It’s not easy to make any of the news coming out of General Motors (GM) sound good at the moment – but the company is making no mistake about reaffirming its commitment to the flagship Chevrolet Volt.
The Volt is widely seen as the future of GM and the vehicle on which the company is pinning most of its hopes as it reels from the global economic crisis. As such GM’s vice chairman Bob Lutz has moved quickly to assure prospective customers that production of the Volt is proceeding despite the company’s problems and that it is now in the “next phase” of development.
Previously the company has been testing the Volt system in old Malibu cars but now it is being placed in its own next-generation vehicle. Speaking in an online blog, Lutz stated that he personally took the Volt for a 30mile test drive and pledged that the company is still on track to have the car in showrooms by 2010.
The Volt is painting the image of a greener future for GM, which famously turned its back on the EV1 concept in what was widely considered a disastrous public relations move.
Even though the car will cost more than $1billion to develop and is unlikely to make money over its first few years, GM is relying on the Volt as a potential saviour. This is despite the fact that oil prices have slumped dramatically from their highs in July with petrol prices following suit.
Is GM right to pin its hopes on the Volt? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
