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Chevy Volt replacement battery cost varies wildly, up to $34,000

There's a growing hubbub in the plug-in vehicle community over what looks like some ridiculously cheap replacement batteries for the Chevrolet Volt going up for sale. GM Parts Online, for example, is selling a replacement Volt battery with an MSRP of $2,994.64 but, with an online discount, the price comes down to $2,305.88. For the 16-kWh pack in the 2012 Volt, that comes to a very low $144.11 per kilowatt hour (kWH). But is it a real deal? How can it be, when a Chevy dealer may quote you a price of up to $34,000 to replace the pack? For a 16-kWh Volt pack, $2,305.88 comes to a very low $144.11 per kWh. But is it a real deal? Battery packs in alternative propulsion vehicles are usually priced by the kWh and, historically, they've been thought to be in the range of $500-per-kWh for OEM offerings. Since automakers are understandably secretive about their costs, we still don't know what the real number is today, but we do know it varies by automaker. Tesla, for example, has said it pays less than $200-per-kWH at the cell level but, of course, a constructed pack would be more. Whatever is going on, li-ion battery prices are trending downward. So, $144.11 certainly sounds great, but what's the story here? Kevin Kelly, manager of electrification technology communications for General Motors, reminded AutoblogGreen that GM Parts Online is not the official GM parts website and that, "the costs indicated on the site are not what we would charge our dealers or owners for a replacement battery. There would be no cost to the Volt owner if their battery needs replacement or repair while the battery is under the eight year/100,000 mile limited warranty coverage provided by Chevrolet." A single price tag also can't be accurate for everyone, Kelly said. "If the customer needs to have their battery repaired beyond the warranty, the cost to them would vary depending on what needs to be replaced or repaired (i.e. number of modules, which specific internal components need replacement, etc.)." he said. "So, it's hard for us to tell you exactly what the cost would be to the customer because it varies depending on what might need to be repaired/replaced. As a result, the core charge would vary." But, is the $2,300 price even accurate for anyone? Thanks to a reader comment, we see that this similar item on New GM Parts makes it look like the lithium-ion modules that Kelly mentioned – where a lot of the expensive bits are – are not included.

GM plans new car family for global markets, $5B investment

Globalization remains all the rage in the auto industry, as manufacturers scramble to develop single vehicles that can easily be adapted to the world's disparate market places. Ford has been a champion of this movement, with its One Ford mandate, but now, its cross-town rival is getting in on the action, albeit on a smaller scale. General Motors has announced a $5-billion investment to develop a new Chevrolet-badged family vehicle for global growth markets, including Brazil, Mexico, India, and importantly, China. With the PRC listed as a target market for the new vehicle, it's no surprise that GM is teaming with its Chinese joint-venture partner, SAIC Motor, to develop the vehicle's architecture and engines. The first vehicles should be hitting dealers by 2019, with GM expecting to eventually move some two million units per year. "With a significant majority of anticipated automotive industry growth in 2015 to 2030 outside of mature markets, Chevrolet is taking steps to capitalize on that growth," GM President Dan Ammann said in the attached statement. "Strengthening Chevrolet's position through this major investment is consistent with our global strategy to ensure long-term profitable growth in the markets where we operate." GM is quite focused on developing markets for a new vehicle, going as far as to say that "mature markets" like the US aren't currently being considered for the new family vehicle. As for where it will be built, the press release specifically says it won't be exported to the US, meaning it will very likely be built abroad using parts from local suppliers. Read on for the official press release from General Motors. Chevrolet Strengthens Position in Growth Markets with $5 Billion Investment 2015-07-28 All-new vehicle family tailored to local customer requirements General Motors and SAIC Motor partnership further enhanced DETROIT – Chevrolet announced today it is investing $5 billion to strengthen its business in global growth markets through the development of an all-new vehicle family that will meet the rapidly changing demands of customers in these markets. "With a significant majority of anticipated automotive industry growth in 2015 to 2030 outside of mature markets, Chevrolet is taking steps to capitalize on that growth," said General Motors President Dan Ammann.

These are the 10 longest-lasting vehicles on the road today

Buying a car has started feeling pretty bad. It’s hard to find what you want, and when you do, thereÂ’s a great chance itÂ’s not selling for the price you thought it would be. The least stressful way of coping with the situation is not to buy a new car, but how can you know how long your current ride will last? A recent study from iSeeCars found that some vehicles are prone to deliver many more miles of usable driving than others. iSeeCars looked at more than 2 million cars. The mileage over which the top 1% of cars within each model obtained was calculated and used to rank models, and the study required that a vehicle be sold for at least 10 of the past 20 years to be included. Unsurprisingly, Toyota dominated the top-10 list, but most of the other models come from General Motors with one Honda thrown into the mix. Ranked by mileage, the top-ten longest-lasting vehicles include: Toyota Highlander Hybrid: 244,94 miles Toyota Avalon: 245,710 miles Honda Ridgeline: 248,669 miles Chevrolet Tahoe: 250,338 miles Toyota Prius: 250,601 miles GMC Yukon XL: 252,360 miles Toyota Tundra: 256,022 miles Chevrolet Suburban: 265,732 miles Toyota Land Cruiser: 280,236 miles Toyota Sequoia: 295,509 miles The iSeeCars study found that SUVs and trucks occupy 75 percent of the top 20 vehicles with the potential to last the longest, and Toyota alone accounts for half of the top 20. Interestingly, the Prius and Highlander Hybrid made the list, suggesting that automakers are getting better at making batteries last a long time. "What we see is a list of highly-durable vehicles, capable of more than a quarter-million miles of use if properly maintained," said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. "And to be clear, this study isnÂ’t reporting the maximum lifespan of these vehicles. This is simply a measure of current odometer readings. Most of these cars are still in use and going strong." Of course, the longevity of a vehicle has a lot to do with how itÂ’s treated and maintained over its lifetime. ItÂ’s easy to find stories of people nursing Toyota Tundras and other vehicles past a million miles, and thereÂ’s a 1960s Volvo with more than 3 million miles. Some vehicle types, particularly the largest SUVs, are often used as road-trip vehicles by large families, which means they tend to rack up big mileage. In most cases, buying and owning a higher-mileage car can be a risk, so itÂ’s essential to get a pre-purchase inspection or regular maintenance if you already own one.