Getting a Jolt From Volt

GM Vice President Environment and Energy Beth Lowery and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Steve Johnson listen to Chevrolet Volt Chief Engineer Nick Zielinski explain the inner workings of the Volt at the NAIAS earlier this year.

By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

The introduction of our Chevrolet Volt concept car and E-Flex electric propulsion system at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month created quite a stir, garnering twice the media coverage as the runner up for us, our Chevrolet Camaro convertible.

The Volt came on the heels of our announcement at the Los Angeles show that we`ve begun work on a Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid, and puts a face on our efforts to diversify the energy sources we use to power automobiles.

However, some cynics accused us of pulling a PR stunt, saying the Volt is simply an attempt by GM to “greenwash” the public and would never be a real vehicle. The truth is just the opposite ??” we are treating Volt just like any other vehicle we do, giving it a dedicated development team and designating resources for it. With that in mind, I thought I`d take a moment to update you on the program so far.