Comments on: GM opens auto battery research plant

New research and development facility in Michigan will allow GM to test lithium ion battery packs for the Chevy Volt as well as other energy storage systems.

[seanpv]

Too bad they didn't have the foresight to do this years ago.

[iptofar]

Are their battery pack designs planning on going where the transmission and differential use to go? Does anyone else think that is dated thinking?

[erik98671]

I agree. Battery packs should be replaceable. You should be able to drive up to an old gas station and exchange for a set of pre-charged batteries.

[Vegaman_Dan]

The 'tranismission tunnel' hump has been there for years. Even on cars that do not have a drive line, there is often a console in the middle of the front seats anyways. Most of it is wasted space so this makes sense.

Put the batteries low and centered in the car for the best stability and traction.

[monkeyfun14]

And stuffing them in the backseats is a better ideas?

[Sourdust]

Why should they be replaceable in the Volt? It has a built in generator that charges the battery as needed.

[Been_there_Saw_it_before]

Some small tidbit that most people do not realize is that the hump down the middle is a major structural element that gives the body the necessary stiffness. The floor pan is about the only thing that connects the front and back. The door openings contribute nothing and the roof by itself would require much larger corner posts.

[squished]

The same thought occurred to me but it probably makes sense from a cost perspective. The less you redesign the overall vehicle, the fewer unknowns you have to deal with during testing and the more you get to use existing manufacturing processes. 2010 has been considered an ambitious goal ever since GM announced their plans, so they need to do everything possible to cut engineering time. Plus I agree with Vegaman, keeping those heavy batteries low would greatly improve traction.

[Lelan5]

Believe it or not, lead acid heavy batteries are not the answer. keeping structural design and replace weight where you take weight away.