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.

Good news for GM and its customers – GM will be working with Google’s Android operating system to add new functionality and features via smartphones to its OnStar system. Currently, GM is relying on OnStar to provide various connected services, such as unlocking doors, calling emergency services in the event of an accident, and unlocking doors. With Google’s Android, GM will be able to expand those services to include things like navigation, mapping and routing, and using Google’s advanced search features. GM’s system will be similar to what Ford is doing with Sync, except GM will be developing its own applications as opposed to approving applications that work with the system.

The first vehicle to use Google’s Android is the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is a perfect vehicle to incorporate this technology, allowing customers to review and change settings related to the battery, charge status, etc.

Read the full new story at The New York Times Blog.

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)