2009 Detroit Auto Show: GM and the all-electric car

There is a surprising number of product plans for all-electric cars floating around in the press conferences at the Detroit auto show. Ford, Toyota, and Chrysler have all announced production intent of electric vehicles that offer around 100-150 miles range. But some remarks from GM leave me wondering if they’re drawing a line in the sand toward all-electric cars.

During Sunday’s press conference, Bob Lutz, GM’s vice president for product development, stated that electricity was the best way to displace petroleum from vehicle use. (A few years back, GM was a chief proponent that the answer was ethanol and biofuels, solutions that are all but absent now.) GM’s electric-drive vehicles project to use battery power for the first 40 miles, and then use an engine to power the electric motors once the charge runs out. As both Chrysler and GM proclaimed, 40 miles is a magic number, since 75% of all drivers have a commute shorter than that.

Lutz cited “range anxiety,” the feeling of worry you might have as your all-electric car’s batteries run low, as a “problem” with all-electric cars. Indeed, he related an example of running out of charge while riding an electric motorcycle. I don’t doubt that this feeling exists: we had it with our Honda Civic CNG (range = about 180 miles.) Having that extra engine on board dramatically enhances versatility; imagine that you could actually go on vacation with the same car with which you commute!

Still, I wonder. Perception as being a technology leader is important in this market; GM is sore about Toyota’s reputation as being a leader in hybrid technology. It doesn’t help that GM actually had an all-electric car on the market in the 1990s, the storied EV1. Although the Volt may be first to market with its technology, similar drive trains from other companies are hot on its footsteps. Can GM survive the perception battle without an all-electric vehicle?

--Tom Mutchler

See Consumer Reports' coverage of the 2009 Detroit auto show.

Comments

[Jim VanWinkle]

It may be that all that poor perception has something to do with GM taking back all the EV1s and crushing them. Just sayin'

[Doug Korthof]

GM had a "volt" back in 1997. In fact, GM/Olds had a "car that runs on electric it makes itself" back in 1969!

There are hundreds of 50-mile-range Electric car conversions still on the road using lead batteries; and there are hundreds of NiMH Toyota RAV4-EV (Toyota sold, not crushed, its EV) still with over 120 miles range.

The fact is, GM is lying. Lying about the EV1, lying about their motives. GM could release a serial hybrid like the VOLT concept using lead-acid batteries! The lead-acid 1999 EV1, using PSB EV-EC1260 lead-acid batteries, had a reliable range of over 100 miles.

A 400-lb. version of those batteries would give the "volt" a 30 miles range, and would only cost $1600, not $16,000. Upgrade later, to NiMH, which gave the EV1 a 140 mile EPA range (with 30% less weight).

But GM just can't stop lying. Won't even tell the truth about the EV1, or the batteries, or why it won't produce the "volt".

[Volt]

I think its good that we see many new electronic Cars on the Market, then we could see a more competive Gas prices in Europe and lower, also people who just have a Car for transportation its a good alternative.

[John]

And when Stanford completes their work on silicon nano-wires for Li Ion batteries the energy density will increase 5-10 fold making the batteries lighter and more powerful.
Production expected in 2013.
Too bad GM can not get off dead center and release something.
Also too bad they wasted a billion dollars of OUR money on hydrogen fuel cell research.

[clay montgomery]

If GM wanted to survive all it has to do is put the volt on the market ahead of everyone else and reap the profits. I for one would be one of the first buyers. The Goverment talks about getting rid of our dependance on oil then take the bailout money and invest it in all electric cars.( Stupid is as stupid does!!!!)