Volting: Bob Lutz did not kill the electric car

The Chevy Volt: Bob Lutz's baby?

Last night, if you read my earlier post then you know, I ate dinner with Bob Lutz. And, I'll tell you one thing, Bob Lutz did not kill the electric car. On the contrary, Bob Lutz is a huge fan of electric vehicles, and the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is Mr. Lutz's baby.

In fact, Mr. Lutz came across as far more of a plug-in hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle fan than a fuel cell and hydrogen fan, at least in the short term. Even when I tried to discuss some recent breakthroughs in hydrogen research, Lutz pooh-poohed the topic, stating that the U.S. should actively pursue nuclear power for electricity generation.

Nonetheless, it became very apparent last night that the Volt is extremely important to Lutz. Coming to the end of an amazing career, it seems obvious that Lutz sees the Volt as his defining moment. It might just be a defining moment for America as well, a "game changer", as Lutz likes to describe Volt.