2009 Detroit Auto Show: GM Electric Cars Press Conference

GM announced the latest news about the Chevy Volt, displayed other new models and debuted the new electric Cadillac CONVERJ. This is the complete and unabridged video of the press conference.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• GM
• General Motors
• Cadillac
• Volt
• electric
• hybrid
• environment

[hipofalcon]

Gawd I wish the wankers at GM - and anyone else who agrees with them, would stop calling the Volt an "Electric Car" - it is NOT an electric car!! It is a SERIAL HYBRID with plug-in capability. Any vehicle that relies on more than one fuel source is a hybrid - period. If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it's a duck - this is a hybrid people!

[TheAutoChannel]

@hipofalcon

You're not correct. The Volt only relies on electric for power. It merely has an on-board gasoline-powered generator to charge the batteries.

There may be many things to complain about regarding the Volt, but your point is not one.

[hipofalcon]

@TheAutoChannel - absolute rubbish! This is where companies like GM have misled the public about the electric vehicle. If you want to see an electric car, look at a Nissan Leaf or a Mitsubishi iMiEV - not a Volt hybrid. GM is again in bed with big oil. They are showing that you can twist the meaning of EV to bend people into buying yet another vehicle that depends on oil. Like the "diesel" locomotive, the final drive is electric, but you won't hear anyone calling them electric - wake up!

[TheAutoChannel]

@hipofalcon

Rubbish? The car runs on the batteries, not the gasoline motor that charges the batteries. A hybrid, by the industry's definition, is a vehicle that can be powered by multiple sources. The Volt is powered by just one source. It is irrelevant how the batteries get charged. If the railroad industry wants to have a different definition, that's up to them.

[bobilator1]

By the way u can buy electric cars atm. Yes they not from gm some small company have grow up and start to build realy damn good electric cars . All this small company going beter and beter , when gm keep buiding muscle cars and scv.

[aviatorman78]

This is funny 40 miles per charge GM need to call

Tesla motors. The electric cars revolution is over.

If I could afford a Tesla thats the only american car ill get. 40 MILES go to hell GM!!!!!!!

[Ou8y2k2]

The oil companies need to get weaker for the electric car to live. As the oil companies lobby more for oil as the supply decreases, and people continue to generate their own electricity, they will get weaker. Make no mistake, the Volt is a hybrid similar to the prius. The Leaf, i-MIEV, Tesla Roadster, Audi E-tron, Eliica, etc. are ELECTRIC vehicles. GM will sell all-electric cars, but it will take years for them to do so.

[hipofalcon]

@TheAutoChannel - “The Volt is a series hybrid EV that is propelled by a 120-kilowatt (160-horsepower) electric motor. Drawing on energy stored in its 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, the Volt has an all-electric range of about 40 miles. If the battery is depleted, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder generator kicks in to supply electricity to the traction motor.” - this is a direct quote from Andrew Farah, the chief engineer on the Volt project - I guess you had better tell him he's wrong too.

[hipofalcon]

@TheAutoChannel - that's where your lack of information really shows! Take a good look at how the Volt operates. I live in a northern climate. This car has a computer on-board that does things like automatically start the engine (even with a full pack) if the pack is cold. It also does it if the voltage "sag" becomes too great or the overall pack voltage too low. In some cases you can drive it full electric, but not in most. Ask anyone who is buying an electric car if they want to put petrol in.

[D6Film]

haha, Ironically funny - GM - the heroes of "Who killed electric car" (movie) - now speaking bull###t about electric cars. you've missed your chance. Better when other small companies will do it right, like Tesla Motors, or even Mitsubishi. EV rules! It was possible already 100 years ago! - but some suckers blocked & destroyed it for century, b.o. GM oil tie guys. Better would be if GM would go bankrupt - would be more place for people/firms who care. Don't play innovative now.People remember.

[PirateMcSandwich]

they need to change their name or something. "GM" just has a bad feel after all the bad press.

[eal1011]

Is time for America to go for Electric. OIL will run out and too much money. I drive less, Spend less because I cant afford gas anymore. I am making less money, with Electric car I can use solar power and get car charged for free and spend money on other stuff, Good for the economy. Oil companies are too greedy. that has to change.