Plug-in Pickup: the Chevy Watt Daydream

Bob Lutz has gone on record as saying the Chevy Volt should have been a pickup, and he takes every chance he can get to talk up his latest venture, plug-in hybrid pickup builder VIA Motors. Eventually, somebody will build a plug-in hybrid pickup, but what would such a truck be called?

Well some dreamers over at the GM-Volt forums have come up what they’re calling the Chevy Watt, a Chevy Colorado pickup with the drivetrain of the Volt plug-in hybrid. I’d buy it in a heartbeat, as long as the price was right.

After all, think of all the advantages to a plug-in hybrid pickup, and I don’t just mean fuel economy (which would be stellar, mind you). The proposed Chevy Colorado-based Watt could serve as an on-site power generator, running things like air compressors and flood lights without the need for long and dangerous extension cords. Even with an electric range of just 20 miles, fleet operators would see fuel savings on the scale of thousands of dollars every year, per vehicle, assuming average gas mileage in the mid-30s.

Unfortunately, the American pickup market is dominated by conservative suits who don’t want to rile up their bread-and-butter basket of status quo buyers. Sure, Ford is building an aluminum F-150, and Ram now offers 28 MPG diesel engine. But to many pickup buyers and enthusiasts, “hybrid” is a dirty word they want nothing to do with. So for now, the only dealership we’ll find the Chevy Watt at is in our dreams.

Will GM continue to lead the plug-in charge and be the first to market with a plug-in pickup, or will another (possibly foreign?) automaker swoop in and steal their thunder?

Originally published on EVObsession.

Cadillac Dealers Advertise $19,500 Off ELR’s MSRP

The “newness” of the Chevy Volt seems to have worn off, and though sales have been steady, the Nissan Leaf has been surpassing it for the past few months. The $76,000 Cadillac ELR is doing even worse, which is leading some dealers to offer huge incentives to move stock…not a great sign for Chevy’s plug-in ambitions.

We found two examples, both over at the GM-Volt.com boards, that seem to indicate increasing incentives on both the Volt and the ELR. These aren’t in out-there, dyed-in-the-red states either. Rydell Chevrolet in Northridge, California, is offering up to $6,000 off all in-stock Chevy Volts, which probably includes a mix of 2013 and 2014 models. That includes a $1,000 GM rebate, $500 “Chevy Conquest Private Offer”, and $4,500 from Rydell itself. Factor in the $7,500 tax credit, and you’ve got a whopping $13,500 off of the $34,185 MSRP, , bringing the Volt’s price down to just $20,695. Oh, and California also kicks in another $5,000, meaning you can get a Volt for just $15,695 … which is less than I paid for my Chevy Sonic.

Meanwhile Tropical Cadillac of Bradenton, Florida, reportedly sent out this email;

We just got $12,000 off incentives on the purchase of a new Cadillac ELR. Plus you get a $7500 tax credit! If you have not seen or driven this amazing vehicle, you need to come in and test drive one. This is the New electric vehicle from Cadillac, and it not only will save you a bundle at the gas pump, but it looks and drives amazing, Stop in today for a test drive.

$12,000 cash on the hood, plus another $7,500 from the Feds (in the form of rebates) means $19,500 off the ridiculous $76,000 asking price, which brings it down to a much more manageable $56,500. That’s like, exactly where the Cadillac ELR should have been priced to begin with. Not sure if it was greed or just misreading the market, but these incentives may indicate trouble brewing for GM’s pair of plug-in hybrids.

Source: Gas 2.

GM Offers The Cadillac ELR On Lease From $699

We Spotted This Cadillac ELR Recently At the 2014 NAIAS In Detroit

The Cadillac ELR – the luxury, extended range plug-in vehicle based on the Chevrolet Volt went on sale late last month;  and with an announced starting MSRP of $75,995, the general reaction was: “That is a lot of money.  Too much money” and comparisons were naturally made with the $40,000 cheaper sister Chevy.

The 2014 Cadillac ELR Is At The Detroit Auto Show This Week

But perhaps between pricing of the car and actually having it arrive on dealership lots, GM got the public’s message; and rather than undercut their credibility by adjusting the MSRP, they decided to offer anaggressive lease deal…because as far as electric vehicle leases go, that’s what it is.

Here is the deal:

$699/month with $5,999 down for 39 months.  If you happen to also own (or lease) a GM product now, the deposit is reduced by $1,000 to $4,999

Naturally, this is not the “$269/month 36 month lease with $2,679 due at signing” that the Chevrolet Volt is offered at nationally, but make no mistake, the ELR lease is the best thing going.

Consider recently uncovered leasing details by InsideEVs on the BMW i3, where a base model with REx (range extender) from $45,200 will cost a consumer about $500/month with $5,000 down on a 36 month deal as proof of the value on the Cadillac.

2014 Cadillac ELR National Lease Offer

Overall when it comes to residuals, the average plug-in vehicle has a residual of about 40% on a 3 year term; with the exception being on the ‘lease/non lease’ deal with the Model S - in which Tesla guarantees you the car will be worth 50% going into year 4 – and if you want to sell it back to them, that is what they will pay you for it.

Looking at the fine print on the Cadillac:

“Payments are for a 2014 CADILLAC ELR with an MSRP of $76,000. 39 monthly payments total $27,261.”

2014 Cadillac ELR At The NAIAS

Taking that number + the $7,500 federal credit and the$4,999 deposit, the total paid to GM on the 39 month lease is $39,760.

That leaves 48% of the vehicle’s value left with GM – and remember that includes an extra 3 months of driving over the normal 36 month lease structure.

Meaning all leases being equal, one would expect the Cadillac ELR’s MSRP to be more like $59,995 looking at just its lease numbers…and I think that figure is more along the lines of what we expected for a MSRP on the Caddy.

However we do have to mention one thing we don’t like - the mileage rider in the lease, as Cadillac allows a fairly low allowance, and a fairly high penalty:

“Mileage charge of $0.25/mile over 32,500 miles.” – which is about 6,500 below the industry norm, and about 5 cents higher on the cost of extra miles

Overall, while we believe the MSRP of the Cadillac ELR will be quite difficult for many potential buyers to swallow, the ELR lease is a considerably more manageable number.  Indeed, we imagine most buyers will choose this option…and it will certainly help GM sell a lot more luxury plug-in cars.

The 13 Best Green Cars Of 2013

This week we’re taking it easy on the news, and most of the stories are going to be lists from writes of their favorite stories from 2013. I’m going to kick things off with my top 13 favorite overall green cars from the past year, and leading the charge is…

13: The Cadillac ELR

We’ve ragged on its high MSRP and the fact that it’s basically a Volt in Cadillac clothing, but the 2014 Cadillac ELR is by most regards a very good, if not overpriced vehicle. While it loses three miles of all-electric range and a couple of doors, the Cadillac ELR also loads up on the luxury and technology, pushing GM’s luxury brand into a more competitive space globally. Cadillac’s freshmen effort at a fun green car is a great first step, and if the rumors about the second-gen Volt are true, we have a lot to look forward to.

12: The Fiat 500e

Fiat doesn’t want to sell pure electric cars, and they’re only making as many as they need to, but the Fiat 500e has sold out without incentive, and is among the most fun of the low-range EVs to drive. Whether they know it or not, Fiat created a competitive EV, and with perhaps a bit more effort and enthusiasm, could be a real player in the electric car field.

11: The Ford Fusion Hybrid

Despite customer complaints regarding less-than-expected fuel economy, the sexy-looking Ford Fusion Hybrid has helped the Blue Oval make major gains in states like California, which has been dominated by the import scene. The Fusion Hybrid is leading the charge, helping Ford become a green car leader in the space of a year.

10: BMW i3

Tesla likes to talk about how it’s going to take on the BMW 3 series with an all-electric car in 2013, but BMW may have beat them to the punch. With an optional range extender offering up to 200 miles of driving, rear-wheel drive, and the typical BMW obsession with being the “Ultimate Driving Machine”, this long-anticipated electric Bimmer has not disappointed.

9: The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

While Chrysler and Fiat may not be big into pure electric cars, the Italian-American automaker is betting big in diesel engines. By putting the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel V6 into the Ram 1500, Chrysler is giving consumers a full-size truck with sedan-like fuel economy, and for just $1,500 more than the HEMI V8. This has set a new standard for full-size truck fuel economy, the largest vehicle market in North America.

8: The Toyota Prius

Despite a new model still being years away, the Toyota Prius continues to be both the best-selling, and most efficient hybrid car you can buy. Add to that legendary reliability that makes it among the best-built vehicles of our era, and the Toyota Prius definitely deserves a place on any green car list.

7: The Mazda6 with i-Eloop

Mazda’s decision to focus on improving the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, rather than chasing EVs or hybrids, has helped it become the most fuel-efficient automaker in America. The SkyActiv-G gas engine, combined with a mild hybrid supercapacitor system, helps the 2014 Mazda 6 get a hybrid-like 40 mpg on the highway, while keeping the below the premium added to many full hybrid models.

6: The Nissan Leaf

By slashing the price by $6,400, Nissan has created a surge of demand for its Leaf electric car. Sales has steadily climbed through all of 2013, and in Norway the Leaf has even become the best-selling vehicle in the Scandinavian nation. Nissan bet big on the Leaf, and while sales may not be as high as hoped, the Leaf brand is becoming increasingly recognizable.

5:  The Chevy Volt

Like the Leaf, a big price cut has resulted in a surge of sales, and this plug-in hybrid has become a class leader in short order. Three years on, and rumors of the next-gen Volt are starting to heat up, with as much as 200 miles of all-electric range and a $30,000 price tag on the plate. The Volt has earned its place in the green car pantheon, and 2014 should see sales continue to rise.

4: Honda Accord Hybrid

I have a review upcoming on the all-new Accord Hybrid, but suffice to say this is a big sedan with the heart of a full-fledged hybrid that still delivers an enjoyable ride. This car is proof you can have your cake and eat it too, offering up to 45 mpg even with a semi-heavy foot. This car should fly off of dealer lots.

3: Tesla Model S

What’s this? A list that doesn’t put the green car darling of 2013 in the number one spot? 2013 showed that Tesla has the chutzpah to go toe-to-toe with automotive juggernauts like Mercedes and BMW, but 2013 also revealed that Elon Musk and his electric car are not infallible. How Tesla handles the pitfalls of building an authentic, game-changing vehicle will be put to the test in 2014.

2: Mazda6 Diesel

Even though sales of the Mazda 6 with the SkyActiv-D diesel engine have been delayed, it may just work out in Mazda’s favor. Balanced to offer both fuel economy and performance, Mazda has raced a pair of diesel-powered Mazdas all through 2013, and a wagon version would fulfill many car enthusiasts’ wet dreams.

1: The BMW i8

While it’s been almost half a decade in the making, the BMW i8 is a legitimate contender for title of the best green performance car. The plug-in hybrid system has been designed to be effortlessly efficient, with a 94 MPG rating and a 184 MPH top speed. To go from 0 to 60 mph takes just 4.5 seconds, and the 22-mile all-electric range makes it cleaner than the Prius, even though it has over 350 horsepower. If I won the lottery, this is the supercar I would buy, bar none.

Source: 

The mystery of the Chevy Volts that go more electric miles than Nissan Leafs

When it comes to the country's two most popular plug-in vehicles, a premium-gas-powered security blanketcan make the difference of about four all-electric miles a day. That's the crux of the US Department of Energy's EV Project Vehicle Summary Report for the second quarter of 2013 on how drivers use the Chevy Volt (PDF) and Nissan Leaf (PDF).

In a nutshell, Volt drivers put on about 760 all-electric miles a month (or about three-quarters of their total, the rest being powered by the car's on-board gas-powered generator), while drivers of the all-electric Leaf put on about 630 miles a month. So despite the fact that the Volt's electric range is about half of the Leaf's 76-mile single-charge range, Volt drivers actually drove about 20 percent more miles on electrons. The average Volt driver went 41 miles per day when the vehicle was driven (74.6 percent of that, 30.5 miles, on battery power) while the average Leaf driver went 29.5 miles.

As noted by Green Car Reports, there could be many reasons for this discrepancy. It may be a case of self-selecting vehicle purchases, where drivers who commute longer distances are more likely to buy a Volt over a Leaf. Or maybe Volt drivers, with their limited EV range, top off whenever possible and thus end up with more EV miles (they did have 1.5 charge events per day when the car was driven, compared to 1.1 for the Leaf). Or maybe something else. In any case, with each model moving about 18,000 units in the US during the first 10 months of the year, such findings are sure to spur further discussion about which drivetrain technology has more legs.



Source: Autoblog Green

Tesla Model S Tops Customer Satisfaction Rating

Though its stock price has fallen andthe NHTSA is launching an investigation into a pair of on-the-road fires, the Tesla Model S remains the darling of both Wall Street and the automotive world. Besides, all that matters at the end of the day is happy customers, and the Tesla Model S has the happiest customers of any car out there.

A recent Consumer Reports satisfaction survey gave the Tesla a 99/100 rating, the highest rating the independent product testing magazine has seen in years. That is nearly perfect, and the next-best car, the Porsche Boxster, got a 95, with the Porsche 911 and the Chevy Volt both tying at 91 points each.

Consumer Reports also gave the Tesla Model S a 99/100 rating in its own tests, and the electric luxury sedan is one of the safest cars ever tested by the NHTSA. That said, the survey was conducted in the spring, before the first Tesla flambe made front page news, though the owners of both ruined Teslas have pledged to buy again.

That is some serious customer satisfaction, and another feather for Elon Musk’s crowded hat.

Source: Consumer Reports

Op-Ed: More All Electric Miles Equal Less Range Extender Need For 2nd Gen Chevrolet Volt

The 2nd Gen Chevrolet Volt Volt Gen 2 Would Benefit From A Smaller, Lighter Pure Series Range Extender.

With More Electric Range Comes The Need For Less Range Extender

I think we would all agree that, as AER increases, the need for a range extender decreases. This is depicted graphically in figure 1.

If we have an EV with 200-300 miles range, no range extender is required: witness Tesla Model S. If we have an EV with 100 miles range, a small range extender will suffice: witness BMW i3.

How does the Volt fit into this picture? We need to put some numbers to the words. (Engineers love numbers..yes?)

What Does Voltstats Say?

GM pitched the Volt by saying: “We will just make the battery big enough to cover the daily driving distance of the average driver of 40 miles.”

But how many miles does the average fleet driver really drive in a day?

50 Mile Mark Is More The Sweet Spot

Referring to figure 2, we see a high concentration of drivers at the 50 mile mark using the range extender. Also, referring to figure 3 we see an average fleet MPG of 135 miles/gallon.

Figure 3 (click to enlarge)

In figure 4 the AER/ER split is calculated that gets 50 miles total range and 135 MPG. The breakdown of the average fleet driver is: 36 miles on electricity and 14 miles on gas for a total of 50 miles. The 36 mile AER is probably less than 40 because some of the fleet miles are in cold weather.

Not Use Of Sophisticated Technology To Highlight # Miles

Using this average driving cycle, we can now derive partial derivatives (influence coefficients) for the effect of AER and ICE cycle efficiency on fleet fuel consumption.

Just 5 More Miles Of AER Makes A Big Difference

Figure 5 shows that adding only 5 miles of AER has a HUGE effect on fleet fuel consumption equaling a whopping36% savings in fuel.

How does this compare with a more efficient range extender? Often discussed is a turbo 3 cylinder for Volt Gen 2. It is expected that the turbo 3 would have approximately 10% better cycle efficiency than the current Volt ICE.

The comparison of the influence coefficients is presented in figure6.

Demonstration Of Better Use Of Resources To Provide More AER Than Engine Efficiency

Five more miles of AER decreases fuel consumption by 36% while going to a Turbo 3 cylinder decreases fuel consumption by only 10%. The influence of AER is nearly 4 times as great as the influence of the Turbo 3.

Keep in mind that one of the goals for gen 2 Volt is to reduce costs. GM’s turbo 3 undoubtedly will be a pricy piece of equipment compared to the current 1.4, 4 cylinder. Is this costlier range extender justified? I say no. One would be better off by increasing AER instead.

But you say: “How much does another 5 miles AER cost? Batteries are exensive. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to go with the turbo 3 than with expensive batteries?” Again I say no. The cost of another 5 miles AER is zero. All we do is switch to Spark EV chemistry which is more robust and has a higher cycle life. We increase DOD to achieve the added 5 miles of range. Spark EV DOD is 80% versus 65% for the Volt. That is a 23% increase and it is worth an equivalent percentage increase in AER of 9 miles. Spark EV battery article found here (http://gm-volt.com/2013/08/02/spark-ev-versus-volt-battery/).

A more expensive range extender is not justified.

Conclusion

Volt Gen 2 With Smaller Range Extender/Single Transmission Is The Way To Go

Volt Gen 2 would benefit from a smaller, lighter pure series range extender. Not only do we save money on the range extender, we save money on the transmission. We can eliminate the costly 2 mode transmission we have now.

We could have a Gen 2 Volt that is:

• Lower cost
• Lower weight
• Higher performance
• More Interior room

It is hard to argue against that combo.

Opel Ampera Price Slashed $10,000

Automakers are chopping thousands of dollars off the price of electric vehicles here in America, bringing the price of these cars more in line with customer expectations, and sales have risen as a result. The Opel Ampera, the Chevy Volt’s European cousin, just got its own big price cut, chopping $10,000 off the MSRP, though it still outprices the Volt by a wide margin.

The Opel Ampera’s price cut brings it down from $60,000 U.S. to just over $50,000, or about 38,300 euros. While still quite expensive, with generous incentives from local European governments, the Opel Ampera might become a bit more competitive in the growing (though still tiny) market for EVs and plug-in hybrid.

Along with the Chevy Volt’s U.S. price cut of $5,000, GM’s electrified vehicle efforts are coming down in price, opening the market for more potential buyers. While Opel’s price cut only affects the German and U.K markets for now, GM hopes to eventually bring the Volt’s price down to $30,000 before incentives. Here in America EV and plug-in car sales are soaring, but Europe is different story entirely.

Though the Opel Ampera sold out before it ever went on sale, sales have been hampered by the European economica recessions, and last year just over 800 Amperas were registered in Germany. GM hopes this new price cut helps lift faltering sales, but it isn’t expected to have any short time effects on awful sales.

 Source: Opel

Chevy Volt Battery Production Halted at LG

After receiving over $150 million in federal funds and $175 million in tax breaks, the LG Chem/GM Chevy Volt battery plant in Holland, MI was set to begin production this month after several, long delays. Now, however, the LG Chem plant has announced that they are stopping production for up to six weeks because a compound used in that production apparently had not been registered for use in manufacturing with the EPA.

It should be noted that the EPA didn’t step in to halt production, but that the company self-policed this one. “We discovered the possibility that this material may not be properly registered and made the decision to pause our production until we have that question resolved,” explained LG spokesman Jeremy Hagemeyer. “We are currently reviewing the registration status and will work with the EPA to resolve the issue quickly. In the meanwhile, we are delaying production activities for approximately 6 weeks until we have confirmed the registration status or otherwise obtain approval from EPA.”

The LG factory is supposed to be making Chevy Volt batteries, but after several “false starts” it was discovered that all the workers at the plant were idle, and the DOE stepped in and asked for 842,000 of its dollars – money that was spent on idle worker payroll – back. As a start.

Despite soaring plug-in car sales throughout 2013 and the fact that GM will soon start selling its Cadillac ELR (old) ladykiller coupe, which uses the same batteries as the Chevy Volt, it doesn’t appear as if the factory’s production capacity is sorely missed. Still, Hagemeyer insists that, for now, there would be no layoffs. LG employees will be engaged in continuous factory improvement projects, training, and in “maintaining readiness” (whatever that means). “We view this as a temporary issue,” says Hagemeyer, “and are very confident that we will proceed with production soon.”

General Motors has not commented on the battery production shutdown.

Sources: Autoblog, the Truth About Cars.

Plug-In Electric Car Sales For Aug: Volt, Leaf Hit New Highs

Sales of the two highest-volume plug-in electric cars soared in August, with both the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf setting all-time monthly sales records.

And two Toyota plug-ins set sales records as well. The Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid sold more than it has all year, and the low-volume RAV4 EV electric crossover utilityvehicle, with its Tesla powertrain, set an all-time monthly sales record.

Chevy, in fact, was so confident about the month's Volt sales that GM president Mark Reuss previewed the total last week, telling the Los Angeles Times, "We will do about 3,300 Volt sales this month."

In July, Leaf sales rose but Volt sales fell--so August provided a bright contrast to mixed July figures.

Previous bests

Chevrolet delivered 3,351 Volts in August, totaling just under 15,000 Volts sold for the first two-thirds of 2013. Last month's number is a 24-percent increase over 2013's previous best of 2,698 in June; its sales in July had fallen to 1,788.

DON'T MISS: Elon Musk Talks Leaf, Volt; Unimpressed With Either (Video)

The Volt's previous best-ever sales month was in October 2012, when Chevy sold 2,961--not quite exceeding the 3,000 barrier it broke through this month.

Analysts credit higher incentives and publicity over the $5,000 price reduction on the 2014 Volt for the best-ever number.

2013 Nissan Leaf

The 2,420 Nissan Leaf deliveries in August bring the year's total to 14,123, less than 1,000 units behind the Volt.

The Leaf's previous top sales month was March of this year, when 2,236 were sold, filling several months of pent-up demand after Leaf supply from Japan dried up in advance of volume production from the assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

“Some of our new wave markets like Atlanta have come on so strong that it makes more sense to count Nissan LEAF days’ supply by the hour," said Erik Gottfried, Nissan's director of electric vehicle sales and marketing.

"Atlanta has about a 120-hour supply" of Leaf electric cars right now, he said.

Best month to date?

If other plug-in cars stay at average levels, August is still likely to register the highest electric-car sales numbers since the Leaf and Volt went on sale in December 2010.

The August total might exceed more than 9,000 cars, which would be a new monthly record, and indicate an annual rate of more than 100,000 plug-in vehicles sold (out of a total market of perhaps 15 million vehicles this year).

LEARN MORE: Will Tesla Alone Double Global Demand For Its Battery Cells?

Other carmakers will report their plug-in electric vehicle sales data over the balance of the day and--in Ford's case--tomorrow. We'll update this article as new data arrives.

Neither Fiat nor Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] sees fit to report monthly sales; Tesla reports on sales in its quarterly financial filings, while Chrysler's parent company simply refuses to break out sales of its low-volume Fiat 500e compliance car from overall 500 sales.

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, production version road test, San Diego, CA, Jan 2012

Plug-in hybrids rise?

The Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid had been lagging since the spring, though July's total of 817 was the best since January.

But in August, Toyota more than doubled that number, moving a remarkable 1,791 plug-in Priuses--more than a quarter of the 6,822 total year-to-date.

That's not only its best month this year, but its second-best month ever. Only October 2012 did it exceed that total, with 1,889 sold.

Honda added some Northeast markets to the previously California-only sales of its Accord Plug-In Hybrid, but that car's numbers stayed roughly in line with those of the last two months, at 44 units in August.

With only 298 sold since January, that car's rollout continues to be slow and deliberate.

ALSO SEE: EPA's Ford C-Max Hybrid Gas Mileage: "Our Testing Not At Fault"

In some months, Ford's two plug-in hybrids--the C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi--added together have outsold Toyota's plug-in Prius.

We'll find out tomorrow whether its plug-in hybrid sales have been affected by the company's latest backpedaling on C-Max Hybrid gas-mileage ratings and its public dispute with the EPA over those ratings.

Low-volume and compliance cars

As well as its record-breaking Volt total, GM delivered 102 Spark EV battery-electric cars--essentially equal to last month's 103--which has now been rolled out to dealers in California and Oregon.

Honda sold 66 of its Fit EV cars in August, on part with July's 63, bringing the year's total thus far to 420.

We'll have sales for Toyota RAV4 EV later in the day.

Sales of the Ford Focus Electric will be reported tomorrow.

After a flurry of heavily discounted sales at the start of the year, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV appears to have fallen off a cliff. With two thirds of the year gone, Mitsubishi hasn't even sold 1,000 of the electric minicars.

The 30 delivered in August were the lowest total since its first month on sale, back in November 2011, when 4 were delivered. And there's still no word on a 2013 update, as dealers sell through their 2012 models.

The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive is also likely to sell in roughly the same volumes.

Source: Green Car Reports