GM firmly in slow lane with ten-year-old 'green' technology

Published Date: 31 March 2009
By ALASTAIR DALTON

JUST as General Motors is facing possible oblivion due to its over-reliance on 4x4s, its greener models are receiving plaudits.
Technology developed a decade ago for GM's EV-1, an innovative sports car, is being used for a new generation of hybrid electric-petrol engine vehicles, under the Volt banner, which are due on sale in the US next year.Dr Paul Nieuwenhuis, an industry expert from Cardiff University's business school, said GM scrapped the EV-1 after deciding it could make more money from 4x4-type vehicles. He said of the Volt: "Due next year, they say – they are good."Philip Gomm, a spokesman for the Royal Automobile Club Foundation, said: "It is ironic that GM's greener models have gained good reviews. "Perhaps GM should have used more of their profits during the good years to design and build cars for an age when oil is in ever shorter supply, when many of their customers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their decision making."Edmund King, the president of the Automobile Association, said: "The GM Volt is potentially a massive step forward in greener technology."