Government Motors

[brett636]

What is even more amusing about the Chevy Volt is its sales numbers. GM bet on selling 50k/yr. yet they are selling less than 500 a month. I give it 2 years and GM is going to axe the volt because its such a marketplace flop.

 

[trplnkl]

That 13 year figure is just based on gas consumption alone.
An electric motor doesn't need air filters changed, or oil filters/oil change, nor a timing belt, or anything really mechanical, not even a spark plug !
If you just add the oil changes every 3000 miles into it, I'm certain those years turn to less then 10 !
Everything else added, probably 7 or 8.

Any moving part is subject to wearing out depending on many factors. I realize they may not teache the principles of an electric motor in "science(spelled correctly)" class but common sense should tell you....oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to....never mind.

 

[klein]

What is even more amusing about the Chevy Volt is its sales numbers. GM bet on selling 50k/yr. yet they are selling less than 500 a month. I give it 2 years and GM is going to axe the volt because its such a marketplace flop.

Well, honestly, they introduced it into one of the worlds most less attractive markets.
You have gas at over half the price cheaper then in Europe, and Americans as a whole, don't have that kind of money to purchase it.
It's half the price of a house there !

I think it will sell good here, when it comes out in August as a 2012 model.

 

[brett636]

Well, honestly, they introduced it into one of the worlds most less attractive markets.
You have gas at over half the price cheaper then in Europe, and Americans as a whole, don't have that kind of money to purchase it.
It's half the price of a house there !

I think it will sell good here, when it comes out in August as a 2012 model.

Nissan has pre sold something like 20k of its all electric leaf and its only available in 6 states. The volt is available nationwide.

 

[klein]

The Leaf is great as a second car, I agree.
But if you just want 1 car, and only drive 1 car, then the Leaf fails !
I'm not paying double insurance, double registration to own 2 cars.
Not worth it.

 

[moreluck]

Yeah, that's what I want to say my car is................the leaf !!

 

[brett636]

The Leaf is great as a second car, I agree.
But if you just want 1 car, and only drive 1 car, then the Leaf fails !
I'm not paying double insurance, double registration to own 2 cars.
Not worth it.

You're not getting it. You stated that because gas is so cheap in the U.S. that many U.S. consumers are not interested in a car like the volt. I just demonstrated that you are wrong and that many U.S. consumers are interested in such cars just not the Volt. The main problem I see is GM is wanting to sell a car that consumers are only willing to pay $25k-$27k for and they are asking $40k+ for it. Face it, its a marketplace flop, and will end up in the trash barrel of history as such just like many GM models before it.

 

[klein]

You don't get the point : With the Volt, I can travel to California, or even Florida for that matter, without worrying where I get my next electricity hook up from.
And if I do succeed, I'm stuck "fueling up" for atleast 4-6 hrs.

I can't even drive to my mothers place about 100 miles away. What good does the Leaf do me ?
And another thing, I heard at minus 30 degrees, an all electric won't even start. The Volt starts up with the gas engine at freezing cold temps !

 

[brett636]

You don't get the point : With the Volt, I can travel to California, or even Florida for that matter, without worrying where I get my next electricity hook up from.
And if I do succeed, I'm stuck "fueling up" for atleast 4-6 hrs.

I can't even drive to my mothers place about 100 miles away. What good does the Leaf do me ?
And another thing, I heard at minus 30 degrees, an all electric won't even start. The Volt starts up with the gas engine at freezing cold temps !

Considering popular mechanics could only get 32 mpg city and 36 mpg highway you really are gaining nothing by paying such a high premium for the car. Any manufacturers base model cars can get better than that and all of them cost half as much.

http://gm-volt.com/2010/10/10/popul...ty-and-36-mpg-highway-in-extended-range-mode/

 

[moreluck]

luxury hybrid cancelled.....

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/05/27/gm-reportedly-cancels-luxury-hybrid/

 

[klein]

I watched the Volt video on your link, Moreluck.
Looks like Fox News is embracing the Volt, too !

Numbers are going up too, according to your fox link :

GM recently boosted its 2012 production plans for the Volt by a third to 60,000 vehicles.​

​

 

[brett636]

luxury hybrid cancelled.....

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/05/27/gm-reportedly-cancels-luxury-hybrid/

Luxury hybrids have always perplexed me. Most of them cost north of $50k and BMW even has one that cost over $100k but supposedly can get 25 mpg. If I can afford to go down to my local BMW dealership and blow $100k on a car do you really think the fuel costs even figure into my purchase decision?

I watched the Volt video on your link, Moreluck.
Looks like Fox News is embracing the Volt, too !

Numbers are going up too, according to your fox link :

GM recently boosted its 2012 production plans for the Volt by a third to 60,000 vehicles.​

That is how a government agency works. They have this idea (the volt) which is not practical for the real world, but they are going to push it on the public anyways in hopes that if the numbers are large enough people will get used to it and even appreciate it enough to buy it. The problem is that even during these times of high fuel prices GM can't even sell 500 of these cars a month and they think they can produce 60k a year? That kind of thinking is what turned them into a government agency in the first place. Did you read my earlier article? 36 mpg is pathetic for a car whose claim to fame is its fuel efficiency. A Ford Focus gets 40 mpg and costs half as much. Not to mention the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Toyota Prius, Nissan Versa, VW Jetta TDI, and many more other models all cost less and get better mpg. Why anyone would purchase one of these cars is beyond me because they make no sense what so ever.

 

[klein]

A normal consumer that drives 10 miles each way to work, and does a few weekend shopping trips,
will drive around 8000 miles per year. With the Volt in the above scenerio, you won't see the gas pump once ! Unless, you plan to take it for longer trips now and then.
$1.50 worth of electricity will get you up to 50 miles.
In mpg costs, that works out to about 130miles per gallon !

If I win the lottery tonight, that just might be my new car, or if I win super big, then it's the SLS AMG Mercedes !

 

[moreluck]

Exactly, the Volt is just another Health Care plan to ram down our throats....well, guess what ? We still get to buy whatever car we like !! None of mine will be plug ins. The only plug ins are air freshners!! Even those have gone the way side for reed diffusers.

 

[moreluck]

You do realize your chances of winning the lottery????

 

[brett636]

A normal consumer that drives 10 miles each way to work, and does a few weekend shopping trips,
will drive around 8000 miles per year. With the Volt in the above scenerio, you won't see the gas pump once ! Unless, you plan to take it for longer trips now and then.
$1.50 worth of electricity will get you up to 50 miles.
In mpg costs, that works out to about 130miles per gallon !

If I win the lottery tonight, that just might be my new car, or if I win super big, then it's the SLS AMG Mercedes !

Lets use your scenario of 8000 miles a year. Lets say that same consumer purchases a ford Focus and gets 35 mpg average over that 8000 miles.

8000 / 35 = 228 gallons of gas per year.

228 * 3.75 per gallon = $855 per year in fuel

VOLT MSRP $40, 280 - Focus MSRP $16,500 = $23,780 price difference

$23,780 / $855 per year in fuel costs = 27.8 year payback to purchase a chevy volt versus a Ford Focus. Gee that makes a ton of sense to buy the Volt.

 

[klein]

well, there are other benifits, too.
You be spending 10 minutes at the gas pump every 2 weeks, you'll be getting 3 oil changes per year (the Volt 1 as keeping fresh oil in it), after 100.000 miles your little 4cyl on the focus is just about to die, while the one in the Volt is hardly used.
You'll have other maintanance costs by then, too (perhaps fuel injectors cleaned or replaced, timing belt replaced, tune ups, and so on).

But, your probably still ahead of the game, if gasoline stays the same price, too. Which I doubt, since the US dollar will continue to slide as the National debt kepts on growing, but in the other hand, if more people buy electric cars, that can keep oil prices down...

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Klein, you just don't get it--at this point in time electric and electric/gas cars simply do not make economic sense, even with the $7,500 tax credit. I thought about getting a Leaf but decided to get an Altima. 26 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway for $152/month on a 36 month lease. Hopefully in 3 years the technology will have advanced to the point where the price of these vehicles will be more reasonable.

 

[brett636]

well, there are other benifits, too.
You be spending 10 minutes at the gas pump every 2 weeks, you'll be getting 3 oil changes per year (the Volt 1 as keeping fresh oil in it), after 100.000 miles your little 4cyl on the focus is just about to die, while the one in the Volt is hardly used.
You'll have other maintanance costs by then, too (perhaps fuel injectors cleaned or replaced, timing belt replaced, tune ups, and so on).

But, your probably still ahead of the game, if gasoline stays the same price, too. Which I doubt, since the US dollar will continue to slide as the National debt kepts on growing, but in the other hand, if more people buy electric cars, that can keep oil prices down...

You seem to be under the illusion that batteries last forever when internal combustion engines don't. By 100k miles you will probably be replacing the batteries on the volt which will cost as much or more than a new engine for the Focus, and this is considering the Focus is dead by 100k miles which I highly doubt. Ford ranks higher in quality tests when compared to chevy so the Volt is more likely to be dead by that 100k miles than the Focus.

 

[Lue C Fur]

well, there are other benifits, too.
You be spending 10 minutes at the gas pump every 2 weeks, you'll be getting 3 oil changes per year (3 oil changes a year? WTF...its 8000 miles so maybe 2 at the most...heck my TDI gets one a year and its free or the first 36k miles...in fact all maint is free the first 36k.) (the Volt 1 as keeping fresh oil in it), after 100.000 miles your little 4cyl on the focus is just about to die, (WTF again...maybe if you drove it without oil...its just breaking in...new car engines last 200k easy) while the one in the Volt is hardly used.
You'll have other maintanance costs by then, too (perhaps fuel injectors cleaned or replaced, (WTF again...if your using crappy gas they might need to be cleaned) timing belt replaced,(this i would agree with...all 4 bangers should have their T-belts replaced at 100k), tune ups (all new cars can go 100k before a tune up and you can do yourself for 50 bucks) and so on).

But, your probably still ahead of the game, (ya think) if gasoline stays the same price, too. Which I doubt, since the US dollar will continue to slide as the National debt kepts on growing, (yippie...down with America!!! Go Canada!!!!) but in the other hand, if more people buy electric cars, that can keep oil prices down...