Fail?
Quote:
The Chevrolet Volt won't roll off an assembly line for another two years, but 34,520 people in 60 countries and all 50 states would buy one tomorrow if they could.
Lyle Dennis, a New York neurologist and the world's No. 1 Volt fanboy, has spent more than a year compiling an unofficial waiting list of prospective buyers over at GM-Volt.com. He's posted some of the details on his blog, where they're updated in real time. More than 1,500 people have signed on in the 24 hours since the details started bouncing around the Internet.
"I don't think GM, when it announced this car, had any idea how big it would become," Dennis told us. "I've always believed that by the time the car was produced we'd have 100,000 people waiting for one. Now I think that might be low."
GM's got an impressive marketing division and it's undoubtedly got a line on how the range-extended electric vehicle will sell when production starts in November, 2010. But it would do well to check in with Dennis, because his list represents $258 million in potential sales.
Dennis fell for the car when GM unveiled it at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007, and he launched GM-Volt.com a few days later to build support for the car. He attracted the attention of executives and engineers working on the Volt, and his tireless cheerleading prompted the General to accept his invitation to meet with Volt fanatics earlier this year during the New York Auto Show.
Eager to prove there's a market for the car and convince GM to build it in big numbers, Dennis started the unofficial waiting list in May, 2007. The prospective buyers who've signed up so far are willing to pay an average of $31,380.53 for the Volt.
By far the greatest interest is in California, where 1,217 people want one of the cars "Maximum Bob" Lutz has called the auto industry's moonshot. But the list includes prospective buyers in such far-flung places as Aruba, Georgia (the country and the state) and Uzbekistan. There's even someone in Vatican City who wants one, and someone in Saudi Arabia signed on today.
"Demand for the car has been intensifying," Dennis says, noting the list passed 10,000 on January 26 and hit 20,000 on May 4. Rising gas prices undoubtedly drive some of the interest, but Dennis believes interest in the Volt goes deeper than that.
"People want to get off oil," he says. "This is about what the car represents, and that's really struck a chord."
GM isn't saying what the car will cost, but Lutz has suggested it'll be in the $30,000 to $40,000 ballpark. All spokesman Robert Peterson would say is, "We've always been committed to making this an affordable car so we can sell it in volume."
How great a volume? Look for initial runs in the tens of thousands while GM gets costs under control and the technology gains a foothold in the market. The goal, however, is to sell the Volt globally and adapt its drivetrain to other models. "This is by no stretch of the imagination a niche vehicle or a one-off," Peterson says.
That's about what I expected. To counteract those that think this car will fail, I will take the opposing viewpoint. I believe this car will catapult GM far ahead of anyone else, and give them a massive competitive edge. People will buy this car. It might not cost $30k at launch, but within a few years it will. And when it does, GM will probably not be able to make enough of them to satisfy demand.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about
the former." - Albert Einstein
The lights are relly neat.
It almost looks like they are taming the styling. I hope it doesn't turn into a malibu clone.
so what happens if you forget to turn the dome light off and use up the battery over night? This will probably be the biggest obstacle facing GM concerning the Volt. /sarcasm
Being that this is on a updated Delta chassis, $30K over a $10K Cobalt, oh yhea this is going to be sweet.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
The Delta 2 platform isn't @!#$ty tho.
It'd be nice to see them build one similar in drivetrain design to the Tesla roadster....NO gas needed.
here are some more, comparing concept to production...
@!#$ is pretty crazy. nice.
The styling cues are still attractive. I want to know if the profile of the car stayed the same. What are they hiding?
I think the car will be a hit. I would likely get one. I wished they had kept the EV1. 40 miles on a charge is perfect for me, especially with a generator on board in case I want to go farther. It not only is a perfect choice for commuting, but is basically 0 emissions which will appeal many others. Diesel may be easier and cheaper now, but that does nothing to ease our dependency on oil.
2004 Cavalier. Razzi. (Sold)
1998 Corvette. Some mods.
1992 Typhoon. Lots of mods.
1994 Civic VX 44MPG
Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
GM knows the car isn't going to save the company. That's why the latest 450 mil went to developing the newly opened up chinese market.
If you care at all about the environment, and our subservience to the middle east. you wouldn't be such a diesel fan. A french car no less. lol. It doesn't matter how much milleage you can get out of the thing because the price of diesel will go sky high as demand goes up. Many valid points have been presented in many different threads, yet you can only grasp the marketing sound bite.
GM already made an viable electric car. Perfect in every way for most everyone's commuting needs. If you are driving more than 100miles to work everyday, Move!
If the electric car does come, the maintenance industry will be done with. Diesel may be the only way we can support cafe with hydrocarbon fuels and let the auto industry get away with the status quo.
Everyone needs to watch
Who Killed the Electric car.
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
400 miles on a 7 gallon tank is still awesome. IIRC isn't that Peugeot still just a concept? Plus what are the chance of it selling here in the US??
If this car is anywhere between 30-35K I will buy the Volt.
Im tired of depending on the oil industry, there are alot of ways to produce electricity even at home..../ wind power, solar, etc.
At the very least it will lessen my dependence on oil.
"Go Before Show Yo."
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Craig Lewis wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
GM knows the car isn't going to save the company. That's why the latest 450 mil went to developing the newly opened up chinese market.
If you care at all about the environment, and our subservience to the middle east. you wouldn't be such a diesel fan. A french car no less. lol. It doesn't matter how much milleage you can get out of the thing because the price of diesel will go sky high as demand goes up. Many valid points have been presented in many different threads, yet you can only grasp the marketing sound bite.
GM already made an viable electric car. Perfect in every way for most everyone's commuting needs. If you are driving more than 100miles to work everyday, Move!
If the electric car does come, the maintenance industry will be done with. Diesel may be the only way we can support cafe with hydrocarbon fuels and let the auto industry get away with the status quo.
Everyone needs to watch
Who Killed the Electric car.
Diesels can be made as clean as gasoline car, and can be made cleaner if GM would have invested 1/6 of the money the Volt project costs.
Oil dependence from the middile east? US we gets our oil from Canada and Mexico, also North America is Volt's market. Basically no dent on mid-east oil.
What is wrong with being a french car fan fan? Oh yes, it is the cool thing to hate on the French. Ooops.
Pot meet kettle on "grasping the sound bite."
Who killed the electric car? Technology's cost in order to make the vehicle somewhat useful.
deftonesfan817(martin edmonds) wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
400 miles on a 7 gallon tank is still awesome. IIRC isn't that Peugeot still just a concept? Plus what are the chance of it selling here in the US??
Negative.
400 miles on a 12 gallon/54.5L tank and these numbers are from GM.
That Peugeot is a production car. Read here.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=6&i=179219&t=179219#179219
No chance of selling it here. Why? to many like the poster above you that hate on the French because it is the popular thing to do.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Craig Lewis wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
GM knows the car isn't going to save the company. That's why the latest 450 mil went to developing the newly opened up chinese market.
If you care at all about the environment, and our subservience to the middle east. you wouldn't be such a diesel fan. A french car no less. lol. It doesn't matter how much milleage you can get out of the thing because the price of diesel will go sky high as demand goes up. Many valid points have been presented in many different threads, yet you can only grasp the marketing sound bite.
GM already made an viable electric car. Perfect in every way for most everyone's commuting needs. If you are driving more than 100miles to work everyday, Move!
If the electric car does come, the maintenance industry will be done with. Diesel may be the only way we can support cafe with hydrocarbon fuels and let the auto industry get away with the status quo.
Everyone needs to watch
Who Killed the Electric car.
Diesels can be made as clean as gasoline car, and can be made cleaner if GM would have invested 1/6 of the money the Volt project costs.
Oil dependence from the middile east? US we gets our oil from Canada and Mexico, also North America is Volt's market. Basically no dent on mid-east oil.
What is wrong with being a french car fan fan? Oh yes, it is the cool thing to hate on the French. Ooops.
Pot meet kettle on "grasping the sound bite."
Who killed the electric car? Technology's cost in order to make the vehicle somewhat useful.
deftonesfan817(martin edmonds) wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
400 miles on a 7 gallon tank is still awesome. IIRC isn't that Peugeot still just a concept? Plus what are the chance of it selling here in the US??
Negative.
400 miles on a 12 gallon/54.5L tank and these numbers are from GM.
That Peugeot is a production car. Read here.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=6&i=179219&t=179219#179219
No chance of selling it here. Why? to many like the poster above you that hate on the French because it is the popular thing to do.
Diesel cars can be used to clean the fuel at the customer level instead of refining it in one place both cheaply and where the process can be monitored. If you have worked in the industry long enough, you realise that properly maintaned cars is a pipe dream. Especially if they cost as much to fix as a diesel and it's power making turbo and fuel system. Placing the responsibility of refinement onto the customer is a sure way to make profit and a sure way to make sure we continue to puke in our atmosphere. California looks like it's drownig in a toxic broth.
The entire world is dependent on the oil from the middle east. When they cut production, prices go up all around the world. That's the system in place. Since they got most of the juice, they got da powa. Try thinking out of the box. Yes, America is scooping our Canadian fuel right out from under us and selling it back to us at a profit. It seems our government is on the take too. As i have mentioned before, once diesel gets popular in the US, the already more profitable fuel will skyrocket in price. There is not enough refineries to meet demand. The cost of everything will go up because our trucking industry relies on it.
What's wrong with a French car. lol. I guess I'm older than you to know what's wrong with French cars. They were sold in Canada for some time. It was good for a laugh. In any case, if the car is not made by your neighbour, you are a jerk for buying it. My cars will always be made in North America. Your globalist ideals serve big business and not you.
As a man trained in electronics, I can tell you that the technology is here and has been for a while. The real problem is that it will change the automotive industry forever. There is little to no maintenance in an electric car. The guys making the decision don't want the money train to stop. So they promote the internal combustion engine on and on. Promote is a nice word. If you look at history, you will see many inovations stopped in the name of profit.
Dave wrote:I'm not sure I believe it. Check edmunds.com. On average consumers are currently paying around $2k *over MSRP*. Unless you live in BF Idaho... but then I'm pretty sure they are at least paying MSRP there too. Anyway, maybe your town is an exception, but $2k over invoice is an average. Your town might just be bringing down that average. That makes it the exception, not the rule.
Funny you mention Idaho. Last I checked we are paying over MSRP for the Prius. The Volt won't do very well here, the new Hybrid Silverado is going to be the best selling hybrid in this part of dairy and farm land. Sadly when I filled up the sunfire the other day it was 3.99/gal for 85 octane.
I hope the Volt does well and doesn't cost more then the V8 Camaro, I can only afford one lol.
Craig Lewis wrote:
Diesel cars can be used to clean the fuel at the customer level instead of refining it in one place both cheaply and where the process can be monitored. If you have worked in the industry long enough, you realise that properly maintaned cars is a pipe dream. Especially if they cost as much to fix as a diesel and it's power making turbo and fuel system. Placing the responsibility of refinement onto the customer is a sure way to make profit and a sure way to make sure we continue to puke in our atmosphere. California looks like it's drownig in a toxic broth.
If you're talking of Euria injection, you're outdated. Look up Honda's diesel or many French diesels for that mater.
Quote:
The entire world is dependent on the oil from the middle east. When they cut production, prices go up all around the world. That's the system in place. Since they got most of the juice, they got da powa. Try thinking out of the box. Yes, America is scooping our Canadian fuel right out from under us and selling it back to us at a profit. It seems our government is on the take too. As i have mentioned before, once diesel gets popular in the US, the already more profitable fuel will skyrocket in price. There is not enough refineries to meet demand. The cost of everything will go up because our trucking industry relies on it.
If you know anything about supply and demand, any item, commodity, etc will go up if demand of your product is high. If you got to much juice consumed by your home, don't you think that they will raise your all ready high electricity bill higher? What's even more, power plants will run at capacity, so what's next? Build another plant, now here you got more pollution and then the bill to pay for it. Not to forget if it is a nuclear plant, where do you store nuclear residue? Under your carpet? Still think your precious Volt your long term solution?
Quote:
What's wrong with a French car. lol. I guess I'm older than you to know what's wrong with French cars. They were sold in Canada for some time. It was good for a laugh. In any case, if the car is not made by your neighbour, you are a jerk for buying it. My cars will always be made in North America. Your globalist ideals serve big business and not you.
Using age as your platform of knowledge; Doesn't wisdom come part of the package too? If it does your hiding it well buddy. I couldn't give a flying f*uck where the car is made, using patriotism in car shopping is utter ridiculous and quite frankly you're missing out on better to sometimes great products. I look at vehicle first if it meets my demands, no matter who makes it. And I'm thinking inside the box? LOL, Right!
Ever thought for a second what type of message you're sending to a company when you buy a lousy or outdated or non-competitive product?
Quote:
As a man trained in electronics, I can tell you that the technology is here and has been for a while. The real problem is that it will change the automotive industry forever. There is little to no maintenance in an electric car. The guys making the decision don't want the money train to stop. So they promote the internal combustion engine on and on. Promote is a nice word. If you look at history, you will see many inovations stopped in the name of profit.
Remember electric cars were running in the 19th century and their level of progress is as slow, as to find a remedy for the common cold.
I agree to a degree here, but the electric vehicle is not a answer nor a good example for a change in the automotive industry, unless your commute is in a warehouse or a golf course.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
Diesel engines are far more money to buy and far more money to maintain. The fact that they run off knock demands a strong build and they need the additional complexity of a turbo to be efficient. In the life of the car, how many turbos will need to be rebuilt. How much oil will seep into the exhaust when the seals go. Will the customer want to spend 2 grand to fix it or will they drive it until they have no choice?
If you know anything about the power supply in North Aamerica, we only have trouble at peak hours. The time an electric vehicle would be plugged in would be night when we have tremendous surplus. In fact, many nuclear plants burn off excess as waste because you can't just turn off a nuclear plant. Here in my local, electricity is half the price at night. Even a coal plant can be fitted with what amounts to a giant cat. At least we have some hope of controling/managing emissions.
I used age to tell you that I actually experienced French cars first hand since they have not been offered here in some time. It was a light hearted joke at that. anyway, you should buy the car that your neighbor made. Help him/her send the kids to school and make a better life for us in our homeland. The W-body was one of GM's best money makers. Say what you want. Apparently, you are fond of technology for the sake of technology. I got better highway milleage in my SS than I do in my 2.0liter. I drive a solstice gxp now. My tial pipes were always clean on my L67. My so called cafe ready soltice runs with heavily sooted pipes. I had it on the dyno today, it's running to spec. Go figure.
Electric cars went out because the oil and powerful car companies bought them out and closed up shop. Just like GM did with the exceptional commuter train lines disassembled after the second world war. GM was convicted by the US government. Look for yourself.
We are being sold what is most profitable!!!!! Not the best.
I want one. if it's under $40, it will be worth it. I drive 10 miles round trip to work and back. if I go to the g/fs work and stop at the super walmart to shop, it's maybe 15 miles round trip. It's under 100 miles to go to any family near by. This means, I will use pretty much no gas on 95% of my trips, and get good milage when I go out side of it.
Sign me Up please.
Everything Louder than Everything else
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
That is completely misleading. You can talk "range" all you want, but this car was not designed to drive long distances. This car is for the average commuter. The average commuter could probably go *at least* double what the Peugeot could before having to "fill up" at a gas station.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about
the former." - Albert Einstein
Dimitri wrote:I want one. if it's under $40, it will be worth it. I drive 10 miles round trip to work and back. if I go to the g/fs work and stop at the super walmart to shop, it's maybe 15 miles round trip. It's under 100 miles to go to any family near by. This means, I will use pretty much no gas on 95% of my trips, and get good milage when I go out side of it.
Sign me Up please.
Ever thought how long it will take to recoup the money you've spent on the gimmick over a comparable/reliable fuel efficient car? Remember there will be $25K-30K premium over lets say Cobalt XFE.
Dave wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:Oh and the range on this is 400 miles per fill up. In comparison a diesel in the latest Peugeot went up to 1192 miles, yep GM is on to something here.
That is completely misleading. You can talk "range" all you want, but this car was not designed to drive long distances. This car is for the average commuter. The average commuter could probably go *at least* double what the Peugeot could before having to "fill up" at a gas station.
Come on Dave tell me another funny! So what do go we by then, how many cup holder it has?
The range signifies how many times you go to a gasoline station. With the Volt you will have to go almost 4 times to reach the range of 1 tank on the Peugeot.
I love optimism that it will do 40 miles on a charge. GM's pinnacle of electric cars EV1 said with its lead acid batteries it can do 80miles when in real world miles it 45-60 miles, then with Nickel metal hydride the range was 150miles and real world it did 90-100miles. GM says Volt will do 40miles, so real world should be around 10-20 miles?
Hey if the car costs MSRP $25K then it might be worth it, but if MSRP hits $40-45K before tax rebates, then there is no sense in buying this, unless you're a hippie.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
in time my friend!
