Looks like demand is there for the new Nissan Leaf but how many can they build? With this type of excitement and demand around vehicles like the Leaf and the upcoming Chevy Volt electric cars might finally be for real in the marketplace. Both companies need to answer the call and get these machines rolling off the assembly lines early and often.

From AutoNews.com:

In three days, U.S. consumers gave $656,865 to Nissan for the chance to buy a Leaf electric sedan when it arrives in December.

Ain’t capitalism grand.

Starting on Tuesday, April 20, consumers could pony up $99 for what was called a refundable reservation fee. By Friday morning, 6,635 would-be buyers had charged the fee to their credit cards.

For their money, they got…well, nothing, really.

This is not a deposit on the car. It doesn’t count against the $32,780 sticker price.

Read the full article here.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.dashboardnews.com/2010/04/26/nissan-collects-650000-from-buyers-who-just-want-to-be-first/feed/ 0 http://www.dashboardnews.com/2010/04/16/chevy-volt-to-get-50-mpg/ http://www.dashboardnews.com/2010/04/16/chevy-volt-to-get-50-mpg/#comments Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:49:51 +0000 Staff http://www.dashboardnews.com/?p=857

The jury is still out on the Chevy Volt but news like this will help it’s case. AutoGuide.com is reporting that once the electric charge is used up the Volt will achieve 50mpg with the gas powered engine powering the vehicle. That is very impressive and will be a big selling point for those traveling over 40+ miles per charge.

Remember all that nonsense about the Chevy Volt getting 230-mpg? Well, after the EPA denied coming up with the number and Chevy admitted there was no standardized way to compare the fuel consumption of a range-extended electric vehicle like the Volt with a conventional gasoline vehicle, the whole business died down for a while – or at least it did after Nissan claimed its fully electric Leaf gets 367 mpg.

Read the full article here.

Back to the Volt here. That is one out of this world looking battery pack for those of us seeing it for the first time. I have now seen the future and it is shiny!

From the Detroit News:

Brownstown Township — General Motors Co. assembled the first lithium-ion battery pack for its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car today.

The event drew U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre and a host of federal, state and local politicians who heralded the battery’s production as a symbolic step toward remaking Michigan’s economy and the nation’s manufacturing sector.

Chu’s presence underscores the importance that the Volt and other alternatively powered vehicles could have on cutting consumer reliance on foreign oil.

Read the full article here.

Chevy appears to be stepping it up with these new apps via OnStar to make the Volt even more unique and trendsetting. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come!

From the Detroit News:

Las Vegas — Chevrolet Volt owners will have access to smart phone monitoring and control applications for their vehicles, officials from General Motors Co. and OnStar announced Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show.

OnStar President Walt Dorfstatter and Maria Rohrer, director of Chevrolet Volt marketing, made the announcement during a press preview event Tuesday that precedes the world’s biggest electronics and technology show.

The announcement follows Ford Motor Co.’s recent release of advanced smart phone apps for Sync-equipped vehicles.

Read the full article here.

Royal Oak — Even on their days off, the engineers creating the Chevrolet Volt are working.

They’re testing, measuring and evaluating what is arguably the most important vehicle in General Motors Co.’s history. They take their work home with them, literally, commuting in the vehicles, strapping baby seats in the back or picking up groceries.

When the official auto show season kicks off next month in Los Angeles, the Volt will play a starring role. On Monday, at Athens Coney Island, a group of Volt engineers talked about the car and how its development is progressing.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

GM is looking for a big PR push with the Chevy Volt, and their announcement that the new Chevy Volt will get 230 miles per gallon will certainly grab some positive attention for the beleaguered company.

General Motors Co. said today the Chevrolet Volt, its extended-range electric vehicle due out in November 2010, will get an estimated city fuel economy of 230 mpg, or 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles.

GM will unveil 25 new models between now and the end of 2011, president and CEO Fritz Henderson said during an hour-long webcast this morning.

“When the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle rolls off the assembly line late next year, it will be the first mass-production automobile to achieve triple-digit fuel economy, with an expected 230 mpg in the city, or 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles,” GM said.

The Environmental Protection Agency declined to confirm the figure, which was based on a draft testing procedure. GM said the calculation is based on more than one vehicle electrical charge, since the average driver travels far less than 100 miles in a single day.

“EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM,” said EPA spokeswoman Cathy Milbourn.

“EPA does applaud GM’s commitment to designing and building the car of the future: an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying American jobs.”

In recent days, GM had launched a “viral” marketing campaign featuring a green background and a “230″ logo — with a plug in the place of the 0 — to build interest in today’s announcement. Many auto bloggers correctly guessed that the figure was connected to the Volt’s city fuel economy rating.

The viral campaign is another good idea, and it looks like we really might have a “new GM.”

That said, the important story here is we’re seeing a plug-in hybrid that will potentially be a game-changer in the auto business. For a country that imports a ton of foreign oil, it’s refreshing to see real progress on electric vehicles.

Of course, not everyone is impressed, including Nissan.

But at least one competing automaker isn’t convinced. “Nissan Leaf = 367 mpg, no tailpipe, and no gas required. Oh yeah, and it’ll be affordable too,” the folks over at Nissan’s electric vehicle Twitter feed wrote today. About an hour later, they added this statement: “To clarify our previous tweet, the DOE formula estimates 367mpg for Nissan LEAF.”

That’s even more great news. It looks like there will be serious competition here from other automakers, so perhaps consumers will have real choices, and we can make real progress towards a goal of eliminating oil imports.

BusinessWeek is reporting from the Detroit Auto Show that Cadillac is introducing a new concept car – an upscale plug-in hybrid called the Cadillac Converj. As you can see from the photo, this vehicle looks sweet. BusinessWeek is calling it “the Volt’s seductive sibling.”