Most of this week's news stories on the new Chevy Volt reference last year's sleeper hit movie "Who Killed The Electric Car?" That movie, of course, took GM to task for building a great, zero-emission car, the EV1, leasing them, then canceling the programs and taking almost all of the EV1s out to the desert and crushing them. GM's Dave Barthmuss answered questions from AutoblogGreen about that decision, and you can read what he had to say here.
I wanted to get hear what Chris Paine, the director of "Who Killed The Electric Car?" thought of the Volt and GM's plugged-in news this week. This is what he told me:
Sebastian - We came to Detroit for the unveiling and the Volt looks great. It's a beautiful design and the result of what looks like earnest and incredible hustle at GM over the last 12 months. I was impressed. The proof, of course, will be when the car is sitting in your or my driveway, but in the meantime you can be sure that all of our pressure as consumers and citizens has made a difference.
GM has listened and made some good decisions to return to the EV table in earnest. I do not agree with their press faulting the EV1 nor do I believe that everything must wait for the perfect lithium battery; but by the same token I don't feel that this is just a PR play at GM. We talked to senior executives and many employees who looked us in the eye and spoke from their hearts. One executive said "the public won't forgive GM twice" which is a revealing and accurate comment.
From what I can see, GM is doing the right thing and I'm supporting them as long as they keep making good decisions and moving plug-in cars into production reality. It's a week we can all be proud of.
CHRIS
[Source: Chris Paine]
I wanted to get hear what Chris Paine, the director of "Who Killed The Electric Car?" thought of the Volt and GM's plugged-in news this week. This is what he told me:
Sebastian - We came to Detroit for the unveiling and the Volt looks great. It's a beautiful design and the result of what looks like earnest and incredible hustle at GM over the last 12 months. I was impressed. The proof, of course, will be when the car is sitting in your or my driveway, but in the meantime you can be sure that all of our pressure as consumers and citizens has made a difference.
GM has listened and made some good decisions to return to the EV table in earnest. I do not agree with their press faulting the EV1 nor do I believe that everything must wait for the perfect lithium battery; but by the same token I don't feel that this is just a PR play at GM. We talked to senior executives and many employees who looked us in the eye and spoke from their hearts. One executive said "the public won't forgive GM twice" which is a revealing and accurate comment.
From what I can see, GM is doing the right thing and I'm supporting them as long as they keep making good decisions and moving plug-in cars into production reality. It's a week we can all be proud of.
CHRIS
[Source: Chris Paine]
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