Webchat about the Volt with GM VP Jon Lauckner today
UPDATE: bumped this post to remind readers to join the chat if interested.General Motors is continuing its executive webchat series this week with Jon Lauckner, VP for Global Program Management. Lauckner has been part of the leadership team on the Chevy Volt program since the earliest days of creating the concept in early 2006. You'll be able to pitch your questions to Jon about the current state of the Volt program and development of the Voltec powertrain. Now that the first Volt integration prototypes are running, the team should be making some serious progress toward completing the calibration of the extended range EV system. As a member of the senior management team at GM, Lauckner is also in a position to discuss the ongoing restructuring of General Motors.
The chat will be happening on Wed. July 22 at 2pm EDT. The chat client is embedded after the jump and you can register now to get an automatic email reminder before the chat.
[Source: General Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeff 11:46PM (7/22/2009)
A few interesting tidbits about the thought they're putting into charge sustaining mode. We've seen a few videos of prototypes on the road, but only in EV mode as far as I know. In this interview, he touches on some of the details concerning the range extender. An ideal series hybrid (from fuel efficiency standpoint) would have the engine running non-stop at a constant speed, meaning the engine would be running pretty hard even when the car's at a stop light. That doesn't jive well with customer perception, plus it would be bloody annoying. I'd really like to hear more about that side of the car's development. I really wonder what it's gonna pull off in mpg for charge sustaining mode.
On a side note, I'm thinking EPA stickers for these cars should simply list two numbers: EV range and charge sustaining mpg. No point in working out some "equivalent mileage", it totally depends on the drive cycle. Potential customers can figure it out for themselves what the best choice is for them if given those two numbers (and if we ever hear confirmation from another automaker of a production ER-EV to give us that choice!)
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