Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Videos, Chevrolet, GM
VIDEO: 2011 Chevy Volt being driven!
Click above to view video after the jump
GM celebrated its 100th anniversary by unleashing the production 2011 Chevy Volt to the world. It was a great way to show that the General is working hard on innovative transportation to kick off its next 100 years, but we're still two years and a month away from being able to actually buy a Volt. Until that time, we're forced to gather intelligence as it becomes available without being able to get behind the wheel.
Thanks to the Volt-o-files over at GM-Volt.com, we now know what the Volt looks like when it's traveling on the open road. The video after the jump shows the Volt strolling around GM's closed course proving grounds in Milford, Michigan. The two-minute clip reveals very little of the Volt's capabilities because it's chugging along at a leisurely pace, and the Coldplay soundtrack hides the Volt's audio, which should be limited to rolling tires and an electric motor. You do, however, get to see the Volt on the road, as well as some functional views of the Volt's interior. Hey, we'll take what we can get.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Live Reveal
[Source: Autoblog Green]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
adam 10:14AM (9/22/2008)
Hello last week
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Lam Nguyen 10:15AM (9/22/2008)
Success! My time machine works!
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Stumpy 10:19AM (9/22/2008)
Instead of "Ad Block" we need "Volt Block".
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DKB_SATX 12:02PM (9/22/2008)
An intelligent person who didn't want to read about something posted on the web wouldn't click the link.
Tim 10:30AM (9/22/2008)
Notice how there is no sound. An electric car should have a whirl of the electronic motor. Why drown out the entire sound track of the engine???? Question that begs an answer. I would love to seem them let the press drive this car
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Egon 11:09AM (9/22/2008)
No sound? Acutally, my GM inside sources that are deep, deep, deep undercover confirm that the Volt will in fact blare out Coldplay much like a Mister Softee truck every time you take it out for a spin.
Holden 8:54PM (9/22/2008)
HAHA love the song choice
bduddy 11:23AM (10/01/2008)
Because if they played only the engine sound, far too many people would say something like "Fake, the noise is way too quiet"...
Torrent 10:32AM (9/22/2008)
My god that thing is slow. I could run faster than that.
It's good to see it in action, though.
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John P. 10:44AM (9/22/2008)
Two years until it's available is a long time. Didn't the Mayans and Al Gore say earth was gonna be pretty much over by then? kidding.
Still. 2 Years.
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Ryan 10:44AM (9/22/2008)
First it was the Men's Warehouse photoshoot, and now this. Watching GM's attempt at marketing the Volt is like watching your baby boomer neighbor try to be relevant with the younger crowd by adopting slang that he doesn't quite understand. Painful.
I hope the Volt does well, as I think it gives GM a real shot at redefining itself with new consumers, but with a release date so far away, they can't afford to screw up the early marketing of the car. Unfortunately, the marketing people in charge of the Volt seem a bit out of touch with demographic that will be buying a $30-40K car.
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CarbonBlack 10:57AM (9/22/2008)
Coldplay killed the video for me! I just wanted toi see and hear the car.....Nothing else!
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Josiah 11:19AM (9/22/2008)
Agreed, whiny-soft-rock-easy-listening Coldplay is over (was 2 years ago)
Did anyone notice that red button on the dash "filling up" ? Or was that a crappy camera artifact?
WillDaThrill 10:57AM (9/22/2008)
Wow.............that was about as exciting as me taking my car out on a drive with some adult contemporary top 40 song playing in the background.
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TriShield 10:59AM (9/22/2008)
People often put these GM media videos to music because they have no sound otherwise. Look on Youtube for the Pontiac G8's which has Metallica playing, quite appropriate.
As for the Volt I think the production car looks damn good. Better than the concept really. It's going to be a long wait for those who want it but probably worth it, much like the Camaro.
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MajorGeek 11:14AM (9/22/2008)
LOL, its a Hybrid kiddies, expect it to be as exciting as a Prius. It aint doing burnouts, no 0-60 time of under 5 seconds and so on. Best you can hope for is a decent looking car that delivers the technology it promises.
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Ryan 11:45AM (9/22/2008)
No one expects it to exciting, but normally you want to create interest in your new product. The point is that the video does nothing to increase the public's interest in the Volt. I don't think anyone expects the Volt to do burnouts, but the video clip that was released (and the awful choice of the downer Coldplay soundtrack) really could not have been more anti-climactic. There is such a thing as overexposure, and it's detrimental when it makes the car look so ordinary -- especially when GM is trying to market the car as a game changer.
why not the LS2LS7? 11:48AM (9/22/2008)
You're simultaneously criticizing them for their marketing not generating interest in the public and also saying they shouldn't be advertising.
Until the vehicle is actually available for sales, the marketing will be generally low-key. No need to raise the excitement level to a peak before you can turn that interest into sales.
Ryan 11:59AM (9/22/2008)
"You're simultaneously criticizing them for their marketing not generating interest in the public and also saying they shouldn't be advertising."
You should read my comment again. There's nothing wrong with generating interest, as long as it's the right kind of interest. This video is not the right kind because it's (1) incredibly pedestrian, (2) has a soundtrack that makes you want to reach for your Prozac, and (3) what is it trying to do again?
Like I said, I think the Volt could be GM's foot into the door leading to new consumers that would not have previously considered buying a Chevy before. However, the marketing of the car so far has been less than inspiring. If you don't think GM is capable of making misteps, just look at the kind of panning it took from the photoshoot pictures they released.
Moral of the story? Don't ruin all the media goodwill that the Volt currently has by overexposing it with mundane videos like this.
MajorGeek 11:15AM (9/22/2008)
Not to be a dick, but shouldnt you be able to buy the Camaro before you say it was worth the wait? :)
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