In this week’s post:
- Is the Chevy Volt coming back?
- Will there be a Toyota Tacoma PHEV?
The first question comes from a viewer who wants to know: is the Chevy Volt returning?
Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com) RE: The Chevy Volt coming back after a hiatus.
Look, Nathan, I am not a tree, hugger, and I am definitely not some right wing or left-wing fanatic.
I know that there’s value in electrified vehicles. I’ve seen plenty of evidence to show that for a lot of people this is a logical step. Not, everybody agrees, and that’s fine, too, isn’t it? The most important thing that I’ve realized is that some auto makers like general motors have gone crazy, but not offering anybody any choice. I think this is wrong.
My wife has a first generation Chevrolet bolt, and it’s one of the best vehicles I’ve ever owned from General Motors. There have been a few problems with it, like some glitches with the displays, But that’s it. Over 100,000 miles with absolutely no mechanical problems. I just don’t understand why they got rid of it so soon.
Do you think that they will be bringing it back considering how many people are polarized by the idea of having to go all electric? I think it’s about time. We get our heads out of our collective asses and realize that you have to get people choice to keep them happy. I think that if the government says that choices, OK, it will make things a lot easier on both sides of the political fence. What do you think?
– Mr. Fantasy Winwood 65
A: Howdy!
GM will bring back PHEVs – of some sort. They may not bring back the “Volt” name.
I don’t want to get bogged down in any political debate about electrification. It’s pretty obvious where many consumer’s loyalties and idealistic perspectives are. I will say this, it looks like General Motors is quite serious about going back to hybrid technology. That’s good news for everybody. Perhaps it’s bad news for certain higher-ups at General Motors; considering how hard they were pushing for full electrification.
That’s a totally different topic.
Here’s what I know, even though the Chevrolet Volt has been discontinued, the technology is still relevant today. That means that General Motors already has the knowhow and capability to produce more advanced plug-in hybrid. They went so far as to announce these plans at their recent shareholder’s meeting.
I’m guessing they will try to be competitive with Toyota right out of the box. As for the vehicle itself, I suspect that they will aim for something a little bit more conventional than the original Chevy volt. My guess is: it’ll be an SUV of some sort.
“Our forward plans include bringing our plug-in hybrid technology to select vehicles in North America. Let me be clear, GM remains committed to eliminating tailpipe emissions from our light duty vehicles by 2035. But in the interim, deploying plug-in technology in strategic segments will deliver some of the environmental benefits of EVs as the nation continues to build its charging infrastructure.”
Mary Barra, GM’s Chair and CEO
It’s possible that General Motors may produce something that is more a kin to an actual battery electric vehicle that has a generator, meaning that may use a gas engine as a range extender. That’s as opposed to it being part of the propulsion system (think BMW i3). The technology for range, extending systems has improved over the years, it may be the direction they consider going into.
We will know a lot more – very soon.
– N
This last question comes from a dealer I met who sent me a quick note about a possible Toyota Tacoma PHEV:
Q: (Via: NathanAdlen@Twitter) How’s it going? Just a quick question from the peanut gallery and all the shops at sea.
I was wondering if you thought that Toyota would produce a Toyota Tacoma prime. You know, a plug-in hybrid of some sorts. It would probably be the only one on market, and I know that Toyota is quite serious about building nothing but hybrids. Do you think that they would take this step?
A: Hi there!
Thanks for the note.
I’m not 100% sure that they would move all the way over to creating a plug-in hybrid of their pick up truck immediately, but that may happen and the near future. As time goes by, they will have to find new ways of maintaining their CAFE numbers. It’s imperative that they keep their vehicles as green as possible while still maintaining their hybrid architecture.
By making them plug-in hybrids, it may help extend the life of that technology. It’s really hard to say, they only have a handful of plug-in hybrids that they are currently using. As far as we can see, none of that technology is slated to be used on the current batch of new Toyota trucks, but never say, never!
We will keep an eye on this, and I will be talking to Andre about the potential in the near future. I suspect the first PHEV pickup we’ll see in the United States will be a Ford plug-in hybrid pick up truck, but I could be wrong!
– N
