I’m Not Ambivalent About Ambivalence
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
I need to clear up something that appeared over the weekend in one of America’s major remaining newspapers, The Washington Post. In a very long, very prominent front-page article about General Motors and the Chevrolet Volt, the Post reporter painted a picture of me and GM that I can only describe as incredibly inaccurate.
The reporter said that we are “ambivalent” about the Volt, largely because it flies in the face of what he perceives me to be all about, namely speed, horsepower and burning rubber - and fossil fuels. In fact, he neatly expanded this ambivalence angle to describe GM, and Detroit as a whole, as the auto industry faces a new future.
Look, I know how it works. A reporter has a great idea for a story, with a terrific angle, and, even if the facts indicate otherwise, he can’t help but try to shoehorn the story into the angle. It’s just too good an idea!
Unfortunately for The Washington Post, the angle in this case was a preconceived notion that simply isn’t true. And they should know better - all they needed to do was walk down the hall and ask their very fine automotive writer Warren Brown for the truth. (Incidentally, Warren’s piece buried in the very same June 7 issue of the Post, “GM Likely To Have the Last Laugh at Critics,” was filled with truth and the type of keen insights on which he has built a career.)
Let me say this clearly: There is no ambivalence on my part - or on the part of anyone at GM - toward the Chevy Volt. None. Zero.
How many times since the concept car’s debut in 2007 have I said (and been widely quoted as saying) that this is the most exciting program I have worked on in my entire career? I meant it every time I said it - anyone in the press who’s spent any time at all covering the auto industry knows I don’t do “lip service.”

