Despite GM recanting their statement that they’d buy back Chevy Volts from concerned customers, a couple dozen have come forward requesting buy backs of their plug-in hybrids.

The buy back statement originally came from GM CEO Dan Akerson, but GM’s PR department stepped in by backpedaling on that offer. Nonetheless, after receiving a couple dozen inquiries on the buy back program, GM says that they’ll ultimately buy back the Volts from any unhappy customers. Meanwhile, they’ll continue to urge current owners to take advantage of their loaner program.

The investigation into the fire is still ongoing, but neither GM nor NHTSA have reports of fires from actual customers. We’re still happy to see that GM’s actions will continue to be guided by their customers’ satisfaction.

[Source: Detroit News]

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]

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]

Would you trust new technology with your life? One Chevy Volt owner did, and walked away from a rather serious smash-up mostly unharmed.

A forum user on GM-Volt.com posted pictures recently of his totaled Volt on the New Jersey Turnpike. The car (number 187) became a martyr after a nasty highway collision.

“Except for some back and neck pain for my wife and I, it was a miracle that there wasn’t any more injuries. The car is rock solid, that’s for sure. I’m going to miss that car,” the owner said on the thread.

According to the driver, a Ford Taurus veered into their lane and caused them to hit an oncoming school bus. Contents from the trunk flew into the back seat where the driver’s three-year-old and 15-month-old children were sitting.

This might be the first reported write-off of the new Volt, which garnered the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top safety pick and a five-star rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safety features on the car include front, side, knee and ceiling mounted airbags as well as electronic stability control. Volt owners also get a 3-year subscription to OnStar’s Directions and Connections Plan including Automatic Crash Response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.

GALLERY: Chevy Volt Wreck

[Source GM-Volt.com]

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]

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]

General Motors has announced its decision to delay the addition of a second shift for the Chevy Volt assembly plant.

Intended to meet projections for the Volt to double its production by 2012, the second shift is no longer necessary as a plant overhaul conducted this summer plus a modest addition of 300 workers working in one shift is sufficient enough to meet GM’s 60,000 unit production target. GM’s move will dramatically reduce cost by improving upon the assembly plant’s efficiency.

As a matter of fact, earlier forecasts for Volt’s 2012 production were a more conservative 45,000 units, indicating a better reception towards the EV than GM expected. As Volt demand continues to increase and a next generation Chevrolet Malibu will begin production at the plant next year while a new Chevrolet Impala will arrive for 2013, GM still intends to launch a second shift to meet demand, providing jobs for hundreds of more workers.

George McGregor, president of UAW Local 22 and the labor representative for the workers of the plant, says that the second shift will begin sometime in 2012.

[Source: Automotive News]

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]

GM has long intended to bring their Chevrolet Volt over to the Chinese market. It’s both the largest and the fastest growing market for automobiles and only within a few short years smog pollution has increased exponentially among China’s booming cities. To alleviate the headache, China will offer automakers planning to sell electric vehicles in their country a substantial subsidy of as much as $19,300.

But there’s a catch. GM is faced with a negotiation that risks handing the Volt’s proprietary technology over to the Chinese government. In order for GM to be eligible of the subsidy, the automaker is required to disclose one of Volt’s three main innovations — either its electric motors, the control system, or the batteries.

GM is understandably reluctant. Executive director of electrification strategy at GM China, Raymond Bierzynski, intends to have the Chinese officials allow Volt to qualify for the subsidies without the technology transfer and will, “… Bring it up in every conversation we have.” In addition, GM plans to import the Volt from Michigan instead of establishing a factory in China.

An obstacle not faced by GM alone, Nissan Leaf’s unavailability in China is likely rooted from the same problem. Nissan did not confirm nor deny this.

According to international trade experts familiar with the demands, China may be violating World Trade Organization rules, certainly teasing its the boundaries, by imposing this requirement.

GALLERY: Chevrolet Volt

[Source: Autoblog Green]

NASCAR big boys, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon attended a Chevrolet Volt Homecoming Parade in metro Detroit on August 18 as a part of the festivities surrounding the annual Woodward Dream Cruise.

Over 50 owners from 12 different states attended the even, with both Johnson and Gordon included in the pack as actual Volt owners. In pure racing fashion the duo waved flags to mark the start of the parade. Both NASCAR drivers spent plenty of time talking up the electric Chevy crowd at the parade.

“These cars are just another step in the right direction of going green. Hopefully the Volt will provoke more thought and change,”said Jimmie Johnson.

As for Jeff Gordon, he touched on how Chevrolet is always pushing the envelope in the right direction. “With Chevrolet celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, I can’t think of a better vehicle to show off the brand’s heritage and where it’s headed.”

Check out the video after the jump!

Continue Reading…

A new Harvard study has found that electric vehicles won’t be accepted by the American public until gas hits $4.50 per gallon. The study also found that surprisingly, over the life of the car, plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt cost $5,377 more than gas powered cars. The story is the same for the Nissan Leaf which is $4,819 more expensive.

The aim of the study was to determine if Americans will buy electric cars and the study concluded that the answer was “yes-but only if the electric vehicles are competitive with conventional cars on cost, range and fueling convenience.”

The U.S Energy Information administration is predicting that gas in 2012 will cost around $3.65 per gallon and that $4.50 per gallon is not a likelihood in the near future.

The study was released just before President Obama is to outline higher fuel economy standards. Ultimately, the standards are expected to reach 54.5 mpg by 2025. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the following on the White House website, ”This program, which builds on the historic agreement achieved by this administration for model years 2012-’16, will result in significant cost savings for consumers at the pump, dramatically reduce oil consumption, cut pollution and create jobs,”.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

General Motors is trailing  Nissan in electric car sales, prompting the the American automaker to boost output on Chevrolet Volt to 5,000 units a month as the automaker tries to take the lead.

Nissan sold 3,875 Leaf units in June while GM followed behind with 2,745 vehicle sales. Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevy Volt said, that while Nissan accelerated production faster than GM, the Detroit automaker will outstrip its Japanese rival and make 5,000 Volt vehicles as quickly as possible for January. Posawatz also said that GM will quickly expand output towards the goal of selling 10,000 Volts in the U.S annually.

“This is very much about supply constraints as opposed to a sales race,” Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Automotive, a research firm based in Lexington, Mass. “Next year will really show true demand for these kinds of cars and which one wins.”

[Source: GM Inside News]

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.

The Mitsubishi i is $13,000 less than the Volt and $5000 less than the Leaf. The i will cost $27,990 for the ES model before a federal tax credit of $7,500 making the i the least expensive mass produced EV in the U.S. The i can be preordered now with the first shipments available in early 2012.

A group of green car enthusiasts are looking to set a Guinness World Record in Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday, July 24 for the longest hybrid vehicle parade. The event know as Hybrids On Parade, will allow hybrid owners from throughout the Midwest to converge in Madison with 500 hybrids stretching over six miles to break the record. A previous record was set in Belgium in 2010 with a 140 hybrid car parade.

“It’s well known Madison has a green streak,” says Smart Motors HOP organizer, Paul Cooley. “So it only makes sense that we also hold a world record associated with the technology.”

Only the first 500 entrants will be accepted to the parade which will be made up entirely of everything from the Prius and Camry Hybrid (Smart Motors is a Toyota dealer) to the Volt, Fusion Hybrid and Civic Hybrid and more.

“The features of hybrid vehicles really lend it to a parade situation,” says Allen Foster, vice president and general manager at Smart Motors. Even with 500 vehicles traveling over 6.2 miles the end result is that they stay in electric mode for all of, or nearly all of the parade.”

Those looking to register or find our more info can visit Hybrids on Parade here.

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…

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]

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