(AOL Autos) -- Robert Lutz, vice-chairman of General Motors, caused a stir in the auto industry -- and in the automotive press -- when he announced in January of 2007 that the Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car would be ready for mass production and on the road, by the end of 2010.
Because he was making this pronouncement at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, -- in conjunction with the unveiling of the Volt concept car -- skeptics thought that Lutz's statement was a bit too optimistic.
Some thought it might be one of those that falls into the category of "speaking more from hope than experience," and that it was more a rallying cry for the troops than an attainable reality.
After all, at the time, reliable long-term and cost effective lithium-ion batteries required to power a plug-in electric cars seemed to be years away. But now, almost two years later, GM still seems confident that the 2010 launch date will be met.
And that belief is shared by many who work for some of the auto-biz research institutes/industry associations.
Seed Newsvine
No comments:
Post a Comment