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Genovation Cars readies all-electric Corvette prototype

Chevy runs the full spectrum from some of the most environmentally friendly cars to the least. At one end are EVs like the Spark and Volt. At the other, performance models like the Camaro and Corvette. But one American company wants to bridge that divide. That company is Rockville, MD-based Genovation Cars, which reports that it is almost done building its prototype for an all-electric Corvette. Dubbed the Genovation Extreme Electric (or GXE for short), the prototype is based on a previous-generation 2006 Chevy Corvette Z06, but ditches its enormous 7.0-liter V8 for an array of inverters, batteries, and electric motors said to be good for over 700 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. That promises to deliver a 0-60 time of about 3.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour. Those are supercar benchmarks for performance if we've ever seen them, and ought to leave even the top-spec Tesla Model S P85D in... well, not a cloud of smoke, but whatever the electric equivalent is, in a non-polluting cloud of that. The GXE is also supposed to be able to travel for 150 miles on a single charge, and handle well while it's at it with 50/50 front-rear weight distribution and a low center of gravity. Sorta like the Power Wheels 'Vette pictured above, then, but bigger and faster. Look for the GXE to debut at the Electric Vehicle Technology Expo this coming September in Michigan, after which Genovation says it will put the GXE to the test on the track to back up its performance claims. Genovation Cars Nearing Completion of High-Performance All-Electric Corvette, the GXE ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genovation Cars is nearing the completion of a prototype high-performance all-electric Corvette called the Genovation Extreme Electric or GXE. Assembly of the GXE will be completed by the end of July, followed by a three-week testing phase. The GXE is based on a 2006 Z06 Corvette. Several contributors to the GXE effort have helped design and build record-breaking electric vehicles. They include an MIT electrical engineer and a mechanical engineer from Cosworth. "We are using state of the art inverters, batteries and electric motors that will produce in excess of 700-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque," said Genovation CEO Andrew Saul. "We expect the car to achieve 0-60 mph in around three seconds and have a top speed of over 200 mph.

This is how GM is hiding new Chevy Volt in public

General Motors is letting the public know that, well, it's not about to let the public know anything else about the next-generation Chevrolet Volt. But the automaker is willing to talk about its camouflaging process for upcoming versions of the extended-range plug-in. So it's a half-hearted secret, at best. GM actually has a "camouflage engineer" charged with creating ways to disguise the styling of new vehicles. In the Volt's case, the company is applying black and white swirly color patterns on top of the materials, such as plastics, vinyl and foam, that are used liberally across the body. It's all part of a teaser campaign that started last month with pictures of part the 2016 Volt. Earlier this month, GM said it was keeping track of Volt drivers' habits as it works on the next-gen model. The company noted that more than four out of five trips are being made in all-electric driving mode, and that 60 percent of Volt owners use a plain-old 100-volt outlet to recharge their cars. The car is slated to make its global debut at Detroit's North American International Auto Show next January, and the early word is that performance and all-electric range will be improved (we should hope so). The car will also be sleeker. By how much, we can't tell yet, because of those darn swirly patterns. GM's got more non-details in its press release below. Engineers charged with hiding styling while vehicle testing proceeds in public DETROIT – The styling of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt is one of the automotive world's best-kept secrets. Keeping customers and media eager to see the successor to the groundbreaking original at bay until the new Volt debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January is tricky business. First, it is engineers, not designers, who are charged with creating camouflage that balances styling secrecy with the need to validate the Volt and its systems in public. "If it were up to me it would be a shoebox driving down the road," said Lionel Perkins, GM camouflage engineer. "The design team wants us to cover more of the vehicle and the engineering team needs to have enough of the vehicle's weight and aero exposed so that the tests in the development process are consistent with the product that will come to market." The engineers responsible for the "cool" designs covering the car might deserve style points but their efforts are intended strictly to hide the metal beneath.

NHTSA closes 4-year GM investigation, issues common sense advisory [w/video]

Since January 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating a possible problem with corroding brake lines in General Motors' GMT800-platform models, like the Chevrolet Silverado and Suburban and GMC Sierra, in states with salt on their roads in the winter. However, as opposed to launching a full recall of millions of vehicles, the government is issuing a common-sense safety advisory to all drivers in snowy states to keep their vehicle's undercarriage clean. It even has a video explaining things. "Older-model vehicles, often driven in harsh conditions, are subject to corrosion over long periods of time, and we need owners to be vigilant about ensuring they, their passengers, and others on the roads are safe," said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind in the announcement of the end of the investigation. The agency was clear in its report that "brake line corrosion seen in the GM vehicles was not unique," and the government "has not identified a defect that would initiate a recall order." Instead NHTSA is advising drivers, especially those of vehicles from before 2007, to wash their vehicle's undercarriage in the winter and spring to remove salt or other de-icing chemicals. It also recommends regular checks by a mechanic to make sure everything is in proper order. According to the investigation documents, for just the GMT800 platform models, NHTSA found 3,645 complaints of brake line corrosion, which included allegations of 107 crashes and 40 injuries. The issue was found to be more common in vehicles over 10 years old. GM has released a statement (embedded below) that the company "supports the consumer advisory from NHTSA urging regular maintenance and care of brake lines on older vehicles." NHTSA Closes Investigation into Brake-Line Failures NHTSA 13-15 Thursday, April 9, 2015 Agency issues safety advisory on preventing undercarriage corrosion WASHINGTON – The Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today issued a Safety Advisory and consumer video encouraging owners of model year 2007 and older trucks, SUVs and passenger cars to inspect brake lines and thoroughly wash the underside of their vehicles to remove corrosive salt after the long winter in order to prevent brake-line failures that increase the risk of a crash.