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A123Systems Inc. has already made 10 million long lasting nanophosphate based lithium-ion batteries - enough to power 100,000 hybrid vehicles. (http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/08/chevy-volt-the-.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/volt.jpgMichelle Krebs – Edmunds Auto Observer – Aug. 10, 2007

Although the final product may not look like the Volt we saw unveiled in Detroit, the underlying technology is being redied on a very fast track.

After announcing Thursday that it had signed a contract with a little-known Massachusetts company to develop lithium-ion batteries, General Motors hosted a dinner to introduce the growing team of engineers working on the electric-powered Chevrolet Volt and the newly signed-on battery makers.

David Cole, Ph.D., chairman for the Center of Automotive Research, which hosted the conference at which GM made its announcement, sat next to me. As the discussions with the engineers and, in particular, the battery developers grew deeper throughout the evening, Cole, a retired professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, could not stop saying: “Wow.”

By evening’s end, Cole, who’s privy to lots of inside information at all the auto companies and has served on boards of technical companies, said he was now very optimistic about the future prospects for the Volt and subsequent GM electrified vehicles. “This is the game changer” unlike anything he’d seen in his long automotive career, he said.

Indeed, if GM succeeds with electrified vehicles like the Volt, the automaker may well turn the auto industry and nearly every business model within it on its ear –- from the kinds of cars we drive (electric versus gasoline) to the way consumers buy cars.

Cole sees the biggest risk to GM’s venture as something seemingly simple: cheap gas.

Engineering, Not Invention

Cole’s optimism stems from the fact that, in contrast to what he and many of us thought was required for lithium-ion batteries for the Volt, was invention. Instead, it is engineering that is required.

The science is done and proven for the lithium-ion chemistry, not only in the lab but in the real world. In fact, the batteries are already in manufacturing and in commercial use on a massive scale … http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/08/chevy-volt-the-.html

Thanks Igor!

I really hope they don't go with leased batteries unless the monthly lease is less than like $30/mo.

It certainly gives them a lot of publicity.
For diehard EVer wannabes (myself included) 2010 seems to be worth waiting for, Volt, MieV, Subaru R1e, Tesla Sedan..nice to have a choice

I have to admit I dont like fabless US companies. If you do not control the production, how do you control the quality?

The journalist? probably is confused about mass and weight, I presume 20% less volume.
Quote:
And lithium-ion batteries are the only way to go, primarily they are 40 percent lighter and have 20 percent less mass than do nickel-metal hydride batteries.


Best of Luck
Andrew

Me too, Tom! I also hope to heaven they actually do produce this vehicle -- and do it on time! This is absolutely the right direction to take automotive technology. Not to mention that once these things are in service you could swap out the engine for anything that would work to generate more electricity. You could take it out altogether and add more batteries if you liked!

I want one of these things, and I want it YESTERDAY!!

I think they really are serious this time. This year's crop of behemoths was due to an appalling lack of vision about 5 years ago (product development takes a lot more time than you would think). I'm sure there were many top-level meetings discussing whether to finish off this year's designs, or free up resources to develop high FE cars that can compete today.

I hope the journalist was confused about the size of the range extender engine, too. 3.0L? Perhaps 3 cylinders instead.

the journalist doesn't seem very bright. So in total it's 60% lighter? 40% lighter + 20% less mass?

Also, as per Chevrolet's site, the volt is powered by a 53 kW direct engine-mounted generator and 3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled ICE. :p


I would buy one in a heartbeat. :D

Just get the thing in production already! :)

3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled ICE.
Interesting. At least one and possibly two turbocharged (and I think intercooled) Honda Insights with 3cyl 1.0L ICE's are running around the US right now. Smaller than the Volt concept of course. Extensive details on the Insight forum.

People usually don't speak in terms of mass and percent in their daily conversation. Journalists aren't engineers - they are, like, translators or artists? And I think the journalist did a decent job painting a picture here: This has the potential (pun intended?) to be a big change, it sounds like GM is serious about this, they are trying to market this to the masses (not just, uh, FE "enthusiasts" like us?), and that they are aware of the competition. And the bit about the menu at the end of the article was a nice way to connect the past to the possible future.

I never heard about battery placement effecting handling qualities.

I'm not a GM fan, but like others, I'm crossing my fingers.

Thanks,

Bob

I never heard about battery placement effecting handling qualities.

You want 50/50 front to rear. Too much up front, too much understear. Too much in the back, oversteer i.e. "fishtailing" and hard to control handling a la VW Bug, Corvair, etc.

Too much up front, too much understear. Too much in the back, oversteer i.e. "fishtailing"
You have it reversed. Weight in the front will improve the front tire's traction (to turn) So:

Too much up front, too much oversteer i.e. "fishtailing". Too much in the back, understeer i.e. slide to the outside of the turn.

Yep, weight distribution is very important in racing.

GM can do great things with this technology, as long as they don't let the bean-counters make the decisions.

Do it right, or don't bother. Don't let the bean-counters cheapen any of the components, sacrificing reliability for an extra $500 in profits.

There are too many GM horror stories, like converting a gasoline V-8 into a diesel, and the Chevy Vega engine block, to make me feel all that confident in GM pulling this off.

Harry

I'm wondering if GM has adequate experience in small engines, if they're talking about a 1.0L 3 cyl ICE. Farming it out to another manufacturer could cause a different set of problems.

And since this is so far just a concept car, it seems to morph quite a bit (maybe that was the idea!).

Wow, things are progressing quickly. And with the battery technology maturing fast, they should be. Building a series hybrid should not be rocket science. Except for the batteries we're talking about a drivetrain that has been used in locomotives for decades.

Hi All:

___The 08 Saturn VUE PHEV is on the road today w/ 7 kWh of Li-Ion’s no less. I was actually speaking to an engineer who was behind the wheel of one last January! The “VOLT” is an afterthought even if it is going to be a brand new series hybrid. They are designing a car from scratch which takes time; the propulsion system is the easy part imho.

___As for the 1.0L ICE, the European’s have the 1.0L GM Ecotech today. Whether GM brings that one over or builds something completely different (I secretly wish for a .6L diesel myself ;)), it too is a done deal. GM is one heck of a huge company with resources all over the globe. The real question is will they make the “Volt” a practical looker or an ugly duckling. The stuff underneath (A123System Li-Ion’s, an extremely robust MGSet, and an ICE that runs almost steady state whenever it does run) makes the quality and longevity capability of the propulsion system underneath moot. If GM does the “VOLT” right, we should see one of the highest rated GM products ever to be built in North America right off the assembly line simply because the PHEV parts are so much more robust then anything they currently offer. I suspect GM will do a great job on the E-Flex platform but it remains to be seen what it will look and perform like in the real world.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

it would be good if it came in a handy carrying case where I could store it along with my battery powered drill, sawzall and snakelight :)