LA Times: Nissan Leaf far outselling Chevrolet Volt

Maybe Nissan should include a course of range anxiety therapy sessions (with a licensed professional of course) with every Leaf they sell.

 

This makes sense. I've several Leafs where I live and very few Volts.

 

when you think about it, it's 20 miles a day, 50 once a week and 150 once or twice a month. then you figure, leaf has to be primary car with an ice backup. i must say, for the price of the volt, and the rep of the company making it, they are not doing too badly. surprising to me at least.

 

Leaf's sales number is not that amazing. What's more amazing is how they recover from the earthquake / tsunami and still able to produce more than Volt.

Volt is marketed as "more than electric". So much more that it's fuel consumption is measured with gallons of premium gasoline. Makes sense? Nope, I didn't think so.

2012 Leaf will come standard with electric battery heater. Volt comes standard with gas powered battery heater.

Both EPA and CARB classify Volt as a plugin hybrid. Per SAE's official definition of a hybrid, Volt perfectly fits the description. However, I have been having second thought. Once the 35 miles EV range runs out, Volt doesn't give hybrid like MPG. It gets compact non-hybrid like MPG. The emission is also non-hybrid like ULEV rating.

 

This makes sense, Nissan wants to sell Leafs, Chevy wants to sell Cruizes.

 

Heard the volt production will be ramped up with additional capacity and chevy will be producing 3x's more vehicles (I assume not including July since plant has just re-opened).

That would mean august sales will be 1,500 - 2,000 vehicles a month...


For the comment about the range anxiety, Leaf owners have some assistance available in free charges if they do get stuck... And If they are anywhere close to someone they know, I'm sure there are outlets....

They said they would produce 16K the remainder of year, so their must be more capacity...

 

Still can't buy a Leaf here but yeah Nissan definitely seems to have an actual plan and executing it. They're leaving Volt sales in the dust.

You sure? Volt sales are severely lagging where they should be by now, I've been hearing for many months about them ramping up production, but the most Volts they've ever sold was in March.

I think that if GM does ramp up production they'll see a big sales increase initially and then it will peter out. There just aren't enough people to pay that price for a four seat car that has a lot of shortcomings.

 

Maybe they should go to Marcus Bachmann for prayer therapy! Oh you silly goose!

 

This is not news.

The Nissan LEAF has been outselling the Volt right from the start. Initially the cars went to Japan and when Japan's major subsidies were over the supply started coming to the USA and elsewhere.

Newspapers have stories, not reports.

 

That's exactly the point of having PHEV.

If you just drive short distances, you get an ICEV.
If you can have multiple cars and only need one with range you get a BEV and HEV.
Otherwise:
- If you often drive long distances, you get an HEV.
- If you usually drive short distances and regularly drive longer distances you get a PHEV.

The problem for the Volt is that many people who could use a Volt can also use a LEAF or iMiEV and will be able to use a PHV or Focus EV. All of them will be cheaper.

 

Some great ideas and statements. Like many have stated about the volt making it .... The only thing i see is this. Is chevrolet all in and totally committed to the volt?? If not it will fail. The culture at chevrolet has not changed and it will because of this fail.

 

Here you go.
2012 Chevrolet Volt Production Begins, Capacity Is Tripled
p.s. The Volt has an electric battery heater.

 

Just heard a news story on NPR that Nissan is going to raise the price of the Leaf by ~$2000. According to the company's press spokesman, the increase is due to adding more standard features, including a "battery warmer" and a "heated steering wheel!"

How could I ever live without those features that my Prius lacks? I must buy, I must buy...

 

I don't doubt that 5 - 10k more Volt customers are waiting in the wings to buy the car. Past that, I am skeptical.

 

Just proves my modular idea has merrit.

A hoistable, plug in MG set with battery maintenance capacity that fits under the hood of a 100mi range EV giving it a 400+mi gas range would be a specatular option.

Best of both worlds, and if you are super slick you can market the MG as a house back up gen while it sits in your garage waiting for you to go on a trip.

 

can't wait, woo hoo! i must say, heated seats and steering wheel in an electric car seems a bit much. do they use much juice?

 

Those are much more efficient mode of delivering heat than through air.