GM tries to unplug Volt hype

General Motors Corp. seized the world’s attention in January when it unveiled plans to build the Chevy Volt — a plug-in hybrid car touted not so much as a mode of transportation but as part of a solution to the nation’s energy crisis.

The Volt grabbed headlines, lit up online chat boards and dominated the buzz at the auto show in Detroit.

There’s just one problem: : The Volt may never get built.


Production depends on advances in battery technology that could be years away. The uncertainty led to intense debate within GM over whether it was wise to show the Volt in Detroit. And now that the world’s waiting for GM to deliver what could be the biggest environmental breakthrough so far this century, company officials are actively trying to temper expectations.

The enormity of GM’s challenge was evident last week when it called journalists to a backgrounder to explain the technological hurdles facing the Volt project — and reiterate that it can’t guarantee the futuristic car will ever hit the road.

The Detroit News