GM has finally unveiled details on the electric car they were alluding to throughout the last few weeks. After reading this article I can't help but think its the usual GM method to make announcements for products they never intend to bring to market. When the GM executive mentioned An Inconvenient Truth it seemed as if GM is trying to save face after the movie Who Killed the Electric Car. The concept has a range of about half of the first Generation EV1, GM said people didn't think 90-100 miles was enough, what makes them think people want 40-45 mile range?!
If there's a truly revolutionary car at this year's auto show, it could be the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. That's a really big "if," though.
The system in the Volt could allow most U.S. drivers to run their cars all year long without ever gassing up, but it avoids the drawbacks of limited cruising range and multiple-hour recharging times that limited the appeal of previous electric cars.
That promise is all contingent on GM and its suppliers developing batteries that are light, powerful and flexible enough to power the car. That's a bit like saying the car will fly as soon as somebody gives it wings, but GM engineers say they are optimistic the batteries will exist when they're ready to build the Volt.
Chevrolet won't say when that will be, but the sporty four-passenger coupe uses the underpinnings of GM's global compact car family, and the executives say it's on a normal development path, so the Volt could conceivably put a charge into GM's high-volume global brand in two or three years.
With the Chevrolet Volt unveiled this morning, General Motors introduced what it calls E-FLEX technology, a family engines that can use multiple sources of energy, including batteries, fuel cells and fuel to power an electrically-driven car.
"In short, E-FLEX creates options," said GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner.
To the tune of buzzes and zaps, Wagoner introduced the Volt.
Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of global product development, described the concept car and hinted at GM's reputation with environmentalists.
"Well here it is, the Chevrolet Volt an electrically driven car from General Motors. I am shocked, truly shocked. A GM electric vehicle is an inconvenient truth. The truth is we are moving forward with technology that will unite several sources of energy. And E-FLEX technology is the conduit that is going to make that happen," Lutz said.
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