Poll : Will Volt "sales" top Leaf "sales" in Sept ?

With a week left for the close of this (Sep '11) month, time for some fun poll.

Volt deliveries had dwindled quite a bit in the last 2 months because of switchover to MY12 - falling to 125 in July but getting back to 300 last month. They are producing some 150 a day now (so 2.5K a month). Not sure how much of that is going to Canada or Europe.

Nissan hit a high of 1,700 in June but delivered 1,300 last month.

What will we see when September numbers come out next Monday ?

I voted no, Leaf production is ramped up pretty well now. The lease
incentive may move a few more (Volts) than if it wasn't available. BUTT my
"local" dealer wouldn't even call me back after I brought it to his attention.
I think too many of them think that they will tack a couple grand on for fun.

LEAF will always be higher

How in the world do you get that kind of dash mileage? I'm setting not-so-pretty on 3.6 m/kW ever since a few hundred miles and at 7,700 where I'm at now is where it settled. It won't budge. I do mostly 65 mph. You must live in LA or take short trips in town no faster than 40 mph. Or?

ILETRIC said:

I do mostly 65 mph. You must live in LA or take short trips in town no faster than 40 mph. Or?

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If you do mostly 65 mph, your m/kwh will be lower. My commute is small (though hilly) - and I drive conservatively.

ILETRIC said:

How in the world do you get that kind of dash mileage?

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If you want to get that kind of mileage, see this thread: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=5508" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No, Volt sales will not top Leaf sales.

I vote no. The Leaf has a lower MSRP and in states like California, has larger rebates. The Leaf also doesn't carry the hate from the Government Motors folks or the tailpipe stigma. In addition 2011 units sold out some time ago and 2012 models will not go on sale until next month.

Having said that, I think the Vote is a great car that is intended for a different market than the leaf. I view then as complements, not competitors.

Uuumm No. Leaf just increases it lead. Is the Volt available in all U.S. markets? I have not been keeping up with it.

You drive like your entire world and life is in slow motion... :lol:

ILETRIC said:

How in the world do you get that kind of dash mileage? I'm setting not-so-pretty on 3.6 m/kW ever since a few hundred miles and at 7,700 where I'm at now is where it settled. It won't budge. I do mostly 65 mph. You must live in LA or take short trips in town no faster than 40 mph. Or?

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Sorry, gotta keep up with the traffic rather than be a road hazard in the right lane goin' 52. Plus we want to show the ICE cars we can do it too, don't we? Otherwise they will never consider EV ever. I plan to drive for free anyway. That is as soon as DOW rolls out those Powerhouse solar shingles. I'm getting 7 kW system on my roof as soon as they hit Ca. That will write a coda for solar panels. DOW is going to flood the world with these while panels will die a painful death.

To be back on the main topic ...
As of Sep 14th, Nissan was at "almost 7,000 LEAFs on the streets in the US, and more than 12,000 in the world"

I've never had someone ask me, "Volt or LEAF?" I think at this stage of the game those that want a Volt are waiting for one, and those who want a LEAF are waiting for one. Thus, it's dependent on how many the respective manufacturers can deliver.

@ILETRIC...the secret is...traffic jams. Schedule your travel accordingly

The 150/day number means Volt sales will probably top Leaf sales. Hard to see how this would not happen. The highest VIN on the Volt forum seems to be #5300, so between now and when GM restarted production (mid July?) they've made at least that many Volts. Some of these are demos for dealers and a few might be Opel Amperas but the biggest holdup would seem to be shipping delays. Some guy with VIN#1736 which was produced in the middle of August is still waiting to pick up his car. Also there will probably be a delay between the sale and the report of the sale. But with August sales being reported in September you have to think there would be 2000 Volt sales. It might be close but you have to give the edge to Volt sales.

Going forward you have to expect more Volt sales. At this point it's all about supply, not about demand. GM has announced that in January it's adding a second shift to bump production to 60K units in 2012, with 45K of those destined for NA. Since Nissan won't be making 45K Leafs for the NA market in 2012, more Volts than Leafs for the next 18 months.

None of this matters very much, though we are moving in on 100K EVs a year. The ramp up for hybrid sales was much slower.

The Leaf will stay on top. The Volt is just too expensive and too compacted. Just think of all the drivetrain parts the Volt has for the electric motor, gas engine, transmission and a generator, compared to the very simple Leaf drivetrain.

I plan to drive for free anyway. That is as soon as DOW rolls out those Powerhouse solar shingles.

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Drive for free? Wow, where can I get these "free" solar panels?

ILETRIC said:

DOW is going to flood the world with these while panels will die a painful death.

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Uh huh, and how much per Watt will it cost for these? If you can top my $ .91/W fully installed, then you have made an improvement!

DOW Powerhouse shingles will cost about 60% of panels. They are cheaper because they are not Silicon-based (amorphous Silicon in panels is expensive) and they are somewhat less efficient. So you have to add a few more sq feet to make up for that. I'm sure DOW can arrange some solar rebates/discounts once it rolls out. Go on their site. Look at the pics. The specs are available.

Train said:

Drive for free? Wow, where can I get these "free" solar panels?

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The electricity generated by the Powerhouse solar shingles is free not the solar shingles.

It's going to be a couple of years or so before we actually see a large-scale commercial roll-out though... I inquired and was told he end of 2012...

ILETRIC said:

DOW Powerhouse shingles will cost about 60% of panels. They are cheaper because they are not Silicon-based (amorphous Silicon in panels is expensive) and they are somewhat less efficient. So you have to add a few more sq feet to make up for that. I'm sure DOW can arrange some solar rebates/discounts once it rolls out. Go on their site. Look at the pics. The specs are available.

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