Chevy's Volt people rolled into town last night as a vague photo of the production car's fascia circulated around the Internet. The message they seemed to carry: We're serious. For now, Chevrolet is sticking to its announced 2010 production date, despite a staggering number of variables that are still in the air.
Chief among them is batteries. The first of the two lithium-ion batteries Chevy is sourcing arrived for testing on Halloween. The production people insist that the batteries are delivering as promised so far, though no one seems to know much about the weight and costs of the production version. The battery could have dramatic effect on the design of the car since aerodynamics are apparently playing a larger role in battery range than engineers had anticipated. Chevy spokespeople say that the low slope roof will remain, though you can bet those 20-inch wheels will be gone.
A few other details emerged. The car will have left- and right-side charge ports, which plug into any 110-volt outlet. The batteries will deliver a 40-mile range before the 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine kicks in to recharge them (53kW). Chevy's research has shown repeatedly that 40 miles is the magic number under which the vast majority of Americans drive every day.
Bob Lutz told me that Chevrolet knows it will lose money on the Volt for at least the first two years. The retail cost of the car will ultimately depend on how much Chevrolet is willing to lose. At this point, nobody is saying.
