truth about domestics

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.

The Chevrolet Volt is probably the most important vehicle any automaker has ever launched.  That being said, it needs to come off without a hitch.  For those of you who don’t know, cars are probably the most regulated and tested products on the entire planet.  Cars have to survive varying levels of abuse for years and years in some of the harshest climates on the planet.  For that reason, engineers often test vehicles in extreme hot and cold conditions.  For the hot, Death Valley is usually the locale chosen, but when it’s cold you seek, most automakers head to frozen northern Canada.  The Volt is currently undergoing testing there in minus 5 Celsius weather.  The interesting thing to see will be how the Volt battery pack holds up in the charge-killing frigid weather.  For more details, head on over to the GM Fast Lane blog.

(Image source: GM Fast Lane blog)

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)

This video is GM’s attempt at explaining how the Volt works in more basic terms.  I for one am really excited about this vehicle, it could be a real game changer for General Motors and for transportation in general.

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.

The video above brings some new, outside perspectives on the new battery plant that General Motors has just opened in Michigan.