If you know me really well, you know that I wrote a report on hybrid technology my senior year of high school. When the first hybrids came onto the market 7 years later, I didn’t rush to buy one. I admire the technology but up to this point, I’m not completely sold it’s the best approach to the problem. The Chevy Volt approach though has a lot more potential and if it is executed well, GM may just get me to buy a Volt type product.

GM’s Volt Hybird Technology

Back in 1994 when I wrote my report on alternative engines for automobiles, the concepts for hybrid car technology is essentially now what both Honda and Toyota have designed. Honda’s approach is to have electric motor work in tandem with a gasoline engine, thus optimizing the use of fuel. Toyota took a different approach designing a hybrid system that can use the electric motor alone, gas engine, or both together. On paper, Honda’s design makes the most engineering sense. In practice though, the Toyota approach is working out much better and is reflected by the higher mpg observed in the Prius line. The Prius can also be converted into a plug-in hybrid, making it a more diverse system.

What GM is about to release with the Chevy Volt was not discussed in the research I did back in ’94. It’s a rather simplified approach to the whole hybrid concept. The electric motor does all the actual propulsion of the automobile, while the gasoline engine’s role is simply to provide electricity when it is needed. This basic concept is not new. For example, post 1940′s locomotives, which have proven over 50 years ago how much more efficient they are to directly driven locomotives,  use electric motors do the propulsion while a diesel engine or aircraft turbine creates the electricity. Chevy is simply applying the same basic technology in the Volt.

What GM’s about to launch with the Chevy Volt isn’t revolutionary as far as technology is concerned. What is revolutionary, is how the technology is being put to use. With the combination of batteries, the Chevy Volt can run without the gasoline engine on short distances. It promises to run without gasoline on most commutes and trips to the store. For most of us, that’s convenient. On long road trips, we have to treat the Volt as a regular car and fill it up every 40 miles, and on local drives in theory we’ll never have to put gas in the car. Brilliant!

Why this is Brilliant!

Here’s where the real excitement comes into the usage of the Volt technology. If you’re a programmer, you know the importance of separating the presentation from logic. The Volt technology essentially does the same thing with the propulsion and the energy used for the propulsion. So in 10 years from now, if Fuel Cell batteries become cheap and plentiful, the gasoline engine can be replaced by a Fuel Cell. Between then and now, hobbyists will be tinkering with other energy ideas, possibly batteries, natural gas powered engines, etc… The rest of the car doesn’t have to change at all, just the energy creating portion (aka gasoline engine).

Taking all this into considering, I think GM has a home run on their hands with the Volt technology. I have two concerns though regarding the cost and how they are marketing the product.

My Thoughts on Price and Marketing

First is cost. I think the Chevy volt is just too expensive. The price point of 41k (or 33.5k after a federal rebate) is just too high. The Toyota Prius can be had for nearly 10k less than that not even considering any rebates or tax credits. Like Henry Ford 100 years ago, I think GM should take a risk and put a retail price on the Chevy Volt at 22k (before the federal rebate). The risk pricing something for less than it can be produced is risky though. This is how I propose they get to this price point.

• Remove the extra technology in the car that lets you manage it from your iPhone. – I think it’s cool, but should be an option.
• Optionally package less batteries in the car – Yes it may limit the car initially to 10-20 miles before the gasoline engine is required, but it would allow for a lower priced Volt.
• Price the car based on how much battery capacity the user orders – If the buyer wants full 40 mile on one charge, then price the car at 35k before rebate. The idea here is to get the cars selling, which will drive production costs down. The battery capacity, if it’s possible, should be an option, just like in the past a customer would pick between a V6 and a V8.

I also think the Volt technology has a lot of other practical uses which are not being utilized by GM. The biggest is for commercial use. GM should build a Chevy S10 Volt (Chevy Volt-10 ), with an optional front grill harness so contractors/construction workers can use the truck as an on-site power generator to power tools. It’s a perfect combination, light duty truck that will get great mileage when using the plugin hybrid technology as well as very useful in a commercial setting. GM should also think about creating utility vehicles such as smaller versions of the Chevy Blazer (Chevy Voltzer ), specifically for use as a utility vehicle for municipalities, shopping malls, ground keeping, etc… Imagine being able to drive to a location and instantly be able to pull an extension cord out of the front of the grill to power a fibulator or a refrigerator during a power outage.

If I was able to call the shots, this utility vehicle would look more like a modern El Camino (Volt Camino) and Nomad (Volt Nomad) car type truck than a traditional truck/SUV. TV commercials would tie together the concept of the vehicle being “green” (good to the environment) not just because it uses less or no gasoline, but because it can last longer since using electric motors for propulsion should last longer with less maintenance than a more complex gasoline engine, and that the gasoline engine that is packaged in the Volt is not the only option this car will have in the future. I’d even show lots of examples of what the car could do for camping, traveling, emergency uses, etc… Just picture a commercial where the power goes out in the house, mom runs outside, runs back in with a special green power cord from her Chevy Volt  and plugs the frig into it saving all the groceries. Talk about good for the environment, that just saved all that perishable food!

If GM was smart, they would market the Volt car technology not just as a “Green for the planet” product, but as a Swiss army knife automobile that no one should live without.

My Worries

My worry is that GM will destroy this car as fast as they destroyed Pontiac and Saturn (the last 10 years of Saturn and Pontiac set both of those brands up for failure). Hopefully they’ve learned they shouldn’t rename car models from familiar names to letter+numbers  (Pontiac) or from familiar letter+number combination’s to words (Saturn) without the consequence of disconnecting product loyalists with the newest product lines. I hope they learned not to pre-market a retro looking automobile (late model Pontiac GTO) then bring to market a car that looks nothing like a 60′s or 70′s GTO (Did you know Ford mocked Pontiac’s GTO at the 2004 Auto show when they introduced a truly retro looking Ford Mustang).

GM brass, if you’re listening, there was a reason Alfred P. Sloan in the 1930′s created the Pontiac division from the failing Oakland brand and had it share many parts/components with the Chevy division and that there was a reason why Roger B. Smith and  F. James McDonald created Saturn in the 1980′s. Please  don’t forget why you’re creating the Chevy Volt. It’s not to compete with other automakers making hybrids, it’s to create a brand that reflects your customers values.

Stay Tuned for my related blog post where I discuss my thoughts on the demise of Pontiac and Saturn.

So, I absolutely love my 2007 Civic Si Sedan! There is one item though that has been driving me crazy for 2 years now: the extremely hot shift knob. You can see in the picture on the right that the shift knob is really nice and shiny. When you drive the car, it’s a great feeling to hold while going through the gears. The only problem is when you park your car out in the hot sun for a while and come to find the shift knob is hotter than a Waffle House grill, we’re talking burning hot.

Up to this point I’ve carried a hand towel in the car to use when I can’t handle the shift knob. It works, but it also sucks.

Tonight, I found exactly what I was looking for: A leather sock shift knob cover! It is available at Rick’s custom Leather, here’s  direct link to their knob-sock covers.

The product description on Ricks Custom Leather mentions the hot shift knob problem with the Honda S2000 stock aluminum shift knob. Lucky for us Honda Civic Si Sedan/Fa5 2007, 2008, 2009 owners, the S200 shift knob is identical to ours. The same shift knob is also used on some other Honda 6 speed transmission models such as the Accord and the  2006+ Civic Si Coupe.

The 3rd gear problem with my car has been fixed! If you haven’t followed by blog, I was having a problem with 3rd gear since I got the car last year. When the car was cold, it was very hard to get into 3rd gear and sometimes even when hot it required extra force. The problem was more noticeable in the Winter, though this spring it seemed to have continued beyond the cold months. The transmission has been rebuilt now, and you can tell a difference. I wouldn’t say that it’s like new, but the gears are much more consistent that is for sure. The gears have a “looser” feel to them, not nearly like my last 5 speed 2000 EX but enough to notice that the transmission was previously a lot tighter when in gear. This to me is not a bad thing, as long as I can get it into gear I don’t care how much left-right play there is.

The mechanic at my local dealer was explaining to me that they rebuilt one other Si 6 speed transmission this past weekend and were starting another rebuild that day. He gave me a peak at the transmission they’re currently rebuilding. The area marked in red are the gears that they replace. He also pointed to a vertical rod and underneath where one other part is replaced in the rebuild. I’m guessing that they replaced 2nd and 3rd gear. Any transmission experts want to comment?

They received the wrong bump stops so they were unable to replace those at this last visit. I’ll post a follow up when the bump stops arrive and are installed.

I’m finally taking the car into the dealer tomorrow to get the transmission looked at and the front suspension popping noise fixed. I’m starting to feel like I’m damaging the 3rd gear driving my Civic and the front popping noise in parking lots is getting quite annoying. I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress.

All I can say is, WOW! Dodge designed an awesome car! If you’re into sub-compacts like I am, this is now the leader in the group hands down.

I’ve been a sub compact enthusiast since I purchased a 2000 Honda Civic EX. The Civic was never a fast car, but the size and handling capabilities won me over. I learned quickly that my Civic EX paled in comparison to other sub compacts including the sport model of the 2000 Civic line, the Si.

Sub-compacts have always had a power limit of about 200hp. I always suspected that the car makers didn’t want a sub compact on the market that had more power than their mid size line of cars. I call this the preventing of the GTO effect. Back in the 60′s John DeLorean sneaked powerful engines into intermediate-sized cars (the Pontiac LaMans) when the GM policy was not to put large engines in cars of that size. The result sparked the Muscle Car era, which caused a flury of performance improvements in cars that carried through for years after.

For what ever reason, corporate executives seem to fear that their smaller line of cars could be more popular then their more expensive, larger products. I always question this logic. Lee Iacocca went on a limb with the Mustang in the 1960′s, but he knew what younger customers want to consume and if you impress a young customer, you can keep them as they grow older. Today, Ford and their sport model Focus is a weak attempt to connect with young customers and the Saturn Redline and Cobalt SS Supercharged is GM’s almost well executed attempt. Dodge/Chrysler not only attempted, but they also set the new bar for sub-compacts.

Read a review: http://www.caranddriver.com/previews/10907/preview-review-2007-dodge-caliber-srt4.html

The next high performing Caliber should be called the SRT4 x 4 (four by four) and include all wheel drive. Right now only Subaru and Mitsubishi have fast sporty sub-compact all wheel drive models, this would be a real alternative in that market.

I’ve always been a Pontiac fan. Pontiac styling has always been a touch better than the rest of the GM family of cars. But GM has been screwing with the sub-compact side of the Pontiac line for a few years now. The damage this is causing to the entire line may be permanent, sending Pontiac down the Buick/Oldsmobile road of extinction. I like the idea of a retro Firebird Trans Am, that product will only attract die hard Firebird owners and guys that want to remember the old days. The Mustang may be doing well with this for a few years to come, but someday someone is going to want a re-designed Mustang. I’ll bet money Ford hasn’t even thought about a next generation Mustang, outside of maybe dashboard/quarter panel changes. What Pontiac needs to do in the short term is step it up a notch with the Pontiac Vibe and the G5. The 2009 Vibe styling is great, but the performance with the sport model doesn’t even compare with the performance offered in other cars in the market including the new Caliber SRT4. The best thing Pontiac could do in the short term is create a G5 in both coupe and sedan with a GT model packed with the same engine from the Cobalt SS Supercharged model and make the limited slip differential standard equipment. At least then GM would have a well styled car that could compete with the sub-compact Honda Civic, Scion tC and Nissan Sentra Spec-V.

The first manufacturer to start thinking about sport models tied with hybrid technology is going to grab a lot of attention and maybe even sales. Espeically if they offer it in the sub-compact. I know it’s possible to make a fast hybrid, Honda’s 2006 Accord Hybrid had more power than the regular Accord with a V6. Once they let the genie out of the bottle, I bet we’ll see a whole new revolution of performance parts and modifications for sport hybrids that make regular sport models look boring. History will prove if I’m right on this. Time will tell.

It appears the clicky, knock, popping sounds in the front suspension of the 2007 Civic Si Sedans may have been solved. On the 18th, 4 days go, Honda announced a Service Bulletin on this very problem for other civic models. It does not include the 2007 Civic Si Sedans though. Since this problem is also occurring in the 2007 Civic Si Sedans, I fully expect to see this same bulletin for our 2007 Si Sedans sometime soon.

• Honda Advisor, July 18, 2007

From the diagram pictured in the Advisory, it appears the ‘bump stop’ is the culprit. I suspect the rubber is getting depressed when the car is twisted at an angle. I don’t believe the defective bump stop is a safety issue but never the less I expect Honda to fix it as soon as possible.

Thanks to others contributing comments to my blog, I’ve found an array of other web sites that talk about the issue.

• 8thCivic.com – Popping from front suspension solved
• Temple of VTEC – 2007 Civic Si Sedan Front Suspension Issue
• Honda-Tech.com – FRONT suspension popping noise some of you have been having! SOLVED!

Thanks everyone who has posted comments on this issue on my post titled ‘2007 Civic Si Sedan – OH YEA!‘. You can always count on fellow Honda owners comradery.

If you are a Honda owner, I highly recommend you create an account on the Honda Owner Link web site. This account will provide you with recall information along with other information about your car. https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com

Update on September 6, 2007
Bill Pealer has contributed this video which records the popping sound that we’ve all encountered. I would like to say that the popping sound that I observe in my Civic is nearly identical. If you wish to skip right to the popping sound, fast forward the video to about 3:00 minutes.

Thanks Bill for the contribution.

I got the car! All I have to say is, it’s awesome!

I contacted just about every Honda dealer between Cleveland to Cincinnati and most gave me great quotes and were up front about fees and other information. I did encounter a couple dealers that had the typical dealer language and price talk. I am not sure why they do that, they just don’t call/E-mail them back.

I purchased the car from Hank Osborne at Superior Honda in Cincinnati. He was the most up front and to the point in E-mail and on the phone. Hank used to work in the tech industry, which may explain why I found it easy to work with him. So if you are a computer guy like myself and want to deal with a dealer who understands how you think, Hank is man.

Here are some pictures:

I will be removing one of my complaints about the rear visibility. I believe the other Civics I test drove had the seat adjusted too low. I currently have the seat adjusted high enough that when I turn my head back I can see the rear spoiler on the trunk.

I am still at shock dealing with the 6 speed transmission. My original thought was the first 5 gears would be about the same as my previous car. That assumption was wrong. I am finding myself putting the car in 2nd gear at 15mph, 3 gear at 22mph, 4th gear at 30mph, 5th gear at 37mph and 6th gear at 45mph. This was in traffic. To me if traffic is moving slow, why rev up the engine. When merging onto the highway I followed the recommended shift points by Honda. Here are the recommended shift points noted in the owners manual:

1st to 2nd: 17mph
2nd to 3rd: 29mph
3rd to 4th: 37mph
4th to 5th: 43mph
5th to 6th: 49mph

So far I am pretty happy with the car. So far I am babying it to see what kind of gas mileage I can get being conservative with the gas pedal. It is so hard though, this thing really wants to get up and go!

UPDATED ON July 22, 2007

Thanks everyone who has posted comments on the suspension issue in this post. I’ve made a new post in light of the Advisory that Honda posted on the 18th of July, 2007. Click here to read more: 2007 Civic Si Sedan Clicky Knock Popping Noise While Turning in Front Suspension

Check out the last 3 sketches found here: http://www.transamcountry.com/what_if.htm

If you know me, you know I am nuts about Trans Ams, specially the 1978 Trams Am with the WS6 performance package with T-tops, black paint topped with a gold screaming chicken! Now these sketches aren’t bad! I like the look, except the rear window just doesn’t match the sexy front end. I am aware that if GM builds a retro 1969 Camaro, then the Firebird will have to use the same body panels. This is a typical practice for the Big Three over the past 25 years. Their Japaneese counter parts are not afraid to make different body panels and windows for their different brands. If the decision was mine, I would share many of the car components where possible except where it cuts into the beauty of the car. Everyone knows the mid to late 70′s Firebird had a wrap around rear window followed with a steep Ferrari styled rear trunk topped with a whale tail. If GM wants to sell the hell out of this car, they have to keep that styling with a retro touch. Taking the soon to be released 2007 Camaro with it’s retro 69′ styling and throwing a 77′ style Firebird grill on the front will not cut it.
Hopefully Pontiac will get the magic back and soon. My 3rd car is reaching year 7. Let me tell you, these past 130k miles have been great ones and the Civic is as reliable now as it was when I drove it off the lot. GM/Pontiac will really have to work hard to make a car that can win me back. GM, give me a call if you want some design tips/suggestions.

Check it out: http://world.honda.com/news/2006/4060208CivicSiSedan/

I have herd this rumor for a few months now and now it is a reality.

I wonder which plant they will produce the Sedan in. Currently, all Coupes are made in a plant in Canada, while all Sedans are made near Marysville, Ohio. If they make the Si Sedan in Ohio, it will just give me another reason to buy a Sedan over a Coupe.

There are a few other advantages to the Sedan. I suspect car insurance would be cheaper and the utility of the car would increase. It is a lot easier to drive people around in a 4 door than in a 2 door.

I just got a pre-painted rear bumper to replace my current cracked bumper. I did a quick search on Google to get some details how to take the bumper off and came across this article:

1989 Honda Civic Si

This is one fast little car. What makes it very cool is that it is meant for driving daily and gets almost 30 mpg. I tell you what, I would gladly give up my 33 mpg for 29 mpg to have that kind of performance.

Now when is Honda or some other manufacturer going to make a sub compact sport model coupe with a high performance hybrid engine? Looking at the stats on the Accord hybrid, it seems such a hybrid sport would be extremely popular. Especially if it had lots of computer controls for us nerdy peeps!