Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet, GM
GM: Production Chevy Volt will be unveiled this month
Click above to view gallery of the production Chevy Volt
Excitement around the production version of the Chevy Volt is reaching a fever pitch. Last week we brought you spy video and images of what appeared to be a production Volt on the set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and while General Motors has since revealed that what we saw was not necessarily the series hybrid's final form (and that it was actually a rebodied, gas-powered Malibu), it nonetheless proved that the Volt's design is nearing the end of its gestation. Today GM revealed to Automotive News that the production Volt will, in fact, be unveiled this month as part of the automaker's 100-year anniversary celebration. The main events for the celebration are Monday, Sept. 15th and Tuesday, Sept. 16th, so we expect the car to be unveiled on one of those two days.
Ford Motor Company celebrated its centennial in 2003 and used the occasion to debut an equally exciting yet very different vehicle: the Ford GT. Fast forward five years and the hottest vehicle on everyone's mind is not a supercar, but a series hybrid. Times have certainly changed.
Gallery: Production Chevy Volt
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Torrent 2:34PM (9/04/2008)
Nice. Can't wait to see it. Based on the spy shots, it will look pretty good.
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KeatMP 2:40PM (9/04/2008)
+1 I can't wait.
CarbonBlack 7:59PM (9/04/2008)
Never thought I would say this about a "Green car"..... I am losing sleep and cant wait. (somewhat ashamed:-)
mike g 1:12AM (9/05/2008)
Meh. Looks great, but won't be available for another 5 years, the way GM operates.
2004m3driver 2:38PM (9/04/2008)
Honestly, I am more excited about Honda's CRZ concept. This fevered pitch thing you guys are talking about kinda died out when the Volt slowly unveiled its true colors. Concept looks nothing like the teaser photos. For 30k plus it better be getting 100mpg.
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Injected 2:45PM (9/04/2008)
Wow! You must have Automotive ADD (AADD?).
Serge 2:46PM (9/04/2008)
I don't understand why someone would actually choose to drive a Toyota knock-off instead of a what appears to be a very cool looking revolutionary vehicle... It would seem you have enough money to buy something that is a engineering masterpiece instead of a cheap imitaion, you do drive that M3 right??? (GT3 on PS2 doesn't count)
TJ 2:49PM (9/04/2008)
Lets see if I understand you:
You were a fan of the CONCEPT, but not the 'watered down' production version that is more aerodynamic and, thus, more efficient than the concept would have been..... so you are switching your fanfare over to another concept that will also be diluted for production.
Gotcha. Have fun with that.
2004m3driver 3:07PM (9/04/2008)
OK the VOLT is beyond watered down from the concept. Unless the teaser photos are wrong. And just because I have the money to buy the Volt why would I? That's a logical fallacy. Just because I have money doesn't mean I will spend it on something that has no value. This market is for someone who wants to save money. So it would be kind of silly to spend over ten grand on something that looks like a bit better than the competition but performs similar. No one knows yet, but all I know is that it will cost more than the rest without looking as stunning as the concept.
We don't know how diluted Honda's concept would be, but its typically pretty close. My main interest in it is it's suppose emphasis on being a sports car.
got it?
Stanton 3:55PM (9/04/2008)
"For 30k plus it better be getting 100mpg"
If you drive fewer than 40 miles per day, the Volt will deliver infinite miles per gallon.
(Miles per kWh is another story)
John 2:47PM (9/04/2008)
The production version looks a lot better than the concept.
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ugg.tryptophan 6:14PM (9/04/2008)
the concept looked too chunky and faux-edgy, the producton model (by what i've seen) has more subtle details
Red 2:50PM (9/04/2008)
And yet, the car won't even go into production for two years. Domestic manufacturers, particularly GM, have a nasty little habit of showing their product years in advance to the point it's either stale by the time it comes out, or it's getting there. I suppose though, with all of the hooplah surrounding the Transformers set and the CNBC and Today show reveals, they've got to do something.
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Jeff 2:54PM (9/04/2008)
One must remember that most consumers do not read autoblog on a daily basis. It's only stale to those who read the blogs and auto websies frequently. For most people, the first time they see one will be when they pull up next to it at a stoplight or when they are in the showroom.
NickDG 2:59PM (9/04/2008)
Can't wait to see it. My next car will probably be one of these bad boys.
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elindiano 3:08PM (9/04/2008)
quick lets put out a press release, honda just releases shots of the new insight so we need to say something fast!
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ChrisH 3:19PM (9/04/2008)
The Volt will have to be damn spectacular in the everyday mileage department to stand a chance. With 40 to 50 mpg hybrids coming in under 20k (see Honda) this moves the mark just that much further.
Honestly, unless I see mileage figures in the 70s to 80s even during long highway family trips I don't see any reason to spend 30 to 40k
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Stephen Lang 4:05PM (9/04/2008)
It's a series hybrid, very different from the Prius and Insight. So it's not a straight MPG comparison.
It will get infinite gas mileage for the first 40 miles per day, then I think around 40-50 MPG after it starts using gas.
The main benefit is to completely eliminate gasoline for your daily driving needs, but also provide a gasoline engine for longer trips.
Whether that is worth the extra cost depends on your driving habits/needs.
Dave 7:16PM (9/04/2008)
"Whether that is worth the extra cost depends on your driving habits/needs."
Best case:
If you can buy a 45 mpg hybrid for $20k and a Volt for $30k, that leaves you with $10,000 to buy gas.
At $4 per gallon and 45 mpg, that is 112,500 miles worth of gas.
In addition, with the Volt, you will pay finance charges, property tax, and insurance on a $30k car instead of a $20k car and you will have to buy electricity for it.
Unless there is a large spike in the price of gasoline, the Volt cannot be cost justified, even if it is used as an EV only.
DesiAuto 3:24PM (9/04/2008)
is there a market for very expensive hybrid car?
what sells now is:
toyota corolla
toyota prius
ford focus
honda civic
who will buy volt?
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