Just rode in a VOLT!

[taredog]

I was gonna stay out of this but can't resist.

The reason for all the criticism of the Volt here is it is made by GM and not some guy with a pony tail wearing Birkenstock's.

I think it's a good push in a new direction. What percentage of the people who might buy one even really care about fuel consumption? It's all about bragging rights and the appearance of being green. If it gets one of them out of the 12-18 mpg vehicle they are driving now, cool.

I might consider buying one if the tax credit is increased to oh, say $29,000. Just for the coolness of the technology.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by taredog

The reason for all the criticism of the Volt here is it is made by GM and not some guy with a pony tail wearing Birkenstock's.

BINGO! No self respecting dirty hippie could ever admit that GM did something right.

[cfg83]

Hello -

GM has definitely earned our wrath, but I want the Volt to succeed. GM has the technology, it just needs to make better product decisions.

CarloSW2

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by taredog

If it gets one of them out of the 12-18 mpg vehicle they are driving now, cool.

I gotta agree with that.

I think that "Going the right direction" is more important than "how fast we are going"

The Volt is a step in the right direction for clean transportation. Is it theoretically better than straight BEVs? No. Is it better than a gas guzzling SUV? YES!

Is it better than an older, well cared-for, economy car? Debatable. All depends on how we look at it.

Certainly the technology is there to make very efficient vehicles from any of the major manufacturers. Culture and people's emotions on those vehicles IS a pretty big deal. There are a lot of people who still feel burned by the whole EV-1 thing. There ARE people who think that the Volt is good, but not good enough.

If we did everything logically, we would all ride bicycles, as those are pretty much the most energy and cost efficient vehicles ever known to mankind (talking LAND transportation here, before I offend any sailors...)

We should all work positively to encourage the cultural embrace of clean(er) transportation options.

[gone-ot]

...motion, for motions' sake alone (ie: circular motion)...is not the same as progressing to a goal.

[daring4]

So now there should be car welfare? Raise taxes even higher to pay for people to drive electric cars, come on, Az did this years back with the alternate fuel deal. People could put a propane system on their vehicle and the state would kick back 30k or so. Worked real good making the state bankrupt...

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by bennelson

Is it better than a gas guzzling SUV? YES!

What makes you think a 4-seater Volt will replace a SUV ?

It might happen if more Americans come to their senses regarding their cars, but that won't happen because of the Volt.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by taredog

The reason for all the criticism of the Volt here is it is made by GM and not some guy with a pony tail wearing Birkenstock's.

I think it's a good push in a new direction. What percentage of the people who might buy one even really care about fuel consumption? It's all about bragging rights and the appearance of being green.

Holy generalization, Batman!

Thanks for the chuckle.

[Boreas]

If anyone is interested there is a comparison between the volt and prius in December's Motor trend page 42

[NHRABill]

Originally Posted by euromodder

What makes you think a 4-seater Volt will replace a SUV ?

It might happen if more Americans come to their senses regarding their cars, but that won't happen because of the Volt.

The automotive culture in The United States is Unique, all depending on the demographic in which you live. I know it is difficult for many Europeans to understand why Americans choose to drive 6.0 litre 400hp 6,500 lbs. 4wd trucks that get 15mpg to drop off their 5 year old at soccer practice, but for almost a decade it was a status symbol for many.

In traveling from state to state I notice many areas did not follow the same trends and what I am speaking of is a generalization. When you look at the last decades manufacturing numbers anyone that can add will see that a 3 person family preferred a Large SUV over a better suited economy car that cost 1/3 the price and managed double the MPG.

I live in the Northeast a suburb of NYC and here its all about what you drive everyone has to outdo the other keeping up with the Jonses is alive and well here and it sucks for guys like me who think with their brain instead of their Ego. Not saying that if a person chooses to drive a large truck is in the wrong I am just stating that if you were stuck in Bumper to bumper traffic would you want to be in a Smart car on your 2 way adjustable seats or in a Chevy Suburban wrapped in soft leather that both heats and cools your backside while the triple layer of sound deadener mellows out the raging 352 horsepower and 382lbs of torque? I know what I would choose... Fuel here is still relatively inexpensive in comparison to Europe.