If anybody catches this post in the next 45 minutes, tune to National Geographic channel. There is a show called "Ultimate Factories" tonights episode is the Chevy Volt Production Facility. It's very interesting. I bet if you set your Directv or Smart Cable Box you can catch the rerun. It would be worth the effort!! They start with sheets of steel, and drive away in a finished Volt.
I work there, that is a pre-production manufacturing facility (engineering), those Volts are experimental prototypes built for testing and product development I am a Journeyman Metal Model Maker (welder/machinist ) @ the GM Warren Tech Center, Engineering World Headquarters I could tell you more but then I would have to kill you ocgw peace
The Volt is an interesting idea. I read that Chevy plans to sell them in the mid $40ks. Even if the government provided a large tax break, a $45K electric car would seem to appeal to a very small % of the economy car/environmental marketshare.
They were showing assembly of pre-production Volts. I can see that the amount of labor needed is FAR beyond that of mass produced cars. This thread should be merged w/the one I started at http://priuschat.com/forums/chevrolet-volt/78136-ultimate-factories-man-made-chevy-volt-ngc.html days earlier. The show will be next rerun on April 1st. Set your PVRs. For a comparison of the very labor intensive GM pre-production work vs. GM mass production, one should watch Ultimate Factories: Camaro. It's night and day.
That is a VERY impressive facility you work at. I would think it would be quite interesting to work with such talented co-workers, and produce something like the Volt. The show was a nice insight into the process of gearing up to mass produce a rather complicated machine! Madman Lutz may be on to something. I certainly would love to test drive one!
Exactly! That's the idea and it will still sell to that 0.5% of people who are prepared to pay a price for such a vehicle. I know in London they'd sell 1000's and probably more around the country. I am finding the value of the green pound (green dollar) with my Prius. A lot of people with money like 'green' things. The reasons why are best left to someone more intelligent than me.
