Chevrolet Volt: It Wonât Look Like the Concept
By Michelle Krebs November 14, 2007By Kelly Toepke
Did you like the way the long-slung Chevrolet Volt looks?
Well, forget about it. The production version won’t look like that concept. It's not aerodynamic enough.
"The final version of the Volt won't look like the concept,†General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told reporters attending the Los Angeles show at a dinner Tuesday night. “In the wind tunnel it was a cruel disappointment. We probably would've gotten better drag coefficient if we put it in the wind tunnel backwards. "
Nevertheless, Lutz remains optimistic about the Volt. âThe Volt is still a game changer."
At the end of October, GM took the first delivery of the first advance lithium-ion batteries to go into its E-Flex operating system that powers that Volt. GMâs E-Flex system combines the battery with another propulsion system; a small gasoline engine, in the case of the Volt. The vehicle runs on electricity, with the engine used to generate electricity to be stored in the battery rather than driving the wheels. Advanced lithium-ion batteries are considered key for not only the Volt but also other plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
Lutz said by the end of this year, GM will have four battery packs in test cars. The first battery was delivered by LG Chem, one of two battery makers that has signed a development contract with GM for lithium-ion batteries. The second battery maker, A123Systems, will deliver its first experimental battery pack to GM in December. The batteries undergo initial testing and then will be installed into the E-Flex system in a Chevrolet Malibu for more extensive testing.
âTest vehicles will be running in the first quarter of 2008 with 40 to 45 miles of electric drive," he said.
Lutz becomes increasingly optimistic about the future of vehicles like the Volt with every step GM takes. He told the reporters a month ago that GM would build as many as 100,000 Chevrolet Volts in the first year of production, set for around year-end of 2010. GM committed to the UAW in its contract negotiations that it would build the Volt at GMâs Detroit Hamtramck plant, which now makes the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne.
"GM was 90 percent committed to the Volt concept,â Lutz said Tuesday. âNow we're totally committed.â
Photo by General Motors
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz introducing the Chevrolet Volt concept at the Detroit auto show.
LEAVE A COMMENT
I do hope GM can can simply cut a trough line in the hood or tweak the front valence panel or somethig minor and subtle; anything to keep the overall silhouette intact. It looks "we're moving on, now" with just enough Chevrolet recognizability. If you're going to bring out a concept car build it like you show it. The Camaro is a good example.
Funny how you can't tell a vehicle's aerodynamic qualities just by looking at it. The original Charger was supposedly really bad too, not just the front but the rear buttresses and other shapes that looked like they'd help. On the other hand, the xB has a much better Cd than you'd think.
The Volt's greenhouse doesn't look high enough for real people anyway, so changes shouldn't be a surprise.
You make a good point. Looks can be deceiving when it comes to aerodynamics. And we are in the early days of fully understanding aerodynamics. Stricter fuel-economy standards will accelerate our education.
I'm surprised that people think that fuel economy will produce any good benefits. The move to electrified propulsion, coupled with the fact that solar thermal and nuclear
are going to produce more jucie than we can ever use, means that big will be back, especially
since electricity is so cheap compared to gasolibe. Those conservationists have, as always,
failed to see that technology is the only path to oil avoidance and carbon reduction. Conservation is a silly concept - the world will ALWAYS need more energy, and we have several thousand times more energy falling as sunlight than we can ever use.
ADD A COMMENT