http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2...7/gm-volt.html

General Motors Corp. chair and CEO Rick Wagoner unveiled the automaker's long-awaited electric car on Tuesday, and said the turmoil in U.S. financial markets should not affect government loan guarantees that would help the auto industry develop high-tech vehicles.

 

So they "unveiled" the production version of the car, but it won't be available to buy for over 2 years?

 

Even once its "available" they will only be making 10,000 cars in the first year and the cars will be priced between $30k and $40k. In other words, it won't really be coming out in 2 years because we wont be able to get one at a reasonable price. I believe I heard they don't expect them to be widely available until 2015.

This car may have zero emissions, but it is still vapor.

 

if the production version is ready now, what are we missing here? A reliable supplier? An assembly line? What is the bottleneck? Perhaps it's not really a production unit but rather an advanced beta-test version.

 

Progression of events is typically

Concept --> Design alternatives --> Production intent version --> Production

That's over-simplifying big time, but that's pretty much how the auto industry brings product to market. Especially new product that does not have a pre-existing manufacturing base. The time between now and November 2010 is spent getting the manufacturing systems for the powertrain and the vehicle up and running at top quality. That includes the ordering, manufacture, and delivery of the machines and presses that will fabricate all the body panels, cut the gears, etc, as well as the actual assembly system. The assumption is that the design is now locked so that manufacturing has a stable target to aim for in executing the production facility and processes. Changes, if any, will be restricted to response to things that surface during validation testing.

Peace,

Martin

 

I have not heard anywhere that the production will be limited to 10k in the first year? not sure if thats the case.
Car looks good and not sure why the hate around here comes from, its the next step I think. A car the is primarily electric, sounds good to me even at $30-40k.

Martin, you going to change your avatar to the new look for it? I saw the interview with Bob Lutz where he says the drag was way too much on the previous design. Oh well still looks good.

http://jalopnik.com/5050715/bob-lutz...ins-chevy-volt

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/Autos...53705720080918

"But GM said on Tuesday that it will only produce 10,000 Volts in its first year of production, eventually increasing that to about 60,000."

Here you are Test, now you have heard it and you can be sure its true.

 

thanks jc, even at that its good news. 10k is not bad for a new line they don;t want to over extend and have quality issues.
Between the volt and the cruze things might be looking up at GM.