Production Volt

[toolatecrew]

Honda is in relatively good shape. Toyota has been hit pretty hard by trying to expand quickly just as the economic storm hit. They've lost a lot of money this year. Nothing they can't recover from, but things are tough all over.

They just posted a profit (however small) for this past quarter...

I though I heard that. I'm fairly confident that business will pick up in the coming year. Hopefully the worst is behind us.

GM lost 1.2 billion over the period from July 10 to September 30

The worst (for them) is far from over

[Honda Owner]

Both are heading towards their scheduled production dates.

What exactly is the into date on the Volt anyway? I can't seem to pin it down anywhere.....

GM lost 1.2 billion over the period from July 10 to September 30

In the world of delusional slappies, this seems as good news. especially from a company that burned through double digit billions in losses every quarter as far back as anybody can remember.

[toolatecrew]

Both are heading towards their scheduled production dates.

What exactly is the into date on the Volt anyway? I can't seem to pin it down anywhere.....

Except in the case of the Cruze the scheduled production date keeps changing.

Neat trick. "We have not delayed the vehicle. The production date has been changed from May until September. Therefore it will be right on time"

Its like "Hey I know I said I'd be there for supper at 5 but my arrival time will now be 9 PM". So you are going to be LATE?

"No I will arrive exactly on time 9 pm. My arrival time has just changed ...don't you understand anything?"

[drederick]

And back to the Volt...... did I miss anything or did GM NOT release any press release or updated information that the Volt is not going to be produced?

This just in........ and for those that either cannot read, or read and comprehend, there are some interesting dates provided by GM:
http://green.autoblog.com/gallery/chevrolet-volt-development-update-nov-17-2009/#10


GM provides update on Volt vehicle and battery development
http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/gm-provides-update-on-volt-vehicle-and-battery-development/

General Motors offered an update this afternoon on the current status of the testing and development of the lithium ion batteries for the Chevy Volt. Chief Engineer Andrew Farah and battery engineering group manager Bill Wallace provided a run down on the work done so far. Since work started in earnest on the production program in early 2007, GM has gone from two initial battery development partners (LG Chem/CPI and A123 Systems/Continental) to selecting LG Chem to supply cells. GM also decided to design and build the battery pack in-house rather than having CPI provide the finished pack.

Through the course of development, the team has learned that the battery management system is the key to extracting the best life and performance out of the battery. However, while the battery is the heart of the Volt, Farah emphasized that the goal was to create a great a great vehicle for customers, not just a battery on wheels. That means a lot of integration work has been necessary to incorporate the pack in the car, and develop the charge and battery management software.

Since the beginning of this year, GM has opened its new battery pack manufacturing plant in Brownstown, Michigan, opened a huge new battery test lab and built 80 pre-production (IVER) Volts. In addition, 300 battery packs based on the production design have been built and are being tested in those 80 pre-production cars, the battery lab and other facilities. The test vehicles are now in their third generation starting with the original engineering development cars that were based on the previous-generation Malibu body, the Cruze-based mules (like the one we drove last spring) and the current IVER units.

The next batch of vehicles are the product and process validation vehicles (PPV) which will be the first to be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. The PPV units will built starting in March 2010 and these will be based on the production hardware specs including the proper light clusters (unlike the IVERs). Finally, between August and November of next year, the manufacturing validation build (MVB) will occur. At that stage, everything will be done with production equipment and tooling and these are the first so-called salable vehicles. Those cars, along with the PPVs, will be used in captured test fleets for a variety of real world evaluations including durability testing. Those IVERs recently completed a 65% calibration ride and, according to Farah, none of the issues seen so far are show-stoppers. Farah and Wallace claim everything is on schedule and moving forward to production one year from now. By the end of December, GM will have completed 300,000 miles on the Volt full vehicle simulator, or about three times the design life of most components.

The first builds of packs at the Brownstown plant will begin in February to supply the PPV builds that start a few weeks later. The first of the GM-designed packs was completed in December of last year. Since the beginning of the program, over 50,000 cells have been built and tested and Wallace claims that there has not been a single cell failure to date in either cell level, module level or pack level evaluations. In the lab, the packs have accumulated over 300,000 miles of simulated customer use testing which involves cycling the batteries through routines based on real world driving and charging use. Over time, the cell chemistry has been tweaked a bit to help meet the battery life requirements without affecting performance. According to Wallace, the pack and cells are now set and will not change before production.

[Leviathan]

And back to the Volt......

The usual "crew" and their antics was getting tiresome. 

[Leviathan]

More
Chevy Volt and Battery Program Update

<snip>
Battery chemistry had to be tweaked slightly to achieve longest lifetime, which will be effectively 10 years, though it was noted in temperate climates much longer lifetimes are possible.  Extreme cold and even more so extreme heat degrade the battery life expectancy.

“10 years is the target life, but depending on where you live, you could see significantly more than that,” said Farah. “In more benign conditions — if you do more city driving — and if you are in a more temperate area, the battery would last significantly longer.”

“But even if you live in Phoenix, as long as you charge at night, and you run during the day, your battery will remain happy,” said Wallace.
<snip>

[drederick]

And back to the Volt......

The usual "crew" and their antics was getting tiresome. 

Strange but my post was about the Volt, in a thread called 'Production Volt', how odd to post something like that here.............. thanks for coming out guys.

[Leviathan]

Evolution of the Chevy Volt

Engineers work to fix glitches by deadline
BY MARK PHELAN
FREE PRESS AUTO CRITIC

From charging the Chevrolet Volt's revolutionary power system to washing the car, everything about the extended-range electric vehicle is new, but Volt owners must find it familiar and easy to use.

Racing to meet those twin goals on an unprecedentedly tight schedule, the engineering team working on the Volt has 25 to 30 of them on the road at all times. The deadline is the Volt's on-sale date in about a year.

"There's still a lot to do, and not much time," chief engineer Andy Farah said Monday. "It's all part of the natural evolution of any engineering program, but at warp speed."

Every system, every part must be double-checked and idiot-proofed. Volt engineering manager Nate Fitzpatrick sent his 10-year-old son out to plug the Volt in for charging. "I didn't give him any directions. I wanted to see if we'd made it easy for the owner," Fitzpatrick said. "He figured it out right away."
Troubleshooting the Chevy Volt

The rush program to get the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car on sale in a year has become a 24/7 job for engineers charged with developing the car that's intended to revolutionize the auto industry and reinstate General Motors as a leader in advanced technology.


"We're learning all the time," Volt chief engineer Andy Farah said as seven of the team met for a breakfast debriefing at Athens Coney Island in Royal Oak on Monday after driving the cars all weekend. The Volt has a 40-mile range on battery power and a small engine that serves as a generator of electric power for longer trips.


"I've been bustin' around all morning, and the engine hasn't started yet," Farah said. "The trip computer said I got 260 miles a gallon over the weekend." Farah recharged the car at home between drives, allowing it to operate nearly entirely on battery power.


The daily test drives have led to changes in everything from how owners will recharge the Volt to an eleventh-hour redesign of the door for its charging port after it fell off in car washes.


The Volt should get a 210-m.p.g. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy rating in city driving, according to GM's projections.


GM built about 80 Volt test cars. Most of the Volts in Athens' parking lot were built to test a specific system, so the engineers compared notes.


"You've got the good aerodynamic package," Volt engineering manager Nate Fitzpatrick said to controls manager Chris Kinser, whose Volt had a nearly invisible air dam below its bumper. "That reduces four counts of aerodynamic drag. I'd give my little finger for four counts of drag," he said, waving his hand over the table.


"They call me 'Stubby,' but it's a great car."


Over the laughter, Rob Bolio, lead development engineer, described the crisis of the car wash. The cover for the Volt's charging port kept falling off.


"The guy who runs the car wash came up to me with a box of parts and said, 'You might have a problem here,' " Bolio remembered. After a quick design revision, Bolio and a designer engineer spent four hours taking Volts through the car wash with no damage except to their patience.


"We're easygoing," Fitzpatrick said. "When there's an issue, we give them 24 hours to address it. This has all the challenges of any new vehicle -- and all this brand-new technology. It makes the timing particularly challenging."


For every question any new car must answer -- how do the brakes feel, does the navigation system work and a thousand more -- there's a question that's unique to the Volt.


With the first test cars, Bolio woke up two or three times a night to check to see whether they were charging in his driveway. Since then, they've added a light to signify the car is plugged in and charging, a subtle "charging now" beep and a timer.


"Owners can set the car to charge whenever they like," Farah explained. "Just like big commercial customers, they can take advantage of the really low electricity rates in the middle of the night. It's like a programmable coffeemaker; you tell it when you want the car to be ready to go, and it'll be charged for you." The timer can be set for different charging times on weekdays, weekends, or a unique time for each day of the week.


Contact MARK PHELAN: phelan@freepress.com or 313-222-6731

[Leviathan]

Engineers sweat Chevy Volt details

Scott Burgess / The Detroit News

Royal Oak -- Even on their days off, the engineers creating the Chevrolet Volt are working.

They're testing, measuring and evaluating what is arguably the most important vehicle in General Motors Co.'s history. They take their work home with them, literally, commuting in the vehicles, strapping baby seats in the back or picking up groceries.

When the official auto show season kicks off next month in Los Angeles, the Volt will play a starring role. On Monday, at Athens Coney Island, a group of Volt engineers talked about the car and how its development is progressing.

A half-dozen of the 75 Volts rolling around North America were lined up in the parking lot. Some had white grease pencil marks noting gaps or other fixes that needed to be addressed. The test vehicles, each costing more than $250,000 to create, are a work in progress.

"We've been through three levels of hardware in two years," said Alex Cattelan, the Chevy Volt's chief powertrain engineer. "The groups working on the second generation and third generation versions are still providing more information to us."

For the record, the extended-range electric Volt already works, though the engineers say they are constantly fine-tuning the vehicle, slated for production next year. Will it be ready?

"Yes," Cattelan said -- barring any last minute problems.

Tom Stephens, GM's vice chairman of global product development, said last month that it was imperative to have the Volt on the road, in part, to further refine the vehicle for the next generation as well as to find more ways to lower the cost -- and the price -- of the vehicle. GM has not announced pricing, but many analysts estimate the Volt will run about $40,000. Three years ago, many outside GM -- and some inside -- scoffed at Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's announcement that the Chevy Volt would be ready for production in 2010.

"I did place a lot of faith in the battery companies, who said they could have them ready," Lutz said of being able to deliver a finished product next year.

He said GM needed something to help show the world it was innovative, environmentally friendly and progressive.

"Three years ago, it was Toyota this and Toyota that, everyone thought only good things about them, and it was because of the Prius," Lutz said, adding that GM suffered in consumers' eyes. "I wanted to overcome the incredible reputation Toyota had with the Prius, and we knew we couldn't do it with just another hybrid."

The Volt was created to change that.

"The bar was certainly set high," Cattelan said.

"But there's no way you can reach that goal if you don't have it." Now they're putting the car through road tests. GM says the Volt can get 230 miles per gallon in city driving conditions. And, when it officially arrives, the Volt will have a top speed of more than 100 mph.

"I got it up to 107 on the test track," said Mark Popilek, the ride and handling engineer. "But we're planning on limiting the speed around 104."

Cattelan said GM has learned a lot of things while creating the Volt that will help other cars in the future.

Rebecca Lindland, an automotive analyst for IHS Global Insight, said the most important aspect of the Volt is making sure it is right.

"So many people are just looking for a reason for GM to fail and as important as the Volt is, it's more important to have it be right than on time. It's OK to be a few months late, as long as it works," she said.

Ed Kim, an industry analyst with AutoPacific, was more blunt: "The Volt is extremely important for GM for a lot of reasons. They've promised a lot, and if they don't deliver, their credibility is at risk with consumers who are skeptical in the first place."

sburgess@detnews.com (313) 223-3217

[Leviathan]

Chevy Volt Will be Able to Hit 104 MPH

The Chevy Volt is no slouch.

A Volt ride and handling engineer named Mark Popilek said “I got it up to 107 on the test track, but we’re planning on limiting the speed around 104.”

At this point in development the integration vehicles have become highly refined.  In fact, GM has just started to allow journalists test drives in charge sustaining mode.

According to powertrain engineer Alex Cattelan, “we’ve been through three levels of hardware in two years.”

She also notes “the groups working on the second generation and third generation versions are still providing more information to us.”  Cattelan is confident GM will meet the November 2010 deadline.

GM vice chairman Bob Lutz spearheaded and conceived the Volt project back in 2006.  He admits though he displayed a lot of early bravado it was a bit of a long-shot, and that people even within GM were skeptical.

“I did place a lot of faith in the battery companies, who said they could have them ready,” said Lutz.

Lutz wanted the Volt to leapfrog the successful Toyota Prius.

“Three years ago, it was Toyota this and Toyota that, everyone thought only good things about them, and it was because of the Prius,” Lutz told reporters. “I wanted to overcome the incredible reputation Toyota had with the Prius, and we knew we couldn’t do it with just another hybrid.”

“The bar was certainly set high,” admitted Cattelan. “But there’s no way you can reach that goal if you don’t have it.”

Source (Detroit News)

[articsteve]

Lutz told reporters. “I wanted to overcome the incredible reputation Toyota had with the Prius, and we knew we couldn’t do it with just another hybrid.”

 

Has Lutzie forgot about GM's most useless hybrid attempt in the Malibu.  What an engineering disaster!   What a joke that thing was, but when it was first launched it was described by GM as the best in class.

The Volt will follow exactly the same path.  However, this time GM will leak "new" developments once a month to keep the myth alive.  Only after the IPO will they state the obvious; that it was always an "experimental" venture and what did ppl really expect. 

I see GM Canada is paying Bobby Orr to stand beside one with a plug in cord in hand looking awe struck. 

[Honda Owner]

I see GM Canada is paying Bobby Orr

Correction: WE are paying Bobby Orr to do this............

[G35X]

Lutz told reporters. “I wanted to overcome the incredible reputation Toyota had with the Prius, and we knew we couldn’t do it with just another hybrid.”

I do not understand why GM and Lutz are so obsessed with the serial design. NIH mentality?  It is not too late for them to knock on the doors at Toyota and Ford and beg for help.  Of many modes of operation their hybrid design already has the serial mode. All they need now to extend the EV range and improve EV performance is more battery capacity and stronger drive motor.

Toyota is starting test marketing of the plug-in version of the Prius next month.  Instead of the regular NiMH battery this model (sold or leased to institutional users) will come equipped with Li-ion battery pack, which is much ligher and smaller than the NiMH of the same capacity, and feature 20km EV range and 55km/litre (1.8 litres/100km) gas mileage.   This performance is good enough for most users.  GM on the other hand wanted 40 mile EV rage that requires much more battery capacity (and longer charging time).  I think GM’s 16kWh battery pack weighs as much as 250kg, or equivalent of three fat Canadian kids.

GM’s serial design works on paper.  But, with its weak ICE it must be very difficult to make the “drive feel” indistinguishable between the battery-only mode (EV) and ICE>motor mode (charge sustaining).  It was reported that the most difficult part of the Prius design was making transition of the various drive modes (EV, ICE+motor, ICE+motor+charge, ICE+charge,ICE only, regeneration) as smooth and unnoticeable as possible. The highly complicated mechanical marvel of the Prius notwithstanding, Toyota software engineers are the unsung heroes.

[rrocket]

To be honest, I haven't read about any griping about the transition during media drives of the test mules.  I suspect if there's no complaining now in the early stages of development, it will probably be fine.

But yea, tuning the electronics is key.  On my Insight for example, when the electric motor comes on, you actually feel a "boost" like a small turbo pulling.  It's kinda amusing.  But I'm sure they could have make it seamless if they wanted.  I suspect to left it this way to add some character to the car.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

With a serial hybrid there is no transition. Only the 111kW (149HP) electric motor drives the wheels. The 53kW (71HP) engine only cycles to drive the generator which charges the battery (16kWh). The two systems function independently.

(The series system isn't far off of the one used for decades in locomotives. The diesel engine drives a generator that powers the electric motors on the drive axles. When braking is needed, the drive motors are used as generators, but instead of sending the power back to a battery, it's sent to resistor banks on top of the locomotive, where the power is bled off as heat.)

To maintain highway speeds, most cars need in the 11kW (15HP) range. In practical terms, the generator should have no trouble maintaining the battery.

With parallel hybrids, the electric motor and gas engine are linked with a planetary gearset. It is a feat to get the transitions seamless.

[EV Dan]

"Toyota is starting test marketing of the plug-in version of the Prius next month.  Instead of the regular NiMH battery this model (sold or leased to institutional users) will come equipped with Li-ion battery pack, which is much ligher and smaller than the NiMH of the same capacity, and feature 20km EV range and 55km/litre (1.8 litres/100km) gas mileage."

LINK PLZ ?

[rrocket]

^^What??  You mean there's an EV you're not on top of??  WTF??   

There are many links floating on the net though.

http://toyotapriusplugin.com/  (with videos)

http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/toyota-to-mass-produce-plug-in-prius-in-2012/

http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=22223

Also..a new tax credit of $5,000 to convert existing Prius' to plug-ins  http://www.cbs12.com/news/cars-4722652-normal-efficiency.html

[EV Dan]

^^What??  You mean there's an EV you're not on top of??  WTF??   

There are many links floating on the net though.

http://toyotapriusplugin.com/  (with videos)

http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/toyota-to-mass-produce-plug-in-prius-in-2012/

http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=22223

Also..a new tax credit of $5,000 to convert existing Prius' to plug-ins  http://www.cbs12.com/news/cars-4722652-normal-efficiency.html

LOL. Well, I am puzzled with the 1.8L/100km claim; I don't see it happening with just a change in battery chemistry. If the calculation includes the "free" 20 km range, just as in Volt's 230 mpg claim, then maybe... but both are misleading IMO. There simply should be 2 mileages for plugin hybrids, one Miles/kWh and the other is normal MPG.

[articsteve]

The new Prius, either a station wagon or SUV, is set to go on sale by the end of next year. It will be the first from Toyota Motor Corp. with a lithium-ion battery, which is more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride battery, now in its hybrids, according to the nationally circulated Yomiuri newspaper.

Toyota, the world's top automaker, declined comment on product plans.

The Yomiuri said the Prius will sell for about 2 million yen ($22,000), but did not give details.

Toyota leads rivals in hybrids, especially in Japan, where government ecological incentives have made it a top-seller for months.

Introducing a model with a more powerful battery could help widen Toyota's lead over rivals, at a time when Japan's No. 2 automaker Honda Motor Co. has been aggressive with hybrid offerings, such as the Insight.

Automakers have all been working on next-generation batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, similar to the kind used in laptops and other gadgets, require technological improvements before they can be used in cars because they tend to be more delicate and prone to heating problems.

Toyota has been working on lithium-ion batteries for years, and has a joint venture with Japanese electronics maker Panasonic Corp. to develop them for cars.

[G35X]

“ To maintain highway speeds, most cars need in the 11kW (15HP) range. In practical terms, the generator should have no trouble maintaining the battery… “ – Sir Osis of Liver

To maintain highway speeds… yes, performance wise on a flat road.  But, when the SOC came down to 30% the Volt goes into the charge sustaining mode (limp home mode) starting up the anaemic (for a 4000Lb car) sub-100HP ICE, then the smooth whine of the electric motor is mixed with the vibration and noise of the four banger. And, when acceleration or going up hill is required, the reserve power in the battery is rather limited and won’t allow much prolonged time doing the duty called for.  It is very unlikely that the Volt’s “driving feel” is same when on EV mode or charge-sustaining mode.   

I think GM engineers are still struggling to make the Volt drive like an ordinary car without excuses. (Remember the first generation Prius and Insight?) Maybe this was the reason why GM did not allow the press to drive the mule in the CS mode.