![So if they\'re going to \"develop and test the Chevrolet Volt\'s electric drive unit, motors, power electronics and engine\" at the new facility, what have they been doing all this time?](https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/volt1.png "So if they\'re going to \\"develop and test the Chevrolet Volt\'s electric drive unit, motors, power electronics and engine\\" at the new facility, what have they been doing all this time?")
Oh me, oh my, GM is opening a new powertrain development center in Pontiac, MI. Why? According to GM Media Online, "Time equals money, and in keeping with this formula, General Motors today opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art global Powertrain Engineering Development Center that will bring advanced, fuel-saving powertrains to market faster and at less cost by reducing 10 weeks from its powertrain development process." Funny, doesn't building huge facilities equal money too? But seriously, GM says that powertrain development savings will hit $200m this year, thanks in part to this new facility. The 450k square foot building is "where GM will develop and test the Chevrolet Volt's electric drive unit, motors, power electronics and engine," according to the press release (note the use of future tense). The General will also use the facility to develop electric motors for fuel cell and hybrid powertrains, as well as other advanced gasoline, biofuel and clean diesel engines and transmissions. Compressed-air pallet lifters cut test changeover times from 24 hours to 20 minutes. New dynamometers can test every powertrain in all conditions. A global operating system unifies the development process and by shifting early calibration testing from raods to labs, GM says it can cut ten weeks from development time. Which should come in handy if they want to get the Volt developed within the already "well-pushed time envelope".
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I must be confused but I thought they already open this facility, or am I thinking of a different E-flex development center. Didn’t TTAC post about this 6+ months ago.
GM deserves a little credit for the new facility. 450,000 sq ft buildings don’t just sprout out of the ground a few months after your SUV crash. A building that size is going ot take 12-18 months just to build and fully equip. Add in another 24 months for design, deveopment, planning approval and funding and it doesn’t sound like GM’s pants were below it’s knees for this one like they usually are. But they don’t get any of that credit from me if they just switched it from truck/SUV powertrain deveopment to this a few months ago since now they are forced to sell cars.
How on earth can this save them even one penny let alone $200m before they send the first new engine or tranny out the door? This facility is just more overhead until it produces a powertrain they can have sales success with, oh and a profit too.
This facility is actually a (large) extension to the existing Pontiac Powertrain facility. Work on this has been going on for a couple of years now and it still is not finished. Various groups have been moving in over the past few years as it has been built. (I work at GMPT in Ypsilanti and my group moves next month) The Volt drive unit has been in development both here in Ypsi and up there to make use of all the available resources.
But, make no bones about it, this is one VERY expensive place!
Bet you 10 bucks that by 2015 Kia owns the facility.
Good to know that GM actually plans on testing this radical new powertrain for all of a year before releasing it.
The head gasket on my old ’95 Grand Prix obviously wasn’t tested at all.
Back to my original question, has anyone pre ordered the Volt?
Remember, you’re talking about the same company that designed and “tested” the Vega engine, the converted V8 gasoline/diesel engine, and the original Caddy 4-6-8 cylinder-on-demand engine. Even with a modern state of the art facility, what are the chances of them fudging this up too ?
Do you think the two decade long V-6 intake manifold leak problem would have been fixed sooner with this wonder-lab?
I put my money on the people first, and the facility only secondarily.
cheezeweggie :
July 29th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
“Remember, you’re talking about the same company that designed and “tested” the Vega engine, the converted V8 gasoline/diesel engine, and the original Caddy 4-6-8 cylinder-on-demand engine. Even with a modern state of the art facility, what are the chances of them fudging this up too ?”
Yah, I’m sure it’s that same team from 30 years ago doing the work..that would make perfect sense…
Good grief.
Maybe they tested the V6’s with “regular” antifreeze instead of “Dreck-Kool”.
Seems the horse is already out in the field, then GM touts a new “barn”.
Eh…
Best of luck, GM. Work hard, maybe I’ll be back in a few years.
TTAC Readers:
Check out the link that is attached below, interesting reading regarding GM’s prior power train attemps as they relate to electric cars, specifically the EV1. The writer sounds like he’s about to go Bolshevik on you at any moment but he makes good points about GM’s intransigence, lack of focus, wavering, waffling yada, yada, yada.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/87929-impact-of-gm-destroying-the-ev1?source=yahoo
Like many things with GM the savings are projected. I doubt they will ever recover the cost of the facility in actual hard dollars. Another case of “look everyone we are doing something to save the company”, we are spending cash we don’t have. More smoke and mirrors from the illusionists.
Kudos to ttac for the fair article. I just knew a sarcastic-GM-bashing remark was coming as I read along, but none came. Very impressive.