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BIG NEWS from Bob Lutz: First Chevy Volt Prototype Hits the

gm-volt.com — the plug-in hybrid chevy volt might actually happen in november 2010!

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  • mbartosik, on 05/15/2008, -0/+0Only a few weeks after Bob Lutz had said it would be. Great progress for a project of this scale.
  • drake77, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2This is very good news for GM, and the world.
  • brosenau, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Since the entire concept of the electric car is to decrease dependence on gasoline, why not take the next logical step and install photovoltaic panels (solar panels) directly into the roof, deck lid, and hood? This makes perfect sense; harness the power of the sun to charge the batteries for free instead of "plugging in" at night. Since the statistical analysis supports the idea that most people drive less than 40 miles back and forth to work, why not utilize the sun's power to charge the batteries while the car is sitting in the parking lot??? I believe the newest solar panels can be made to act or look like sun roofs or something similar that will still be cosmetically appealing. If you agree with this concept, post your comments! I put my name on the list and let the GM folks know that I would buy one the minute it came off the assembly line.
  • kelemvor33, on 05/15/2008, -0/+0SOlar panels would be great but they are still cost prohibitive and woudl make this car extremely expensive.

    Gotta work this in baby steps and get this one out the door and then work on future enhancements as solar panel technology gets bigger and hopefully cheaper.
  • ericepps, on 05/15/2008, -0/+0solar panels would be a great aftermarket add-on and could help on long trips as well as when sitting in the parking lot. I'd still want to have the plug for backup, though, for rainy days, etc.
  • cwienands, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Don't have the numbers at hand but even if you covered the whole car with a PV panel, you wouldn't get very far with that. Why wait until GM brings out a Volt with solar cells? Put a couple kW PV installation on your roof. Free fuel for life :-)
  • jkutti2000, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Yup. covering the entire car would not make a big difference. Also, the dirt .grime. etc. dings etc. would become a maintenance nightmare. don't we use a trickle PV charger to keep our battery fully charged: also use a trickle charge to vent out hot air.
    http://www.homeandbeyond.com/prod-0153281.html?

    I am for the idea of having PV cells array at home and using that to charge the car. when ever possible. Well , if you live in a windy area, prop up a small wind generator, whatever is the best: and charge your car. for free.
    the list could be endless.
    Also, how about a fold out roof Solar panel which is enclosed just like a convertible. and on a click of a button opens out 3-4 fold to cover a bigger space and that is used to re charge the car , at appropriate times/locations?
  • sma4p, on 05/15/2008, -0/+0This is excellent news that the 40 mile range was hit in a Chevy Malibu Volt-prototype (which will probably be heavier and less aerodynamic than the production Volt car) with an implied production Volt-sized battery pack, which I assume went into their previously released $35K car price estimate. With these results GM could reduce the battery pack size for their lighter, more efficient production Volt to save production costs yet still hit their 40 mile mark, making a $35K or cheaper Volt more likely and more profitable for GM. With a likely Democratic presidency and congress before the scheduled Nov 2010 release and legislated incentives (tax credits) for plug-in hybrids and the ever-increasing price of gas driving drivers to more fuel efficient cars, I imagine the Volt will be in very high demand once it's released in late 2010 and car dealerships will be adding a $ premium to the car's cost, just like car dealerships did with the Toyota Prius when the Prius had tax incentives for buying it and people realized that fuel costs were just going to keep going up, so the initial cost could very well be above $35K. All I can say to GM is "you better make this car soon, as I've been avoiding buying a new car lately awaiting the Chevy Volt!"
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