On this holiday season of a very dramatic year, I would like to wish everyone and their friends and families peace, joy, and happiness, everywhere in the world.
It is hard to believe its been nearly two years since I started this blog, and better yet less than two years until the Chevy Volt reaches production.
As you might have noticed I am an optimist, and remain optimistic the Volt will be our first big step in getting this country and the world off of oil.
I am looking forward to heading out to Detroit for the press days of the Auto Show (NAIAS), and I will be there on January 11th. I’m hoping there might be a few surprises from GM, and you know I will be asking many questions of the Volt executives.
I greatly appreciate all the visitors that have come and continue to come to this site, and my deepest gratitude to all of the over 9,000 wonderful commentators who keep the posts lively and teach me so much. Thank you. In 2008 we had 1,266,923 unique visitors paying 2,525,834 visits to this site reading a total of 7,392,755 pages.
You can count on this site being here right up to the day the Volt launches and beyond. Do your best to spread the word. Lets reach a few more million in 2009.
And if you’re particularly adventuresome you might want to check out our new sister site, AllCarsElectric.com
All the best
Lyle
Dec 25th, 2008 (8:57 am)Merry Christmas!!!
Please pray for our Troops in harms way defending our freedom!!!
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:05 am)Happt Holidays Lyle. Keep up the good work.
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:26 am)Merry Christmas to all the the Voltanites!
Thanks Lyle for the site. I have no idea how much work is involved with this, but I am sure it is not a simple task.
Love the blogs and all variety of commentators that you receive on this site!
Here’s to hoping for a successful 2009 for GM.
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:28 am)At schools they take winter break rather than Christmas break, Spring break rather than Easter Break, and say Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas. But we learn that Christmas lights, not Holiday lights are bad for the planet. We learn that Jesus was not born on Christmas. But we do not learn that Christmas means Festival of Christ, or that Christ means God’s Anointed One. But we sure know sales are down and the outlook is bleak. We learn that Thanksgiving is about Family Dinner, Easter is about a bunny that has chocolate eggs, and that Christmas is about reindeer.
Are we seekers of truth? Remember what was written during World War II, “they came after the Jews and I was not a Jew, they came after the Catholics but I was not a Catholic. Then they came after me, and I was alone….
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:46 am)The American auto industry is part of what made this country into a superpower. We need leaders that will keep American manufacturing jobs here in America. Both in Government, and in the industry itself.
Our troops are overseas fighting for this country. We need to do as much here at home.
When GM, Ford and Chrysler get the designs right for the next generation of autos, let’s make sure they manufacture as much of them HERE as possible.
Oh yeah… Merry Christmas to all !
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:48 am)Merry Christmas to you all.
May your holidays be filled with the love of family and friends.
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:55 am)hi Van #4,
Thanks for your deep thoughts.
On the afternoon of 09/11/01~ I recall hearing afternoon analysis by a news anchor. After he had gone over the reasons why and how-to of all of it. He summed up world sentiment by saying, “Today we are all Jews”.
His statement provoked the man on the street to ask, “Why didn’t God prevent the incident?”.
_________________________
I love Christ. And was asked this directly. The reason God didn’t prevent the tragedy is that we, His children, need contrast in our lives. If everything were “good”, then nothing would be good. It would all be the same.
Merry Christmas to all.
=D~
Dec 25th, 2008 (10:51 am)Dang!.. No Volt under the tree this morning. Maybe next year….
Dec 25th, 2008 (10:51 am)Thanks Lyle !
Merry Christmas to all and may your New Year be filled with nothing but good news !
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:07 am)Lyle and everyone here.
Merry Christmas.
Happy Hanukkah.
Happy Kwanzaa.
Good Day.
Eat, drink, be merry, hug a family member, and thank a soldier.
Three cheers for our precious Volt.
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:19 am)Merry Christmas to everyone.
Hope you had/have a great holiday season.
=================================
Side note: Looking forward to going to the NAIAS myself…although it is sure to be a lot tamer this year. I had gone on the charity night the last couple times, but I think this year is going to be a bit of a bummer, so gen admin for me this year. Wonder what kind of turnout the show will get?
It will be interesting to see what the Toyota announced monday they will be debuting…some kind of electric vehicle:
http://naias.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=368
/hopefully there will be some surprises from the domestics as well
//maybe some pricing on the Volt?
///announcement on the ENVI line from Chrysler?
////i-Miev news?
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:22 am)Merry Christmas!
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:28 am)Merry Christmas to all. Thank you Lyle for providing this site. Thank you to all the posters,I have learned a great deal from all of you.
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:49 am)Lyle, thanks for making this such a great site. Your articles are spot on, and you post them so frequently! It’s also obvious that you read many of our posts and react to them. It must take a lot of your time, but we really appreciate it!
Happy holidays!
Dec 25th, 2008 (11:58 am)Van #4
Amen.
The Volt stands for freedom in many ways, but we can never forget the true basis of freedom; that we are all children of God.
Dec 25th, 2008 (12:13 pm)#4 Van,
The exact quote is:
“In Germany they first came for the communists; and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews; and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists; and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics; and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic. Then they came for me – and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.”
– Martin Niemoller
More info here:
http://www.flashpoints.info/issue_briefings/Genocide/Genocide_main.htm
Dec 25th, 2008 (12:43 pm)Thanks Lyle, and all the other bloggers who have made this site what it is and I wish the same fate to AllCarsElectric.com.
Best wishes to and whatever your beliefs may be, be this period of the year a pe
Dec 25th, 2008 (12:53 pm)At the risk of getting flamed on Xmas, let’s understand faith and truth are not necessarily the same. When facts and faith collide, may you have the wisdom and grace to accept facts. If faith causes you to disregard facts, peace gets further away.
Peace to all.
Dec 25th, 2008 (12:53 pm)Merry Christmas to all and to ALL a “volt” new year!
Dec 25th, 2008 (12:54 pm)MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my friends in Voltland
#4 Van that was so well said
Thank you Lyle
Dec 25th, 2008 (1:02 pm)Merry Christmas everyone! May God cause His face to shine upon you all as we approach the final year without a Volt.
Dec 25th, 2008 (1:03 pm)Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!!
Thanks again to Lyle for his work on this site.
Dec 25th, 2008 (1:15 pm)The oil brought immense wealth to the Saudis and the whole middleeastern region. America needed this drug so much that even the presidents were licking the back side of the Arabs. The Bush”s senior and the junior were good buddies of the saudis. In general the Moslim world and every single Moslim even if it a single one living on the moon hates America and Europe and anyone that is not a moslim. The Saudis used all this oil money to further influence their fundamental religious beliefs in impoverished countries like Pakistan Bangladesh Indonesia . With the oil boom we saw terroism on the increase thanks to America who is buying all the oil and the few like Bush , Dick Cheney who are owners of huge corporation like Halliburton. Exxon Mobil. These guys have so much interest that they will never allow alternative source to bear fruits. The American are also addicted to cheap good and China is catering to her needs and hence China also needs to import huge qty of oil to fill American consumer needs. The oil is also an environmetal disaster.
The first thing America needs to do is work on alternative/ green energy and limit personal requirement and become wiser consumer instead of voracious consumer. ( Think before you buy.).
Create macro economics around everywhere and support these small businesses/industries to create growth within than around the world. Beware of credit cards companies they are the big devil who scrounge on your weakness. Burn them and buy only what you can afford.
I have been talking about volt like car for such a long long time ago.I am glad that GM is working on it.
Dec 25th, 2008 (1:23 pm)“Toyota is developing a so-called plug-in hybrid car, or an electric car with a small gasoline engine on board to charge its battery when it runs dry, which the company plans to launch in late 2009.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/autoshow/2008/12/22/toyota-plans-to-unveil-battery-concept-at-detroit-show/
Is this real? Has anybody else but the wall street journal reported this?
Dec 25th, 2008 (1:28 pm)At least I know I am not the only one addicted to this site. Even on Christmas day I need to get my volt fix.
Merry Christmas to All,
Dec 25th, 2008 (2:10 pm)I can’t wait til tomorrow, just read an article that said
chevron’s patent on the nic. battery runs out in 2015.
question is do we still need this battery and if so what would it take to get it back from Chevron or why in the name of humanity wont they just give it up, its Christmas
Dec 25th, 2008 (2:39 pm)Merry Christmas everyone. I hope 2009 is a great year for the Volt and for this site.
My brother-in-law works for a Toyota dealership. I’m not usually a car guy but this year we’ve got a lot more to talk about. Proof of how the Volt is bringing people together.
Dec 25th, 2008 (2:41 pm)For all those who posted on Christmas day….you’re all a bunch of losers ;D
Dec 25th, 2008 (3:07 pm)merry chirstmas cautiouis fan
Dec 25th, 2008 (3:28 pm)Note to self:
Re-gift dictionary I received for Christmas to Casey next year.
Dec 25th, 2008 (3:35 pm)merry christmas statik, and merry christmas to your son, hope he is fine by now!!
Dec 25th, 2008 (3:53 pm)HO HO HO! Merry Christmas! Now, who wants a Volt for Christmas in two years?
Dec 25th, 2008 (4:40 pm)Cool! I got an all electric radio-controlled Corvette.
Next year I want an all-electric or E-rev Volt to go with it.
Mr. Wagoner, please take note!
Dec 25th, 2008 (5:16 pm)Lyle,
Merry Christmas to you as well. I enjoy your site everyday. I have not had a chance to post lately but do like reading the information and comments.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Jimmy
Dec 25th, 2008 (5:48 pm)Merry X’mas and a Happy New year !!
Happy Hoildays
Dec 25th, 2008 (6:43 pm)Happy Holidays!
=D~
Dec 25th, 2008 (6:53 pm)Merry Christmas to all!!!
Dec 25th, 2008 (7:10 pm)Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays. Next year is going to be much better than this one, really!
Many thanks to Lyle for this info packed Volt site. It’s an electronic classroom.
Dec 25th, 2008 (7:54 pm)Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of the folks on this site.Now if we can get a battery to cycle as many times as posts on this site it will all be good……….
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:08 pm)#31 Casey
merry christmas statik, and merry christmas to your son, hope he is fine by now!!
=============================
Merry Christmas to you too.
My son bounced back nicely, just in time for Christmas.
Although, we postponed all the family ‘get togethers’ until tomorrow and Sunday…just in case. It was actually kind of nice spending the whole day with absolutely nothing ‘planned’
/tomorrow I troll the stores for a deal on big screen plasma…huzzah!
Dec 25th, 2008 (9:46 pm)Merry Christmas to all thefolks in my favorite blog!
I found a hydrogen powered automobile under the tree, way cool,if a bit small.
http://www.inhabitots.com/2008/10/28/smart-toy-hydrocar-for-kids/
Out in the garage there was a red…Snowmobile…Yipee!
Maybe next year.
Red HHR
Dec 25th, 2008 (10:17 pm)Well Merry Christmas all. Maybe we can see the path a little better next year. We can talk about that at New Years. LOL
Take Care
Arch
Dec 25th, 2008 (10:48 pm)#28 Cautious Fan says,
For all those who posted on Christmas day….you’re all a bunch of losers ;D
————–
Now that was funny. At least all of us losers are in good company with you, my friend. Hope your day was a good one. Santa brought a Wii. Great fun that machine is.
Dec 25th, 2008 (10:48 pm)Merry Christmas to everyone here. It has been quite a year but I must say this-if we can come together for the benefit of pushing for a car, who knows what we can accomplish. It doesn’t matter that at times we don’t agree, but that we appreciate each other’s diversity (in both opinions and personage). I hope that everyone here has a very good Christmas and may the new year grant you many blessings and if necessary some much needed economic comfort.
Lyle, what you have done is help take an idea and turn it into a phenomenon. Some speak positive, some speak negative but it’s getting attention. I thank you for making this site.
I’d like to thank everyone who contributes to this site. I admire and respect you all and wish you the best this coming year. May 09 grant many blessings.
Dec 26th, 2008 (12:24 am)Amazing historic year, congratulations to all for persevering. Thank you Lyle!
Dec 26th, 2008 (6:54 am)Lyle,
Many thanks for your interest, dedication and research. Thanks also for running the site in a manner that promotes mostly informed discussion.
Merry Christmas.
Dec 26th, 2008 (8:15 pm)Dr. Davis:
Let me add my thanks as well for all of your tireless efforts. Whatever happens with GM and the Volt, no one can ever say that you didn’t do your absolute best to try to keep the flame alive.
A happy and prosperous new year to every one of us.
Dec 26th, 2008 (11:53 pm)Ditto to all of the above.
Looking forward to another year of tracking the progress of my next car!
Dec 27th, 2008 (11:26 am)A little late to the party, I know, but I wanted to join everyone else in thanking Lyle for his tremendous efforts on this site. It is truely amazing that a neurosurgeon with a young family can do such a fantastic job keeping this site up to date and focused. I believe he has helped spark a growing awareness that plug-in electric vehicles like the Volt can lead us to a better, brighter future. It is leadership like his that we so sorely need right now.
I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and wish you all a very happy and healthy 2009. Imagine (fingers crossed) only one more full year of prodding, ranting, and debating our way to the Volt and hopefully other mainstream plug-in electric vehicles. Cheers to a wiser, wealthier, and more independent future!
NPNS! LJGTVWOTR!! Start your own recovery plan, buy (NOTRTH)AMERICAN!!!