NSBE - March/April 2008 - (Page 33)

GM Flexes Its Green (Above) general motors’ chevy volt concept vehicle. (Below) gm’s e-Flex system internal combustion engine. A B y ly n e t t e l o c ke t the January 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, GM staked its claim on leadership in the green arena, showing off five of its 12 “flex-fuel” vehicles that can run on either gas or E85 ethanol, which is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. GM also rolled out the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, a hydrogen fuel cell electric, zero-gasoline, zero-emissions concept vehicle. New gas-electric hybrids on the block included the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid models, which deliver a 50 percent gas mileage improvement over their non-hybrid siblings, and the 24 mpg city/32 mpg highway Chevy Malibu. GM also previewed its latest entry into the luxury green pool, the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. For those drivers on a more modest budget, there were the Saturn Aura and Vue Green Line Hybrids. But the star of GM’s lineup at NAIAS was the new Chevy Volt sedan, an extendedrange electric concept vehicle. GM says a fully charged Volt, powered by the company’s E-Flex electric propulsion system, will use no gas and produce no tailpipe emissions. The car will be easily recharged by plugging it into a common 110-volt electrical outlet and will also have an on-board generator that creates electricity to recharge the vehicle. The Volt is designed with a small engine and will be able to travel up to 40 miles – the maximum daily drive distance of 75 percent of the U.S. population, GM researchers say – using only its lithium-ion batteries. When greater range is required, its flex-fuel internal combustion engine will kick in. This engine will be able to run on gasoline, E85 ethanol or a combination of the two and will create additional electricity to extend the vehicle’s range up to 640 miles, at triple-digit miles per gallon. GM put 25 interior and exterior designers on the job to ensure the Volt’s aesthetic appeal with a “no-compromises design,” says Robert Lutz, the company’s vice president of Global Product Development. The Volt will have advanced material technology throughout the vehicle to reduce weight and allow for shapes that would be impossible with more conventional materials. GM will present the Volt, its E-Flex technology and the company’s alternative fuel vehicle program at a workshop on Thursday, March 20, at NSBE’s Annual National Convention in Orlando, Fla. GM hopes the Chevy Volt and the company’s other uniquely developed automobiles will have global impact, says Lutz. “By using electricity or hydrogen, which is a carrier of electricity, Americans and people all over the world would decrease their dependence on oil without decreasing their personal independence — the kind we can only get from an automobile,” he says. ■ Lynette Locke is a freelance writer based in Baltimore, Md. www.nsbe.org ConventIon Workshop Chevy volt and e-flex technology sponsored by General motors Corporation thursday, march 20, 2008 1:30 pm–2:45 pm orange County Convention Center room W230C for 76 years, 1931 through 2006, General motors Corporation sold more vehicles than any other automobile manufacturer. And those vehicles ran almost exclusively on gasoline. But global warming and tightening crude oil supplies have Gm and its competitors — including Gm’s 2007 co-leader in world vehicle sales, toyota — going green, that is, researching and developing new technologies for vehicles that will run the fuels of tomorrow. • 2008 • 33 march/april http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - March/April 2008

NSBE - March/April 2008
Contents
The Flame of Change
What Is Your Smile Saying?
International News: Telecom Training In Nigeria
Get Involved, Get International!
NSBE International, History in Brief
Truth Power!
Is Government Work for You?
Partners for Positive Impact
Regional News: Region III Economic Overview
GM Flexes Its Green
NSBE Calendar
Hot…Not
A Well-Deserved Break
Goodness Ikeri of Caterpillar
Tonya Erwin of Toyota
Albert Rodriques of Lehman Brothers
Igniting the Torch
Finding Career Fair Success
The AE Niche
Working in Harm’s Way
Reality Check
AE Members on the Move
Advertisers Index

NSBE - March/April 2008