truth about domestics

For several years now, the public has been waiting for the launch of the Chevrolet Volt.  The Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle, a technology that has never been mass produced before.  The Volt will be charged by the owner over night, provided a 40 mile, electric only range from its batteries.  Once that charge is depleted, a small gas generator kicks in to power the car.

Once production was announced for the car, people began to wonder about the price.  The battery technology alone was said to cost close to $10,000, not to mention the car has two powertrains.  Well the wait is over, we finally know how much the Volt will cost the early adopters.  The purchase price for a Volt is $41,000, with a lease option pegged at $350 a month for 36 months with $2,500 down.  Not a bad price in my opinion, as costs will surely come down significantly with the second generation Volt, especially as production increases above the initial 10,000 units planned for the first year.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

Not only does the Chevrolet Volt feature a highly advanced propulsion system, but the braking system is highly advanced as well.  The transition between friction braking and regenerative braking needs to be imperceptible to the driver yet still provide maximum stopping power when needed.  The video above shows how one GM engineer worked (and is still working I’m sure) to provide the best performance and brake pedal feel possible.

According to Tony Posawatz, GM vehicle executive, the first Chevrolet Volts will not be E85 capable.  While this may not seem like a big issue, I feel that this is a poor decision on GM’s part.  They have been one of the biggest proponents of E85 capability and production, even going so far as to invest in a start-up that claims it can make E85 from switch grass.  To not include E85 capability initially on the Volt seems to me like a mistake.  The Volt has a chance to be one of (if not the most) fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles on the planet.  Adding E85 capability would have shown that the General cared even more about future technologies. 

The good news here is that it will be available later in 2011.  GM also says it would like more help from the government to push for more E85 stations.  Right now GM spends about $100 million a year to add E85 capability to its cars and trucks.  More stations might help encourage people to purchase E85 equipped vehicles.  For more details, head on over to GM-Volt.com.

It is pretty incredible to see the amount of testing that goes into making a car survive what most drivers will put their automobile through in the course of its life.  From hitting potholes and running over rough roads, to crash testing and component level testing, cars are some of the most throughly engineered products in the world.  The video above gives you just a tiny glimpse at some of the testing the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is going through to ensure that it’s ready for the real world.

All you Volt fans have another milestone to look forward to.  This time, that milestone is none other than the official production kickoff date, or Job 1 as it’s called in the car biz.  November 1st, 2010 is the date you will have to wait for if you are in line for a Volt.  This date could move back of course, but GM has been promising for the last few years that the Volt would see production by the end of 2010, so there would be a lot of really disappointed fans and even more happy nay-sayers if the Volt doesn’t make that deadline.  For more on the story, head on over to GM-Volt.com!

(Image source: GM)

In a move that doesn’t really surprise anyone, GM has announced that the Washington D.C. area will be the third market for the initial launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, following California and Michigan.  All three of these areas were picked for basic fundamental reasons; California has a large concentration of hippies environmentally conscious consumers and utility companies willing to help the electric vehicle charging issues, Michigan because it is the home of the Volt in design, development and production, and Washington D.C. because that’s where all the government know-it-alls types reside.

For more on this story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

Earlier today we posted an article that quoted GM CEO Ed Whitacre as saying that the Volt would be priced in the low 30′s and it would also be profitable.  Since that time, General Motors spokesman Dave Darovitz has confirmed to Green Car Reports that the statement made by Whitacre was misleading/inaccurate and that the Volt will actually come in around $40,000 and should be in the low $30,000 range after $7,500 tax credit.  He also adds that the official pricing hasn’t been announced yet.  For more, head on over to Green Car Reports.

(Image source: GM)

General Motors’ CEO Ed Whitacre was recently interviewed by Lyle Dennis at GM-Volt.com and was asked about the pricing for the Volt, which until this point was believed to be around $40,000.  Whitacre’s response was that the Volt would be priced in the “low $30′s” and be profitable to boot!  While this answer is great news for Volt fans everywhere, it still leaves much in the air.  Is the $30k price before or after the $7,500 tax credit for purchasing a Volt?  Only time will tell, for now, head on over to GM-Volt.com or Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

The video above shows a test that is pretty standard for most cars on sale here in the United States.  Basically the car is heated to insane temperatures, like 200 degrees Fahrenheit, to make sure none of the parts show signs of heat aging.

When General Motors talked about the Volt’s initial sales locations, California was listed as the first state to receive the extended range plug in hybrid vehicle, but other states were not mentioned.  Well now GM has confirmed that Detroit will be one of the other lead markets after California.  This is great news for the state considering the car will be built there, the battery packs are made there, the car was designed, tested and both the concept and production vehicles were debuted in Michigan.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog Green.

(Image source: GM)