General Motors has signed a contract that will see Buehler Motor provide customised auxiliary water pumps for the Chevrolet Volt Extended-Range Electric Vehicle and some GM hybrid vehicles.
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Under terms of the contracts, Buehler Motor will provide custom 12W and 50W auxiliary water pumps for the Volt and GM hybrid vehicles. Other details were not released. The two companies have been working together in a technology partnership since mid-2007 to customise the water pump technology necessary to circulate coolant through the Volt’s subsystems, a statement said..
“We’re honored that GM engineers involved Buehler Motor in the process more than a year ago to create customised water pump solutions for the Volt,” said Bob Riedford, Buehler Motor, president and general manager. “This collaboration is a testimony to GM’s long-term vision and to the auto industry’s continued confidence in Buehler Motor to provide solutions to extreme engineering challenges.”
The production version of the Volt was unveiled last month, with production expected to begin in late 2010.
The Chevrolet Volt delivers up to 40 miles of gasoline- and emissions-free electric driving, with the extended-range capability of hundreds of additional miles. The Volt uses a petrol engine generator to create additional electricity to extend its range hundreds of miles until the vehicle can be plugged in and battery-charged.
GM estimates that the Volt will cost about two cents per mile to drive while under battery power compared to 12 cents per mile using gasoline priced at US$3.60 per gallon. For an average driver who drives 40 miles per day (or 15,000 miles per year), this amounts to a cost savings of $1,500 annually. Using peak electric rates, GM estimates that an electrically driven mile in a Chevy Volt will be about one-sixth of the cost of a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. The cost savings are even greater when charging during off-peak hours, when electric rates are cheaper.
The Chevrolet Volt is expected to be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing facility, subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives. Production is scheduled to begin late 2010 for models in the US. Pricing has not been announced.
