Chevy Volt Halted. Who did not see this coming?

[two_bit_score]

Yup. Do you remember the TV ad where the guy drives his volt to the gas station to get a soda or whatever, and everyone keeps asking 'hey, I thought this was an electric car? what are you doin' at a gas station?' They played that like 'oh yeah, it'll go all day on electric, it just sips gas sometimes'.

How about, 'actually, it's just another gas compact, that can also go around the block a few times on the batteries. Gotta keep gas in it!'

I don't understand the concept of this vehicle. At all. Why put all that extra gear (batteries, electric motor etc) and not give the vehicle the capability to recharge itself while running on the gas motor? We should buy it 'cuz it looks cool, it's got a hip name (Volt!) and you can plug it in?

Yeah and a lot of people bought into Obama because they thought he was 'cool'.



.

 

[Alan L.]

So you (GM) cancel a car which has a waiting list of people who are prepared to pay your lease rate (without ever having ownership) yet claim that people wouldn't buy it ?

I was on a waiting list for the Smart when they were first introduced for over a year and I couldn't get one. I suppose no-body wants one and they should cancel that program too. Then I was on a waiting list for the 2009 Jetta Tdi for nearly a year and the only reason we finally got one was because of the economic crisis allowed production to catch up to demand. I suppose VW should cancel that model too. Last year, we drove it from MI to Key West FL and back for $280 worth of fuel. Try that in your SUV.

No-one is expecting to change your mind, but for those of us who differ in our opinion, allow us to have choices too. I still think that the Volt could not make it because it tries to do too much. We need a Leaf with 1/4 the HP, half the battery and have it shed about 1/3 of its weight. Then it would be a lot cheaper too. Not everything has to move like a dragster.


From the Wikipedia site you mentioned:
In late 2003, General Motors, then led by CEO Rick Wagoner, officially canceled the EV1 program.[5][29] GM stated that it could not sell enough of the cars to make the EV1 profitable.[30] In addition, the cost of maintaining a parts supply and service infrastructure for the 15-year minimum required by the state of California meant that existing leases would not be renewed, and all the cars would have to be returned to GM's possession.
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In light of falling car sales later in the decade, as the world oil and financial crises began to take hold, opinions of the EV1 program began to change. In 2006, former GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner stated that his worst decision during his tenure at GM was "axing the EV1 electric-car program and not putting the right resources into hybrids.
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The documentary Who Killed The Electric Car? presents evidence that GM stuck with plans to cancel and scrap the car, despite apparent public interest. The film includes footage of GM employees on the EV1 team discussing a waiting list of people interested in leasing or purchasing EV1s. In 2003, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times attempted to lease an EV1 from GM, but was told that he "was welcome to join their waiting list, along with undisclosed others, for an indefinite period of time, but [his] chances of getting a car were slim."[33] Critics of GM and proponents of electric vehicles claim that GM feared the emergence of electrical vehicle technology because the cars might cut into their profitable spare parts market, as electric cars have far fewer moving parts than combustion vehicles. Critics further charged that when CARB, in response to the EV1, mandated that electric vehicles makeup a certain percentage of all automakers' sales, GM came to fear that the EV1 might encourage unwanted regulation in other states. GM battled against CARB regulations, going as far as to sue CARB in federal court.[15]

Speaking of the Smart Car, they don't seem that smart to me. About the same mileage as a Honda Civic for more money, and half the room.

 

[zzvyb6]

See what I mean? People who make 'exspurt' comments have absolutely no idea about how the vehicle works, AT ALL. ! Amazing !

Do you know that modern railroad locomotives don't run on steam any more? Ever see the guy running a house room air conditioner in the side window off of a generator in the back? Do you wonder why didn't he just run a belt off the generator motor to a pulley on the transmission?

Do you believe that a windmill generator can power an electric car until the brakes burn up?

You knew that the Apollo rockets never actually went to the moon, right? It was all staged in Arizona.

No wonder in my mind why people in other tech savvy countries think we are idiots. We ARE !

So why is it that its a good thing for oil prices to rise in this country? (Or do I have to quote a foreign student to have you believe the answer?)

And about that Phish carburetor...

BTW did you know that most volt users are actually using so little gas on thei daily trips that gm has to install a Sta-Bil tank and injector into the fuel tank so that the gas doesn't turn into fruit Jello? Who would have known?

 

[EddieWalker]

Why do the only people who like the Volt live in MI, drive something other then a Volt, and think they are the only smart ones on here?

Eddie

 

[Monster5601]

Why do the only people who like the Volt live in MI, drive something other then a Volt, and think they are the only smart ones on here?Eddie

Because it is built in Michigan?

The Volt has really taken a beating in this thread and I've read a lot of off the wall opinions that have zero credibility, and, the non-stop attacks on Obama who, like it or not, is our President and deserves the respect the office offers. Just so you know, I'm an independent conservative with in the region of common sense.

All BS aside, the Volt met its design goals and the Volt works as designed. You folks may not agree on its design or design goals and that is fine, but if you are going to criticize, then criticize the source and not the result.

Yes, it is too expensive, yes, the batteries will fail after X number of recharges and the battery pack is expensive. Yes, the Volt will meet or exceed 40 miles of travel under battery power in the correct conditions.

Actual Volt travel off of electric is around 33 miles in south east Michigan because the heater, wipers, exterior lighting all take power away from the battery.

 

[houstonscott]

The main reason the Volt and other electric cars have failed is because they don't do what every electric user and anyone else would want in an electric car, they still want a car. It's become clear to all but the most fanatic that there is no such thing as alternative fuels. The world runs on oil and will for the foreseeable future. And with global warming and all that proving out to be a hoax there is no more scare about using oil. The only issue now is do we use US or someone else's oil. When you developed an electric car that will have a range of 600+ miles between charges with AC or heat on, and recharge in less then 6 minutes without major modifications to your home you might have something. Add to that the battery must weigh less than 100lbs and it's production and disposal can't pollute like current batteries. All the fire hazards must go away too. Now add a battery life of 200k miles and you have a car that begins to compete with current modern high pressure diesel cars. There is just no good reason to have an electric car, they have no advantages, and everyone can clearly see that.

HS

 

[EddieWalker]

Because it is built in Michigan?

The Volt has really taken a beating in this thread and I've read a lot of off the wall opinions that have zero credibility, and, the non-stop attacks on Obama who, like it or not, is our President and deserves the respect the office offers. Just so you know, I'm an independent conservative with in the region of common sense.

Call yourself what you want, Obama went into Office saying he was going to do one thing, and has done just about the exact opposite. Hillary Clinton was the one who so proudly stated that it was our right to critisize our leaders. With Obama, he's earned everyones critisism.

Since you are a fan of the Volt, why should anyody spend the money to buy it with what else is out there? It's kind of like the $50 light bulb that the Obama administration is trying to sell us.

Obama's $50 light bulb: 'Too pricey'? - Yahoo! News

Who wants it and why would anybody pay for it?

The reason we don't like the Volt has nothing to do with a hatred of electric cars. Nobody cares about electric cars!!!!!

We dont want out government trying to decide what we should buy or forcing manufacturers to build something that nobody wants. If and when they come out with something that we want, we will buy it. Nobody is buying it for a reason. While you think it's because we all hate the Volt and are too dumb to understand how it works, what you don't get is that we don't care how it works.

I want to see results that make sense financially. It's just that simple. Paying $40,000 for a car that doesn't perform as well as cars selling for less then that amount doesn't make any sense. And that's exactly why all of you who like it so much will never buy one either!!!!

Eddie

 

[rsewill]

The main reason the Volt and other electric cars have failed is because they don't do what every electric user and anyone else would want in an electric car, they still want a car. It's become clear to all but the most fanatic that there is no such thing as alternative fuels. The world runs on oil and will for the foreseeable future. And with global warming and all that proving out to be a hoax there is no more scare about using oil. The only issue now is do we use US or someone else's oil. When you developed an electric car that will have a range of 600+ miles between charges with AC or heat on, and recharge in less then 6 minutes without major modifications to your home you might have something. Add to that the battery must weigh less than 100lbs and it's production and disposal can't pollute like current batteries. All the fire hazards must go away too. Now add a battery life of 200k miles and you have a car that begins to compete with current modern high pressure diesel cars. There is just no good reason to have an electric car, they have no advantages, and everyone can clearly see that.

HS

Oil is too valuable to waste for transportation purposes.

My wife drives eight miles each way to work, sometimes she will go shopping or do other errands on her way home. She, or I, will shuttle our daughter around, etc. Total miles much less than the 100 miles the all-electric Nissan Leaf claims. And about 95% of the time less than what the Volt offers all-electric. Our next car will be electric. The Volt offers great technology but costs more than we care to spend. We'll get a cheaper electric-only vehicle.

But we also take long trips, I drove 110 miles round trip to work, towing a trailer, etc. For those uses we'll keep our Diesel VW Passat wagon.

I'm a retired truck driver but still look forward to natural gas powered Class 8 trucks like the Cummins' CEO promises in five years.

We can let the oil companies keep monopolizing transportation fuel by letting them buy up all the electric stations they want. They already control most natural gas. Everything will be just as it is now with the oil companies and the speculators screwing us over except that we will have less global warming and fewer dollars going to the Middle East.

 

[Pixguy]

Call yourself what you want, Obama went into Office saying he was going to do one thing, and has done just about the exact opposite. Hillary Clinton was the one who so proudly stated that it was our right to critisize our leaders. With Obama, he's earned everyones critisism.

Since you are a fan of the Volt, why should anyody spend the money to buy it with what else is out there? It's kind of like the $50 light bulb that the Obama administration is trying to sell us.

Obama's $50 light bulb: 'Too pricey'? - Yahoo! News

Who wants it and why would anybody pay for it?

The reason we don't like the Volt has nothing to do with a hatred of electric cars. Nobody cares about electric cars!!!!!

We dont want out government trying to decide what we should buy or forcing manufacturers to build something that nobody wants. If and when they come out with something that we want, we will buy it. Nobody is buying it for a reason. While you think it's because we all hate the Volt and are too dumb to understand how it works, what you don't get is that we don't care how it works.

I want to see results that make sense financially. It's just that simple. Paying $40,000 for a car that doesn't perform as well as cars selling for less then that amount doesn't make any sense. And that's exactly why all of you who like it so much will never buy one either!!!!

Eddie

So true Eddy, it appears many have attended that Al Gore school of "Do as I say, Not what I do". ;-)

 

[ultrarunner]

Eddie,

All of the statistics in this article are linked to sources.
Big Oil's Banner Year

But I suppose you wouldn't agree with most of the logic in this article anyway?

The subsidies are not specific incentives to innovate. They are tax breaks! Simple giveaways. If you have evidence to the contrary, please provide. To say that an industry needs 4 billion in incentives or else they will simply pass the cost along to us, when they made over 130 billion in profits last year alone, is ludicrous.

Big oil is concentrating wealth into their own hands, at the expense of all of us, and the continuing decline of our middle class in this country. How can anyone be on their side? It boggles the mind.

How can it be a giveaway when the "Recipients" are not receiving?

All business has must use established accounting principals that cover acquisition, exploration, maintenance, obsolescence, depreciation and loss...

Saying a business is receiving a giveaway colors the fact that they are still paying taxes.

I don't and never have seen a cable show... never had cable.

California exports oil and refined products worldwide... part of the President's plan is too provide incentives for the US to increase exports...

I watch my fuel use very carefully... you won't catch me driving the big truck to go grocery shopping...

That said... every individual has the opportunity to invest in "Big Oil" if they so choose and just about everyone that has ever been in a mutual fund is invested in "Big Oil"

Government makes far more per gallon than Big Oil by a multiple factor.