On Woodward in downtown Birmingham.



Who says they are not serious about this car?

 

While that's cool, I don't understand why they're advertising the crap out of this thing and it won't go on sale for another couple years...

 

2010 will be here in 2 and a half years.

Not too long at all.

 

I think that is awesome! This shows the public that GM is serious about this hybrid technology! I see nothing but positive from this!

 

Very cool.

 

Oh. Hell. Yes.

Go GM!!!!

 

I figured there'd be a picture of the actual car rolling down Woodward.

 

'Cause it's sure unlike GM to hype the crap out of something that won't go on sale for many years ...

The sad thing is it's going make GM look a tad foolish if (when?) Toyota comes out with their plug-in series hybrid first.

 

I saw billboard ads for the Cadillac Evoq in Montreal about 2 years before the XLR came out.

 

Gm is a head of toyota on the plug-in series hybrid bit.

 

Perhaps, but I wouldn't be so sure. Toyota is clearly ahead on general hybrid technologies such as regen braking, controller software, and just plain experience. They've witnessed the very active underground modifying their Priuses to be plug-in and I'm sure the possibility has not been lost on them. 2.5 years is a heckuva long time to think that the market leader and main innovator won't be able to come up with something to get there first.

 

Toyota has recently delayed their plug-in hybrid Prius plans.

 

What? GM has had regen-breaking since the EV1 back in 1996. Which was in development in the 80s. It is in use now on thier hybrid buses. It in use on its hybrid SUVs. Who's controller software is everybit as advance as Toyotas.


The Volt is scheduled to begin testing in the about 2 months. Toyota has said that it's plug-in Prius is not 'fit' for commercialization due to battery pack issues. 2.5 years is not a lot of time in the auto world to get a car from concept to show rooms.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/09/auto...ce=yahoo_quote

Im not saying toyota wont field a plug-in. And if/when they do it might preform better than the Volt. But I really dont think they will be able to get one in the show rooms before GM. Unless GM fumbles the ball...

 

The length of time a company's been doing something doesn't necessarily mean they do it better. Chrysler is much older than Toyota; does that mean their cars are better?

Technology has come a long way since the EV1, and Toyota has been far more involved than GM in that technology in recent years. One only has to look at GM's current offerings versus Toyota's. The Silverado and Saturn hybrids are much less sophisticated than Toyota's, and most people who've driven both will agree that Toyota is ahead in the game at this point.

I'm not saying GM can't do it. They do have a wealth of developmental experience in fuel cells, which in some ways are closer to a series hybrid than a parallel hybrid is. I just think it will be hard for them to overcome Toyota's real world head start.

 

According to J.D. Power lately, the japs fell, the domestics gained.

I'd say Chrysler LLC are doing somethings better than Toyota.