05-09-2007, 06:07 PM
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2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
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Hybrids: 2007 Camry Hybrid
Posts: 313
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GM commits to building plug-in Chevy Volt
Prius Fighter - GM commits to Volt production
Since the Volt's successful January debut as a concept car at the Detroit auto show, GM has taken major steps to develop a production version of the plug-in hybrid car.
"We are doing the production engineering on the Chevrolet Volt," says Larry Burns, GM's vice president for r&d. "It is a formal product program within our company, just like the Chevrolet Malibu is a product program."
Last week, Burns listed the steps in the program:
GM has allocated funds for development.
Engineering work is under way.
The development team has selected the next-generation Delta platform for the vehicle.
GM has decided to develop two versions, one with a gasoline engine and the other with a fuel cell.
GM has not confirmed a production date for the Volt. The company generally needs about 36 months to bring a vehicle to production once the design is frozen, but it's not clear how soon that point could be reached.
That means the Volt could appear as soon as 2010.
A niche vehicle like the Volt isn't likely to generate big profits. But GM executives think it could help establish GM's green credentials and would be an effective answer to the Toyota Prius.
GM is determined to build it, says Jim Queen, group vice president of global engineering. The company is prepared to forgo an initial profit on the Volt in the hope it could re-establish GM as a technology leader.
The production version would be a "series hybrid." The wheels are turned by an electric motor, which gets power from a battery pack.
The battery pack is recharged by a small gasoline engine that is not connected to the wheels; its sole purpose is to recharge the batteries.
Like other hybrid-powered vehicles, the Volt can run as long as it has gasoline in the tank. Unlike other hybrids, the Volt can be plugged in to an electrical outlet for an overnight battery recharge.
In theory, this allows a driver to go 40 miles a day without using a drop of gasoline. On longer drives, the gasoline engine recharges the batteries.
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