CNN Money Reports:
GM has taken another step toward bringing its Volt plug-in electric car to market by opening a new studio where work is being done exclusively on its next generation of electric vehicles.
The studio, made from a former management training center on the grounds of GM's Warren Technical Center, has clay and vinyl models of the next generation Volt. . . .
Designers using computer and small clay models already have cut 30 percent from the wind drag of the original concept, said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design.
I hope they don't change the design too radically. The Volt concept looked great. The car's robust styling made an important point - electric cars don't have to look like souped-up golf carts or something only your grandmother would drive.
Posted by: Tim | December 11, 2007 at 11:03 PM
Style is still one of the biggest factors in people's car purchase decisions, assuming that the car doesn't have square wheels or something. I hope they make it look great.
Posted by: George | December 12, 2007 at 12:27 AM
I agree, style does have a lot to do with purchase decisions. Personally, all these flashy showings mean nothing to me. I wonder, however, with 30% reduction in drag, does the Volt now look just like a Prius!? Go GM !
Posted by: Luttkus | December 12, 2007 at 10:34 AM
I'd rather it looked like the Prius than the Volt concept. The Volt concept didn't look like it had a lot of utility, unlike the Prius which has more storage than the Camry. I want the Volt to be a 4-door car with a cavernous trunk or hatchback. Basically, I want the Opel Flextreme. That's the car I'll buy if I can get my grubby mitts on it.
Posted by: Ross | December 12, 2007 at 01:01 PM
I didn't like the volt concept look. Large grills and short windows look aggressively ugly. Since some of that will have to go to make the aerodynamics, maybe nature agrees with me? ;)
Stephen
Posted by: Stephen Boulet | December 12, 2007 at 01:19 PM
I thought they were further along than this. If they're still playing with the clay models, then I guess they must not have done much with the production tooling, contrary to earlier reports.
Posted by: david foster | December 12, 2007 at 04:00 PM
At least GM is aware that the future of transportation is electric drive. 70% of a vehicle's energy is spent pushing air out of it's way, reducing the drag coefficient can only help. The Aptera for example, with coefficient of 0.11 gets over 230 mpg in hybrid form, now that is aero dynamic! (You can see it on EVtransPortal.com in the three wheeled electric vehicle category).
Posted by: EVtransPortal | December 13, 2007 at 07:31 PM
Has anyone else here heard that the volt will be powered by Ener1 new Lithium-ion Battery system?
Posted by: David Holtz | December 13, 2007 at 08:22 PM
Apparently LG Chemical is the other supplier:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Volt
From the Enerdel site it doesn't look as though it has anything to do with them:
http://enerdel.com/content/view/138/61/
Posted by: DaveMart | December 14, 2007 at 06:14 AM
Was a new studio a necessary? Couldn't you use that money to go into more developers of technology for the electrical car?
Posted by: Discount Furniture Los Angeles | December 06, 2011 at 04:44 PM
So glad the VOLT is electric, great stuff here!
Posted by: beverage marketing | January 06, 2012 at 04:30 PM
I test drove a Volt once, really liked it!
Posted by: acting classes in los angeles | January 06, 2012 at 04:43 PM
So glad they're doing this, I like Shell!
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