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Ask GM's Exec. Chief Engineer For Electric Vehicles Pam Fletcher a Question
Pam Fletcher was propulsion system chief engineer on the first Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and is now executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles at GM. A racing enthusiast, Pam developed racing engines for GM , McLaren, and NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Sr.. Her current role has her running a multi-national department overseeing electrified vehicles company-wide. Fletcher has agreed to take a moment out of her busy day to answer any questions you might have. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one per post.
Are we doomed to use Ni-Cd batteries forever? Are there any interesting developments in rechargable batteries that you're excited about?
Marketing Literature - Top Gear writeup
Asking because it seems they've used electric motors in a more direct capacity to allow them to ditch a traditional gearbox altogether, and since electric vehicles and supercars are both points of experience for you, you're in a unique position to share insight on where this kind of technology might end up.
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Right now, based on current technology, American companies are developing battery-powered electric cars, while Japanese are introducing those based on fuel cells. Over the long range, say in ten or twenty years, do you see one technology overtaking the other?
Has GM looked into developing a partnership with any of the major gas station chains (Exxon/Mobil/BP) to provide recharging services?
If a quick charger was as ubiquitous as a gas pump I think it would go along way to defeating range anxiety when traveling long distances.
It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.
the GM "skateboard" platform design was the most innovative system I have ever seen from GM, why are we not seeing the engineering that was put into that used for new car designs?
I understand the siren song of just putting electrics in a standard ICE car, but all the advances from the Skateboard would put GM ahead of Tesla if they were put into use.
Why has GM ignored the platform they spent so much money researching?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Many times we have been told that developments in motor racing eventually trickle down to consumer products. So my question is where is the electric racing happening, and are improvements being made in this manner? In asking this I'd like to point out the Formula 1 teams that are now using super caps as a part of that series foray into hybrid technologies - which is a technology that could easily be applied to consumer hybrids right now.
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Elon Musk sounded less than impressed by the electric cars from other companies like Toyota, Mercedes and GM.
What do you think of the Tesla as a competitor? Do you feel like you are playing catch-up? What things can GM bring to the table that Tesla cannot?
What about batteries? Have you considered that you may end up needing to source batteries from Tesla themselves in the future? Are there plans for gaining access to suppliers in this field as there will likely be a persistent shortage of good batteries for cars in the future?
Whatever happened to that rockin' skateboard concept which had a swappable body. The Volt has been a bit of a disappointment in terms of design aesthetics and forward thinking, compared to GM's early electric/hydrogen concept. Do you think the skateboard idea will ever see the light of day, perhaps as a Ni-Cd battery car?
Pardon the Seinfeld title... The Spark seems like a good candidate for an electric car. Small, lightweight, city car. Indeed there is an electric version! But only for sale in CA and OR... What's up with that? I am in the market for a tiny city car and I am already considering a Spark. I would totally get the EV version if it was for sale in GA. There are electric cars coming out the wazoo in the area I am in, but no Spark EV for me? Seems like a missed opportunity especially considering the marketing potential of the Sparky Spark.
Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
GM has tried a decent hybrid system on their 1500 Silverados.
Where a hybrid system would be very usable, would be on the heavier duty pickups like the 3/4 and one ton models:
First, electric motors provide their best torque at near 0 RPM, which is quite useful.
Second, on a rural jobsite, if a PSW inverter is available, this would allow the truck to completely replace a generator in the field. Just plug the welder, saw, or other tools into that and use the onboard battery for that, perhaps running the IC engine to keep everything topped off.
Third, for farms, it might be economical to have the trucks charge and run on batteries, as it saves on fuel.
My question: Would we see this technology being used on the heavier duty series of pickups?
Has Tesla's decision to open its patents had any impact on your work?
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
I like the way the volt fixes range anxiety by allowing serial hybrid/generation. That makes it the only electric vehicle for sale that can easily be taken on long travel. I wonder if some people don't get into one because the electric only range is a bit longer than their commute. So the question is: Could GM have an option for the volt to add battery storage in the trunk to boost electric range? Then the owner could remove it for long trips but it would boost the range for normal commute and driving. You could possibly get the same range as a Tesla like this, but the advantage is that when traveling you could remove it and use the trunk space for suitcases and rely on the gas engine for the travel, whereas the Tesla would have to add a motor and generator to get similar travel performance, and that would limit its space/weight.
I'm an extremely happy Volt owner! It is by far the best car I've ever owned.
Question #1. What is Chevy's plans to extend the Voltec system into other models such as the Trax and/or the Equinox? I ask because my wife's current vehicle is an AWD SUV and I'd like to replace it with a like vehicle that's a EREV but is still AWD and has cargo room. I know the 2016 Volt has a square battery pack and thus a 5th seat, I can only assume that's to make it fit better in other chassis?
Question #2. Why does Chevy not promote the Volt?!? You never see a Chevy commercial that has the Volt in it. They had the "low battery" commercial a couple of years ago and then nothing. When I go places I have people constantly coming up and asking "A volt? What kind of car is this? Chevy? Wow, this thing's awesome! I had no idea..." My wife's joked I should become some sort of Chevy Volt Ambassador!
Thanks!
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
IMHO, if fast charging is ubiquitous, then a gas engine is not necessary at all.
I've been intrigued by the Spark EV since it hit Car and Drivers list of best cars under $30k, but It seems only available in very select markets. How can I get one in the southeast US?
Ms. Fletcher,
Does GM have any plans to leverage ultracapacitors for primary energy storage in place of batteries?
Thank you!
Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition!
My hunch is that they won't because there is no advantage to be gained in doing so.
To date, all GM Electric cars have only supported 3.3kW Level 2 charging. Do you think 3.3kW charging plus CCS quick charging is sufficient for longer-range vehicles that might be used for road trips, like the forthcoming Bolt?
Exactly. As Elon has noted many times, when you have to forcefully recall your product from unwilling customers who then go on to hold a candle-light vigil for the destruction of their cars, the "market" is not a barrier to your product... you're doing all this because you want to kill it, pure and simple.
Perhaps the market was small and upscale, but it existed, and it was strong. GM could have pursued development in this space, but it vehemently decided not to. Tesla just picked up that residual demand and built on it.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
I always wondered why the volt was not diesel-electric, like a submarine.
Is meeting the EPA NOx to cost prohibitive?
I would think that the engine would have less load variance than a conventional car.
(The power plant could be run in some optimized range for charging the battery and fro hi-speed use)
Pam Fletcher, as an automotive enthusiast (who is looking forward to our future of electric cars) in order to keep my brain from filling up completely, I don't keep track of all of the intricate differences between hybrid cars.
After learning the intricacies of each system, I tend to lump them into three categories for my convenience (plug-in capability being a sub-category itself).
Weak parallel hybrids; those with very minimal battery storage and no all-electric mode like the 1st gen Ford Escape.
Strong parallel hybrids; those with large battery capacity, all-electric mode, but the internal combustion engine still drives the wheels often like the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, etc.
Series hybrids; AC Propulsion T-Zero with trailer generator (or any all-electric with a generator on a trailer for that matter), Chevy Volt, etc.
So I've lumped the Chevy Volt in the series hybrid group, although technically it can provide some power to the wheels mechanically via the internal combustion engine. With the Volt being so close to a pure series hybrid, I'd like to know why the leap to a pure series hybrid wasn't made completely? There must be one or a few solid reasons. Was it a serendipitous capability due to the packaging? What is necessary to satisfy focus group complaints? Was it to ensure a completely dead battery or charging system wouldn't side-line the vehicle? What was the thinking there?
Cheers!
Alas, the only car that comes close to fitting my requirements (cargo space, chargeable + hybrid tech) is the Audi A3 e-tron, which isn't available in the States yet (and it's really only a hatchback). The only other (distant) contender IMO is the Lexus RX450h, which, while roomy enough, isn't chargeable, gets not-too-stellar mileage, and is priced absurdly.
Those of us who need a commuter car with extra space that has the option (not the requirement, the option) of running on battery power for a decent stretch have been left behind. The Volt's technology would be awesome in a small SUV form factor.
Why hasn't anyone bothered to look into this?
--- The American Way of Life is not a birthright. Hell, it's not even sustainable.
How is the upcoming Chevy Bolt going to get 200 miles per charge with a base price of $30,000? I ask because one of the biggest costs of the car is the batteries and not even Tesla will be able to reach that price point until they have their GigaPlant up and running?