|
 |
 |
|
Chevy looks to put a charge in Volt image after congressional hearing
The makers of the Chevrolet Volt sought to give the beleaguered electric car’s image a power boost Wednesday, releasing a new ad saying the car is one “America had to build.”
The 30-second commercial comes on the heels of a contentious congressional hearing this week investigating battery fires associated with the Volt.
Lawmakers questioned the safety of the vehicle after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed reports of its batteries catching on fire.
Some Republicans also said the Volt is being pushed by the Obama administration for political reasons instead of consumer demand.
But in the new commercial, Chevy said the Volt is being built “for our town, for our country, for our future.”
“This isn’t just the car we wanted to build,” a narrator says over footage of Volts being manufactured in Hamtramck, Mich. “This is the car America had to build.”
“Is the commitment to the American public or is the commitment to clean energy, that we are going to get there any way we can?” Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) asked. “When the market is ready … it won’t have to be subsidized.”
Democrats on the committee defended the Volt, accusing Republicans of using the battery fires during testing of the vehicles to score political points against the president.
“I wouldn’t want this committee’s activities on this issue to discourage companies like GM from continuing to innovate,” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said. “We don’t want to be buying lithium-ion batteries from China in five years.”
