GM’s vice chairman Bob Lutz seems to be the bearer of bad news lately, especially regarding the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid. The latest news from Lutz, reported Thursday, has the Volt’s battery testing program delayed by a few months, now slated to begin in July and still no announcement of who will produce the lithium-ion batteries, with that piece of information coming in the latter half of 2008.
The expected dates for the Volt’s electric powertrain were later this month, while the battery supplier was to be named in the first half of this year, according to Reuters.
“That may also be a little bit longer now, as we need a better handle on who has the technological capability we need and who is going to have the production capability,” Lutz said about the battery supplier issues. No other, more specific reasons were given for either delay.
Our own sources tell us the Volt’s drivetrain will be tested at GM’s
