Given the chance to turn back the clock and start the Chevrolet Volt project from scratch, former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz says he would likely take the plug-in hybrid vehicle in an entirely different direction.
In an interview with The Seattle Times, Lutz stated that the decision to make the Volt a compact sedan was a mistake.
Instead of fitting an extended-range electric powertrain to an already-efficient small car, more significant benefits could have been achieved by applying the same concept to a less economical vehicle like a truck.
“The whole automotive industry made the intellectual mistake of thinking EVs were all about maximum range, so we all started with small vehicles that are basically very economical anyway,” Lutz said. “Yes, you do save fuel. You can use a smaller battery, but it makes less sense to take a 40 mpg vehicle and make it electric than it does to take a full-size pickup or SUV, which in town realistically gets 11 to 12 mpg. If you take that to 100 mpg, now you’re really saving money and saving a scarce natural resource and reducing CO2 emissions drastically.”
Lutz’ logic is hard to fault, although critics note that there may be a self-serving element to his words – after leaving GM in 2010, Lutz joined the board of Utah-based VIA Motors, which produces plug-in hybrid versions of GM pickups, SUVs and vans.
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