What's the Holdup At GM?
From this weeks issue of : evworld.com
There's been lots of speculation as to why GM hasn't yet released their Generation
II EV1. Rumors abound that the company is dragging its feet in hopes of quietly
getting out of the money-losing EV business they originally created. So, I asked
GM's Dick Thompson directly, "Dick, what's with the Gen Two? Why the hold
up?"
He informed me the hold up is in the production certification of the various major
drive train components of the car. He and David Ouwerkerk, the MagneCharge
program manager, explained that the three major subsystems of the car are built by
different GM companies, and each of these (control box, drive motor, battery
management system) needs to be production certified before the cars can be
released.
Since Thompson earlier told me GM was building its second batch of Generation II
EV1s at its Lansing plant, clearly a lack of certification hasn't kept the company
from building the cars. So, when will they become available? "Soon," he reassured
me. "Soon."
Ouwerkerk also added that with the Gen II drive, which is substantially more
compact, has fewer parts and costs less than the original drive system, a 1999 EV1
with adanced lead-acid batteries will give drivers a 100 mile range between
charges, at no additional cost on the lease. (See photo of Gen II drive)
With both Honda and Toyota about to introduce hybrid-electrics into the North
American market, I asked Thompson what GM had "in the wings" by way of an
HEV. He smiled and with a twinkle in his eye said, "Be patient." From his response
and a few other remarks he made, I suspect GM has some surprise they are going
to spring just about the time Honda announces its hybrid-electric this Fall. Or, he
just could have been "pulling my chain," as we say in the States, but I don't think
so. |
