What questions would you ask if you were going to see the Chevy Volt in D.C.?
As we mentioned the other day, the Chevy Volt is the main star in a GM dog and pony show in D.C. this week. GM wants to give lawmakers a close up of this impressive car, and I'm sure said lawmakers will have their staffs prepare some questions to ask of the GM spokespeople on hand RE when the car might be available, how it affects CAFE standards, etc. AutoblogGreen is sending a correspondent down to check out the scene and, while we're not sure who he might run into, what questions are you curious about? What would you ask if you were able to mingle with legislators or GM folks. Leave your questions in the comments fields below or email them to us using the contact us field, and we'll see who we can wrangle up to answer them.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Domenick 9:52AM (7/23/2007)
I would like to know when we will have the official launch of the "War On Oil Consumption". And who will be the "czar" for this aforementioned war?
(That second part isn't really necessary, it's just fun to say the word "czar" because of that whole "c" and "z" thing.)
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Keith Wakeham 11:15AM (7/25/2007)
Will the car retain the appearance that appeals to younger people (like me, re the 20-25 crowd)?
Since its a plug in electric, will their be driving modes that limit acceleration to increase battery life while maintaining a car that would be enjoyable to see "what it has under the hood", or will it be an up to the user's foot?
Can I pre-order one soon (small downpayment?) so that when its available I won't have to be wait-listed (re: the magic EV1 waitlist that never really exsisted)?
Will it have a portable built in charger(This may have been answered already)?
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Dave 2:03PM (7/25/2007)
I wouldn't bother asking any questions about launch date (they will say a vague 3 years again) or anything about the battery. It is still too early for them to have any more details in this area.
I want to know if the rest of the powertrain is done? Is the electric motor decided on yet? What needs to be done before they decide on the specifics of it? Are they going to offer an option for a quicker charging station? A 220V plug at least? What kind of efficiency management software will it use? Will it just chunck out 99 miles per gallon on the dashboard even though that eletricty I put in cost money too and I want to optimize it's use as well? For sale or lease or both?
As for the lawmakers
What kind of tax credits will be in place to support the lauch of this great new american product? What kind of incentives for for infrastructure improvements e.g. subsidizing gas stations with charge units? What about for business that let their employees plug in at work?
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jeremie 10:51AM (7/23/2007)
Are you going to build it before Toyota does it?
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Dave 11:56AM (7/23/2007)
What politician would promise on camera to buy one of these cars, on camera?
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Tim 11:04AM (7/23/2007)
I have 3 questions:
1) I would like to know if the Volt and e-flex could be used as an emergency standby generator/power supply for my home in case of an emergency, for power at my jobsite or while camping. This would require the standard 110v charging plugs on each side of the car plus a 220v single phase receptacle under the hood for emergency standby generator use.
2) I also want to know if V2G capability will be built into the electronics as standard equipment. V2G is the Key to optimizing electric cars.
3) Will Bluetooth & GPS come standard so I can use my phone hands free through the car's speaker system and use the GPS to optimize routing and battery use.
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BJD 12:09PM (7/23/2007)
Here's what I think to be the most important question of all:
Why is it that GM is touting the Volt in DC and yet opposing Congress' legislation to increase CAFE standards?
The reason this is so important is because if GM aims to mass produce the Volt, it's fleetwide MPG ratings would increase dramatically, thus meeting the proposed new CAFE standards. Seems ironic doesn't it? I can only deduce that because GM is opposing higher CAFE standards that they do not intent to mass produce plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Someone counter my statement please!!!
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Culex 11:52AM (7/23/2007)
My question:
Are you really going to mass produce this vehicle in the reasonably near future? Or is this a nice concept that for various reasons (excuses) will never be offered to the public, or offered in low numbers only via lease (ala EV1)?
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TG 11:59AM (7/23/2007)
Seems the Volt battery will be from A123.
I heard about a promising dry battery made by a subsiduary of Ingersol Rand, ThermoKing.
ThemoKing makes Refrigeration and gensets for the trucking industry. They know what *tough* means.
http://www.dcvelocity.com/products/?product_id=753
With claims like *2 batteries in one* and *lasts 5 times longer than wet cells* and the safety factor of *DRY Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) technology*, one wonders if this could apply to EV conversions or something like the Volt.
I suspect heat control for longevity may be the sore spot with these.
A comparison between these two battery types, the A123, and the Eon dry cell, would be spell binding for me.
Sorry, I have no idea of the cost yet.= TG
TonyGuitar.blogspot.com
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mlhm5 12:15PM (7/23/2007)
Oh, please!
GM has no plans to market this car. It is just a gimmick to sell what they have on the lot today and to keep the press interested in what GM is doing. It will never go beyond the concept car stage.
Do I have to remind everyone what happened with the EV-1?
We know from GM press releases that GM pulled that pulled out of hybrid mnarket, has no plans to market a 3.0L or smaller diesel passenger car/SUV in 2008 or 2009, and thinks the future is hydrogen.
Why would anyone believe they are going to market a fuel efficient anything, especially an EV, when they rounded up all the EV-1s in existance and crushed them.
If you believe GM, I have a bridge to sell you.
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Joseph 1:45PM (7/23/2007)
BJD, good question. I think the answer is that Auto Makers don't like to be pushed around.
Like little whiney babies.
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GoodCheer 12:31PM (7/23/2007)
What I would like to know is why they claim no adequate battery technology exists for a touted 40 mile electric range, when there were BEVs getting twice than that 10 years ago (never mind those from 100 years ago), and battery technology has been improving at about 7%/year since then.
I would also like to ask how scared they are of Chinese and Indian EV manufacturers. The price of oil is determined by international markets, and while Americans and Europeans can afford to stick to the status quo and build and buy gas cars, I expect development of cost effective EVs will define the forefront of the Chinese and Indian automotive industries.
If they're not afraid, then ask if they were afraid of the Honda Civic 30 years ago.
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Kardax 2:08PM (7/23/2007)
Assuming Toyota adds plug-in capability to the Prius by 2010, what makes the Volt competitive?
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mlhm5 2:18PM (7/23/2007)
Kardax is absolutely correct. We already know that aftermarket companies are converting 2004 and later Priuses to plug in capability and 100mpg, a fact not lost on Toyota who is now responding.
As with other GM boasts, once Toyota introduces a Plug In version of the #9 best selling vehicle in the US, GM will not have a competitive diesel nor a hybrid let alone a plug in hybrid.
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Tim 2:29PM (7/23/2007)
Well, Mr. Lutz recently said that the future is electric. GM learned from the EV-1 that the general public will first have to lose their fear of being stranded with dead batteries. This paradigm shift must be completed in stages. Stage one was mild BAS stop-start hybrids. Stage two is parallel hybrids. Stage three is Plug-In hybrids with a HCCI “range extender” ICE security blanket. Stage four is full Battery Electrics. That’s why GM chose e-Flex electric car with a range extender. It’s the most logical choice. This is doubly so once 10 minute “fast charge” in widely available.
In 15-20 years or so, liquid biofuels and Hydrogen (as inefficient as it is) will only be used for the emergency back-up range extender, heavy hauling and long-range travel.
It all makes sense now. GM will once again rule the automotive world with e-Flex.
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BJD 2:48PM (7/23/2007)
Let's be serious about what lawmakers in DC are concerned about right now, and that's CAFE standards....not competition among Big Auto. The big debate right now is about CAFE and the proposed 35 miles per gallon (MPG) standard Congress is considering.
That's why my question (#9 above) is so important to ask GM. Why are you touting a vehicle to us that gets over 100 MPG, and yet, you're opposing the proposed CAFE standard of 35 MPGs by the year 2020?
If you're interested I've put together a simple scenario below to help explain why it would be easy for GM to meet the new CAFE rule if they were to mass produce the Chevy Volt.
Here goes:
In June 2007, GM sold 320,000 light vehicles in the US, which is equivalent to selling 3,840,000 vehicles a year.
Assuming GM sales in the US increase by just 2% per year for the next 13 years, GM would be selling the equivalent of 4,838,400 vehicles a year in 2020.
Currently, the average US auto fleet gets 25 miles per gallon (assuming GM's fleet gets the same).
The proposed new CAFE standard call for 35 mpg by 2020.
If GM were to mass produce the Chevy VOLT, a car that should get at least 100 miles per gallon, then GM would need to sell only 663,400 Volts
to avoid making any mileage improvements to the remaining vehicles in its fleet.....Did you hear that??...to avoid making ANY mileage improvements to the remaining vehicles in its fleet. In other words the Chevy Volt would only need to make up 13.7% of total GM fleet sales in the US by 2020
to completely avoid making further inroads on mileage efficiency for the remaining 86.7% of its fleet (4,175,000 vehicles).
To me, it seems that the above scenario would be easy to achieve. If it isn't then perhaps GM would sell slightly less Volts and make ever so slight improvements in the mileage of its remaining fleet vehicles.
Isn't this proof enough why GM is fighting the new CAFE standards? It's because they have no intentions of mass producing the Chevy VOLT!!!
My question above really needs to be asked by Congress. I'd be curious to hear how GM responds.
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GreyFlcn 4:28PM (7/23/2007)
"Who should we elect for President in 2012 when you car finally comes out?"
http://greyfalcon.net/volt
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CS 6:22PM (7/23/2007)
I'd ask why GM keeps making such gimmicky cars and trucks like that $40,000 pickup with a motorized top. If I designed the Volt, it would be useful, such as a wagon or hatchback style. 4-5 people with luggage. Ever see the resale values of volkswagon TDI diesel stationwagons on ebay? They are ridiculous. Everyone wants a roomy vehicle that gets serious mileage. The Volt looks like it'd be lucky to hold a couple of suitcases and has the perfect styling for 20-year-old with rich parents. With the seats down in a Prius, it'll hold a lot. Same with Camry, it's a basic, useful car. GM needs to make basic, useful vehicles and put the new gas-saving technologies on these standard vehicles, not just the premium models. The Tahoe and Yukon are getting a hybrid system but only for the most expensive option packages. What about the Chevy Malibu with the cheap trim package? People who can't afford a $50,000 SUV would like exceptional mileage also. Thus one reason Toyota is doing so well and GM is not.
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Joe 4:47PM (7/25/2007)
The 2008 Chevy Malibu will have a hybrid option, unfortunately its garbage at 24/32 mpg.
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Bill 8:36AM (7/24/2007)
I'd ask if they'll offer a backup camera since you won't be able to see squat through that tiny slit of a rear window.
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