General Motors push to release Volt early hits snag
Drivers may not get hands on it until fall
BY TIM HIGGINS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre’s push to put the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car in customer hands prior to the November launch is running into hurdles, the Free Press has learned.
After adding CEO to his title in December, Whitacre quickly talked about the possibility of bringing the car out earlier than expected in a limited number.
But as executives hustled to implement the idea, they’ve run into challenges that are complicating that push, several people familiar with the situation said.
The idea has “a number of problems, and the car isn’t one of them,” one of those people said.
GM insiders are concerned that Volts sold before the official launch could require tweaks and changes that are routine as a vehicle prepares for an official rollout, but could be misunderstood if the car is released too early.
That could result in public relations problems for the post-bankruptcy company, which aims to use the Volt to bolster its image as a reinvigorated automaker that is environmentally friendly and technologically advanced.
Not wanting to chance it, some executives are now leaning against putting the Volt into the hands of consumers prior to the official launch. “There’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done between now and November, but the team remains on target to deliver,” said Rob Peterson, a GM spokesman.
