2016 Chevy Volt Stars In “Tomorrowland” Ad

When it was first introduced nearly a decade ago, the Chevy Volt was hailed as the car of the future, equal parts electric and combustion powered, a no-compromises clean car. The 2016 Chevy Volt introduces a new generation of GM’s Voltec technology, adding a host of improvements for an even lower cost. The 2016 Chevy Volt has shaped up to be a great car on paper, but GM still has to sell them, and it is turning once again to Hollywood to get the Volt in front of potential buyers.

A new 30-second TV spot called “Tomorrow, Today” sees the 2016 Volt morphing from five different previous GM concept cars into the extended-range electric vehicle introduced in January. I’ve always loved concept cars, and GM has built some of the coolest ever, with the Volt morphing through five are the most influential concepts in the General’s portfolio. In order of appearance;

• Firebird III, which debuted at the 1959 Motorama. It was an extravagant prototype with a fiberglass exterior, seven short wings and tail fins. This vehicle, like both generations of the Volt, allowed drivers to pre-condition the interior temperature before entering the vehicle.
• Firebird IV was an experimental car created to highlight what could be possible on automatic highways, including the latest infotainment at the time – in-vehicle television. The vehicle was built for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, which plays a key part in the plot of “Tomorrowland.”
• Aerodynamics, also key to the design of the Volt, heavily influenced the design of the Astro II prototype. The vehicle was revealed at the 1968 New York Auto Show and at the time had speculators wondering if it was the next generation of the Corvette.
• The 1969 Astro III was a sleek, two-passenger experimental car resembling an executive jet aircraft, even down to its low center of gravity tricycle-type wheel arrangement. The Chevrolet Volt’s battery lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity, enhancing stability and handling in inclement weather.
• Chevrolet built the Express concept in 1987 as part of a project consulting with the federal government about building high-speed, limited access commuter roads open to specialized vehicles. The concept is described as “whisper-quiet” much like the Volt when operating in electric mode.

Tomorrowland, which stars George Clooney, hits theaters on May 22nd, and both the Chevy Volt and Chevy EN-V concepts will be on hand at the premiere, continuing GM’s tried-and-true tradition of product placement. I ain’t even mad though.