The Volt Doesn't Make Sense

1. 66

   Flightkeeperposted 13 years ago

   That's according to the folks at Consumer Report.  It costs twice as much as the Prius, which is a popular hybrid.  It also takes five hours for the car to be charged.  It costs a little over $48,000.  So whose going to pony up and buy?

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2. 61

   ediggityposted 13 years ago

   That's a good question.  It's actually got a base MSRP of $40,280, but after the $7,500 tax credit it's $32,780.  Still, up front, you're going to fork out about 50 grand after the dealer throws in their standard new model mark up.  With that price tag I predict a failure in their future.  It's like they just don't get it.  $50 grand for a plug in car?  I don't think so. 
   
   http://www.chevrolet.com/volt/

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3. 66

   Flightkeeperposted 13 years ago

   Then ediggity, that flushing sound you hear is our money going down the toilet, courtesy of Obama's bailout.

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   1. 61

      ediggityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Not to mention the money it costs, and additional pollution created from trying to make and dispose of the batteries.  Who pays for that?  Oh, wait, we do.  Don't worry though, there's a plan in place for future recycling.  That way, we pay for the batteries to be recycled, and then the recycling plants who are awarded our money get to double dip by re-selling the precious metals from the original battery. 
      
      http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic … -recycling

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      1. 94

         CWanamakerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, lithium will become the limiting resource in the future. Our reliance on power plants (mostly coal by the way) will also increase.

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4. 96

   wildernessposted 13 years ago

   Unless you have a one way commute of around 10 miles or less the Volt is just an expensive garage filler that the public, not the owner, will pay the price for.
   
   It's a real shame to me that this is the best that American engineers can do - the Japanese produced a viable automobile a decade ago that is now going the route of a plug in hybrid with recent improvements in battery technology.  It is head and shoulders above anything similar in America.
   
   What happened to the vaunted American ingenuity?

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5. 60

   dutchman1951posted 13 years ago

   My Dad owns a Par-Gas Company in Rockford Maryland, he converted my KIA to Nat. Gas for me. I ran from Rockville MD to nashville Tenn one way on one tank of gas and 3 Small Gas Cylunders under the back deck.  35.00 for the nat Gas, 52.00 for the Reg Gas and when we got home I had 1/4 tank of gas and a Full Cyl. of nat Gas left.
   
   screw the Volt. The conversion kit they sell is 1500.00 Installed.
   
   Obama bought out the Senior Union members in GM for their votes, nothing to do with Energy savings. Let GM re-organise, cut the work force, and the pensions and benifits, then Bail GM, and let GM make less cars at higher prices. Change the available cars on the market, increase the prices and let demand run. Thats why the clunker program, kill all alternate choices to purchase a used car, junk them all, then make just new Green cars. It is idealitic at best and not working at all.

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6. 61

   dwolfeposted 12 years ago

   It is sad that GM lost its ability to Inovate along time ago. Adding in the cost of Union benfits into each car hurts the company. The volt is to little to late. If they had joint ventured with one of the Japanese companies (Hybrid technology)on the volt it may have been a great car. I do not think it will go over with the demands of the US consumer. The cost is to high and GM does not have a proven product in the volt.

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