Saturday June 27, 2009

GM Chevrolet Volt test drive ahead of schedule

bloomberg.com :

General Motors, racing to emerge from bankruptcy, said it has conducted the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt test drive on 23 Jun 2009, more than a week ahead of schedule. New vehicles reach the pre-production stage once the parts and design are largely complete. The Volt is due in showrooms in November 2010. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said the Volt will cost about $40,000.

The Chevrolet Volt is GM's most visible effort to offer a more fuel-efficient lineup to meet new US regulations. GM is counting on the sedan to compete against the Toyota Prius hybrid. The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is designed to drive 40 miles (64.5 kilometers) solely on battery power. After 40 miles, an on-board gasoline engine keeps the battery charged, or the car can be plugged in overnight into a household outlet.

- With crude oil prices on the move (live oil prices are currently flirting with the $70 level), this is a pretty good time for GM to make this announcement. Also, it *is* rare to hear of a technological product, especially one as complex as the Chevrolet Volt must be, to be actually ahead of schedule. All the more so, in the ongoing race to determine the next generation of cleaner and greener vehicles on America's roads, with the other contenders being the new upcoming electric cars from Nissan and Renault, as well as the next generation of improved hybrid cars from Toyota and Honda.

See also :

1. GM unveils production version of Chevrolet Volt PHEV plug-in hybrid car
2. Toyota to launch pure electric car based on FT-EV concept in US by 2012
3. Nissan snubs hybrids, to build over 100000 electric cars per year from 2012
4. Tesla Model S electric car gets $465 million federal funding from Obama Administration

(2009-06-27 20:36:58 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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