
I currently own a Prius and an HHR. I don’t particulalry love the body style on the concept car, but I guess that’s not how I pick vehicles anyway. However, 2011 production is probably too far away. Come on, when did you guys put out the EV1?
GM,
I drive 70 hwy miles round trip each day and could plug this sucker in at work. I would save $50 – $70 per week just on my commute expense.
Build it and we will come!
This car is great. You will sell everyone you make!I will be in line when it comes out, just make it affordable.
Regards
I like this technology better then hybrid system offered by other manufacturers. It appears to be a simpler design. I’m also happy to see GM offering a competitive product with the companies from Japan.
Just build it and stop jerking us. You know everyone would buy it. Its that simple.
NYC
Price that puppy the same range as the Toyota Prius and I’m in.
Built it!
The time is now for the Volt.
Build it and buyers will come. GM: Make the move before another company does. Show what made you a great company: Leadership and innovation. Save a Volt for me.
Just one question… when? Tesla Motors has a really nice electric sports car, but at a price tag of $100K, it is a bit out of my range. Plus, I would need a bit more room than a sports car can really offer. Also, I don’t drive very often, but when I do, it is usually long trips (300-500 miles each way). I really like the idea of having backup options if you run out of electricity.
Excellent idea to bring back the electric car. It’s a no brainer. Would be nice if they had more models, obviously, but this is a great start. Buying more oil results, ultimately, in paying our enemies! GM should hit this project with heavy R&D.
This is a great design/concept, and I hope it comes to life. I’m so tired of hearing how far ahead the “transplants” are in alternate energy vehicles. Consumers are growing more and more unsettled with the countries dependance on foreign oil and their daily price spikes, most of the time for no apparent reason. The car company that delivers the best new vehicle, at the best price in this catagory wins, period!
I love the whole concept and the design is awesome. I would definitely be in line to buy one. Beautiful car and a true hybrid.
GM, you don’t have the balls to build this vehicle. Why? Because the Big Oil Companies are paying you to NOT build it. The current Presidential administration is loaded with people who sit on the Boards of Directors of these same Oil Companies. Therefore, they are bloating their bank accounts off the backs of the soldiers who are dying to keep gasoline flowing, at THREE FIFTY A GALLON!
Prove me wrong, then I’ll take one in red, please.
please get a car like this on the market asap, this is what i have been waiting for,I am in the market for a new car soon,, please stop making me wait, if this technology exists, I want it, not to mention the car looks awesome,this is definately not my mothers 4 door sedan, this is the future, but it needs to be the present.
All right… who is going to be first to sell this technology, you or Toyota?
This car is an awesome idea!! This is what cars should be running on-maybe now America can reduce its emissions to the proper standards and not be the biggest culprit on the environmental scene besides Russia!! Frankly I think we should have started trying to get these kinds of cars on the market a long time ago. The fact that you can do E85 or biodiesel in it also is perfect- I think car manufacturers finally get what works! Bring it on to the scene as soon as possible and you will see people ditching their cars and lining up because by that time gas will probably be $5.oo a gallon!!!!!
It’s time that GM get back on track with Electric Vehicles! Unless my trusty Nissan dies on me first, I swear the next car I buy will be a PHEV!!! And I’d love it even more if it were an American car!
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” was an eye-opener for so many people who are now taking a serious interest in purchasing a mode of transportation that not only weans us off of our foreign oil addiction, but is better for the environment for our kids… they are our future!!!
what are you waiting for america needs the chevy volt
We could have used this car last year. I don’t really care what it looks like. Put solar panels all over it. Just get us some relief from these gas prices!!!
PLEASE build this car. I will buy one!
With all of todays technology and the (EV1 technology) that was working, you are telling us it still needs gas? Its a step forward but in baby steps after the HUGE steps back with the stop of the EV1. We are looking for no gas!! We are looking to put money back in OUR pocket and not in the oil companies hands.
Stand up for your consumers not big oil and politics or your consumers are gonna walk…..right into the next dealership that can give it to us!
Hey Gm
Take the lead, start production tomorrow, help save our planet. Let’s get on with it. Oil has had it’s reign. People are fed up.
Cynically, I believe neither GM nor any other mainstream car manufacturer will ever produce a truly electric car. Strategically, it wouldn’t make sense for them to do so. The moment electric cars begin to take a larger market share; gas prices will decrease thus driving the demand back up for Suburbans and H2’s. Likely, a much more profitable situation for GM. However, the real culprit here is consumers. GM will produce it if consumers snub their noses at fuel altogether. That is very unlikely.
This is demonstration of complementary goods in economics. As fuel prices increase, demand for heavy consuming vehicles decrease. As fuel prices fall, demand for heavy consuming vehicles increase. I hate depending on gasoline as much (if not more) as anyone. In fact, my monthly fuel bills are reaching $500/per month and I’m driving a 4 cylinder Accord with about 34 mpg. And that’s just my car… not including my wife’s gas guzzling Volvo XC90. However, if prices fall back down to a buck or two, I’m back to driving a Suburban. Getting more hybrids and EV’s in the market will certainly drive gas prices down.
The bottom line: I would like to think that perhaps GM is seeing that it can have a win-win with this concept. If they can get Volt into the market, along with other manufacturers and other EV’s, it can keep its Suburbans and H2’s in the market by getting gas prices back into the stratosphere. Either way… I feel if they have any concerns whatsoever for ethics; it should build this within a year. They can do it. They should do it. They must do it.
Every time I fill up I am sending money to people who have shot at me, shot at my wife and continue to shoot at our men and women in uniform. Chevy, Americans don’t need to wait every 4 years to vote – make this car ASAP and we will vote with our wallets.
This must be a front burner priority…Please make this system a reality.
I am purchasing a Chevy vehicle this fall. I am VERY excited about the hybrid and electric car. If the Volt was coming out this fall, I would DEFINATELY purchase this car!!! It has a nice body style. I am also excited about the hybrid Tahoe due to come out this year. This will be my purchase until the electric car comes out. Thank you for getting in the game when it comes to alternative fuel vehicles!!!
I am so excited to see a truly viable alternative to our current reliance on gasoline powered automobiles that will not require waiting for the construction of a huge new infrastructure. I currently drive a Jaguar…which I love! I would love even more to drive a car that is both more economical and reduces or eliminates harmful gasoline engine emissions. Currently available options/hybrids do not improve mileage or cost savings significantly enough to move me to plot down the large capital investment required. With the very modest improvement in mileage these vehicles offer, I can save more by cutting down on trips and car pooling, We are on a 1 yea sabbatical in an urban setting this year and I have been walking to and from work a mile each way, and using public transportation. When we move back home, this is not an option, so I will be looking for a logical/reasonable alternative to my beloved Jaguar. Your vehicle is the first which makes sense from both the economic, environmental and lifestyle point of view. Am very concerned about climate change,and reliance on mid-east oil as well as the runaway gasoline prices which appear to be due to global economic and political factors beyond our control. The latter factors make the debate about our contribution to global warming by reliance on fossil fuel irrelevant. I have been alarmed that the US industry Auto manufacturers have been so lethargic in bringing viable solutions to the market. It seems that, although there has been scientific and political expertise predicting the need for this technology for at least 2 and maybe 3 decades, perhaps the economic motivation/reliance on the oil and gasoline big money, of many of our country’s wealthy and influential individuals and corporations has stood in the way of this technology. We certainly have the talent and brain power to overcome the technological challenges if we put our minds, energy and resources behind this project.
I do not think we can safely predict cooperation of the oil rich and/or oil dependent emerging super consumers, (China), in stabilizing the price of oil and gasoline in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we are finally being forced, politically and economically, to find alternatives. Thank you for finally focusing your resources on this problem!! I hope that you bring it to the market in a timely fashion so that we can start making a major impact on reversing the global impact we have created, (see Boston Globe today-5/27/07-”Melting ice forces sinking Alaska village to seek lifeline”), and impacting the lives of those in our country who can least afford the rising prices at the pump.
v/r
I would love to see this vehicle come into the markeplace as it is with future tech improvements. The sooner, the better. Give GM the upper hand over Toyota by coming out with this vehicle and I’ll be in line to get one
I don’t believe you folks can get this one on the market fast enough. Coupe, hatchback, sedan – whatever… Will GM have the courage to actually deliver a product rather than just mere verbage and hype??? I’ve driven Chevrolet all my life – over 40+ vehicles (only two were not Chevrolet or GM created) This Volt is seriously long overdue – to regain your market share and to be a true leader again – not just on paper – build this vehicle ASAP and create it for the masses i.e. – knock the price down to extremely affordable levels – paint them red, white and blue and play to the anti-oil theme. It’s extremely safe to say you won’t be able to keep production numbers sustained to meet demand. But you already know that. Again, the Volt is a beautiful concept – but concepts are just bull. A real vehicle on the road will be the proof that GM needs to show to be credible once again.
If this was vailable today I would trade my malibu in on one immediately!! If you build it we will buy it!!! if you can keep the price under $25,000.00 you will sell millons!!!
Do something different for an American corporation for a change; be bold and just do it. I would gladly drive it to test for you. 34 mile round trip commute in stop and go. I’d love it.
wow I love Volt car but i need volt car more range more than 450 miles compare gas mile Compact Cars .. I want see volt car can beat gas compact car soon.
If you build it I will buy it. I believe it is time for everyone to move forward reduce our dependence on foregin oil.
Finnaly someone has taken the job of creating a cleaner and more effecient world. I think this is the kind of thing that will keep us around for longer. I will say that I’m not willing to let our soilders our kids our future die in Iraq because we have a oil addiction.
GM, put your money where your mouth is. The Volt is a nice concept, but it is just that…a concept. Your competitors have a big push with hybrids already in production. I am a big fan of the Volt concept and would like to see it and its technology used in a mainstream offering for most if not all of your vehicles.
AND KEEP BOB LUTZ AROUND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!
If you build it and price it near the prius You will sell (Did you hear that “SELL”) not lease everyone you build.
BUILD IT NOW!! Don’t wait.
IF you wait you will lose more customers to Toyota and Honda.
Make a NORMAL SEDAN and sell a million of them!
Make a MINIVAN and sell a million of them!
Offer OPTIONAL rapid-charge system (like that inductive charger from the 90s). FASTER charge because of 220V supply. SAFER in RAINY driveways because power is sealed in inductive thing.
GOOD LUCK!
This is an American idea and an American car. It could sell for less than a Prius because it is technically less complicated and a better idea all around. Don’t wait for Japan to steal the game again. The big pants oil boys can find somewhere else to stick their money – they’ll survive and so will the environment. Think of it.. an end to Global Warming and energy self-sufficiency in one neat little, made-in-America package. I’ll bet we could even manage to build it right here in this country too.
Come on GM… I’d love to own a good old made-in-america Chevrolet.
Do what’s right, now.
You’ll have a greatful America’s support.
This is a great first step for an American car company to take. As you know, the gasoline auto will most likely not be replaced with one alternative that will suit everybody. Personally, my commute is about 50 miles a day. If I could find an EV vehicle that gets mileage like the Tesla at an affordable price, I would buy one. The Volt could be that vehicle.
It’s about time you guys started building cars that people will buy – get off the SUV kick; they are going the way of the Edsel, station wagons, and the Yugo (don’t get me started on the Pontiac Aztek…).
When >99% of the viewers say that they want you to build the car and >99% said that they would consider buying the car, you have a winner – now earn that “Executive Pay” and build it!
We’ll buy our next car in a few years and I strongly want a plug-in hybrid. I’m happy to place an advance order and put down a deposit.
I’m a new American citizen, and I am very proud to see that GM is on its way to be the world leader again.
I have been waiting to purchase and EV for decades. Now own an Acura and a Chevy Z71 Truck for the farm. Wish I could change the Acura to and EV like the Volt.
The VOLT is a great idea!
Some of the most important things to consider.
The “green” crowd is not looking for a super-sexy “pumped-up” car (who’s been buying all those small, ordinary Hondas and Toyotas anyway?). Just impress us with really high mpg, reliable technology, and utility.
Find ways to reduce the need to “plug-in”. The solar panel idea is great, even if it took several hours to get a 20-mile range it would help. Besides, think of the ad campaign–Solar, Electric, Biodiesel. Every environmentally conscious person would want one (think Prius, only better).
Consider working collaboratively with Tesla motors. It already sounds like you’re borrowing their ideas, why not synergize instead of compete (think Ford + Edison).
We are running out of oil to produce gasoline. We will run out. It is only a question of when. This kind of technology is a start towards a gas-free car.
A plug-in flex-fuel hybrid! If the Volt goes to market (for less than 50k) my father and I (both long time Lexus owners) will immediately buy one. So listen up GM… you just sold 2 of them!
And here’s the funny part… I don’t drive all that much as it is and don’t own an SUV. I just don’t want our enemies having any more of my money. It’s all about national security for me and mine.
I would buy now ,if avalible. Just the kind of vehicle I have been wanting. I always have vissioned a car that uses the rear wheels ,on a front wheel drive, to drive a generator to charge the batteries.Continouse charging, no need for gas.
Not to overstate, but 20 years of growing, yuppie distaste for GM could reverse in a few years if GM is able to successfully mass-produce the Volt (or something similar). The “halo effect” anticipated by GM execs is spot on. For the environmentalist, GM has come to represent the epitome of American short-sightedness and ignorance – initiatives like the Volt are key to changing this perception. GM can be a leader in this field – kudos to Bob Lutz for championing this idea, which has the potential to place Chevrolet – and GM – at the center of a real “American Revolution”.
Please put me on the waiting list to buy a Chevy Volt. I am willing to put down a deposit today as well as some of the other posts.
The Volt – Hey! Great! Where do I send the down payment check to?
would be nice to actually see a vehicle like this but you know gm will not let it really happen . they will kill it off just like the EV1. I advice all of you to watch the movie “who killed the electric car”.
I saw the concept Volt at the Indianapolis 500 this year.
How can you not build it?
Restore our faith in American industry and innovation and get this thing built. I would absolutely buy one.
Too bad you did not have them last year. Then I wouldn’t have had to buy a Toyota.
The VOLT is the car we’ve been waiting for. EV back again, and hopefully this time to stay. A zero emisions car, perfect for commuting!! Sign me up!
It has been over 30 years since the oil crisis of the 70’s, when it became painfully obvious that American should no longer be dependent on the volatile Middle East for its energy. 30 years of “concept cars” rolled out, year after year – ridiculous Jetson-mobiles never to be marketed. 30 years of demonizing environmentalists. 30 years of massive profits for the oil industry and inferior products from Detroit. This car is way, way overdue.
Bring this car to market NOW! I want to BUY AMERICAN again!
I’m a big fan of the ideas and designs put into this vehicle. I would love to see it released ASAP. I have seen that the battery for the Volt probably won’t be developed until 2010-2012. Is there, or could there be any plans to produce this car without the battery? It may serve as advertisement so the fully capable version could be released with great anticipation. Let me know when I can drive one.
Two issues / questions.
Technology wise keep in mind that at least 90% (correct me if I’m wrong) of the electricity in US is from fossil. Drawing more power from the grid means more fossil burned in the plant. Power plant may have better emission control than an ICE, but it is not emission free. Another factor is that although the car may not use any gas, more gas will be burned in power plant to charge the car. GM is misleading the public by leaving this part out of the equation. A more appopriate way would be to compare the total efficiency of the power plants (and emission), the charging process and the electric motor against an ICE. Let’s also not forget the toxic waste in battery packs’ manufacturing process.
Economical and political wise this concept may hurt someone’s interest and recieve resistance from different parties. If, as GM claimed, this car would save gas even take power plant into consideration, it would indicate a reduced revenue and a reduced influence and power in our life for oil and gas companies and they would do everything to stop it. And, Uncle Sam may not be happy about it since the gas stations on every corner are their hands to reach in our pocket, and GM is cutting it. Even if GM could push it through there would be some impact on our economy, politics and even legislation. I would love to see some of those insights.
But anyway, GM’s effort is still appreciated and I do hope they could make this available to the public. Until that day the only question left for the consumer, besides the efficiency question, would be the cost.
How about making the engine generator unit modular and leaving it home for the trips under 40 miles? Which would now be all trips under 60 miles or more! Are you considering the MIT safe Lithium batteries as used in the Dewalt 36 volt battery packs? You should! Good Luck! This module could later be replaced with an ethonal fuel cell pack to further enhance the efficiency of the car without obsoleting it. Think about it….chad;)
PLEASE come out with the Volt ASAP! My wife and I are already putting money away for the day it arrives! We’re ready, just give it to us!
Great idea! It’s been said before here but i’ll say it clearly. Take a cue from the PC makers & make this car upgradeable. You can add memory, hard drive, etc to your home computer – why not to the Volt? Bring it out as an ‘08 model (yes, i said **2008**) that may not have everything on it, with the premise that the buyer can upgrade the thing later (even years later) with more batteries, bigger motor, more charging capacity, 220 volt quick-charge, other exotic fuels, interior amenities, etc. You get low entry price PLUS add-on revenue PLUS tons of buzz about your gutsy approach. It gets you in the market *fast* and lets you grow the platform as you’re selling ‘em. Open the platform up to third parties to make add-ons & watch ‘em fly out the showroom door! Just start with 15-mile batteries and an E85-capable generator & go from there.
I haven’t owned or wanted to own a GM product for 15 years, but i would buy a Volt!
As is, I really wouldn’t be interested in buying a Volt. Why should I settle for 40 miles per charge when previously produced electric models promised far more range per charge? The old Rav4 EV’s by Toyota could get 100 miles per charge. I realize that this particular car is a plug-in hybrid rather than an EV model, but I’m looking to rid myself of dependence on gasoline altogether. So help me understand why so much time and resources should be spent finding a “healthy” medium rather than advancing in a technology that is far more advantageous environmentally and economically; EV cars were in use, not just in concept like this model. Sorry guys, a concept plug-in hybrid does me absolutely no good against these painful gas prices today. Chevrolet, give us an EV.
Build it. Price it so that its cost is in line with the cost of conventional cars (after subtracting gasoline savings over a 3 yeare period) and you have me as a customer.
I have a 1991 sedan with 290K miles and I am still getting 31 mpg. I see todays cars are smaller and only getting 28 mpg tops. The only way toget better milage is to go hybred, but those cars are smaller and underpowered. This Volt looks awesome and is what I’m looking for. If it was available today, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
I will buy one. Make it Make it now. If the batteries only give 30 miles on the first model its all right. It’s a start.
If you build it they will come and buy it.
Right now Chevrolet is not considered the MPG leader. Let’s change that.
We’ll be saying to our friends in a few years, “So you bought one of those gas-guzzling Toyota’s, that was stupid.
Sounds Great! Hurry. Be leader and not a follower. Japan is nipping at your heels.
I’m conservative, upper middle class, and the next two vehicles I’m purchasing will be electric. Hopefully you’ll have the Volt out soon or I’ll buy one from Toyota, Nissan, Mitsibushi, or whoever gets it to market first!
top speed can it handle 65 for 40 miles? what?
have not read any info on speed!
GM -
America needs this car more than anything. Build it, and build it fast.
I would buy this in a heartbeat, even if it was 35-40,000 dollars. Sad that you likely won’t ever build it. You missed the mark on the EV1 and killed it. I don’t believe for a moment that you’ll ever put this into production, though if you did, you’d sell them much faster then you could build them.
It’s about time. Great styling and electric power. When can I purchase it? Soon I hope!!!!
I believe that this could very well be THE most important vehicle that GM will ever produce (as a start to a new generation of vehicles).
Please make this come true soon.
It would be nice if a future version (on an option for the initial version) would be a little performance oriented; e.g., more towards a 6 sec 0-60 instead of 8-8.5. This car just doesn’t look like it should be so slow. I would definitely pay more for additional performace and electric range!
I’m ready to make a deposit commitment now. How soon can we begin the reservation list?
Sign me up for one in Red… Freakin’ awesome looks and it will fit my daily driver needs… Stop dragging your feet and build the darn thing already. I am tired of lining the pockets of oil barons with my hard earned cash…
Can’t wait to buy one. I am holding off buying a new car until this one comes out!
this would be great for college and highschool students. the rising gas price are hurting kids my age where the majority of our pay check goes to gas and other car fixtures….this is expecially ture out in the mid-west where i go to college….you cant get around unless you drive and everything is to far apart to walk there… this new invention could be a great asset not only to the world but to students like me
This is by far one of the greatest things to come from the automotive industry.I prey the GM builds this vehicle cause I fully intend to buy one.
I WANT TO PRE-ORDER A Malibu hybrid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can I Do this? I only want to add a sun-roof !!! Is this too much to ask from the company I have bought 7 new cars from ???
I drive 8 miles on an average work day. I also drive 20 miles at times for in town run arounds. Im not in love with your concept design visually, but I love the overall concept. Make the car look realistic, and at a reasonable price, and you will have an instant sucess.
I want to be able to buy an American energy smart vehicle. Please make this the one.
Does an electric car like this shift gears? Example: Does it have a 5 or 6-speed transmission? Seems like it would be smooth ride if it didn’t.
I’ll buy one now. Put it into production today.
I WILL purchase this car.
Concentrate more of your efforts here.
keep up with this electric technology! the EV1 could have been a [b]huge[/b] success! I was about to buy one when I heard they were stopping production it killed me!
Please produce an electric car, or PHEV you wouldn’t want to be beat out by Toyota [b]again[/b] now would you?
That car looks great! It caught my eye when I first saw it. It doesn’t look like one of those funny looking hybrid/electric cars, it has style, like a muscle car. I like the fact that its a 4 door sedan, and that the only power going to the wheels is through the electric motor, but I would like to see the car built in RWD, better handling, control and performance. It would be even better if it had one 40-50 HP electric motor in each wheel. That would make it AWD, which is the best. One other thing, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A CHEVY!!! Most chevy’s don’t, except for a truck. You can tell its a chevy from a mile away, which is great! BUILD IT AND MAKE IT RWD and I will definately be sold. Just don’t charge an arm and a leg for it.
if GM also designed a proprietary fuel blend using US resources you could sell the car and the fuel! and since most would only need to fill up occasionally, using dealerships for fueling/checkups/maintenance would put GM at the top for customer service. Build refineries in Michigan to produce ethanol using midwest grains. And price your fuel just below market gasoline. Also, encourage a pollution tax to further shift towards electric. It is repulsive that we make rich the very nations who despise us and that American lives are lost.
I would love for GM to start taking preorders – I’d be willing to fork out 500$ to be on that list. It would also allow GM to have a better understanding of the market demand, and respond accordingly. A serious buyer will put up that money in a flash.
Please please please, make this car, and make it available to the UK, both me and my partner think this car is gorgeous and would buy it in a heartbeat!
To put it in perspective at the moment we drive a V8 BMW and we would give that up for this car!
I’d buy one tomorrow but doubt if it will be affordable to Mr and Mrs Average. Yet I am sickened every time I fill up at the pumps and dig into my empty pockets to fatten the wallets of megalomaniacal oil barrons! I can’t afford $4.oo a gallon to get to work and make (barely) a living, and I can’t afford a $50,000.oo electric car either. The average American is just screwed, that’s all. Unless GM maybe wants to make me a “test driver” for such a vehicle… hint hint…
I wish I could believe Chevy and it’s threatening to deliver a greener vehicle to the consumers, but I can’t. I don’t know if it is because I witnessed first hand GM recalling peoples EV’s just down the street from where I live & watching people on a vigil hoping that GM would even listen to there request to buy there EV1s. Or maybe it’s the belief that they are so intertwined with other special interest groups that they think that the status quo is there only option.
One thing I do know for sure is that we are losing. Losing in so many different directions that it makes me wonder about your company’s longevity.
I’m tired of seeing this country so far back in a race they say they are competing in providing a “new” option.
Here’s a concept,…Just make the d*mn thing. Make it to sell,not lease. Don’t take it away from us once we fall in love with it, like the ole EV1. Quit trying to amaze us with your Buck Rogers designs & make a practical sedan that asthectically doesn’t want to make us throw-up. But most importantly, just do it!
A movie line comes to mind,”What are going to do little doggie,…are you gonna bark or are gonna bite?”
I am a ford guy…but if you build this car … good bye ford
I think this a great concept,I would love to have a Chevy Colorado sport with this engine/moter setup.I am a huge fan of my gas powered Colorado now & to have it without going to the gas pumps often would be a dream come true..Please build it G.M.,redeam yourself to the fans of the EV1 proect
The VOLT vehicle’s design is over the top futuristic, and the E-Flex concept is definitely a step in the right direction for GM and for America to reduce dependence on foreign oil and strive for a cleaner environment.
I grew up as a child riding in the back seat of Pontiac Catalinas and Bonnevilles. I bought a brand new GTO in 1969, when the price of fuel was CHEAP!!! I had just turned 21, and to this day, I still dream about that car. In 1980, I bought a Pontiac Phoenix, drove it for over 100K miles. That experience was when GM lost me as a customer.
Now GM is indeed making strides to win back customers and to once again become the car company it once was, and can truly be. I’m currently driving a BMW 330I with about 70K miles on it…build a car with the technology you’ve shown me in the VOLT and I’ll be back as a proud GM customer. My BMW should last until YOUR car is in dealer showrooms. Please don’t keep me waiting too long.
Looking forward to skipping trips to the gas station. Keep up the good, No, GREAT WORK!
What took so long? The car manufacturer that builds a via alternative to the gasoline powered vehicles of today will not only survive but will put the others out of business. Please hurry.
Build it! Not only does the concept car look good, the concept itself is solid. Build it and incorporate the technology in other cars. I will DEFINITELY buy GM if this car or similar is available.
This car is a definite winner! I like the idea of being green but I haven’t purchased a hybrid for two fundamental reasons. First, is the drive system. Two drive systems in the same vehicle indicates, to me, that the technology is in the early stages of evolution and is not yet as reliable I would like. Second, (and I admit this is purely emotional) with the new materials available from GE and others we finally have a fuel efficient vehicle the doesn’t look like and have the carrying capacity of an egg!
Sure the design isn’t for everybody, but I like it.
More importantly the e-Flex drive system, (the next generation in the evolution of automotive drive systems) is the right step. Locomotive and large mining truck manufacturers have known this for years.
I’m finally sold… build this car and I’ll buy it.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A GAS-FREE VEHICLE. THIS IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY AND I WOULD PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE.
I AM IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW CAR AND SEARCHING CARS, THIS CAR IS BETTER THAN MANY THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW, WHEN GAS IS USED PER MILEAGE.
This concept is important. Please build! People will pay the extra money! And please make it available to buy instead of just leasing. I want to be able to OWN a car like this!
Great – now let me buy one at a reasonable price soon!
A few comments – it’s a cool looking concept car, but put the system in a sedan, a station wagon, a minivan, and a coupe. And do it with the upcoming 2008 models for a 2009 release date – steal the lead on all the other US auto markers.
Also, when you have such a good system it’s really, really annoying to see you post marketing data that is based on gas at $2.40/gallon – get real – post figures people can believe and then you won’t turn them off. That’s just treating people way too stupid and we’ll all go out and buy a Toyota instead.
One of the cars I own is a Corvette and it’s my favorite! I need to buy a sedan for the family, and a Hybrid Camry is on the short list. Tell me you’ll put this system in a 4-door that I can buy within 2 years and I’ll wait. If not, sorry you’ve given the auto market away.
Make it an option on every vehicle it can go in now and you’ll blow away the competition.
Do it now,
Graham….
This car is awesome! This is the direction we need to be heading. If you build this car, I will buy it! I believe a lot of other people will, too. Please build it as soon as possible.
build the car I want to buy it.
I would like you to build a Volt convertible. I will order one as soon as it is available.
Too little, too late. First, I am a long-time GM buyer. I’ve always owned and bought GM vehicles. However, I am disgusted at GM’s attitude toward electric vehicles (EV) and how (in my opinion) the current version is a crippled half attempt at appeasing the masses.
If a startup company like Tesla Motors can create a hand built sports car that can reach 130mph and have a range between 200 and 3000 miles, why can’t a comapny with the resources of GM get it right? Additionally, Tesla uses Lithion Ion and not NiMH batteries. Theoretically, NiMH batteries could give it additional range (if large packs were avaialble).
Tesla is not the only offering available. Zap motors with the Zap-X isn’t too far behind Tesla technology wise.
While I applaud GM for the multi-fuel / hybrid options, the EV option is a pathetic choice. In my opinion, the GM EV design team should hold their heads down in collective shame.
BTW, I am an Electrical Engineer currently working in the defense industry. I have worked on high-power electronics in a previous position.
I think your just messin with our minds….Prove me wrong!
I’ve already committed myself to not buying another vehicle until one like the VOLT is made available to purchase. Whichever Vehicle company can make the electric car available for my ownership first, will get my hard earned money!
I agree whole heartedly that this is definetly the solution that appeals to everyone. The only question is will the folks at GM do the math?
Need + Desire = FEASIBLE!!
Green Effect + Less Oil = Environmentally friendly
EV is a good way to go, but Volt concept is too big. Make a small EV – 2 seats. Hydrogen is a type of battery, but compressing takes energy. Biofuels are net inefficient – if you have straw, instead of fermenting for ethanol, just burn it to run a steam turbine and pump into the grid – to recharge EV batteries. Instead of crushing oilseeds and refining for biodiesel, just burn the oilseeds to run a steam turbine and pump into the electricity grid to recharge EV batteries. EV is the most straighforward. Include supercapacitors, and quick-charge roof mounted +- contact plates for along route charging. Also, work from home via internet.
I don’t like cars and know nothing about all the bells & whistles car fashionistas insist upon.
However, I have a car strictly for matters of personal independence and a car such as the Volt exponentially increases my independence.
You are guaranteed a sale to me. Get these Volts to the dealers ASAP!
And thanks for having a bit of empathy for your customers!!!!
It’s a great concept, and suits my needs perfectly. The fact that it looks like a futuristic chopped top mini Camaro doesn’t hurt either.
I like the idea of relying less on foreign oil, and it’s about time someone crated a good performing electric vehicle that can’t leave one stranded with a dead battery. It appears to be the best compromise of all the competing ideas right now.
The fact that at 160hp and 236 ft-lbs of torque it outperforms the current family compact econo-mobile by quite a bit doesn’t hurt either.
Are you usung Stan Oshinsky’s Battery?
I would hope GM would make this car to allow the U.S. to step up to the plate. I would definitely be interested in the maintinance manual before purchase.
I just finished watching “Who Killed the Electric Car” and do not view GM in the same light anymore. Ive been a loyal GM customer my entire life and never even knew about the EV1. What a shame, it seems to me GM already had the answer, but did’nt have the balls to stick with it for some reason. Maybe the oil companies had something to do with that. I can tell you that my next car won’t be a GM.
Yeah great idea, but I’m sick of seeing people posting ‘great idea.’ yeah. it was a great idea 100 years ago. It should no longer be an idea, rather every one of us should already be behind the wheel of an EV .
It’s no secret, whoever has the balls to stand up to the oil companies and get them on the road the quickest, will have consumers eating them up.
Why not permit people to put a down payment on the car? Use the interest on the cash to develop this thing! I’d plop down 5-10K with a guarantee that I’ll get a refund if it doesn’t see production. Then you’re dealing with much more accurate figures for demand. Tesla did it. Why can’t you?
As a Japanese car owner since 1985, I would definitely trade in my Versa for the alternatives that the Volt offers me. We need more innovators like this! Where can I sign up for Volt updates?
After watching the video, “Who Killed The Electric Car”, I have been furious with GM, oil companies, the US government, and all other involved parties. If you haven’t watched this movie, rent it today.
After the fiasco with the EV1, it’s about time GM did something right when it comes to their vehicles. I know we have the capability of producing alternative fuel vehicles to reduce or eliminate our dependencies on foreign oil. I, for one, would like to tell those foreign countries exactly what they can do with their oil. It time for the United State to wake up. I WANT THIS CAR!!!
what’s the hold up???
How about solar panels on the roof, that way the batteries can charge while your car sits in the parking lot. 40 mile to work and 40 miles back, or you can use this to charge the car while you drive. Adding to your E-Flex system.
I hope you actually build it, I would buy one. This is what this country needs. The time is ripe to bring alternative cars into the mainstream. I am holding onto my current car until something like this becomes available. If you don’t build it, that’s ok, someone else will… and I will be their customer instead.
I am so elated that you have the guts to stand up to the oil companies once and for all. If the car companies did the right promotion (not like around 2000) electric cars can be the future. This concept could put GM above Toyota again!
Love the concept and can’t wait to buy!! We will be buying several vehicles in our family in the next few years of different styles, mid-size sedan, crossover and sports car. Besides safety, gas mileage and styling are high on the list. The more categories GM has fuel efficient vehicles available, the more of my business they will get. Just an FYI !!
I’m very glad that finally somebody cares about nature, environment.
If the car would be available in Europe, I will be the first one to order it.
I think with this I can contribute to cleaner air…
Please notify me when it will available for sale, also in US, because I’m willing to buy it and import it to EU.
GM you finally stepped up to the plate. If you can keep the price tag around 25K and in production by 2010, you will have hit a home run. If not, strike 3.
I like the volt but do not like the low quality interiors of a Chevrolet. You need to make a Cadillac badged version with a high end interior. Electric cars do not need to be low end plain cars. With Cadillac badging and a higher quality interior would help justify the higher price of electric / hybrid cars.
It’s a good concept: battery powered electric motor with an internal combustion engine for backup and sustainable range. As technology advances and fuel sources change, the only thing you need to adapt is the ICE. The basic drive train, battery, and chassis stay the same. With improvements in battery design (increased capacity and lifetime) incorporated as they become available, there is no reason this can’t be a 250,000+ mile vehicle. The price needs to be in the $20,000 – $30,000 range before it will sell in volume economical to produce, say 10 MM+/year quantities. And it also needs to available as a four-passenger + luggage sedan, or small SUV, to appeal to all those soccer moms. But, speaking only for myself (not my wife), I would buy the sporty “concept” car for my morning and evening commute to and from work.
GM needs to hurry up and build the thing. Also work on getting a truck version too.
Fantastic! I’m so excited to see an American car company step-up and challenge the Prius.
If GM pulls this off by 2010, you’ll be a good competitor to a plug-in Prius. I only assume they will have one on the market by then.
I am very anxious to see these two very different archetectures battle it out on the roads of America, and in the hearts of American drivers.
I beleive you really have something here. I love how seemingly “modular” the technology is with any number of electrical “range extending” technologies able to integrate in as future technologies evolve in the next decades. Simply put, Brilliant! Somebody over there has got some Vision and it shows.
Please follow through with this technology and bring it to the market!
P.S. Don’t “chicken-out” if the Li-Ion doesn’t come home in time… NiMH will work in the short term… you just change the electric range from 40 miles per day to 20 miles per day. That still covers a huge cross section of commuters (like me). Then when the Li-Ion tech. comes home, offer your customers an “upgrade”. $$CHA-Ching$$!
Eric Gilbert,
Mechanical Engineer
Seattle, Washington.
I highly doubt that this product will make it onto the market, seeing as the last strain of EVs from GM were inexplicably kept from having their leases renewed, and were subsequently compacted. The only real efficiency that I expect from GM, or any major car company for that matter, is the recycling of the shredded cars. GM and the oil companies stand too much to lose from a widely pallatable electric car, ranging from the revenue created by the need for engine part and oil changes, and of course from gasoline itself. You could probably get better results asking Santa for an EV than from asking GM.
I will do whatever it takes to get my hands on one of these as soon as they come out! Please please GM make this. Untill then I will be buying Priuses.
Thomas
what needs to be done to get schooled in EV technology. Up until now, GM has sneered at battery engineers as not real car guys, but as “wire benders”. What’s different now?
Chutzpah…
standards, but went on to make superior mpg cars; it’s almost as if Toyota was fighting for GM’s right to commit business suicide by
relying only on gas-guzzlers. GM will talk about their high-mpg cars, but it’s bogus: GM’s center of gravity is in the big iron.
it look like GM has no clue when it comes to batteries?
made it impossible to sell the Electric car then, even though Toyota had sold over 300 RAV4-EV. What’s different now, that eliminates the liability issue? No vague pap about “it’s a different world” or “it was a boner” or “the battery is smaller”. The same liability issues would exist now, if they existed then; or would GM admit that it was not telling the truth about the reason for not selling the EV1 to willing buyers?
I would love to think GM is actually going to finally put something like the Volt out there. I’d call it forward thinking if they couldn’t have done it soonner, ie the EV1.
I’m afraid I’ll believe it when I see it. And not just a few in California. And not just until Mr. wagoner can convince the Fed to lift the fuel efficiency goals.
Sorry, this just sounds like more BS from GM. A way of saying “Look, were working on it and this is a solution, but it’s years away. So can you give us a break, give us more time.” Baloney. This should have been done 20 years ago.
So forgive me if I’m not gushing over the promise of this “not so new” technology.
We need alternatives now. Please hurry with the Volt. Also support the economy measures soon to be required.
The only way this car will make a major impact and put GM back on the map is if the Volt sells for less than $25 thousand. I am hoping to see it in my local dealerships by fall 2009 and under $18 thousand. I’d be happy with a two seater that reaches highway speeds and travels at least 50 miles on batteries for under $20 thousand.
This electric car would be the only reason I would spend my money on new car and not used, but please hurry, competition will surely be on your tail with this kind of idea.
GM still has plenty of questions to answer about it’s real commitment to EV’s, but if there is any concern on their part about consumer demand, where can I buy one?
i think this car is a wonderful idea it is nice to see that an american company can finally step up and try something new and different. i personally would love the oportunity to drive one of these cars in a test market for gm. kind of like the program you are currently offering with the fuel cell vehical this fall.
The more you talk and the less you build the more you hurt your credibility. If you don’t have Lithium Ion working yet, bring it out with NiMH! I get tired of seeing 10-year old RAV EVs with 100,000 miles on them and still going strong — pure electric vehicles, no gas tank needed — reselling for $45,000 on EBay, and yet the rest of you Detroiters claim its still not possible yet!
I own a 2006 Toyota Prius. I really like it. I have had and still have a 2003 Pontiac sunfire. My next car will be the first one that come out with a plug in it. I hope it will be the volt
Awesome car! I will buy one. Please bring to market ASAP.
Best regards,
Jason Walker,
Duvall, WA
Nice car make the bold move of mass production.The public is ready.
My family and I have decided our next car will be a plug-in electric.
I would love to buy the chev volt. Please make it available in Canada ASAP.
Looks like a great car, unfortunately you guys have had lots of great concept cars. Now it’s time you actually brought this to the market, in fact it may be too late. The electrc car was successful in California, why was it discontinued. I would buy one today! Instead you build more HUGE SUVs and keep us addicted to gasoline. Guess that’s because your board is made up of folks who own oil stocks.
This looks like a decent concept car. Why not build this? In my opinion, the important factors for success are:
purchase price
maintenance expense
operation expense
I would like to see a model such as this as well as a high performance version.
The problem with this car is it still uses gasoline. We are still using fossil fuels for transportation.
GM- here is your chance to be back at #1- give the consumer what it wants and the environment what it needs. Be an innovator like you were in the hayday of the car.
Maybe you can actually make up for the debaucle of the EV1. Shame shame shame for that.
As a matter of fact- bring that back as a gift to consumers- the body style that so many loved with this great technology. To think that there is ONE EV1 in a musuem (#99) and you did not recycle the parts as promised was an abomination.
Bring back the EV1 body with this VOLT technology and market it under Saturn!!!
I drive a 94 Saturn SL1 with 250,000 miles on it. I would trade it today for a Volt…something the Prius hasn’t been able to get me to do yet.
Change is good. Although no society can withstand an abrupt change of any kind, the vehicle of choice for American motorists will never change if the electric vehicle is not marketed. Chevrolet is a powerful American icon. To be a leader you have to have the guts to pursue a dream. Enter into partnerships with suppliers/manufacturers of everything you need to produce practical, affordable electric vehicles.
Be first. Diversify … dream. Be. Be that Amercan icon. Remind the country, the world, that you are Chevrolet.
Mark
Ocala, FL
I support the use of more electric cars, but I feel that this could be done far more cheaply were it an electic only car. You don’t need all of the combustion engine parts if you go pure electricity- not to mention you could get 4 times the range! Any electic capability is an improvement. If they made an all electric model I would buy one. Something tells me that this is just Lip service by GM in a PR move to show that they care about changing but meanwhile they are too scared to put out an all electric again after crushing the Saturn EV literally and figuratively.
Great idea – now get this to market so I can buy it NOW!
I would buy this – especially if you produce a station wagon, hatch back or small SUV version.
And adding solar cells on the roof would be a great way to help charge it for free.
We want the Volt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I personally will not buy another GM vehicle until i can buy the volt!!!!
Will GM destroy this one just like they did the EV’s?
Please get this on the production line before I buy another new car.
DON’T build the car! I mean my god we can’t have anything encroaching on our oil only economy! NOTHING! Bush and Cheney will be pissed. They will crush GM before they let GM build this. They irony is that this is GM’s last chance. If they don’t do it now then in less than 10 years people will be like GM-who? Wikinomics is taking over. The power of the internet mobs will soon rival the power of corporations. GM must act now unless it wishes to remain a part of the past.
Let’s do it!
No leasing it like the EV1, though! If the Volt is a lease-only vehicle, I’ll be suspicious and likely won’t consider it as my alt-vehicle of choice!
I like the fact that the Volt gives fuel options, but I would LOVE a mass produced ALL-ELECTRIC vehicle. I live in a small town with a flat landscape. There’s no excuse for the population of 35,000 folks in my area NOT to drive electric cars. We have a carbon footprint as well and need to do our bit to reduce it. Reducing carbon footprints in larger metro areas is essential but these smaller revitalized towns which often serve as bedroom communities to metro areas are a growing, viable market as well.
So if GM’s looking for a small town test market, let me know!
P.S. The ZAP! Company has an easy-on-the-eyes crossover vehicle ($$$ unknown) called the Zap X, which offers Lotus engineering. Very nice.
This car is horribly ugly, but I would buy it (or any other EV) the minute it came out. Speed up the delivery of EVs, we know you can based on your EV1 experience.
Please build this car. This is as much the end consumer’s chance to contribute to CO2 reduction as much as it is the chance of GM.
And, don’t change the design too much from the prototype. The drivetrain is a radically new concept for cars, so can be the looks.
It’s time for America to take the lead on electric vehicles! Come on GM!
When is it available? I am not interested in any car EVER again that is not either hybrid, preferably plug-in, or pure electric. I awaiting eitherthe 2010 redesigned Prius, or perhaps the volt, whichever is first, might have an advantage.
The battery technology exists at a123 but the cells are prohibitively expensive. It’d be $40k alone for the batteries, I’m hopin’ high volume production will bring that down to a manageable level. By the way Alex, take a chill pill “Wikinomics?”
What a surprise. ( Not really ) After GM killed the EV 1 now there coming out with this so called great idea. The truth is there are a few start up Co. out there now ready to put out EV’s that will give you 125 miles or better per charge without a drop of gas. GM is not stupid. There jumping on the band wagon and try to not to make the same mistake twice. Is that the best they can do is 40 miles on a charge. For those who own a Toyota Prius, you can convert that car right now to a plug in with a large lithium ion batteries and getup 60 miles a charge. I am looking to do that now not years from now like they describe ( these arrogant GM big wigs ) These smaller companies are doing it now. Problem is most of the general public don’t know these companies are up and running. 40 miles a charge is not enough. It should be at least 80 miles. Regarding flex fuel ( IE – ethonal. While it may a little less than gasoline it gives you 27% less MPG than your gasoline. So if your getting 30 mpg on gas, on Ethonal it would be 22.5 mpg. Meanwhile it creates a high demand on corn th
To make a long story short. There are companies out there now converting Toyota Prius into plug in with up to 60 miles to a charge. That’s why GM is looking into this so called ” new technology “. They don’t want to make the same mistake twice. ( the EV 1 ) As for flex fuel. Ethanol is another false pretense . 27% less gas mpg than gasoline. If your getting 30 mpg with gas you then would get 22.5 mpg with ethonal.It might be a little lower price but in the long run it is going to cost you more money. In turn the demand in corn goes up. Driving corn related foods to go up in price. Yes we are spending even more money. Lovely. They don’t miss a trick.
If GM’s looking for a way to stand apart, this is it. One automaker is finally going to realize that clean cars will sell. If not, we’ll read about GM as we do Studebaker, AMC, etc…when another company brings an EV to market.
I have always bought American cars/trucks, but I have to admit, the Hybrid Prius was strong on my list to buy. However, I want a plug in! I would prefer most of my 35 mile round trip commute to work be on electric only as I buy my electric from solar/wind farms. I want to reduce CO2. Hoping GM will lead America again as the best car company and please lead us away from the gas pumps and by allowing us to do our part to cut CO2!
Please, Please, Please build this car. I have stayed away from GM cars because to be honest I find them ugly, low quality and most of all suffering from a lack of innovation. When I saw the volt I thought that I finally have a reason to by a GM. I am very impressed. Dont screw this one up. Its a major opportunity. I look forward to you changing my opinion of GM.
Beth,
Why did GM publicize this technology if they didn’t have a way to easily – “turn this concept into reality”? You need to fire the person responsible for managing public expectation. Does management not realize the competition is more capable of bringing these types of concepts to market sooner? If the VOLT or E-Flex does not begin to sell in 2008, GM will have missed the boat. On another observation, why would anyone buy a NEW 2007, 2008 when they could wait for a 100+ mpg E-Flex car. Forget about making the 2008 VUE a plug-in hybrid. GM needs to make the 2008 VUE its first E-Flex vehicle. If management is afraid to make a decision maybe you should let the share holders decide for them. See my question to GM shareholders on Yahoo! Answers.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Alm1Cng34uYaWbNNHur3pizsy6IX?qid=20070603073302AA5LfGr
I think the Chevy Volt is great looking. Very sporty. Many people prefer something sporty and now you can have the best of both worlds, great gas/electric mileage and looks! I love the Volt and I hope I can afford one when they go on sale. I was in the market for a new car, but am waiting until 2008 to see if the Volt goes on sale.
I bought a Hybrid from your competitor when you didn’t offer one. My next car will be electric, let’s hope it’s a Chevrolet!
Hi,
I’m a recent “convert” to PHEV cars. I’m impressed enough with the technology that I won’t buy another car until I can get my hands on a PHEV. Congrats to GM on being among the first to produce one in the near-term!
It’s about time! When and Where can I get one.
Finally, something I’ve been looking for! I really hope GM releases the Chevrolet Volt, I desperately want one! I would buy one as early as next year if possible. I just bought a Cobalt SS Supercharged Stage 2 and will be keeping that for weekend drives, but for the majority of my driving, I want the Volt. It’s sporty, fun-looking, and economical! I would be shooting for a 19-25K price, but am willing to pay slightly more. What volt would be complete without options? I think the more dealer-installed options and GM Performance Parts options (exhaust system, lightweight wheels, interior trim, possibly Recaro option like my Cobalt SS has–I LOVE those seats). I love the entire design of the car and hope it doesn’t change a bit. Pioneer 7-speaker system, OnStar and XM radio would be a must for add-on packages. Great concept, I can’t wait until it’s produced!!! I WILL be buying one of these. I love the multiple configurations too, with electric, E85, biodiesel, regular gasoline. Fantastic product!
Whoever has the guts and the will to be the first to build and market an electric car for the United States I will buy it! It could be you…..get to it!!!
I had an EV-1 for a few months and loved it. The main concern was the limited range although at the time my route trip commute to work fit within its range.
The Volt seems like a practical solution to current battery capabilities. I think all the hybrid manufacturers are missing the boat by not allowing for plug-in recharging with enough battery capacity to handle most daily trips/commutes.
Hope this choice of vehicle comes to market in a reasonable time frame.
As a current Canadian GM owner, I can see the Volt successfully selling not only in the American market, but in the Canadian market as well. It only makes sense for urban users to have a car like this. After seeing the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” I applaud GM for stepping up to the plate and engineering this fantastic car. I encourage GM to get the Volt or similar on the market as soon as possible. My next new vehicle will be electric. Will it be a Volt?
I really like the volt concept. I do however think there are a few items to be considered (as I saw it at the DC auto show).
1. I believe a joy-stick fly by wire would be better then a steering wheel.
2. I believe the new technology in airless tires…. as see on future car designs where the treed is attached to a flexable membrane wich increases rolling resistance and need for extensive materials (with longer wear) would be profitable.
3. I believe bio-diesel for the 1 LTR engine is the best approach as Hydrogen is not yet developed and bio-diesel is regionally available as necessary for long drives.
as mot of my driving is less then 40 miles per day this is a great approach.
If you build it I and many more will buy it, in light of environmental and $4+ per gallon fuel.
The faster you get it to market the bigger market share you will have. Let’s make inovation an american revolution again.
This is SO great! I really hope that chevy builds this. My lease on my car is up in 2010 and would love to move to a plug-in. The sooner you guys could come up with a reliable EV the better!!
I drive 48 miles (one way) to work. I will buy one when they become available. Hurry up and get it ready. I’m tired of buying gas!!!
One thing I would like to see automakers keep in mind is that not everyone can afford the 16k+ dollar vehicles out there nor want to spend that much.
We are a family of four and are looking for either a 4 passenger vehicle that is a cross between a PU truck and a minivan. All the SUV’s are really pricy and still guzzle a lot of gas.
I would like to see an efficient, cost effective electric hybrid on the market that would be able to do highway speeds and do 150 mpg or more.
I know it is possible but I don’t see it yet. Build it and we will buy!
I hope the Volt really becomes a reality that will be affordable. Note affordable-not 20K + more like 12 to 15K.
I would be happy with a scion sized hybrid if I could get it for that price.
So there’s your reality challenge GM, I really hope you will make it happen as I am really having to ration gas as the prices are really reaching obscene prices.
We need to make an American auto again that will make the rest of the world stand up and take notice!
Wake up, GM! Listen and respond to your focus groups, not to fraudulent political hacks who want to retain oil and monopolistic control over Americans. This Volt could be the truly “revolutionary” car that could be the difference for GM to survive or not and to lead the American automobile industry into a new era. America- a brave new world is coming. Will we lead, or will others? Will American business(people) have the guts, insight and ingenuity to lead the way and will American consumers truly pressure our “status quo” prevalent mentality? Will America decide to lead in new and exciting ways, or will we shrink back to the tired, humdrum existence of third-world weakling status?
when can i buy it!
Quit teasing us and get on with it!
My checkbook is out.
I’m ready.
GM, you may want to talk with the feds first. They may start locking up owners of the new plug-ins because they are not paying their share of the road tax on fuel. Why is it that the government can be so skillful at being oppressive?
Can’t wait to buy one. Would be nice to have had the same drive capacity and battery life as the EV1 – but you crushed those. Don’t make the same mistake twice. This car will sell if you really are in the business to sell cars and not petro products for OPEC. Think–this is a good move.
Put me on the list. I want one.
This car is what I’m looking for. Not only attractive but electric! Make it and we will buy it!
I like the idea of only running off the electric motor but what’s up with the tiny windows and the long front? Seems impractical for a commuter car. I likes my visibility and I like to be able to park my vehicle on the street.
I haven’t owned a US brand vehicle in 20 years (and even that was a Chevy Nova…which was a Toyota Corrola underneath). Why? Because after my first taste of Toyota and Honda, reliability just doesn’t measure up with US models. However, everything I’m reading about the Volt is starting to make me take another look. Get this into production, keep it affordable (no lease-only option) and give it a 5-year warranty (10 years on the battery) and the Japan auto makers will be in serious trouble.
For now, styling doesn’t matter as much as economy and reliability. Come on GM, make me a proud owner of a Volt within 2 years!
Please bring this car to Australia, I am most impressed.
the current corporate structure of this world we live in – the REAL world- doesn’t give a crap about the environment or we’d have had this car 30 years ago. the government is owned and operated by corporate meat heads who care only about money and the BS I was taught in school about economics; “find (or create) a need and fill it” the world has created the need for gasoline and contiues to protect that need by mandating BS emissions controls to choke the living breath out of the 100 year old internal combustion engine and force it to use more fuel -burning the gas in the catalyst instead of in the engine- PREVENTING more fuel efficient engines by such emissions control interFEARance. In other words, “green” is just hot air. I want to buy an electric car right now so I can be free of this corporate BS of megalomaniacal pinheads trying to suck my bank account dry. I would bring my electric car home and plug it into my own private -owned and taxed by the govenment- wind generator or other power source. but then those megalomaniacal pinheads also control and create a need for electricity don’t they? They have suppressed altermate methods of electrical generation at home for many many years. Always some greedy moron trying to pick our pockets. So does this car help, really? no, we just feel better cause we don’t have to pay at the pump./
The VOLT concept sounds impressive to me and I congratulate GM for their forward thinking.
Now.. as long as they make it affordable to the masses, and style it to resemble the “normal” sedan we’re used to seeing from them.. I think it will sell!
Here is my only concern. I just got done reading something that Lutz said, he mentioned that they are going to have to “tone down” the styling of the Volt. What i have a real lack of understanding with GM lately is, why oh why they feel the need to lessen the appeal of their concept vehicles when they bring it to the consumers.. What I think the biggest issue with American car company’s is nowadays, is the fact they just don’t want to step out of the box on there production cars. Then when they come out with these absolutely beautiful concepts that I would buy in a heart beat, but when they bring it to production they have hardly any look of the car that i fell for when they got all the attention. And then they wonder why the car is not selling and they are in financial stress. Mr. Lutz the only thing i can do is stress the fact that people have fallen for the car you have shown us right now. If you change it and make it (for lack of a better word) boring, we will NOT buy the volt. We are a generation that wants something economical, but also want something that looks good. So if you take any advice at all, let this be the one I stress, don’t change the look too much.
lve been waiting for years for an American car like the volt. The thing that would make it perfect would be photovoltaic paint. Yes, it’s possible. And although it’s not really ready for prime time, I’m sure that GM could hurry it along. You can read about it in this Forbes article.
http://www.forbes.com/investmentnewsletters/2004/10/21/cz_jw_1021soapbox.html
Nice Concept…..But is it only talk. This blog (for a car that isnt even scheduled for production) proves that “Who killed the electric car” was right on point. Look at how many responses have been posted. GM helped killed the EV-1, and now after dealing with the hybrid juggernaut being created by Japan, GM wants to act like your trying to help out the american people. You killed th EV-1 for the “right now” money, when GM could have been on the cutting edge and been the leader, but now your playing “catch up”. I’m an american, serving in the military for 19 years now. “WE” need to get america strong again, and the stupidity of kissing Saudi Arabia’s butt is now beginning to leave a sour taste in all our mouths. Build the car, advertise it! (like you didnt do with the EV-1). If you build it they will come. I and many others would love to drive to work without having to pay OPEC for the opportunity. Lets get it together GM. Less talk and more action…Put it out now and upgrade the batteries later. Get in the game GM!!!
After rushing to market such products as the Vega, Chevette,Fiero and who can forget the 1981 V8-6-4 Cadilac, I can understand GM’s aprehention about rushing to market with batteries that are not up to the task. The difference now is this county, and the planet are in crisis and people want a vehicle like this NOW. I agree with others on this blog that a cheaper ni-mi battery now, and an upgrade package latter will serve GM well. Build It and America
will buy it.
What an outstanding way to make a difference. If Chevy mass produces this car and educates everyone about its benefits, we might have a chance at saving ourselves from smog and so, so many other evils.
My wife and I are planning a family in a few years will you be planning on a four door model to make it easier for the child seats?
Count this car sold.
this car would be perfect for my household…it would never replace my truck, but my truck is not ideal all the time either.
think of the possibility of recharging this thing at work on your employer’s dime!
WOW!
now thats a concept!
I’ll get one and keep my F-150 for those times when I really need it.
LM
I just finished watching the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car.” I really regret responding to the survey 2 days ago on this GM website. I was so excited 2 days ago about buying a Volt from Chevy that I becan saving money for it. But after seeing the documentary and what GM did about the EV-1 and California’s Air Resources board, I realise GM is an evil company with a hideous corporate culture. I also realise GM will never mass produce the Volt. This concept car is a ploy to deflect public outcry about the evil GM displayed by ridding customers of the EV-1. GM will clearly not ever mass produce the Volt. But the japanese will mass produce an electric car. H-ll, the Japanese can’t even keep up with the demand for Prius and Civic hybrids. Honda says their factory simply can not keep up with the demand. I should short GM stock and go long on Honda or toyota stock. GM richly deserves having their corporate charter revoked and being designated a “crimminal enterprise”. Even if GM did mass produce the Volt, I won’t buy one (even though I want one badly.) I’ll wait for the Japanese to come up with a plug-in electric car or convert my current Honda Accord to electric.
100% Satisfaction!!!! Love the design and how the engine is Fit for BioDiesel,E85,Unleaded, Hydrogen in the Future!!! This Car brings out what people think Gm has Lost and Its the Ability to Design and produce Vechiles that will change the way we drive in the future. GM #1 out of any automotive company and I back you up 100%!!!! Build the Chevrolet Volt!!!
Every car company has its ups and downs. EV1 wasn’t so great for Gms Reputation. Make it up with the Volt!!! I believe in the People and the Automotive company in the United States of America and I Stand up for American Motors Especially GM. Like you say on your Commercials ” Built as Dependable as the people who drive them ” Your Absoulety right!!!! Take back your Leadership. Kick Toyota out of #1 and replace it with GM!!! I know you have the Engineers and Designers to do it. There Alot of peopl who support you including my self. Take a chance, Step it up!!! Lets do this!! VOLT 100% All the way!!!
I’m looking forward to this vehicle’s production. I’m not currently in the market for a new car, but I will seriously reconsider that decision should Chevy announce the CCV is going into production.
I’m impressed with Chevy’s E-Flex system for the Volt. The majority of my driving is within town, thus this vehicle would help me out. Plus the look is sleek, classy, and sporty all in one.
If there was any way to get one of these vehicles as a market test, I’d sign up in a heart beat.
Chevy, please do not stop the concept and eventual production of this vehicle.
I’ll definitely consider buying a Volt instead of the next generation Prius or Civic hybrid if, and only if, the Volt has the sporty styling and promised performance of the Volt Concept.
Also, the production car must score an average or higher reliability rating in Consumer Reports. I understand that meeting my three non-negotiable demands poses a formidible challenge to GM, but I sincerely hope Chevrolet can rise to the occasion.
Ger
Nice concept car. (VOLT).
Too bad GM is way behind the curve in coming to market with this type of vehicle. Toyota picked up the ball you dropped with EV-1….What a disgusting and reprehensibly “crushing” end to a much needed, proven and logical vehicle. What a wasted opportunity for GM.
I suspect I’ll be trading-in my STS on a Hybrid Lexus or Prius long before you bring the Volt or the like to market. Too bad; I’ve been a Caddy owner for over 25 years.
The rapidly expanding notoriety of “Who killed the Electric Car” will only serve to make GM’s task more daunting. Good luck with that and your future market share; You are certainly going to need it.
I would definitely buy this car. America has been waiting for this. Please price it right and put it on the market soon!
Please build this car, I want to buy American. I sold my Yukon Denali because of the gas.
I bought a Lexus Hybrid, because this is state of the art right now.
Please bring GM to the front of the pack again. Don’t let Toyota eat your lunch!
excellent. please come out with it soon. i want to buy it asap!
The US needs a replacement for the IC engine. The Volt could meet the needs of the US and possibly the world though GM dug a huge hole for themselves by killing the EV1. It appears that GM has stopped digging and is beginning to climb out. The problem with the Volt is the range. Until you can get the range up around 100 miles/charge it won’t be useful. Check out the work of Tesla motors or even Commuter Cars. (google them) Over 200 miles/charge is more like it.
Hybrids are a boondogle by “Big Oil”, E85 is a really bad idea, H2 is too far away and expensive, CNG is a good alternative ($0.73/gal in Utah) but the infrastructure is really only available in the west. We need an electric car. A real plug-in fully electric car. It might be the Volt. Maybe.
You need to start making the EV1 again. People would buy it now, as they would’ve bought it in the mid 90’s if you’d let them.
The volt is “OK”, but not as good as the EV1. It was completely plug in electric. You need to make it, using the better batteries that are available, so that it can drive a longer distance.
Help the American Driver rid himself/herself of OIL ADDICTION/DEPENDENCY. I sincerely hope that this is not a GM ploy to reverse the American Public’s dissatisfaction with GM’s destruction of the EV-1 (”Who Killed the Electric Car”). I await your production of the VOLT and hope that not only will you bring back the “BE PROUD OF AMERICAN-MADE VEHICLES”; but also make it affordable for the everyday American who are nearing an epedimic of bankruptcy due to increasing and sky-rocketing fuel costs. Hope you have the saavy to mass-produce the VOLT; the TIME IS NOW!!!
I have no faith in GM that they will deliver on anything worthwhile like the Volt or E-Flex system in mass production.
Hey GM guess what your cars sell $5000+ less than Japanese competitors and people still aren’t buying them. Slap a real hybrid system in there, and they can be sold for more than non-hybrid competitors
Fantastic car, I look forward to seeing this in your showrooms. I commute 80miles round trip at the moment mostly on the interstate. Therefore I do not see a cost saving to hybrids diesel is more cost effective, but a plug-in would offer higher mileage and make it more cost effective.
Wow, I like to keep up with this blog just for fun. My only concern about this car is that with this much interest, how hard is it going to be to get one. Seriously, the math works out, at some point the car will virtually pay for itself.
I call the Volt the 80% solution. It doesn’t completely take us away from the internal combustion engine but it does validate the idea. We will have to go through a couple more generations before we completely get away from the I.C.E. concept.
As with most things, all technological advances that make their way into mainstream society will first have to be fielded with the military (JEEP, HMMMV, Velcro etc). As I have mentioned before this technology is being integrated into our future vehicles and has shown remarkable benifits. I would love to not have the irony of going to war with a middle eastern country in a vehicle that burns the oil that we are paying them for and they are intern using that payment to buy the rockets and bombs that they use against us.
Again, stay serious about this project and bring a stable product to market as soon as possible. Also put me on the list to buy one.
GER operates under the premise that his Volt has to have sporty styling…does he not get it?
if you want aesthetics, get a painting or sculpture…this Volt should be all about function!
I am so excited to see an American manufacturer take such significant strides to lead the auto industry. I am also very impressed with GM’s openess to discuss this car and release informationto the public.
I think this car really represents some great work not only in plausible energy solutions but in an overall commitment of GM to reinvent itself and become relevant in a consumer driven economy.
I won’t buy another new car that runs on gasoline. Whoever puts a mass-produced, high performance electric car on the market first gets my money. Traditionally GM quality has kept me from buying GM, but in this case I’m willing to give GM a 2nd chance.
By the way – hang your trucks up. If I need a truck I’ll rent one for the day.
My compliments to GMC and Chevrolet. Again, you have proven your forethoughts, and are a leader in inovation in the automobile industry.
I have had 5 GMC’s/Chevrolet’s. And have always been empressed with the quality of your products. When the Volt is available, I will probably buy one.
Thanks for your concerns for our dependancy on OPEC and the Oil Industry, and the environment.
I think this is an Great car! I have heard many people at my work talking about it and how they would buy one if it was made. I think this car would be great and would really help GM but it has to come ASAP. Also i think GM should do this on more sights about all your cars and trucks because we are the ones that drive them and i think you could get alot of good ideas from people that love there GM cars and trucks.
As long as you’re just charging the battery, why not a small turbine.
And a hatchback model.
Don’t worry, If GM doesn’t produce the volt and others soon, looks like we will start buying Tesla Motors EV cars from California. They are expected to go on sale by 2009. http://www.teslamotors.com
Heres to the race for market share!!!!
What took GM so long to say, “Hey this is a good concept idea”? The only thing really worth saying is that this needs to go from concept to production quick if GM wants any chance in heck of not being passed up and forgotten by Toyota, Honda, and the electric car producers.
I love the design and the idea but why does it need a turbo charged engine to recharge the batteries, and why does the engine have to be that big? Wouldn’t a 500cc engine or smaller work just as well? Cars in Europe regularly come in 1L versions and have good performance and gas mileage statistics.
In my earlier days (early 80s) I spent several years driving the original electric car here in the hills. See link:
http://www.hightechscience.org/electric_car.htm
Having participated extensively with the manufacturer, I can offer some unique insite into some of the issues to be anticipated when these cars go into the real world and live there for a while.
Please feel free to contact me at via e-mail and I will gladly relate some of my experiences.
I will close by saying that it would be wise to anticipate that the performance on day 100 or 1000 could be a very different experience than it was on day 1 or 10. No one ever devotes any ink to the out years in the life of these vehicles.
Best Of Success,
RL Applegate
Applegate Automation Enterprises, LLC
New Cumberland WV
If this car is for real and as impressive as it reads, then sign me up and I’ll buy one the year it comes out. If you port the technology to a SUV/Crossover and the quality is good, then sign me up for two and I’ll dump my current Toyota and Mazda.
Instead of the 3 cyl. turbocharged engine why not go with a gas turbine?
The output would enable greater range.
This though is one remarkable vehicle which I would love to buy.
Hi, I love your Volt, but the Tesla has over 200 miles between charges. If GM were to buy the rights to install the Tesla battery into the Volt it would greatly extend its’ range and then gas purchases would only be needed for out of state trips!
REMEMBER, PEOPLE WHO WANT ELECTRIC CARS ONLY WANT TO BUY GASOLINE AS AN EMERGENCY BACKUP!!!!!
Hi, I love your Volt, but the Tesla has over 200 miles between charges. If GM were to buy the rights to install the Tesla battery into the Volt it would greatly extend its’ range and then gas purchases would only be needed for out of state trips!
REMEMBER, PEOPLE WHO WANT ELECTRIC CARS ONLY WANT TO BUY GASOLINE AS AN EMERGENCY BACKUP!!!!!
GM,
I am in the market for a new car. After evaluating all the options – I think the right thing to buy right now is an electrically rechargable hybrid. Unfortunately no one currently makes one. The race is on! I hope you can do it sooner than 3 years. I can’t wait that long.
I think you are foolish to put much money into hydrogen powered vehicles. Also fuel cells seem just around the corner – like they have for the last 20 years – we can’t count on them. Pure electric cars can’t go the distance for long trips. Hybrid alone is not enough.
My hope is that California will revamp its former regulation to have 10% of cars sold in 2010 with zero
emissions for the first 50 miles a day. That would work for me. That would allow an electrically rechargable hybrid to be built that could use batteries alone for the first 50 miles (commuters) and use gas when we go on a longer trip. That would be a win-win for everyone in my book.
Please Please build this car sooner than 2010.
Thanks,
Ken Switzer
This is good – I am a 29 year old male in southern California – I have a 06 Grand Prix GT that I love, but my 70 mile a day commute has me convinced that I need something more ecconomical… I would really love to be able to purchase the Volt it looks great and I love it that it’s American. So many of the brainless cattle down here in the OC think that the only advanced cars come from Japan or Germany… Build it and prove these idiots wrong! I will buy one, and when I showed my wife, she said she would like to trade her 03 Jag in for one too! Come on fellahs, you owe us this car!
Of course the new CTS and the soon to be Camaro make good temptations too… we’ll see how much more gas goes up around here….
Hey, any thoughts about a Diesel hybrid for the new CTS?
Third contact
GM: How married are you to the oil boys? Converting your product line to the volt’s drive system would put you in the lead again. Short of that, you need to bring the volt out in a SUV/Stationwagon type version for the people who pick up groceries and other supplies.
I think Chevy should know that they have officially created my dream car.
As SOON as this car is put on the market, I plan to purchase one.
It is an amazing model and I cannot wait to see them on the road and one in my garage.
wow. when can i get one. i love the look, i love the concept of multiuse of fuels. i love that you don’t need gasoline for short trips. when can i get one.
Dear GM,
BUILD THE VOLT
I will buy one.
America can LIVE without foreign oil.
I drive a Corvett and I drool over Tesla motor’s roadster. I did not see any velocity or time to 60 numbers to compare with Tesla’s. Did not see pricing or golf club carrying capacity. Looks interesting, but looks on a dog won’t make you any sales. I can buy 5 Prius for one Tesla roadster and for a reasonable price I can convert the Prius to a “super hybred” and avoid gas for limited commuter ranges provided I stay under 35mph! So far I’m keeping the Corvett… but LOOKING!
Great idea, but with no cargo area it may have limited applications. A truck would be awesome.
Please just make a simple electric car that has a good normal name and does not look like it’s from Mars. Similar to the EV1. I know Houston commuters including myself and staff will buy them if they are priced reasonably.
Please resurrect the electric car. There’s a huge demand. The technology is possible. Do what’s right–for the nation, for the people, for the environment, and for your business! The Volt is beautiful. Now please…just start making them.
Hi!
Please start the production of the Volt asap. I can’t wait to get it.
It’s awesome! I wish there were more plug-ins…
YES YES YES!! This is my dilema– I am very lucky to live just a few miles from work which too far to ride a bike without stinking like a sweathog all day, but I hate driving my car that little distance everyday. Not only is it expensive, it’s stupid to harm the environment with such small commutes. The grocery store and everything else in my world is pretty much in about a 5-10 mile radius, so this car would solve all my problems. I’ve been looking into buying a vespa scooter, but that limits your cargo ability and isn’t practical in a Wisconsin winter. A plug in hybrid would really solve my problems– please build this car!!!! (It looks cool too!)
Please! Please! Please! Would some automaker please do the right thing for a change and build a better car like this? I recently watched the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” and was perplexed and disheartened buy what happened to the EV1, probably Americas greatest automotive step forward since the Model T. Now GM has a second chance to create the next Model T, a vehicle that will change everything. But the race is on. Will it be Ford, GM, or Toyota? Good luck to us all.
I love everything about this car. Wish it went further off of a single charge, but overall mileage is exceptional. If in the 20-30k range, I am all over it. Please release sooner than later!! I too would be a first time GM buyer.
It has been 12 years since the EV1 appeared on US roads and it is absolutely appalling that it is taking you this long to produce another electric vehicle, but which will still have drivers dependent on fuel purchase. Most of us need vehicles that can fit a family in. Stop messing around and give us an electric car that has the size, battery power and range that you know has been available for a very long time. How many extra billion tonnes of CO2 have been fed into the atmosphere because of your “mistakes”. You knew back then how serious this situation is and you have deprived us of at least 12 years of technology advancement and no doubt you will slowly drip feed us small technology “improvements” with a cynical planned obsolescence agenda, when really you could roll out the car we all need and want tomorrow.
The concept of this car is great. It has solved one of the large issues faced by conventional PHEV cars – the longer trip. I would suggest making more than 1 model of this concept available at different price ranges even from the start – encourage younger people who may not have as much income that they too can afford to purchase a car with this concept and that it is not just for the elite. The Tesla is priced at $100000 – too pricey for the everyday man. GM has to sell this concept to the masses and not the elite and should get these people at the start of their campaign and ensure future market share and customer loyalty. If the prices are high to begin with and people invest in other cars, they may wait another 3 to 5 years before making another purchase by which time your competition may have closed the gap and come in the market and take advantage of the concept you were innovative enough to develop. The concept and skeleton of the system is done, now give it a few different forms and you’ll have the upper hand in this market for a long time to come. I will be one of the first in line to purchase a reasonably priced concept from GM. Good luck with getting this to us – glad to see you have put 500 engineers to help fast track this to production.
When can I buy the Volt?????
I’m just wondering why a company like Tesla Motors can produce such an amazing car like the roadster that is currently in production, and GM doesn’t have an electric car available. Why can’t GM partner up with Tesla to use Tesla’s technology, and GM’s capitol and production power to start selling a good basic family car to the majority of consumers. Electric cars are really the only solution because electricity is produced from many different sources such as wind, solar, water, and of course the burning of fossil fuels. I just don’t understand why it is taking so long if there all ready is the technology out there. If GM doesn’t have the technology, partner up with someone that does.
Why cant I buy one yet?
Ive been looking for a good looking, yet fuel effecient car for a LONG time now.
I am a low income American and hate gas costs. I drive 15000 miles a year from Austin to Dallas for work. Even though I deduct miles on my taxes it really doesnt help. The extend range hybrid is a very good idea. We have contemplated getting a prius but we will now wait for the volt to come out. Maybe even a truck version hopefully. I dont care about HP or 0-60 time. Only range and MPG.
Finally!!!
Build this and I will buy one. My next vehicle purchase will be an alternative fuel vehicle of some type.
The sooner the better, folks. I think the weekday electric ride is a brilliant marketing and production idea.
What a great looking vehicle!!
Please build this ASAP!!
I want one!
Just fricken build it I have cash and will buy if it comes out soon!!!
Hasn’t anybody ever heard of the Vanadium battery? Over 10,ooo charges and just change the electrolyte and go another 300 miles it uses 100% of the stored charge. Where has American no-how been.
Do what’s right and do it immediately. Make this car and get it out there!
Toyota is kicking your a$$ets.
Love the drive concept, but build a micro van body similar to the Sciob xb
tim
I absolutely love the idea of this car! I would totally consider buying one! I am very eco-friendly and am excited about this technology! However- in order for me to invest in this, I would need a vehicle that is more family friendly also! This car is pretty cool looking but not realistic for me and my 2 kids!
Keep up the good work and I know the battery issues will be worked out soon so we can all enjoy the car and technology.
Great idea,nice looking car,like Nike says,Do It,you will sell them,they will come,only thing fix the rear end,it needs a little help,also how about making a smaller version of the Avalance,something like a Colorado Avalance
This is a car most americans should drive with four people in the family. All electric is our only savior.
(P.S.) No offense, but Suburbans are just too big!
I’m glad to see that GM is going to make a car that can run on electricity again. I would actually prefer a pure electric car to a plug-in bybrid (despite the range disadvantage) because having two powertrains adds a lot of complexity to the vehicle, but I’m not going to split hairs. Please bring this car to market.
I read recently that world oil supplies will drop off drastically sometime around 2020. That’s why I’m interested in this car. We think $3.50/gal is bad. Wait till we see $10/gal.
I’m a loyal Saturn buyer, first one ran 170k mi, 2nd is over 75k in less than 4 yrs. But I’d definitely buy this. I often drive week-long roadtrips, from NH to VA. Would need to depend on flex fuel system. DO build it, make it work well and without lots of repair/warranty work and we will come.
Agree with one who wrote to nicen up interior. Don’t like feeling like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
The edmunds.com video showed the 4-door. That’s what I want plus roof rack option. Trunk space looks nonexistent but I suppose that’s for the sexy sportscar look. Any way to give it more cargo space besides back seat, maybe elongate whole car?
Judging from the voting webpage, there are over 400,000 of us who say we’d buy one if it was here.
In case Chevy’s interested in demographics, I’m a late-40s female business executive.
I’ve bought Hondas and Toyotas for the last 15 years. If Chevy makes this a reality at 30K, you can bring me back to GM. It’s the one car I’d get on a waiting list to buy.
First, I want to applaud that you are working on an electric car and the innovation that is going into it. As an engineer, I find that challenging problems are opportunities for innovation and fun to work on. I am impressed with the holistic approach you are taking, working on all aspects of the problem. For example, instead of working on just battery technology, which is of course significant, you are also working on weight reduction. And this has lead you to pushing the frontiers of plastics. Replacing heavy glass with light Lexan. Also, a lot of heavy sheet metal has been replaced with a light, corrugated, structurally strong plastic composite. An added benefit of which, I imagine, is heat and noise insulation. The heat insulation will make the car more comfortable and save energy on cooling and heating costs. Being from Florida, I appreciate that a lot. I am sure that people from places with harsh winters will appreciate it as well.
Now, let me ramble on with a few suggestions of options I would love to see in an electric car.
First, add two or four 115 volt outlets and maybe even a 120/240 volt locking style outlet to the on board generator. In Florida and other hurricane belt areas, people pay $1000 to $2500 for a back up generator in case power goes down for weeks from a hurricane. When someone goes to buy a new car, for them to think in their mind “Wow, I am getting for free a $2000 backup generator in case of a hurricane” is good. And it’s a highly efficient, flex fuel generator. And, it takes zero extra storage space. And, it’s ran often so that they know that it works. (It doesn’t die from sitting and lack of use.) Tremendously great.
Second, consider offering a version of the Volt that is purely an electric car, without a generator. I realize the generator is the safety net for the electric car. And, there is a huge market for an electric car with a generator. Realize, however, that there is also a market for a purely electric car. Do not constrain yourself to “either/or” thinking. Offering two versions, one with generator and one without, is the best solution. Here is a description of me, the typical “purely electric car” market. Two driver / two car household. At least one driver commutes 15 miles or less to work. For this household, having one long range car (for road trips) and one purely electric car (with a 40 mile range) makes sense. Leaving the generator out saves costs and weight, and perhaps the extra space in the car can be put to good use, too.
What would I do if both suggestions above were available? For my two driver / two car household, I would buy one Volt with generator and one Volt without generator.
Thank you again for the work you are doing on bringing an electric car to mass market.
GM is coming out with New Vechile desings right and left!! the Chevrolet Comaro Concept and those little vechiles the Beat,trax,Groove which all run on Electricity and one looks like a little Van the other a little Suv and th other a Car!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BUILD THESE VECHILES ASAP!!! GET A STEP UP IN THE GAME WITH ELECTRICITY!!!! Yea Toyotas got some ideas on future vechiles but for what Im seeing coming out of Gm!!! They still got some Ideas Shoved up there Sleeves!!! PLEASE BUILD!!!
It is wonderful to see GM finally beginning to wake up. You are already behind the curve, however.
Stand up to big oil and listen to your customers. If you build viable electric vehicles, Americans will buy them. We are tired of hearing excuses from GM Ford and Chrysler. The technology exists now. Get it done.
If you say it will be available in 2 years then I will wait until it comes out to by my next car… seriously. That is, of course, unless Toyota (or someone else) makes a reasonably priced and high quality plug-in hybrid before then…
This is the ev1 w/ a portable generator. The Locomotive (Trains) Industry has been opperating vehicles using this kind of concept for many years. The car can be made today and if better batteries are developed then GM can sale them to me ‘After Market’ and make a bunch of money, maybe that would help their stock. Google ev1 and compare the capabilities between it and the Volt.
Please say something to your European dealers, especially in Belgium.
No one at gm.belgium was able to comment on the possibility that this car will arrive in Western Europe at the same time it will be sold in the US.
We need the Volt too. If you do not sell them in Europe at the same that they are sold in the U.S. I’ll come to Boston or New york and export one from there.
Thanks for your attention.
This is exactly what our country needs right now. If you get it out quickly and advertise it to sell it, not kill it like the EV, then you will lead this new industry. Both my husband and I will each buy one as soon as we are able to.
Please build this car. Our national security depends on it.
My grandparents owned a Chevy dealership, and my dad worked for GM for forty years…and I’m an environmentalist. Finally, an American made car that is environmentally responsible. My next car purchase will be sometime in the next 3 years, so I hope GM gets moving on this.
Hard to tell from the promo information how nice it would feel to drive. Better make sure it is family-friendly and comfortable (those windows look mighty hard to see out of). 4-door would be nice…
My next car will be a serial hybrid with a diesel generator so I can run bio-diesel. It will have at least four seats and get at least 50 miles on electric only. Who ever makes this car first will get my money. Will it be the Volt?
Beautiful! If it was available I would buy one today, no questions asked. Americans want this change. Americans want to buy from American car companies. Here is their chance. The ball is in GM’s court.
Please don’t pull th plug on this!! No pun intended. Plug-in hybrids are the only solution to todays problems. Hydrogen is only good for bombs and invisible fires at this point. I’ve been building a diesel electric plug-in SUV, for the GM sponsored ChallenegX (www.challengex.org) competition, for over two yrs now!! If a bunch of poor college students can do it, so can GM. Don’t let Toyota take over the industry!
Why just 40 miles on the battery? How can Tesla Motors get 200+ miles on just batteries?
Either way I am buying an electric car … if Chevy is smart they will be first to market!
The reason it is taking so long for the Chevrolet Volt is because there working on Perfection!! GM Builds things Professional Grade!! down to the last Bolt!! Reliable Vechiles!!! VOLT IS COMING SOON!!!
If you make this car I will absolutely buy one! I want this car so much. It’s sweet to look at and sounds like it would be sweet to drive! Please make this a reality so I can get one!
Being a young driver, and only recently getting a license, I am one of the few high-schoolers out there who would greatly appreciate this concept put into production. If I invest in any car, I am waiting for this. Keep up the development of alternative fuels that will save the economy and environment.
I live in Australia, and would buy this thing in a heartbeat, if I could.
Finally GM look like they might be about to build something that’s interesting and desirable to the rest of the world (outside the USA).
Thank you also, for realising that people with green tendencies also have eyes and appreciate some style. It’s something Toyota haven’t managed to figure out yet…
Put simply, I want one. Here’s hoping I’ll be able to buy one when it’s time for my next car.
America needs the American auto makers to start creating something other than SUVs with V8s. The Volt is great!!! Get it out there today before it becomes yesterdays news. I know the oil companys hate electric cars, and the oil companies have a hand in your business. But I know you would hate to see the great American tradition of GM go down the drain because you could not compete with the Japanese and a bunch of small start-ups like Tesla and Zap. What the heck do you guys do with all that R&D money the government gives you? And the R&D money you budget. It’s becoming obvious that “fuel cells” are a red herring. Fuel Cells will not be an affordable technology for many years, if ever, and hydrogen costs more than gas – and is derived from petroleum! Everyone from the automotive press to the man on the street see fuel cells as a fairy tale that does not come with a happy ending anyway.
Maybe it’s time to look outside the proverbial Detroit box and get a fresh perspective on the auto industry. Get the oil companies out of the decision making meetings. They are killing you. GM has made many inovations in it’s history. It’s time that “revolutionizing the power train for the good of America” be one of them.
You built the best electric car once, you can do it better the second time around with the new battery technology: A123, NanoSafe & EEStor.
America is counting on you.
P.S.
The Saturn VUE is not a hybrid. It’s just an internal combustion engine with electric nitros. It can’t run electric-only. So I don’t understand what making it a “plug-in” is going to accomplish…beyond marketing. Would love to see someone sell that set-up as a kit for the “tuners” though.
Well if you move forward with this and move quickly you might just might be the one and only American car company left. Since Ford and Chrysler dropped the ball big time. I say to you (GM) HELP ME OBIE ONE CANOBE YOU’RE MY ONLY HOPE!!!!!! (for the American car company) Your trusting, faithful Vette customer Chris
I looked at the car again and wish it were a small SUV like a Honda CRV rather than a sedan. I need utility and headroom more than a car that looks “cool.”
I think it would be a good idea to build the car, but like always you tease the average consumer with products like these that will always be a concept.
Of course we want GM to built an electric car. But already small companies are beating GM: Tesla Motors, Phoenix Motorcars. But I want to see a mass production of electric cars because the ones that are being produced by Tesla ($100k) and Phoenix (over $40k) are too expensive for me. But GM also needs to develop better mileage on hybrids and start producing plug-in hybrids. But if GM doesn’t diversify, small car companies are going to be the future.
It would be a perfect car for my wife – short commute, does not have to take it to the gas station. Be a leader, not a follower.
Many people will buy this car if the styling is not too far out. It should be known for its functionality. I do think that 40 miles between charges is enough to start with the first year or two. Please do not consider this a niche car. I would buy it if it went 20 miles between charges. Maybe you could allow the customer to choose between 2 different types of batteries depending on their needs.
This is what I’ve been waiting for and I’m very excited to see it go to market. I’ll be in line when it does. My only complaint is that it is a bit flashy. Please work on the same technology for family size cars / SUVs.
This type of engineering can save GM and save Detroit. Thank you for listening!
I’m waiting for this technology to buy a new car… but 2-seaters won’t cut it. What % of people even consider a 2-seater? Very very mall. It will just be a fancy niche item unless it becomes a practical option for the masses. If not designed as practical for more people (atradeoff in mpg is certainly acceptable), I can only assume it’s another scam/excuse for GM to throw it’s hands up and say “we didn’t sell enough of them, it wasn’t profitable.”
Hey GM! Be aggressive on market and became the world leader of the electric car. Don’t wait for Toyota and Honda’s technologies, you have the supremacies now; use them to put GM on the top. I know it is not good for gas market but it is super for car driving. And you are first of all, on car market. You should cut the way of other company whit this Volt. You have the chance to change the planet transportation thinking. Would you like every human have GM in mind? It is just a question of time when every car became electric. The second place is not acceptable for someone who has genius idea like the Volt. In 1993 when you became the world leader of the electric car whit the EV1 you became shy of success. At that time just look how poor was the Toyota and Honda’s offer. Don’t wait 2010, do it now and be what you should be: the leader of the car market. Look large and understand the potential of this tremendous idea. Forget combustion engine, you gut the future in your hand, take it and have no mercy for Toyota and Honda’s green technologies. You made fantastic combustion engine but in my crystal ball as yours, we know that this technologies have no future like the electrics. I hope that the first and the best electric car be American.
Please let us know ASAP if you’re actually going to build the Volt.
If you’re not going to, I will.
Please produce this car, and don’t pull the plug like Saturn did- restore our faith in the American car industry as an independent entity, not a puppet of our pro-big industry government. This is what the general population wants- maybe not what big oil wants, but what we’d like to see. I’ve felt that if American car companies are looking to save jobs producing cars that the American consumer wants hybrid and electric cars are the approach to take. Please please please expedite development of this car versus the fuel cell- I want a viable alternative energy vehicle (that looks fairly normal) within a couple of years! I think our biggest fear is that you’ll also leap on the fuel-cell bandwagon which we’ll be waiting years for, and which won’t deliver on the hype. Fuel cell technology is simply another way for the oil industry to make money and monopolize the transportation industry. Don’t cave in to the lobbying. I would buy the Volt in a second if it came on the market- I’m simply waiting for a normal looking, very fuel efficient car (in my opinion, a hybrid SUV that gets 24 mpg is not worth it and is a joke).
If you need an early adopter for a test market look me up!
Thanks for asking!!
When can I purchase the vehicle and where? I am located in Chattanooga, TN.
Pretty car with what seems to be decent leg room in the front. You asked in your vote if we A) liked it, and B)would consider buying it. As concepts go, I do like it and can appreciate the style. Would I consider buying it, not in its present format. This doesn’t look like a very family friendly car, and I don’t think that buy 2010 we’ll have done away with things like baby car seats. I’ve been eyeing the prius and the new Saturn SUV hybrids, but the fuel economy just doesn’t make up for the added pricetag yet. I’m planning on driving my Saturn SL into the ground so that I can drive car loan free for a year or two and save for my first new car. By 2010-12 I should be ready, and if you’ve got a stylish, reliable and more family friendly e-flex option by then, GM/Saturn will be the first dealership I go to.
I really hope this goes on the market. It is definately a car, if any, that I would be interested in buying. A car that is ok for the environment and saves me money on fuel totally makes sense. I don’t understand why there hasn’t been one put on the market, and kept there, already.
Show the world that GM can compete. Be the “Heart Beat of America”. Build this car!!
This is the car of the future. But I would buy one now if it was available. This technology will help stop global warming, get us off our oil addiction (stop funding terrorists), help clean the air we breathe, and save us money. If someone knows a downside, please let me know.
My other car is a Toyota Prius. I love it to death, but if they also had the option to plug it in, it would make it even more attractive. I wish I could trust in the GM name, but they just don’t have the bulletproof reliability of Toyota or my Subaru. It’s going to take building a car that is reliable and LASTS to get me to switch. I’m hoping you can do it with the Volt. If it was priced competitively I’d definitly take a look.
The Volt is exactly what GM needs. The fuel economy along with great styling should be a big hit. I plan on being one of the first to own this vehicle. I just wish it were available right now!
I think that the Chevy Volt is an example about what we can do to protect the enviroment. And it is not very slow, also its apearence is excelent. If the human race can do this type of cars why can’t we produce them?
Martin 14,Argentina
Get the Volt into showrooms with diesel and I’m there. Sell it for under $30k and I’m there to buy.
I seem to recall some “good old boys” from Daytona Beach, FL. converting an old Plymouth Duster or Dodge Dart to diesel-electric in the mid 1970s. I’ve been waiting a long time to see a U.S. car company actually take the hint. This is an even better concept.
Great looks, love the mileage–I would use hardly any gas at all in my commute!!! Price it right, and I am buying the day they are available.
I’m desperate for a car like the Volt. Sell it for under $30K and I *will* buy it. Not spending money (or almost no money) on gasoline will allow me to spend money on my car payments. And since I live in the Pacific Northwest, my electricity is hydro-electric, so this will really reduce my carbon footprint.
I was dissapointed in the show on the ev1 and the`way GM never gaveit a chance. This new car however, seems to restart the dream of the electric car.
If this electric vehicle were available now , i would not be purchasing a ford escape Hybrid , I would be the owner of a gm volt. chop chop gentlemen the electric revolution is now!!!
K law NJ .
don’t bother thinking about why it hasn’t been built before… it just wastes time… we, the world, all need this car and cars like it! Please… this is the iPhone of the car industry… we know it sounds good… lots of stuff has sounded good… but this IS good! There were MP3 players before the iPod… why did it take off? It had a better unique blend of market timing and equipment efficiency and a unique user interface… you have the same! You have a car that has been built in various forms before… E85, we have… electric, we have… putting them together… that, we need! the iPod had gobs of storage so you could put ALL of your CDs on the 1 device and carry all of your CD collection wtih you and listen / shuffle your tunes in a whole new way… that is what powered its growth… Think about the trends and how this car is similar! You need to make sure it also has the Sync (phone/PDA synching to your car for voice to text, text to speech capabilities… Ford is working on this with MicroSoft.. I’m sure you can do something similar… again.. it changes the experience and makes our lives safer and easier!) Don’t just be a little better… be A LOT better! That is what Apple did with iPhone… better iPod, better keyboard, better browser, better screen, etc.. all in one device…. you can do the same! PS Check out http://www.innodyn.com they can build you a very efficient turbine to run on diesel/ethanol, etc. It has a 5,000 hour TBO and 1 moving part simplicity which makes service repairs at a minimum and their efficiency is great! Since you are running the engine at a constant speed to produce electricity… a turbine would work well… contact me if you would like me to get them engaged to help you with this project.
make it happen! what is your legacy going to be Lutz? GM? is it going to be big car company that ultimately choked on pensions and health care costs? Or will it be a legacy of innovation… that made the world a better place and made GM the #1 car maker again? its up to you! thanks!
This is the key to beating the foreign automakers. GM, you need to push forward with this idea.
My next car will be a Chevy VOLT. Please get this car into production. The environment and our country needs this type of clean running car. Oil belongs in the ground, not pumped out to destroy living creatures. GM will again be the leader in electric cars like they were with the EV1. Volt is the natural progression of the EV1 but this time let us buy them instead of lease them. That way we can keep them instead of having them destroyed like the EV1 was. EV1 was the best electric car ever build and the Volt will be even better.
Watch
Whokilledtheelectriccar
then look at the slick advertising $$ expended to control the message. If GM builds an all electric car, which can be recharged off the existing electric utility grid, enables daily 26 mile round trip commute at 2 hours stuck in traffic each way daily in the next 5 years it would be a 1:50 chance. Current 3 phase brushless motors and sintered Li Poly batteries work like a charm. Lets pray GM listens to the driving public and provides a mature product to us before you know who does. PS fuel cells and H2 are a non starter Fred
I really want a plug-in car for driving to work. I now own a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which is fun to drive and gets OK mileage, very good for its size. My next vehicle will be a plug-in if I have the choice, and I would love to be able to buy one made in the USA.
This Chevy system sounds perfect. My only negative is that the styling should be toned down. I prefer being able to see out the windows over looking “cool”, especially in a smallish car on roads still crowded with big SUVs.
I am a current GMC owner and am determined that my next car (for commuting) will NOT be another SUV, but a compact electric or plug-in hybrid (pure electric preferred). Repeat business from me depends entirely on GM releasing a sub $25K highway capable electric 4 pass vehicle, or a sub $15K smaller in-town commuting vehicle (the former preferred). The demand and economics are clear, so GM should make this their top priority. I am an SUV owner who will never purchase another large vehicle. Want to retain/regain market share? Then innovate! The market is more than ready.
A plug-in Diesel electric hybrid would be icing on the cake!!! Nissan is using capacitors in their hybrid trucks, sounds like wou could add that with a solar pannel top… now that would be a GM to be proud of!!!
Good to see an american company can still beat them to the punch. Any plans for a 2 cylinder turbodiesel instead of gas for the turboelectric drive? Too bad you didnt use in hub motors at all 4 wheels, leaving more room for batteries & simplifiying the drivetrain (I think). PS, any plans for applique solar cells for the roof & trunk surfaces? Probably wouldnt get more than 70-80 watts worth but every little bit counts when your parked in the desert during work!
Build this car now. Price for under 30k and they will sell.
Well you blew it in the 90’s with the electric car and pissed alot of people off. Make this car and make it for people to buy and keep. And how come you can’t use the batteries that last for 200+ miles? Make them and get America back in the fore-front!
Oh, wow! I want this car! Please, Please, Please. Soon, very soon….please.
Im currently looking into buying a hybrid type vechile, and after stumbling on your concept car, I feel it apeals to me way more then any other vechile made by all the other competitors. The sleek design makes it look very slick for a eco friendly car, id buy one in a heart beat!
I really want an electric car. Any electric car. The problem is that there just aren’t any. The sooner the volt hits the market, the better. And don’t just lease them this time! However much the oil companies are paying you, we’ll pay more! We are America, and we want electric cars! The technology existed in the early 90’s to build an electric car with a top speed of around 90mph and a range over 100 miles. The Nissan Altra is a great example of this (that car comfortably fit five people, with trunk space I might add). Since then, there have been significant improvements in battery and motor technology. So what’s the holdup? GM has already done a better job of promoting this vehicle than they did the EV1, and already, more people know about it. Judging from the number and tone of the comments here, there is no lack of public interest. Electric cars are really the only way to get America off of oil and are possibly the best option we have to stop global warming. As we are discovering now, ethanol is really not as sustainable as people had said and what’s more, it still puts out greenhouse gases. There is an enormous market for electric cars, and eventually, I feel they will completely replace gas powered cars. One thing I’m curious about is how much would the range of the Volt be increased if the engine and gas tank were removed and replaced with extra batteries? Could this be offered as an option? Even if not, the Volt is still a leap in the right direction. Sign me up!
Make it in with diesel as the fuel source. It is widely available throughout the world it is simpler than gasoline to refine and today we have cleaner sulfer free blends.
A diesel version would sell well in Europe as well as in the US markets.
It’s a great idea. If you want these to sell fast you might want to price baseline under 20k.
I can’t wait until these cars come out. Don’t wait to make them. I will buy one as soon as there on the market
Here you go GM. This is your last chance to get it right. You could reclaim the number 1 spot in auto world or fall completly off the map.The winds of change are blowing your way. You have the resources to built this car, but do you have the will?
I am little skeptive of electric automotive technology. My major concern, has to deal with batteries. I am new to retirement,my daily travels avearage around 40 miles per day. I aplaud GM for their desire in technology to resolve our day/day problems.
I’m thrilled, GM. But PLEASE let these be available to the public! Don’t just lease these to several hundred people, only to have them confiscated and destroyed a few months later, like the EV1. Can you imagine how many people would willingly buy the Chevy Volt? Possibly millions! It would be beneficial for consumers, the environment, and the American car industry. So LET THESE BE OBTAINABLE TO ALL CONSUMERS!
I’d like to volunteer to test the Volt in Orlando, Florida or if Chevy is a little lean on the books one year, I’ll be glad to take a few Volts in order to help balance the books.
Respecfully,
Michael Jolly
This a car for our future. Hopefully near future! I would love to be a test driver. This is the kind of car we need!!! Love it!
Chevy Volt is a great idea. The problem is that it is going to take GM at least five to ten years to produce this vehicle and by this time some other company will have a better product on the road. I hope GM will not waste time in producing this product. Consumers are ready for a product like this in an affordable price. If GM can build this vehicle for around $20,000, GM will have a winner in the dealer show-room and company will regain the respect from the consumers.
Please make this car! I would buy one in a heartbeat…if you hadn’t already made a perfectly fine electric car years ago and ‘killed’ it. The public needs an explanation to why GM ended the electric car years ago and is now acting like it’s new technology.
I hope another car company comes out with an electric car first, so they can have my business.
Bad move GM. Enjoy Bankruptcy.
Good start. What about the option of Compressed natural Gas or even methane. Instead of having to create new fuels to burn why not use fuels that are bi-products of waste decomposition? I’m sure the landfills in the US would love to sell the methane that comes out everyday. So would farmers or cities with the waste produced by animals and humans alike. There are so many wasted types of fuels that we do not use. Also don’t forget the induction motors for braking to help recharge the batteries as well.
I can,t wait.
This is what america has needed for years. This will clean up the air, that we all breath. Smart choice GM Keep the goverment out of it this time and many will buy your electric cars and trucks..
I am tired of us killing people for oil. It would be great if I didn’t have to walk everywhere. This ev could be a nice alternative.
I am sick of seeing these ugly Prius’s all over the road. Which actualy do little to get us off greenhouse causing gases as the Volt would. GM give Americans a reason to buy American again.
Make it priced for the average American household to afford. Flood the streets with a car America can be proud of.
Until an acceptable zero emissions vehicle is made available, I’ll stick to PhillyCarShare. I won’t buy a car, until I know that it’s 100% ecologically acceptable. This is a big step in the right direction.
I saw the Volt at the Chicago Auto Show. I just found this blog today and agree with many comments:
1. Time is of the essence. Don’t wait until you have all the various options to bring it to market.
2. 40 mile range is plenty for many of us. Put the next generation of batteries in Volt II.
3. Since I don’t plan on the engine running much, I don’t care what kind it has. Add optional engines in later model years.
3. A car like the Cobalt (CoVolt) would be great for the first electric. Add other models later.
4. I’ve been waiting to replace my 1998 with the first practical electric for less than $30,000.
5. I would like to buy an electric car from a U.S. company. A Chevy Volt would make a nice companion in my garage for my Escape Hybrid. (Ford had the first hybrid SUV – I bought one.)
6. I repeat – time is of the essence. GM can do it.
Please get this car out as soon as possible. I would like to see a 4-door version with enough cargo space to get one set of golf clubs plus two reasonable size suit cases. I want to replace my 1999 Lexus RX300 with this car. I will not buy another car until I can buy a plug-in hybrid. I want it to be a GM car if possible. BTW – keep the target under $30K.
We want this car now! We don’t need the 60 mile range.
Since it’s a plug and play kind of car, do like cumputer, build it right now and sell some upgrade pieces later; better batterie, hydrogen capability later when the infrastructures will be available.
If you beat the air car I would by yous.
If this car ever gets built and sold to the public I definitly would buy one. What is taking so long? Didn’t GM build electric cars and wouldn’t sell any to the public? Not very sure if this is real!
The world is waiting for such a car. You can be one of the first, or you can water it down and finally make the decision to produce it and then play catch up again. Step up to the plate.
I have been buying Chrysler products for 25 years. Bring this to market and I’ll be switching to GM.
I have never been more excited about a concept car than I am with the Volt! I have been waiting a long time for a domestically made, exceptionally efficient car. And the Volt is also a great-looking, good performing, practical car! There are no comprimises!
I hope GM does make this car as projected. I would buy one even if it cost a premium compared to similar cars and even if it didn’t meet all of it’s technological goals. This car needs to be made soon!
Well all of this punches my clown in the face but try this on for size..,1.4 motors that charge the batteries(lithium Ion) ,powered by the hydrostar which makes pure water into hydrogen (para and ortho H2)and a vapor as an exhaust and solar charging while driving in the day(or parked)on the hood,roof and deck lid requiring even less strain on the current water supply.HydroSolarVolt?I am thinking 300 to 500 Miles per Gallon(of Water)Also plug it in at night!!What would beat that moot of a point?!?!?!?!Who would ever need Iraq and the world CO polluting petro chemicals ever again?Done Deal..,Good Bye Global Warming forever because the 1.4 burns polluted air producing none of its own!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha..,Its over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Terrific looking car. IF you made this vehicle I would buy it!!
Hope you get this car out fast! My husband & I are already fighting over who gets to drive it every day.
If I were GM…
You know there will be a Civic or Corolla version of this so, you’ll need to price it very competitively ($20k). Accomplish this by using the Range Extended Electric Vehicle technology (REEV) in an existing platform (COBALT).
Call it the REEV instead and incorporate this name into your “REEVolution” ad campaign.
Include a pressure sensative power/docking station (that you park over) which automatically charges the vehicle from the 110v outlet. People probably will not like to “plug in” during bad weather.
Where do I sign to phurchase, lets get this done.
GM, If you will build a sexy electric/hybrid car – your sales will explode TODAY! I know I will buy one immediately.
As several people have indicated on this blog alone, this is needed SOON! Not 10 years from now.
Please build this car so fuel
money can stay in our own national economy and not go
overseas. No more blood for
oil and help save the enviroment. GM should be #1
again.
NO W.
Build & Sell this ASAP. Who do I make my check out to???
The design of this car is almost Orwellian. An electric car…with a gas engine. And to top it off, this is one of the ugliest cars I’ve ever seen. It’s as if it were designed to fail…hmmm. Come on now Chevy, wake up. We want CARS not rectangles. 4 doors and some windows we can actually see out of. A trunk would be nice too. And 40 miles on a charge?! Pathetic! All in all, this is a giant step BACKWARD from the EV1. I believe that had a range of around 80 miles. And the EV1 was one of the worse EV’s of the time period. Take out the engine, add some better batteries and for God’s sake HURRY THE HELL UP!!! 100% electric. 100+ Miles range. Top speed 80+mph. It’s been done already, so what are you waiting for?
This car impresses me greatly and it’s the first attractive hybrid/electric car I have seen. I would soon become a proud owner of this new car if you put it in production.
happy 4th of july.. i’m still waiting. so when is it coming out?? we need a date very soon. my cars only gonna last another year or 2. i cant wait forever.
Please build this car. Offer an early down payment program. I’d do it.
Simply put I never had the chance to buy, drive or even see an EV1 in person for god sake. I am a long time supporter of GM, so much so that I have a Chevy bowtie permenetley tattooed on my body. I have even supported this company through times that make me shake my head and wonder “what the hell were you guys thinking?!” and yet there is still a GM parked in my driveway. Here’s what I have to say: QUIT @#$%ING AROUND!!! Your supporters like myself and many, many others patience is wearing thin. Many of us are going to manufactures like Toyota and Honda. Build The Volt, if you do I will defiantly buy one no questions asked!!!
I would like to see this car in my driveway very soon. I am very excited for this car. I have never bought a foreign car because their style doesnt do anything for me. Im glad to see a nice looking car unlike the prius thats good for the enviorment. I know what my next car is going to be!!!
I doubt they will make it. If they did i would buy one. if they made a 4 door it would even be better.
Why are American car makers so often behind in new, innovative designs when it comes to anything other than trucks and SUV’s. Global warming is real – never mind that this country has never had an energy policy beyond purchasing “petrol from the Middle East and Venezuela. We need more efficient cars, more efficient power plants, wind power, etc. And Chevrolet should make a plug-in hybrid. One thing, if you are trying to make a vehicle expressly different from a Prius, then this is fine. I will say that the Prius design is impressive – small/light yet roomy inside. Very versatile interior. Don’t give up the ergonomics and certain amount of “utility” of a vehicle. Yet it doesn’t need 6 cup holders either.
Build and I will buy it. I was a GM fan for years…I have owned my vehicles mostly covettes and large SUVs…in the last 5 years I have switched to vehicles that use less gas verses speed and sport. Previous to 2000 I think the best mileage I ever had was in my ZR-1. I don’t want to use gas. Please build it and I will buy GM again. ~ mek
This is exactly the car design that GM should be putting into production to compete with Toyota. I have always believed that an inline electric car is the best. The reasons are mainly that you can get better mileage that way, and also go on long trips without having to charge up. It also gives you one hondred percent electric power for the first fourty miles. Next (or should be), is longer lasting batteries, and a fuel cell. Eventually (soon), you should just be able to put water in the vehicle and have it converted to hydrogen for the fuel cell. The highlight of this story behind the Volt is that it is a response to consumer demand. The destruction of the EV1 and horrible marketing techniques came back to bite GM. Then, Toyota comes and innovates toward consumer demand. GM lost big ground for the decsion to focus on SUV’s even as of late with the largest production increase being focused on the Hummer series in America. GM will have to take the Volt seriously if it plans to regain market share from Toyota and reclaim its ability to innovate. I wish to compliment the management, but not before the car goes into mass production. Until then, I will be hesitent to jump up with joy because of their destruction of the EV1. It is the responsibility of GM to produce the Volt and other electric cars. Be a corporate citizen GM! Keep up the focus on responsibility!
Great concept that will hopefully make it to production. There are few cars out there that I am really interested in, but this is the one that I would buy as soon as it was available. With gas prices spiraling out of control and the obvious environmental advantages of this vehicle, I think Chevy has come up with a winner. As an American who only drives American made cars, I hope GM can get this car to market before a Japanese manufacturer can. Keep styling the way it is, get it into production and sell a million (and make mine one of the first).
I sure hope this car will make it all the way to the consumers. GM, though, should make the car not only electric, but also safe and reasonably driver-friendly (i.e. comfort, some performance, etc.). I don’t know what is it, but when GM makes a smaller-than-Suburban car, the safety ratings fall below acceptable. Europeans and Japanese don’t have this problem – please catch up with this and bring the Volt to us fast!
Wow!! I’am glad, its about time.
So when can I buy one? Seriously. It would be nice if once in while someone would build a concept car as they presented it. I can gaurantee at least 50 cars sold if you build it. Kind of like “if you build it they will come”
love it!! bring it to market.
Since I already own an 07 Tahoe which I run only E85 in, I would be so happy to see this in production…I would also like to see a 4×4 or all wheel drive version to give subaru a run for their money!!! Keep this type of development going and bring them to the market ASAP!! Buying American has always been my moto and belief. Quicker the better!!!!
This car looks too much like Batman’s. I’m 56 years old and would buy an electric car in a heartbeat if it looked reasonably normal and ran further on a single charge and charged quickly. GM messed up when it destroyed the EV1’s in California. The EV1 ruled in looks, absence of the internal combustion engine and thus absence of oil dependence. I’ve researched and there are batteries out there that will go way over 100 miles on a charge and take only 10 minutes to recharge. Bring back the EV1 or similar car with these better batteries and do some decent advertising on them and stand back while the big bucks flood in. Please, everyone watch the movie, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” What an eye-opener! I’ll drive my old car until some genius company mass produces an electric car — hopefully an American company.
Definitely a winner in my book. Our tax money should go towards giving you the tools to develop alternate energy cars instead of fighting oil wars. I would love to see GM take the lead on changing our energy policy.
Build this car and fight the war on terror. Take away their oil money and they lose financing. Lead the way GM!
So your asking for my opinion?
Well my opinion is that you need to get off your butt and start mass production of this car. It will be much better if you have a biodiesel option.
Mike Futch
Well, I’m picking up on a shift in attitudes in this blog. I think that people are beginning to get a bit disgruntled by seeing the “obvious solution” and not having it available now. Honestly I can’t blame them because the required technology does exist and is readilly available.
This is what I know, congress is about to open up a new clean air bill that will be passed at the end of the Bush administration, part of that bill covers vehicle emmisions. Car companies are not going to significanly move forward until that bill goes through, then its going to be a mad rush to get zero and low emission vehicles to market.
Well, thats my two cents again. I still find it very interesting to follow this blog as it continues to develope.
I would buy the Volt in a heartbeat if it has half the styling and content of the concept. I’m a current import owner, and would love to have an American car. My personal vote is for a Volt SS. Use a specially-tuned version of the 1.6 DI Ecotec Turbo from the European Astra as the “range extender” and a potentiometer knob on the dash to let the driver decide on how much “economy” or “performance” he or she wants. Maybe a coded lockout to keep junior from “juicing it” too much when he takes it out on a date. 0-60 in 6 flat. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! B-)
Support the Consumers with Vechiles and We will support you with what you want!! MAKE THIS CAR A.S.A.P!!! PLeASE
Plugging this car into the outlet for 6.5 hours will require about 10.7kw of electricty. That is roughly a $1.07 everytime you charge the battery ($0.10/kw*hr times 10.7 hours) at home. That works for me since I don’t travel more than 40 miles to do my errands (ie: post-office, groceries, etc) and paying a dollar to travel 40 miles is awesome. However, I don’t believe the current plan cuts back on greenhouse gases.
The purpose of using electric (e-flex in this case) is to cut down on greenhouse gases. If we’re just going to use more electricty at home to charge up this car, that will result in the powerplants working harder which means more greenhouse gases coming from them. No savings for the earth. Unless all of the powerplants are renewable energy (and non-polluting), plug-ins will not reduce greenhouse gases.
As one posting mentioned, possibly having built-in solar panels on hood, roof, and trunk door. That would give you roughly 500 watts/hr in full sunlight which would kinda charge up your car. At least it is not completely dependent on the power grid. Another idea is to have a portable recharging station (via wind turbine or solar panels) at home for your car that can be independent of the power grid.
I’m just saying if we really want to reduce greenhouse gases, we can’t have powerplants continue to burn coal, fossil fuels, and produce radioactive waste for electricity to charge up our vehicles. In an ideal situation, if all of the powerplants were composed of 100% of wind turbines and solar collectors (renewable energy that emits less than 1% pollution), then plugging in our cars to recharge would be a perfect idea.
Hey eugene:
I think having our highways full of electric WOULD reduce greenhouse gases, and improve our air quality. These electric cars would use electricity from the powergrid, however a power plant is much more efficient at producing energy than a gasoline engine in a car. To really understand the impact one would need to do a comprehensive energy study on air polution, greenhouse gases, gasoline powered cars, electric cars and power plants. And compare the mass energy ballance and pollution output. I don’t know if this has been done, but it would be interesting to see. I’m guesing that because of the efficiency of power plants, electric cars would be MUCH better for the environment even with an increaqse need for more power plants. And what about nuclear power plants and green house gases???
Dear GM: I like this car. I like the design. I’m a little worried about the height of the windows and visibility problems…..
Jim F.
Are you going to offer a realworld test program for the volt program by the public to participate in?
Is this the same GM that released the Vega and Citation to the market? And they claim they can’t put this car on the market until better batteries are available! How about lightening up on the snow job and put the E-Flex system under any Cobalt sized vehicle and sell (not lease) these cars to customers. Give some kind of price break to the early adopters for the new tech replacement batteries when they are reasonably priced down the road. I’ve seen quite a few GM concept cars, but the number that make it to production doesn’t make me too hopeful that I’ll see one of these in my lifetime.
It would really boost my patriotic attitude if Chevrolet
would JUST BUILD IT!! Enough talk already – Build the Volt and I’ll buy one! Keep teasing us with it and Japan will build it first – and I’ll buy one of those.
Forget E85 which is just raising the price of produce…The Volt is the way to go. 2008, 2009 whenever, sign me up! I want one ASAP. REALLY. I work 17 miles from home and would love one of these…..
My commute is 55 miles one way, is there any way that we could make a solar option for people like me. While my car sits in the parking lot at work I wouldn’t mind whipping out a solar panel and sticking in in my windshield so I could recharge on sunny days.
Please put this car into production. I love my 05 Cobalt and get compliments on it all of the time but I want to go green with my next purchase. Oh and I love the grill. I love American cars because they are beautiful. Keep it up.
This would have been exciting ten years ago. The Opel concept, just now introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, is also sleek looking, but it’s 4 doors, 4 seats, much more practical.
A pure bio diesel car would be something. But for the company that said in 2002 that it would never build a hybrid, you have made a positive turn-a-round. Welcome to the world of planet friendly innovation.
I think independence of oil is the KEY to the volt
The whole word HYBIRD seems like a Combo technology.
Electric Car seems superior in the way that it uses no transmission and no engine. This equates to a longer life and a car that could last forever as long as the electric motors last.
My feeling is they SHOULD offer the Volt as an option without the range extender. No gass engine at all.
This option would be for real ECO people who want no gas at all,
would directly compete with the teslea.
Last but not least with no engine the weight would be less and you could have an option for an upgraded battery.
2 vehicle systems would define the volt as a special car.
The Prius could never do this and never will.
The volt is pure electric and by having a No gas at all option would really define the car even more.
The owners in large city’s might never use the gas engine at all and would ad to the weight and more service.
Were if you lived in the country the gas range extender engine would be a must.
Sigh I remember when Oldsmobile was the leader in new technology and innovation!
Oldsmobile Volt!
I won’t buy a GM vehicle until GM makes a Olds~
I cringe everytime I must use my current gasoline powered vehicles.
The Volt’s e-flex concept is the right thing to do. I want one! And I want it NOW! Get it out on the market where I can buy an e-flex. No more pie-in-the- sky namby pambying around with a “maybe someday but if” attitude, Just do it
I’ll buy one in a heart beat if it has 4 doors.
(I refuse to buy 2 door model because it is a pain in the back to tilt the front seat to allow people to climb into the back seat. I won’t take one even if it is FREE.)
I’m a lover of Japanese cars, don’t believe in global warming, and the only “green” I’m interested is in my wallet. BUT this car excites me for its potential engineering breakthroughs. I would buy one
Okay, I was just curious why there is no mention of or information available for the Volt at the GM Test Track site at Disney’s EPCOT center.
I put my name on a waiting list at a Chevy dealership. The salesman eventually decided I was not interested in his Flex-Fuel models,gave me his card and told me to “keep in touch”. Silly man, I am going to pester him until he begs Chevy to-for Pete’s sake-get one made for me-so I will go away. I cannot wait to drive this Volt.
I saw a TV Spot for this and went to a Chevy Dealership looking for it. I was greatly dissapointed to find out it was still a concept.
when is this car going to be available for sale?
Finally, GM has decided to LEAD instead of FOLLOW. How refreshingly un-Detroit.
Check out the EnerDel battery pack within your list of finalist batteries, as it could be your winner.
Put me on your waiting list.
Can’t wait to deprive the Middle East of my money.
America needs this car. GM your staggering losses this year show that you need to get this car on the market now. What is good for GM is good for the US, right?
A neat car but I won’t be able to afford one. These are so complicated and hence will be so expensive that even at $4. gal you would never make up the price difference compared to the conventional Corolla that already gets 40 mpg. We want a plain Jane, cheap, plug in only, electric to go to work and back. We don’t need 0-60 in 8 sec. or 120 mph top speed. You’ve just designed an upscale Prius for yuppies. Us poor working stiffs are still stuck buying gas.
1. Why is this so complicated. We have 2 museum piece serial hybrids in the Toronto area. I know the volt will be more coomplicated but…
2. Why does the volt not have regen braking. My electric trike has regen braking. Modern batteries can take the upcharge (electrovaya) and if not caps certainly can.
What I do not understand is Tesla Motors and other private companies can achieve 100-240 miles per charge for their electric cars. Why can the big three auto companies only come up with 40 to 50 miles per charge? The 1960 Ford Falcon with a 6 cyl. engine could get 30 miles per gallon, where have we come in over 40 years besides back where we first started? Am I the only one that is not thinking this is crazy?
If anyone has seen who killed the electric car you would know that this car will never be made. They keep saying that the battery technology does not exist. This is a LIE. They are LYING. The documentary covered how they are LIARS. The battery has existed for years.
The reason this car cannot be released is that GM cannot mass produce the batteries. They are a scared company, and there are only two types of companies growth companies and bankrupt companies.
Unlike the geniuses at Toyota who realize that in order to make money you have to spend money and build the brand, GM is too rigid in their ways and too tied to the oil companies. If they do not release this car by 2009 Toyota will release a plugin or a hybrid so good in 2010 it will be too late.
If GM continues to suck American car manufacturing may go the way of the dinosaur.
Global warming? on mars also.. don’t blame humans for that.. unless you think those rovers are putting out that much polution..
I wonder how long the battery packs will last? how much it would cost to replace them.. perhaps the gas savings will not be that much after paying the price of another batter pack.. if the battery pack will last 20 years, then ok sell me one..
Include Data logger
When the Volt comes out offer a rebate to include a data logger. The user would get a percentage of the rebate when they took the car to an authorized dealer where it would be downloaded. Can’t beat real data for analysis! With the users permission you could include GPS tracks, Temperature, acceleration, etc. I recommend that if you include GPS data in the logger that you allow the user to turn it off. The computer could track to insure that the GPS portion was only off for a specified percentage of use. Optionally, include Onstar with it and upload the data that way.
I want one now! Ready to give up the Benz for this and go back to loyal GM owner. Of course it would look great next to my ‘67 gto too.
I dig the Volt.
Growing up in Ohio, we were a GM / Chevy family. The Volt would bring me back to GM !!!
I have never purchased a new car… rather, I have always settled for thrifty, used, and easy to work on….but would love to support a USA made GM VOLT!
I currently do not have a car, but that doesnt change my thoughts on the Volt. It is going to be the Future i know this!!!
I will purshase a volt as soon as they hit the lot, if you can email me with the due-date. I know the predicted time is in 2010, but i need to have something more concrete. thanks
Kenny, you need to back away from the conspiracy theories. Don’t believe everything you see on TV…
This car will get built. Exxon/Mobile have no affinity for GM….if they go down, so what, someone else will rise up to drink that gasoline.
GM is beholden to its stockholders first and the Volt (and its technology) is the best path to keep GM viable and return to profitability. So even if you toss the environmental issues aside, this car makes good economic sense for GM to produce (they will not have to mass produce the batteries…a partnership will handle this).
Sign me up. My savings account now has a purpose for the next 2 years.
I was in a GM dealership recently here in Quesnel,BC. I could not believe the ignorance of the people working in the place. They didn’dt know what the mpg was of the hybrid malibu, which isn’t much by the way.
When I said I want a car that gets 100 mpg, they laughed like hell and said I would be waiting a long time. This happened in 2007. Obviously they had no knowledge of the Volt. If the dealerships don’t know what is happening at
GM who is supposed to. If the Volt is anything like the Malibu it is all talk and no real action. If GM, Ford and Chrysler want to exist in the near future they had better build the Volt and sell it at a reasonable price or Toyota and Honda will again be miles ahead.
PLEASE BUILD ME 1, 1 year from now
It’s about time! I would LOVE to see a “zero” (potentially) emissions car that actually turns me on. Forget all the boring ordinary folks that want a more conventional design. This car is revolutionary and the design should reflect that. The technology will inevitably trickle down to other models. I want a car that screams proudly that it is different. It is about time that green becomes the sexy thing. The prius looks like a VHS tape rewinder, but I’d still get one for the emissions. The volt could give me the sex appeal I want in a car as well as align with my values. I love the styling except maybe for the spartan interior. I love the Camaro concept, but could not live with my guilt if I bought one. It will be interesting to see if GM actually goes through with the volt, or if it will just get crushed like the EV1 did. That was a pity. I agree that a roof laminated with thin-film solar panels would be very inexpensive, lightweight and sexy to boot. I think the solar panel look would be as popular as the sporty look of carbon fiber hoods that the kids stick on their tuner cars. It would also help to top up the batteries while it’s parked outside while the driver is at the office. Again the styling is great especially the large wheels and wide stance that make it look aggressivly sexy. I wonder if they could give it a vagina?
Just speculating: if the Volt product and the general notion of a battery powered EV that can be recharged enroute by a combustion engine electrical generator, instead of using a reciprocating engine as the generate, why not a small gas turbine generator, like the APU on a commercial jet?
I was just wondering – if it was small enough, wouldn’t it burn fuel more efficiently per watt of electricity generated? I was looking at a 4-inch diameter model plane turbo prop engine a couple of weeks ago, and it got me thinking about whether or not a small car sized APU might ever be a viable option in a Volt-esque automobile concept. (Obviously not for the upcoming Volt – that would really mess with the time to market and cost, but just thinking about it for future viability…)
GM are working hard on for 2010 delivery and I believe they are about 10 weeks behind shedule.
So it will happen, the trouble is the first to make it to market is not always the winner in the end.
The electric drive train and braking system are out of date as of now. They should be going to in wheel motors, that are the brakes as well, so only mechanical brakes for parking.
This would reduce cost, weight, complexity and give more internal space for a larger battery.
Volvo ( a Ford company) are working on such a design, based around their model C30.
http://uk.truveo.com/Volvo-ReCharge-Concept/id/3195595084
But see this concept car based around a BMW mini chassie to what can be achived.
This car is 200kg heaver than the gas version but carries the same load.
On an electric, weight is not a problem, range depends on air drag and tyre rolling resistants
http://www.pmlflightlink.com/archive/news_mini.htm
Spec 150mph top
O -60mph 4.5 seconds
Electric range 400miles
Gas plus electric = 900miles at 80mpg
480 kw (over 600 horse power) peak power 2800 newtonmetres of torque.
Has full traction control or the tyres would ripped off on acceleration.
Gee is anyone talking about this car? What a blog!
Hey Kurtdaniel concerning E-85, I can still buy 5 ears of corn for $1.00 how about you?
What I’m concerned about is our oceans,
(Or I should say the OIL COMPANIES Ocean)
Contaminating the rich healing nutritious seafood with mercury petrol chemical pollutions. End to end Worldwide, ever present but hardly ever talked about anymore
Massive oil spills! Talk about not talking about,
Hey Cheryl good question did you notice in video on web site Rick guy skipped over and never did talk about potential to charge cars using Solar! Why is big industry so afraid of simple uncomplicated solar cells? Speaking about Oil companies why is Shell oil trying to take control of all manufacture and distribution of solar cells worldwide?
Sorry to be conspiracy type. Ignore me if you like. God Bless you all.
***** This would be a great car, if they built it! Too bad the actual production release looks like a Malibu, way to keep making the same car GM, haven’t you learned yet. I fully intended to purchase a Volt due to styling and obviously gas economy, not any more. Good luck trying to sell these, maybe GM should really sit down with a few customers and talk to them about their lineup of crap cars and how to make improvements. *****
there is a concept of having an infrared camara mounted on passenger seat for driving in fog
and or low visibility conditionsand also camera can be used for security of vehichle. Sony has
infrared camera. a backup camera and gps auto navagation system would give Chevrolet Volt
edge on safety features better than any outher auto. Keep me posted on any new features on
youre new electric auto.
Sincerely.
Ronald McNary
toyota will beat your price this price of $40,000.00 for Chevrolet volt is too high also what is the
weight of this auto and how long will a set off batteries last?
the cost of batteries is much to high. You need to get the cost down US econmy inflation
will make it difficult to market this auto at this price.
WAKE UP GM…..the Volt went from an awesome styled sports car that happens to be electric, to your grandmothers Malibu……….and for $40,000.00 Take me off the waitng list….hello Toyota.
Now I suppose you’ll want a goverment loan to compensate for your lack of …………everything!!
“the Volt went from an awesome styled sports car that happens to be electric, to your grandmothers Malibu”
Guess what Lou?
The Volt isn’t (and never was) a sports car. It’s intended to be an efficient mode of basic ground transportation that isn’t dependent on fossil fuels and that will turn around the fortunes of GM. And in fact, the “aggressive” style of the Volt concept car would have actually turned off a lot of exactly the type of people from whom GM will now make hundreds of millions of dollars selling environmentally-sound basic transportation.
All along we should have known that this was a JOKE, So when GM goes belly-up! Who are they going to ask to help bail them out.. How many BILLIONS do you want GM??? Sell the JUNK in Japan
Very surprising, in a world of me to’s GM have come out it with a car that is as ugly as the prius. How poor is the design staff at GM that the only time they build excitement around a car is when they go retro. This car is a real disappointment, I was hoping for something as new and as exciting as the technology. Good luck with this dud GM.
I would like to buy a Volt right now. There are a lot of good ideas to improve the car. ( Solar panels, Diesel or Turbine range extenders, electric only) are a few that come to mind. But the main objective is to get the car into production. If the car is a success, I am shure GM will incorporate some of those ideas, or will offer them as options.
This car is look like modified Chevy Camaro. But it looks different & classic. I think this will be the good competitor to capture the market. I like this car because of its looks.
Used pickup trucks