As GM (Volt) Goes... so goes the nation

There will be no Volts for now. A GM representative was on the news earlier tonight, saying that the Volt's transmission is made in Japan, and production of that part is currently on hold.

Other GM vehicles, assembled in the United States are on hold due to Japanese parts:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/business/global/18auto.html?src=twrhp

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^^ Interesting. Japan Quake Aftermath May Disrupt Supply of Chevy Volt Transmission is vague.

Side note: The Volt isn't assembled in Louisiana.

 

Wow. One word can make a big difference. The OR should be an AND. The Volt does not use the gas engine during most highway driving under electric mode. Once the battery is low AND the car is at highway speeds the gas engine is used to drive the wheels.

 

Wrong. There is no shortage of Volt trannies. The part is made in Japan but the volumes of the Volt are so low they have a supply. The article mentions a pickup that they are out of transmissions for.

"In an e-mail response to a telephone query Thursday from Inside Line, General Motors spokesman Rob Peterson said, "Volt production is currently not impacted by the crisis in Japan. We continue to monitor the situation closely as we do for all GM products.""

 

Looks like the "Made in America" boasting was just hype. With the battery coming from Korea and the transmission from Japan, it's about as pure as the "no gas" claims.

357 are listed as available for immediate purchase on AutoTrader right now. So, there's little concern about inventory at the moment anyway.
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357 of them?! That should last until next decade...

 

The battery cells come from Korea but the battery unit is made here. That does keep a substantial amount of the labor here in the USA.

The transmission is made by the same company in Japan that made the Prius Gen2 PSD.

 

More like 1 to 1.5 months.

 

"It turns out that the premium-fuel fired engine does drive the wheels" I am confused. Are they saying that there is a mechanical linkage between the ICE Engine and the drive train, and that GM has been lying about, and hoping no one would notice? That sounds crazy. Confirmation anyone?

 

Another possibility is that their battery pack cannot or isnt designed for the current pull required at higher highway speeds, so running the engine generates enough to overcome that? Just another guess. It would mean they werent lying, they just didn't design it well.

 

It uses a power split device and three clutches, giving it a "series" mode (MG2 powers the wheels, MG1 is spun by the ICE, and MG1 is disconnected from the PSD) an EV-only mode (MG2 powers the wheels, and MG1 is used as an E-CVT to reduce MG2 speed, ICE is disconnected from PSD) and a parallel mode (MG2 powers the wheels, the ICE spins MG1, and MG1 is operating as both E-CVT and electrical generator, all are connected to PSD)

So it functions the same way as the prius with one advantage, it can run in EV mode at any speed without overspeeding MG1 or spinning the ICE (even gen3 must spin the ICE with no fuel over 46mph) but the disadvantage is it requires 3 clutches, and presumably the mechanical switch between modes cannot be as fast as the prius switch which is software only.

 

The gas engine can drive the wheels as low as 30 MPH.

 

GM Lied: Chevy Volt Is Not a True EV

Inside Line article said the gas engine would turn the wheels near 70 mph. Since then GM engineer accurately stated that it really depends on the torque demand and it could be as low as 30 MPH.

 

The "same ol' - same ol' GM P.R. spin is just around the corner:
"No one wants hybrids & EV's ... we just proved it, by trying to sell one ... both being wrapped in the one car ... the Volt"

How much is Lutz getting for retirement?

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They want hybrids and EV's, they just want them sized in an equinox(rav4), traverse(highlander), tahoe(sequoia) size. When that happens they will sell like crazy.

Why the despise of Lutz? He is not pc, but he has a pretty sterling track record in the automotive world, startin gwith BMW in the 70's.

 

Malorn ! ! . . . you're back!
Remember you said you'd sell me a Volt when they finally came out?
Um . . . looks like you won't have to, with so many of them languishing on the market. What a shame ... GM gearing up to make 100,000 of 'em per year. Sheesh 100,000 Volts a year ... it's like GM building 100,000 Hummers a year ... never thinking that people don't want 'em. It's very sad the the higher ups at GM just won't listen.

And by the way . . . this aint the 1970's any more ... only GM still hasn't realized that yet. And here we are with Gas going up to $4 / gallon. How's things at the dealership btw. It must be hard trying to sell escalades at a time like this ... or a 37mpg hybrid touted as "made in the USA" ... only not.

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If we want answers to how and why the Volt works Hobbit needs to get his hands on one and take that puppy apart.

 

Right now they are only available in a handful of states(not including mine). Huge mistake. My stores have 8 sold orders sitting unfulfilled.

 

I'm not going to bash the Volt until it's actually released here, I've driven one and made my mind up. All this assumes they will actually release one over here in 2012, which judging by the sales in the US might not happen.

GM do seem to be giving it a half hearted marketing campaign. You'd expect to see Volts product placed everywhere.