Chevy Volt

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Name the Color, Win a Volt Test Drive!

October 26, 2009 in Future Cars by kristen | 1 comment

You’ve seen pictures of the Chevy Volt — that thing has been unavoidable for nearly two years now. And it’s always shown in that distinctive space-age silver with a slight greenish sheen. It turns out that paint color is nameless, and Chevy wants you to come up with something clever.

The prize, should your clever paint name win, is to test drive a pre-production Chevy Volt in Los Angeles. Use your coffee breaks to come up with good ideas, then submit them by November 4. Three finalists will be announced on November 16, and the good people of the Internets will vote for the winner, who will be announced on December 1.

Chevy Volt Will Get 230 MPG … Maybe. On a Good Day

August 12, 2009 in Biz News, EVs, Future Cars, MPG, emissions by kristen | 2 comments

It’s been a while since we’ve heard any real news about the Chevy Volt, and now GM has captured our green imaginations by claiming that the extended-range electric car will get 230 mpg. Now the EPA, GM, and of course the blogosphere are saying that number may be too good to be true.

GM used the EPA’s new mileage model for electric cars to come up with that massive 230 mpg. There are two problems with this, though: The EPA hasn’t finalized the electric car methodology; and the Volt isn’t purely electronic. Though the first 40 miles are all electric, the Volt has a small engine that uses gasoline and acts as a generator for the electric motor. The engine never powers the car directly, but this is the kind of hiccup that has kept the EPA from giving its mileage equivalency methods the green light.

That doesn’t take into account the Volt’s carbon dioxide emissions, or if the driver is a pedal-smashing speed freak, or if the power comes from a wind farm or a coal plant, or any number of things. Before the EPA could say, “Hey, wait a minute … ” GM had whipped up a 230 logo with a smiling outlet and a green background.

GM Puts the Brakes on Malibu Hybrid

June 15, 2009 in Biz News, Hybrids, MPG by kristen | No comments

2009 Chevy Malibu

The Chevy Malibu hybrid will see the end of production in 2009, along with the Saturn Aura, as GM slims down its lineup and makes an attempt at building cars people want to buy.

The Malibu and Aura are both mild hybrids, meaning their electric motors cannot power the car alone. The motor can only assist the gasoline-powered engine, which increases the fuel efficiency of the car. The problem is, the fuel efficiency of the Malibu only increased by about 4 mpg — but the hybrid system added $4,000 to the price tag.

According to a report on Manufacturing.net, GM isn’t abandoning gasoline-electric hybrids. It plans on having new models out as soon as summer 2010, but it wouldn’t elaborate on what models or technologies we might see.

GM has affirmed its commitment to building the extended-range electric Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera, despite its economic woes.

Image of the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

Opel Ampara to Be Volt’s European Sister

March 9, 2009 in Consumer News, EVs, Future Cars, MPG, PHEVs by kristen | 1 comment

Opel AmperaChevy Volt

GM unveiled the European version of the Chevy Volt at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show — the Opel Ampera. The two cars are identical where it counts: they use the same chassis and Voltec extended-range electric vehicle drive system. But the skin they wear is quite different, and not surprisingly, the Euro version has more style.

Following the GM press release’s Euro style, the car can travel on electricity only for 60 km. After that, a small on-board engine acts as a generator to recharge the batteries and give the Ampera another 500 km of driving range. (That’s 37 miles on battery power, and about 300 miles of generator-extended driving on this side of the pond.)

GM says the Ampera will debut in dealerships in 2011, as the Continent’s first EREV. The Chevy Volt will be in U.S. showrooms at about the same time; its production is scheduled to begin in late 2010 at the company’s plant in Flint, Michigan.

Images above courtesy of GM. The Ampere is on the left, at its debut with Opel VP Alain Visser, and the Volt is on the right.

Bailout Bill Tax Credits: Who Qualifies?

October 8, 2008 in Biz News, Consumer News, EVs, PHEVs by kristen | No comments

After I posted a synopsis of the alternative fuel tax credits here on GoodGreenCars Monday, astute reader Emily wondered if electric-only vehicles could get the credit, or if this particular sweetener only applied to PHEVs like the Volt.

Here’s the straight dope from the bill, as translated into English from Congress-ese by yours truly.

A New, Qualified, Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle, according to the recently passed bailout bill, means a vehicle that:

  1. Has a battery with at least a 4 kwh capacity (your tax credit will go up with the size of your battery)
  2. Uses an off-board source of energy to recharge the battery (an outlet or generator would do)
  3. Is certified under the Clean Air Act and meets California’s low emissions vehicle standard
  4. Will be put on the road for the first time by the taxpayer
  5. Was bought for use by the taxpayer, not for resale
  6. Was made by a manufacturer — home conversions do not get this credit

So your 6-year-old daughter’s battery-powered Barbie car doesn’t get the credit, nor does my friend Tim’s Porsche 914 conversion. You have to buy the car brand-new and use it yourself, no dealers or used cars allowed. And any plug-in vehicle should meet the emissions standards with flying colors.

If you have further questions, read the text of the bill here (look for Section 205 on page 186 of the PDF).