The Saturn was an attempt to change the corporate culture at GM through innovation and it failed. It didn't fail as a car, it's still out there and you can still buy them but it did not affect GM I think the way that it was supposed to or was intended to. What we are seeing now is General Motors getting its act back on feet after years of trying Hail Mary technology passes. You're going to have to show patience with this kind of technological feat if you're going to create a whole market for it.
Jonathan Rauch, of the Brookings Institution and the Atlantic Monthly, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the evolution of the Chevy Volt, GM's planned electric car. Due to the transparency of GM's effort, Rauch was able to spend a great deal of time on site at GM writing a piece for the Atlantic Monthly on GM's plans and hopes. Rauch discusses the huge risks, GM's past failures, and GM's hopes that the Volt might change the company's culture. The conversation closes with a discussion of competitors and the implications for energy policy.