AKA the "Short Circuit"Chevrolet Volt: The high-tech car that will save Michigan? about expectations. The Chevrolet Volt, General Motor's extended range electric car, can't just make some modest profits for General Motors.Now it's expected to save the state of Michigan, says the Associated Press. "The Volt is crucial. So much depends on this car. It cannot fail," the story states.Yikes. No pressure, here. The car is considered so important because Michigan isn't content with just making cars anymore. Everyone does that. Now it wants to be a high-tech center."Detroit," Mike Smith, head of the Reuther Library, is quoted by the AP as saying. It "has two choices: Remake itself. Or die on the vine." He pauses. "We HAVE to reinvent ourselves."Volt goes on sale in December, if GM's schedule holds. Final pricing hasn't been released, but those who have driven it, including Test Drive's James R. Healey, liked it. GM's Chevy VoltWill the Volt recharge GM and US auto industry? stands all day, bent over noisy machines, cutting giant sheets of steel and feeding them into monster-sized presses so powerful the concrete floor rumbles beneath his size-16 feet.This is how Steve Prucnell builds cars. In 22 years, the parts haven't changed much. A car's a car.But then another project came along, something totally different.After decades of building everything from Corvettes to Saturns to Silverados,-- Prucnell took a giant leap into the future, working on early models of the Chevy Volt, General Motors' new electric car. It's a high-risk, high-profile venture and Prucnell is understandably nervous.Maybe it's the 13 foreclosure signs that popped up on his street. Or turning 50 in a struggling industry. Or working for a company that needed a $52-billion loan from the U.S. Treasury to stay alive. Whatever the reason, Prucnell is keeping his fingers crossed, hoping America is ready for a new kind of love affair -- battery included.The Volt could help usher in a new generation of electric...

Since you can't short GM stock at the moment, is there any legal way to bet GM will not make money on the Volt in 2 years or less if ever?Maybe odds on Volt going to do an Edsel?Save Michigan, LMAO. What a pie in the sky joke, liberal dreaming done mad. Even if they did sell, the Volt has a real uphill battle. The precious metal prices for batteries will skyrocket. Even if that was over come, the US power grid could not handle 5% of the cars being Volt like. So buying them will drive up electric costs.And then there is the issue of other hybrids being more reliable and proven. Probably cheaper too.And then union and management greed and incompetance.Guess they pushed back the schedule, I thought they were supposed to be out in September if not sooner. But Government Motors is never on time, neither was the old GM.I heard that at $40k they will loose money. Anyone going to pay $50-60K for a GM loser? Taxpayer going to pick up the tab? Funny how GM just keeps on sucking.What...

It is for GM.We are back into depression/recession mode, although I submit we never left it because Obama hasn't fixed the causes yet.

Chevrolet Volt: The high-tech car that will save Michigan?

May 23, 2010 26 Replies

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Canuck57 16 years ago

From what I understand the Volt cannot do a maximum speed over 65 mph unless it is using batteries. So once the batteries are toast, knock it down to 45 or 50.

Second farce with the Volt, and long term owners will find out is that the batteries should be viewed as consumables. In three years if they perform to 15% of their stated "new" capabilties you might be doing good.

Someone mentioned the other day the gas engine will not charge the batteries. Ooops. Taht makes it unsafe on the freeway.

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Canuck57 16 years ago

So in essence it is a upscale lawn mower engine.

LMAO.

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Canuck57 16 years ago

It is for GM.

We are back > Once again our friend Canuck is telling us the sky is falling LOL >

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Mike Hunter 16 years ago

Once again our friend Canuck57 is telling us the sky is falling LOL

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Mike Hunter 16 years ago

Once again our friend Canuck57 is telling us the sky is falling LOL

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Bjorn 16 years ago

Here is the blue print and idea the Volt is using

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Mike Hunter 16 years ago

You are confused, hybrids have more than on source with which to motivate the vehicle. The Volt has only one source, the electric motors. Unlike previous electrically motivate vehicles it has an onboard generator to recharge its batteries.

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