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Working with Argonne National Labs to get PHEV into showrooms by 2010. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19938313)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/548/Resize_of_Volt_Front_View.jpgKevin Tibbles & Alex Johnson - MSNBC - July 24, 2007

DETROIT - General Motors already has five hybrid vehicles on the road, but it is banking its future on a radical departure onto the green road: By 2010, the automaker hopes to have a plug-in electric passenger car in customers’ driveways.

“I love delivering the unexpected. And right now, the unexpected is a General Motors vehicle that uses no fuel,” said Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman of product development, who introduced the Chevrolet Volt concept car to enormous attention in January at the North American International Automotive Show in Detroit.

For Lutz, who was brought out of retirement six years ago to rethink GM’s product line, the Volt is quite a turnaround. Better known as the father of the high-powered gas-guzzling Dodge Viper, Lutz, 75, once dismissed Toyota’s gas-electric hybrid Prius as a publicity stunt.
… http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19938313

Argonne National Laboratory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonne_National_Laboratory) in Chicago had a Geo Metro on display during HybridFest

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/565/dsc01146.jpg

They got the weight down to 1200 pounds and converted it to a serial hybrid to test GM Volt technology. The hatchback has a lightweight 90hp engine dedicated to simply generate electricity.


http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/565/dsc01147.jpg
This is the engine

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/565/dsc01145.jpg

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/565/dsc01137.jpg
A Saturn VUE - Another Argonne project vehicle

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/565/dsc01135.jpg
Mods to Saturn VUE

Facts... Wrong...

is a “flex” engine that can be recharged by plugging the car into a standard wall outlet for about six hours, unlike today’s hybrids, which recharge their batteries by generating energy during braking.


It still recharges during braking dimwit.

It's just got an open power source instead of a closed one.

Ford says they're getting ready, but the Plug-in Edge according to my info, is a horse of a different color: It's an EV for X miles, then a Hydrogen/Fuel cell vehicle beyond that. No "conventional" hybrid technology included. That may change, but that's the last I heard. (Though the situation may have changed and I missed it.)

General Motors already has five hybrid vehicles on the road
And the MPG of all 5 of them put together doesn't equal a single Prius. :mad:

If they are counting the Silverado, their math is even worse - how can you call it a hybrid if the electric motor does not propel it?

I don't think any of GMs hybrids actually propel the car.

I don't think any of GMs hybrids actually propel the car.

No, they are propelled by PR :p

Hi Delta -

They got the weight down to 1200 pounds and converted it to a serial hybrid to test GM Volt technology. The hatchback has a lightweight 90hp engine dedicated to simply generate electricity.

Is that power rating a typo? The original 3-cyl ICE only produced a max of 55hp.

Any more info available on this test sled? (Sorry if I missed discussion of it in some other thread...)

The drive system appears to be from AC Propulsion - I see their logo in one pic.

I'm also curious about the weight reduction. The stock vehicle weighs around 1830 lbs. The 3-cyl engine, about 140 lbs. Transaxle, about 65. Exhaust system, cooling system & fuel tank can't be more than 150 lbs. Doesn't seem to add up (or subtract down, more correctly)...

Interesting nonetheless. There's a guy in Ottawa who has built a similar vehicle based on a Miata, but using DC components and a small, low-emissions diesel genset mounted in the trunk. Whereas Argonne has cut no corners, and probably dropped $50,000 worth of technology into their $2000 car :)

Hi Darin:
Argonne has cut no corners, and probably dropped $50,000 worth of technology into their $2000 car :)___I suspect more then $100K went into studies and design before they even touched the Metro conversion. My only issue is it this conversion was on tax payer $’s and the Big 3 have either no interest or have yet to use a single discovery the labs have output :angry:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I think it is called hybrid assist(?). All it does is help out with certain functions and raises mpg about a gal. Gee whiz.

--des

Is that power rating a typo? The original 3-cyl ICE only produced a max of 55hp.

The Argonne guy actually said that.

I'm not sure how much good anything coming out of Argonne will be to solving the nations vehicular energy problems. In my mind the standing of Argonne diminished tremendously after hearing Mr. Bohn's presentation at Hybridfest. It seemed as though his primary purpose was to promote GM and Ford. At times it seemed as he was actually demeaning the accomplishments of the other manufacturers. Also in my mind he was interruptive and rude during other presenters talks when the topic did not mesh with his agenda. If what Mr. Bohn presented is the way it really is, most of the current research at Argonne is stuck in the SUV/4x4 frame of mind. It seems as though more meaningful progress is more likely to be made with smaller vehicles. It simply takes a greater amount of energy, regardless where the energy comes from, to get a behemoth started from a stop and to propel it down the road. It is disheartening that taxpayer money is being spent to promote vehicles that are for most part larger than the needs of the vast majority of people just to obtain minuscule mileage improvements. Perhaps the money being spent on developing hybrid SUVs could be better spent on a public service campaign to encourage people to drive vehicles that are more appropriate to their needs.

Hi GreenBlues:

___You are not the first to make comments about the somewhat inaccurate nature of Mr. Bohm’s presentation at HF2007. Maybe inaccurate is the wrong word but the nature of it had some underlying negative connotations wrt many of the attendees real world points of view. I only wish I would have had the time to see it for myself to make my own conclusion(s) :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I love delivering the unexpected. And right now, the unexpected is a General Motors vehicle that uses no fuel.
Yep, that's unexpected all right. I don't expect this car to materialize at my local Chevy dealership within the next 5 years.

Do you expect it to materialize?? Maybe it is another one for the crusher.
Sorry to be so cynical.

--des
Yep, that's unexpected all right. I don't expect this car to materialize at my local Chevy dealership within the next 5 years.

At this point, I'm so pissed off at GM that they'll have to pull something really effing amazing out of their arse to get me to buy anything with their name on it ever again. The nonexistent Volt is a series hybrid. They had a few different varieties of series hybrid versions of the EV1 almost 10 years ago. They weren't vaporware, they actually existed and functioned. How much money did they burn developing that technology only to kill it and hide it from the public? And now they're using Argonne to do their work for them on the taxpayer's dime?!? All the while telling us "the battery isn't ready, the battery isn't ready". Try telling the handful of people driving late '90s RAV-4 EVs with over 100,000 miles on the original packs that the battery isn't ready. Lithium Ion batteries may not be quite ready yet, but it isn't the only bloody option, folks. Use freaking LEAD for all I care. Just put some EVs on the road!

At this point, I'm so pissed off at GM that they'll have to pull something really effing amazing...

At HybridFest bought Sherry Boschert's Plug-in Hybrids. It goes into greater depth than the movie Who Killed the Electric Car. It makes it clear that automakers like GM set up the EV1 and their counterpart vehicles to fail. :mad:

I bought a copy as well, after listening to her presentation on Sunday. Haven't started reading it yet.