truth about domestics

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)

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

General Motors has had pretty much all of the green car buzz over the past year and a half, since it announced it would build the Chevrolet Volt.  The Volt is nearing production at the end of 2010 as a 2011 model and the biggest question that remains is this: what will the Volt cost?  The current estimates put the cost of the vehicle around $40,000.  The federal government has announced a $7,500 tax credit for vehicles like the Volt, but that raises another question.  Is the $40k before or after the tax credit?

Well John Lauckner, GM’s head of global program management, has told The Wall Street Journal that the price of the car could be well under that $40,000 mark.  The price won’t be set until this summer, so for now, head on over to Autoblog to hear more.

(Image source: GM)

The video above shows the very first Chevrolet Volt battery pack rolling down the assembly line!  For all of the details on the pack, head on over to Autoblog.

The video above shows the Autoblog team using the 2011 Chevrolet Volt mobile phone app in person!  It’s a pretty neat idea, just another way that the Volt will change the industry!  Fast Company has a slightly more in depth look at the app so feel free to check that out too!

The two videos above show some apps that GM and OnStar have planned for the new uber-high tech, 2011 Chevrolet Volt!  The first video shows how you will be able to use OnStar and your mobile phone to control things like the locks, remote starting, and even set charging times for your Volt!  The second video shows you just what the Volt driving experience will be from the driver’s seat.  It shows the information that will be displayed on not one, but two LCD video screens!  For the official press release, head on over to Autoblog.

Check out Jay Leno’s fairly in-depth review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt on this week’s episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.

Wanna see video of the Chevy Volt hitting the track?  Well now you can!  Check out the video above and let us know what you think!

Most of the hybrid related news you will hear today focuses on two vehicles: the Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt.  The Volt is a series hybrid, a design in which the electric motor will do most if not all of the driving of the vehicle.  This design offers the possibility of higher gas mileage, but also at a higher cost.  Ford has decided to fight back with another approach.  Ford will instead focus on battery-electric vehicles and more efficient parallel-hybrid electric vehicles.  PHEV’s use both the gas engine and electric motor to propel the vehicle.  Ford says that even though PHEV’s get lower gas mileage, they will be significantly less expensive to produce.  The Volt will debut at the end of 2010, while Ford’s first PHEV isn’t expected until 2012 so it looks like only time will tell which design is more successful.  For more details, head on over to Greentech Media.

(Image source: GM)

The Volt is probably GM’s most ambitious project ever.  EVER.  So saying that it needs to be launched without a hitch is an understatement.  The video above shows just a small fraction of the testing the Volt battery pack has had to undergo before it is ready for the public at the end of 2010.