Today the Detroit Press published a new interview with Bob Lutz, GMs vice-chairman, taking place at a dinner meeting in Frankfurt. Lutz re-iterated that the first test drives of the car will take place in the spring, but the report also mentions that this time next year “GM may allow selected people outside the company to test the system.”
Bob Lutz said “You personally will be able to experience the joy of gliding down I-94 at 70 miles an hour” solely on electric power.
He said GM is committed to putting the system in the Chevrolet Volt for sale by 2010.
He also mentioned that E-Flex will first appear in the U.S., but a world-wide roll-out is planned.
“This is a venture into the unknown,” he said. “It’s something radically new, but we’re confident we’re going to do it.”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 9:46 am and is filed under Timeline. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Sep 11th, 2007 (10:02 am)GM to come out with more EVs?
http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/11/news/companies/gm_electric.ap/index.htm?postversion=2007091105
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Sep 11th, 2007 (10:19 am)Wow! How do I get my name on that list! I can’t wait to get behind that wheel!
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Sep 11th, 2007 (11:41 am)I think that lyle should get to test drive one and report to this site, he is managing this site with a lot of dedicated followers and building the hype and excitement for Volt. Look at how many members there are here anticipating the release to go buy one as soon as they can. I think GM owes it to him and this site.
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Sep 11th, 2007 (12:04 pm)Thanks Nick
I’m happy to offer to do that. Hey, you never know.
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Sep 11th, 2007 (12:31 pm)I wouldn’t mind even being a passenger for the drive, shotgun!
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Sep 11th, 2007 (12:53 pm)Pick me! Pick me! Me! Me!
After Lyle, of course.
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Sep 11th, 2007 (3:10 pm)Lyle,
Please help us all get access to one of these cars. I would buy one now or I would be happy to have you as our rep in an early review. Please let me know if I can help in anyway.
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Sep 11th, 2007 (6:45 pm)You can bet I will deliver the list of people from this site as soon as GM is willing to take it. You have my word.
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Sep 11th, 2007 (7:48 pm)I’d volunteer to test one down here in hot Texas!
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Sep 11th, 2007 (7:58 pm)Yeah, we need to get one of these to Lyle so that he can review it for us.
GM are you listening???
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Sep 12th, 2007 (12:38 am)I’m an engineer who wouldn’t mind testing one in the snow/ice of the midwest.
Seriously though…
I wonder if the test vehicles will look like a Volt or whether they would take E-Flex and hide it in the body of a regular production car.
The latter may help conceal some proprietary technical details from competitors.
However, the former would generate tons of free PR for GM.
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Sep 12th, 2007 (1:44 pm)Tell GM I\’d be willing to park my Prius to test drive a Volt here in Wisconsin.
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Sep 12th, 2007 (3:04 pm)Sounds like the test drive will be just a spin around the area with a GM guy in the passenger seat to me. I don’t think they are letting you keep it overnight. You go the THEM and drive it there, not where you live.
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Sep 13th, 2007 (8:38 am)I’m a Chevy Guy and all I’ve ever owned and bought are Chevy’s since my 1956 Nomad days. I’d love to get the chance to test this car on the “LIE” aka The Worlds Largest Parking Lot. This technology is going to revolutionize the industry and set back the foreign oil sheiks too. Let’s get going on this one. I want one now. I’ll gladly trade in my 4 month old Aveo. Sorry I’m keeping my Chevy trucks, 1959, & 1992 4×4.
Kevin from NY
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Sep 14th, 2007 (10:46 pm)“This technology is going to revolutionize the industry and set back the foreign oil sheiks too.”
If every new car sold in the world were a Volt, there is still more than enough demand that the foreign oil sheiks have nothing to worry about.
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Sep 15th, 2007 (7:24 am)As I understand it, around 2/3 of America’s oil is imported. If the Volt and other PHEVs cut our oil use by 2/3, then domestic oil production would be enough, and America would be enenrgy independant.
Also, Europe and Asia seem to be working on PHEVs to cut back their imports.
Yes, there will still be enough demand to keep the oil sheiks very rich, but mainstream PHEVs will definately set them back.
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Nov 8th, 2007 (12:15 am)Awesome! I’d love to test drive the volt! This makes hybrids totally obsolete! how can i get my name on that list?
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Nov 8th, 2007 (10:57 pm)My first car 39 Pontiac I bought in 1951 then a 50 Cheve, 55 Olds 88, 62 Cheve Nova, 73 Cheve PU, 77 Cheve Monza, 86 Olds 98 Regency Broughn that I bought as an Avis by back with 5000 miles on it, the closest to new I’ve had. It now has 217,000 on it and I’m hoping the Volt will replace it. Would love to test drive it in the North West. Put my name on the list.
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