AutoblogGreen

Its true that news of these changes in the "fluid" schedule should be expected. What continues to amaze me is how much GM has changed people's perception with this car, relative to Toyota. If you've heard of Volt at all, it seems likely you'll say GM is the technological leader. Without even having produced a drivable mule. Practicality arguments aside, GM has actually demonstrated much more capability with its fuel cell SUVs. Yet somehow, Volt still has more marketing "weight"...

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So much for Easter...

"Lutz promises viable demonstration of Volt by Easter"
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/lutz-promises-viable-demonstration-of-volt-by-easter/

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I can't help but feel that this is part of Tesla's influence. Before this, you NEVER get this kind of detail in a car development cycle from big automakers. Seems that Tesla not only inspired GM to pursue the Volt but also to be more open in it's development cycle. And you see the same kind of delays and problems that can come up along the path. Yet at the same time you see the same kind of hype that Tesla has been able to build on their car. The Volt, however, seems to have even more hype because of the big advertising budget of GM. Even without a mule, people are already hailing this as a technological achievement. For Tesla, on the other hand, they had mules a long time ago and many, many working prototypes, but you still have doubters that don't believe even when they are about to release their production vehicles this year.

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People have a lot more interest in the Volt over GMs fuel cell concepts, as fuel cell vehicles are continually delayed, with a vague promise of "maybe 2015, or 2018 or 2020", the prices remain stubbornly unaffordable, and there is a distinct lack of H2 fuel stations.
The Volt, on the other hand, starts out affordable, with plenty of electric and petrol fueling options available, and should arrive in less than 4 years, possibly as soon as 2010. The per mile cost for driving electric is considerably less than with petrol or H2 fuel. For those reasons, Volt shows much more promise compared to fuel cells.

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Bob Putz put his foot in his mouth, saying the Vaporware would have prototypes on the street by Easter. Apologize for them all you want, but this is another case of GM screwing up big time. Putz chose to be open about the development plans of the Vaporware so that he could use it as a PR tool, and now GM is paying the price.

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I had this silly hope that *Flex* meant flexible.

Volts for sale this summer with Nickel-Hydried swap out battery pack and options for other Lith-combo packs to come when they become ever * Improved*.

Sure, sure, silly concept to be sure. They had EV1s running about town in the nineties but impossible today because ExxonMobile and the oil gang want to keep milking us at those new automated pumps. = TG

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"What continues to amaze me is how much GM has changed people's perception with this car, relative to Toyota."

This is actually very typical of GM. They spent years looking better than they really were by parading around cool-looking concepts while at the same time cranking out Cavaliers. I remember the Sixteen, Cien, Sequel, Hy-Wire, Banshee and so forth. Not a one made production.

The Corvette fills a similar role: allowing GM management and the faithful something they can cling to. GM knows better now (and mostly because people weren't being hoodwinked any more) and makes some decent stuff, but the Volt looks more like the Old GM than the one that released the Malibu or Astra.

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Americans are the best in the world at PR...how else do you think they could herd 300,000 million people into thinking everyone's out to get them and Islamo-fascists are invading the country?

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Let's hope they don't suddenly and stubbornly drop the whole program ala EV1!!! I want this car to work even with allowances for what it is i.e. not a substitute for a large long distance vehicle.

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Everytime Lutz opens his mouth a unicorn dies.

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