Bob Lutz Steps Up To Defend Chevy Volt

I never thought I’d see the day when an American political party would cheer for the demise of any American company, never mind an institution like General Motors. Yet the Republican party has consistently and consciously lied, slandered, and invented its own facts when it comes to the Chevy Volt and GM’s government-sponsored bailout. Bob Lutz, one of the chief arcitects of the Volt, has stepped up with the hopes of setting the record straight. Too bad he is playing for a deaf crowd.

The Forbes article, entitled “The Chevy Volt and the Wrong-Headed Right” is “Maximum Bob” Lutz’s matter-of-fact counter-argument to a growing chorus of conservative haters. Among the many lies spread by Fox News and pundits like Glenn Beck is that the Volt can only drive 35 miles, period, that President Obama forced GM to make the Volt, and that the recent NHTSA fire investigation is proof that electric vehicles are dangerous. It’s all non-sense, but then again we live in a culture that celebrates airheads like the Kardashians and Jersey Shore.

Lutz lays out six simple, indisputable facts in regards to the safety of the Volt, and its Genesis.

1) Not one Chevrolet Volt has ever caught fire in normal use or in accidents. Not a single one.

2) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even after the highly artificial crash test (placing the car on its back, even though it did not roll over in the test) nevertheless awarded the Volt NHTSA’s highest crash-safety rating: 5 stars. Volt is supremely safe.

3) The crashed Volt, its battery shorted by coolant from the period unjustifiably spent “feet up,” caught fire three weeks after said test. (I submit that this would provide adequate time for surviving passengers to exit the vehicle.)

4) On average, 278,000 cars with gasoline engines caught fire in the U.S. each year between 2003 and 2007, according to theNational Fire Protection Association.

5) No factory-produced electric vehicle has ever caught fire, to the best of my knowledge.

6) The Volt, the most technologically advanced car on the planet, was conceived by me and my team well before any federal bailout of GM.

What is even more damning is that Lutz, a self-described conservative Republican, is simply ashamed of the right-wing talking heads who are knowingly spreading mis-information against the Volt in an attempt to harm GM and President Obama. I am all for a healthy discussion on the pros and cons of new technology, and the Chevy Volt certainly isn’t a panacea for all our energy problems. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of the too-expensive Volt, and sales certainly have been less than stellar.

It’s borderline slander, a purposeful and malicious mis-representation of the facts to the detriment of not just a car or a company, but the entire country. Republicans seem to think it is OK to lie and cheat, so long as they get Obama out of office. That is a scary thought, and gives me even more reasons to distrust the GOP as a better alternative to Obama. If they’ll lie about a car, what else are they willing to mislead the public about?

Source: Forbes

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Tags: Bob Lutz, Chevy Volt, facts, fire, Forbes, Fox News, gop, libel, lie, lies, NHTSA, rebuttal, republicans, slander, volt fire

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.

Tim Cleland

This kind of demagogy against the Volt is sickening, indeed, but please don’t think this practice is only a Republican thing. For proof, look at what the Democratic party does any time someone suggests reforming Social Security or Medicare (something that is absolutely necessary if we’re going to prevent a currency collapse and keep those programs alive). Paul Ryan’s plan was a reform affecting only those under age 55 (and even then, there was a transition period), but the AARP and the Democrats immediately went into “Republicans want to take away your benefits and make you eat cat food till you die” mode and whipped the elderly into a fear frenzy. The real trouble is that we have a generally uninformed electorate and both parties are in a constant fear mongering mode to bend said electorate to their respective wills.

So, while I agree with your last paragraph, there are many issues for which the same statement can be made against the Democrats.
- http://www.sublimeburnout.com Christopher DeMorro
  
  @ Tim Cleland
  
  You’re absolutely right in regards to politicians of both parties lying to get their way.
  
  However, seeing as how this is an alternative fuels blog, it is Republicans, not Democrats, I find myself butting heads with over policy. There are a number of issues don’t agree with Democrats on, especially entitlement reform, and in general I think the idea of a smaller U.S. government is a good thing, so in that respect I find myself aligned with many conservatives.
  
  But the blatant lying and spreading of wrong information is, as you said, sickening, but what is worse is that the conservative electorate eats this garbage up as Gospel, and refuses to hold their leaders to a higher standard. That is why we have GOP candidates like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/ NeilBlanchard

Man, the concept Volt was fugly!

I’m glad Mr. Lutz is taking these naysayers on — watching “The Revenge of the Electric Car” gave me some new respect for him, and the other three men in the film.

Neil
- Tim Cleland
  
  Actually, I was just thinking how cool it looked. Impractical, but cool!
roseland67

Does anyone, anywhere, honestly believe that technolical advancements
will not overcome all that is “impractical” with electric cars?
The Telsa Modle S will begin shipping THIS YEAR w/a 300 mile range battery pack.
These batterys are simple AA batterys, (18650 cell spec), although many thousands
of them are used, it begs the question, what is on the drawing board in battery development.
I would not be surprised if companies like Apple, Google, GM, IBM, Exxon etc get into the battery business.
My expectations are that 300-500 mile range EV’s will be available and cost effective w/ICE vehicles in 5 years.
jcmarching

re: what else are they willing to mislead the public about?
how about “clean coal”, “wmd” and “trickle down economics”?
Richard

Why get excited about what FOX or any others have to say about the Volt? Those who subscribe to, and watch Fox news were never likely to be potential buyers. The car will prove itself, by its merits.
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