GM to show production ready Volt

Article
Gallery

By Alborz Fallah | September 05th, 2008

General Motors dreams of launching an all out Prius killer are getting closer to reality. The company announced today it will show a production model of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle during the company’s upcoming 100-year anniversary celebration in the U.S this month.

GM will turn 100 on the 16th of September and what better way to celebrate than to show off the future of the brand’s direction with the highly anticipated Volt.

Recent news regarding the Volt suggest it will not cost $10,000 USD more than originally anticipated, making it a rather niche vehicle, a halo car so to speak, a sign of things to come fro the old general.

A source inside GM is quoted as saying the production ready volt is “somewhat different from the concept versions.” We are hoping however that it’s not that different, given how well treated the concept has been.

The plan is to have preproduction models built mid-late next year and 2010 before the Volt goes into final production by late 2010. A European (and perhaps Australian) version will follow in 2011.

“Everything is looking good, we have quite a few running around now in old Chevy Malibu bodies, so we can modify the engine and battery configuration.” Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman of global product development, said,

The Volt is based on GM’s next-generation global compact architecture which will be shared with the Holden/Vauxhall/Opel Astra and the Chevrolet Cruze. So far there are 33,000 prospective buyers on an unofficial waiting list.

The Volt was originally planned to debut for about $30,000 USD, but that price has now gone up to closer to $35,000. We suspect that will equate to around $50,000 AUD by the time it arrives.

The question we would like you to answer is whether or not Holden should bring the Volt to Australia?

Jason

Hell yes.

Bring it in, or better still, build it here.
I’d go on a waiting list to buy one.

Makes the Prius look dull, which of course, it is…..
CarsRus

reliability is a question mark here….

looks good though….
Fenno

Slap a holden badge on a Tata and it will sell. Tell Australians that it’s better than a prius and they’ll have orders until armageddon (Dec 12 2012 according to the Mayans)
Fenno

Tell Australians that the Voltz is better than a prius and….. Sorry about that.
Richo

I’d like to know a whole lot more about it. Certainly the concept and the technology being used has the POTENTIAL to shit all over the prius, but will GM get the execution right? I tend to think that its too important to them to NOT get it right, but only time will tell.
GTRmon

Ugly. The company that can’t even produce a decent four cylinder is having a crack at a ‘green’ car. Maybe they should get their other engines right first.
Golfschwein

I hope it’s good. I hope they’ve cracked it!
Frenchie

By the time we get it here in Australia, GM will be on their 2nd or 3rd generation Volt.
Richo

GTRmon – theres nothing wrong with GM’s european 4 cylinder motors mate, plus the 2.0ltr turbo in the pontiac solstice is apparently a little ripper
upshift

Another Mexican made GM product?
I think the Volt has more Show than Go given the poor aerodynamics. Will the electrics be any good given drag co-efficiency was forgotten and the appearance lends itself to a tarted up brick on wheels.
SteveC

Aussies won’t buy it if you stick a Holden badge on it. It’s gotta have a petrol engine if you want that result.

The thing is, GMH automobiles are fun cars to drive. Just that their quality and appointment levels are poor compared to other marquees.

If you want the car to sell well. Put a Toyota badge on it. The facts tell the truth, Aussies love mediocre metal boxes that pretend to give their dreary lives that little uplift that can only be achieved by a conservative retail therapy session at your local dealership.

SteveC
Wheelnut

“Mediocre metal boxes” is a term that can also be applied to the bland and boring Camry too Steve..
I mean in terms of iterior design and features both the Falcon and Commodore beat it hands down.. then of course theres performance and handling

I spent a couple of weeks in a Camry last month ans there was nothing “special” about it

What makes Toyota so popular is not their build quality fit and finish or reliability.. because in reality they are about the same as the other two in terms of mechanical failures etc – sure they mightn’t breakdown as often but when they do its usually more expensive.

No – Toyotas success is based more on their marketing than anything else.
http://FPV Greg

I want an electric car. The more the better. The sooner the better. Holden, Toyota, Honda whoever lets all have them.
http://www.plug-inAustralia.org Chris

Insiders in the industry say that GM Holden management are a usless bunch and that all major decisions are now made by GM in the US.

GMH were offered an EV several years ago based on a CSIRO converted Commodore to compete with the Prius. They turned it down.

They remind me of the IBM mainframe managers in the ’70′s, who looked at the newly invented PC’s and told IBM HQ in Armonk that they had no future.

GMH has failed to develop a relationship with their end users. Decisions are made to suit their distributors, so they refuse to discuss the Volt. They want to make sure that Australians go on buying their other cars until the Volt is actually here in Australia.

Affordable EV and PHEV’s will become available in Australia starting in 2010. Once that happens petrol fuelled cars will rapidly start to lose their second hand value, particularly because by then petrol could cost around $2.30 litre (CSIRO high case).

So people need to start now to plan how and when they will migrate to EV’s.

One possibility is to trade in the current car on a used Prius.

This immediately cuts petrol costs in half and opens the possibility of converting the Prius to a plug-in at any time, should petrol go through the roof before 2010.

Being a hybrid, the Prius will hold its value well into the EV era.