Volt Birth Watch 121: Keepin' It Wheel
Autoblog Green has picked up a press release from Alcoa, which reveals that the aluminum giant has secured the wheel contract for the Chevy Volt project. And though we could justifiably complain that this is literally putting the wheels before the horse (we still have no official confirmation of the battery contract status) there’s even more to dislike about this move. Obviously the Volt has to justify its sky-high MSRP on its green credentials (given that GM’s green credentials are riding on this single program), but choosing Alcoa as a wheel supplier further degrades the program’s green cred. Alcoa was recently named number 15 on Political Economy Research Institute’s (PERI) Toxic 100 of 2008 for releasing 13.11 million pounds of toxic air this year. The firm has run afoul of the Environmental Protection Agency several times for violations of the Clean Air Act and creating at least one groundwater superfund site. But hey, Alcoa’s wheels are about 20 percent lighter and twice as strong as other cast aluminum wheels. So whatevs, right? Then again, we are talking about a firm that trumpets paint burning as an environmentally friendly move.
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Alcoa runs a few man made lakes here in NC. During a drought a few years ago, they refused to slow down the hydroelectricity production on High Rock Lake and the lake almost completely dried up, killing much of the wildlife that relies on the lake. This is only one example of Alcoa's environmental record.