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)?
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