The Chevrolet Volt: A Technology Story and Community Development

You're looking at the Chevrolet Volt, which is a technology story in electrification, but it's also a bit of an electrification story relative to the community and the engineering community. When you think of all the different things that we're really doing here, while we work with our cell partner LG Chem on cells and cell technology, we put those together in a battery pack that's been designed here inside General Motors and built here in Brownstown, Michigan, which is then sent up to our Detroit Hamtramck Vehicle Assembly Plant where the Volt is assembled. We also get our Drive Unit, which is an all-new design from our Warren transmission plant.

So, while we're electrifying the industry for consumers in many ways, we're also electrifying the industry relative to where we do the work and where we build the product. I mean Detroit has such a rich legacy history; some of the world's first vehicles were made here, you know, and so much of the industry is based around vehicle manufacturing in a vehicle like this.

The total weight of this vehicle is 3,875 lb, and how much of that is battery? The weight of the batteries in kilograms is 187. So, when we multiply by 2.2, it's like 400 lb; yes, a large amount. The range on this vehicle is 50 miles on a charge, 50 miles on a charge, and then, of course, it has an internal gasoline engine as well. Regular gasoline, our smartphones are obviously lithium-ion or Lithium Polymer in some cases for more curved designs; our MacBooks, our laptops, you know; all lithium, but we're only getting 500 cells before we see significant degradation in terms of lifespan.

I had overheard the engineer discuss 6,000 Cycles before things start to degrade. What Bill Wallace, our battery director, said was that while cell phones are set up with a certain set of requirements, what we use for an electric vehicle is very different. When you think about it, one of the most important things is size; yeah, true; okay, size today is so important, and size is important also in The Volt but but we actually have more room to work with, and that's why we work with our cell supplier LG Chem again to get more like 6,000 Cycles before we see significant degradation. And that's just very important because consumers want something they know is going to last.

Something I've always wondered about is why can't we have electric vehicles with a range of over 500 miles? Is it just the sheer size of the batteries and the weight pretty much the sheer size of the batteries, just like we were talking about before in your cell phone right? It can be needed to be very small in your car but can't be as large as the entire car. I mean, we're always looking at things from a mobile technology standpoint, so what kind of adaptations have been made here with the console and everything like is there Android Auto enabled within it? Our car has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in it; whether you're an Apple user or an Android User, you should be able to link your phone in and it should work just fine. Wonderful, and uh, are you guys going to be making any apps available so that people can see diagnostic information or kind of stuff? You know, more to come, more to come in the future on apps; all right, well want to say big thanks to you for your time, sir; pleas talking nice talking with you.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enyou're looking at the Chevrolet Volt which while it is a technology story in electrification it's also a bit of a of a electrification story relative to uh the community and the engineering community when you think of all the different things that we're really doing here while we work with our uh cell partner LG Kem on cells and cell technology we put those together in a battery pack that's been designed here in uh inside General Motors and built here in Brownstown Michigan which is then sent up to our Detroit ham traic uh Vehicle Assembly Plant where the volt is assembled um we also get our uh Drive Unit which is an all new design from our Warren transmission plant so while we're electrifying the industry uh for consumers in many ways we're also electrifying the industry relative to where we do the work and where we build the product I mean Detroit has such a rich Legacy history I mean some of the world's first Vehicles were made here you know and so much of the industry is based around vehicle Manufacturing in a vehicle like this what is the total weight of this vehicle here total weight here we're in the uh 3,875 lb test class and how much of that is battery how what is the weight of the batteries the weight of the batteries in kilogram is 187 all right so we by 2.2 so it's like 400 lb so a large amount yes and the range on this vehicle this vehicle go 50 m on a charge 50 m on a charge and then of course it has a unlet gasoline engine as well yes and regular gasoline our smartphones obviously lithium ion Lithium Polymer in some cases for more curved designs our MacBooks our laptops you know this all lithium but we're only getting 500 cells before we see significant degradation in terms of lifespan so I had overheard the engineer discuss 6,000 Cycles before things start to degrade can you talk a little bit more about that sure well what Bill Wallace our battery director said was that while cell phones are set up uh with a you know with a certain set of requirements what we use for an electric vehicle is very different cell phone when you think about it one of the most important things is size yeah true okay size today is is very important while size is important also in The Volt but but we actually have more room to work with and so we work with our celf supplier LG cam again to get more like 6,000 Cycles before we see significant degradation and and that's just very important because consumers want something they know is going to last something I've always wondered about is why can't we have electric vehicles with a, or500 mile range what is it is it just a sheer size of the batteries and the weight pretty much the sheer size of the batteries just like we were talking about before in your cell phone right it can be needs to be very small in your car it can be larger but it can't be as large as the entire car I mean we're always looking at things from a mobile technology standpoint so what kind of adaptations have been made here with the console and everything like is there Android auto enabled within it and so our car has both Android auto and apple carplay in it so whether you're an Apple user or an Android User you should be able to link your phone in and it should work just fine wonderful and uh are you guys going to be making any apps available so that people can see diagnostic information or kind of stuff you know talk a little bit more about the mobile more to come more to come in the future on apps all right well want to say big thanks to you for your time sir pleas talking nice talking with you that's coolyou're looking at the Chevrolet Volt which while it is a technology story in electrification it's also a bit of a of a electrification story relative to uh the community and the engineering community when you think of all the different things that we're really doing here while we work with our uh cell partner LG Kem on cells and cell technology we put those together in a battery pack that's been designed here in uh inside General Motors and built here in Brownstown Michigan which is then sent up to our Detroit ham traic uh Vehicle Assembly Plant where the volt is assembled um we also get our uh Drive Unit which is an all new design from our Warren transmission plant so while we're electrifying the industry uh for consumers in many ways we're also electrifying the industry relative to where we do the work and where we build the product I mean Detroit has such a rich Legacy history I mean some of the world's first Vehicles were made here you know and so much of the industry is based around vehicle Manufacturing in a vehicle like this what is the total weight of this vehicle here total weight here we're in the uh 3,875 lb test class and how much of that is battery how what is the weight of the batteries the weight of the batteries in kilogram is 187 all right so we by 2.2 so it's like 400 lb so a large amount yes and the range on this vehicle this vehicle go 50 m on a charge 50 m on a charge and then of course it has a unlet gasoline engine as well yes and regular gasoline our smartphones obviously lithium ion Lithium Polymer in some cases for more curved designs our MacBooks our laptops you know this all lithium but we're only getting 500 cells before we see significant degradation in terms of lifespan so I had overheard the engineer discuss 6,000 Cycles before things start to degrade can you talk a little bit more about that sure well what Bill Wallace our battery director said was that while cell phones are set up uh with a you know with a certain set of requirements what we use for an electric vehicle is very different cell phone when you think about it one of the most important things is size yeah true okay size today is is very important while size is important also in The Volt but but we actually have more room to work with and so we work with our celf supplier LG cam again to get more like 6,000 Cycles before we see significant degradation and and that's just very important because consumers want something they know is going to last something I've always wondered about is why can't we have electric vehicles with a, or500 mile range what is it is it just a sheer size of the batteries and the weight pretty much the sheer size of the batteries just like we were talking about before in your cell phone right it can be needs to be very small in your car it can be larger but it can't be as large as the entire car I mean we're always looking at things from a mobile technology standpoint so what kind of adaptations have been made here with the console and everything like is there Android auto enabled within it and so our car has both Android auto and apple carplay in it so whether you're an Apple user or an Android User you should be able to link your phone in and it should work just fine wonderful and uh are you guys going to be making any apps available so that people can see diagnostic information or kind of stuff you know talk a little bit more about the mobile more to come more to come in the future on apps all right well want to say big thanks to you for your time sir pleas talking nice talking with you that's cool\n"