Who stole the electric car — redux? GM Volt in ’07 and in ’09

GM's Volt, 2007 vs. 2009

When General Motors unveiled its electric hybrid Chevy Volt an economic epoch ago — at the 2007 North American International Auto Show, what it gave us (PDF 219k) seemed almost too good to be true. GM appeared to “get it” when it came to the new environmental consciousness sweeping popular culture. For the first time, a major auto company acknowledged the eventual demise of the internal combustion engine. What it gave us was something of a transitory nature, but it was a start.

Remember, GM has been bashed bashed in an indie movie popular that summer, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” about GM’s ill-fated EV-1. When the Volt was unveiled, Bob Lutz told a group of gathering reporters, oohing and ahhing over the sleek-looking vehicle, “In the old days, we were sort of against electric vehicles because we knew the battery technology wasn’t adequate. And we knew we were going to create dissatisfaction and we knew they would be a tough sell. And guess what, they were — other than (with) a hearty band of people who were extremely enthusiastic about electric vehicles.”

And not only that, the thing was actually going to be made out of recycled water bottles. Yes, no kidding. Bob Lutz gripped and grinned with GE Plastics chief Greg Adams as GE folks announced that there were 400 post-consumer water bottles making up parts of the car. A few months later, GE Plastics was sold to a Saudi Arabian conglomerate, and where that project stands, I do not know. What I do know is that the Volt on the floor in the 2009 Auto Show looks, well, doesn’t look quite as sleek. It looks like quite an ordinary car. Part of a slippery slope we noted before.

So, I guess what I’d like to know is, “Who Stole GM’s Original Volt?”

GM's Volt, circa 2007 (photo: Howard Lovy)

The Volt as it originally appeared when it debuted in 2007.

GM's Volt, circa 2009 (photo: Howard Lovy)

The Volt as it appeared today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich.

Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 20 years, and has focused on science, technology and business for most of this decade. His reporting on automotive innovation and nanotechnology has earned praise for making complex issues understandable to nearly everyone. He has worked, among other places, for The Detroit News, ClickOnDetroit.com and helped found Small Times, an Ann Arbor magazine focusing on nanotechnology and microsystems. His freelance work has
appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Wired News and Salon.com.