Good, but any noise, however beautiful, may become a bother if you hear it all the damn time. So Chevy has stated that its noise, “a series of low horn audio signals,” will be driver-controlled. I have to say, I’m glad of that, because “a series of low horn audio signals” sounds like it’d really bug me. You’ll be able to turn it on and off like any other safety features, like high beams and hazard lights.

I wonder if in the future of car marketing there will be major competition between brand noises — if they’re all quiet, there’s no distinctive engine note, but they still have control over how the sucker sounds. I can just picture it now: “Yeah, the Toyota gets 50 more miles per charge, but have you heard the sweet woom-woom noise the new Fords make?” Or maybe you’ll be able to buy “roll tones.” Okay, I’m a genius. I’m patenting that.

This rolling HD rig is a Clubman S with a turbocharged 16-valve engine. It’s a part of NewTek TriCasts America: Stream or Die Tour, a coast to coast trek showcasing NewTek’s new line of HD video gear. Setting out to prove that you no longer need massive production trucks to do on-the-spot video streaming, NewTek put their new TriCaster XD300 unit along with the rest of a HD studio in 9.2 cubic feet of cargo space. It’s capable of taking three HD video streams, manipulating them just as you would in a full-sized studio, and streaming them live in glorious glorious high definition.

For podcasters or anyone who wants to stream to the internet, the XD300 allows you to do so in HD essentialy as a one-man show. You can manipulate the video / audio in real time using the included control surface even while the cameras are rolling. You can expect these units before the year is out.

The Chevy Volt is “a car for idiots.” Really? Dem be fightin words, Johan de Nysschen.

The Audi of America President talked to MSN autos and had some strong feelings about the upcoming Chevy Volt. He states in part that the Chevy Volt will fail because there isn’t enough idiots to pay a $15k premium for a car that competes with the Toyota Corolla. Serious. The whole article is worth your time if you’ve been following the Chevy Volt saga.

But he also makes very valid points that modern diesel engines can provided a huge environmental impact right now. Best of all, the technology is already available, and simply stuck across the pond in Europe. Only government lobbyist and conspiracy theory nuts know why we aren’t already driving around in such cars.

Will the Chevy Volt fail? Maybe. But it’s more likely that it will coexist with other vehicle technology including clean diesel.

[via Jalopnik]

I, and many of you, had a bunch of questions when GM announced that under the new EPA guidelines, the Chevy Volt will earn 230 MPG in urban driving conditions. After all the EPA hasn’t tested the Chevy Volt yet and GM was just going off the new criteria. Urban drivers could very well get 230 MPG if they only drive 40 miles a day, but once they go over that and the on-board 1.4 L gasoline generator kicks in, that mileage will drop quickly to a more familiar range. Well, the EPA released a very patriotic statement to Edumnds that doesn’t say a whole lot unfortunately.

Green Car Advisor Blog:

EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM.  EPA does applaud GM’s commitment to designing and building the car of the future – an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying American jobs. We’re proud to see American companies and American workers leading the world in the clean energy innovations that will shape the 21st century economy.

For the sake of Government Motors, lets just hope that once the EPA does send the car through the tests that the official ratings will be on par with what GM said today. Somehow I don’t think that will be the case though.

You know that strange viral marketing campaign popping up around the Interwebs as of late? Well, we know what it means now thanks to GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson and it’s somewhat impressive – and a tad dubious. GM is claiming that under the new EPA guidelines, the Chevy Volt will hit 230 MPG. The Volt would be the first car to ever earn a triple digit number.

Take a look at the current high-mileage kings and that 230 MPG rating really sinks in. The EPA handed the Prius a 51 MPG city ranking and the Insight a 41 MPG. The EPA says that the Ford Fusion hybrid can get 41 in the city and the Camary Hybrid 40 MPG in the city. With hyper-mileage tactics like killing the engine to coast down hills and fancy pedal work, a few obsessed drivers have pushed a few of these cars into triple digit territory.

None of these cars of course benefit from a battery pack that can power the car exclusively for 40 miles, though. The only real competitor to the Chevy Volt is the Fisker Karma as it’s fundamentally the same powertrain design but the EPA hasn’t had a go with that EV yet.  There is the Tesla Model S too, but that vehicle is limited by the range of a battery pack and doesn’t have an on-board gasoline generator like the Volt and the Karma and therefore will not be ranked under the same guidelines.

The methodology behind the 230 MPG rating haven’t been released. There is no telling how the Volt’s 40 mile electric-only mode factored into this ranking. The EPA revised its formulas in order to generate a more accurate real-world representation of what EVs can achieve and the Volt’s the first car to benefit from this revision.

Frank Weber, the Volt’s chief engineer and the tour guide during my Volt test drive, indicated that the 230 MPG rating is based on combined electric-only mode and charge sustaining mode with the 1.4 L electric generator running. We’re still curious about the actual mileage to be driven during the EPA’s testing and how the car will rank in highway mileage ratings.

But despite my bit of skepticism, you can’t deny that GM has something special in the Volt. However it’s measured, 230 MPG is a gigantic improvement for a lot of people that can take advantage of the Volt’s 40 mile electric-only range. Now here’s hoping that the Volt makes its way into showrooms sometime in 2010 despite issues with GM securing government loans.

[image via Autoblog]

We all knew that Mercedes had electric car intentions when Damiler purchased a stake in Tesla a few months back. However it’s doubtful that this SLS has seen significant Tesla development just yet. Mercedes did buy that stake to gain access to the quick development cycle that inherently come with small companies. This car has probably been in the works for a while now.

The design is purely Mercedes Benz, but underneath is more Moon Rover meets Tesla. There are four electric motors placed just inside the suspension system that propels the car to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds. (The Roadster does it 3.9 seconds, btw) A row of batteries extends down the center of the vehicle’s frame in a Chevy Volt-fashion that doesn’t interfere with the car’s weight distribution and helps keep the center of gravity sports car-low.

We’re curious to hear what the cars range will be. The presser didn’t mention anything, but the four, smaller motors might translate into a similar range as the Tesla Roadster which has a higher capacity lithium-ion pack, but one large motor.

HP freaks should be content with the 392 kW output which translates into 525 HP. With that much horsepower, it seems like the 0-60 time should be a tad better, but we’re all slowly learning that electric cars are tuned differently than their gasoline counterparts. For instance, the new Tesla Roadster Sport features a hand-wound stator which increases the amount of current that passes through the motor and decreases the 0-60 speed from 3.9 seconds to 3.7 seconds.

Still, performance is measured differently by everyone and we’re curious to see how this car whips around the track with the batteries down the center, motors at each wheel and no transmission thanks to the electric drive. This SLS AMG is likely going to set the bar very high for electric supercars for sometime. It’s just a shame that the everyday man will not be able to enjoy this zero-emissions sports car as it’s likely going to be priced up in the stratosphere. It’s probably not that hard to develop a viable electric car when price is no object.

PRESS RELEASE:

New swing-wing model with purely electric high-tech drive system: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with electric drive – the exciting future of the super sports car

Affalterbach – Mercedes-AMG is paving the way ahead: with the new SLS AMG with electric drive, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars is developing an exciting super sports car with zero-emission high-tech drive. This model sees Mercedes-Benz and AMG displaying their expertise in the development of alternative drive solutions for high-performance super sports cars, delivering further proof of their pioneering status in this market segment.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGwith electric drive transforms the vision of powerful and locally emission-free super sports cars into reality thanks to an innovative drive system: powerful forwards thrust is provided by four electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. The four electric motors are positioned near the wheels, substantially reducing the unsprung masses compared to wheel-hub motors. One transmission per axle transmits the power. This intelligent all-wheel-drive system allows dynamically optimised power transmission without any losses by means of Torque Vectoring – in other words the specifically targeted acceleration of individual wheels. In its first pilot phase, the SLS AMG with electric drive incorporates a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery of modular design with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah. The 400-volt battery is charged by means of targeted recuperation during braking whilst the car is being driven.

Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds

When it comes to dynamics, the electrically driven SLS AMGdelivers an unequivocal statement: the swing-wing model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds – putting it on the same high level as the SLS AMG with a 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 420 kW/571 hp.

“With the SLS AMG with electric drive, we wanted to redefine the super sports car. For us, it is not just about responsibility. We attach just as much importance to excitement and classic AMGperformance,” says Volker Mornhinweg, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Optimum weight distribution and low centre of gravity

The purely electric drive system was factored into the equation as early as the concept phase when the new swing-wing model was being developed by Mercedes-Benz and AMG. It is ideally packaged for the integration of the high-performance, zero-emission technology: by way of example, the four electric motors and the two transmissions can be positioned near the wheels and very low down in the vehicle. The same applies to the modular high-current battery, whose modules are located in front of the firewall, in the centre tunnel and behind the seats. Advantages of this solution include the vehicle’s low centre of gravity and the balanced weight distribution – ideal conditions for optimum handling, which the electrically powered SLS AMG shares with its petrol-driven sister model.

Key data at a glance:

	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with electric drive
Max. output	392 kW
Torque	880 Nm
0-100 km/h	Approx. 4 s
Rated capacity	40 Ah (at 400 V)
Energy content	3x 16 kWh = 48 kWh

The installation of the drive components required no changes whatsoever to the swing-wing model’s aluminium spaceframe body. And there were just as few constraints when it came to maintaining the excellent level of passive safety and high degree of long-distance comfort that are hallmarks of Mercedes cars.

Strategic alliance for fast electrification of the car

The electrically powered SLS AMG sees Mercedes-Benz and AMGcontinuing to pursue their aim of minimising the amount of time it takes to bring about the electrification of the car. Their strategic involvement in Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG, will provide the battery technology required in future. Daimler has the leading role in this joint venture for the development and production of batteries and battery systems for automotive applications.

This is in the very preliminary rounds and a specific sound hasn’t been chosen, nor how to make it pedestrian-friendly while not a nuisances to everyone else. The panel is expected to wrap up everything by the end of the year.

GM has tackled this issue already in the upcoming Chevy Volt. We found out about it when we test drove an engineering mule a few months back. The driver activates the sound which is a lot more friendly than blowing the horn. This is a larger issue for the Volt than traditional hybrids who generally run on the combustion engine a lot sooner than the Volt’s generator kicks in. The Volt is totally silent for about 40 miles of travel.

One lucky Californian dude is cruising in style after he took delivery of the very first production electric Mini. The Mini-E is available for lease on a very limited basis reminiscent of the GM EV-1 from the ’90s. Except this time around, the plug-in electric car will only be in customers hands for one short year instead of three. Presumably, the 500 cars will be sent back to Mini for testing and evaluation after the one year is up.

Anyway, Peter Trepp has a blog up about the car and his experiences. He seems totally satisfied despite driving the car in bad LA traffic his first time out. Interestingly, he notes that the Mini-E drivers will not have to touch the brake pedal at all thanks to the strong brake regeneration system, which makes me think this vehicle has a similar system as the Chevy Volt that I didn’t like.

If it is the same, it’s really a one pedal driving system where when you decrease pressure on the accelerator, the breaks engage. This means no coasting, but also better energy recovery to extend the range.

Hopefully the Mini-E doesn’t meet the same crushing fate as the EV-1 after the leases are up. BMW hopefully has plans to produce these little guys, but a test like this is critical to the development process. Maybe by the time the Mini-E hits dealers the next time around, the batteries will have shrunk, allowing for a backseat and a bit more practicality.

[via Autoblog]

Quick background story: The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, and David Letterman bashed the Chevy Volt on a previous show. Letterman thought the Volt’s maximum range was 40 miles; it’s not. So GM’s resident bulldog and VP of Product Development, Bob Lutz, went on the show yesterday to set Dave straight. He also revealed that GM’s target price is now $40,000 minus the $7,500 US Government tax credit. That’s a bit of info he wouldn’t reveal to us just two days ago when we drove a Volt test mule. Better hurry up and watch the video after the jump before it gets pulled.

GM has declared that the Chevrolet Volt is the company’s future, and we can see why after spending a good amount of time behind the wheel of an early test mule. The experience met every expectation we had about the extended-range electric vehicle. It was electric-quick, had instant torque, and was strikingly quiet. The test mule shows great promise that the Volt will be everything GM’s savior should be.

Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of Global Product Development and an all-around man’s man, along with Frank Weber, the Volt’s chief engineer, chatted with us a bit before we got behind the wheel. It’s clear that these high-up GM suits feel very strongly that the Volt is something special. Many, including myself, have called out GM for largely ignoring consumer diesels and hybrids, but I finally understand their positive outlook after our drive.

The test mule we drove clearly shows that the Volt and Voltec platform has a bright future. Really, besides the lack of engine noise in EV mode and the single speed transmission, consumers shouldn’t notice anything different about driving this car. And that’s the way it should be.

The Volt will be a midsize car just like the Chevy Cruze test mule. The ride and handling wasn’t tuned in this early prototype as it was assembled for propulsion testing, but it still rode fine. The electric motor, however, was spectacular. There weren’t any annoying whines or high pitched squeals that normally accompany an electric motor. The tires were the loudest part of the drive.  

GM is stating that the Volt will get up to 60 mph in around 8.0 seconds and is done by the electric motor only. That would be half a second faster than Mini E, 2 seconds quicker than the 2009 Toyota Prius, and 4 seconds under the Honda Insight. Not too shabby in our book. The lack of a conventional transmission makes it feel very peppy and this car shouldn’t have any problems getting up to speed on the expressway.

Think about driving a golf cart. When you mash the gas pedal, it goes and doesn’t slow down for gears to shift. It’s the same thing in the Volt. The car just goes until it tops out without any jerking action that’s normally caused by the transmission.

The Volt will come with two different driving modes. One is for regular accelerate and coast type driving. The other is basically a one pedal driving mode. In this mode (which I didn’t like by the way), when the gas pedal isn’t pressed down, the brakes are instantly engaged. It felt a lot like driving in a very low gear at high speeds. This mode does have a purpose though.

Driving in this mode maximizes the energy regeneration from the electro-hydraulic brakes and therefore, helps keep the battery charged. This mode isn’t meant for expressway cruising, but more for stop and go traffic where the braking action will likely be performed anyway.

We drove the Volt Mule around GM’s Warren Tech Center for about 25 minutes and didn’t use a drop of gas. The Volt isn’t technically a plug-in hybrid. It shares a new vehicle segment called Extended-Range Electric Vehicle with the Fisker Karma. The car has a 1.4 liter engine on-board, but it isn’t connected to the wheels at all. The engine is there to act as a generator and recharge the batteries if they become depleted.

This engine gives the Volt around the same overall range as a standard car and kicks in when needed. We didn’t get the chance to experience the switch over during our drive but we hear that it should be seamless. Also, the Volt will probably have enough noise dampening that the small 1.4L shouldn’t sound that loud inside.

GM claims that the Volt will be able to drive about 40 miles on the lithium-ion batteries alone. That distance, however, is subject slightly to the draw on the electrical system by the heater and A/C unit. We asked the Volt’s head engineer about how much potential distance is lost, and he said only a few miles.

The Volt mule was a blast to drive and we can’t wait to see the final product. The next batch of test mules that merry the Voltec powerplant with the production Volt body and interior are under construction right now and are due in early June. Those prototypes, by the way, are right on schedule according to the original timetable.

If GM maintains the same breakneck development speed, we can see how not only this car, but the Voltec platform in general, can help save the company. There is already work on the next-gen platform and beyond. GM debuted the Cadillac Converj at the 2009 North American International Auto Show which is built on the same goods as the Volt.

Like Frank Weber told us though, GM has put the best of the best on this project and has turned out something incredible in a very short time span. It’s just too bad that the company could not push out other revolutionary vehicles at the same speed.

Ah, the Chevy Volt. Will it ever make it to market and/or will it save GM? That’s a another post entirely. Anyway, GM-Volt.com founder got behind the wheel of a Chevy Volt prototype and seemed impressed. This mule drive was a battery-only demo and didn’t show off the engine generator switchover, which is what many of us onlookers are curious about. That point and how a $40,000 vehicle will save the nation’s largest automaker during a recession and a period of relatively inexpensive gasoline? Video after the jump.

Just fill in the sheet metal mentally and you have it. The plug-in hybrid is official going to debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show, but these renderings were found on the European Registry. Basically, it’s a Chevy Volt including the same 40 mile rang on battery done up Opel-style. More to come next month.

Revealed today at the Chicago auto show is Chevy’s full lineup of vehicles in the upcoming sequel to last year’s blockbuster hit “Transformers.” There are four new characters this go around that include a concept Corvette, the Volt and two other concepts. I’m going to nap till June 26th like a bear. Someone wake me up the day before.

CHICAGO – Visitors to the Chevrolet display at this year’s Chicago Auto Show (Friday through Feb. 22) will be treated to an out-of-this-world vehicle display – the automotive stars from the upcoming DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures release, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

Five Chevrolet-based characters – including four all-new characters – are featured in the new film set to open in the United States on June 26. All of them are at the Chevrolet display. The four new movie characters include:

* SIDESWIPE – a stylized Corvette vision concept vehicle
* SKIDS and MUDFLAP – twin AUTOBOTS® based on Chevy’s Beat (a concept that will go into production as the Chevy Spark in 2011) and Trax concepts
* JOLT – an AUTOBOT-based on Chevy’s upcoming Volt extended-range electric vehicle

BUMBLEBEE™, the heroic AUTOBOT based on Chevrolet’s Camaro concept from the first “Transformers” movie, returns with a high-performance attitude. Joining the vehicles on stage will be BUMBLEBEE in his AUTOBOT form, standing almost 17 feet (5.2 meters) tall and 13 feet (4 meters) wide.
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“Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years,” said Ed Peper, GM North America vice president, Chevrolet. “‘Transformers’ gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image. The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there’s more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today.”

Directed by Michael Bay, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” sees the AUTOBOTS confront a new threat from DECEPTICONS® bent on avenging their earlier defeat on Earth. The new AUTOBOT characters in their current Chevy-based form square off against new, tougher foes determined to rule the universe.

“‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ goes way beyond the first film in terms of robot action and excitement,” said LeeAnne Stables, executive vice president of worldwide marketing partnerships at Paramount Pictures, the distributor of the film. “The new AUTOBOTS add to the storytelling, and these Chevy vehicles went with our filmmakers to locations all around the world. GM has again provided incredible support to the production team working on the movie.”

Along with the Camaro that’s reprising its role in the new film, the other Chevy models to be seen on the big screen are new to movie-goers.

SIDESWIPE takes the form of a sleek, vision concept dreamed up by the Corvette designers at GM. The design is influenced by the original Stingray race car, introduced in 1959, but also draws on Corvette heritage cues from other generations. It brings them together in a futuristic shape that seems to be equal parts racecar and space ship.

“SIDESWIPE represents an exercise in exploration for the Corvette,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design. “By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives.”

The Beat and Trax-based characters, SKIDS and MUDFLAP, remain faithful to their concept designs introduced at the 2007 New York Auto Show – although each wears new paint and other exterior accessories. And while they may be small cars, when they turn into fighting AUTOBOTS®, they pack a big punch.

The other new AUTOBOT, JOLT, appears in the production form of Chevy’s 2011 Volt extended-range electric vehicle. With the capability of up to 40 miles (64 km) of pure electric propulsion, plus hundreds of more miles with the assistance from its Voltec powertrain system, the real-life Volt will change driving in America.

Of course, the AUTOBOT team isn’t complete without BUMBLEBEE, the yellow Camaro based on the new, 2010 production model. Sporting new wheels and SS-model performance cues, BUMBLEBEE is more stylish and powerful than ever – and enthusiasts will be able to drive their own new Camaro when it goes on sale this spring. For more exclusive AUTOBOT movie information relating to Chevrolet, please visit www.autobotsrollout.com.

Chevrolet is one of America’s best-known and best-selling automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above. Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks priced from $12,120 to $103,300. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and great value with standard features usually found only on more expensive vehicles. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures present, in association with Hasbro, a di Bonaventura Pictures production, a Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production, a Michael Bay film, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, Glenn Morshower and John Turturro. The film is directed by Michael Bay and written by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is based on Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS™ action figures and is produced by Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. Executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. This film has not yet been rated.

TRANSFORMERS is a brand of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS). Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com.

On a side note, the geeks over in Philly have spotted the new Decepticons.

Bose claims its improvements in weight and energy use allow the Volt to add 40 miles to its electric-only range. Damn! What did they have in there before, a Marshall stack?

The new premium sound system will probably cost a bundle, but the Volt isn’t exactly planning on being economical either, at least in that sense. They’ve reduced the size by 30%, the weight by 40%, and the energy consumption by half. Well, I’m actually impressed!

Here’s the press release:

New Bose® Energy Efficient Series Sound System

Premium Sound for the Chevy Volt

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Bose has announced it will debut its Energy Efficient Series sound system in the 2011 Chevy Volt. Using a proprietary design, the new Bose system is 30% smaller, 40% lighter, and uses 50% less energy than conventional Bose sound systems, while delivering premium, high-quality audio.

The Energy Efficient Series sound system is the result of a Bose research project to address how sound system performance is compromised by the power, weight, and space constraints of today’s more efficient, environmentally responsible vehicles. This engineering achievement maintains Bose standards for clarity, dynamic range and accuracy, and helps the Volt to achieve up to 40 miles of electric-only range.

Bose engineers focused on three areas of technology to design the Energy Efficient Series sound system: switching amplifiers, high motor force speakers and digital signal processing circuitry. Bose switching amplifiers use less energy and generate less heat than conventional linear amplifiers. Small and lightweight, they drive the new, highly efficient high motor force speakers to deliver the acoustic output of heavier conventional speakers. These components combine with Bose proprietary control circuitry to deliver sound reproduction at concert hall volumes, while reducing the system’s total power consumption by half.

“The Energy Efficient Series sound system represents another ‘first’ in the long-standing relationship between Bose and GM,” said Brandon Westley, President of Bose Automotive Systems. “Together, we introduced the industry’s first premium, factory-installed automotive sound system. Today, we’re proud to be selected as the sound system supplier for the Chevy Volt. We believe the Energy Efficient Series offers a combination of efficiency and performance previously unattainable from an automotive sound system.”

Information about Bose automotive sound systems and patented technologies can be found at www.Bose.com/energy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by llamatron
Sounds like my home made movies.

Looking forward to it, Bob!

Oh and was the Chevy Volt TF kind of shoved into the film by GM and not really in the script? I understand that you might not be able to answer this.

Yes. Had to figure it out last minute.

TFW2005 via Jalopnik

GM, and millions of jobs, might be counting on the Chevy Volt to save the company, but a Chinese car company is a couple steps ahead of Generous Motors. The BYD F3DM is now for sale at a cost of $21,900 USD…in China. It features a plug-in Li-ion battery pack along with a 1.0 liter aluminum engine. Exact details aren’t available but it seems that this knock-off might have the $40k Volt beat in the technology department with its has three modes operation.

It can run like a traditional plug-in on battery only, hybrid gas/battery as the Prius, or even in a mode similar to the Volt where the engine drives a generator to recharge the battery. By the time GM gets the Volt on the market, this BYD should already have worked out all the kinks. Do you hear that? It’s the changing of the guard and American’s loosing their jobs ’cause other companies know how to innovate.

Let’s say that Congress refuses to give some of that bailout money to Detroit—does that effectively kill off electric cars like the Chevy Volt? That depends on who you’re talking to.

It’s like this (yes, that phrase is a new crutch of mine): The big three auto makers are screwed. People have no money, nor can they borrow, to buy cars, and Detroit hasn’t been a decent car, much to the delight of the Japanese, since [insert your last favorite American-made car here—the Model T, maybe?]. They focused on making gas guzzling SUVs and trucks, what with their higher profit margins, because, at the time, gas was cheap. And while gas prices have dropped dramiatically in recent weeks, it’s seen as a temporary drop; if you think demand is going to drop in the years to come, especially with the emerging markets of China and India finally getting bitten by the car bug, you’re mistaken.

Combine the cars-ain’t-selling situation with the broader “we’ll all be on bread lines soon” economy and you can see what a perilous position Detroit is in. The question then becomes, do you bail them out or not? If you don’t you risk putting the millions of employees out on the street, and millions of angry, unemployed workers roaming around Michigan (and everywhere Detroit has a presence) doesn’t do anybody any good. If you do you’re seen as “rewarding” Detroit for its bad habits, that is, producing piece-of-garbage cars that nobody wants to buy.

Which brings us to the main topic, the fate of electric cars. By many accounts, Chevy has essentially gambled its future on the Volt being a success. But, if the company doesn’t get any of that sweet, sweet bailout money—it’s not like Detroit is asking for more money, but merely a percentage of the already set aside $700 billion—the Volt may have to go, or at the very least be delayed. Chevy (and co.) can’t continue to develop new automotive technologies if there’s no money to pay the bills.

Now, some “green” activists are suggesting that, sure, give them the money, but force them to do away with SUVs and other gas guzzlers and invest a good deal of that money into hybrids, batteries, electricity and other alternative energies. Make Detroit change its behavior, the behavior that got it into this mess in the first place.