I thought about it today and realize there is one way, only one way, that leasing the batteries makes sense:
OPEN SOURCE SPECIFICATIONS
What this means is if GM will simply built the volt, a battery-less, electric vehicle and open-source the specifications for the battery, I would be much more favorably inclined. What this means is GM would not have to be the
ONLY battery vendor.
I can appreciate that battery technology is beyond GM's ability. Their area of expertise may be in areas having nothing to do with batteries. So let them do what they can and let other provide the 'value added engineering' that the IDIOT who whispered "lease the batteries" wants to achieve.
Gosh, and I thought after doing a little range time I might have cooled off:
Apparently, not!
Whoever 'floated' the idea of a GM lease in this area is most likely the enemy of the GM Volt or the sock-puppet of the GM Volt enemy. I could not have come up with a better poison pill than this 'leak.'
We have a saying my line of work that 10 'Atta Boys' are wiped out by one 'Oh sh*t.' In this case, let's hope someone in GM gets a clue-by-four before further deconstructing GM.
Bob Wilson