Might I suggest, rather than taking a corporate jet to the next congressional hearing in Washington, that you tuck a well-thought-out plan for how to take advantage of this unique time of opportunity within the automobile industry into the glove box of Chevy Volt and drive to Washington D.C. This is a golden moment to show some pride in the craft that takes place within some divisions in your company.
It's also a chance to sever your far too long-standing dependency on truck platforms and inefficient V8 technologies. Hold on to your best and brightest, and if they are not already working on suitable projects, get them going on those programs. Indeed, producing and launching a new fleet of vehicles like the Volt promises new jobs for many with new skills.
Such an arrival in Washington will send a message: "We are working towards innovation." This approach can only help your funding request. Once you've made your case, why not take a commercial airline flight back to Detroit, preferably by coach, and get back to work? Leave the Volt behind in D.C. and allow those in Congress to drive it to experience what your company is working on. What better way to stand behind your plan for moving forward than to stand behind your R&D efforts? Not all initiatives will be perfect yet, and that is okay. Undoubtedly, most in Congress would be relieved to see any sincere efforts toward innovation taking place at this point.
If the Volt is not ready for prototyping the experience in the real world, then that's a shame. It's like going to Washington without vision and asking for funding anyway.
