Comments on: Bob Lutz: Chevy Volt Mules Will Be Old Malibus

By: Pat

Pat — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:16:36 +0000

the same old problem may still haunt GM ..quality ..They have to compete with Toyota, Honda …I drive Hondas primarly cuz of the quality ..I had a Pontiac many years ago ..nothing but trouble ..constant maintenance ..Now the 2 civics I have one is almost 12 yrs old & still going does need basic maintenance here & there ..
Recall GM turned to big SUV cuz tha is where the profits were & in the boom times folks did not care as they took loans but now easy $ is gone for the Joe blow & he does not have job ..How GM manage to compate with Honda etc ,,will be the key for their survival ..GM must ensure good quality ..whether they can do it is another question ..
Do you ever see commercials from Honda ,,very rarely ..why cuz people know that their quality cars are good & better made..

By: Miguel

Miguel — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:04:49 +0000

Electric Golf Cart can be a very rewarding and relaxing way to ride around in. I like the Electric Golf Cart pictures and good info. keep it up.

By: Keith Rogers

Keith Rogers — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:06:41 +0000

Why can’t an environmentally friendly car look sporty too? Answer: it can and it will if they stay true to the concept! GM is on-board with the idea that GREEN does NOT have to be a frumpy European econo box. Many Americans think (1) Price (2) Sexy (3) Safe/Reliable (4) Environmentally friendly… in that order. Give them all four!

I’m trading in my 2000 Mustang (click my name above for pics) for a new 2010 Volt – so PLEASE make it sexy!!! I’m really sold on the LARGE wheel wells for the big rims (deluxe package maybe?). I heard the Chrysler 300 sells well because of the room to add big rims! Large wheels give an aggressive, fast, powerful look… as opposed to the small GOLF-CART looking tires on that fugly Prius. The world aleady has the Prius.

The EV-1 engineers covered the rear wheel wells for less wind drag, but that took a big toll on the sex appeal of the car. When “Who Killed the Electric Car” was filmed – most camera angles where low and from the front to hide the car’s frumpy wheel covers.

To me the Volt concept looks like a smaller, sleeker, newer Chrysler 300… boy is it hot hot hot!

By: Matt986

Matt986 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:49:22 +0000

I just need the production car to have enough space for me to put a few rifle cases in it somehow. I have one that’s 62 inches long just for one rifle. I have to leave that one at home on range trips because it won’t fit in my Boxster!

By: ROMI

ROMI — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:46:25 +0000

Don’t forget, Lutz also said that this vehicle will have to look unique. Why do you think the Prius out sells the Camry Hybrid. People want to be seen in this new technology and not simply blend in with everyone else. Volt will lead the charge. As this new technology becomes widely accepted, I can see them applying it accross their portfolio of other vehicles, but not until then.

By: omegaman66

omegaman66 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:55:42 +0000

I wont be buying the first Volts that are produced so I don’t care what it looks like. The car will sell simply for what is inside regardless of how ugly or pretty it is.

The mule cars are just that, and will certainly not be what is put out as the first GM serial hybrid in America.

The volt looks awesome to me. I would never own a sports car but as sports cars go it looks pretty freaking good too me. Sort of like the bat mobile from the front.

I am going to get a serial hybrid truck one day.

By: Steven B

Steven B — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:33:19 +0000

I want my Volt too! I’d be interested in a new-gen Malibu E-flex if it’s the first to market, but I’d much, much rather prefer the Volt as it has been introduced thus far. I like the compact, sporty, sexy model that is the VOLT! I don’t think that the new Malibu is ugly, regardless of what anyone else thinks, but then again I didn’t dislike the plain vanilla recent Malibu design either, so maybe I just have bad taste. I don’t know. But I love the Volt!

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:25:14 +0000

In mules, only the functionality counts. I don’t care if they stick it in a shopping cart and strap on a seat.

Just do it already! I want my damn E-Flex, I want it NOW, I don’t want to pay more than $25K, I want it to last 10 years or 250K miles and I don’t want to lease ANY part of it.

By: Dave G

Dave G — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:43:51 +0000

I think the Malibu is just being used as a quick and easy way to start testing E-Flex in a real car. I don’t think they will come out with an E-Flex Malibu production car right away.

I really don’t care so much what the first E-Flex car will be, I just hope a small crossover (e.g. Honda CR-V) or station wagon (e.g. Subaru Outback) will come very soon after.

By: AES

AES — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:36:00 +0000

They might be using “cut up old malibus” (key words, cut up, and old) because they are cheap, big, and relatively disposable. They’re also based on the epsilon platform, which is FWD and bigger than the Delta platform the Volt concept was based on. Meaning that there’s plenty of room to stick in the battery pack, motor, loads of wiring and monitoring equipment, test engineers, and maybe a few journalists. The pack might go into a smaller car once all the bugs are worked out.

Testing the pack with the new Delta platform might have to wait until the platform is actually finished being designed in Germany by the folks at Opel/GM Europe.