I'm new to these boards but I must say I'm a little alarmed by all the bashing the Volt has recieved for it's redesign. This is precisely WHY GM is in trouble in the first place! They consistantly put style before substance in the past and look where it got them. Now, their engineers finally get the go ahead to DO something far more important, and they get a public lashing? Seriously, has anyone ever considered that the reason the Volt, Prius, and Insight all look similar? Hmmm....maybe because testing has proved that this is the optimum shape to limit fuel consumption on a 4 door car!!?? GM is facing one of he most serious engineering challenges that ANY company has tried to achieve in short notice. Some have even gone so far as likening it to the moon race. I'm pretty sure that Nasa scientists never had to go through public outrage over the curb appeal of a Saturn Rocket.

Ugh, I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe we as Americans are responsible for GMs downfall. Maybe all this complaining is proof that we care less about being green, and more about looking green. To me at least, this crying about looks only serves the arguments of those board members at GM who would love to shut this project down only to give you a more stylish turd. Status Quo indeed. :(

Welcome, Rebane.

Great first post. Spot on.

Thanks! I had all but given up on GM until the Volt came along. It is very exciting to see an American car company gear up for this endeavor! Our scientists and engineers are up to the task. I just hope the American cosumer is as well! :)

You said it a lot better than me! People can be very jingoistic about their precious all-American cars. Damn japs, what do they know???

You said it a lot better than me! People can be very jingoistic about their precious all-American cars. Damn japs, what do they know???


Well that's the weird thing here. We're on a message board that is devoted to the first SERIOUS attempt at an EV for the masses, and some people are judging it on its looks? Really? Of course it will look different! It is conciously DESIGNED to FUNCTION as intended! For the first time ever, GM is making a vehicle for the masses that has the capacity to greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and at the same time take a big chunk out of Carbon emissions provided we use nuclear, wind, solar etc. This is good no matter wether you are liberal or conservative. It's good for the economy. It's good for our children. It's good for the natural world. It's good for competition in manufacturing. In fact, I can't even think what it is bad for.

At any rate, do we really want to be remembered as the nation that chose the looks of our transportation device over getting to our destination with clean conscience? Will history give a ratts butt wether we had cars with a cool hoodline? Does anyone realize just how silly this notion truly is? Seriously, what kind of person would judge someone on their cars appearance anyway? Do they think this line of thinking leads to happiness? With everything at stake, I'm thoroughly stunned at the reaction of some people.

The Chevrolet Volt looks like a car that is intended to work within its own parameters. For that IMO it is naturally beutiful.

Again, spot on.

Electric cars won't excite oil producers or distributors, nor will they generate as much repair business (if they are designed well). My heart bleeds in advance.

I have to disagree with some of your points there.

People are talking like the Volt is the highest form of EV technology.

It is not. It is still using "gas".

This really doesn't have anything to do with "looks" of it.

They had the tech for the EV-1, which had longer legs, than the Volt.

Old Tech if you would.

You would think they would have something better now.

Now - the Tesla is expensive. Why? Because it's a startup company, with a smaller production ability than GM. Hence, the larger price. No mass production.

But they are making a car that is pure electric, uses no gas.

Now - imagine if GM, with it's vast production and resources, was put behind the Tesla? Costs would go down, and they would have a pure EV car, that is sexy.

Wouldn't that be better than the Volt?

Now - don't get me wrong, I want to be electric. I want the Volt to come out.

Yes, the final production look turned me off from "must have in 2010" to "I'm going to wait till it gets better MPC and perhaps a better look".

(I have asked Lyle to remove me from the sign up sheet, I was in the 14k range)

I have seen alot of bashing going back and forth here on the forums and on the blog posts.

Pro-posts are saying "GREEEN" and some even put out the dreaded "don't support the terrorists with gas!!".

Neg-posts are mostly on the looks. But they also talk about the cost (40k+), MPC, and that there are cars out there right now that will give you better independence from gas, let alone 2010.

If you can get a car that is pure EV, uses no gas, looks great (head turning), cost effective (25-35k), and handles great, wouldn't you buy that?

I know I would.

The Volt is indeed nice. But is not the defining moment for EV tech.

One big reason GM and the other manufactures are in trouble is perception. People BELIEVE Japanese cars are better, which may or may not be the case. There are numerous examples and evidence of this. Look what happens when US manufacturers resell rebranded Japanese manufactured cars, the Japanese version sells more and sell at a higher price. The same car!

10 years ago I lived in The Netherlands for several years and there Japanese cars were looked down upon as being too expensive, too "gadgetty", and too unreliable. The same cars that we in the US viewed as reasonably priced, well equipped and ultra reliable.

Oh yes, and if you were in a bar and asked generically for "a beer" you got the local cheap beer - Heineken. If you wanted an expensive high quality imported beer you asked for a Budweiser. True story.

One big reason GM and the other manufactures are in trouble is perception. People BELIEVE Japanese cars are better, which may or may not be the case. There are numerous examples and evidence of this. Look what happens when US manufacturers resell rebranded Japanese manufactured cars, the Japanese version sells more and sell at a higher price. The same car!

10 years ago I lived in The Netherlands for several years and there Japanese cars were looked down upon as being too expensive, too "gadgetty", and too unreliable. The same cars that we in the US viewed as reasonably priced, well equipped and ultra reliable.

Oh yes, and if you were in a bar and asked generically for "a beer" you got the local cheap beer - Heineken. If you wanted an expensive high quality imported beer you asked for a Budweiser. True story.

2 points about that: First (and most important!) is that the Budweiser you were getting in The Netherlands probably comes from Germany and is brewed under the Rheinheitsgebot... pure beer, no preservatives to spoil the taste.

Second, a big reason that Japanese cars are perceived as more expensive in Europe than they are here is that European countries levy a much more significant import tax on them. Oh, and they're competing against cars that are better-designed than many of the cars those same manufacturers (GM, Ford, VW) are selling here. With the exception of a few models that don't fit their US image, Mercedes, BMW and Audi are selling the same stuff here as there, just dropping the diesel and small-engine choices and the basic trim levels. VW has a number of models and whole brands they don't bring here (e.g. SEAT, Skoda) and GM and Ford have had almost completely different US vs. European model lines for decades. I'd take a Mondeo over a Camry if I had the choice, but if I had to choose between a Fusion and a Camry it would probably boil down to price since neither car is compelling.

Stone, the Tesla uses no gas, but it can't come close to doing what a VOLT will do. Leave tesla's office in Silicon Valley and drive to Los Angeles. It can't make it. It's comparing apples to Ostriches.

I have to disagree with some of your points there.

People are talking like the Volt is the highest form of EV technology.

It is not. It is still using "gas".

This really doesn't have anything to do with "looks" of it.

They had the tech for the EV-1, which had longer legs, than the Volt.

Old Tech if you would.

You would think they would have something better now.

Now - the Tesla is expensive. Why? Because it's a startup company, with a smaller production ability than GM. Hence, the larger price. No mass production.

But they are making a car that is pure electric, uses no gas.

Now - imagine if GM, with it's vast production and resources, was put behind the Tesla? Costs would go down, and they would have a pure EV car, that is sexy.

Wouldn't that be better than the Volt?

Now - don't get me wrong, I want to be electric. I want the Volt to come out.

Yes, the final production look turned me off from "must have in 2010" to "I'm going to wait till it gets better MPC and perhaps a better look".

(I have asked Lyle to remove me from the sign up sheet, I was in the 14k range)

I have seen alot of bashing going back and forth here on the forums and on the blog posts.

Pro-posts are saying "GREEEN" and some even put out the dreaded "don't support the terrorists with gas!!".

Neg-posts are mostly on the looks. But they also talk about the cost (40k+), MPC, and that there are cars out there right now that will give you better independence from gas, let alone 2010.

If you can get a car that is pure EV, uses no gas, looks great (head turning), cost effective (25-35k), and handles great, wouldn't you buy that?

I know I would.

The Volt is indeed nice. But is not the defining moment for EV tech.

Well there are a number of reasons why the Tesla is so expensive from an engineering standpoint beyond the fact they are a startup. There are also a ton of reasons why the EV1 was not practical for mass consumption as well. If you don't believe me, look up the EV1 for yourself. And don't just watch Who Killed The Electric Car. Temperature limitations, batteries, range, passenger limit, reliance on a point of charge, etc. The ICE in the Volt is just a range extender. Simply put, the Volt is easily the most viable solution when it comes to the average consumer. Until batteries are cheaper and lighter, a purely electric car with even a 200 mile range is out of the question for the majority of buyers. We will eventually get there, but the volt is the first VIABLE solution.

Honda and Toyota started a trend with hybrids. GM is pushing that trend much farther than either other company. This is GOOD for us. Convince them with your support for the project.

Well there are a number of reasons why the Tesla is so expensive from an engineering standpoint beyond the fact they are a startup. There are also a ton of reasons why the EV1 was not practical for mass consumption as well. If you don't believe me, look up the EV1 for yourself. And don't just watch Who Killed The Electric Car. Temperature limitations, batteries, range, passenger limit, reliance on a point of charge, etc. The ICE in the Volt is just a range extender. Simply put, the Volt is easily the most viable solution when it comes to the average consumer. Until batteries are cheaper and lighter, a purely electric car with even a 200 mile range is out of the question for the majority of buyers. We will eventually get there, but the volt is the first VIABLE solution.

Honda and Toyota started a trend with hybrids. GM is pushing that trend much farther than either other company. This is GOOD for us. Convince them with your support for the project.

I disagree it's a viable solution. The ugly production model Chevy Volt would only save someone money compared to a hybrid driver if a gallon of gas was $13.00. The Volt is simply overpriced. They should have stuck with a hybrid getting 40-50mpg at a $20K price tag.

I disagree it's a viable solution. The ugly production model Chevy Volt would only save someone money compared to a hybrid driver if a gallon of gas was $13.00. The Volt is simply overpriced. They should have stuck with a hybrid getting 40-50mpg at a $20K price tag.

Global warming and Opec say hello!