Chevy Volt: Car of the Year

As the end of the year rolls around, many automotive publications are getting ready to name the best vehicle of 2010. Both Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine named the Chevy Volt their car of the year.

The Volt had some stiff competition, and has weathered some extreme skepticism, criticism, and outright mis-information (GM really needs to work on its hype machine). Yet apparently it has won over the automotive media, though I haven’t actually driven the car myself. Both publications call the Volt a “game changer,” and even a “value” because of all the technology crammed into the car. While I’d argue with calling a $41,000 car a value no matter how much gas it saves, they make a compelling argument none-the-less.

I guess the question to ask yourself is, does the Volt deserve this honor? Is it really the car of the future, or just sucking up to a troubled American automaker? Does it really even matter?

Source: Motor Trend | Automobile Magazine

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness atSublime Burnout.

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Tags: Automobile Magazine, Car of the Year, Chevrolet, Chevy, Chevy Volt, GM, Motor Trend, Volt

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing- or esle, he's running, because he's one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.

http://Web Marc

No matter what you think about american automakers, the Volt is a game changer in the sense that Mr et Mrs everybody (that can afford it) can get one of these and use it as a the main family car, not as some eccentric 2nd or 3rd vehicle they use only in the city, always anxious that it will run out of electric juice.

You can argue all you want about most people not driving more than 30 km / 20 miles a day. At the end of the day, it’s about people actually digging down in their wallet and dishing out money for a product. I think the Volt, as it is now, is the perfect “bridge” product, coming at just the right time to generate interest and become successful product.

As prices come down over the next years, this product and similar ones to come have the potential to pave the way to more exclusively electric modes of transportation in 10 to 30 years time, when battery technology will have advanced enough to reduce range anxiety, reduce charge times, weight, etc.

Marc P.
- http://Web Tim Cleland
  
  Agreed. Range anxiety is much more important than the average Gas2.0 reader believes. I know the ardent e-car fans will prefer the Leaf, but the Volt will ultimately rule the day among the average green and semi-green population.
  
  Of course, without the gov’t subsidies, they’re both doomed.
http://Web AL

It’s not about gas savings. It’s an electric vehicle that is environmentally friendly. People are shelling out $40,000 for Camaros because it’s about the car and the image. We need to think about cars in terms of how they affect the environment and how they look and feel instead of price.

Long live Volt and GM.
http://Web Herman

Not only is this an UGLY looking car, it is NOT manufactured by GM, or any similar sounding company, but the name is; Motors Liquidation Company (MTLQQ.PK).

Note the reference to the .PK which is a total worthless enterprise supported by the US taxpayers, it has NO HOPE of ever becoming a viable investment or auto mfg’ing company!
http://Web Soylent Green

I ceased my subscriptions to both of these magazines due to their biased opinions (Automobile magazine is the absolute worst). However, car of the year is a mantle piece at best. The true test of any vehicle is time. Time will be the deciding factor of whether the Volt lives up to its hype.

Interesting how GM is aligning its IPO and the hype that’s present. (I will not touch any GM stock offerings with a ten-foot pole.) Marc, I got a chuckle over your “bridge” tag. Are you a employed or affiliated with GM?
http://Web ziv

The Volt was the only choice Motor Trend had, really. It is a transformative vehicle. It stands on the shoulders of the radically expensive 2 seater that has caused GM so much grief, the EV1. And because GM handled the EV1 so horribly, GM will probably never be forgiven by half the people that watched Who Killed the Electric Car. GM’s engineers are phenomenal, both the EV1 and the Volt were incredible cars. Unfortunately, the engineers don’t run GM. Hence the decision to crush the EV1 instead of cutting a deal with the leasers that wanted to keep it, and the decision to price the Volt at $41k with the delivery fee included in the MSRP instead of separately like most cars. $39.9k would have been a lot harder to ridicule.
For 2 years I had people telling me it was vaporware and an attempt to greenwash GM’s reputation. This is sweet for all the Volt backers out there.
http://Web parley faller

The volt is one of the biggest steps we have made to cutting out dependence on gas and fossil fuels. Even though we will still need them for more than just our cars at least we can cut down how much of it we use. Even though it will cost a ton, it will be a good step to making them cheaper in the future. I support everything that this car stands for and hopefully it can show over time that it’s a great car