Last pre-production Volt comes off the assembly line
2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery
The saga of the Chevrolet Volt's run from concept to production reality has taken yet another step as the 80th and final pre-production car has just rolled down GM's assembly line in Warren, Michigan. Just like all the other Volt engineering mules built up to this point, this car is headed for a hard life at the Milford Proving Grounds, where it will be put through its paces time and time again in an effort to ensure the final result is as good and durable as possible.
Up next for these 80 pre-production Volts is a series of stages that includes crash testing and extreme-weather climate testing. Sometime during the first quarter of 2010, The General will begin building validation versions of the Volt that will allow the automaker to finalize production details and the process that will be used to assemble the cars on the lines at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. If all goes according to plan, the first 2011 Chevy Volts will be rolling into dealer lots just about one year from now.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt
[Source: Detroit Free Press, GM-Volt.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ziv 10:35PM (10/13/2009)
This car will be the first of the BEV's that normal people will buy, but the question is, will they be able to reduce the price fast enough to make it an option for more than a fraction of the car buying public? The Leaf, Aptera, Tesla, all have deal killing problems. Short range, stupid appearance and $100,000 prices being problems for most people. $32,000 is still too high, but the Volt comes close to what people demand.
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John Pelletier 12:18AM (10/14/2009)
Ziv I think there may be enough people not living in range of initial offerings by the other companies that would be willing to take advantage of the volt. you don't need a 100% charging infrastructure to make this car possible. while I am 100% BEV all the way I feel in the short terms range extended BEV's have the best possible chance of getting people to understand the differences an electric makes.
Nick From Montreal 12:28AM (10/14/2009)
I think both range extended hybrids and short range (
Mel 7:36PM (10/14/2009)
@ziv
This is not a BEV, its a PHEV ;-)
GoodCheer 10:51AM (10/14/2009)
Seriously? Are you guys TRYING to confuse the terminology?
It used to be that there were EVs and hybrids. Then GM, because they didn't want people to think that the Volt twas in any way similar to the Prius, claimed that a series hybrid was an EV... an extended range EV, and everybody bought in. So cars without greasy bits started being called "Battery Electric Vehicles". Now you're saying that the series hybrid is a BEV. What then do you call a car without:
-gas tank
-fuel filter
-timing belt/chain
-valves
-catalytic converter
-exhaust gas recirculation valve
... in order to distinguish it from a car that needs all those things?
(And while I'm at it, a FCEV is a series hybrid too, it just uses a fuel cell to produce electricity instead of an ICE... though pointing that out confuses the issue, 'cause fuel cells don't have timing chains, but you know what I mean.)
Nick From Montreal 12:30AM (10/14/2009)
I think both range extended hybrids and short range (less than 120 miles) EVs will both find their audience.
In my own family, my sister's #1 priority is range, so she will be better off with a Volt. Myself & my brother are more daring and willing to live with 100 miles range. We'd rather do the math before going out while our sister just doesn't want to deal with that stuff.
The Leaf's look is its biggest liability. I'd rather wait for the Model S and get a luxury hybrid for the next 2/3 years until it's out.
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Gary 10:47AM (10/14/2009)
While you're doing the math to calculate range, you may also want to brush up on your probability calculations, as in: the probability of getting stuck in traffic for a few extra hours in blazing hot weather, or the probability of needing to run a few errands on the way home rom work, or the probability of not being able to charge at work.
etc.
etc.
Gary 10:51AM (10/14/2009)
While you're doing the math to calculate range, you may want to brush up on your probability calculations, as in: the probability of getting stuck in traffic because of a bad accident on the freeway during blazing hot weather, or the probability of stopping for some errands on the home, or not being able to charge at work--leading to involuntary overtime.
etc.
etc.
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DasBoese 4:03PM (10/14/2009)
I'm pretty sure he did.
Don't project.
Gary 10:53AM (10/14/2009)
WTF... first my reply didn't appear even after a page refresh, and when I retype it, now it shows up as a new message.
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paulwesterberg 12:15PM (10/14/2009)
abg like most web sites uses static page caching to reduce webserver load, pages refresh every few minutes. welcome to the internet.
occ 10:56AM (10/14/2009)
Nick's right. There will be plenty of market space for both. In my situation, we're a family with 2 cars and have never driven both more than 100 miles/day. We had even thought about renting a luxury car for long trips and vacation, so it's a no brainer for us to go with a BEV. The volt was our next car choice when 1st announced, but a great thing happened when we are now going to be given many many more choices! I can easily imagine plenty households like ours exist to keep EV market viable.
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Stan Peterson 2:06PM (10/14/2009)
Autoblog Green is corrupting the terminology.
GM built some 80 IV "Integration and Validation " cars of the Volts, for purposes of early testing. These "IV vehicles" are no way ready for production. They are merely more integrated than even earlier prototypes dubbed "mules". It will soon begin to build some 2000-3000 "pre production" Volts. for the purpose of additional testing, refining, and preparation for mass manufacture, and adding final changes. These several thousand also will never be fully production ready, and might be built in several successive testing phases, incorporating required corrections and needed changes.
In a sense these are all "pre-production vheicles" but your headline is very confusing.
By contrast Tesla has yet to convert/contruct even a as many as 750 Lotus sports cars into Tesla models. We leave it to you who the true "Testers" for the Tesla-Lotus sport cars were and are. Its "customers".
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Chris M 10:53PM (10/14/2009)
Peterson, Tesla isn't "converting" Lotus cars, Lotus is building the chassis on contract and to Tesla specifications, that chassis is unique to the Roadster and different from any car that Lotus sells under their own brand name.
Tesla Motors made several engineering prototypes that were tested for over a year, and they made 18 validation prototypes that were tested another year before production began. That testing included: endurance testing, suspension and vibration testing on a "Belgian Block" track, cold weather testing, brake testing on icy surfaces, drive testing by Tesla employees on public roads, and of course crash testing and safety testing. So your snide comment implying that Tesla customers were unwitting testers is not only obnoxious, but false.
Matthew 3:42PM (10/14/2009)
Are they really going to go with the Chevy grill on the front. If you want to re-create your company, don't lean on the old branding. I would avoid this car simply because it reminds me of American cars that I owned that were crud.
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Yura 10:42PM (10/14/2009)
What is the MPG on empty battery? I don't have a garage to charge it
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Chris M 11:07PM (10/14/2009)
Good question, that hasn't been revealed yet. However, without charging the car acts like a "full" hybrid, with the efficiency boosting benefits of regenerative braking, the ability to drive short distances on battery power only when it is beneficial to do so, and the ability to run the IC engine at its most efficient speed and power output, buffered by the battery. The mileage should be similar to other "non plug" hybrids, except that the battery capacity is greater and can handle more regenerative braking, and there is no mechanical link between the IC engine and the wheels so energy conversion losses are slightly higher.
The mileage in "charge sustaining mode" should be somewhere between 38 and 50 mpg. Sorry I can't be more specific.
The real benefit with plug-in hybrids like the Volt, though, comes from plugging in, as the per mile cost of electricity is about 1/4 to 1/6 the cost of gasoline. If you really can't plug it in anywhere, then I'd recommend a "non-plug" hybrid like the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid instead, as they'd be less expensive but get similar gas mileage.
Gagarin 1:01AM (10/15/2009)
Thank you, very helpful.
Prius is a good car, although I don't personally like Toyota.