Neurologist-turned-electric-car-expert Lyle Dennis had a private audience with Jon Lauckner, Bob Lutz' lackey "first deputy." Dr. Dennis inquired about the "expected timing, location, and cadence of ramp-up for initial Chevy Volt production." The good doctor wondered if GM is going to roll out the production Volt with "with a small fleet … or… release it like you did the new non-hybrid Malibu?" Lauckner replied that GM's going to introduce the electric – gas hybrid gradually. "Selected people" [read: GM employees] will drive pre-production versions before GM gradually brings the Volt to a Chevy showroom near… someone. Lauckner didn't mention the effect of this plan on the Volt's production date. And his comment represents an about face from previous statements about the Volt's debut: "It makes no sense if you're ramping up production to have people frustrated because the car is in theory able to be sold in every area but they cant get their hands on one because the amount of volume is relatively small." Such as… the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Enclave launches? [thanks to KixStart for the link]
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
That isn’t a “production” car if only employees drive it. That’s a test vehicle.
Period.
Bluntly,
Bunter
I’d buy one and garage it because the Barrett Jackson auction for it will bring big bucks 20 years from now.
Will the employees be getting hybrid drivetrains, or is this a “fit/finish” (read: false-marketing on-the-streets) road-test?
Bunter
Like they said, they are “pre production versions” Beta tests, Actually, I think this is normal procedure. It certainly is in other industries. Real world testing of production built (or close to it) product before production release. It is the right thing to do. Especially with a new technology.
I agree, but I’m just not seeing the “new technology” part. Save from the Tahoe, whose hybrid system is pretty Truck-oriented, GM’s closest thing to a hybrid is that instant start-stop crap (the supersized car starter that they call a “Hybrid”).
Gee, why wasn’t it news when the captured test fleet for the Uplander was deployed?
Please don’t answer that.
This is just smart business, and I think it’s completely unfair to criticize GM over it!
GM doesn’t have to pay out as much to the families of electricution victims if they were employees, rather than lawsuit-happy customers.
Considering its track record for quality, GM is just being prudent here, people.
Juniper-Good point. I was in a hurry.
What I suspect they would do is deliver a few in “pre-producs” in late 2010 and claim they met their goals.
Take care,
Bunter
The caption on the photo eludes to the fact that the definitive production version will not look like the one in the photo. This is good because that one in the photo must be one of the most hideous designs to ever come out of a car company design studio, ever! It is even worse than the Aztec in that the Aztec is an SUV which by nature are ugly anyway (by design!) Anyway I have never seen any SUV/CUV/PU which was other than..ugly! This volt is supposed to be a car. It looks like the product of an unholy union between a WW2 aircraft carrier and the Alien from the movie of the same name. Even if it was all GM claims it is and more, even if it brought peace to the Middle-east, even if it finally eradicated world hunger, aids, malaria and all forms of cancer I would not want to be seen even close to one much less own and drive one. For the love of all that is good GM, don't let this abortion out on the public roads!
I think that the Volt’s present design is true to purpose; an electric-driven platform to proudly parade the oversize Chevy idento-grille around town. The GM employee/drivers (who will voluntarily submit to surgery to have all of their cervical vertebrae removed) will happily make such a sacrifice to bring GM firmly into the late 20th century.
Maybe that was a bit too “snarky” ;-)
The term is “pilot production”. Virtually every mass produced automobile and truck has a short “pilot” production run to make sure the assembly plant works and the cars come out ok. The cars are assembled just like any other production cars, but the line moves very slowly. This allows them to check production methods and fine tune them before the line is ramped up to production speed.
I don’t know about the other mfgs, but for as long as I can recall, the Detroit companies have put pilot production and early production vehicles in the hands of employees for a combination of real world testing and viral marketing.
Anyway I have never seen any SUV/CUV/PU which was other than..ugly!
Then you’ve never seen a Range Rover or the original Jeep Cherokee. The GMT400 platform C/K pickups and SUVs from Chevy/GMC in the late 1980s and 1990s was also a very clean design. The “forward control” Jeep pickup, the FC-170, was also an interesting design.
Oh, and I believe you meant “alludes”.