Hmm... is it really possible... will I be able to buy a 1/3 scale all-electric chevy volt toy for the 2010 christmas season???

Nope. Due to battery issues the 1/3 scale model will run by mixing baking soda with vinegar. The full scale will be delayed to 2015 and later to 2020, by which time our national refusal to build sustainable energy will have left us too poor to repair the roads, so cars will be useless.

But not to worry: If you are willing to learn Hindi or Cantonese you'll be able to get a job at a call center where people will cuss you out for not speaking their language well enough.

:madgrin: Hilarious!!! (and sadly, probably true...)

Man, I am tired of petrol heads saying how ugly the Prius is, just wait until they see this beast! That is one ugly car! I think the Prius is a very nice looking design, but this Volt thing is fugly!

God forbid that GM would simply scale up the EV1 ... back into the 4 seater that it originally was, prior to being released as a 2 seater. What simpleton can't see that the EV1 was already a lower drag coefficient car than any other. The new volt looks dang nearly the same! The original (1st fake) Volt has the drag of a parachute, so how much better can this new one be? Why does Lutz refuse to let GM engineers simply drag out the old body? ... 10yr old technology that's already paid for? :noidea:

The way I see, Volt will be like the Honda Insight. It will not be mass produced and reach mass market -- just for the bragging rights.

Given the current anti-GM mood of the American public - other than possibly interest in the upcoming Camaro - GM is likely doing itself a big favor by continuing the hype the Volt program. Possibly (or hopefully) the Volt will change the public perception of GM as only making Loser mobiles that only chumps or idiots purchase. In addition to the slow trickle of these 'teaser' no cameras allowed press releases, you wonder if GM should hold almost nothing back and even post a daily updated blog on the Volts progress - including photos. The development staff at GM is certainly creating mountains of powerpoint slides and emails documenting the Volts progress. Why not skim off a few select and interesting items every day - that aren't too proprietary - to keep up the excitement level. Granted, the Volt development isn't a moonshot or presidential race that would easily capture the publics interest. But, possibly GM would be surprised at the level of daily public interest in the Volts progress. Also, one could argue that most - possibly all - of potential Volt buyers are likely heavy web users that would constantly be checking up on how the Volt is doing and then posting pics and videos all over the web (i.e., LOTS of free advertising).

Maybe because the Volt program isn't actually developing a car. It's just producing hype. The mountains of email and powerpoint slides are not about how they are solving the critical issues of a car, but rather about how to keep the public interested in something that does not exist.

Come on, Evan. You and I have different opinions of GM and the Volt, but that's no reason to call me hate-filled, or my view unsubstantiated. GM has a decades-long history of screwing the country. I could be wrong about the Volt. But there is plenty of evidence against them, and as you know, I am far from the only one who believes it's all a ruse.

And I really think the claim that the failure of the Volt will ruin GM is far-fetched. If they do build the Volt, and if it is a commercial success, it will be an infinitesimal part of GM and an insignificant part of their cash flow. And if it fails, they'll get applause for "trying" and they'll get another bail-out from the government. They've got the politicians in their pocket, and the government won't let them fail.

It's sad to see that prius owners simply use as much negativity toward new cars and ideas as some people do toward ours. why be negative? new ideas and increased competition is good.

for the people who keep carping about the volts aerodynamics, you must not have bothered to watch the video. the engineers chuckle about how the concept car would probably be more aerodynamic running backwards and say that the car is going to look much different than the concept. lighten up -- these people know what they are doing.

I for one hope gm does succeed and the volt is a smash success. we need this technology to reduce our oil consumption and it is a huge jump (assuming it works as designed) over the prius. I love my prius, but lets see what the next gen technology is like.

If toyota can top this, then the competition was good for us all.

I agree with Daniel. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on me. GM has a history of poor follow-through and until they show me otherwise, I will remain skeptical.

We have already seen videos of multiple plug in Pri, but do we really have substantive evidence that the Volt will be fully ready by 2010? The are still working on the prototype, haven't figured out the battery issues yet, and still have to put it all in one package. Most of what we get are a bunch of press releases or sneak peeks that don't give us substantive prove how much has really been done.

I wasn't around (driving at least) for the EV-1 days, but I understand why Daniel is extremely skeptical. Especially given the frequent derogatory statements toward hybrids, calling the Volt an electric car, and his recent remarks about global warming and environmental issues. I really hope GM builds it, and does it well. The problem is the time I think it would take for them to do it well is going to allow competitors such as Toyota to stay ahead of GM.

I'm with Evan. GM will never win with folks like you and Daniel. Whether they get it to market in 2010 or not, they appear to be making a very serious effort here. And even if this car never makes it to market it must be inspiring some serious thinking at other major automakers - which is all for the good. Competition is good, new ideas are good. Why pooh-pooh them just because the ideas come from a company that you seem to despise?

After all, one could level the same criticisms at Toyota or Honda. Where's the next-gen Prius? Why haven't they come out with a hybrid minivan? Why haven't we seen it yet? What's the delay? Why aren't they giving us "substantive proof" of what's going on? And Honda seems to have abandoned their Hybrid effort altogether, except for the Civic.

To me, your whining seems beyond silly.

I am not being negative toward any new car or any new idea. The Volt is not a car. It's a press release. And it's not a new idea. An EV with a range extender was built years ago by AC Propulsion. GM could be the first to put that idea into mass production. But the idea is not new.

Thank you.

I've never said the Volt will never happen. I've said I believe it's a scam. I've also said I hope I'm wrong and that they build it. I've even said I'll buy it if it's the first EV or PHEV-40 available.

My anger at GM is based on their history. They bought out and then dismantled public transportation in the U.S. I remember riding the trolly cars as a very little child in Los Angeles. Those are gone because G.M. bought the system and then dismantled it. GM sued the CA CARB so as not to have to produce ZEVs, and as soon as they won the suit, they forced people to give back their EV-1s and they crushed these perfectly good cars. And GM used its sophisticated lobbying operation (read: bribery and corruption) to get SUVs exempted from federal mileage standards, and then used its vast advertising power to convince Americans to buy these unsafe gas-guzzling behemoths.

This anger is based on GM's policy of rapaciously extracting wealth at the cost of the American quality of life.

Now they're saying they don't yet have the battery for a PHEV-40 even though a decade ago they had a battery for a 120-mile pure EV! I think (my opinion and speculation here) that the Volt campaign is another one of their short-term strategies: It's saying "Don't buy a Prius because in two years we're going to have something better."

No, I don't believe them. But my anger has nothing to do with the Volt campaign. My anger is because they destroyed public transportation in America; because they sued CARB rather than build a car lots of people wanted; because they bribed legislators to write loopholes into the FE standards so they could flood America with dangerous vehicles nobody needs which waste fuel and increase pollution.

And if we're supposed to "support" them because they're an American company, then maybe they ought to support America by keeping jobs in the U.S. GM has no more love for America than does Vladimir Putin. GM is a transnational corporation that has no loyalty to any country and that will commit any crimes it thinks it can get away with if there's a profit to be made. Does anybody here really think GM gives a hoot about you or about this country?

But I hope I am wrong about the Volt. And if they do offer it for sale in sufficient numbers that I can actually buy one, I will, if I don't already have a better car (i.e. if someone else offers me a proper EV or PHEV-40 or better first, I'll buy that: first one to offer me the car I want gets my money).

How is my skepticism over the Volt, or my anger against GM for the crimes they have committed, going to prevent them from building the Volt or making a success of it??? Are you saying that for GM to "win" (whatever that means!) they need me to cheer for them? Am I supposed to jump up and down shouting "Go GM!"??? If I do that will that make the Volt happen? I'll tell you I would if I thought that would bring the Volt to market. GM does not care whether I cheer for them or not.

I'm reminded of the jocks in high school who, every time they lost a game, claimed they lost because I and the other students didn't show up to watch the game and cheer for them. I told them if they enjoyed playing, then they should play, but they shouldn't act like five-year-olds shouting "Watch me! Watch me throw the ball!"

To those who say there's no difference between Toyota and GM I say, There are several differences, principally one positive and one negative: The negative difference is that Toyota did not go around dismantling public transportation, making it all but impossible for a person to get around the city without a car; and the positive difference is that Toyota sells one clean, safe, fuel-efficient car, so that drivers who want to make a little bit of a difference can do so. Only one. But at least they give me that choice!

If GM brings out the Volt, they'll have eliminated that one difference. I hope they do so, though it's already a decade late!

Roses are purple!
Parakeets molt!
Go GM!
Build the Volt!
Rah, rah, rah!
:cheer2:

You happy now?

Interesting discussion. The National Cities Lines conspiracy of the 40s and 50s was only a qualified success for GM -- electric rail transit is returning today to many of the cities that scrapped out their streetcars back then in favor of GM buses. I have friends who long ago consigned the folks at GM to the fires of Uhu for their actions, but if the Volt makes it to production and it does what they say it will, that might be enough to qualify for redemption.

By the way, I once thought (before I saw the light) that the Prius was an ... um, unattractive car, but now appreciate it for the intelligence of its design and the utility built in. I think I could be persuaded about the Volt's design as well!

Jim

Daniel

That is entirely true not only of GM, but of *any* American or Canadian company. They don't even care about "profits" for Shareholders, so long as the CEO, Board of Directors, and others in middle/upper management keep their options, severance, etc.

Where else can you blunder in a job as badly as these folks have done, and yet still retain some weird Folk Hero status, eg Lutz? Us peons would have been fired and homeless over something as trivial as missing a forecast by 10%.

What I find hypocritical are the GM Fans who appear to question our “patriotism†(I served in the Utah National Guard and US Army, Thank You Very Much), or even boldly suggest that every Toyota owner/buyer is single handedly responsible for the destruction of the “American Dream.â€

Now, exactly, WTF does *that* idea come from? If these folks are seriously suggesting a global Toyota-led conspiracy against the United States, they need their medication adjusted

One can easily get trade stats from the US Government and determine the source of the trade deficit. Seems that energy makes up a lot of that, along with the never ending appetite for trinkity crap

One thing I learned a *long* time ago in the Private Sector is that nobody gives a s*** about my well being or if I even have a job. No matter what company you work for or contract for, their bottom line is the only thing that matters

These mega companies are allowed to make idiotic blunders every day, and nobody is really punished. Correction, the line workers get axed to reduce the financial hemorrhage. The managers who created the blunder receive a nice pat on the back for a Job Well Done

jay

What makes you think that Toyota didn't do the very same thing in Japan?

Ignorance just makes you look like... you do now.

Jay: I agree 100%. I was talking about GM because I was accused of being negative and hateful after explaining why I was skeptical of both GM's intentions and its motives with regard to the Volt.

From this web site:

The excellent public transportation system in Japan should be evidence that neither Toyota nor anyone else dismantled it, the way GM did in the U.S.

I don't think I need to cite references for the abysmal state of public transportation in the U.S.