General Motors officially unveiled the Chevy Volt today,
revealing a more conventional-looking car than the concept vehicle that
electrified the Detroit Auto Show 18 months ago.
GM revealed a few details about the car, but the unveiling
really raised more questions than it answered.
Facts disclosed include:
The
engine will deliver the equivalent of 150 hp with a top speed of
100 mph
Lithium-ion
batteries will power the car up to 40 miles on a single charge from a home
outlet
The
engine will be able to run on gasoline or E85 ethanol
Drivers
can configure a liquid-crystal instrument display to meet individual
needs
It
will be available in showrooms in November 2010
Facts not disclosed:
Price.
Analysts think the price of the car could approach $40,000
Details
on the lithium-ion battery, which is still under development
Interesting
materials used to reduce weight. The concept car featured a developmental
composite made from recycled beverage containers
The car shown features very aerodynamic lines that do seem
to include a partially polycarbonate roof – one of the features that attracted
interest in the concept car.
"The Volt is symbolic of what General Motors stands for
today. Certainly that means cutting-edge technology, exciting design and fast and
efficient product development," said GM Chairman Rick Wagoner. "The Volt
symbolizes General Motors' commitment to the future."
Almost every automaker has had to 'pick a side' when it comes to alternative fuel options and ways to divest from a reliance on gasoline. Fiat is looking to back compressed natural gas or liquid propane as an interim solution.
Designing and filling a new type of water bottle might take less engineering work, but the description will help kids understand how science, math, and engineering influence their lives even through things that seem mundane.
Against a backdrop of mounting product complexity and a need to keep a lid on development costs, companies are recognizing a need to make simulation a more integral part of the design process. In response, vendors in the CAD world are building out CAE functionality as part of their CAD suites while simulation vendors are building tighter integrations to leading CAD tools. Keith Meintjes, Ph.D., Practice Manager, Simulation and Analysis at CIMdata, Inc., joins Design News CAD Editor Beth Stackpole in this radio program to explore the new face of integrated CAD and CAE, how companies are benefitting from this tighter partnership between platforms, and how integrating CAE earlier in the development cycle pays off in optimized product designs.
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