Article Comments - 2011 Chevy Volt: Will GM Get It Done?

24 messages, Last post on Apr 25, 2009 at 5:05 AM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Volt, Electric Cars

2011 Chevy Volt: Will GM Get It Done? - Most people view the GM EV1 as a dismal failure. Viewed from strictly a marketing perspective, they are right. (more)

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#7 of 24 At what cost? by bigred54 Sep 15, 2008 (7:09 am)
Looks like another pie in the sky that is doom to fail. it makes no difference if you can get 50 or 100 or even 150 miles per gallon if very few people can afford the car. At $40,000.00 + it will fall into the novelty category and GM will be lucky to sell a few thousands- compounding the high cost is the expected short live of the battery pack - about 3 years and the $10,000 it will cost to replace it. Meanwhile Toyota and Honda will churn out sub 20K hybrids that will get 50+ Miles per gallon selling 400,000 units without blinking an eye. Add to that Nissan plug in for under 25K and a slew of Korean hybrids coming in 2012 and you can kiss GM goodbye.
#8 of 24 Re: Article Comments - 2011 Chevy Volt: Will GM Get It Done? (ho [steveaccord] by guy1974 Sep 16, 2008 (6:36 am)
Replying to: steveaccord (Sep 14, 2008 3:45 pm) Steve - it depends on how the electricity is generated. If nuclear or wind/wave/solar is used then the pollution is much less. Also any pollution is centralized at power stations which can be cleasne dup rather than out of individual exhausts spewing out on the streets. I am sure the engine will be made more economical over time. You have to start somewhere. The Prius was not (and is not) perfect at the first generation so don`t be too critical. Electric vehicles do offer hope. I would also think 5-7 hours recharging would burn less energy than 12 gallons of gasoline (and associated transporting and refining costs).
#9 of 24 Why will it sell? by sailorman4 Sep 17, 2008 (10:59 am)
Chevrolet and GM have touted the Volt as the car that will put GM back on the map in terms of automobile profits. For those of you working at GM, I would urge you to update your resume and keep a sharp eye out for another job. Why would anyone in their right mind pay $40,000 for a four passenger car that goes all of 40 miles on an electric charge and costs nearly $40,000. I've owned dozens of cars and for the past year a 2008 Prius. It consistently gets 45 miles to the gallon, holds five passengers, has the benefit of a hatch that when open is similar to many SUVS and can go up to 90 miles an hour? It costs in its most expensive form $28000 dollars. GM is dreaming. The Volt, in my opinion will be a flop. Sailorman29 Replies to this message: bigred54 (Sep 17, 2008 1:15 pm)
#10 of 24 Re: Why will it sell? [sailorman4] by bigred54 Sep 17, 2008 (1:15 pm)
Replying to: sailorman4 (Sep 17, 2008 10:59 am) Honda insight is a Hybrid that gets 50 miles gal. and cost under 20K. 40k is loss leader gor GM! batteries not included!
#11 of 24 On Rationalizing The Volt's Price... by hpmctorque Sep 21, 2008 (8:21 pm)
Heere's an interesting article from the Detroit Free Press: "Chevy Volt's value is as dawn of era BY MARK PHELAN • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • September 21, 2008 Two recurring strains of criticism surfaced amid all the hoopla over the Chevrolet Volt electric car last week: • It's too expensive. Nobody will buy it, and if anybody does, it'll be rich dilettantes, not the working folks who really need to cut their gasoline bill. • It doesn't go far enough. It's impractical for people who use one car for all their needs. Neither complaint is correct, but the way the misinformation proliferated across the Internet demonstrates how different the Volt is from any car on the road today. You can't judge the Volt based on traditional criteria like sticker price and trunk room. Don't think of it solely as a car. It's a lifestyle, a political view, a fashion statement and the coolest new gadget you can get. If GM gets the Volt right, it's the 1984 Apple Macintosh on wheels, smashing an old paradigm and setting America free. It's Mini Cooper compact cool mated to Prius environmental chic. It will also be a compact car likely to cost around $42,000 when it goes on sale, a premium small car with unique style and performance, like the $46,000 BMW 135i or $44,000 Audi A3. And it may be the only game in town if you want the latest and greatest technology on wheels, a vehicle that says you're smart, involved and want to thumb your noise at Big Oil and the despotic countries that produce it. Why did people stand in line all night to pay $400 for an Apple iPhone last year when other companies literally give mobile phones away? Because it was unique. Because it was the best. That's one reason the Volt's introductory price is immaterial. If the car keeps the promises GM has made -- 40 miles on battery power alone, and the ability to drive unlimited distances by using its onboard generator -- the first year's production will sell out the weekend the Volt goes on sale. The other reason not to fret about the initial price is that it will fall, and it will fall fast. The industrial model and product cycle that apply to the Volt are closer to the fast-paced development of mobile phones and laptop computers than the six-year cycle of most cars. Cost should fall quickly, and it would be very surprising if Volt buyers don't get substantial tax incentives. None of that makes the Volt the people's car, but GM plans to use its powertrain in other models. Concerns about the Volt's cruising range are even less significant than fretting over its sticker price, but they highlight the need for GM to explain the car to buyers. While electricity stored from an outlet provides enough energy to cover at least 40 miles (city or highway driving), the little gasoline-powered generator under the hood will keep the battery charged on longer drives. It's an elegant solution that engineers love, but it will take a while before less technically oriented people figure out they can drive the Volt cross-country all day, just like a conventional car. The Volt is the tip of the spear. If it works, GM plans to rapidly adapt its powertrain for high-volume cars with mass-market prices. It's not a car for everyone, but it's the first step toward a new kind of car for everyone." Replies to this message: nwng (Sep 22, 2008 1:53 pm) crazybaldhead (Feb 24, 2009 10:59 pm) morin2 (Mar 02, 2009 3:28 pm) wlbrown9 (Mar 10, 2009 8:51 am)
#12 of 24 Re: On Rationalizing The Volt's Price... [hpmctorque] by nwng Sep 22, 2008 (1:53 pm)
Replying to: hpmctorque (Sep 21, 2008 8:21 pm) people don't blink for a $400 ipod because it's only $400, same thing for $200 sneakers. Toyota, king of the costs cutters, cannot manager to load their hybrid synergy drive into the corolla and yaris at a price that is marketable. And they have loads of cash to burn. Do you think GM will have that kind of resource in a couple of years?
#13 of 24 Re: On Rationalizing The Volt's Price... (nwng) by hpmctorque Sep 23, 2008 (12:20 am)
"Do you think GM will have that kind of resource in a couple of years?" That's a rather rhetorical question, but I can't say your implied conclusion is unreasonable. We may - or may not - be surprised at how the Volt story plays out. It'll certainly be interesting to see whether the Volt fulfils its promise. I hope the optimistic view is vindicated, that GM defies the odds, but I have a neutral view on this at the moment, because I don't have a good enough technical grasp on whether the Volt's attributes are achievable by 2010 (for the 2011 model year).
#14 of 24 it's all about marketing by aspesisteve Oct 14, 2008 (7:39 am)
Today's paper has a (page 3) full page ad by GM promoting the Chevy Volt. GM says the Volt is an "extended-range electric vehicle designed to move over 75% of Americas's daily commuters without a single drop of gas." (talk about spin) they go on about how they are re-inventing the automobile and how they are well on their way.... I don't know what GM spends on ads like this or what they get in return, but it does strike me as a desperate attempt to tell the public not to give up on them. That GM is going to deliver that high milege car that Toyota has had for over 5 years now. Hopefully the multi Billion $$ in subsidised loans from the government will get them there. In the mean time, I'd llike to think their CEO and high level managers are all taking a pay cut to reflect the position they are in.
#15 of 24 Not telling the truth, just another GM liar by liveoilfree Nov 01, 2008 (3:32 pm)
This guy says he was working on the EV1, but doesn't know the facts; there were 1115 EV1 built and leased, not one was not leased, and all of them would have sold if they were offered for sale. Because GM is still lying about the EV1, it's no surprise that people might think GM is lying about the VOLT, and its intentions. Replies to this message: paisan (Nov 02, 2008 5:31 am) aspesisteve (Nov 11, 2008 1:40 pm)
#16 of 24 Re: Not telling the truth, just another GM liar [liveoilfree] by paisan Nov 02, 2008 (5:31 am)
Replying to: liveoilfree (Nov 01, 2008 3:32 pm) Just read an article on the volt. Its actually different from any hybrid you've seen out there. While it has a gas generator to power the electric motor in the event your batteries run down and you are out on the road, there is no physical connection between the gas motor and the propulsion of the vehicle. All the other hybrids use a physical gas engine to power the wheels in some form or another. When running on batteries alone you get about 40 miles out of it and it'll do 100mph with 0-60 in about 9 seconds. This is from a 3hr charge from a 220v outlet or 6hr charge from a 110v outlet costing around $1. So based on current gas prices you are getting about 90 mpg (based on $2.50 / gal price) If you run out of battery juice, the motor generator turns on and provides AC power to the electric motors and gets about 22-25mpg so you aren't stuck out on the road. The only downside I see right now is that it costs $35k so your payback will be slow similar to all the current hybrids on the market. -mike modifications and motorsports host Replies to this message: aspesisteve (Nov 11, 2008 1:40 pm)