DETROIT — General Motors said it will invest $336 million to convert a portion of its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, beginning in late 2010.
The Volt, a plug-in hybrid that uses a 149-horsepower electric motor, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a lithium-ion battery pack, was first introduced as a concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show.
GM said it is investing $700 million in Michigan to build the Volt and its various components, including engines and stampings in Flint and a battery manufacturing facility in Brownstown Township.
The company says it will begin building pre-production prototypes of the Volt next spring at the Detroit-Hamtramck factory, which opened in 1985 as a highly automated Cadillac assembly plant.
Inside Line says: By the time the Volt finally reaches Chevrolet dealerships in late 2010, nearly four years after GM first displayed the concept, the automotive world may be turning away from hybrids and shifting its focus to pure battery-electric vehicles. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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commutercar1 says:
04:00 PM, 12/08/2009
I like to add that when I went to the LA auto show. The announcer working at the GM booth presenting the volt clearly stated the volt as a zero emissions vehicle. I couldn't help but to laugh. Its got a 1.4 l gasoline engine! Are they kidding? I just don't get this car. You get up to 40 miles. Most americans have lead feet and probably get less miles and then a gasoline engine kicks in to keep it going. Why not just have the gasoline engine run the car like a hydrid? Its seems like a more costly venture to turn full circle and end up accomplishing the same outcome.
I can't see this car being less than 26 grand they better sell it right now before something else better comes out.
firstclass says:
08:37 PM, 12/07/2009
well said. I'm starting to believe the comments left by inside lines fans,and that is that Paul Lienert (Journalist of this) has a secret biases against domestic car. What manufactures are these because I wouldn't count Fisker and Tesla as mass market electric vehicles. Name a company that can do it better at the volts price and without being the size of a Smart car? Hondas Insight is a bad Toyota Prius. I haven't heard of them seriously working on purely electric at all.
jray4 says:
02:26 PM, 12/07/2009
From you statement "pure battery-electric vehicles," I don't know if you mean the Volt will be excluded or not. GM does not consider the Volt as a hybrid but many people do. What I call a pure hybrid does not have a range extender like the Volt. If you are insinuating the Volt will be excluded, I think you are dead wrong. Many many people will have "range anxiety" and will not buy what I call a pure electric.