volt

GreenVolts seeks to be Apple of high-end solar

GreenVolts is blasting the equivalent of 1,300 suns onto a solar cell to survive in the cut-throat solar industry

The Fremont, Calif.-based start-up today announced it has raised an additional $35 million and unveiled a redesigned large-scale solar array. The series D funding brought $20 million from industrial conglomerate ABB which will market GreenVolt's solar system to businesses and utilities.

The solar industry is undergoing a brutal price war driven by the rapidly falling price of conventional silicon solar panels. GreenVolts has designed a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system, where powerful Fresnel lenses focus light onto several super-efficient … Read more

CNET Roadside Assistance 037: Chevy Volt fire draws ire (podcast)

We heard from the Voltisti, get an earful about carbon buildup, muse MPG and shifting, and find more answers in the question of the ages: why does a '96 Buick get such good mileage?

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 37 SHOW NOTES

Coolant likely cause of Volt fires, says AP source

GM is strengthening the Volt's battery pack to prevent coolant leaks in accidents.

Ironically, the liquid coolant that keeps the Volt's lithium-ion battery from overheating on the road is likely what caused it to catch fire three weeks after a crash test. But Volt drivers don't have to worry about coolant catching flame in the same way they might worry about gasoline spills. A source briefed on the Volt's investigation told the Associated Press that crystallized coolant resulted in an electrical short, causing the battery to catch fire.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has been … Read more

So far most Volt owners passing on GM's buy-back, loaner offer

It's going to take more than a couple of battery fires to shake the confidence of most current Volt owners--so far only 24 people have taken General Motors up on its offer to buy back their extended range electric vehicles.

The Volt is being investigated by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration because of fires that started in the liquid cooled lithium-ion battery three weeks after side-impact crash tests were performed by the organization. Proper post-crash safety protocols were not followed by NHTSA engineers, which requires the Volt's battery to be drained of power until repairs are … Read more

Car Tech Live 243: Chevy Volt is hot...in the wrong way (podcast)

Chevy Volt spontaneous combustion is investigated, Toyota and BMW swap tech, Tokyo Motor Show wows us with weird (duh), and Maybach is dead.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 243 SHOW NOTES

Why Chevy Volt sales matter less than you think

commentary If anyone thought the Chevy Volt would "save" General Motors, take a look at the first-year sales figures.

The auto giant yesterday reported that it sold 1,139 Chevy Volts in November, bringing its total to date to 6,142. That means, barring a massive purchase by a fleet owner, GM will miss its first-year goal of selling 10,000 electrically driven Volts, a target the company now expects to hit early next year. (Nissan has sold 8,720 all-electric Leafs.)

Detractors will no doubt say first-year Volt sales prove that electric vehicles are not ready for … Read more

GM willing to buy back Volts from worried owners

Volt owners can get a loaner while NHTSA investigations are under way, or GM will take the vehicle off their hands entirely.

Little known fact: OnStar is alerted whenever a Volt is involved in an accident, and within 48 hours GM dispatches a team of technicians to drain the vehicle's battery, which is the proper safety protocol for the vehicle, until it is fully repaired.

But that EV safety protocol may not be good enough for the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association, and it may be cold comfort for worried drivers reading headlines about Volts catching fire three … Read more

Chevy Volt scores highest satisfaction rating in Consumer Reports survey

The Chevrolet Volt may be facing a lot of heat in the press due to the recent NHTSA investigation, but current owners have nothing but good things to say about their plug-in hybrids.

Consumer Reports says that the Chevrolet Volt scored the highest rating in their annual owner satisfaction survey, with 93 percent of buyers saying they would purchase the vehicle again. The four-seater plug-in hybrid with a 40-mile electric range edged out the Dodge Challenger and Porsche 911 to take the top spot on the list. Both sports cars boast a consumer satisfaction score of 91.

However, the product … Read more

Feds open inquiry into Volt battery safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday opened a formal investigation into the safety of the battery packs in the Chevy Volt following a series of collision tests.

In three tests since May, the NHTSA has found that damage to the Volt's battery resulted in a fire after a side collision and a rotation of 180 degrees, a test meant to simulate impact with a pole or tree followed by a rollover. In each case, the line which carries coolant to the batteries was ruptured.

In the initial test, battery temperatures rose following the simulated crash and rollover, … Read more