Oh oh! Not Good (GM temporarily suspends Volt production for slow sales)

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

My problem with the Volt is that it is too freakin' expensive right now

Yeah, and so are Corvettes & Cadillacs. Should GM stop building them just 'cause "credit challenged" individuals can't buy them?

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Yeah, and so are Corvettes & Cadillacs. Should GM stop building them just 'cause "credit challenged" individuals can't buy them?

Hey buddy! I was wondering when I would hear from you! Been a long time.

No they shouldn't. Just make it half the cost or double/triple the electric only range or quadruple the mileage. I'll spend $40k on a small sedan that consistently gets 150 mpg or better because that's a game changer. The Volt is supposed to be a game changer. If it's only slightly better than traditional technology, then it makes no sense, at least the way it's tuned right now. You throw "1000 mile to a tank and 150 miles on battery power before engine cut in" at people then they will spend the money. I know I would. You know this is a numbers game. Anyone can get a Cruze Eco for less money. What's the incentive to go into a Volt? GM needs to step it up so that people would be willing to make the sacrifice.

By the way, and you know this, that Vette does get 30 mpg.

[Daox]

Looks like that boost in sales is getting thing rolling again a bit sooner than anticipated.

After Record Sales, Chevy Volt Production To Resume A Week Early

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Daox

Looks like that boost in sales is getting thing rolling again a bit sooner than anticipated.

After Record Sales, Chevy Volt Production To Resume A Week Early

This is the new GM, rescued and restructured by the public and making the kind of supply and stock decisions it should have been making years ago. They rightly have tried to develop and market new technologies, instead of dull SUVs for the obvious short-term profits. They rightly stopped production instead of stockpiling cars further. They rightly re-initiate production when demand changes. It has simply become a smarter and bolder company.

[EDIT: Daox, I'd love to see you post this announcement in its own threat too, so it gets some measure of the attention the temporary halt did. As you choose... just my inclination. Thanks!]

[cleanspeed1]

Have you seen this? Saw this when I clicked on Daox's link about the early Volt line restart. GM engineer gets 3,108 mpg in his Chevy Volt

[Daox]

Meh, not even worth clicking on (no offense). Its just another sensationalistic headline.

Everything that plugs in should be measured by MPGe, not MPG. Otherwise, its possible to get infinite MPG in the Volt (and any plugin for that matter).

I do the same thing with my plugin kit for my Prius. The number you see in my signature is MPGe. My best tank last summer was a hair shy of 80 MPG, but only ~65 MPGe after you account for the electric energy usage.

[cleanspeed1]

None taken. I readily admit that I am not very electric car literate, plus it's so easy to manipulate the media. It would be nice just to fill up once a month or every two months if it came down to it, with no fancy driving techniques.

[payne171]

Okay, first let's stop comparing the Volt to the 'Vette. There is a huge difference between the two: the Corvette has a high profit margin. This is why I am a big fan of the Cadillac version of the Volt. They could put 1 or 2 thousand dollars into the body and interior and charge $50,000 for it. It would sell for more profit to some people because it makes a lot more sense (to them) to spend that much on a Caddy than a Chevy. With that said, Government Motors or not, GM is in business to make money. You can't just say they should build a car with 4 times the EV range and charge 25% less because GM would lose their ass selling them. Just the battery would add about $25,000 to the price, not counting the mods to the car to handle the weight. (I based that on $500/kwh, so feel free to correct me) it would be great if GM could just eat it and lose money to get the tech developed, but they aren't in the financial position Toyota and Honda were when they started making hybrids. I like to use Edmunds True Cost to Own to compare how expensive a car really is, and the Volt isn't a game changer, but you can do a lot worse, and the list of cars in that cost range that are more ecological is VERY short.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by payne171

This is why I am a big fan of the Cadillac version of the Volt. They could put 1 or 2 thousand dollars into the body and interior and charge $50,000 for it. It would sell for more profit to some people because it makes a lot more sense (to them) to spend that much on a Caddy than a Chevy.

I agree completely. Relatively modest sales numbers would look better too. When people think "Chevy" they think of cars selling in the 100,000 -200,000 per year range. That makes the Volt numbers look pretty low. But 10,000 units is sustainable with a Cadillac model.

As a Cadillac, the perception would be that the vehicle is a premium offering, that it is profitable, that it is selling well, and that it is attractively priced. As a Chevy, it's "just a Chevy," it's not profitable, it's selling poorly, and it is overpriced.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by Daox

Meh, not even worth clicking on (no offense). Its just another sensationalistic headline.

I agree. Back when Aptera was in business, they advertised 300 mpg (when the vehicle ostensibly actually got 120 mpg on gas. They "justified" the 300 mpg figure based on a ludicrously long daily drive. Why not use a shorter daily drive, upping the "mileage" even further? Because then the very high figure draws attention to itself, and a few people would actually be prompted to think, and say: "Oh wait... they can make up any figure and adjust the drive cycle to fit."

As I'm sure you are aware, some of the early Prius conversion companies used 500 mpg, others 100 mpg.

Around the same time, I posted a tongue-in-cheek article on my Zing, in which I claimed 3000 mpg. (Ironically, that number was based on a scenario that I have actually duplicated, in which I drive for 29 miles, and fire up the engine to get the last mile back to my shop.) 3000 mpg not appealing enough? Let me run the test again, and I'll wait til 29.5 miles to start the engine: 6000 mpg.