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WILWAXU
04-13-2010, 04:38 PM
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100413/GREEN/304139999
2011 Chevrolet Volt streaks toward production

By GREG MIGLIORE (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/personalia?ID=&category=contact)

http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20100413/GREEN/304139999/AR-304139999.jpg?ref=AR&maxw=340
2011 Chevrolet Volt
(http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100413/green/304139999&show=0/127116786780255/car-pictures&template=photo)
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt continues to rack up test miles as it streaks toward launch in the United States late this year.

Engineers said they have put 250,000 miles collectively on test Volts since November, and have flogged the extended-range electric vehicle in extreme cold-weather conditions. Some individual test cars (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100413/GREEN/304139999#) have more than 20,000 miles on the clock.

The Volt, the most anticipated General Motors vehicle in years, remains on track for its rollout in some parts of the nation, officials said. The sister car (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100413/GREEN/304139999#) of the Volt, the Opel Ampera, is set for launch in Europe in 2011.

“We're well on our way to hitting all of our numbers, which we've promised,” Andrew Farah, the Volt's chief engineer said on Monday.
That includes mileage and standards, officials said. The Volt should reach its claimed 40-mile range on electricity and achieve about 50 mpg after the charge is exhausted and a generator kicks in.

GM has also said the Volt responded to harsh conditions in a variety of environments, including the bitter cold of Ontario, Canada, traction and braking drills in Michigan, and altitude and mountain grades in Colorado.
Next up is hot-weather testing in California, GM said. Additionally, 300 Volts will be on the roads and driven by company employees as GM tries to iron out the final bugs of daily driving (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100413/GREEN/304139999#).

GM has also simulated the equivalent of 850,000 miles on the battery packs in a variety of circumstances and said the cars have held up well.

GM also said on Monday that it is spending $8 million to double the size of its battery lab in suburban Detroit, which will speed up the development of vehicles such as the Volt.

This article was last updated on: 04/13/10, 10:10 et

StoleIt
04-13-2010, 05:52 PM
I hope it works out well for GM. The car doesn't look bad (still obviously loved the concept but thats why it was a concept).

I think it was Toyota that already announced it has a car that will double the Volts range or something.

Z Fury
04-13-2010, 07:11 PM
You may be right StoleIt, but I think a good hybrid from a domestic car manufacturer will be a good thing. Plenty of "buy American" loyalists out there that have been waiting for a rival for the Prius. I hope this sells well for them.

Phantom_LS2
04-13-2010, 07:32 PM
There already is a domestic rival for the prius, the ford fusion.

Z Fury
04-13-2010, 08:49 PM
There already is a domestic rival for the prius, the ford fusion.

Apply my post toward GM loyalists then. I totally forgot about the Fusion.

Either way, another domestic hybrid is a good thing, and I hope it does well.

Brains
04-13-2010, 09:37 PM
GM seems to have trended towards a car that looks like something people would actually WANT to drive - versus the typical pretentious tree-hugging douchebag image associated with the Prius. Ford went that direction with the Fusion as well, giving you some style versus the completely style devoid offering from across the pond.

smokinHawk
04-14-2010, 08:32 AM
anyone know what the cost is going to be?

Andrew @ PlanetLSX
04-14-2010, 08:51 AM
I'd bet somewhere around $40k, but who knows where the government subsidies will put it.

I saw a TV show that centered around the Volt a couple of weeks ago... I think it was a year or two old, but still, after watching the show, the car does seem pretty cool. It was interesting to see the testing and the assembly processes.

WILWAXU
04-14-2010, 10:39 PM
I've also heard figures around $40K, not sure if that is before or after the "Green" kickback money.

Pipelayaz
04-17-2010, 08:33 PM
I'm glad it looks good. Toyota is in bad shape with some of their models. I'd like the Volt to come out sooner than later.