The recently-debuted Chevrolet Volt ads are built around the same basic assumption that drove the design of the Volt’s extended-range electric (EREV) drivetrain: Americans will not tolerate running out of vehicle range. So severe will be America’s Range Anxiety®, GM is guessing, that its electric vehicle (EV) consumers would be happy to lose some electric range and pay a significant price premium compared to the pure-electric competition in order to fill up on gas when they forget to plug in. But while we wait for this psychological insight to prove true across the broader market, recent news seems to show that GM has forgotten about another beloved American freedom: the freedom of choice. For example, the choice to buy a GM-made “pure” EV. To find that kind of freedom you have to go to China…
GM and its major Chinese partner, SAIC, recently signed a memo of understanding allowing the two firms to
share technology and experience more widely to support the joint development of electric cars and components.
The first fruits of that relationship is an electric version of the “the first passenger car created in China by a Sino-foreign joint venture,” the Chevy Sail (shown above). Reuters [via ABC] reports that the Sail EV is already under development, and prototypes will start testing by year’s end. And no wonder. The Chinese government is pouring tens of billions into greentech and EV incentives, with the particular goal of increasing technology-sharing between foreign firms and Chinese partners. Mystery solved. What’s still puzzling is that China will get Volts as well as the Sail EV, giving (theoretical) Chinese EV intenders the choice of a Range Anxiety®-inducing “pure” EV and a brilliant but expensive (even by American standards) EREV. Too bad the search for a Chinese plug-in buyer is still ongoing.
And China isn’t the only faraway land that GM has exiled pure-EV development to. Electrified versions of the Chevrolet Cruze are being tested in Korea by GM-Daewoo, and GM India reportedly took over development of a Chevy Spark-based EV when Mahindra bought out Reva. But of the three Asian EV projects, the Korean Cruze EV seems the only possible US-bound model, and its similarity to the Volt (drivetrain aside) would complicate branding and pricing decisions. And it would make spreading Range Anxiety® considerably more difficult. The Volt’s complete reliance on a specific interpretation of human nature (more specifically, American nature), means GM almost has to keep the pure EVs out of the American market until it has completely given up on making the Volt a mass-market hit.
To preserve our freedom (to use gasoline), GM hasto destroy our freedom (to choose a pure EV). Or force their buyers into the waiting arms of Nissan, Ford, Coda, et al.
One thing to point out – vehicle usage patterns for the US and Canada are a lot different than other countries – which is probably the main reason for not pushing EV’s as much.
South Korea – Country is only about 1/4 the size of California and you can’t drive to another country – so I doubt Range Anxiety is an issue
China – While the country may be large – I doubt they do much more then city driving – although I have to wonder if it is easier to create an electric infrastructure or import fuel?
There are numerous places in the world where the electric car will be a no brainer, even with today’s technology. Hawaii and Israel are often mentioned.
Pure electric vehicles will remain a niche product in the U.S. in general, unless both range and charging speed can be roughly doubled. My guess is that range progress is more likely to come from lightweight vehicle structures and designs than from battery technology.
China has de facto control of GM now in a lot of their product decisions. After the IPO expect it to become even more so. I have said for a long time that GM will eventually be under Chinese ownership and become a very minor player in the North American market. We aren’t where the growth is in the future. Plus Government Motors isn’t a perjorative in that part of the world.
Excellent points, EN.
However, I think the biggest threat to the Volt is the Chevy Cruze at 1/2 the price, 5-passenger seating, and better highway fuel economy.
And if you just want a commuter car, you’ll never drive enough miles to justify a Volt, so in that case the Leaf is a better choice if you really want an EV.
GM may have painted themselves into a corner by hooting about range anxiety, but maybe not. They only have one semi-EV offering at this point, so range anxiety relief only applies to the Volt. They could introduce a pure EV someday that doesn’t claim to solve range anxiety, and simply point back to the Volt as one particular solution out of a fuller product portfolio.
Range anxiety is real. Read the Leaf 100+ mile drive, and you’ll see that their hand-picked hypermilier was progressively cutting speed well below speed limits, turning off the AC and so on to make it back to Nissan. That’s range anxiety in the real world.
Put a bunch of regular driver over a more typical routes, and you’ll see a bunch of EVs stuck on the side of the road.
GM has many choices yet in their hands, and I guess they’ve already studied some of them. For example a full EV version of the Volt. Or install Volt’s drivetrain or variations of it in other cars.
At the time Volt’s development started, GM wasn’t precisely sitting on a pile of cash. It was on the verge of C11. But I’d count that their planners and engineers left the Volt platform open for other propulsion systems.
It’s the No-Homers I tell you. The No-Homers!
Who Exiled The Electric Car?
The Stonecutter’s Guild.
I am waiting for a car with a miniature nuclear reactor.
Maybe GAZ will be the first to bring it to market… they can call it the Chernobyl.
The Ford Nucleon woulda been nice – we would be making a big deal out of the Pinto’s exploding tank if there were mini nuclear explosions going on instead.
A resource hungry China anxious about long term petroleum supplies might see fit to use GM-derived EV technology in military vehicles for the PLA.
Making the transition from ward of the US government to controlling ownership by Chinese central planners should proceed smoothly.
China and all the other dragons in that part of the world have a major problem that EV’s solve over any other drive system … pollution. Their cities are a cesspool of smog and the effluvia of a million cars, busses and trucks. Moving that onto the grid would lessen the impact while allowing the populace to upgrade beyond a bicycle. The EV for those markets will be strong as long as the distances are kept down.
The image brought on by the name “Sail” makes my Range Anxiety flare up.