New York Times looks at the Volt and GM's centennial

Few companies manage to stay in business for 100 years, but for the second time this decade (Ford reached the milestone in 2003) an American-based automaker has hit that threshold. Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of General Motors with a celebration at its world headquarters in Detroit. Automobile Magazine's Don Sherman takes a look at GM and it's chances for future success with electrified vehicles in the New York Times. With a price tag that has crept upward by 30 percent from the original target, and styling that departs significantly from the highly-regarded 2007 concept, the chances for success of the Volt are being increasingly questioned. The need for aerodynamic efficiency has left many feeling that the sporty vision we saw last year has morphed into another Prius clone. Sherman quotes several industry observers who doubt that lithium batteries will be able to meet the vehicle lifespan requirements that are needed and they may well turn out to be right. At this point it's simply too early to tell. GM is conducting accelerated durability testing, but until they have years of use in the real world, we simply won't know if the models are accurate enough. Meanwhile, stick with us on Tuesday morning when we bring you live coverage of the official reveal of the Volt production design from Detroit.

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