 Original idea. |
 Buick-ized real version. |
For starters, G.M.’s vision turned into a car that costs $41,000 before relevant tax breaks … but after billions of dollars of government loans and grants for the Volt’s development and production. And instead of the sleek coupe of 2007, it looks suspiciously similar to a Toyota Prius. It also requires premium gasoline, seats only four people (the battery runs down the center of the car, preventing a rear bench) and has less head and leg room than the $17,000 Chevrolet Cruze, which is more or less the non-electric version of the Volt.
Let the chiding begin. Personally, I’d like to know why they changed the look from sleek and modern to GM dowdy. I smell a focus group lurking!
#29 Greg Allen,
The Japanese car makers have their design services in California, where they breathe the pure liberal green air.
The American car makers are in Detroit’s suburbs, where they can see the pretty grimy remains of liberalism in the city, but still governed by reality instead of “feelings”.
So the Japanese guys have a better view into the vacuous minds of blue state America.
$7500 subsidy means the car costs about $33000?
So this is a subsidy for wealthier drivers.
Once again no one sees the truth of it all? This stupid car is not supposed to be sold anyway, it’s for suckers.
This car was made and priced so no one would buy it, GM never wanted to make a hybrid car and still don’t, the US gov pushed them to put out something anything! GM was all about setting it’s self up as a scam to stab the unions and cash in on bail outs. Now we have this stupid over priced car that underperforms.
The only way Americans are going to get a good electric can is to make one your self.
35,
you are partly right..
Let me add..
In japan, they built the WHOLE THING, from battery to transformers..
In the USA, the CORP, farmed out the building(probably to other USA companies) of many of the parts. The CAR industry, BUILDS CARS, it only puts the PARTS together, all the parts are from around the world.
So, those FARMED PARTS(trying to keep the WHOLE process in the USA) cost money, and AS PER USUAL EACh company added there PROFIT MARGIN on top.
Insted of paying 1 corp for ALL of a car. WE are paying 3-4 companies and 1 LARGE CORP, all putting a PRICE TAG for profits ON TOP.
Toyota, DUMPED there profit the first few years to ALMOST $0. so they could get a Good release and a bunch of cars on the road.
It worked, and NOW the price is alittle higher, and they are making a fair profit.
There is PROBABLY $15,000 extra profit on top of this car. NO COMPANY will do anything, FOR FREE or even a FAIR price.`
The reason the actual Volt looks so different from the original plan is that they discovered that original design was so aerodynamically bad that was actually more efficient to drive the thing backwards.
I’ve read that the dealers are pricing these up in the $60k range, almost 50% markup over the MSRP of $41k. So WHY are us taxpayers having to pay GM $7k for every Volt they sell? If the dealers think the market can bear $60k, then we should not be subsidizing these cars.
Regarding the price. GM’s claims there is nothing they can do about it (true). Dealers own their state laws, and GM can not legally tell a dealer what they can do.
#37
YANK..
I can tell you 1 problem, the BIG ONE.
Those persons DESIGNING this thing have NO backward history. They KNOW only the last 20-30 years of motors.
They could use a centrifugal force wheel, and a HUFFER-PUFFER engine that ONLY fire as the wheel slows, These engines are SUPER efficient/Durable/easy to maintain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-rWfh_7rJc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KodKhzVLO4&feature=related
these engines can run on 1-5 gallons of fuel aday..and run forever.
It is a car.
Until they get me my landspeeder, I will never be impressed by these clunkers from the 19th century.
People that gush over Victorian Era technology should take up badminton and leaf pressing.
Cursor_
This is all bull crap! GM, and several other makers, turned out working all electric vehicles back in 1991, when California mandated it. But these makers all made them “lease only” and refused to sell them outright. Not even to people who could easily afford them, like Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson (who drove them for a while). Then after the car makers successfully lobbied CA to drop its Zero Emissions mandate. They had all those electric cars recalled, crushed and shredded. Except those made overseas, in Denmark. Who managed to have those shipped back. And are still running today. Did GM just conveniently forget everything they learned from designing and building the EV-1? Apparently so. Because it looks like they’re only interested in making a very expensive, luxury, electric, muscle car. Making sure it costs way more than one will ever save on buying gas, over ten years time. Way to reverse engineer a lemon, GM.
Bmw or Chevy volt. such a hard decision
Definitely Chevy! American cars are the best! Much better than anything German or Italian! Pfffee.
Corporate footdragging in the US on adoption of alternate and advanced energy technologies will only guarantee that we’ll be buying devices using those technologies from other countries in the future.
I think these diesel Jettas are still far more appealing. 50+ mpg is no joke, I drive an older one that got 55+ mpg through the middle of Pennsylvania.
oops, make that past tense…I drove one.
Yup Olo, VW is better than GM. Heck, Neil Young is better than GM.
This place is losing its edge. I had to go all the way to #27 before somebody blamed President Obama.
At least the kooks who blame everything on “greens” are still out in force, ruining this blog.
I have said all this time that the Volt will never make it into production. Its going to be stillborn.
GM’s looking at going back to gas guzzler performance cars to rescue its company.
I heard they knew that the new design would not match the original “Dream Car” so they toyed with the idea of calling it the Re-Volt. I wonder why they dropped that idea?
Chevy took a good looking concept and made a production plain jane out of it a real turn off on the styling side lets face it we would like to see new styling in the current automakers line up.
Hi folks,
Has anyone looked at how many people can fit in it? Certainly my grandmothers can’t. Obviously GM is out-a-date.
Also the car is only for greenies who just love greeny things.
Can anyone explain to me if my company will install battery hook ups or my condo owners or apartment oweners.
Can’t take it to the cottage. No power!!!
Again I would like to see all those GM execs. drive to survive.
I wonder how much electrical energy costs will quickly climb to accomodate.
To bad for the environment in seeing all those Coal / Gas plants burning evermore green house gases.
And how much will insurance will cost for all those possible liablity cases for technology failures, overheating lithium batteries, and garage fires.
How much will it cost.
By folks