Get ready, Chevy Volt due this November. Update!!!

[Tilar]

They need to pull 100% of all subsidies to anybody and for everything. I think anything like that should be considered a loan that must be paid back... and I'm talking every penny, Not 20% or whatever it is that GM paid back from their bailout.

[1969chargerrtse]

I think it's obvious as stated before the dark cloud over this car is pure politics.  Doesn't matter because out of bad can come good, and that would be the car it's self or other cars created because of its technology.

[ACUDANUT]

Yes I continue to badmouth it just as you continue to cheerlead it.  You implied there were a score of happy owners so I asked about sales.  There is apparently an excuse for that as well.  I believe if the sales were there, "ramping up" the new technology would not be a problem.

LOL

[Tilar]

Finally found an honest commercial for the Chevy Volt... Maybe they do have their advantages. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avLKiWi71cE

[moparstuart]

 

[Ghoste]

Too funny.  Have to be fair though, that parody implies the car is made in China and it isn't, it's assembled in Detroit.  The battery pack comes from South Korea.

[mauve66]

was wondering when someone would mention the factory recall to prevent fires, i haven't seen it in the news yet.................  oh thats right, its not official listed as a factory "recall", i guess fire isn't considered a safety issue if your trying to use other peoples money to convince a small minority of people to buy a car you want everyone to have

[1969chargerrtse]

Too funny.  Have to be fair though, that parody implies the car is made in China and it isn't, it's assembled in Detroit.  The battery pack comes from South Korea.

" And as I sat in the press conference audience here in Detroit today, just moments ago, GM finally announced the contract had been awarded to LG chem of Korea using special large format lithium ion cells. The cells will be made in Korea, and shipped to the battery pack assembly plant in Michigan. More importantly GM will be building the packs themselves. although Compact Power will stay on as a collaborator.

Rick Wagoner noted how GM set a challenge to build the battery "that couldn't be built". He noted GMs confidence in the batteries has grown dramatically. He showed a model of the pack.

He announced that GM will manufacture the battery pack "right here in the United States". He said the facility will be the first lithium-ion battery plant in the US operated by a major automaker, and will be built in Michigan. He noted the overall Volt investment has been over $1 billion so far. "

[1969chargerrtse]

was wondering when someone would mention the factory recall to prevent fires, i haven't seen it in the news yet.................  oh thats right, its not official listed as a factory "recall", i guess fire isn't considered a safety issue if your trying to use other peoples money to convince a small minority of people to buy a car you want everyone to have

Nice try guy.  That's been tested and not a issue.

[1969chargerrtse]

Finally found an honest commercial for the Chevy Volt... Maybe they do have their advantages.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avLKiWi71cE

Oh brother, dumb.  

[Ghoste]

I still don't think the car is all that and a bag of chips but I would rather deal in facts.  As far as the fire thing, can anyone point to a single documented proven case of one catching fire?

[1969chargerrtse]

I still don't think the car is all that and a bag of chips but I would rather deal in facts.  As far as the fire thing, can anyone point to a single documented proven case of one catching fire?

" Why did a Chevy Volt catch on fire?
General Motors says it believes the fire occurred because NHTSA did not follow GM's recommended safety protocol for a post-crash Volt, spokesman Greg Martin said.
"Had those safety protocols been followed for this test, this incident would not have happened," he said. This is the only crashed Volt ever to catch fire, Martin said. "

Looks like it was in a test NHTSA did.

The car doesn't have to be the greatest thing ever.  To me it's the greatest stepping stone ever away from gas we buy from people that want us dead.


I still believe it's a stepping stone to Hydrogen.  And just like the battery pack everyone said would never be designed to haul a car around the size of the Volt, Hydrogen will be main stream.  Honda has the FCX Clarity running around all over Ca.  The customers love it.  Hydrogen is coming.  Remove the battery cell add the fuel cell.  There are many Hydrogen cars around already by many manufactures.  It's just gonna take time to get the infrastructure up and running.  Ct got it's first station last year.

[mauve66]

nobody said anything about crashes, i'm talking about just plain catching fire while sitting in your garage charging up

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/chevy-volt-fire-investigation_n_1117673.html

http://www.freep.com/article/20111126/BUSINESS0104/111260324/Fire-during-Chevy-Volt-crash-test-spurs-safety-investigation

[mauve66]

In June 2011 a Volt that had been subjected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to a 20 mph (32 km/h) side pole impact crash test followed by a post-impact rollover, caught fire three weeks later in the test center parking lot, burning nearby vehicles. The battery was found to be the source of the fire. After the fire, both Chevrolet and the NHTSA independently replicated the crash test and a subsequent vehicle rotation procedure to test for any fluid leakage, but in their first attempt they could not reproduce the conditions under which the battery pack ignited. The NHTSA said it had "concluded that the crash test damaged the Volt's lithium-ion battery and that the damage led to a vehicle fire that took several weeks to develop."[196][197][198] In further testing of the Volt's batteries carried out by NHTSA in November 2011, two of the three tests resulted in thermal events. One battery pack was rotated 180 degrees within hours after it was impacted and began to smoke and emit sparks after rotation. In the other case, the battery pack that was crashed-tested one week earlier and that had been monitored since the test caught fire. The NHTSA then took an uncommon step on November 25, 2011 and opened a formal safety defect investigation "without any data from real-world incidents" to examine the potential risks involved from intrusion damage to the battery pack in the Chevrolet Volt.[198][199][200] After the initial Volt fire, the NHTSA examined the Nissan Leaf and other plug-in electric vehicles and said its testing "has not raised safety concerns about vehicles other than the Chevy Volt."[201]

[mauve66]

As a result of this investigation, GM announced that it would offer any Volt owner who has concerns another GM car while the federal investigation is taking place.[202][203] In December 2011, the company said that if necessary they were prepared to recall all the vehicles and repair them upon determination of the cause of the fires, and also announced they would buy back the car if the owner was too afraid of the potential for a fire.[202][204] GM's CEO also said that it may be necessary to redesign or make changes to the battery pack depending on the recommendations from federal officials.[202][205] As of December 1, 33 Volt owners in the U.S. and 3 in Canada had requested a loaner car.[202][206] As of December 5, General Motors reported that a couple dozen Volt owners had requested the carmaker to buy back their cars, and the company had already agreed to repurchase about a dozen. Before the carmaker agrees to buy back each vehicle, other options are explored as GM primarily wants to provide loaner cars, but "if the only way we can make them happy is to repurchase it, then we will," a GM spokeman said. General Motors explained that the buy back price includes the Volt purchase price, plus taxes and fees, less a usage fee based on how many miles the car has been run.[207][208][209] As of January 5, 2012, GM reported that around 250 Volt owners had requested either a loaner vehicle or a potential buyback.[116]

The NHTSA also said it was working with all automakers to develop postcrash procedures to keep occupants of electric vehicles and emergency personnel who respond to crash scenes safe. Additionally, NHTSA advised to be aware that fires may occur a considerable amount of time after a crash. General Motors said the first fire would have been avoided if GM's protocols for deactivating the battery after the crash had been followed.[210] These protocols had been used by GM since July 2011 but were not shared with the NHTSA until November 2011.[211] In another statement the carmaker stated that they "are working with other vehicle manufacturers, first responders, tow truck operators, and salvage associations with the goal of implementing industrywide protocols."[210]
NHTSA testing of the Volt's battery pack
Arcing event during manual rollover of post crashed Volt's battery, November 24, 2011.

[mauve66]

Customer deliveries of the Opel Ampera in Europe were delayed until the NHTSA completes its investigation of the Volt's battery fire risk to make sure the vehicle is safe.[100] However, deliveries of the first Chevrolet Volts in Europe began in France in November 2011.[100][162] Deliveries of the Vauxhall Ampera in the UK continue as scheduled for May 2012.[100]

Battery enhancements

On January 5, 2012, General Motors announced that it would offer a customer satisfaction program to provide modifications to the Chevrolet Volt to reduce the chance that the battery pack could catch fire days or weeks after a severe accident. The carmaker described the modifications as voluntary enhancements and stated that neither the car nor the battery was being recalled. General Motors determined the June fire was the result of a minor intrusion from a portion of the vehicle into a side section of the battery pack. This intrusion resulted in a small coolant leak inside the battery of approximately 50 ml. When the vehicle was put through a slow roll, where it's rotated at 90 degree increments, holding in each position for about five minutes, an additional one liter of coolant leaked. With the vehicle in the 180 degrees position (upside down), the coolant came in contact with the printed circuit board electronics at the top of the battery pack and later crystallized. Three weeks later this condition, in combination with a charged battery, led to a short circuit that resulted in the post-crash fire.[212][213]

General Motors explained the modifications will enhance the vehicle structure that surround the battery and the battery coolant system to improve battery protection after a severe crash. The safety enhancements consist of strengthening an existing portion of the Volt's vehicle safety structure to further protect the battery pack in a severe side collision; add a sensor in the reservoir of the battery coolant system to monitor coolant levels; and add a tamper-resistant bracket to the top of the battery coolant reservoir to help prevent potential coolant overfill.[212][213] The additional side safety structural pieces have a total weight of 2 to 3 lb (0.91 to 1.4 kg), and their function is to spread the load of a severe side impact away from the battery pack, eliminating the possibility of intrusion into the pack.[117]

During December 2011 GM conducted four crash tests of Volts with the reinforced steel and upgraded cooling system, resulting in no intrusion to the battery and no coolant leakage. On December 22, 2011, the NHTSA also subjected a modified Volt to the same test that led to the original fire, with no signs of the damage that is believed to have been the cause. The NHTSA said "the preliminary results of the crash test indicate the remedy proposed by General Motors today should address the issue of battery intrusion" though its investigation remained open. General Motors declined to say how much the modifications would cost.[212][213]

All 12,400 Chevrolet Volts produced until December 2011, including all Amperas in stock at European dealerships, will receive the safety enhancements. Since production was halted during the holidays, the enhancements will be in place when production resumes in early 2012. Sales will continue and dealers will modify the Volts they have in stock, either before or after they are sold. General Motors sent a letter to Volt owners indicating that Chevrolet will contact them with more details about the service effort scheduled to begin in February 2012.[116][117]

NHTSA findings

On January 20, 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed the Volt's safety defect investigation related to post-crash fire risk. The agency concluded that "no discernible defect trend exists" and also found that the modifications recently developed by General Motors are sufficient to reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts. The NHTSA also said that "based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles." The agency also announced it has developed interim guidance to increase awareness and identify appropriate safety measures regarding electric vehicles for the emergency response community, law enforcement officers, tow truck operators, storage facilities and consumers.[214][215]

House of Representatives hearing

On December 6, 2011, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending, U.S. Representative Jim Jordan announced that hearings to be held in January 25 2012 to investigate why the NHTSA opened a formal investigation only five months after the first postcrash battery fire occurred in June. The subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wanted to determine if government officials, including from NHTSA, purposely held back information on the Volt fire for political reasons.[216][217] Both Daniel Akerson, General Motors CEO, and David L. Strickland, NHTSA administrator, denied any wrongdoing.[218][219][220]

[chargerboy69]

Even with GE buying up the Volts    it could not keep GM from announcing 1300 layoffs because nobody wants to by the car.  Even with gas prices soaring and the taxpayer on the hook for a good portion of the car they still can't sell them. 


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/volt-production-temporarily-halted-hundreds-of-workers-laid-off/

[1969chargerrtse]

Well that sucks, and this is certainly true "We did not design the Volt to become a political punching bag and that's what it's become," Akerson told Congress on Jan. 25.

[Tilar]

Throwing a few billion dollars at a problem doesn't make the problem go away.  They could throw a couple hundred thousand into making 68 grills and they would sell more grilles than they did Chevy volts with a whole lot less money spent.

Some people are calling it the Chevy Volts-Wagon. 

[1970Moparmann]

Throwing a few billion dollars at a problem doesn't make the problem go away.

BUT, this is what the Government does.....  Top economists will tell you this doesn't work.

[ACUDANUT]

Well, it's official. The Volt is no longer being made.  Too much to make and waay too many problems.
After all the Billions GM took from the Gov. to produce/make it too. 

[1970Moparmann]

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/02/147835428/gm-puts-volt-into-neutral-to-let-sales-catch-up

[Ghoste]

Yes, not done just suspended. 

[GULFGLENY]

General motors chairman said today, despite the high price of gas today, SUVs and Trucks are making high sales agian, he said they are going to make what the public wants to buy. YEHAAA!

[Tilar]

he said they are going to make what the public wants to buy. YEHAAA!

Gee, What a novel concept! Maybe Chrysler could learn that one...