Pre-production Chevy Volts roll off assembly line
While General Motors (or is that now Government Motors?) is still in the throes of bankruptcy the company still continues with the Chevrolet Volt project. The electric-powered Volt has reached the pre-production stage.
The Chevrolet Volt was originally displayed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. The electric-powered Volt is a key part of GM’s renewal strategy and is designed to do two things: 1) add some sales volume and 2) bring some prestige by showcasing the company as a technology leader.
The first Volt vehicles have rolled off the assembly line and will be used for testing and validation of production and design. They will also be used to develop the final software and controls. The most important of these is the way the driver interacts with the vehicle.
Some of these pre-production Volts will have short lives, as they will be crash-tested but not before running other tests such as endurance tests, battery-drivetrain interface tests and windshield and door function tests.
GM expects to produce approximately 80 pre-production Volt vehicles in the next year. Volts designed for retail sale are set to begin production and go on sale at the end of fall in 2010. The price is expected to be near $40,000 which may not help sales.