Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
After much hype for GM's first "Plug In" hybrid electric car, the grand sales total for year 1?
7,671 cars.
Dealers in many parts of the country are refusing delivery of additional Volts due to low customer demand, and GM is now revising future sales figures significantly downward.
http://jalopnik.com/5878376/gm-deale...re-chevy-volts
I feel like there just isn't a market for Plug-In vehicles in America. I also think it probably hurts a lot that the people MOST likely to buy electric vehicles (young, urban-dwelling professionals) are probably the people least likely to own a residence that has a garage or spot where the vehicle can be charged daily.
Either way, major dud for GM (who has invested a non-insignificant amount of money getting this project out the door).
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Electric cars are good ideas, but at this point, simply won't work on a large scale for the reasons you mentioned.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
I think its biggest problem isn't that it needs to plug in, it's that it costs $15k more then a Prius.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
They absolutely can work on a large scale & in fact are the only way the U.S. will ever switch over to electric vehicles. For U.S. drivers the big issue is range & due to the stupid way we've built our cities, this makes sense. The Volt and whatever the Prius plug-in will eventually be take care of this issue.
I think CE is on to something with the garage issue, but it isn't only space, it is also the fact that any 'ol socket won't do or it takes forever to charge. So you need to install a 220 Volt outlet to get it done with speed and that is added cost.
I agree that it ultimately comes down to price & institutional memory. It is too expensive and people are too timid to try something completely new. I mean there really aren't that many that can afford the damn thing, limiting the potential pool.
That said, plug-ins make too much sense not to eventually find their market here.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KronoRed
I think its biggest problem isn't that it needs to plug in, it's that it costs $15k more then a Prius.
Yep. Why would I throw the savings on gas right back into the car?
If it saves money, make it save money.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spazzrico
They absolutely can work on a large scale & in fact are the only way the U.S. will ever switch over to electric vehicles. For U.S. drivers the big issue is range & due to the stupid way we've built our cities, this makes sense. The Volt and whatever the Prius plug-in will eventually be take care of this issue.
I think CE is on to something with the garage issue, but it isn't only space, it is also the fact that any 'ol socket won't do or it takes forever to charge. So you need to install a 220 Volt outlet to get it done with speed and that is added cost.
I agree that it ultimately comes down to price & institutional memory. It is too expensive and people are too timid to try something completely new. I mean there really aren't that many that can afford the damn thing, limiting the potential pool.
That said, plug-ins make too much sense not to eventually find their market here.
I did say that for now, they won't work on the large scale. And they won't because I can't drive to Dayton and back from Cincinnati with one.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
15-20 years from now, I think we'll all be driving electric. It makes too much sense not to. But it's not going to happen on a large until gasoline becomes prohibitively expensive. And when that happens, battery life and charging technology will hopefully have advanced far enough to make the range issue a non-issue.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
There are several other issues keeping us from getting only electric cars anytime soon:
People like me who travel long distances, but don't fly. Electric cars aren't going to be making 10+ hour drives anytime soon.
Sports cars. The technology simply isn't there to make it feasible to match the power of a gas powered car for anything close to an acceptable price.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Most of the electric cars are meant for big city people who never go anywhere, one of those things lack the real power to even make the commute over an average West Virginia hill. They will never hit a lot of this country because of the terrain. Anyone know how much GM got from the government for producing this, I would like to see a per car estimated value just to see the kind of bang for the buck.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Slyder
Most of the electric cars are meant for big city people who never go anywhere, one of those things lack the real power to even make the commute over an average West Virginia hill. They will never hit a lot of this country because of the terrain. Anyone know how much GM got from the government for producing this, I would like to see a per car estimated value just to see the kind of bang for the buck.
Quote:
Electric cars have good torque and will climb hills but the trade for this is a greater drain on the battery meaning you will need to recharge sooner.
http://www.electriccarsite.co.uk/pro...-electric-cars
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Slyder
Anyone know how much GM got from the government for producing this, I would like to see a per car estimated value just to see the kind of bang for the buck.
http://jalopnik.com/5870507/report-e...ment-subsidies
Article from the same place. Gets into some of the numbers.
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dougdirt
Quote:
The total amount of state and federal subsidies for each Chevy Volt sold is as much as $256,824 per vehicle according to a fiscal analysis by Michigan's Mackinac Center for Public Policy. All for a car that only costs $39,828.
Sounds about right. Ya gotta love government.
And there is talk going on - even the UAW is inquiring to know - that GM may move production to China. We'll see on that.
If I can afford to spend $40,000 on a car, it sure isn't going to be on a Volt. I'm going Acura baby! :D
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Give me power baby. Unless technology goes somewhere it is not at today.
Yard tools... gas or electric? All gas at my house. Power. Gas gives the power to get the job done right. Gas allows me to not plug-in. Sure I have to occasionally fill-up, but I'll take that 1 minute over "oh crap, I forgot to plug-in after my last use now I cannot work in the yard". Which leads to another point... oh crap, I forgot to plug-in my car. Now I have to use a vacation day b/c I cannot get to work (or I can get there, but I'll never have the juice to make it back home). No thanks.
Hopefully technology will take it to the next (more usable) level. Technology has done it for many other things. However... will the gov't (and the jobs that gasoline allows) allow it to happen?
Re: Chevy Volt: 1 Year Later?
Has anyone ever come out and laid out the actual cost of the Volt? It takes money in order to charge the Volt. It may not be gasoline expesnive but that is an added cost that I have yet to see mentioned.