Comments on: Lutz: Volt Prototype Road Tests Bumped to July

By: Jean-Charles Jacquemin

Jean-Charles Jacquemin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:08:42 +0000

I wonder when – given the official standards of GM – the +/-200 prototypes will be on the road.

for this number of +/- 200 see :
http://www.gmeurope.info/social_media_newsroom/archives/361-Camouflage-and-disguise-fight-against-prototype-paparazzi.html

You can read there :
"around 200 test cars that have to be disguised in the run-up to series production. "

By: Jeff J

Jeff J — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 05:14:00 +0000

#22 opinions are like A-holes most of them stink!! I’m just a low life autotech And my opinion sinks most of all. But please don’t put down GM ,I work on every make and model of car as a tech for over 23 years and Gm is soooo much better is not even close, And what I mean is is a GM rolls in my shop I can Daig. the problem in half the time and the parts to fix said problem are half the price , ie happy customer , and GM is not the car&trucks I see the most I just love Nissan & Dodge and the best car ever made the "NEON" (can you say HEADJOB), Its the car that makes me money. I make my living on shitty cars, enough said. PEace be with you Amul.

By: John B.

John B. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:33:46 +0000

p.s. Look for Toyota and Ford to offer plug-in versions of the Prius and Escape hybrids before GM mass-produces the Volt.

By: John B.

John B. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:31:39 +0000

I agree with Dave B’s statement in #12, "2012 far too long to be paying $4 + gas in this country. I can wait to 2010, but beyond that is a stretch."

I would make the same point even more strongly: by the time the Volt is mass-produced in 2012, the national average pump price for 87 octane will hit not four, but FIVE dollars per gallon.

Many factors account for the recent acceleration of US gas prices, and none of them look to be subsiding anytime soon.

One obvious cause of higher gas prices is global demand consistently rising faster than global supply (particularly due to rapidly rising demand from China & India).

A less obvious, but also important factor is the drastic decline in our dollar’s value relative to gold and to other major world currencies. In turn, reductions in short-term interest rates tend to weaken the dollar.

The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee next meets March 18 and early May. Those meetings will result in a combined reduction of overnight/short-term interest rates by at least another 0.75%.

These rate cuts will weaken the dollar further, making the dollar price of gas even higher than it would have been otherwise.

In short, the more the US dollar declines, the faster we’ll get to $5 and $6 gas. Even if I wanted to pay those prices till GM finally gets around to selling me a Volt, I can’t afford it.

By: Jim I

Jim I — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:31:30 +0000

#18 – BillR:

Here is my problem with your position:

Either GM is going to be open about the development of this vehicle, or they are not. They can’t have it both ways.

And if they are releasing mis-information to Lyle, who in turn passes it on to us, to try to introduce FUD to their competitors, then I find that to be just plain insulting. That makes this entire web site just a pawn in their chess game with Toyota, et al.

And to everyone else concerning the delays, I agree and understand that there will be delays on a project as massive as this. They are to be expected. But as I said, if they are truly committed to being open in this process, then give real reasons.
I really think that #20 – Luke and #23 – Jon P. have great ideas!