GM's buyers reject 'Obamamobile' Volt as campaign heats up

[catbert]

Catbert won't give you a test drive, but any Chevy dealer will. The rest of the discussion is old and redundant at this point.

 

[6 Shooter]

GM to idle, retool Detroit Hamtramck plant

www.an.com

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Catbert won't give you a test drive, but any Chevy dealer will. The rest of the discussion is old and redundant at this point.

I always wonder why the word 'dundant' doesn't exist, and we use 'redundant' instead. Isn't the 're-' sort of redundant? I then think of 'disgruntled' vs. 'gruntled'.

 

[Tuna]

We all should ask "catbert" to give us a test drive. I'll be the first in line because I want to see if a Volt handles as well as a Cruze.

Next time you're in Oklahoma, you can drive our Volt. You'll have to bring your own Cruze for the comparison as I've never driven one and don't have a clue how the Cruze handles.

The Volt ain't a Vette or V Wagon but it is a nice car to drive and it appears to handle well for what it is.

The Volt is not an "Obamamobile" - never has been. This BS is all media and political hype and designed to stir up trouble.

The Volt is a good tecnology demenstrator that may be the link between extended range electric cars and future all electric cars. For those of us that rarely use more than the batteries range each day, the Volt is an all electric car. The "but" there is that we don't have range anxiety either. If we need to drive it more than the 40 miles it says it will go on battery alone, no problem. Cross town or cross country, the Volt will do both.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I agree that the Volt is not the "Obamamobile". Labeling it that is just right-wing whacko stuff. Pres. Obama, although he may love the idea of the Volt, wasn't even in office during most of the car's development.

I thought "Killian" describing the Volts 1.4L-cyl as a "puppy" was pretty funny, but actually, 1.4-liters is not all that small. As to why it has to use 91-oct gas, my guess is the engine controls cal has it running at a narrow range of RPM near its torque peak and mostly at WOT or nearly so where the engine is most efficient. I'm going to guess that it's level of cylinder pressure requires high octane fuel to keep the engine out of detonation.

 

[xfirez51]

Best month yet!

Trend line is very similar to adoption curve when Prius was first introduced. I believe part of the idling of plant has to do w new Impala.
GM: Chevy Volt output break due to Impala retooling

Looks like its outselling the Vette!

 

[6 Shooter]

WOW - Building steam!

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[xfirez51]

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Yes building a charge!

 

[hotmtrsports]

That $7,500 tax credit mentioned is OUR money helping you buy your car!!! I never did like that!

We are all paying for that Volt "discount" so it can be more competitive. Take that away and see just how many Volt sales GM would have!



Chuck M

 

[Tom Bryant]

Here's another way to look at that if you buy a Volt. Just consider that $7500.00 a tax refund on all of the excessive taxes you have paid over the years. Tell yourself that it is some of your money that you finally got back. Of course this doesn't apply if you don't buy a Volt.

One of our engineers at the plant has one and loves it. I'm not planning on replacing my work car before I retire but if I was and was looking in this price range a Volt would be hard to resist. Being 18 miles from work I'd very rarely if ever have to buy any gas.

Tom

 

[Huskerman]

I think we have to keep exploring new territory. If I was to consider some kind of electric car I would choose the Volt over the other offerings at this time anyway. If fuel continues to go up the Volt may just come into style, change takes time.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I think we have to keep exploring new territory. If I was to consider some kind of electric car I would choose the Volt over the other offerings at this time anyway. If fuel continues to go up the Volt may just come into style, change takes time.

Fuel will continue to go up (count on it) but the price will have to go up a long way and the cost of the alternate fuel vehicles will have to come way down before it makes financial sense to own one.

Don't overlook the obvious point that as electric or other non-traditional fuelled vehicles become more popular, the guvvamint will need to find a way to tax the energy they consume. For every tax dollar they miss out on by consumers not buying gasoline, a dollar will need to added to the alternate source. I'm surprised they haven't done this already.

I wonder if anyone has done a study as to which is truly cheaper to operate- an efficient gas powered car with the fuel calculated at 'no taxes added' and a similar 'no taxes' cost for electricity.

 

[hotmtrsports]

Here's another way to look at that if you buy a Volt. Just consider that $7500.00 a tax refund on all of the excessive taxes you have paid over the years. Tell yourself that it is some of your money that you finally got back. Of course this doesn't apply if you don't buy a Volt.

One of our engineers at the plant has one and loves it. I'm not planning on replacing my work car before I retire but if I was and was looking in this price range a Volt would be hard to resist. Being 18 miles from work I'd very rarely if ever have to buy any gas.

Tom

So paying 39K+ in order to get 7,500 back is ok for you? I think there's a little brainwashing or something going on. I just looked and dealers are quoting 31K + - and in very very small print (includes $7,500 tax credit).

But honey, I spent $39,000 but it was on sale! It's like putting $7,500 in our checking account!!! WHAT?

And being 18 miles from work, it would take about 25 years for a return on investment compared to a 35mpg gas car. (that engineer probably paid 20K or cost) Now you make those cars 20K... and now you're talking!

I know you're trying to make it sound good, but it just does not.



Chuck M

 

[xfirez51]

Hey Chuck! Fine. Don't buy one. Give it a few more years and the economies of scale will grow.

 

[catbert]

A Volt at $42k makes as much sense as a Grand Sport at $70k. Who are we all crappin - anything more than a minimal econobox doesn't make "economic" sense. We spend huge money on our garage queens and quibble over whether the outlay for a Volt will have a return down the road. It's ridiculous. If you ever want a cold splash of reality, figure your new Vette's cost per mile over the first 5 years.otfl

 

[hotmtrsports]

Comparing a Volt to a Corvette???

:L otfl

 

[catbert]

Comparing a Volt to a Corvette???

:L otfl

Actually, the discussion got around to cost of ownership, not a comparison of models.

 

[hotmtrsports]

Hi catbert:

By the way, this is a lively discussion and in NO WAY is intended to be written in malice. We both love Corvettes.

Now with that out of the way...

You can't help but compare models. When I buy a Corvette there is a cool factor in the price. If we're going to go for a cruise, I'm walking right by your Volt and going in the Corvette! The Corvette can get close if not over 30 mpg.

Why did you compare with an expensive Corvette (you're embellishing to help you're cause). Many dealers are selling 2013's (base models LT1 6 speeds) at 49K. The Volt is at $42 less the $7,500 = $34,500. Now we're talking just over 15K difference.

I can buy much more than a minimal econobox doing 35+ mpg loaded for about 25K. Now the real comparison and cost of ownership against the Volt would be more realistic.


And to: "xfirez51

Hey Chuck! Fine. Don't buy one. Give it a few more years and the economies of scale will grow."

Your hoping for the economy to get worst so that the Volt "fits" in? I see it the other way that the economy gets much better!!! I hope the Volt II will be priced much more competitively without using tax money and GM sells more of them.


Chuck M



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[xfirez51]

"Your hoping for the economy to get worst so that the Volt "fits" in? I see it the other way that the economy gets much better!!! I hope the Volt II will be priced much more competitively without using tax money and GM sells more of them."

That's what "economies of scale" means. The platform will be proliferated to other models and so cost per unit drops rapidly. Not to mention continuous improvement of the technology. I hope to own a Volt at some point and applaud GM and Lutz for leading the charge and having the "brass" to do the Volt.

 

[catbert]

Hi catbert:

By the way, this is a lively discussion and in NO WAY is intended to be written in malice. We both love Corvettes.

Now with that out of the way...

You can't help but compare models. When I buy a Corvette there is a cool factor in the price. If we're going to go for a cruise, I'm walking right by your Volt and going in the Corvette! The Corvette can get close if not over 30 mpg.

Why did you compare with an expensive Corvette (you're embellishing to help you're cause). Many dealers are selling 2013's (base models LT1 6 speeds) at 49K. The Volt is at $42 less the $7,500 = $34,500. Now we're talking just over 15K difference.

I can buy much more than a minimal econobox doing 35+ mpg loaded for about 25K. Now the real comparison and cost of ownership against the Volt would be more realistic.

Preach to me about comparisons when you own both cars, and really compare all the factors, including cool, based on experience and real knowledge. I'll tell you this, my wife gets more thumbs up from other drivers in her Volt than I do in my Vette, and this part of the country is far from tree-hugging green. BTW - I'm not embellishing the prices to suit my argument to make a point...I just bought a Grand Sport. I didn't pay the sticker of $68k, but that was the retail price. BTW, a colleague of my wife just picked up a base Volt for under $38. Bottom line, I'll "lose" a lot more money owning my Vette toy than my wife will driving the wheels off the Volt. She just passed 20,000 miles, and we bought the car in late January. The bottom line is that a Vette owner talking about ANY car not making economic sense is way more than silly. You don't have to like the Volt, or GM or the concept, or the technology or Obama, but saying that buying the Volt makes less sense than buying a new Vette doesn't make any sense to me, and I like both cars.