Whatta Re-Voltin' Development: Chevy Volt Images 'Leaked?'
September 09, 2008
By Bill Visnic
DETROIT - Media manipulation or "human error?" Only General Motors Corp.'s public-relations office knows for sure.
Either way, images of the production version of the Chevrolet Volt "extended-range" hybrid-electric vehicle - possibly the most heavily hyped, highly anticipated vehicle in GM's history - made it to the Web Monday in what GM reputedly attributed to an accident. Until now, the Volt - which remains under a pressurized development schedule and is not slated to reach showrooms for more than two full years - had not been fully seen in final production form.
GM earlier this year released teaser detail images, and at an industry conference last month
raised the Volt's skirts slightly more, showing a larger cut of the front headlight area and rear decklid. And Web sites buzzed further when images from the Transformers 2
movie sequel seemed to show a full-fledged Volt, albeit a fuzzy representation GM quickly denied.
So industry watchers now are not particularly surprised the full-bodied images of the production Volt "leaked" Monday. And while some skeptics insist it's nothing more than skillful PR skullduggery (although deliberately leaking the photos seems slightly counterproductive, given GM's plans to reveal Volt's full production sheetmetal next week during a celebration of the company's centennial), there may be a more sophisticated tactic at play: GM, along with Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, currently are lobbying Congress for a $50-billion, low-interest loan package to enable them to develop new-age propulsion technologies and retool their manufacturing empires for a new generation of more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Chevy Volt literally is the poster child for the less gasoline-intensive vehicles such loans ostensibly would enable. Showing the world - most effectively, perhaps, via the viral powerplant of the Internet - that GM already is diligently working on such breakthrough technology might be more powerful new-age mojo than next week's orchestrated and old-school self-congratulatory corporate carnival.
GM last week also unveiled a new Web site, GMFactsandFiction.com, a more blunt instrument seemingly developed to ward off assertions the $50-billion loan is yet another taxpayer-funded "bailout" of an ill-managed industry.
"We are not asking for a bailout, or a handout," says the first line of the GMFactsandFiction site.
"GM is already investing billions in energy saving technologies, which help drivers use less fuel and reduce our dependence on petroleum. We are making our mainstream vehicles more efficient, expanding availability of hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles, and preparing to build the Chevy Volt," it continues.
So maybe Monday's Web appearance of the production Volt was inadvertent and unplanned. But considering the stakes in Detroit these days, we wouldn't bet $50 billion on it.
Photos by GM
1 - The first-ever look at the final production sheetmetal for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle.
2 - Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the E-Flex Drive and the Chevy Volt, showing off the Volt's rear styling.
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 4:32 AM under Commentary , Featured , GM , In the Media , Technology | Comments (2) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
It looks a lot more like a Malibu than in earlier photos. Is Frank Weber really short or is the Volt bigger than a Hummer H1? The decklid is eyeball high fercrineoutloud.
Posted by: fulcrumb | September 09, 2008 at 9:52 PM
The car looks great; it should have a fairly decent drag coefficient, given the high rear end. The prototype was not realistic; it would have had terrible drag. The nose wasn't smooth enough. Let's hope they can get it into production asap.
Posted by: bubusdad | September 10, 2008 at 6:44 AM