General Motors CEO Dan Akerson recently delivered a speech during the Fortune Magazine Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, California, and he wanted to make sure that he let the audience in on what to expect with the next-generation Chevrolet Volt.
“This next generation, we think we can decrease the price on the order of $7,000 to $10,000,” he touted, saying at the same time that the new plug-in vehicle will be “off the charts vs. what you [have] seen” in terms of technology.
Considering the progress The General is making these days, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. But it’s nice to know what’s just around the corner every now and then.
Comments
When is the next gen volt expected?
2015 ?
This has been the game plan all along. This car was going to advance in stages. GM made it clear the 2nd and 3rd gens were being worked on at the same time.
Their game was to create a market for the car with the first gen and then work with suppliers who now had a market for products they could invest in. Competition will drive improvement in the products and will lower the cost with more investment.
I think this will be a sweet deal ones they get in a couple gens as it will be very affordable and will gain in many areas of range and power.
If GM secedes with what they are doing they could turn the entire electric car market on end. The others will have to scramble to adapt to this kind of system if there are no great battery break though. If they do crack the battery issue GM just pulls the ICE and used the new battery.
This is a segment that will have to be grown and GM is doing it right so far. It may not entirely replace gasoline but it will help supplement the CAFE with everyone sold.
I’d look for it around mid-late 2015.
Akerson has to be delicate, to not hype 2nd Gen Volt too much –
as he has lots of 1st gens to sell. Current Volt ( no pun intended )
is facing lots of competition as of late with C-Max Energi, Fusion
Energi and PIPrius. Akerson hinted at things I’ve mentioned in the
past ( lighter weight ) and also teases with the high-tech mentions.
Today’s Volt represents technology nobody else has ( even Tesla ),
and is a car you will never be stranded in needing a charge. Expect
deep discounts this year and next as the MSRP, especially for the
Chevrolet brand, holds folks back. Expect many more to sell when
gas rises over $4.00 per gallon.
2nd gen Prius was the model that launched the brand. Let’s hope
the next Volt takes all the lessons they’ve learned in millions of
gas-free miles driven by happy customers and results in a higher
All-Electric-Range and better gas sipping, possibly with a 3 cylinder
range extender.
Let’s hope for more levels of Volt models – not just in trim, but in
capacity. More money = more range/ faster 0-60.
Let’s pray for a 5 seater and a 2-and-3 row CUV with Voltec.
Lots more people are shouting , ” NO PLUG, NO SALE! “.
Lots of people including myself live in Condos or Apartmens and dont have access to plug in there car. This is the challeng for plug-ins.
I would think that the next gen Volt would pride itself in having greater battery capacity, greater range, faster recharging, less weight,…and the whole system relying less and less on ICE’s. Essentially, the Volt will have to do away with the ICE in subsequent generation and become move of an EV.
Then I think of Tesla. They’re doing the whole “trickle down” thing from the Model S onto their forthcoming luxury compact. It still 3-4 years away, but by then, whatever figures they are pulling from their batteries will eventually make comparable ICE powered luxury cars in their respective segments less and less impressive. They’ve already dumped on an M5 in a video, and I doubt they are going to go backwards from there.
Whatever becomes of the Volt, I really hope GM is working on minimizing the use of ICE’s in the Voltec system. Voltec works fine now, but at some point in the future and in every segment, an EV’s powertrain will post better and higher numbers and for less money. It’s many years away from now, but I don’t think that EV’s are going to go away like a fad or continue to be unfairly saddled with the title “compliance car”. It’ll be hard to call EV’s compliance cars if they become the standard.
The whole deal is who can crack the battery issue first.
While many praise the Tesla it still has issue with charge times and the ability to charge anywhere. Also it will remain hindered with range till they get a better battery. I know they are working on it but it is still not there. We have a guy in town here with two Teslas but still has to own a gas powered car to get anywhere. He can afford that others can’t.
The Volt will add range and shorten charge times just as Tesla but till they can solve the other issues the ICE will remain as it is what would attract the average buyer. I could live with a Volt if it was my only car but I never could live with a Tesla as my only car.
But like I have stated the Volt could drop the ICE fast if and when a battery is found. I would not be surprised at some point a Volt may be offered as an all electric option when things improve. That way you can get it with ICE or with out depending on your needs.