Anyone with a basic understanding of aerodynamic design immediately understood from day one that the Volt plug-in hybrid (or range-extended EV) was an aerodynamic disaster on wheels.
Giant, chunky, pushed-too-far-to-the-outside, drag-inducing wheels.
I personally pestered the writers at ABG a little to see if they could find out its cD from GM. GM has been anything but shy about talking to the media about this vehicle, but nothing ever came out.
Last month, at a meeting with bloggers, ABG reported that GM exec/product honcho Bob Lutz admitted the car was a dog in the wind tunnel:
Quote:
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When they put the concept into the wind tunnel it was a huge disappointment. Lutz said they might have gotten better results if they put it in backwards. (source: ABG)
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I trust Lutz was just being dramatic when he claimed it was a "huge disappointment". I'm sure GM's aerodynamicists were shaking their heads at that comment.