Volt production halted

[Smidge204]

So does anyone know if this is affecting the price of the Volt on the dealer lot, are they selling significantly under MSRP?

Next few weeks might be a good time to start haggling! The buyer gets an advantage when the supply exceeds demand, no? The dealer might be more willing to cut you a deal when they have stock gathering dust.

=Smidge=

 

[mitch672]

I had negotiated $1700 off MSRP (before my test drive, which killed the Volt for me, see my previous posts in this thread).
Several dealers here had 2-3 Volts to choose from, the largest dealer in the area has 7 of them in stock.

 

[evnow]

Here is an interesting take in the gm-volt thread.

this is why the uaw negotiated the jobs bank program years ago. gm, chrysler and ford would step up production to maximum and build a projected sales amount of vehicles as fast as possible then idle the plant and lay off all the employee's. they had to stop that practice when that program was agreed upon. we need information from the factory floor instead of speculation from news sources with agenda's.......

In Feb Volts were produced at the highest rate todate.

 

[thankyouOB]

This is a tough road for GM against massive anti-EV propanda and zombie lies when you can still go to so-called mainstream news sites (Politico) and read sentences like this yesterday in a story about the short halt in production:

The Chevy Volt has come under criticism from Republicans in Congress because of reports of its batteries catching on fire during testing.

Or go to the Murdoch-run WSJ, still considered wrongly the Bible of economic reporting, and read this:
Launched last year with great fanfare, the Volt has had a rocky start. Short supply and some missteps in rolling the vehicles out to dealers weighed on sales last year. The vehicle's relatively high price tag--$41,000 before a $7,500 government rebate--also kept many consumers away. A U.S. safety investigation into whether the car's battery posed a fire risk after a serious accident added negative publicity. One vehicle caught fire and others sparked after severe crash tests by a U.S. regulatory agency. GM said it would modify and strengthen the vehicles and Federal officials cleared the Volt of any safety risk.

that is not reporting, that is idiocy. the car was found to have no battery-fire problems and the fire issue was totally debunked, yet most people still read this lazy "reporting" and sloppy writing in their favorite media, and they were inundated with stories about battery fires for months and months.

There is no end to the EV hate.

 

[adric22]

What bothers me the most about this story is not that the production line is being closed due to lack of demand, but rather how the ignorant news media will probably be spinning this. Wether we like it or not, negative info about the Volt will also affect perception of the Leaf. I've already been asked a few times if I was worried about my battery catching on fire (in my Leaf)

 

[TonyWilliams]

What bothers me the most about this story is not that the production line is being closed due to lack of demand, but rather how the ignorant news media will probably be spinning this. Wether we like it or not, negative info about the Volt will also affect perception of the Leaf. I've already been asked a few times if I was worried about my battery catching on fire (in my Leaf)

Just ask them how worried they are about that gas tank catching fire.

 

[edatoakrun]

I have been skeptical of the Volt's mass market appeal, from the beginning.

IMO, the limitations of the very complex drive train, expensive, heavy, and bulky, would be best accommodated in either a larger vehicle, a 5 or 7 seat "crossover", or a true performance/luxury 4 seat 2 door, either of which could be produced at a relatively modest premium, over the current cost of Volt production.

GM is unnecessarily handicapping itself, and confusing the issue of PHEV demand, by offering the drive train only in a four passenger four door vehicle, an almost nonexistent market segment, with a car too expensive to be sold on "economy", and too "ordinary" to appeal to the luxury or performance markets.

 

[TRONZ]

Well it's just not 1) a very capable EV 2) A very practical car (small sedan) 3) A very economical car (expensive + poor mileage). The Volts only "advantage" is that GM has built all these problems into a single car.

It will be interesting to watch how the PIP makes out since it offers the same marketing angle in a more practical/economical package.

 

[Herm]

that is not reporting, that is idiocy.

I think that piece you quoted from the "Murdoch-run WSJ" is dead on.. painful as it is. Perhaps its time to review your medications with your doctor.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

the Volt would have sold just fine if their gas range had been over say 44 mpg. it is not, so it will not

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

the Volt would have sold just fine if their gas range had been over say 44 mpg. it is not, so it will not

JMO while the negative publicity hasn't helped, the price is a deal breaker. California Leaf buyers got an extra $5k subsidy making it a just a little more than inexpensive gas car. With the 2012 price increase buyers in states (like FL) that don't have additional subsidies buyers are looking at a sizable nut for a Leaf; I know it really made me think twice. Yet another $5k on top of that for a Volt would have been out of the question.

Sure you have "German luxury car" buyers who routinely spend more than that for an Audi or a BMW, but most of them are just looking to project an image, and the Volt doesn't do that.

Too bad they can't cut the price, but apparently they've just got too much cost in it.

 

[Jagular]

Too bad they can't cut the price, but apparently they've just got too much cost in it.

I thought I heard that Toyota actually sold the Prius at a loss for the first few years to capture the market. With the Prius plug-in coming soon and probably less expensive than the Volt, I wouldn't be surprised to find that potential Volt owners decided to wait for Prius, instead.

 

[evnow]

I think they made some strategic & tactical errors.

Tactial mistakes were
- Too expensive
- Called it an EV and then tried to explain it doesn't have a range limitation. Difficult to educate people on that - it would have been esier to call it a hybrid that gives over 100 MPG (I known ...)

Strategically - They targetted the wrong segment. It should have been a compact cross over/ SUV. This would have allowed them to price at 40k.

 

[scottf200]

the Volt would have sold just fine if their gas range had been over say 44 mpg. it is not, so it will not

When to a neighboring state today for a tournament so drove 120ish miles in low 30s and light snow. Got home with 54 "MPGused" after driving part way there on $0.70 worth of electricity and fully comfortable heat (ie no jacket). Working [well] as designed. My scangauge regularly showed > 42 MPG when the car was at 1600 RPM at 65 MPH.

 

[TomT]

Ironically, if they sold the exact same car at the exact same price but as a Buick, which is more upscale than Chevy, it likely would sold just fine.

Sure you have "German luxury car" buyers who routinely spend more than that for an Audi or a BMW, but most of them are just looking to project an image, and the Volt doesn't do that.

 

[edatoakrun]

... My scangauge regularly showed > 42 MPG when the car was at 1600 RPM at 65 MPH.

Won't a MT Cruze beat that MPG at 65 mph?

And won't a Prius get over 50 mpg at the same speed?

Either of them, while carrying 5 passengers?

 

[DaveEV]

... My scangauge regularly showed > 42 MPG when the car was at 1600 RPM at 65 MPH.

Won't a MT Cruze beat that MPG at 65 mph?

And won't a Prius get over 50 mpg at the same speed?

Either of them, while carrying 5 passengers?

Consumer Reports published some 65 mph testing in various cars:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/02/reality-check-will-your-car-actually-achieve-the-advertised-40-mpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They didn't test the Cruze but I'd expect it to be around 40 mpg. Constant speed "Cruzing" is best case scenario for an ICE, though. Prius beat all others handily in their test, though, getting 55 mpg at a constant 65 mph.

 

[scottf200]

... My scangauge regularly showed > 42 MPG when the car was at 1600 RPM at 65 MPH.

Won't a MT Cruze beat that MPG at 65 mph?
And won't a Prius get over 50 mpg at the same speed?
Either of them, while carrying 5 passengers?

Consumer Reports published some 65 mph testing in various cars:
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/02/reality-check-will-your-car-actually-achieve-the-advertised-40-mpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They didn't test the Cruze but I'd expect it to be around 40 mpg. Constant speed "Cruzing" is best case scenario for an ICE, though. Prius beat all others handily in their test, though, getting 55 mpg at a constant 65 mph.

Just to keep it real. The cost difference between driving a Prius and my Volt on days like yesterday where I go just over 100 miles and use electricity for part of the trip is less than a buck. I spent that much on a drink at the gas station <grin>. And I love the comfort, ride and "thumbs up on the highway" of the Volt. Really great cruiser.

From Facebook Volt page:
Internet Sales Specialist in San Diego, California

We have sold 18 of the 30 we have coming in and have none on the lot. Hopefully CA has enough to sell as we are in a roll. The 0% for buyers and the addition of the HOV eligibility has created a sales frenzy. Oh and of course has well over $4.50 a gallon, too.

 

[edatoakrun]

... My scangauge regularly showed > 42 MPG when the car was at 1600 RPM at 65 MPH.

Won't a MT Cruze beat that MPG at 65 mph?

And won't a Prius get over 50 mpg at the same speed?

Either of them, while carrying 5 passengers?

Consumer Reports published some 65 mph testing in various cars:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/02/reality-check-will-your-car-actually-achieve-the-advertised-40-mpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They didn't test the Cruze but I'd expect it to be around 40 mpg. Constant speed "Cruzing" is best case scenario for an ICE, though. Prius beat all others handily in their test, though, getting 55 mpg at a constant 65 mph.

I'd think the gas Cruze ECO (is that what it's called?) might beat the several gas ICEVs tested, which got 43-45 mpg.

And (when/if) the Cruze TDI is available, it should just about match the 50 mpg of the VW TDI's.

 

[scottf200]

Screws tighten on European automakers

By COLLEEN BARRY
The Associated Press
Posted: 4:36 a.m. Sunday, March 4, 2012

MILAN — As automakers prepare to roll out new models this week at the Geneva Auto Show — one of the major events in the automotive calendar — they are being forced to fight for a slice of an ever-shrinking European market stricken with austerity and recession.

On top of this, carmakers are also having to confront the uncomfortable fact that a large number of their production lines are lying idle and eating up valuable funds. Industry executives, including Fiat and Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne, have estimated that Europe's car industry has the production capacity to build 20 per cent more vehicles than they are currently able to sell, an imbalance that hurts both their ability to compete and bottom line, especially as European sales tumble.

This problem of overcapacity and underused factories is one that automakers have long lamented, but can no longer ignore. Fiat, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Opel, Renault and Ford Europe all are losing money in Europe — even when sales in emerging economies such as China help keep the companies in the black.

"If I could do only one thing, it would probably be to create a flexible work environment to manage supply and demand," Marchionne, who is also chairman of the European Auto Manufacturers Association, said recently in Brussels.

Cars sales in Europe this year are forecast to decline by nearly 5 percent to 12.9 million units, according to the Center for Automotive Research — down from 15.7 million in 2000.

European auto demand has dried up as consumer confidence buckles under the pressure of government austerity measures, rising and persistent unemployment and the deepening of southern Europe's recession.
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