Electrification is all about energy security Countering the hybrid and plug-in haters won’t be easy Earlier today I read How is the transition to electric cars going? in USAToday. Unfortunately, I found the article a bit dull. Wanting more I checked out the comments. Wow! If the comments in USA…

Volt should have long term value Although thanks to tax credits After 3 years the Chevy Vol t is expected to retain 51 percent of its residual value according to Kelly Blue Book, although that’s after the $7500 Federal Tax credit is factored into the equation. If not for the tax credit, however, the Volt would retain 42 percent of its value. A…

Would plug-in subsidies be better spent on battery R&D? Not according to Germany’s plug-in plans In the next 10 years, Germany would like to add 1 million electric vehicles to its current fleet of 40 million vehicles. Consequently, Germany plans to spend about $2.8 billion on plug-ins by 2013, mostly on research and development into new battery technologies. However, tax incentives to buy electric cars will not be part of the plan. “ A …

Volt 600; Cruze 25,000 Is Congress focusing on comprehensive energy policy? There was a time when I believed the best hybrid was a plug-in hybrid. Additionally, if any new vehicle wasn’t at least a hybrid, then it simply didn’t matter – just another further bit of denial from an auto industry driven by the status quo it seemed to me. Today, I&#…

Can't afford a Volt, then buy a Cruze The Volt doesn’t even need to sell to succeed Despite a decline in Chevy Volt sales in April compared to March, GM’s overall sales increased 27 percent in April thanks to other fuel efficient vehicles like the Chevy Cruze. While the final numbers haven’t been released, …

Bob Lutz's baby, the Chevrolet Volt at its concept debut The Volt is the future One of the most interesting characters in the auto industry, ever, is former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz. Love him or hate him he’s always candid, interesting and entertaining. And soon he’ll unload even more auto industry tales in a way only Lutz can in the book Car Guys …

Did the Volt cause a garage fire? Let’s wait for the evidence, folks Wow. Did some of my friends come out of the woodwork in the last 24 hours. “Did you hear? The Chevy Volt caused a house to burn down.” The Volt, or faulty wiring, I inquired. For now …

Is lithium a disruptive technology? Can chemistry change the way America drives? “To compete with advancing gasoline/diesel engines, EV traction batteries have to be much more than twice as energy dense as lithium-ion ever will be, at least three times cheaper, and last much longer before replacement,” states a recent TrendTracker report. So, does…

Just as important as the Chevy Volt? Are GM’s electrified powertrains unified? Before GM’s bankruptcy, a plug-in dual mode hybrid version of the Saturn Vue was set to hit the market not long after the launch of the Chevy Volt . Since bankruptcy and the death of Saturn, the …

The evolution of the car is becoming less and less about the powertrain. The car is dead, only we just don’t know it yet Today, the Toyota Prius is easily the best car in the world. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest. When all factors are considered, the Prius is…

Opel Ampera to become a Buick in the US? Would an American Volt-based Buick make sense? In all likelihood, the Chevrolet Volt ’s price tag will probably stick north of $30,000 for some time. Similarly sized cars in this same price range are typically in the luxury segment, including other green offerings such…

The third GM plug-in hybrid powertrain? Is the Volt just the beginning of GM’s plug-in hybrids? Had GM not gone into bankruptcy, there is a good chance that GM would now be selling two different plug-in vehicles today. In addition to the Chevy Volt , GM had also developed an almost production-ready Saturn Vue dual…