[paddyk]

GM picks Chevy Volt battery maker
By KATIE MERX • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • August 28, 2008

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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/BUSINESS01/80828091/1014

JOLIET, Ill. — General Motors Corp. has decided on a battery maker for the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle, but it’s not saying who it is, yet, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said today on the sidelines of a media event touting the automaker’s 2009 vehicle line.

Lutz said GM plans to announce the battery supplier by the end of the year and will show the production version of the much-anticipated electric-drive vehicle “fairly soon.”


GM is hoping to regain a solid reputation for technological leadership in the auto industry with the Volt, which is expected to drive 40 miles on an electric charge alone and about 400 using an onboard gasoline generator to recharge its lithium-ion battery.

 

[GMusa]

Cant wait for this vehicle!

 

[big swede]

One year from now they are supposed to have production vehicles being fleet tested. Nice!

 

[marinerbc]

So are they having press conferences to announce upcoming press conferences now?

C'mon Bob, enough hype already. Either say who it is or STFU.

 

[big swede]

So are they having press conferences to announce upcoming press conferences now?

C'mon Bob, enough hype already. Either say who it is or STFU.

It is getting to be a bit much. I think 90% of the talk on GMI is about GM cars that are not even for sale.

 

[Xenon]

Honestly, GM is hyping their future lineup way too much.

 

[ChevroletRevived]

Kind of like McCain with the VP pick! Mind as well milk it I guess. It has gotten got way too much (for me anyway) with the Camaro though....

 

[Corvette C10]

Honestly, GM is hyping their future lineup way too much.

Gm is not hyping there line up, there just telling us. People seem's too be hyping. Or those people think Gm should have a car build a car in under a year, that's hype.

 

[marinerbc]

Gm is not hyping there line up, there just telling us. People seem's too be hyping. Or those people think Gm should have a car build a car in under a year, that's hype.

I have to agree with this too. We make much more of upcoming debuts than GM does at some points in time.

Hey, I'm all for seeing a Camaro on real world asphalt, and I KNOW it hasn't really been that long since Wagoner said he would go with it on 60 minutes 2 years back, but lord love a duck, it's hyped here until I wanna buy a Camry.

Ok, so maybe that's hyperbole. :

 

[zete]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/BUSINESS01/80828091/1014


General Motors Corp. has decided on a battery maker for the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle, but it’s not saying who it is, yet, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said....

“The actual production of production vehicles may be earlier,” Lutz said.

Lutz said they've have significant number of Volts in test fleets next year. McCain mentioned the Volt coming out next year, which may have been an accidental slip.

My guess is that GM is lying about 2010 and this is a lot closer, and hence all the teaser shots we're seeing. If GM brings this out sometime next year they'll simply have the media swoon. It'll be funny to have to watch Toyota try to spin things. Perhaps they'll pull an Edison and electrocute something cute inside a Volt?

(for those unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, read about Tesla vs. Edison, the War of the Currents, which happened just over 100 years ago between Tesla's AC and Edison's DC and the lengths Edison went to discredit Tesla's superior system: Wikipedia Entry on The War of the Currents.)

I've literally never been so excited by a car -- or any product -- as I've been by the Volt. And I think that's a feeling that's generally true. My dad, as I've mentioned before, hasn't been excited by much ever and he tracks Volt news all the time. He said he'll be ordering one as soon as he can. He's that interested in it.

 

[plane]

Lutz said they've have significant number of Volts in test fleets next year. McCain mentioned the Volt coming out next year, which may have been an accidental slip.

My guess is that GM is lying about 2010 and this is a lot closer, and hence all the teaser shots we're seeing. If GM brings this out sometime next year they'll simply have the media swoon. It'll be funny to have to watch Toyota try to spin things. ....

When did we see our first Camaro shots? Still waiting?
I hope you're correct, but I seriously doubt that GM will bring out the Volt in any significant 6 figure quantities before 2011.

 

[fp115]

When did we see our first Camaro shots? Still waiting?
I hope you're correct, but I seriously doubt that GM will bring out the Volt in any significant 6 figure quantities before 2011.

It only depends on the battery maker

 

[Xenon]

Gm is not hyping there line up, there just telling us. People seem's too be hyping. Or those people think Gm should have a car build a car in under a year, that's hype.

Every single ad campaign GM has premiered on TV has the Volt concept featured on it. GM runs mules of Camaros.....and even lets journalists take a ride in them. GM showed the plug in Vue, as well as Chevy Cruze a full two years before its launch year. And lastly GM is throwing teaser shots, and blog updates of the Volt. No other company has shown their future product ass prominently as GM is right now. And because of this, speculation for these cars are high.

If that isn't hyping future product, then tell me what is.

 

[fp115]

Every single ad campaign GM has premiered on TV has the Volt concept featured on it. GM runs mules of Camaros.....and even lets journalists take a ride in them. GM showed the plug in Vue, as well as Chevy Cruze a full two years before its launch year. And lastly GM is throwing teaser shots, and blog updates of the Volt. No other company has shown their future product ass prominently as GM is right now. And because of this, speculation for these cars are high.

If that isn't hyping future product, then tell me what is.

Actually thats wrong, nearly all other companies have. VW even showed production spec of their upcoming 2011 Golf/Rabbit, something which GM hasn't done with any model yet.

 

[zete]

When did we see our first Camaro shots? Still waiting?
I hope you're correct, but I seriously doubt that GM will bring out the Volt in any significant 6 figure quantities before 2011.

The Volt is Delta II, which means GM could bring out large quantities next year -- as they'll do with other Delta IIs in Europe.

However, and this is a big however, the Volt requires new Li-Ion batteries. Therein lies the problem. If the supplier can pump out 100,000 or more a year GM can easily build 100,000+ a year. But I see a ramp up starting next year as GM builds out a huge test fleet and, like you, I don't see 100,000+ Volts coming off the line prior to 2011.

 

[Xenon]

Actually thats wrong, nearly all other companies have. VW even showed production spec of their upcoming 2011 Golf/Rabbit, something which GM hasn't done with any model yet.

The Golf you mentioned also goes on sale in Europe this winter, so its not a 2011 model.

 

[fp115]

The Golf you mentioned also goes on sale in Europe this winter, so its not a 2011 model.

2011 model in 2010.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/11/volkswagen-to-launch-golf-cabrio-in-2010/