| G.M. Plans 1,000 New Hires to Develop More Green Vehicles | |||
| Dec 1, 2010 | New York Times | ||
| REUTERS
DETROIT (Reuters) — General Motors said Tuesday that it would hire 1,000 engineers and researchers in Michigan over the next two years to develop more electric cars and hybrids.
"Volt clearly demonstrates that we are well on our way and it is especially true when it comes to the electrification of the automobile," the chief executive, Daniel F. Akerson, said Tuesday at a ceremony observing the start of production of its plug-in hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt. .
G.M. has promoted the Volt as a symbol of its commitment to pushing for gains in fuel efficiency and developing new technology.
Mr. Akerson drove onto the stage Tuesday in the first commercially made Volt, whose production is starting three years after the automaker announced the project.
He said G.M. wanted to be in the forefront of new vehicle technology — starting with the development of powerful battery packs and electric motors — that promises to reduce oil consumption.
The Volt is designed to run for 35 miles on a full charge of its 400-pound lithium-ion battery pack supplied by a unit of LG Chem of South Korea.
Last week, G.M. released a complex mileage label, which the Environmental Protection Agency worked with the company to create, that rated the fuel economy of the Volt plug-in hybrid as 60 miles a gallon. The number was determined through E.P.A. tests that simulated various driving conditions and included a combination of the gas engine and the battery.
Driven on battery power alone, the Volt has a fuel economy equivalent to 93 m.p.g., the E.P.A. determined. The Volt's gas engine was rated at 37 m.p.g.
Some critics had questioned whether the Volt would survive G.M.'s restructuring in bankruptcy in 2009 because of its high cost and the low profit margin on the first shipments of the $41,000 car.
The G.M. North American chief, Mark Reuss, compared the development of the Volt to a NASA "moon shot." He said the effort, including more than $700 million in new investment, had "created the new soul of G.M."
The company will begin shipping the Volt in limited numbers in December. The automaker plans to expand shipments of the Volt to more markets in 2011 and will also start to export the vehicle, Mr. Akerson said. | |||
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