truth about domestics

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.

Ford is planning on increasing its investment in battery hybrid and electric vehicles in Michigan by spending $135 million and creating 220 jobs. The investment will be used to expand research in battery-hybrid applications, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities at two plants. Ford will hire 170 workers at two plants that build battery packs and other components, as well as 50 engineers for electric-vehicle development. Having the highest unemployment rate in the country, this is great news for Michigan.

Read the full news story at USA Today.

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.

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)

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.

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)