bagwell

Boy, GM REALLY REALLY needs this car to be a huge success....and ASAP (even tho some say its not supposed to be a hi-volume car)

http://gm-volt.com/2008/10/22/breaki...battery-packs/



Reuters has just reported inside sources have confirmed that GM has chosen LG Chem along with Troy, Michigan-based Compact Power Inc. to supply the lithium-ion battery packs for the first generation Chevy Volt.

The contract will be announced in November and the terms are still being worked out.

GM and Compact Power are apparently working out the details of the commercial agreement and how to split warranty costs for the batteries.

GM hasn’t confirmed these reports but an LG Chem spokesman in Korea stated “we were informed that the results are due in November, but we didn’t get any official answer from GM yet. We hope for and expect a good result.”

As we have heard before in a subtle way from GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz, GM was only using one supplier’s packs in the mules. Concurrently, we had heard from Compact Power’s CEO that his batteries were being used in the mules. Sources have now confirmed this is the case and that the mules packs are performing flawlessly.

A123/Continental could still potentially supply Volt packs in the next generation.

Source (Reuters)

SLegacy99

It's too bad that this vehicle is far away. We need it and a Volt like truck and SUV to match it. Im no engineer, but given that GM did produce the EV1, I can't believe that this is taking so long to finalize elements such as battery productions, etc. Now retooling plants, that I can see.

Regular is now $2.81 a gallon here. I'm wondering how this will effect hybrid sales. Has America wised up? I think so, but perhaps those car buyers looking for a car during times like this will be more inclinded to buy a regular 4 cylinder Camry rather than a Camry hybrid. I know my dad would love to get a GS450h, but with the stock market tanking I don't blame him for waiting. And the technology will be better in a few years anyway.

toy4two

hmmm looks like Edmunds spread some really bad info on the Volt, pretty much killed it for me, turns out there were WRONG:

http://gm-volt.com/2008/09/27/how-ch...he-chevy-volt/

bruce van

Looks like GM's timing has been off, time and time again. Now that gas prices are going down, this is probably the worst thing that could happen with the introduction of the Volt.

How much will the target MSRP be? There are going to be a lot more cars in the market to compete with come 2010.

SLegacy99

I think it is safe to say that fuel prices will be higher at some point between now and the end of 2010. Don't be surprised if Opec makes further output cuts in order to raise oil prices. They already said that they would like the price per barrel of oil to be around $100.

bagwell

+1

....no, they don't manipulate the prices.....yeh, right....idiots.

I love seeing the prices down and all these companies that raped us getting their profit cut in half...(eg Exxon's profits will drop from $41b to $21b )

SLegacy99

And speak of the devil. Opec is cutting supply output. Who would have thunk it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081023...ditiesoilprice

nn432100

yea anyone thinking that the lower gas prices are going to kill sales for chevy is wrong. Like some others have said gas prices will be back up by the time this car comes out. the days of cheap gas are over forever!

nabbun

GM needed Toyota to start investing in the replacement Prius (which will be on Lithium) to make the Volt cheaper. Toyota (at the time) didn't see Lithium technology as viable because the technology wasn't developed enough for a car and nickel batteries were already cheap and well developed.

Since the Prius was such an unexpected hit, and continues to be, Toyota hasn't found a reason to do make a new one yet. (they pushed that date back to I don't know when cuz I don't really care.)

So GM went on ahead I guess. I hope ToMoCo buys out the big 3 when they all go bankrupt and shut them down =P

spwolf

so much about superior A123 batteries for Volt that many believed would outperform Toyota's...