Volt chief engineer takes first drive in integration prototype [w/VIDEO]
Chevrolet Volt Integration prototype - click above for high res image gallery
The technicians and engineers at GM's Pre-Production operations center at the Warren, MI tech center have been hard at work for the last several weeks trying to finish up the first of about 75 integration prototypes of the Chevy Volt. They worked so hard, in fact, that the first car was completed a week ahead of schedule. These are the first actual running prototypes and include pretty much all of the production-intent hardware in a production body shell. As is typical of these integration prototypes, items like the light clusters aren't quite done yet. The intended bulbs are included in a flat black plastic cluster with the proper arrangement but the covers and internal sculpting are missing.
Chief engineer Andrew Farah took IVER #1 (that's Integration Vehicle Engineering Release #1) out for a brief drive after it was completed and checked out and, according to the video after the jump, everything worked smoothly. While the car looks pretty much like the Volt that was unveiled last September, if you look carefully you will notice one difference. From the original concept to the styling buck we have seen for the last nine months, the charge port was always hidden under the trim piece just ahead of the driver's side mirror. There is now a flap looking much like a gas cover just below that on the fender. The charge port sits behind that flap. According to Volt spokesman David Darovitz, this is the production intent configuration. Dave, we're ready for our test drive anytime, you have our number. Check out the video with Andrew Farah after the jump.
[Source: General Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
letstakeawalk 7:03PM (6/24/2009)
Congrats, GM! I remember one of the engineers mentioning a desire to be driving one of these around by the 4th of July - and it looks like he'll get his opportunity!
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Lad 7:28PM (6/24/2009)
Good to see an engineer type before the camera and I'm sure the car will be an engineering "LULU"'.
And, please hurry up and get this interium car on the production line so we can move on to long distance BEVs.
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Gary 7:31PM (6/24/2009)
The plug is huge compared to the previous dainty plugs we've seen. Makes sense...
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sophie 9:27AM (6/25/2009)
gas pump?
Chris M 1:55AM (6/26/2009)
It does have a gas tank, but that's at the other end...
Gene 7:38PM (6/24/2009)
From the side profile shots, I think the Volt actually looks pretty good.
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KIB2 8:32PM (6/24/2009)
Thats how I feel when I'm driving around town...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9BOVL6bQM
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gorr 8:41PM (6/24/2009)
I doubt that they will make money with this. First the electric generator is huge and heavy and inneficient. What it take is a small and light fast electric generator that supply the average electrical consumption of this car then the battery supply the instant electrical need. It's easy to see that this compagny works for big oil and don't want anyone finding energy of their own, it was that in 1910 and it's like that today. It's just a hold from rockfeller on tax.
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Sean 9:45PM (6/24/2009)
Many of us agree that the engine is oversized for its function, but there are various reasons for that, not the least of which is financial: it's easier, faster and less expensive for them to use an engine they already make for other cars than to custom-design one just for this.
And this car, though not perfect, is definitely a step in the right direction, just as the Prius was at its introduction. So we need to support products like this so companies get the message that this is the direction in which they need to go, just like what happened with the Prius: the public spoke with their money and then everyone started making hybrids. Now we're on to RE-EVs. Next will come BEVs, and H2 after that. So if you want to see H2, gorr and others, don't deride anything driven by an electric motor.
ufgrat 1:04AM (6/25/2009)
Really? According to people who've actually seen the generator, it's relatively compact, and is actually a drive motor with a generator built in.... or did you mean the ICE? Yeah, it's oversized, but it's a common engine, and GM had to shelve plans to build the custom engine. I'm thinking eventually the Voltec will use a smaller, HCCI style engine.
Why does everything have to be a conspiracy with people? Is it some kind of plot by the Illuminati? Who do you really work for? ;)
mesama 11:59AM (6/25/2009)
You are right in that the engine is probably over-sized for the job, since they had to pick a current engine in their lineup (to save money). At the same time, however, the engine will be tuned to run ONLY at its peak efficiency settings. Since the engine's only job is to produce electricity for the motor, i.e. it doesn't turn the wheels, it can operate at only one setting. So it will be MUCH more efficient --- they're shooting for 50 mpg when the engine is running.
gorr 2:10PM (6/26/2009)
This sh*t car is just a steal of taxmoney for continuing petrol business it's decided by them for them. Wise consumers are a treat to high financial tax peoples, said by them on 11 sept 2001. Money is just given these days to criminals related to associated gimmick goverments. A green car ( including heavy mechanical devises like spaceships, electrical plants, tractor-trailers trucks, ocean ships, motorcycles) are easy to build and commercialise because it cost less and offer more. Free market should prevail over the wishs of deeply depressed anti-human folks. I have said to build and put on sale near where i live one green car available for cash. Chatters here accepting to buy, lease, drive, own and operate limp and costly cars made by the goverment are accepting too that their own brain is now driven by goverments folks. Ask gm, toyota, honda, nascar, formula one, who is driving their brains recently, they won't tell but it's not them. They all refused hydrogen technology to accept oil money via tax incentives. So you end-up paying 3x money for not needed toxic waste products courtesy of goverments, big oil ford, chrsler, nascar, boeing, shell, exxon, etc. All these folks, especially gm, toyota, honda, etc are not playing anymore the economics. It's them that maintain this no offer of green cars. Just stop subsidies to stupid incompetants that need studies to do their jobs. If they don't offer products then stop buying limp promises via tax. Consumers leaded by me alone in the entire known universe are waiting for my 8000+ h.p hydrogen fed ice. This engine should cost a normal price and can serve too to power your house and/or business or your airplane.
Paul A 1:59AM (6/25/2009)
Very nice to see this. It looks quite good.
I think a lot of future cars will be series hybrids like the Volt. I see them as more than just an electric car with a generator. They way of creating very fuel efficient cars that will fit everyone's lifestyle. Plenty of people drive longer distances, have bigger cars or vans and would love use one third less the gas. I think that's really possible with this design. It will be interesting to see more about whether Volvo will pursue the Recharge concept car, very similar to the Volt but with in-wheel motors.
These designs are also interesting because you can balance the different components in so many ways. The Volt tries to take the middle ground, with a medium sized battery and a medium sized engine that runs some of the time. But it is easy to envision a car with a smaller battery and a smaller, more efficient engine running more of the time. There's lots of options.
A lot of people seem to believe that battery technology will improve by leaps and bounds over the next few years. Getting cheaper, more energy storage, longer life, charging faster. etc. It would be great if that happened, but if battery tech does not live up to the hype, I see the series hybrid design stepping in and really saving America lots and lots of fuel.
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hans_solo 5:27AM (6/25/2009)
Congrats!
Indeed, they did a really good job.
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Spence 6:19AM (6/25/2009)
This is the first time I've actually felt like that's a car I could buy. It looks much better moving then in the publicity shots, with the high rear and low nose. If it works, and they can get it under 30 grand with the incentives, we could see these things everywhere.
Next, a Voltec compact pickup!
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Alan 6:28AM (6/25/2009)
Great news, looks very promising!
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James 10:42AM (6/25/2009)
Here I stand, dollars in hand. My first 13 cars may have been foreign, but I'll proudly plunk down my American cash for this American car.
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jeff 10:45AM (6/25/2009)
Excellent! GM gets hassled all the time, and I've never been a GM fan myself, but I truly think they have the most promising product in the pipeline out of any automaker, and everything seems to be going on track.
We've seen a few videos of mules driving in EV mode, but I'm really curious to see how they'll pull off charge sustaining ICE mode. Since the engine will probably be running at a constant output, at about the average power requirements for the vehicle. I would think that even at a stoplight, this engine will be running at that same output level, trying to catch up on the periods of higher power demand. Will this be a perception issue for customers who have grown to think of hybrids as the quiet cars that don't make any sound when they're at a stop? I know our series hybrid at McGill makes the most ridiculous racket at a stop, because our range extender is basically always running at full throttle. It seems plenty quiet when it's actually moving, but the minute it comes to a stop, everybody thinks its the loudest car in the world. I just hope this won't plague production series hybrids.
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Anton Wahlman 11:25AM (6/25/2009)
Here is the question nobody seems to be asking, let alone answering: For those consumers who will be unable to plug in the car overnight (or on most other times), what will be the fuel economy compared to a parallel hybrid, such as the current Toyota/Ford models? Many Americans live in apartment buildings and park on the street, where cars such as the Chevrolet Volt will not be regularly be plugged in. In other words, how will the ceteris paibus performance of a parallel hybrid be vs a serial hybrid?
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Alan 12:10PM (6/25/2009)
If you can't plug it into your own domestic power supply at night don't bother buying it, IMO. I'd have one but only because I anticipate doing all my work commuting on pure EV with the electricty coming from my own domestic outlet. Maybe work will provide free charging points one day which would be nice :-)