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After today’s financial press conference, GM vice-chair Bob Lutz gave some interviews.

Previously we had heard rumors the Chevy Beat might come to the U.S. market. It seemed an ideal car for the current market due to it’s small size and high fuel efficiency. But unfortunately Mr. Lutz told reporters that the car would not be coming here soon. The reason, per Mr. Lutz, was that the car was never designed for the U.S. and thus doesn’t meet crash and safety test requirements. To bring it up to those standards would take at least 2 years and cost too much money. As a consolation, he said the next generation Beat could make it to this country.

He also poured a little water over the Chevy Cruze, the new subcompact sedan with the potential for more than 40 mpg. Lutz said it wouldn’t replace the Cobalt anytime soon, as the latter car is "no where near the end of its life-cycle" and is "finally coming into its own."

He did however up the ante once again on how many Volts might be built. He told the Detroit News that GM would now be focusing all its efforts on high volume vehicles, saying "this is not the time for niche vehicles,” and “we can’t afford to hit singles and bunts. We need triples and home runs.”

He explained that any Volt volume productions were "iffy" because of the car’s reliance on new technologies and suppliers.

He did say however “we’re in uncharted territory. If global demand is there, my personal guess is that vehicles like the Volt could be 500,000 a year in a few years time.”

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com

"500K Volts" is a lot of voltage . . .

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

GM will bring the Volt to market when it is forced to by CARB and other agencies. Thye rolled out the EV-1 when California required a zero emissions vehicle and took them back and crushed them all when they got the zero emissions mandate eliminated.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.