GM designer flashes photos of Chevy Volt
Head designer gives look at exterior styling of plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, which is designed to be aerodynamic. The company is still targeting a late-2010 delivery.
General Motors on Thursday showed off some of the aerodynamic styling of the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, which is scheduled to ship in late 2010.
In a company blog post, Bob Boniface, who is the director of design for the Volt, released photos of the exterior. The release of images was timed with a GM management conference in Traverse City, Mich.
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General Motors)
Boniface said that the Volt design team is spending a significant amount of effort in wind tunnels to minimize the wind drag, which can account for 20 percent of a car's energy.
"We believe the Chevrolet Volt's exterior design is an attractive balance between aerodynamic performance and styling," he wrote.
Speaking to MarketWatch, a GM representative said that the company still intends to deliver Chevy Volts to dealers in late 2010.
The drip-feed of photos and updates on the Volt underscores how important the product launch is to GM.
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General Motors)
The company is being pummeled financially by its reliance on sales of SUVs, trucks, and large cars as consumers shift to more fuel-efficient cars.
The Volt, which will be able to go 40 miles on an electrical charge, is a high-profile model to demonstrate GM's commitment to diversifying its fleet with more fuel-efficient technology.
The Volt will also have a gas engine used to recharge the lithium-ion battery, giving the car a range of 400 miles.
