GM, you’re a big part of the reason the EV1 was crushed. I haven’t forgot that, that’s why I bought a Prius a year ago. I love it and can’t wait for a plug-in Prius so I can support a company who is actually walking the walk when it comes to producing an “electric” car that’s really a hybrid car.

Fuck you GM.

I find this really hard to believe. If it’s the typical new vehicle things… GM’s done those many times before and this project is supposed to have their best people. Why would there be anything holding it up at all? The answer should be more like “On schedule.” The more credible source for delays is in the weird parts.

It’s possible that this article, filtered through the hyperenthusiasm of Lyle Dennis, is much ado about nothing at all… that awkwardly phrased questions from Dennis meet slightly tormented or misunderstood answers from Farah and confusion results. Maybe the thing really is 100% on schedule. Frequent GM-Volt and you find confusion often reigns there, anyway; GM’s answers are often confusing, anyway (their execs should keep their mouths shut, instead of showing off how much they “know” about this top project), and the visitors to the site tend to make elaborate castles in the air of the merest wisps of rumor… I think Dennis does it, too.

But on the face of it, this doesn’t quite ring true.

Time will tell.

Red pop or Rock & Rye?

I’m not sure if the collective TTAC response would be laughter or tears.

Actually, if GM was confident about the state of development at this time, I think it would be a brilliant PR move for the automaker to offer Farago a test drive. RF may have his point of view but he’s got enough integrity to make a fair assessment. A good review from TTAC about the Volt would be gold, I tell you, pure gold.

Seriously, if the folks on the Volt program and GM marketing had any balls, they’d let Farago drive a Volt mule.

That is reassuring, since that’s how successful product department happens. I’m not saying that Farah is being 100% forthcoming but I worked in an R&D lab for a long time and this sounds like the normal process.

What’s the old saying?

Something like:

“After a great trembling of mountains is born a pathetic mouse”

It doesn’t help the situation if the mouse is wearing plastic moose antlers.

Sure:

First, put down the coffee.

could you give us the URL for this? Every doc I know recommends laughter:

If you’re going to go check GM-Volt, also check a more recent article with Fritz Henderson’s remarks on why you should hold off buying a Prius and wait for the Volt. Caution: If your doctor has ever told you laughter is bad for your heart, do not read that article.

Like making blacked out window sills in plastic, where the concept had glass window inserts in the doors. Like WTF? If they couldn’t transfer those cute windows for some reason or another, Why the fuck didn’t they skip them alltogether? I mean, really? WTF? And that has NOTHING to do with “optimize aero factors”. That’s pure bullshit. It has EVERYTHING to do with cutting corners and hoping that nobody will notice the difference. Like they haven’t done that trick before?

there are no “billions to be saved” by just sticking the Voltec (or WTF they’re calling it this week) drivetrain into the Cruze. they’d probably save ~$200 million, give or take by not tooling the unique top hat parts (unique body panels, ip, etc) but would also be unable to differentiate it in the marketplace from the Cruze. they’ve made a business decision about differentiation & put a cost on it on both the development & customer demand side. we’ll see whether they’ve guessed right.

the transformation from “Wow !” to “meh” from the original concept car is typical, esp if you’re going to optimize aero factors. it’s much easier to design in aero efficiency than it is to squeeze more miles out of the existing battery pack and/or buying more cells & adding even more cost. same reason that the Insight looks like a Prius – air likes to behave the same way for everyone.

People won’t dig a car that has two 0-60 times and requires two fuels, and costs 2x what a ‘normal’ car does.

Hmm… Isn’t this a problem for all cars? Of course, if GM would just shut up about the Volt, it might not be a huge letdown when it finally does hit the showroom floor.

If you’re going to go check GM-Volt, also check a more recent article with Fritz Henderson’s remarks on why you should hold off buying a Prius and wait for the Volt. Caution: If your doctor has ever told you laughter is bad for your heart, do not read that article.

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Did GM let Phelan drive the car with the ICE active? Did they let him experience operation after “customer depletion point?” There’s no indication of this in his article (or in Burgess’). So far, from what I understand, no outsider has driven the Volt in range-extension mode. It could be that dcdriver understates the case and the Volt will be a huge epic fail at any price.

@autojunkie: yeah, VERY select consumers might pay 35k. People like the people who leased the EV1. Hollywood types. Maybe Tom Cruise (no pun intended!). (Forgive me, but if I had 35 Gs to blow on a car, it would probably be a used Cayman.)

If I were GM: I’d get a really good stylist to take the second gen Corvair and make it aerodynamic. I wouldn’t tell people necessarily–this owuldn’t have to be some sort of retro thingee. I’d just use it as a starting point.

I’m not sure if the collective TTAC response would be laughter or tears.

The Volt’s technology – a series hybrid, almost electric car with a range extending internal combustion engine that has no mechnical connection to the wheels – is the technology of the future.

But in the present the Volt is just going to be another swoopy car with a “hybrid” badge, except at a much higher price.

I tend to think that GM has been kicking butt to get this car into consumer’s hands and I also think the buying public is going to be very receptive of this vehicle. If select consumers were willing to pay $30K for a Pruis at one time then I’m sure some select consumers will be willing to pay $35K for the first couple of Volt model years.

Camaro, anyone?

If the Volt is nothing but a Cruze in drag and with a different driveline, why just not skip the Volt-cladding and let it be a Cruze Hybrid then? It would save some billions on r&d. The problem with the Volt is that it’s not more distinctive than its Cruze underpinnings.