GM vice chairman Bob Lutz says he doesn't need to stick around to watch the 2011 Chevrolet Volt enter the market in the fall of 2010. Media drives will begin this summer, and the car's details are all locked in. What could go wrong?
In fact, GM has unveiled special tires and a special optional audio system from two key suppliers, for the extended-range electric sedan. Tires are Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max all-seasons, made of a special compound for low rolling resistance. The tires offer up to one extra mile under electric-only power, before the flex-fuel four-cylinder engine kicks in to recharge the battery pack. Vehicle line executive Frank Weber says Goodyear has packed performance characteristics into the Fuel Max to make the Volt fun to drive.
Bose will supply its new Energy Efficient premium sound system as an extra-cost option. It is 30 percent smaller and 40 percent lighter and uses half the energy of a conventional Bose sound system.
While GM says aerodynamics are more important than mass for the efficient propulsion of the Chevy Volt, that 40-percent weight savings in the Bose system prompts the question, how much does the car weigh? "About 400 kilograms more than a conventional compact," Weber says. Let's see, a 2009 Chevy Cobalt sedan is 2800 pounds. Add 880 pounds, and the Volt should be less than 3700.