Chevy Volt is GM's number one priority
Still planned for November 2010Frank Weber, Global Vehicle Line Executive of the Chevy Volt, told a group of reporters today that the Volt was now GM's "number one priority", and that "several hundred engineers are now feverishly working on this project."
To prove the point, reporters were shown the Chevy Volt that has been road tested for the last 6 months with NiMH batteries, as the first lithium-ion battery packs underwent lab testing. By the end of April, however, the same road-tested Volt will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries, and by June there will be about a dozen lithium-powered Volts undergoing every type of testing imaginable.
Finish: Chevy Volt is GM's number one priority
Labels: Chevy Volt electric vehicle concept, lithium battery
posted by Dahcredyns at
1:44 PM
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Frank Weber, Global Vehicle Line Executive of the Chevy Volt, told a group of reporters today that the Volt was now GM's "number one priority", and that "several hundred engineers are now feverishly working on this project."
To prove the point, reporters were shown the Chevy Volt that has been road tested for the last 6 months with NiMH batteries, as the first lithium-ion battery packs underwent lab testing. By the end of April, however, the same road-tested Volt will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries, and by June there will be about a dozen lithium-powered Volts undergoing every type of testing imaginable.
To illustrate GM's seriousness, reporters were treated to GM's 3D Global Visualization Center and its role in Volt engineering, actual lithium battery tests, wind tunnel tests, and even a few glimpses of the absolute latest Volt design updates - both interior and exterior. And, yes, the Volt has changed. The proportions of the vehicle have been altered rather dramatically to improve aerodynamics - the Volt is longer so Camaro-looking.
GM still has a lot of testing and a lot of engineering to finish before the Volt hits the road, but as Frank Weber stated numerous times today, the Volt is not a "theory" or even a "concept". It is real and GM is prepared to do "whatever it takes" to put the Volt on the road in November 2010.
I wish I could have seen the performance of the NiMH Volt. Also, I really wish I knew the exact cost of using Lithium as opposed to the NiMH in the beginning. Would GM really need "hundreds of engineers" if a proven NiMH pack was used in the Volt 1.0?
Thanks for the good story!
They talked about NiMH versus lithium. For example, the Volt is using the same battery design, a T, that was used in the EV1 for the Volt, but the lithium pack is much smaller and lighter.
The NiMH pack being used in the Volt mule - it has a Malibu body right now - only provides about 1 mile of electric range, but it enabled GM to test out much of the rest of the E Flex drive.
One of their battery experts also stated that NiMH batteries weren't feasible for a range extended plug-in vehicle like the Volt.
NiMH is a power battery, unlike lithium which offers power and energy. This offers a wider state of charge and deeper cycling - more flexibility - for the battery intensive Volt.
NiMH would work better on a Prius plug-in, for example. Still, because lithium retains energy better than NiHM, it offers more potential for any battery powered vehicle.
Also, in terms of mass-production, NiMH has materials issues, so if millions of NiMH vehicles started being produced each year, competition for materials would quickly elevate battery costs. On the other hand, according to A123, America's entire fleet of automobiles could be converted into lithium vehicles without any materials shortages. Ultimately, economies of scale significantly favor lithium in the long term.
GM did give props to the EV1, which GM claimed provided the necessary knowledge to develop the dual mode hybrid powertrain, and the dual mode powertrain led to the foundation of the E Flex drive.
Interesting. Li is much more scarce than Ni by an order of 4....80 ppm (in the Earth's crust) for Ni and 20 for Li. This makes me question the argument against Ni and its rising cost in the face of increased demand.
Here is an article excerpt from the "Resource Investor":
"The Prius assembly plant in Japan has so far used one and 1.5 million rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs and achieved with them some of the lowest numbers of service issues ever seen in the OEM automotive industry. In fact most of the original Prius rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery packs have exceeded their 8-year 100,000 mile warranty and are still functioning."
Also, we know the Toyota RAV4 EV battery packs are just as stout. So for me, NiMH is proven, abundant and not overpriced. This is why I keep questioning the Li bandwagon. I want it to work, but why can't we use NiMH for now?
Finally, by my calculations, a 300 to 350 pound NiMH battery pack would give the Volt the 40 mile range it needs, the 10 year warranty, the desired performance with a very doable pack weight.
Thanks again for sharing what you are observing there. I guess I need to let the NiMH thing go....
Do you think that sourcing that much Li is going to prove a threat to mass-scale production of the Volt? Also, where is the Li mined? Are we going to be held captive to some third world dictator's "nationalized" market, or will it be mined locally (or at least in North America)?
You're kind of naive to believe GM on this score. NiMH is NOT a power battery!
The Toyota RAV4-EV uses NiMH as an ENERGY battery, still running after 7 years, last sold in Nov., 2002.
GM has no answer for why it's not using NiMH. The reason I think is because they don't want to make it, and, since NiMH (or lead-acid, for that matter) would work, GM won't use those proven batteries.
The 1997 and 1999 EV1 with PSB EVEC-1260 lead-acid batteries went over 100 miles on a charge (1300 lbs. for 18 kWh).
The 1999 EV1 with GM-Ovonics (inferior) NiMH batteries went 140 EPA miles on 26 kWh (1000 lbs.).
GM, in 1998, put a gas engine genset on an EV1 and had an EREV back then.
Now, GM is just lying, refusing to make the EV until the furor dies down.
I, too, would like more info on the NiMH they put in the mule. To say it went 1 mile all-electric is meaningless without information. How big was the pack? I'll bet that "T" wasn't full! I know how good NiMH IS proving. I drive a RAV4EV with 65,000 miles. Getting over 100 mi range with full power.
That said, I hope for the best. Clock is ticking.
Is NiMH technologically sufficient for EVs? Obviously, but that isn't the real question. The real question is, is it cost-effective?
Even Toyota, which has invested a massive amount of money in developing its Nickel and copper supply chains for hybrid vehicles has stated that NiMH was "cost-prohibitive" to pure electric vehicles. They've also said it wasn't cost-effective for a plug-in Prius hybrid.
Today, hybrid sales are crashing, and part of the reason for that is the price of gas. So, how would much more expensive EV sales be today?
I'm supposed to believe that consumers would be buying 100 mile EVs that take 6 hours to charge for at least $20,000 more than a Prius?
Certainly, some hardcore environmentalists or energy security hawks would, but not most Americans.
Study after study, for instance, shows that the majority of consumers are interested in hybrids, but they don't want to pay extra for them up front, even if there is a long term financial gain.
Studies also show that Americans have come to demand a refueling range - in gas vehicles - of around 300 miles. Is this rationale? Do they really need that much range?
It doesn't matter. That's what consumers want.
Major automakers are completely dependent upon economies of scale - that means it takes millions of units to achieve profitability.
Do you really believe a $40,000 two seat EV1 could sell millions of units (and GM probably still wouldn't have made a profit at that price)?
Consumers would never come close to recovering those costs compared to a similarly sized gas vehicle. In fact, you would lose many thousands of dollars.
Most Americans would never spend that kind of money to do the right thing.
I'm sorry, I just don't believe it. Let's be frank the American auto consumer is largely selfish and ignorant.
Also, the battery requirements in a vehicle like the Volt are much different than in a vehicle like the RAV EV. Still, I'm not going to get into battery technology, but just look at the battery industry. The battery industry is moving 100 percent towards lithium, as is every automaker.
It's not just GM saying NiMH isn't viable for EVs, its EVERY automaker. It's the battery industry.
Also, for those that don't believe that NiMH supply isn't an issue, I have an exec from BHP, a top nickel mining company claiming that "the long term nickel market remains structurally tight".
Check out the price spike in 2006 and 2007 for Nickel. If you believe that China is going to continue to grow then that means a massive increase in steel, which means there will be huge competition for Nickel.
In order to meet this demand, new Nickel mining methods will be required, which could be more expensive, they might also be more damaging to the environment.
The supply of Nickel is tight, just ask anybody whom has traded nickel in the last 5 years whether there are supply and demand issues.
For EV1.org people.
Lies? GM only talks to bloggers?
Please. During this press conference, at just one dinner, I sat at the same table as reporters from the DetroitNews, Financial Times, Edmunds and BusinessWeek. I also had a nice conversation with the car editor of Popular Mechanics.
That was just one table. So, who is telling lies?
BTW - My battery expert was Denise Gray. Feel free to check out her credentials. Of course, she works for GM, so I assume her job was just to lie to auto reporters.
Re: the dual mode hybrid powertrain. GM was the lead on that technology, and there are elements of electrification in the dual mode hybrid. To suggest that GM wouldn't learn anything about the electric drive components of hybrid technology due to its EV1 experience has to be one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard.
If GM intends to sell the Volt they better get in gear, because
China is going to take the market
before GM gets their head out.
GM will sell the Volt, but can they sell it cost-effectively? That's the real question, in my opinion. I'd say gas better be at least 4 or 5 dollars by 2011, or GM doesn't have a chance. Of course, GM won't be selling 100,000 Volts per year until at least 2014, and with all the tax credits available for battery powered cars, GM would be stupid not to develop the Volt.
Even just 25,000 Volts per year gives them a lot of fodder for green marketing.
Nonetheless, ultimately, China can manufacture both the car and the battery far cheaper than we can in America. That obstacle is going to be hard for any US manufacturer to overcome without a further collapse of the US economy (which would make US wages more competitive) or some serious protectionism.
Yet, it isn't just American manufacturers that have to worry about China, it's Japanese automakers as well.
why does'nt g.m use the firefly battery developed by caterpiler engineers?
Someone has to manufacture the battery, and have the ability to mass-produce the battery.
When GM put out the request for proposals for its battery contract, only two companies were able to meet all of GM's requirements.
Things might be different now, and I'm sure that GM is investigating all possibilities. Still, there are a lot of variables.
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