Automakers have been hit hard this year due to declining sales and those that relied heavily on SUV and truck sales are even worse off, specifically the Big 3. GM has seen its sales drop off drastically since no one wants its many pickups and large SUVs.
This year is GM's 100th anniversary and the automaker is hoping to do something drastic to shift focus from its current financial situation. GM is rushing the development of the much anticipated Chevy Volt for an unveiling of a production ready version. The Chevy Volt isn't expected until late 2010, but GM hopes that by unveiling the Volt this fall the automaker can divert attention from its current sales slump and change its current image as a producer of large gas-guzzling trucks.
In addition to the Chevy Volt, GM is also expected to unveil other new fuel-efficient models such as a production version of the Chevy Beat, a replacement for the Aveo and a new Cobalt sometime during the upcoming auto show season.
Full Story: Reuters
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Comments (15)
Good luck with that but the article makes it sound like such a desperate gamble; rushing production of a technically complicated vehicle in order to satisfy..... uh, the advertising department ?
I LOVE WHINING !
Posted by CKV | July 7, 2008 10:59 PM
Posted on July 7, 2008 22:59
I sincerely hope the Volt is a success for GM. However, rushing it out may not be a particularly smart move. GM is designing the car in anticipation that the required Li-ion battery technology will be available by 2010, which they've previously admitted is a gamble. Li-ion batteries have a minor safety issue in that they tend to ignite or explode when shorted - for example, in a rear-end collision. The spontaneous release of heat then has a tendency to ignite adjacent cells, resulting in a thermal chain reaction. This is the reason Sony recalled 10 million Li-ion laptop batteries 2 years ago and Nokia recalled 46 million Li-ion cellphone batteries last year. Imagine a car full of those things. A couple of class action lawsuits could make for a very bad day. Again, I hope they work the bugs out of the technology since that would bode well for the future of electric cars. Time will tell.....
Posted by Tommy Boy | July 7, 2008 11:40 PM
Posted on July 7, 2008 23:40
and who exactly are they trying to fool?
Posted by lowest iq | July 8, 2008 3:37 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 03:37
rush it to market?!?! fools...we may temporarily forget about their financial situation to be distracted by the technological flop that this car might become due to it's accelerated schedule.
Posted by Dan | July 8, 2008 4:22 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 04:22
Of course no remembers the fact GM has had the longest running electric test platform of any major auto manufacture out there. I think they have some understanding of tech side of things. Waiting could be more of a cost issue then a tech issue. Much like VW said with it's 200 mpg car, "We think sometime in 2012 or so carbon fiber should be cheap enough to mass produce that this car could be feasible."
Sometimes it is the "low tech" side of the market that is keeping the overall product from becoming better.
Posted by Brian | July 8, 2008 5:15 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 05:15
Wow, at this rate the Volt might actually beat the Camaro to market...which we've been hearing about for what, 5 years now?
Posted by WS | July 8, 2008 5:27 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 05:27
That's what I want...a car rushed into production, so I can spend more time at the dealer getting it repaired.
Posted by WVO | July 8, 2008 7:08 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 07:08
I see, and the internal cumbustion engine has no fire hazards ... bring on the new car... its about time for a big change.. go GM
Posted by Edward Stanley | July 8, 2008 7:14 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 07:14
Uh, the way I read it, they're not actually bringing it to market sooner, they are just unveiling it's final form sooner.
I want them to do well with this car also, but I'm getting tired of looking at pictures of cars for years before I can buy one. You can only dangle the carrot for so long. On top of that, I refuse to pay initial premium (dealer marked-up) prices for one also, so add about another year for the hype to die down.
Posted by Rod | July 8, 2008 8:25 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 08:25
I don't have a problem if they released it sooner. There will be glitches with the product reguardless if it is released today or two years from now. The main issue is not training the staff at the dealerships to fix or diagnose issues as they come in. Honda has this problem now with their hybrids. I have had my hybrid in the shop for battery overheating issues just to have them come back to me and say they could not find any problem codes from the computer....
Posted by arbittan@hotmail.com | July 8, 2008 10:53 AM
Posted on July 8, 2008 10:53
The Volt's design is vastly superior to what the other Hybrids are doing. The electric motor always drives the wheels using the internal combustion engine as a generator. This far less complex and more efficient than other hybrid designs. It should also help keep the weight down.
Posted by RX-7 Guy | July 8, 2008 1:11 PM
Posted on July 8, 2008 13:11
You should have said....
That's what I want...a GM, so I can spend more time at the dealer getting it repaired.
Posted by Subpra | July 8, 2008 4:20 PM
Posted on July 8, 2008 16:20
GM engineered the diesel train which is a generator powered electric motored automotive (little a) vehicle over 80 years ago. They just have to dust off the old plans, scale them down & add regenerative braking and batteries. It's not that hard, really. Particularly since the regenerative braking and batteries were in the EV1 and the mild hybrids and now the 2-mode hybrids.
Okay, most readers of the torque report are too stupid to do it (read: posting the same post 3 times). But Tata could do it... if they had thought of it first and had the budget...
Posted by Electromotive | July 8, 2008 5:34 PM
Posted on July 8, 2008 17:34
Who cares, this car is just a wet dream anyway.
With production limits of 10,000/year and a $40,000 price tag (+gouging), this won't do anything to pull GM out of the red when all their other cars are inferior.
What they should be pushing is a small, Honda Fit level/price car with a small turbodiesel that will get 40mpg/60mpg...kind of like they have in Europe.
Posted by Noya | July 8, 2008 5:40 PM
Posted on July 8, 2008 17:40
Yawn
Posted by brassmonkey | July 8, 2008 11:34 PM
Posted on July 8, 2008 23:34