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. "

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.

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!

However GM does have a big problem… they are in serious trouble like the other 2 of the big 3, and every delay decreases their lead over the competition (and in fact the competition may beat them), and they need to be a leader, not playing catch up all the time.

Now Nissan just announced their EV will be out in 2010, though only for fleet sales in California, and a general roll out in 2012.

Off topic: Lyle, this new forum editing box is REALLY SLOW! Obviously lots of javascript in it  Also seems buggy…

In the end, I think we will find that this delay is indeed trivial.  Lots of bigger problems have not yet arrived or have not yet been disclosed.

Every thing that Bob Lutz has said is now being re-worked.  First it was 60,000 units in the first year, at under 30,000 with test mules done in March.

Now its 10,000 units in the first year, only 5 cities will get them, over $30,000 and test mules delayed till June.

Let me ask..are they serious about this car?  Every little delay equals ’stall’ in my mind.  If they were serious, they would try desperately to maintain their original goals. 

I will have an electric vehicle as my next car.   Whether it is produced by GM, Toyota or Mitsubishi, or even a start-up like Th!nk.