Pre-production Chevy Volts take to the streets
June 26, 2009 by George Skentzos
The very first pre-production Chevrolet Volt has taken to the roads as test driving begins in the US.
While not officially the final product, engineers haven’t bothered to disguise all that much of the pre-production models, instead showcasing the green flagship as a symbol of hope for a new GM.
Chevrolet is now building a few Volts per week, but plans to increase pre-production output to 10 per week for a total of 80 test vehicles on the roads by October.
These vehicles are being built by GM’s Pre-Production Operations (PPO) organization in Warren – the birthplace of all GM cars and trucks in North America.
These pre-production models will be used by GM engineers to refine the vehicle for final production, with Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer, Andrew Farah, leading the ‘charge’.
“The mules demonstrated the potential drive experience of the Volt’s chassis and powertrain, but the pre-production vehicles bring together the complete Volt experience into one dynamic vehicle.”
“We’ve already discovered a few small tweaks we need to make, but nothing out of the ordinary for this stage of development.”
Along with the Volt’s themselves, this pre-production testing also includes supporting infrastructure such as charging units which have been installed in the homes of staff participating in the testing phase.
“While there’s a still a long way to go, after driving the Volt yesterday, I’m increasingly confident we’re on target to deliver.”
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I really hope the Volt can make it to market soon. The range extended electric vehicle is a much better hybrid solution than the Prius or Insight.
It also gives a lot wider range of technology that can be used to charge the batteries on the go, from petrol to diesel to LPG to gas turbine, what ever you want.
This has to be the longest gestation period for any vehicle! ever! I can understand them running it unclothed, so that people can see they are still working on it, but Ferrchrissakes get the thing to market….. yesterday! Otherwise the world will be so ever it. It is already becomming an old model having been in the public eye and GM’s forecourt for so long…..
I want one!!
A black car doesn’t scream environmentally friendly to me, you think they would have it in some bright green or blue.
Looks like a bloated Imprezza, Yuk.
i just hope holden change their mind and bring the euro styled volt here instead of the american version.
look at honda accord euro easily outsells its american styled brother. hopefully holden can learn from them.
You look at the top picture guys and specially in black, the side of it looks sooooooo similar to an AH Astra!!!!
“i just hope holden change their mind and bring the euro styled volt here instead of the american version”
Opel is practically a different company now, I can’t see us getting the Opel anything anymore….well not via Holden anyway.
just saw transformers 2 and they had a bright blue Volt as one of the Autobots. It looked so awesome alongside it Camaro ans Stingray Brothers.
Side view tells a very different story.
It is a clumsy design with a larger than necessary front end overhang that is vulnerable to scraping curbs & driveways.They still don’t know how.
Obama should demand the money back.
Another electric car to be killed off by vested interests?
Anyone notice the ‘cruze’ when he mentioned the mule cars that didnt look that good????
LOL