GM brings back 1.0L ICE! - in the Volt plug-in series hybrid :)

[Matt Timion]

depending on the price, I'd actaully think aboutgoing to GM for a car.

Unless Toyota is still considering making a plugin version of the Prius.

[JanGeo]

The complete article with more photos of "inside" - they definately need to revamp the hood style - looks like a CTS Cadilac with some Morano fenders - need to get the guys playing with the clay some different shaping tools.

http://www.pleiades-enterprises.bigs...eneric205.html

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

need to get the guys playing with the clay some different shaping tools.

That's funny

[JanGeo]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

depending on the price, I'd actually think about going to GM for a car.

Unless Toyota is still considering making a plugin version of the Prius.

Dan at eCycle has been working on a buck/boost regulator for adding an extra lower voltage battery pack to the Prius for some guys in Canada that are converting to plugin. It looks like there is a big design hurtle to get past. The Prius monitors the Energy in and out of the battery pack instead of the actual battery SOC so that adding extra energy to the battery does not allow it to be used because the "system" thinks it is not there once the "energy" of the pack has been depleted according to its internal calculations. Prius needs to allow a bigger capacity battery setting in its software.

[landspeed]

Plug in Prius conversion (if you have the money) - looks pretty good too!

http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html

http://www.edrivesystems.com/faq.html

[omgwtfbyobbq]

The more I look at it, the more I think GM will bring this to market. Ovonics/cobasys/GM/Texaco/etc... successfully sued Toyota/Matsu****a/etc... and the private agreement included limitations on NiMH battery size, as well what I'm guessing to be a clause for no plug-in capacity through Toyota. GM had no problems with Toyota entering the hybrid market because it's all their risk. If Toyota fails, GM loses nothing. If Toyota succeeds, GM probably has the ability to offer NiMH plug-in models while Toyota can't, and Cobasys/Co seem to be wrangling for Li-whatever rights as well. The point being, GM let Toyota develop a hybrid market via certain agreements, which may not hold to GM. Now that hybrids are most likely going to get 10-20% of market share per year, GM can roll out something that's sporty looking, has good all electric range, gets better mileage, and, most importantly, is plug-in for about the same price as a Prius. Effectively, GM can source better, cheaper NiMH batteries than Toyota because the same contractual constraints do not apply to them, and by nature of their hybrid design, they must do bulk business. I'm thinking we'll see this available to combat the next gen Prius. Given what GM has done with Daewoo, this is very likely imo...

[repete86]

Stop dreaming. This is Gm we're talking about. There's a reason for the specs seeming to be amazing and the public only having a drawing of it. It's just PR bull**** to try to attract people back to GM after a 12% drop in GM sales this year.

[MetroMPG]

Believe it or not, they actually made a concept car, and it even appeared to move under its own power on a stage at the unveiling (unless the stage was on a slope ).

http://www.gm.com/company/gm_exp_liv...dex_flash.html

Launches a Flash page. Click into the Volt, then "webcasts" on the bottom, then "click here to view" above - it's vid of the unveiling, with a hokey bit at the start about monumental achievements in history.

The car appears about half way through, after Lutz talks.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Believe it or not, they actually made a concept car, and it even appeared to move under its own power on a stage at the unveiling (unless the stage was on a slope ).

Of course for wall we know, it's just another parlor trick involving a re-skinned Cobalt chassis driven by the motor from an electric forklift.

[MetroMPG]

Now THAT would be a car I'd buy!