GM launched a program in the end of 2007 called Project Driveway. This program allows ordinary people to have full-time use of Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicles. About 100 are in operation through the US, even through the vehicle isn’t in production.
According to vice chairman Bob Lutz, apparently GM is considering a similar program for early Chevy Volts.
“We might even do the same thing we did with the Chevrolet Equinox and have Project Driveway and have real Americans driving Volts where they use it as a daily car for a couple of months,” he said.
Lutz also told the reporter the demand for Volts is significant and indicated that over 50,000 people have registered on “websites” as being interested in the car. Though the reporter did not specify the websites Lutz referred to, he admitted in an email after my request, “he did mention your site.”
The report also indicated that 10,000 Volts would be produced in year one, and 60,000 in year two, plans that have been often been published but never confirmed by GM. This numerical discrepancy has lead some authors to predict demand will far outweigh supply for the early Volts. Recently, however, Dave Barthmuss from GM was quoted as saying GM would actually build “tens of thousands” of Volts in the first year.
Regardless of the potential for strong demand and limited supply, GM is building up to a Volt advertising blitz the likes of which we have never seen.
Once GM has a few hundred pre-production Volts on hand next year, they plan to “pull out the heavy artillery and get Volt buzz going with media and customer events,” said Lutz.
The marketing drive will begin to ratchet up starting at the LA Auto Show this December.
Can’t wait.
Source: GM-Volt (Autonews sub. req.)
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