GM Loves Bloggers (Who Fawn Over Their Quasi-Vaporware)
The Detroit Free Press "reports" that some 300 people traveled to the New York Auto Show specifically to gush about GM's Hail Mary PHEV, the Volt. Basic reporting standards are out the window as the Freep climbs aboard the Volt love train, boldly giving a forum to bloggers to voice their fearless and unimpeded admiration for a vehicle which is still little more than a concept. An event titled "Volt Nation," organized by Neurologist Lyle Dennis, was the focal point for throngs of (presumably) unpaid Volt cheerleaders. Let the Freep take you there on the wings of its elegant prose: With the Volt Nation event, Dennis said earlier in the day, (his) Web site ( gm-volt.com), which is independent of the automaker, has achieved a milestone."For the first time in history, a major U.S. automaker will hold a conference not for the press, not for the government … but for the consumer," said Dennis, who has become something of a cult hero among those who frequent his Web site. That's right folks, if you become a legendary shill for a failing automaker's last gasp at relevance, you too might just get your own personal conference with Bob Lutz. Sure, he'll probably just slap you on the back and commend you for working harder and cheaper than any marketing hack he's met, but that's just just the price of "cult hero-dom," isn't it?
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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I just did a little reading through that site - sounds like there is an awful lot of delusion out and about, however I did hit across a post by "David" who links to his site where he detailed his EV conversion. Looks like he spent a few hours here and there in his spare time to convert an old Eagle Talon, all in about 3 months (88 total hours), costing roughly $6k US; he has a few videos up, and it's basically a hopped up golf cart - but looks normal and works pretty well!
I find it a bit bizarre that a neurologist is functioning as an unpaid publicist for GM. As someone presumably with some scientific background, he should realize that there needs to be some natural selection going on among concepts for greener cars, and that getting behind one product is likely counterproductive to this process. I would hesitate to consult him if I needed a neurologist.