mr. akerson before we have a vote. so the chairman of the committee, mr. isis is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. perhaps going last gives me one advantage. administrator strickland, this is about safety, this is about government's role. this committee under republicans and democratic leaders, has taken on auto companies, and the transportation safety administration overall, we did it under toyota and we did it in a very, very bipartisan fashion. so understand, you're here today, because my first hybrid electric car came with me to washington. the factory that blew up and left the world without enough lithium ion batteries occurred while i was still a ceo in the electronics industry. how dare you tell us you're still developing protocols, while the president is sitting in an electric car and it's not general motors' first electric car. it's not the first electric car that's been put on the road. so one of the reasons you're here today is you're behind the power curve. this vehicle's picture was not released until today. i've got to tell you, if you

mr. akerson, there's questions here. and it's going to cost you more to -- it's going to cost gm more to have insurance. >> i insured this car, and it was ridiculously low, but that's because it's a five-star-rated car by the insurance institute. >> so the very people who are charged with determining risk, as a question of the market now, they have not increased the cost of insurance? to the contrary, they've given it a high rating? >> i presume that's -- >> is that the way it works? >> that's the way, if i were running an insurance company. >> can you discuss what effect designing and producing the volt has had on gm? has it helped gm become more competitive? >> as i said, this is an evolving area of automotive engineering and technology. it's a halo car in the sense that we get a cache being an innovative and successful companies all innovate. just to set an expectation, a little bit of background, we sold more volts in the first year than toyota sold priuses in the first year that they rolled out the prius. so new tec

mr. akerson, for being here. is the volt safe? >> it is safe. >> have you had communication with anyone in the obama administration to ask them to provide some kind of consideration to gm with respect to the testing that you became aware of, not to disclose it or to defer disclosure of it? >> absolutely not. >> and you're sure that in terms of your line staff it didn't happen? >> i'm quite sure. i can't justify to that 100%. i don't think -- >> as a policy, you, gm, did not try to get the obama administration to fail to disclose any tests that were made in a laboratory setting? >> no, no one. >> you're not aware of any accident or any injury that occurred to anyone driving a volt? >> absolutely none. >> they're safe in the vehicle; is that right? >> i own one, yes. >> you drive it and your family members drive it as well? >> i just bought it. >> let me ask you something -- if there was a material defect in a car that was out in circulation right now, would that affect, let's say, your insurance that gm would be buying from, you kn

mr. akerson, for being here. is the volt safe? >> it is safe. >> have you had communication with anyone in the obama administration to ask them to provide some kind of consideration to gm with respect to the testing that you became aware of, not to disclose it or to defer disclosure of it? >> absolutely not. >> and you're sure that in terms of your line staff it didn't happen? >> i'm quite sure. i can't justify to that 100%. i don't think -- >> as a policy, you, gm, did not try to get the obama administration to fail to disclose any tests that were made in a laboratory setting? >> no, no one. >> you're not aware of any accident or any injury that occurred to anyone driving a volt? >> absolutely none. >> they're safe in the vehicle; is that right? >> i own one, yes. >> you drive it and your family members drive it as well? >> i just bought it. >> let me ask you something -- if there was a material defect in a car that was out in circulation right now, would that affect, let's say, your insurance that gm would be buying from, you kn