After completing 100 years in the auto industry, General Motors plans to focus on next-generation vehicles and technologies through its year-long global initiative, GMnext. General Motors unveiled on Tuesday (September 16) the production version of the car that it hopes will turbocharge its momentum and recast its image.
CEO Rick Wagoner showed off the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric car. It’s the focal point of GM’s 100th anniversary celebration. The Volt reflects the company’s drive to move away from gas guzzling trucks and SUVs.
“It shows we’re forward looking, that we’re committed to playing a big role and that making sure that personal transportation is just as important and viable to the average consumer out there in fifty years as it is today,” said Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors.
The car looked more curvy than last year’s sporty angular concept version that evoked a muscle car. Vice chairman Bob Lutz said GM altered the design so the Volt can reach its ambitious target range of 40 miles on a lithium ion battery.
But critics wonder if GM can deliver by its target date of November 2010. A US energy official said Monday that practical lithium ion batteries are still years away. What’s more, a lithium battery costs roughly 10-thousand dollars.
Denise Gray heads battery engineering at GM.
“We’re working diligently in every aspect of the battery pack to bring that cost down as much as possible. But it is going to take a number of learning loops by OEMs (original equipment manufacturer), by the uppliers to optimize the overall system to get the volumes up, to get the quality up, to bring the price down.”
Consumers could get a jolt when they hear the estimated price for a Volt: under $40,000. GM hopes federal and state governments will offer tax credits to put the Volt within the reach of car buyers.
Some characteristics of the Volt:
–Lithium-ion batteries, which are still under development, are expected to propel the car up to 40 miles on a single charge from a home outlet.
–As it approaches 40 miles, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to recharge the batteries, extending the car’s range to hundreds of miles. The engine can run on gasoline or E85 ethanol.
–Design is among the most aerodynamic in GM history, although the company won’t reveal its drag coefficient.
–Interior has a liquid-crystal instrument display that the driver can configure to his or her needs, as well as touch-screen climate, information and entertainment controls.
–It takes about eight hours to recharge through a 120-volt outlet, costing about 80 cents a day assuming a price of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
–Top speed is 100 mph.
–Due in showrooms in November 2010.