Dare to Compare – Chevy Cruze vs. Toyota Corolla

Filed under: General Motors

Chevrolet Volt Takes Home Two Awards

By Tony DiSalle
Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director
GM Fastlane Blog

Since we first revealed the concept version of the Chevrolet Volt on Jan. 7, 2007, we have been working around the clock to bring it to market. There have been many chapters in the Volt story: we’ve refined the design to make it more aerodynamic, developed a strong, long-lasting lithium-ion battery, driven nearly 1.5 million miles testing our pre-production vehicles, and retooled our Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the production models. While we’re still a few weeks away from our first customer delivery, today we’d like to take a moment to celebrate.

The Chevrolet Volt has been named 2011 Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine and 2011 Automobile of the Year by Automobile magazine. It’s a tremendous honor to win these awards. Throughout the Volt’s development, we’ve received praise (and yes, some criticism) from journalists, electric vehicle advocates and everyday consumers interested in our electric vehicle with extended-range. These awards are two proof points to confirm what we’ve always believed – that the Volt is a great vehicle and we’re confident that when the vehicle arrives in showrooms, our owners will feel the same way.

On behalf of our team, thank you to Motor Trend and Automobile for these awards. Also, thanks to all of you for the tremendous amount of interest in the Volt over the years. We look forward to continuing the conversation through the launch of this exciting vehicle.

You can check out Motor Trend’s write-up on the Volt here and Automobile’s write-up here. Also, posted below are videos with the editors of both publications explaining why the Volt was selected for their award.

Filed under: General Motors, Automobile Magazine, automobile of the year, chevrolet, chevrolet volt, General Motors, gm, Motor Trend, motor trend car of the year, volt

How GM Didn’t ‘Lie’ About the Volt, and Why the Press is Wrong

TheCarConnection.com
By Nelson Ireson
Editor
October 11th, 2010

You may have seen this morning’s media frenzy about General Motors’ “lie” about the Volt’s ability to directly drive the wheels with its range-extending gasoline engine. What you may not know is that the publications screaming “lie!” are doing little more than running self-serving, tabloid-worthy headlines.

I’m not typically a fan of electric cars, at least in their current states of being. A car that can’t go from one town to another across the desert Southwest, or which sees drastically reduced performance depending on the weather isn’t really a car, in my book. It’s a toy, a status symbol, a raised nose at the “gas guzzlers” that drive by on their way to some distant destination. But the 2011 Chevy Volt doesn’t fall into that trap.

What the Volt isn’t
In addition to driving 40 miles on nothing but electric power, it carries its own generator on board, making the non-existent national charging network irrelevant. And, as we learned today (though we had off-the-record hints several months ago from some of the Volt’s top team members) it can also use the onboard engine to add some direct power to the wheels once the battery is depleted.

For a person that likes cars, appreciates efficiency, and couldn’t care less about the definitional semantics the rest of the press is engaged in, that’s fantastic. Is it a pure EV? Yes, for the first 40 miles. After that, no, it was never intended to be. Is it a hybrid? Not really, as it can run at highway speeds on nothing but electricity for its stated range of 40 miles, and falls back on mechanical drive power only under certain conditions, which is sort of the inverse of a typical mild hybrid. A plug-in hybrid? Sort of, if you don’t mind blurring a few lines.

The question you might be asking now is, “What, then, IS the Volt?” There’s an answer for that, but first we need some background.

The “lie”
Sampling the buff book testing, since they got their hands on it early and started the “GM lied” hysterics, the Volt is a family sedan that’s capable of real-world mileage in the 30-40 mpg range over a week’s period without any recharging. In other words, the first 40 miles aside, the range-extending system delivers performance about on par with real-world results from the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion, and other comparable hybrids.

The problem the buff books (and a few online outlets parroting their stance) have with the newly-announced ability of the Volt to supplement power with mechanical energy directly from the on-board 1.4-liter four-cylinder, is that it’s no longer purely electric power driving the wheels.

This is a distinction without a difference. You can burn gasoline to spin a generator to charge the batteries to power the electric motors, or you can partially skip the middle man and send some of that gas-generated power straight to the wheels. Either way, gas is burned to turn the wheels.

We’ve tried to contact the Volt team to clarify whether sending enough power from the range extender to the batteries to enable pure electric highway cruising would have necessitated more expensive circuitry, more elaborate cooling, or other elements that would put the car out of its target cost range, but they’re understandably swamped at the moment. We think it’s a reasonable assertion, but we’ll update you with the official word from GM as soon as we can.

Let’s take a look at some of GM’s statements that are ostensibly the source of the “lie.” Inside Line cites lines like “The Chevrolet Volt is not a hybrid. It is a one-of-akind, all-electrically driven vehicle designed and engineered to operate in all climates.” This statement, in light of the ability of the Volt to add direct drive from the onboard engine, isn’t strictly speaking, true. But is it a lie? The Volt is all-electric at any speed for the first 40 or so miles. It’s all-electric in charge-sustaining mode at speeds below 70 mph. In only one circumstance (speed-limit or higher highway driving) does it augment electric drive with mechanical. And even when the mechancial engine is kicking in some power the wheels are simultaneously being driven by the electric motors. If it’s a lie, it’s not one of omission, but of addition.

Jalopnik goes on to construct a quotation from Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah with a strictness that would set even Antonin Scalia’s teeth on edge. Quoting Farah saying, “you’re correct that the electric motor is always powering the wheels, whereas in a typical hybrid vehicle the electric motor and the gasoline engine can power the wheels. The greatest advantage of an extended-range electric vehicle like the Volt is the increased all electric range and the significant total vehicle range combined,” Jalopnik responded with “This meant that the gasoline engine was nothing more than a ‘range extender’ designed to charge the batteries which would allow the electric drivetrain to continue to move the car — and allow GM to claim that the Volt was something different, something new and something worthy of taxpayer dollars. It turns out that’s not correct.”

Actually, that is still correct. It just does something in addition to Farah’s remarks.

What the Volt really is
So what is the Volt? For the first 40 miles (and every 40 miles after that, if you’re in the target market sweet spot) it’s a pure EV. If you want to treat it as such, it’s simply a battery EV with a 40 mile range and a lot of extraneous hardware. Unlike the LEAF or any other number of battery EVs, it won’t leave you stranded if you get out too far without an outlet nearby. And unlike any mass-market hybrid, you can simply charge it each night and go about your 40-miles-or-less daily business without ever dipping into the world’s diminishing supply of dinosaur juice.

Instead of either the battery-only EVs or the standard/plug-in hybrids, the Volt takes a scene from the heavily-sponsored Transformers movies and becomes an EV that generates its own charge from an on-board generator. Drive it around town, it’s still powered purely by the electric motors. It’s still an EV, just drawing its power from its own portable grid. Remember–the grid the LEAF and all other EVs pull their power from burns a considerable bit of coal to produce that electricity, too, but you can’t put a coal-fired powerplant in the back of a LEAF. Sure, the gasoline engine isn’t as efficient or as clean as a powerplant, but now we’re talking differences of degree, not of kind.

But imagine now that your Volt has run out of its battery power, and your return trip necessitates some highway driving. Instead of saying “no sir, charge isn’t high enough for highway speeds,” the system dutifully kicks in and adds a little boost from the combustion engine, allowing you to flow with traffic rather than being an eco-friendly rolling road block. Convenient, confidence-inspiring, and, by the way, something none of those other EVs can do.

Why wait until now to tell us?
So if the Volt’s ability to partially drive the wheels through its on-board engine is actually a very useful feature, why did GM hide that fact? The answer lies in patent applications and corporate competitiveness. If GM had laid all its cards on the table at the outset, you can bet Toyota, Honda, Ford, and others would have been hard at work getting a similar concept built before GM could patent the design. The patent acquisition took time–understandable to anyone who knows anything about the patent process. The result? A (relatively) late-in-the-game announcement of the enhanced drive capability.

But GM almost certainly wasn’t expecting this sort of negative reaction, particularly from the ostensible enthusiasts at the buff books. In fact, in my interview with Rob Peterson back in June, we touched on this very subject as rumors of a direct-drive solution for the Volt’s European cousin, the Ampera, had emerged. He stated only that the Volt would operate purely in electric mode for the first 40 miles, driving at any speed without aid from the combustion engine. As for the possibility of direct drive under other circumstances, Peterson played coy due to the ongoing patent application, but stated clearly that the Volt’s powertrain is a “very innovative solution,” and that there is “no rush on our part to tip our hand to our competitors.” He even said we could expect a good surprise or two as the Volt neared production. We think this is one of them.

Semantic sand castles
Does that mean it’s not an all-electric car the rest of the time? No. It just means that in addition to being an all-electric car, it has some hybrid-like capabilities. So Chevy delivers an EV with 340 miles range and adds in a power boost to maintain highway speeds even when the battery is discharged…and the media complains about it? This does not compute.

Put another way, if you drive your LEAF toward the end of its battery range, even if you have a charger waiting at the other end of the road, it’ll stick you in a speed-limited “limp home” mode. The Volt’s “limp home mode” lets you drive on the freeway at the cost of a little electrical purity. The arbiters of Green Morality may cringe, but at least you’ll make it home in time to get the kids to soccer practice.

The “GM lied” fanatics can build their semantic sand castles and kick down GM’s own all day long, but at the end of the day, this “lie” means the Volt is more capable than any other vehicle in its class. Is a flashy headline really worth dragging what may be the best EV/hybrid/futuremobile/whatever through the mud over a case of dubitable nomenclature? Apparently, to some, it is.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet, chevrolet volt, chevy, electric car, EV, General Motors, gm, hybrid, volt

GM to Feature Recycled Oil Spill Booms in New Cars

Greenopolis.com

Trish Smith

by The Green Grove

Remember all those oil absorbent booms that were used to clean up the massive Gulf Coast oil spill? Despite looking like long tubes of overstuffed socks, they’re great for absorbing and containing oil-based liquids. They were definitely useful for the Gulf Coast oil spill, and now they’re going to be useful for General Motors. GM has decided to reuse these booms and turn them into car parts such as air dams and water deflectors.

According to an article in GreenTechMedia, John Bradburn, a member of GM’s Global Environmental Programs department, said “As early as next week, we will be making parts out of the absorbent booms from the Gulf.”  That was said on September 22, so GM should be well on its way to thoroughly cleaning, recycling and installing the booms in their cars. I do hope they thoroughly clean the oil from each boom. The last thing you need is the pungent odor of oil overpowering your new car smell.

This green initiative is a part of GM’s overall reusing and recycling strategy. GM already recycles 90% of its waste, and has generated $2.5 million in revenue since 2007 because of its recycling efforts. Plus, the company has a history of using material like recycled cardboard and tires in its new cars.

Filed under: General Motors, bp, chevrolet, General Motors, gm, gulf oil spill, recycled oil booms

We are so excited for the new Cruze!

Here are a few of the New Cruze commercials if you haven’t seen them yet take a look.  The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze should be arriving here soon! 

Filed under: General Motors

Chevrolet Suburban At 75: A Historical Look At An American Icon

Press Release

In 1935, the United States’ population was a little more than 127 million. A first-class stamp cost three cents, Technicolor was introduced to motion pictures and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Chicago Cubs in a tough World Series. It was also the year Chevrolet introduced the Suburban.

In the seven and a half decades since its introduction, the Suburban became an icon and the industry’s longest-running model. In fact, Suburban is the first vehicle to reach 75 years of production and Chevrolet is commemorating the milestone with a special 2010 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition model.

“Times have changed, but the Suburban remains a fixture in the industry for private and professional customers who need truck-like towing capability with maximum passenger and cargo space,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “The Suburban’s core capabilities and dependability have remained constant for more than seven decades and generations of people know that a Suburban will haul people and their gear.”

The original Suburban could seat eight, while easily removable seats provided a large, 75-inch-long by 77-inch-high (1,905 x 1,956 mm) cargo area. The 2010 Suburban seats up to nine, but offers up to 137.4 cubic feet (3,891 L) of cargo space when the second-row seats are folded and third-row seats are removed.

History of an icon
The idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

Bodywork for these early vehicles often consisted of wood sides and canvas tops; and while they were versatile, their car-based chassis and damage-prone bodies were compromises. Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was launched in 1935.

The base price of the original, eight-passenger Suburban was about $675, or the equivalent of about $10,900 in 2010 dollars – although the 1935 model didn’t come with frontal and side air bags, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, anti-lock brakes and stability control, a six-speed automatic transmission or remote keyless entry. In fact, a radio, heater, clock and even a rear bumper were extra-cost options. It might well have been called a sport utilitarian vehicle.

After the Suburban’s introduction, car-based commercial vehicles, including sedan deliveries, remained in production, but the heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers. In the post-World War II years, its popularity with private customers who appreciated its uncompromising capabilities increased steadily.

The Chevrolet Suburban hit the mainstream in the early 1990s, with the overall popularity of sport-utility vehicles. But while many customers were new to the Suburban then, it had garnered a legion of longtime owners who had purchased multiple examples over the years – using them to haul Little League teams and their equipment, tow a horse trailer or seat a work crew on the way to a job site.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet, chevy, General Motors, gm, suburban

Lets talk about the Chevy Cruze! (with videos)

Everyone here at Rosedale Chevrolet is super excited about the new Chevy Cruze and are ready for it to start hitting showfloors sometime this fall. I thought we should post some articles and videos to share with you all that makes this vehicle so special!

Officially Official: Chevy Cruze To Start Under $17,000
by Manoli Katakis GMAuthority.com
Posted June 3rd, 2010

After millions miles of testing, the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan is finally making its way to the North American continent. The Cruze is GM’s first truly global vehicle that will finally retire the anemic Cobalt and fortify Chevrolet’s lineup of segment leaders such as the Equinox and Camaro. With the Cruze, Chevrolet is evolving the compact segment by adding premium features in styling, safety, roomines, amenities, and refinement found in more expensive vehicles. The Cruze will be motivated by GM’s global 140hp 1.4L turbocharged and direct-injected Ecotec four-banger mated to a choice of six-speed automatic or manual transmissions.

Now, about that price: a bare-bones Chevy Cruze will run approximately $16,955. That’s almost $600 more than a base Honda Civic. However, the standard options for the base model Cruze (the LS) include the six-speed manual transmission (vs. the Honda’s five), nearly twice as many airbags, as well as stability and traction control – features the Civic can only dream of.

The high-end Cruze LTZ will start at $22,695 and will feature a six-way adjustable power driver seat, leather heated seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, the turbocharged 1.4L Ecotec engine, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a USB port with audio interface for MP3 players, steering-wheel mounted buttons up the wazoo, and remote vehicle start. The super fuel-efficient Eco package seems to be a freebie, as it is priced the same as the “basic” LT and LTZ variants.

Major options include a 9-speaker Pioneer Audio sound system with a 250-watt amplifier, ultrasonic rear parking assist, GPS with a 40GB hard-drive and pause-and-play radio. The sporty RS trim package is optional, offering the same engine as the Eco in a more rakish appearance resulting in slightly lower fuel economy.

The GM Authority Take
Though it’s a few inches longer and a couple hundred bucks more expensive than its competitors, the abundant offering of options and features such as the Bluetooth, 18-inch wheels, Pioneer sound system, more airbags than you need, USB connectivity and GPS will stand out when consumers shop the compact segment. The Cruze is also quite a jump in price compared to the Toyota Corolla, which starts at under $15,500. The Corolla, however, still lacks the features the Cruze has at its disposal.

The size difference of the Cruze may also point to an overall size increase for the compact segment (resulting in mid-size sedans become more full-sized) but this still remains to be seen.

Now for the video’s:

The Chevrolet Cruze is coming to the United States. Hear from Bob Lutz, Michael Simcoe and other GM leaders about how this vehicle fits into the Chevrolet lineup and what makes it special.

Safety engineer Ken Bonello shows us safety features never seen before in a car in the compact class. 10 airbags? We’ll show them to you.

Inside the 2011 Chevy Cruze drivers will find an integrated dashboard, a sleek, two-tone color scheme and a style that is uniquely its own. Watch as Dave Lyon, GM Interior Designer, explains how the Cruze features an interior that rivals a luxury vehicle.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet, Cobalt, cruze, honda civic, toyota corolla

Chevrolet Volt Team Reconnects with former EV1 Drivers

If you have seen the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” on the Sundance Channel you are aware of how GM handled (or mishandled) the EV1 program. This article on GM’s Voltage Blog speaks about how GM is trying to win back its former supporters…Check it out!

www.chevroletvoltage.com
Tuesday, 27 April 2010 15:49 Phil Colley, Chevrolet Volt Communications

At least once a week, someone on either this site, our Facebook page or our Twitter account brings up the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? and criticizes us for our handling of the EV1 program. Hindsight being 20/20, sure there are some things we could have done better. And with us on the verge of launching the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended-range capability later this year, you might assume we’re only looking forward, but as we keep our eyes on the future and the promise of vehicles like the Volt, we’re also very mindful of our past.

So much of what we learned from the EV1 has led us to where we are today with the Volt and if the video below is any indication, the Volt is resonating with the people who are part of the backbone of the EV movement, former EV1 drivers.

In a recent NPR story, Tracy Samilton wrote, “A decade ago, GM angered customers who leased its first electric car, the EV1, when it canceled the program. Now, GM hopes to win those customers back – along with many more.” Tracy’s story touches on what has been a key part of our plan to ensure a successful launch of the Volt, reaching out to former EV1 drivers. Since last November, we’ve hosted a number of Volt drive events for former EV1 drivers because we know if they enjoy the experience, chances are good that other EV enthusiasts will enjoy the experience as well. EV and plug-in advocate Chelsea Sexton even wrote about it in her first story for her new column on Autoblog Green. In it she writes, “Clearly not an element of the traditional vehicle launch machine, this was a more personal interest by Tony (Posawatz) and his team to not only rekindle a relationship between GM and the EV1 drivers, but to understand what inspired it in the first place.” Even Bill Nye “the Science Guy” got in on the action and test drove the Volt.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet volt, chevroletvoltage.com, chevy, EV1, sundance channel, who killed the electric car

GM Announces Chevrolet Cruze Pricing

www.gminsidenews.com
June 3, 2010
By: Nick Saporito

This morning General Motors has released the pricing for it’s upcoming new compact car, the Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze has already launched in over 60 countries and will be launching on the North American market later this year. Chevrolet has issued a base price of $16,995 for the new Cruze.

“We believe the Cruze can redefine the expectations for compact-car owners and shoppers who are new to the segment,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Chevrolet Marketing. “For the price of a compact car, Cruze offers the styling, safety features, roominess, amenities, and refinement of a much more expensive car.”

Pricing Detail:

Cruze LS starting at $16,995, including:

Standard 1.8L Ecotec engine and six-speed manual transmission
The most standard safety features in the segment, with 10 air bags, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, anti-lock brakes, collapsible pedal system, power rear-door child safety locks
Standard OnStar, with a six-month subscription including Turn-by-Turn navigation
Standard convenience features including air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, driver information center, and XM Radio with three month trial subscription

Cruze LT starting at $18,895, including:

Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed automatic transmission
16-inch wheels

Cruze Eco starting at $18,895, including:

Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed manual transmission
Segment-leading expected 40 miles per gallon highway
Standard 17-inch alloy wheels with ultra low-rolling resistance tires, and enhanced aerodynamic performance package

Cruze LTZ starting at $22,695, including:

Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed automatic transmission
Standard six-way power driver seat, leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
Standard cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB port with audio interface, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and remote vehicle start
Standard automatic climate control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and ultrasonic rear-parking assist
18-inch alloy wheels

Major available options:

In-dash navigation system with 40-gigabyte hard drive, enabling pause-and-play radio, downloading of audio CDs, or transferring MP3 files from a USB memory device
Pioneer Audio system, with nine speakers and 250-watt amplifier
Heated leather seats
Ultrasonic rear park assist
RS Appearance package, including rocker moldings, unique front and rear fascias, front fog lamps, and rear spoiler

The Cruze will be replacing the Chevrolet Cobalt in August, with production at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet, chevy, Cobalt, cruze, General Motors, gm, lordstown, OH

The Chevrolet Volt meets San Francisco

from GM Authority Alex Luft

As Chevrolet gets ready to begin mass production of the Chevy Volt, it’s going around the country and showing off the hotly anticipated plug-in electric vehicle. This time around, the Volt made a stop at the AT&T Park in San Francisco, where media members, former EV1 drivers, and electric vehicle advocates (including folks from Plug In America and the Sierra Club) had an opportunity to drive the car. Given that San Fran is often considered to be capital of opinion leaders and trend setters of America, what these people had to say about the Volt carries some importance. Check out the video to see what they thought of the Volt.

Filed under: General Motors, chevrolet, chevy, san francisco, test drive, volt