The Volt Makes It Halfway Home (The real story, long and detailed)

[DainBramaged]

lots of photos. 2011 Chevrolet Volt First Look

You might have heard that General Motors unveiled the production version of some car called the 2011 Chevrolet Volt at the company's recent centennial celebration. But that's not entirely true.

It would be more accurate to say that the unveiling of the much-ballyhooed Volt is GM's centennial celebration; such is the significance of this vehicle to the ailing company. Also the Volt as presented is not precisely the version of the plug-in electric car that will go on sale in November 2010 (God, GM and lithium-ion batteries willing).

In fact the car that Bob Lutz drove onto the stage at GM's headquarters in downtown Detroit isn't really the Volt that we and the world have come to know, either. Thanks to its inherent appeal and GM's grand publicity push, the image we all have assigned to the name Volt is that of the comely little two-door coupe with the long hood and the big wheel flares from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. So different is this "production" version that GM's publicity machine has been directed to stop using pictures of the concept car.

GM is only about halfway between the unveiling of the concept nearly two years ago and the sale of the first, true production Volt about two years from now. Nevertheless, GM has already set much of the Volt's engineering and design specifics in stone.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=132046

[krkaufman]

1. Lutz doesn't seem all too eager to sell any Volts, given his performance on The Colbert Report ...

... recently. He seemed aloof, possibly hammered, and unimpressed with the technology.

If I were GM, I'd be dumping him ASAP.

[AndyTiedye]

2. He's Still Hoping that We'll Invade Enough Oil Producing Countries to Make Big SUVs Sell Again

[DainBramaged]

3. Lutz is a horsepower guy, been since Chrysler, won't change

these cars are like toys to him. Give him a 600 hp Viper or Vette and he's home.

[kristopher]

4. That's odd. I thought he did a good job for the car

A crappy job representing GM (re his global warming denial) though. Not good idea to insult the intelligence of your probable customer base.

[krkaufman]

6. I don't remember all the specifics, but I do remember him speaking dismissively ...

... about the car's engine size, rather than highlighting its actual performance. And he lazily extended the joke about a long extension cord, rather than clearly highlighting how the car would work.

His heart didn't really seem in it, to me. Opinions may and will differ.

[Greyskye]

5. Good article.

I hadn't realized that the Volt used a 1.4-liter engine as the range extender. I understand the logic behind the decision, but color me a tad disappointed that they weren't able to design in something smaller.