Let's say GM actually releases the Volt (a huge assumption, I know, but play along). Let's say it does everything GM promised it would (an even bigger assumption). Let's say it gets rave reviews from everyone from Consumer Reports to Top Gear. Let's say it's sold in my area for a reasonable price (a laughable assumption, but I want to go with the best-case scenario here). I'm still not going to buy one (at least at first). Admittedly, I'm always wary of new technologies and never buy version 1.0 of anything, but that's beside the point. I'd wait a year for one reason and one reason only: to make sure GM doesn't pull another EV-1 and suddenly recalls every one of them. Which is likely to happen; if everyone takes a "wait and see" approach, their first year sales will be low. If their first year sales are low, they'll say "well, we tried, nobody wants one," and at best stop production and at worst stop production, recall the ones out there, and crush them all (again). "But if you buy one, that will help sales not be low and they'll continue production," I can hear the GM fanboys saying. To which I respond: sorry, my well-deserved mistrust of GM is greater than my need to help them maybe possibly succeed on the first good thing they could have done in over 30 years. Now, if it DOES succeed, and does even half the things promised, after a year if it's still in production, then when it's time to get a new car I'll seriously consider it. But face facts: that's not going to happen. If I were posting this a year ago, I would have added a PS, "And then Toyota can come along and do it correctly," but that's not going to happen now, either.
FUD... I'm no GM apologist, but I think they've learned a lot over the past 10 years and they can no pull another EV1 and survive. I think the Volt will be a good car and will be successful. While your arguement about not buying v1.0 is quite valid, waiting a year may put you in the same situation that prospective Gen II Prius buyers were in a year after that car came out...very long wait lists and 6 month or more waits to get the car. I don't think the Volt is for everyone and it has a lot of draw backs, I think that the 40 mile range is more than it needs to be making the battery unnecessarily heavy and thus reducing it's FE when in range sustain mode/gas engine mode. That also made it necessary to make it a 4 seater instead of a 5 seater cutting out a chunk of the market (me). The tiny gas tank means that it's really not a touring vehicle unless you like stopping for gas every 200 miles (or less). But GM is changing and I think it's fair to give them their due. I'll give the Volt a fair shake before making judgment.
They can't recall and crush them if they have sold them to buyers. Remember, all the EV1s were leased vehicles.
GM, aka Government Motors, can do anything it wants! I hope they are successful, the more competition and choices the better. My biggest worry is that the Volt will be so full of technical problems that they will not sell and they will give "alternative" cars a bad name with American consumers. With a 2004 Prius, I have 4+ years before I will be replacing, I look forward to many more options and hopefully the ability to buy a car from a US auto company (it has been awhile).
It certainly seems a bit closed minded to say that you will not give them a chance unless this or that happens. I will watch with great interest as this unfolds and will certainly give this vehicle a hard look when the time comes for me to get a new car. It is then that I will decide where I think the car is, where I think it may be going and if it suits me at that point in time. I will do the same for Toyota, Ford and any other car makers out there. Just my 2 cents.
FUD? Guilty as charged. However, based on everything GM has ever done, the only logical way to approach anything they're doing is with uncertainty and doubt. And I did the same with Toyota, a company I trust(ed); I happily waited a couple of years until the Gen II proved itself before plunking down the cash. And if I waited two years, another six months (actually only two in my case) didn't bother me. I have no need to be the first kid on the block with the newest toy. I DO have a need to spend my money on only proven quality.
i am not buying one because its essentially an extended range plug in hybrid with an unproven track record at a premium price using probably "2nd best" hybrid technology. prove to me it works and i will re-evaluate.
Merit is awarded based on outcome. Well... GM decided to proceed with a design/configuration that does not place price as a high priority... making it out of reach for the mainstream consumer. Since they already made that choice, there is already an outcome. The vehicle they are producing is expensive & unprofitable. The next generation will have to deal with the consequences of that choice. So, it may indeed be worth waiting for. But for the current, it's already too late. .
Here's my opinion. GM Screwed up with the EV1. We know it. They know it. They've learned their lesson. Back with the EV1 program, they were the leader in the electric car field. When they decided to can the program, I think they knew that the other manufacturers would follow. This time it is different. The other manufacturers such as Nissan and Toyota are leading the way and if GM doesn't keep up, they'll fall behind and never catch up. As far as buying the first version of car....I'm not usually too worried about that. After all, you get a warranty and as long as you don't expect the car company to go bankrupt and disappear, then you should be okay.
If it had come out 4 years ago (when they could have built it) I'd have bought it in an eyeblink. Two years ago I'd probably have bought it, if it had done what its fans say it will. But now, I'm on the list for a Leaf, which will be in my state in December. That's my preferred solution. A range-extended serial hybrid from a manufacturer with a reputation for poor quality and nasty tricks and contempt for the consumer does not interest me any more. GM had the technology to build the Volt when it would have been alone in the market and would have been a leader in the direction we need to go. Now there are just too many better choices.
1) 40 mile range isn't enough. My daily drives are well over 40 miles. I know the gas engine will kick in but were I to switch to an EV car it would have to have 100 mile range. 2) At $40K way way too expensive.
Huge assumption? The factory is building them now. I will. The last part is important. Reasonable price. The Leaf IS a reasonable price. I will pay a more for a Volt, but not more then $33,000 after rebate. I may not even go that far as I do have access to another vehicle an do not necessarily need the range extension. I am getting a new garage door installed in three weeks, in preparation for a plug in vehicle of some sort. Hopefully by the end of the year I will have one.
We don't know the price. I am expecting $39,000 so $31,500 after credit. It could be more or less. I would love to see it be $29,000 after rebate!
The beauty of this is that GM can no longer poison the well. Had the first car with a hybrid power plant failed as a car, it would be hard to sell a second car like that. Ask folks about Oldsmobile diesels, which set diesels in America back decades. Oldsmobile V8 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ask folks about the Corvair, still the only American-made, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted engine. Chevrolet Corvair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia GM has waited too long to ruin the hybrid cars reputation. A Volt failure will reflect on GM, but there are already too many successful hybrid models for the Volt to taint the whole idea this time.
In an EV or PHEV it's all in the AER: - Get more miles from a charge to reduce electricity consumption - Get more miles of range to do as many of your miles EV as possible. In a PHEV every mile on gas is a significant penalty so gas mileage doesn't make as significant a difference as you might think.
i truly expect GM to announce pricing on the Volt soon and just as the 2010 Prius pricing was forced downward by competitor pricing (2010 Insight) i expect GM to lower their pricing to compete with the Leaf
I would not buy a Volt because I consisder (from what I have read) it to be a faulty engineering design; too expensive; and limited EV range. I anxiously await post from owners, but I predict there will be many complaints about the Volt falling short on range (both the 40 mile electric range, and the boasted 230 mpg overall range). I viewed the "official" Chevrolet Volt web page and the claim is 40 EV miles under ideal conditions. I predict cold weather will significantly hinder drivability ...not only lower electric range, but the ICE will be running more to keep the anti-polution systems hot and operative. I predict under ICE operations, the Volt will be a real toad in the mountains .... Chevy touts climbing Pikes Peak ... but that was on fresh, fully charged batteries. Anyone considering a VOLT should extend the test drive to include the transition to ICE operations. I can imagine taking a short demonstration drive in a quiet, smooth electric vehicle, with plenty of power .... then after closing the deal, experiencing for the first the transition to the ICE mode ..... it could be a surprise.
I doubt I will be buying a Volt because by the time one is available to me I expect there will be better options for my driving needs. If I am wrong and the Leaf and Tesla S fall through, then I may consider a Volt. If the Volt had been out two years ago, or an updated EV1 had been available, I would have bought them.
It will be interesting to see if they allow anyone to do this. Even assuming a 20-mile range (my more pessimistic figure) how many car dealers will let people take a 25-mile test drive? And then get into uneven terrain if there is none close to the dealership? And if the figure is really 40 miles, you'd have to drive 50 miles before you could really assess performance. Maybe a dealer will allow you to test-drive a battery-depleted Volt. But I doubt it. I predict we will have to wait for Consumer Reports to buy one and test it.
