Following on from the announcement that GM is looking at redesigning the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery system in the wake of several highly publicized fires resulting from test crashes, comes further news that both the automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration delayed disclosure of their original findings by months.

Apparently, way back in June, General Motors heard about a Volt fire that happened three weeks after said vehicle was crash tested, yet it wasn’t until November that the company, or NHTSA disclosed there was a potential problem, urging both dealers and customers to drain the battery pack immediately following an accident.

As a result the public relations nightmare surrounding Chevy’s halo vehicle appears to be deepening, though a good deal of the blame in this case also rests with NHTSA.

Joan Claybrook, a former adminstrator at NHTSA believes part of the reason for the delay was the “fragility of Volt sales.” Yet she also believes that “NHTSA could have put out a consumer alert, not to tell them [customers] for six months makes no sense to me.”

GM designed a complex cooling system for the Volt’s lithium ion battery pack to help regulate its temperature (lithium-ion units are known for overheating), yet until July it hadn’t finalized a standard proceedure to power down the battery system, the Volt had already been on sale in the US for six months at that juncture.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, which crash tested a Volt back in February reported no incidents of fire as resulting from the accident, yet when a second crash test was performed in August, General Motors sent a technician to power down the battery.

An interesting point on the subject been raised by Clarence Ditlow, executive director for the Center of Auto Safety in Washington D.C. He said that he is “surprised that NHTSA didn’t drain the battery after crash testing as it is standard procedure to empty the fuel tank on conventional gasoline powered vehicles.” He also says that the NHTSA incident underlines the need for “greater transparency when conducting crash tests,” as well as setting proper industry standards when it comes to new technologies.

A spokesman for GM said the company felt it didn’t need to initially disclose the issue because the original fire was an isolated occurrence and happened some time after the vehicle was crashed. “It’s kind of odd in many respects,” said Rob Peterson. “The question became: What was making this happen and what do we have to do?”

Nonetheless in wake of the findings; GM is now working with both NHTSA and the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop standards for all electric vehicles when it comes to crash testing. It’s also continuing with its program of providing concerned Volt owners with free loaner vehicles; so far 33 of roughly 5,000 customers have signed up.

[Source: Automotive News]

Correction Notice: The original article claimed that 5,000 customers has signed up for loaner cars. That information was incorrect. In fact, 33 of roughly 5,000 owners have requested loaner vehicles from General Motors.

General Motors is clearly taking the initiative in doing damage control with their Chevrolet Volt, first offering free loaners to Volt owners during the NHTSA investigation, and now offering to buy back Volts from any concerned owner. GM reassured that the cars are safe, but will have no reservations in purchasing back the vehicles.

They also reiterated that once the investigation is over, they will recall all of the 6,000-plus Volts on the road in order to repair them once the cause of the fires are determined.

Unfortunately all the negative media surrounding the fire risk doesn’t really emphasize that they occurred in extreme testing situations – situations that could probably cause traditional gasoline-powered vehicles to burst into flames. Nissan‘s Leaf has not had any post-crash fire incidents due to its battery being air-cooled rather than liquid-cooled.

GM did announce that 16 current Volt owners inquired about the loaner car program but only two have taken advantage of it.

[Source: Associated Press]

GM set a lofty goal of selling 10,000 Chevrolet Volts in 2011 and has finally admitted that they won’t be able to hit their target sales mark this year and probably won’t be achieved until sometime in early 2012.

Through the first 11 months of the year, Chevrolet has successfully moved 6,142 Volts while their main competitor, Nissan‘s Leaf, has sold 8,720 vehicles.

But nothing is stopping GM from being optimistic for its Volt from now and beyond. By expanding sales to more states, GM enjoyed its best Volt-sales month in November, moving 1,139 units. They’re hoping by year’s end the plug-in hybrid will be available in all 50 states. For 2012 however, GM looks to be even more ambitious, telling CNBC last month that they hope to move number 45,000 Volt by next year.

Here’s to hoping this goes away quickly, eh GM?

[Source: Left Lane News]

Some good news for Chevrolet‘s Volt has hit the news today, with Consumer Reports saying that the electric car has the single highest rate of owner satisfaction of any car this year.

CR did also mention that the survey was conducted prior to the media’s reports of the battery-pack fires, but it appears that the majority of Volt owners aren’t bothered by those reports and stand by their eco-friendly investments.

According to the survey, an overwhelming 93-percent of Volt owners say they would purchase the vehicle again. The next two cars on the lists were Porsche’s 911 and Dodge’s Hemi V8-powered Challenger. To us though, these survey results should have an asterisk beside them. Most consumers investing into a vehicle, especially an electric one, will always reassure themselves that they made the right decision. Making the leap to get a first-generation Volt automatically makes you a rabid fan of the vehicle, and even if yours was on fire and melting down in your driveway, you’d still love it.

[Source: Green Car Reports]

Despite the NHTSA stating that Chevy Volt owners do not have a reason for concern, just yet, General Motors is providing loaner cars to any worried drivers during the investigation. GM will begin to contact every Volt owner in order to clarify their concerns and each owner should receive a letter within the next few days.

There’s a bit of irony in GM’s strong stance that the Volt is safe to drive, yet they’re willing to offer loaners to customers that are overly concerned. But clearly GM is in full damage control mode right now, having delivered 5,329 Volts – every one of them that has the potential to catch on fire after a major accident. We are curious as to what vehicle GM is lending to Volt owners for a comparable savings in fuel efficiency.

[Source: Left Lane News]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released an official statement in regards to the post-crash fire risk of the Chevrolet Volt. As a result of a fire that occurred at the NHTSA’s facilities, they will be opening a formal safety defect investigation in order to determine the fire risk of Volts after a major accident.

It’s worth noting that the Volt isn’t entirely the target of the investigation, but rather the potential of a fire in any electric vehicle following a crash. After the initial fire caused from a side-impact test, NHTSA conducted a trio of tests on the Volt’s battery pack, each involving damaging the battery and rotating the vehicle to simulate an accident and rollover. In the second test, the battery pack caught fire a week later, while the third test the pack began to smoke and spark almost immediately.

NHTSA did also announce that they are not aware of any roadway crashes that have resulted in battery-related fires in the Chevy Volt or any electric vehicle for that matter. They also wanted to assure that Chevy Volt owners whose vehicles have been in a serious crash do not have a reason for concern.

In the meantime though, the agency is working with all vehicle manufacturers to ensure there are safety protocols in place for post-crash incidents involving electric vehicles. These protocols include an attempt to discharge a propulsion battery, not storing the vehicle after a major accident in a garage or near other vehicles, and emergency responders to check if a vehicle is electric-powered after an accident.

GALLERY: Chevrolet Volt

As Chevrolet continues to expand its lineup into Europe, both the Malibu and Volt received top ratings in the European New Car Assessment crash tests. Both sedans got five stars in all categories and also made the Volt the first U.S.-branded electric car that’s rated with Euro NCAP’s top assessment.

“The Chevy Volt will be sold in Europe as an Opel Ampera and the Malibu’s appearance is its first in the European market.
The results confirm that both vehicles meet today’s highest safety standards. The Volt’s safety performance and propulsion concept highlight the reliability and practicality that is inherent to this outstanding design,” said Wayne Brannon, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe.

[Source: LeftLane News]

10. 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE: 43/39 MPG

The Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient cars have been named for 2012 by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA (those guys that come up with the official ratings for cars) has compiled the list, which is dominated by Japanese automakers. Those remaining two are domestic vehicles, although with one being a commercial van, it almost should count. On the list are electric and hybrid vehicles only, with no diesels or pure gasoline engines.

In 10th spot is the first of three Toyota models and the first of four if you count the larger Toyota company and Lexus. The Toyota Camry Hybrid LE is officially rated at 43 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. With a combined rating of 41-mpg, it’s the only true mid-size sedan to achieve an average of 40-mpg or better. And these numbers don’t come at the expense of performance either, with 200-hp on tap. Of note, XLE models, which have more content and are heavier, are rated at 40 mpg city and 38 mpg highway.

Read AutoGuide’s 2012 Toyota Camry Review here

In the case of a fire in the garage of a North Carolina home where a Chevrolet Volt was being charged at the time, the Volt has been proven – not guilty.

When news first came out regarding this incident, many believed the culprit behind this fire could be the Volt, but Iredell County chief deputy fire marshal Garland Cloer says; “the source of ignition seems to be from outside the area of the vehicles.”

This fire attracted investigators from many companies to come forward to access the cause of the blaze. These included representatives from Nissan, Chevrolet, Siemens, Duke Energy and the homeowners insurance company.

The reason there were so many investigators is because at the time of the fire, the garage housed a Nissan Armada, the Chevrolet Volt, a Siemens 240-volt recharging station, and many miscellaneous items such as a electric cars for kids, not to mention gasoline and other hazardous materials.

The fire marshal said that fire usually follows a “V” path as it spreads, and according to their findings, the fire originated from another source, not the cars. Cloer said that when a fire originates from the car, things like its seats, carpets and rubber hoses are not left intact, but they were in this case, another indication the Volt was not guilty.

Total damage to the house is appraised at $800,000.

[Source: Green Car Reports]

General Motors has probably put more effort in the Chevrolet Volt project than in any other car they have produced in recent times, and they are adamant about turning it into a success.

The goal is simple, to sell 10,000 Volts this year alone. Till the end of October, GM has sold just 5,003 Volts, so they have a big task ahead of them to reach their goals in just two-months time.

One way GM will get closer to this goal is by allowing its dealers to finally sell their Volt demo vehicles. At launch, GM had mandated that all its Volt dealers would have at least one Volt on hand as a demo, to educate customers on this new product. Now the dealers are allowed to sell everything they got, including the demos. This opens up about 2300 – Volts across the nation.

According to GM spokesman Tom Henderson, 72% of customers who would like to buy a Volt were turned off by the lack of availability. Perhaps these extra demo units will put more people into the driving seat of this innovative  new car.

[Source: Automotive News]

If you’re one of those people who likes to be the first to try a cool new tech product, chances are you were the Chevy Volt’s target market. This may come as a surprise to many who would think this electric car’s marketing strategy would be centered on “greenies.”

According to Volt’s marketing team, the strategy was to target techies first, before going after the rest of the market. And now that the early adopters are onboard, the company is set on educating the masses about the joys and benefits of electric vehicles.

“Our task now really is education, specifically when it comes to helping people understand the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in electric vehicle,” said Cristi Landy, Volt’s product marketing director.

In addition the television commercials, Chevrolet has also created a line of consumer-targeted videos. You can check them out on chevroletvoltage.com, and if you’re a Volt owner, there’s a chat feature where you can share your experiences.

To create buzz about the Volt during its introduction, early adopters of the Volt received a welcome kit that came with a pocket-sized video camera. These early Volt owners were asked to shoot videos of their Volt experiences and upload them onto the site.

[Source: Advertising Age]

While the Toyota Prius has long been the automotive ambassador of the green movement, Pike Research conducted a Cost of Driving test to find out whether the all new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in can trump the Chevrolet Volt. According to its findings, by first establishing the price for every gallon of gas at $3.50 and every kilowatt-hour for 11 cents for the test, the Volt earned a more economic and cost effective result than a Prius Plug-in for trips under 70 miles.

For the first 15 miles of the graph, the lines are not visible because both vehicles will be capable running full electric. By 30 miles, the Volt’s cost for every mile gets significantly more expensive until it eventually crosses over Prius’ costs at 70 miles of driving.

Of course, if pricing parameters on gas and electricity were to change, then a different result would surface. All in all, customers should consider their driving routines day to day. When trips taken are no longer than 70 miles, as is often the case in urban regions where electric vehicles are popular, then a Volt proves to be more appealing.

GALLERY: Toyota Prius Plug-in & Chevrolet Volt

[Source: Autoblog Green]

If you’re eagerly awaiting a more family friendly Volt, or a more luxurious and sporty one, you’ll have to be patient. According to Nick Reilly, the head of GM Europe, the automaker isn’t planning to release any Volt spin-offs until 2015.

The reason for the date is that that’s when the current Volt’s life-cycle is up and GM is currently focused entirely on making the Volt a success. GM doesn’t want to split its attention on other models, and with the high price of the Volt’s high-tech components, future generations of the technology should be more affordable.

Two models currently being considered for production are the Volt MPV5 Concept, based on the Chevy Orlando platform, as well as the Cadillac ELR Concept.

GALLERY: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Concept

GALLERY: Cadillac ELR Concept

[Source: AutoNews via CNET]

If you are a driver, you are well aware of the rising gas prices, and this trend is not looking to reverse anytime soon. This is effecting the way people buy new cars, and according to Pike Research, more than 5-million electric and hybrid vehicles will be sold globally by 2017.

Also according to this report, the largest manufacturer of these vehicles will be the United States, followed by Japan, while the largest consumer of such vehicles will likely be China.

Currently conventional hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight (among many others) are on sale, but as far as plug-in electric vehicles go, you have to pick between the Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Roadster. Soon, the market will see cars such as the Fisker Karma, Ford Focus Electric and the Mitsubishi i go on sale later this year.

So will the world be taken over by electric cars now? If petrol prices don’t change, people’s buying habits will change very quickly to save their pocket books, while also helping save the planet.

[Source: Auto Observer]

GM has spent a not-insubstantial sum on Sunlogics, a manufacturer of solar energy systems, in order to supply its Chevrolet dealerships with environmentally-friendly charging stations.

GM’s cash injection will also provide over 300 jobs in Detroit and Ontario for when Sunlogic expands their manufacturing bases. In addition, GM’s facilities will install solar arrays en masse to offset some of its power consumption.

Ultimately, GM aims to double its global solar output by 2015, from 30 to 60 megawatts, “which is equivalent to powering 10,000 homes annually,” said Mike Robinson, GM’s vice president of Energy, Environment and Safety Policy. ”Not only does renewable energy make good business sense, it helps us continue to reduce the impact our facilities have on the environment.”

GM already has three of the world’s largest rooftop solar installations in America, as well as the world’s largest one at its assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain.

[Source: Silicon Republic]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today unveiled the first of what will be a fleet of 50 Chevrolet Volt NYPD police cruisers, which will hit the treacherous and busy streets of Manhattan this year.

“This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the City’s fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives.

“When provided with the facts, people become far more likely to choose an electric vehicle. Our job is to ensure the public has the facts, ensure they can make their own decisions and ensure that if they want to drive an electric vehicle, we are providing the infrastructure needed. It’s all part of our PlaNYC agenda to create a greener, greater New York City.”

The Volt is the first fully-electric car (if you believe that’s what it is) to join the NYPD’s ranks. In addition, the New York City Police Department will add 10 Ford Transit Connect electric vehicles and 10 Navi-Star trucks to its fleet.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Chevrolet Volt Review

There have been hybrids on our streets for some time, and even a few fully electric vehicles. However, the Chevrolet Volt is the first mass produced plug in hybrid to be offered to the general public.

It can either drive up to 40-miles on just electric power on a full-charge, or when this power source is depleted, it will revert to its on-board gasoline engine. The idea is, the gas engine is there to get you home, just in case you run out of electricity.

The advantages of this system is proving its worth to Volt owners, like Kory Levoy. He says he used to spend up to $200 a month filling up his Audi TT, but ever since he has bought the Volt, he has filled up only three times in 7500-miles of driving.

Levoy uses his 240-volt home charger to energize the car overnight, and also charges his car at work using the portable 120-volt charger. Since his total daily commute is only 50-miles, he has more than enough battery power to make the round trip.

He is not alone, as Carey Bailey, another Volt owner is also seeing the rewards of plug-in motoring. He used to spend roughly $500 a month on gas, and now he spends about $100. Bailey says he will probably see his fuel bills drop even more with time. The Volt roughly costs $1.10 a day to fully charge.

“About two-thirds of the more than 2 million miles driven by Volt owners to date have been powered by domestically produced electricity,” said Cristi Landy, Volt marketing director. “We are hearing from owners like Kory and Carey who are able to charge both at home overnight and at work during the day. These owners are able to maximize driving on electricity alone, seeing real saving at the pump and in their wallets.”

So if you’ve been frustrated by ever rising gas prices, perhaps the Volt really is a real-world answer.

Chevrolet dealers are alleged to be “gaming” the system and stealing government tax credits intended for customers. According to an investigation by conservative watchdog National Legal and Policy Center, dealers are applying for the $7,500 tax credit that was designed to help offset the cost of the new high-tech green machine in order to help create demand for the Volt. Dealers would then sell the Volt as a used car. With most vehicles a “used car” status would mean the price would drop considerably, but with Volt demand still far outweighing supply, that isn’t the case and early adopters are being forced to pay full price for the machines while the dealers benefit from the government subsidy.

Also uncovered is swap system where dealers are trading cars with non Chevy dealers, including one instance of a Southern California Kia dealer, which is selling a Volt with just 30 miles on the odometer.

Mark Modica of the NLPC indicates in an article that there may be more to this story than just the gain to the individual dealer, suggesting a conspiracy. “The practice should be stopped immediately, regardless of the desire of GM and the Obama Administration to do everything in their power to support the appearance of strong Chevy Volt sales,” he says.

Obviously GM and the Feds want to see GM prosper and the Volt succeed, although a far reaching conspiracy definitely seems like a step too far, especially considering how high big the incentive is for dealers to rip off customers by stealing tax credits intended for them.

[Source: NLPC]

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Chevy Volt review here

Aiming to build hype behind its all-electric Leaf, Nissan has released a new ad, imagining a world where tiny internal combustion engines power everything that currently runs on electricity. The bleak and dirty existence portrayed in the new ad spot then steps to a new level to prove Nissan’s point, showing the sullen protagonist gassing up his Chevrolet Volt. Subtle it is not.

Understandably the folks at General Motors are none-too impressed and while in most cases silent indignation would be the correct course of action, GM product and brand communications chief Jason Laird chose a 140 character or less medium with which to toss back a cleverly worded barb.

“A carmaker poking gentle fun at our product ignores towtrucks they need and rental cars they recommend as backup to their product,” tweeted Laird, hinting at the Leaf’s limited range and reports that owners would be given free rental car days to help eschew concerns over range anxiety. Ouch!

In a brief online exchange Laird cited plausible deniability, commenting that he made no reference to anyone or anything, including the commercial, Nissan, or the Leaf. True, but we think you’ll forgive us for thinking we can make the assumption and hold on to our journalistic integrity.

“The commercial is cute, but its misleading and damaging to the EV movement,” says Rob Peterson, the man in charge of public relations for the Volt. His main issue with the ad, however, is in even comparing the two cars, which he sees as two very different vehicles based on their range capability.

“Many people are intrigued by electric cars but they don’t have the financial flexibility to own a second or even a third car. The Volt can be you only car.”

Ultimately, Peterson dismissed the spot, commenting that its, “long term effect will be relatively minimal.”

This isn’t the first such exchange between Chevy and Nissan either, with Chevrolet showing an ad at the Volt’s official world premiere at the LA Auto Show in which it’s referred to as more than just a “leaf blower”. The subtlety of that spot seems to have been replaced with a more explicit message and we have to wonder if it will continue to escalate as both Chevrolet and Nissan are vying to be recognized as the leader in new green automotive technology.

There’s a lot more at stake here than just hurt feelings or even the future of a single type of car. Both Nissan and Chevrolet have made commitments to the technologies used in their respective electrically-motivated vehicles, with the future of each automaker closely tied to the success of their flagship green product.

If you haven’t already, watch the Nissan spot after the jump:

Continue Reading…

An updated U.S fuel economy label was unveiled today aimed at reducing gasoline consumption and exhaust emissions. These new stickers will be required on all 2013 models, allowing consumers to quickly glance at fuel consumption.

The sticker will also display estimates of fuel or electricity required to drive 100 miles as well as time needed to charge a plug-in vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says the reason for the redesigned labels is to give consumers, “the best possible information about which cars on the lot offer the greatest fuel economy and the best environmental performance.” The EPA developed the updated labels with assistance from the Department of Transportation.

Check out the video after the jump!

Continue Reading…

Chevrolet‘s popular Volt is getting a production boost—GM is increasing annual production from 15,000 to 16,000 per year.

GM is gearing up to build the European version of the Volt: of this new 16,000-vehicle figure, approximately 3,500 will be sold in Europe as the Opel Ampera. About 2,500 jobs are expected to be added to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant as a bonus. But by next year, however, GM hopes to skyrocket Volt’s production figures: 60,000 vehicles annually, with 45,000 remaining in the country.

The production increases are lofty, but still short of GM’s expectations. CEO Dan Akerson said last week that GM hopes to pump out even more Volts: 25,000 this year, and eventually more than 100,000 per year. With supply shortages still raging in Japan, this might be more challenging than GM expects; as such, they are monitoring demand for the Volt and other electric cars closely.

[Source: Auto Observer]

A 2011 Chevrolet Volt will be worth just over $17,000 after 36 months, the length of a typical lease, says Kelley Blue Book. That’s a 42 percent drop in price from the car’s $41,000 sticker price.

Eric Ibara, director of residual value consulting at Kelley Blue Book, says the residual value projection seems low. But the first 200,000 Volts sold will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, effectively dropping the sticker to $33,500. With this KBB number,  the Volt will hold 51 percent of its value, better than some of its rivals. The Toyota Prius, the industry’s best known hybrid, is projected to drop 46 percent after 36 months. Kelley’s projection assumes gasoline will sell for around $4 per gallon three years from now.

[Source: Car Tech Blog]

The Volt is helping to rebrand GM as a progressive automaker and it’s also helping to grow the Chevrolet marque, bringing in customers who haven’t (and possibly never would have) considered buying a Chevy.

According to new numbers released by General Motors, nine out of 10 Volt customers are new to Chevrolet. With that in mind, Chevy has earmarked several hundred Volt models as dealer demos. The plan is to use these extra Volts as a way to introduce more people to the Chevy brand, but whether those customers would be interested in anything else in the Chevy lineup has yet to be seen.

Currently 550 dealers have Volt demo cars and by year’s end Chevy plans for a total of 2,500 dealers to have the cars available for viewing and test drives.

The down side of this experiment is that Volt production is limited and every Volt used as a demo is one that isn’t being delivered to a customer, often extending the wait-time for orders.

“It’s tough to limit the number of Volts for sale to potential customers when demand is so strong, but the Volt has value to the Chevrolet portfolio well beyond incremental sales,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director.  “Our Chevy dealers will keep their Volt demo units for six months and then they sell these units at the conclusion of the demo period.”

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Chevy Volt Review

Improved sales in the first quarter of 2011 in the subcompact and compact segments has accounted for better average fuel economy among light vehicles. The average fuel consumption of light vehicles in the United States is 22.7 mpg, representing a 1.9 percent jump over the average fuel economy of light vehicles in the first quarter of 2010. The first quarter figure also is a 2.8 percent increase over last year’s third- quarter results.

The small car segment comprised 19.4 percent of total vehicle sales in the US in the first quarter of 2011. The rising cost of fuel has propelled and boosted vehicles such as the redesigned Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Jetta and Chevrolet Cruze.

[Source: Autoblog Green]