http://zerocars.blogspot.comGM executives said Wednesday that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is on schedule for a November 2010 debut, and that it is expanding the electric car's program despite announcements of other drastic cost-cutting efforts.
GM said its team of engineers working on advanced hybrid technology and electric vehicles continues to expand as the automaker hires a small number of people at a time. GM has plans to eliminate almost 50,000 people globally this year to counteract its massive cash hemorrhaging due to the economic recession."We will need to make a small number of critical hires when needed," GM spokesman Brian Corbett said. "Technology like this is critical to the long-term viability of General Motors."The automaker also revealed that it is hard at work on the second- and third-generation technologies as well, with the goals of cost-efficiency and price reduction becoming most important."Our primary focus on generations two and three is one of cost," said Bob Kruse, GM executive director of global vehicle engineering. "We understand the business proposition and we understand what it takes. But we also know to allow this to take off and be more regularized that cost is absolutely key."The upcoming Volt is expected to be priced around $40,000 - meaning it will not be a high-volume vehicle. The Volt will qualify for federal tax breaks, which will bring that price down, but possibly not by enough to make the Volt an affordable option for most consumers.Cogan said that despite the price, "plenty of people will want to step up at that price point.""The Volt is an environmental statement and it is also a technology statement. When it comes out it will be one of the most advanced vehicles in the world."GM has about 30 Chevrolet Cruzes running around right now with Volt battery packs installed, and will start testing about 80 prototype vehicles this summer.