The Chevrolet Volt: Real Technology, Real Investment
By Doug Parks
Global Electric Vehicle Development Executive
Nearly three years ago at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we revealed what will soon become the first mass-produced electric vehicle designed, developed and manufactured by a U.S. automaker on U.S. soil – the Chevrolet Volt. When the Volt was revealed many considered it to be nothing more than vaporware. However, today it’s obvious that the Volt is not only very real, but that it has become an economic multiplier for the state of Michigan, the country and the electric vehicle industry.
After the Volt’s debut in January 2007, six plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles were announced by other automakers later that year, followed by 19 introductions in 2008 and five more this year.
With GM at the lead, electric vehicle development is creating entire new industries. This includes battery developers, builders of home and commercial charging stations, and power control and electric motor suppliers. Needless to say, investments in the electric-vehicle ecosystem are creating new jobs, and strengthening Michigan’s and America’s long-term competitiveness.
This morning, we announced that we have invested $336 million in the Detroit/Hamtramck assembly where we will manufacture the Chevrolet Volt. This is GM’s first EV facility since the EV1 thirteen years ago. By 2011, we will be producing tens of thousands of Chevy Volts in that building — making this the first facility in the U.S. owned by a major automaker to produce an electric car.
The investment in Detroit-Hamtramck is in addition to GM’s $364 million of investment in seven other GM facilities including:
- $37 million in Bay City, Mich. to produce cam shafts and connecting rods for the Volt’s engine generator. You know, that generator that will allow the Volt to travel more than 300 miles in addition to the initial 40-mile, all-electric range when the Volt won’t use any gasoline or produce any tailpipe emissions.
- $23 million in our Flint, Mich. Tool and Die facility to build the dies to stamp metal parts for the Volt.
- $202 million at our Flint Engine South plant — this is where we’ll build the 1.4-liter engine generator that provides Volt an extended-range capability of more than 300 miles.
- $1.7 million at the Flint Metal Center, in presses to stamp parts.
- $30 million in the Weld Tool Center, in Grand Blac, Mich., to produce the robotic weld tool cells that were installed at our Detroit/Hamtramck plant.
- $27 million in the Alternative Energy Center at the GM Tech Center in Warren, home of our new, state-of-the-art battery lab where we test and refine the Volt battery pack.
- $43 million in Brownstown Township, Mich., to open the world’s first OEM-owned, high-volume, lithium-ion battery pack plant. We expect battery-pack production to begin there early next month.
So, if you total all of that up. GM’s Volt-related investment now stands at $700 million. This doesn’t included the investments made by the many partners and suppliers who will support Volt production and the necessary infrastructure – organizations like Magna, LG Chem, Compact Power, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and DTE Energy.
The race to build a mass-produced electric vehicle – a race that has its roots with the EV1, but began in full with the reveal of the Volt – has been one of the most exciting developments the auto industry has ever seen.
Detroit/Hamtramck is the finish line for the race and one we will cross this time next year as Volt begins arriving in dealerships.
Editor’s Note: Click here to listen to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaking during today’s announcement of the new investments. And below is a video from today’s announcement.
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…a race that has its roots with the EV1
I’m surprised you even have the courage to mention the EV1, and you say GM’s work on that car was the “root.” Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the only reason GM developed the EV1 was because of the push you received form the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and that once they dropped their zero emission mandate, you quickly abandoned the EV1.
Let it go.
It’s obvious Doug Parks hasn’t let it go, or he wouldn’t have brought it up. I agree, GM should drop all reference to the EV1 — it’s not a high point of GM’s history.
Angus,
This is Rob Peterson from GM Communications.
I agree, our decision to discontinue production of the EV1 was not the high point of GM’s history, but from a technological standpoint, the EV1 was a marvel and something we remain extremely proud to have engineered, built and put into the hands of customers. Even now, nearly 13 years since we the start of the EV1, it is still the highest volume electric vehicle ever produced (yes, even more than Tesla).
As for your comment about CARB, you have your facts wrong. It wasn’t until after the EV1 was launched that CARB decided to mandate vehicles like the EV1. Unfortunately, GM could not make a business case for the vehicle as the technology was extremely costly and the leases were highly subsidized.
We have no intentions to “drop all references” to the EV1 – there’s absolutely no reason to do so. Rather, we’re taking our knowledge and experience from the EV1 program and applying it to an even better EV – the Chevy Volt.
Thanks
Rob Peterson
Electric Vehicle Communications
Why would we let the EV1 go? What we learned with EV1 helped us get to where we are today with the Volt. The way the program ended doesn’t take away from the fact that it was the first production electric vehicle and a technological marvel for its time. The bottom line is the MASS market didn’t support electric vehicles at the time and we couldn’t sustain the program on the support we had from customers who were willing and able to fit the limitations of an electric vehicle into their lifestyle. That’s why the Volt is such a revolutionary vehicle – we are going to mass produce an electric vehicle that when compared to other EVs currently on the market will be much more affordable and you don’t have to sacrifice or plan ahead to drive it.
it was the first production electric vehicle
Mr. Colley,
Really? The people who owned Detroit Electrics built by the Anderson Electric Car Company might be surprised to hear you say that. The Detroit Electric was in steady production from 1907 until 1939, and they made as many as 2,000 cars per year in the 1910s. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t that be more than the number of EV1s GM built? Detroit Electric Cars
Notable people who owned Detroit Electric cars included Thomas Edison, Charles Proteus Steinmetz, Mamie Eisenhower, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who had a pair of Model 46 roadsters. Clara Ford, the wife of Henry Ford, drove Detroit Electrics from 1908, when Henry bought her a Model C coupe with a special child seat, through the late teens.
From all of the relavent facts about the EV1 outside of a slam-piece “documentary” the reality is that GM didn’t need to abandon the EV1. The vehicle buying public did that for them.
The fact is that the EV1 was the first practical, livable, modern electric vehicle. GM should be very proud of that. The issue that no one wanted it is more about the California EV mandate that said that vehicles must be built for buyers who didn’t exist and wanted nothing to do with what was a state-of-the-art electric car in it’s day.
It makes me glad to see that you’re investing so much into the state of Michigan. When I visited Detroit this summer for the GM technology event, I was amazed by the amount of outright abandoned manufacturing plants along with the many thousands that were still running. I hate to sound negative because I know practically everyone talks about how bad the economy is in Detroit as well as Michigan, but a lot of Detroit was crumbling away.
That made me sort of sad to see. I had never been to Michigan but I got a chance to talk to a lot of people from there during my visit. My impression was that most everyone there were hard working, intelligent, resourceful people. So the spark is there and I hope that the Volt touches off a new era for Michigan and Detroit where some of that talent can be used once more. If you think about it, perhaps the better way to view Michigan is that there’s an enormous opportunity to recreate and reinvent the face of modern manufacturing.
I’ve been following the Volt since day 1. I myself am out of a job. But if I had one, the Volt would be on my immediate short list. I think its on many other people’s list as well. In the end I think GM will be the first to make the electric car commonplace. I recently saw a number of upcoming all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf as well as heard about the electric Ford Focus. Both with a 100 mile range. These miss the mark because anyone not living in a large city close to work is going to find it hard to cough up the $40,000 or so these are supposedly going to cost when they have a decent, but still limited range. The volt gives consumers a clear alternative that no other car maker has.
Well said!!!!!!!! I could not improve on your comments!!
why are you spending MY money on something this worthless?! Your wasting how much on a battery plant?!! Its no wonder the project was a failure before, you spent too much money on something that was not worth spending it on. And the Volt will be just the same as the EV1. It’s terrible to think that all the money we gave you is going to a car that won’t be able to do anything but go 300 miles. it is really sad to hear that you have all put your time in effort into this project and will get nothing out of it. No body is looking for over priced electric cars that suck, they want fuel savers that are combined with horsepower. Not cars that do not even make a sound when they go down the road. Who in their right mind would want to buy a car that starts at $40k, when you can go buy a foreign brand that has even more options, an actual engine, and better gas mileage for less? What happened to you GM? did you loose track of your REAL customers? You must have because this is not what the public wants. They want affordable cars that get good mileage, look good, and have some horsepower to them. but you can only offer trucks and land yachts. And then you come out with this?! Volt=FAIL
If you do not get your act together and abandoned this worhtless project, you will find yourselves going into bankruptcy protection again. Why not do America a favor and listen to the loyal customers that have bought your cars for years….
Most of this rant isn’t worth addressing, but the idea that no one wants to buy an electric car is just wrong. Look, I get it—electric cars aren’t for everyone. I appreciate the engine note of V8 just as much as the next car guy, but the assumption that you speak for the entire car-buying public just gives yourself too much credit. The Prius has been a resounding success, and it barely makes any noise. There is a market for electric vehicles like the Volt (take a look at the want list at gm-volt.com if you don’t believe me).
Beyond this though, doesn’t the Volt signify a true “American car” just as much as a muscle car? The Volt will be the most technologically advanced vehicle for sale—bar none. And what sets the USA apart more than being the world’s leader in technology? You may not buy a Volt, but a successful launch of this car will do more to solidify the reputation of GM as the “standard of the world” than any econobox (no matter how good it is) would.
Pontiac Power,
I’m not trying to be a GM cheerleader. But I totally disagree with you. Will a car like the Volt sell? Of course it will. I live out in California- one of the biggest car markets in the US. On any given day I can pull up to a light and see a Prius or two sitting there. They sell extremely well. I don’t think anyone would call the cars terribly attractive. They aren’t exactly fast either. I know because I happen to own one.
The fact is that there’s people who want sports cars, muscle cars, large trucks, small cars, and in the case of the volt- electric cars. The Volt is something entirely different and will offer those who like cars driven with alternative drivetrains something unique. Additionally, they will sell at the $40,000 price. A fully loaded Prius is around $30,000. It also still uses pretty much the same system the original Prius came with and gets around 50MPG. The Volt is something else entirely. In addition, Tesla Motors makes an all-electric roadster that sells for $100,000. There is a waiting list for them. So indeed- people will pay $40,000 for these cars.
I’ve seen the pre-production facility for the Volt. Its not your typical GM car, or typical car period. There’s a lot of thought in the car and from what I saw, the quality is incredible. Lastly, this is a car that was designed and engineered in the US. Maybe it isn’t a muscle car of yore. Its better then that. Its a step in the right direction.
The Volt has an actual engine and can go a lot further than 300 miles. It can go as far as someone chooses to drive it. As far as GM’s product mix… GM happens to have the best full size trucks in the industry and the most efficient to boot.. that’s why they sell so well – I don’t see that as being a liability – land yachts or not, they sell like mad
As far as GM not having affordable cars that get good mileage and have “some horsepower to them” I’d suggest you visit a Chevrolet dealer and check out the HHR SS and the Cobalt SS. Another vehicle that you might want to check out are the Chevrolet Equinox and the Chevrolet Malibu, both leaders in fuel economy in their classes – and with more than competitive horsepower and affordability.
The writer makes good points. Unless the prospective customer can see a performance/ cost advantage the Volt will not be attractive. It seems that the battery cost is the biggest hurdle. The savings in overnight charging could evaporate if the government finds a way to charge extra fees for electricity used in cars; and they could easily, by using GPS technology. The battery, it must be remembered is just a storage device. To get good performance with a small sized engine is possible without the cost and weight of a battery. You just need a storage device for short term bursts of power, like for overtaking( passing), or climbing hills, or quick acceleration from a stop. That challenge could be satisfied by a flywheel, or hydraulic accumulator, rather than a battery.
Since the projected date of the first deliveries of the Volt is less than 11 months away – November 2010 – why doesn’t GM start taking orders for them NOW?
The Smart ForTwo was a huge success with its internet campaign of just paying $99 as a deposit to secure one of the first models.
This would drive a lot of traffic to the local Chevrolet dealerships and even at a small deposit amount of $500 would give GM advance notice of how many actual pre-orders it would have for a brand new never produced model.
I’m sure it it went beyond expectations then GM would have ample time to adjust the production – and not scramble if it got flooded with orders next November 2010.
Customer satisfaction and word of mouth would be just as important to the new GM just as much as the quality of the Volt.
Let’s face it – no one wants to pay $40,000 for a new car and then be told the wait is going to be 6 months – please consider this into the possible reality.
I also wanted to add that it would be relatively easy to create a program to show how many grams of CO2/km (European standard) are saved by driving the Volt (compared to another gasoline powered model) in its electric mode and overall (total mileage driven).
This could be continuously transmitted to a website devoted to the Volt via Onstar.
Could be a huge benefit to GM when all the data is taken collectively from all the Volts on the road in real-time.
Volt is going to sell like crazy. I also live in California and people are paying a lot more for a lot less in other brands. If GM can keep the price down around the low to mid 30’s than these will outsell toyota in it’s first year. I also understand that there is a federal tax credit or offset in the plan as well so just stand by and watch. I am really excited about the future of the auto industry in the USA.
I’m a little late to the game here. I saw the Volt at the LA Auto show. I’m excited by the possibility of owning one of these, with some minor reservations:
1. The exterior of the Volt looks a lot like a typical car… I suppose that’s the point… you want to convince the public that the Volt is a viable everyday car. However, I wish that technology this futuristic came wrapped in an equally innovative exterior. The Prius looks too goofy to some people, but to me it is an honest response to the program requirement for high efficiency, and you can tell that it is a unique car.
2. I’ve been an “early adopter” of other technologies in the past, and $40k is a lot for me to drop on Volt version 1.0. Part of me wants to wait until the second year of production, to let someone else work out the bugs.
GM will delete this post because the Truth is suppressed! GM is going extinct because they will not make affordable electric cars.