GM is accelerating Chevrolet Bolt production due to strong demand.
In a speech by CEO Mary Barra at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, she made remarks regarding the increase in the number of EV miles driven, with exponential growth from Dec. 2012 to Dec. 2017.
“In December 2012, the Chevrolet Volt was GM’s flagship electrified vehicle, and its owners hit a milestone 100 million all-electric miles just two years after it went on sale, “ wrote Barra in a speech. “By December 2017, drivers of five electrified models, including the Bolt EV, racked up more than 2.6 billion EV miles.”
In a nutshell, Bolt EV sales grew nearly 50 percent from Feb. 2017 to Feb 2018, with roughly 26,000 total vehicles sold versus 579 Bolts in 2016.
Production will take place at GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan, which will also create new jobs with the total number of new employees and other logistics with existing employees to be determined.
Also, the speech marked a strong play by Barra to appease energy industry leaders in building out EV charging infrastructure, along with an expansion of tax credits and unification of fuel economy and emissions standards, where the government would have one set of requirements for all states to follow.
In a Jan. 2018 draft analysis by the NHTSA, Trump’s administration has considered lowering the average fuel economy standard from 46.6 miles per gallon to 35.7 miles per gallon by 2020. This mandate may considerably low the number of all-electric and hybrids produced. Any automakers who do not meet standards would be hit with fines or other penalties. At the moment, some states have more stringent standards than others, hence Barra’s call for unification.
News about plug-in hybrids coming to market soon was everywhere last week. Honda, Volvo, Lync & C0, and General Motors all had something to say on the subject. Some of the announcements were bold; some were partially hidden. Honda kicked things off by releasing final pricing details about the plug-in hybrid version of its multi-faceted Clarity sedan.
Meet The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid
The Clarity may look a lot like an Accord to most shoppers, but it is built on an entirely new chassis designed to accept three modes of propulsion — hydrogen fuel cell, plug-in hybrid, or pure battery electric. Honda now says the plug-in hybrid version will go on sale before Christmas and be priced at $33,400 for the well equipped standard trim version.
The Touring version with more bumpf and features will list for $36,600. Sharp eyed readers will notice those prices are many thousands less than the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid. While the Volt is a fine car, it is a bit tight in its interior dimensions. Expect the Clarity to have more room in its comfy interior for real passengers, especially in the back seat.
The Clarity PHEV will come with a 17 kWh battery — large enough to qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit unless and until Republicans in Congress repeal the tax credit entirely. Honda says it has an electric only range of 47 miles, nearly as much as the Volt. Recharging time is given as 2.5 hours using a 240 volt charger.
Volvo and Lync & Co. Will Offer Plug-In Crossovers
Lync & Co 01 top; Volvo XC40 bottom
Volvo and Lync & Co, both owned by Geely, say they are close to bringing plug-in hybrid crossover models to American shores. Sales of the Volvo XC40 PHEV are expected to begin in the second half of 2018. The Lync & Co 01 will debut in China next year before heading to showrooms in Europe the following year. Sales in the US will begin sometime after the European introduction.
Kissing cousins beneath their separate badges, both will both share a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 31 miles of electric range backed up by a 1.5 liter three cylinder gasoline engine. There are reports that a version with 50 miles of range will be offered as well.
A Stealth Reveal For General Motors
Speaking to the Barclays 2017 Global Automotive Conference last week, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said her company has up to 20 electrified models in the pipeline. While she spoke, the image seen above appeared on the screen behind her with a caption reading “New CUV entries — two entries by 2020.”
Fox News was quick to point out that the image bore a remarkable resemblance to the exciting Chevy FNR-X concept unveiled at the Shanghai auto show earlier this year. See for yourself. Notice the resemblance?
Barra made no reference to the image behind her and we don’t know whether it will be built on the Chevy Bolt electric car chassis or the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid platform. Clearly GM has an economic interest in leveraging the investment made in both by applying it to other models in its corporate lineup.
Electric car advocates dislike plug-in hybrids because they have internal combustion engines, but they may well be an important — if temporary — part of the transition to electric vehicles that is gathering momentum worldwide. Sometimes 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. Especially if some of those plug-ins are crossover utility vehicles which happen to represent the hottest part of the new car market right now.
A recent comment by General Motors CEO Mary Barra this week has sent EV fans to speculating, as she said a “huge range of vehicles” will be spun off from the Bolt EV platform.
How one defines a huge range of vehicles, how soon these will be, and what really to expect at all were not disclosed, but the question came after being asked about Ford’s announcement of 13 electrified vehicles it has in the works.
“I think what’s important is the Bolt EV follows the second generaton of the Volt; so we had the first Chevrolet Volt, we’ve already launched the second generation,” said Barra from the sidelines of the Detroit auto show. “There’s a lot of learning there, and all those learnings went into the Bolt.”
… Which, she says will be the basis of many more cars – presumably all-electric, but not defnitively stated as such – to come.
“The Bolt is our platform that we’re going to continue on and have a huge range of vehicles,” said Barra, “so we haven’t announced them yet, but you’re going to see more coming.”
Barra went on to avoid specifics mentioning things GM expects including costs being driven down, improved battery energy density, people liking the new electrified cars, and synergies will happen.
“So, I think that the fact that were doing it right now is pretty significant,” she said.
Implied also by Barra’s response was the Volt is better in key ways than what Ford has yet demonstrated.
Ford’s plug-in hybrid C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi have up to 20-21 miles EV range, whereas the purpose-built Volt has 53, and these cars combined in 2016 had 23,895 sales compared to the Volt’s 24,739.
But Ford, reinventing itself into a “mobility” company as is GM, has promised a 300-plus-mile all-electric SUV, a hybrid F-150, hybrid Mustang, turbocharged hybrids, and Barra predictably sidestepped answering a “future product” question about the potential for a Camaro hybrid.
GM has previously expressed interest in a hybrid Corvette, potentially a plug-in hybrid Corvette, and otherwise it and so many other manufacturers know they’ll need more electrified vehicles to meet global regulations in years ahead.
“Electrified” is defined as hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery electric, and contrary to what the reporter suggested to Barra of Ford’s future product announcement, Ford is bringing 13 “electrified” vehicles, not “13 EVs” (as in battery electric vehicles) by 2020.
As it has for some time now, GM is thus playing its hand closer to its chest, but Barra’s statements imply the company will not be left out – and it will meet competition, demand and all other market realities as it has to.
Barra went on to say GM expects gas prices to stay low in America for quite some time, and this has driven record sales of conventional trucks, SUVs, and crossovers that Americans like to buy when they don’t feel immediate pressure of gas prices.
Yes, one might say there is a reactive mentality among consumers, and carmakers in turn are reacting to regulations, with a goal of making revenues and staying ahead of penalties.
This said, manufacturers including VW Group, Daimler and BMW have all projected 15-25 percent of their products being electrified by 2025, Honda said two-thirds by 2030, and so all carmakers now with toes in the water are being pulled in deeper.
Keeping to the metaphor, or mixtures thereof, if any are yet afraid they’ll be shocked by “electrified” waters, EV fans are splashing around already saying come in, the water is fine. Carmakers are saying trust us, we’ll get there soon.
Proof of consumer demand includes phenomena like over 400,000 pre-orders for Tesla’s “$35,000” and 215-plus mile Model 3, and exuberance anytime mention is made of an affordable or close to mainstream priced larger plug-in, like the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
A father to be.
So, coming back to the Bolt, Barra said its dedicated platform is expandable, and will be expanded to a “huge” number of vehicles. Whether that means a sedan, a larger crossover, a small SUV, or what else is not disclosed.
Something is in the works, what do you think they have up their sleeve?
Looking a lot like a new Lexus or updated BMW i3, this surprisingly attractive little silver car is none other than the all-new 2017 Chevy Bolt EV, spied totally undisguised just a few weeks ahead of its “official” debut at the CES show.
GM CEO Mary Barra is still slated to keynote the CES show for 2016, too, so it looks like Chevy will, indeed, have something really big to show off — and, as the online magazine Verge put it, “there’s nothing bigger for GM right now than the (Chevy Bolt), which promises better than 200 miles of electric range.”
Expect the final production Chevy Bolt to be ready for delivery to dealers late in 2017 as a 2018 model, and to be priced at under $40,000. About the same as the competing Tesla Model 3, in other words- but that Tesla will have a run for its money if the new Bolt looks as good in person as it does in pictures!
Posts
