Volt Sales Figures

Been awhile since I've been in Boston. Then again back then I had 0 interest in hybrids of any kind, so I guess even if they were everywhere I probably wouldn't have noticed. Only Volt I have ever seen that is privately owned would be my own. I never even saw a demo one before going to a dealer... I tend to notice Prii a lot more now, so just would think I would have seen one. Is good to see there are still quite a number of them on the road. Cross my fingers that our Gen III stays on the road forever.

 

I think it woun't.

 

It seems the 10,000 sales number has been repeated so many times that we forget in January of this year the CEO said the Volt was getting projected up to 25,000 units for 2011 and a laughably impossible 120,000 for 2012.

 

GM is spending money on Volt TV commercials.
Did you catch the one where the gas station guy asks the Volt driver what he's doing in a gas station? The driver winds up putting a couple of gallons in the reserve tank.
And then one where the Volt driver wants to use the men's room, and the gas station attendant says "only for people who buy gas."

What is GM trying to say in these commercials? I guess Volt drivers should avoid gas stations.

 

The first one you mention I saw. It didn't make sense to me. Reminded me of the diet coke ads that a few years ago had obvious complete losers in the ad and then ad the end they drink diet coke. It was strange.

 

True story...

This happened to me yesterday.

I had to pull in for some gas (first time in 6 weeks), and the guy at the pump across from me chuckles while I'm getting out and says "hey, i thought those were electric", I laugh too, but then he seriously asks me a couple questions about it (how I like it, how much my electric went up, what kind of mileage I'm getting, etc...).

It occurred to me leaving the station that GM might have intended that, and are using the commercial to prompt more people to talk to Volt owners when they meet them. Its a convenient ice breaker.

 

cars.com is running big smear campaign against Volt?

 

they actually said few months back that they are ready to build 16k for this year.

So it was 10k and then 25k and then 16k. It will probably end up at 6k for the year.
It seems GM is making sure that every dealer has at least 5 in stock before they start selling them.

 

10K was domestic, 16K was world wide, 25K was leaf projection. Leaf seemed to shift to domestic (Japanese) shipments and has said they won't make US numbers.

It sounds like GM has some logistical problems by the press release saying they will still make the 10K. The September number was disappointing so it is likely a combination of logistics and demand. GM can still make 10K if they sell just over 2K a month, but that seems doubtful to me now. Selling 6K outside the US seems even more doubtful. GMs logistics have tried to get cars to 2600 dealerships so that they can pull in customers for other cars.

Nissan's number was even more disappointing and I do not know why they only sold 1000. These are new cars and the companies are still getting their salesmen trained and production kinks worked out.

 

Its like going to a ticket scalper's website to get the price of football tickets. It is a big over estimate.

Other sources have said there were about 900 cars in the pipeline, or about 1 car on the lot above the demo on 1/3 of the volt dealerships. That represents just over a month of September sales, or less than half a month of goal sales.

 

So what was/is the number?
How many have been sold?
Did I miss the post that has the sales data in it?

 

723 volts, 1031 leafs
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...hybrid-sales-down-20-september-last-year.html

 

It is not cars.com fault. The dealers are listing the demo models as a bait so they can switch and sell the Cruze instead.

 

25,000 was Volt:

GM CEO Says Volt Minivan by 2012-2013 and 25,000 Volts in 2011

Haven't heard much about that minivan recently. I'm assuming it's being quietly brushed under the rug given that they can't even get the Volt into many people's hands.

 

I stand corrected. I don't think you should be pinning much following on that blog though. It refers to this article in detroit free press, not the most transparent in its headline.

Akerson: GM to offer an EV for every brand | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

as many as 20K-25K produced not sold. It doesn't sound as much as promised sales as much as a maybe we can crank up the factory. They haven't been able to. We can speculate on whether it is because it was difficult to ramp up battery production or increase aisin supply after the tsunami, or if they never intended too or changed their minds. Like wise that minivan stuff was a confirmation of a rumor they were looking into one, not that they would produce a minivan based on voltec in 2013.

 

Nissan Leaf sales eclipse 15,000

 

Now GM has announced they will market an all-electric vehicle called a SPARK. I always dreamed of owning a car named SPARK. My first thought was an electric SHORT from a SPARK. Sounds more like a Jay Leno "Headlines" joke.

 

They'll be lucky to finish 2011 with 6k sold total. I recall seeing the 25k projection on Wiki.

 

So, is this GM blowhard out of a job yet like he ought to be?


"Overall Akerson is both surprised and happy about consumer demand for the award sweeping Volt. “We have been pleased and a bit surprised with the initial demands, initial orders for Volts,†Akerson said. “We don’t want to miss the opportunity.â€

As such he told reporters GM will further be pushing Volt production beyond the 10,000 to 15,00o units initially announed for this calendar year. Instead Akerson said he expects 2011 production to top 25,000." <<<< Take the 2 off

 

that penn dealer is going to get REALLY cranky if gm makes him take two.