Lutz denies reports of early release for Chevy Volt, development going as planned

The Chevrolet Volt hit a milestone last week as the first vehicle rolled down the assembly line. With the vehicle launch scheduled for November, rumors of an early release circulated, but were consistently swatted down. The rumors started because General Motors intends to build several hundred Volts prior to the launch date and some thought that these vehicles could eventually go to selected buyers.

GM vice chairman Bob Lutz was asked about an early Volt release, and he reaffirmed that the company has no plans to jump a bit quicker through the engineering and development stages to set the stage for an early release. Lutz, speaking during an interview at the New York Auto Show, was asked about the timeline slipping in the other direction, if there might be a delay in production. He replied:

This is eight months before production launch. It shows that the program is in extremely good shape. There's never been any problem. There's never been threat of cancellation. There's never been any threat of delay.

Lutz added that an early release would be nothing more than a publicity act and GM has no reason to attract more attention to one of the most widely publicized and recognized vehicles of the year. Oh well, it looks like everyone will have to wait until November after all.

[Source: Detroit News]