If only that were really the case. GM put American ingenuity back in the game on Tuesday. The Chevy Volt went from concept to production prototype in the span of less than two years, an amazing feat given the four- to six-year lead time that automakers normally budget to design a new car and present it to the public. But what's more significant is that GM isn't just bringing a new sedan into showrooms. It's bringing an entirely new technology into play. That's not supposed to happen overnight. Market sets standardOf course, the introduction of one Volt doesn't get us any closer to energy independence or ensure that GM can stop its blood loss in North America, where it dropped $15.5 billion in the second quarter. The extended-range electric vehicle still needs to pass all its road and battery tests and then actually go into full-scale production and get into showrooms. But getting a working vehicle in front of the public that's not made of clay or plastic or foam shows what's possible when American automakers are pressed. And it goes to show again that the market -- and the companies that help drive it -- respond to consumer demands better than government intervention, and in fact do it in spite of government. GM has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions, to get the Volt to the place it is today. It, like Ford or Chrysler, can push their advanced technology timetables ahead further and faster to help ensure that the nation isn't reliant on foreign markets for batteries or oil if they didn't at the same time have to battle Congress and radical special interests every step of the way. Reason for optimismIs the Volt the answer? Not alone. But when paired with other new products such as the Chevy Cruze, which GM says will get 45 miles per gallon, or the Ford Fiesta or the next generation pickups from all three automakers, the domestic industry's offerings look pretty good. And they'll get even better, and help bring consumers back to the Big Three's showrooms, if they can be as nimble and fast in turning new products around. If they do, there's a good bet they'll hit a few home runs. Auto Editor Manny Lopez's column runs Wednesday.