The Volt's chief engineer, Andrew Farah took questions submitted in advance by participants at the event. They said it would be available on line, but the live stream is understandably off line. I'll post it if it pops up somewhere, but in the meantime, I'll hit the highlights.
There don't seem to be any plans for improvements to the battery capacity. The increased range in the 2013 model is due to tweaking the software so that it dips a little deeper into the upper and lower limits of the batteries charge. The philosophy isn't to get the highest possible number of miles out of the battery but rather to find a balance amongst the cost, weight and practical use of the car. The Volt isn't a Leaf and GM doesn't want it to be. However, if I understood him correctly, Farah did hint that they may explore an all electric version of the Spark in the future.
The 500 VDC, quick charging system isn't a good fit for the Volt. In fact, it may be a bad idea to begin with. While an electric vehicle can be 80% charged in half an hour as opposed to 4 hours using a 240 VAC set up, this can take a toll on the battery's life. The folks at Toyota (they took a lot of pot shots at them throughout the day) recommend that Leaf owners not use this method more than once a day. So, much for the dream of hopping from charging station to station across the country gas free.
Covering the Volt with solar panels wouldn't do much good. The benefit of the wattage gained from such a small surface area is completely out weighed by the cost of the cells. If you are looking for a purely solar powered car, someone is working on that, but it's not in the GM product line right now. However, in the back of the Serra dealership, there is a solar powered charging station. It filled up pretty quickly when they invited every Volt owner in the state to stop by for lunch.
After the presentation, I spoke with an animated young woman named Elishia. She saw the Volt at the auto show, she started saving up for it years before it came out in 2010. Her old car conveniently broke down the day the Volt became available in her area. She expected to be on a waiting list and ended up being first in line. Elishia warned me that the battery's range drops off significantly in the colder months. She estimates that she can travel 40 miles in warm weather and only 25 when it gets below freezing. The battery is like a person; it's happiest when we're most comfortable, between 60 and 80 degrees.
The takeaway from the event was that owning a Volt takes a change in paradigm. We'll have to get away from the idea of stopping quickly to refuel, get a charge when it's practical and enjoy the freedom that a back up generator offers. Chevy Volt Communications Manager, Michelle Malcho did a fine job hosting the simulcast, but I don't know why the didn't ask Adam Corolla to host it. I guess they were probably trying to avoid the Toyota reference.
Maybe next year.
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