Intro
So, I was in Detroit today and stopped by the coffee shop for a local
Free Press Newspaper and a cup o' java before heading to my work location. On the way out the door I glanced at the headline about Chevy Volt fires, yeah -- nothing new (or newsworthy) but then I read the first paragraph of the article entitled "GM reassures Volt owners after battery fires", and nearly tripped over the curb as I read -- and I quote:
Quote:
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"...offering a free, indefinite loaner vehicle to any who are nervous...
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That's reassurance? Indefinite? What??? I had flashbacks to the EV1, "give us your cars baaaack..."
Sense of Justice
I felt like taking a trip down to the Renaissance Center and see if they would trade my rental Impala for a re-assuredly safe Volt -- just to see. And maybe find who engineered this blatant undermining of the Hybrid, with a vast public not entirely sold on the idea (let alone a range-extended electric) and look them in the eye and ask if they honestly had
good intentions in restoring confidence with this press release, beyond obviously selling a product people want, for a profit, which is OK and what they frankly need to do as a business. Or perhaps pandering to big oil -- insert conspiracy theory here. Plus, according to investigating from Jalopnik, they just might loan you ANY Chevy.
Corvette anyone? Camaro SS? Oh the temptation -- but let's remember that Volt owners
chose wholeheartedly to be Volt owners, and are a rare bunch of 5000 or so, who have demonstrated exceptional FE in many cases.
Actual Visit to the GM Headquarters Onsite Hotel and Volt Marketing Commentary
Upon recommendation of a colleague, I stayed at the "Ren-Cen" Marriott last Month, just to experience what the campus had to offer, reluctantly after what GM's cars have failed me in my own past, let alone what they have done to America's Diesel perspective, small car reliability over time, the 80's, Quad-4, stop me here. But anyway, it appealed to this "Car Guy", so I stayed there and explored.
The "Volt Age" and Some Good Examples of the Past
So the Hotel was intermingled with the GM HQ, and there was a rather nice "100-years of Chevy" exhibit in a lower lobby area, with the
Volt as the centerpiece as you enter the circular path of displays (heck, the hotel had a hip "
Volt Bar" to enjoy your favorite beverage in a club atmosphere). Other display notables were proper classics like the 1st generation Camaros, a '55 Nomad, an early Impala, '63 Malibu, '55 Bel-Air, a historic piece -- the first automobile to wear the Bow-tie 100 years ago, and the new cars line from the high-tech, high-priced Corvette ZR-1, to the thrifty and well-received Cruze. I really enjoyed the exhibit, but was reminded how the brand screwed up over the years, even after I came full circle, back to the
Volt.
Modern Lineage
Nearly absent, were easily forgettable vehicles from the mid-70's, 80's, and up to the current lineup, except a '76 Pickup and the '89 'Vette ZL-1, both of which were important opposites from the rugged simplicity of the pickup, to a high-tech flagship and the end to the days of low-tech, high-emissions efficiency that wasn't going to cut it anymore. Dare I say, the NSX to Honda of the same time. In full disclosure, there was an '89 Z-28 Indy Pace Car (important for the time with V-8 power on-tap) and an '08 Tahoe Hybrid (still leaves me, um... nevermind).
Happy Days
I still enjoy the good times in seeing the USA in a Chevrolet, from a '67 Camaro RS/SS to Corvettes, 4X4 Pickups to Berettas, and rented nearly all Chevy car models from 1999-present. Some great, most fair, and one had to be towed away.
Conclusion and Personal Boycott
So, even with the good and the bad, today's testimony prompts, once again, for me to declare, "Shame on you GM". And in protest, I will avoid renting your vehicles if at all possible. The fires occurred weeks later and can happen to a regular gasser on impact.
Signed, Sealed, and Delivered (to borrow the Motown lyrics)...
RH77