over the back fence
Rumors of tomorrow's "
important changes" at GM have approached a fevered pace, but the latest one we've heard is coming directly from someone who's directly related to someone who could be directly affected if the rumor is true. So, it must be true, right? Anyway, we've just been told by the family of a
Chevy Volt engineering team member that not only is the untouchable Volt program on hold, GM's even letting some of the engineering team, aka "the chosen people," go. Hit the jump for the full rumor.
UPDATE: One PR source is telling us this morning that the Volt program is definitely not on hold and another is telling us all options are still on the table. We guess we'll find out later today. UPDATE #2: We're now being told, more vigorously this time, that there's no plan to cut the program.
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paris auto show
Ever wonder what the plug-in unit for the
Chevy Volt looks like? Well now you know. Here at the
Paris Motor Show the display car is tethered to the very slanted display stand by way of extension cord and locking plug-in mechanism. The power port is, as expected, hidden behind the "Volt" name plate ahead of the mirrors, though we expected it would flip up, apparently the plate slides forward. Pretty trick-looking if you ask us.
2011 chevrolet volt
Edmunds Inside Line is reporting the
Chevy Volt apparently doesn't use the engine to recharge its batteries while driving, going against what every media outlet —
CNBC, the buff books and every web site including this one — have reported as fact for the past two years. Confusion apparently stems from a press release issued when the concept version of the Chevy Volt was first revealed in 2007 indicating:
"When the battery is depleted, a 1-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at a constant speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to create electricity and replenish the battery."
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chevy volt
Thanks to the folks at
GM-Volt.com, you can now not only see the
Chevy Volt slowly moving on a GM road course, you can see it with a soundtrack! Yes friends, a spaceship-like sedan apparently deserves Coldplay, as its spacey sprocket of an unofficial musical accompaniment. Check it out below the jump and tell us in the comments how long you were able to watch before the music became too annoying to bear any longer. We made it nine seconds.
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chevy volt
Yesterday's
reveal of the production
Chevy Volt got us thinking we should take a closer look at the design features, both inside and out, that make GM's plug-in hybrid unique. We've picked out five exterior and an equal number of interior design elements we feel are most important, and taken a little deeper look at each. Without further ado, hit the jump for our top ten key design elements that make the Volt so...eclectically electric.
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2011 chevrolet volt
Oh sure, the exterior's hot for a plug-in appliance, but the interior's just as slick. In fact, it's on the inside of the Volt where some of the biggest differences from concept to production were made. We sat down with Volt styling guru Bob Boniface, and let him give us the scoop on all that is interesting on the inside of the car. Here's the top five.
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2011 chevrolet volt
It's been four years since the world's largest automaker (arguably) began work on reviving the electric car and almost two years after the concept was first revealed on the stage of the Detroit Auto Show, and seeing the Volt's shiny exterior up close we can say, yes, it's nothing like the look of the sleek, low-to-the-ground concept with vented windows we've seen toted out for every show over the past two years. But, that's not to say it's bad. In fact, it's quite a sharp looking extended-range electric vehicle. We sat down with a ruler and compass and here's the five features we want to make sure you take note of.
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2011 chevrolet volt
At GM's "blogger town hall" at the end of yesterday's
Chevy Volt unveil, the General's Vice Chairman and product czar,
"Maximum" Bob Lutz, made mention to a Volt feature we hadn't yet heard about, and is even more techie-cool than the iPod-like interface on the center stack. Apparently, the Volt will "know how far you are from home" using what we're assuming is an on-board GPS system. The plug-in electric extended range hybrid's computer will then use that distance, along with route information, to determine how long the car needs to run the gas engine to charge the on-board battery pack, allowing the vehicle to truly maximize fuel economy. Even if you're not drinking the GM Kool-Aid, you've got to be wow'ed by a system like that — as long as it actually works. Read the full quote from "The" Bob after the galleries and the jump below.
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2011 chevrolet volt
The finale of GM's centennial celebration today was the official reveal of the production
2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first official plug-in hybrid production vehicle from a major auto manufacturer. Details are slim, but what we know is this — GM calls it an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), it has a top speed of 100 mph and 40 miles on all-electric based on the EPA city cycle. The rest of what we know, plus the official press release, are below the jump.
More on the Chevy Volt:
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chevy volt
An aspiring designer at
GMInsideNews has taken it upon himself to restyle the
Chevy Volt, responding to criticism that the plug-in corporate savior is a bit on the bland side. Aside from applying a selection of questionable hues to the Volt, he sketched in "lightning bolt zigzag style headlights" in an effort to give the design some teeth. The beltline has also been jacked into a
pseudo-G6 high-rise tribute, resulting in an effort that's arguably more derivative than the
prevealed Volt we've already seen. What do you think? Full renderings in technicolor goodness after the jump.
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