Talking About Automobiles

Volt’s media appearances, design and over-all development is headed by the 75 year old tycoon as GM’s vice-chairman for global product development. GM boasts that upon solving the challenges the Volt engineers are facing right now, it will be the mainstream electric sedan that can be plugged and recharge in an ordinary outlet.

"I'd like to see the Volt launched because I think that is an absolutely critical product," Lutz said in an interview with The Associated Press. The company has set sometime in 2010 as a loose date to roll out the Volt.

For more than 40 years of being a magnate in the American automotive industry, Bob Lutz said that there is no final retirement date yet. As long as his health will allow him and GM Chief Executive and Chairman Rick Wagoner together with the board members, Lutz will be very much willing to stay.

"You never know about your health. You never know about the needs of the corporation," he said in his office at the company's design center. "You never know what the board wants to do, or Rick wants to transition to a younger team. All of those things are possible."

GM expects that all their efforts and investments will be worth it as soon as the Volt hits the market in 2010. The plug-in vehicle can run 40 miles if its lithium-ion battery is fully charged and with the help of a small conventional engine to recharge the electric motor, the 40 miles range can be extended at an amazing 150 miles per gallon. In the new GM design studio for fuel-flex cars, the Volt’s hydrogen fuel cell version is being worked on.