The Shock Factor: Behind The Scenes With The Chevy Volt Concept

General Motors Corp., bleeding money and the subject of bankruptcy speculation a year ago, needed a dramatic change.

So Vice Chairman Bob Lutz gathered a group of top GM executives and challenged them to create a plug-in electric vehicle -- in less than a year -- that would help catapult the venerable automaker back into a position of technological leadership.

The push to create the car exemplified the urgent, high-stakes decisions being made at GM during one of the most crucial years in the company's history. Last January, GM stock was near a 24-year low. Industry watchers said Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner's job was on the line.

"How do we get people to take us seriously again?" Lutz asked at the meeting shortly after Detroit's 2006 North American International Auto Show.

"We've got to shock people if we want to change perceptions about GM," Lutz told the group, according to people who were there.


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Greenlight - 1/30/2007 2:22:48 PM

-3 Boost

How about shocking people with quality cars instead of concept designs you will never build and dancing around in circles yelling "we're so green".

Autoegr525 - 1/30/2007 3:47:18 PM

+3 Boost

CTS...Malibu..Tahoe...Aura..G8...Solstice...Silverado..Z06..Enclave

S4cabriofoxone - 1/30/2007 4:34:34 PM

+1 Boost

For seven brands, that's not a lot of "quality" cars you have there.

Autoegr525 - 1/30/2007 5:19:17 PM

+4 Boost

compare it to a few years ago, it's a start

Autoegr525 - 1/30/2007 11:20:21 PM

+1 Boost

i only mentioned five brands by the way...look at this year's releases, it's a far cry from the claims of bankruptcy that last year brought. The auto industry moves in cycles, it seems that GM has already hit rock bottom and is on the rise again, which is good because they build the cars that Americans want to buy

tomloy - 1/31/2007 12:10:13 PM

+1 Boost

GM admits in this article the volt is about public relations. In GMspeak, they are saying the volt will not be produced, and, until they do, no one is going to take them seriously, regardless of what kind of concept cars they put out. The difference between GM and Toyota is that toyota concepts make it to production.