Loving the Volt!

Be careful, the list is in alphabetical order by made, not by ranking.

 

True, but Volt does score better overall than the 16 other cars in that category and the same or better than the 2014 Prius in all component area columns.

Motors, motor controllers, inverters from Hitachi:

News Releases : Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Current production from GM in Mexico (Ramos):

Google Translate

This information on this Google translated Mexican news website is pretty obviously derived from a page on GM's Mexico website but I can't give you a link to it right now since I'm using my phone and the GM site insists on redirecting me to mobile version which doesn't have that page.

Also, this official GM engine and transmission summary shows assembly site information for the Volt separately at the very bottom of page 2 and lists "GMPT Ramos Mexico" but does not list Japan:

http://gmpowertrain.com/Libraries/Product_information/2013_4FRev_Information_Guide_091012.sflb.ashx

Update:

Here's the translated version of GM's Mexico website that lists the 4ET50 Volt Transaxle as being assembled at the Ramos Arizpe factory:

Google Translate: www.gm.com.mx

 

OK, the Volt may get good "dots" on the above, but the corporation (GM) gets a BIG minus. Why, look at the shadow the Volt is always in - the hidden ignition switch fiasco, congressional dismay (I am being polite here) over the taxpayers bailout, the "forgiveness" of letting GM off the hook for 10 -12 billion.

Try explaining why the Volt is a good GM product to the families who lost loved ones due to the ignition switch issues. Yes, Toyota had to come clean with the so called "sudden acceleration" issues. At least Toyota did not knowingly cover it up for 10 years.

Bottom line: the Volt maybe a nice product for some people, but the corporation that makes it is rotten from the inside out.

I applaud Mary Barra for taking steps to remove this corporate decay and try to rebuild it. What will be a tougher task is to rebuild the GM image.

Time will tell.

DBCassidy

 

Saw this article in the NY Times a few days ago, about volt drivers not wanting the ice to come on:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/automobiles/owners-who-are-happy-when-the-engine-doesnt-start.html?hp&_r=1
Some talk bout range anxiety for Electric cars ... but from article it appears they are describing the opposite .... gas anxiety.

.

 

Saw this article in the NY Times a few days ago, about volt drivers not wanting the ice to come on, because in part, their efficiency display will show they use gas:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/automobiles/owners-who-are-happy-when-the-engine-doesnt-start.html?hp&_r=1

Some talk bout range anxiety for electric cars ... but from this article it appears they are describing the opposite .... gas anxiety from their plugin ... stress at the thought you may have to have the ICE come on ... or that you DID in fact use gas for your car's actual movement .... as though such reality brings shame. Why should that matter.
.

 

The GM bashing and Toyota flag waving gets pretty old. All cars have issues. I like my Prius. Guess what I also like my Chevy Equinox. I have not had a GM car over a period of 30 years that did not give me good service for 140,000 miles or more.

The Prius is a good car but there are many good cars today. My daughters 2007 Corolla has required more service/repairs than any of the GM cars we have owned and it has less than 50,000 miles on it. The Corolla has required less service/repairs than our BMWs!!

 

I buy cars--not corporations.

As you say, time will tell.

So far my Volt leaves me with no regrets.

 

And as far as the drivers with any anxieties...
All cars probably have 'certain' OCD owners getting vocal about ,,, whatever makes them tick.

Although, it does ruin my whole day when that smelly little gas burner comes on and I'm only 1/4 mile from home.

 

When you buy a product, be it a car or other products, you are "buying in" to the corporation that produced it. Combination of verbal / written agreement consummates the business transaction. An agreement / relationship is created between the involved parties. This holds true for cash, loan, or leasing.

Even if a consumer purchases a product "as is" and/or "all sales are final, no refunds" , limited recourse is still available to the consumer. Depending on the state, he / she may be able to seek compensation for damages incurred thru the courts. Yes, burden of proof rests with the complaintant to satisfy the court to move forward with their case.

The only time a product is not attached to a corporation is when the product is acquired by illegal means.

Consumers (this means you) need to be better informed of their rights when dealing with corporations.

DBCassidy

 

WOW!, a new acronym has evolved: VGA - Volt Gas Anxiety!

There has to be an app and / or and Rx for proper treatment.

DBCassidy

 

Sheesh another double post

 

I'd make the acronym more generic ... PGA - for plugin gas anxiety ... not to be confused with golfing

.

 

Two third of US electricity is being generated from fossil fuel. The bright side is the other 1/3.

 

94% EV and only 97 MPGe?

Considering the electricity takes 2x the energy to produce a gallon equivalent, that's about 49 gas MPG equivalent.

Different stroke for different folks.

 

Your mixing and matching two separate data snapshots. Look more closely and you will see that the 94% electric miles was a lifetime statistic but the 97 MPGe is the average from the last 30 days.

The last 30 day average shows him as 90% electric.

 

Thanks. Why is the lifetime MPGe blank?

 

It's probably due to incomplete data. OnStar has been having some problems with their Volt efficiency statistics in recent months. That image is from the MyVolt.com website run by OnStar that allows you to login and see various statistics about your specific car based on data automatically downloaded every day.

I'm hoping they will spend some more money in preparation for the 2nd gen Volt rollout and fix some of the bugs in the OnStar server software.