Volt 2.0: Ruess "It will leap-frog... the competition"

The difference is that there is some promise that there will be a replacement model.
Has Toyota stopped production of the Prius, or any model, before the unveiling of the next generation in the past?

And how exactly has GM showed off the gen2 Volt? It was unveiled at this year's international Auto Show, and will go on sale in the fall. GM has been mum of specifics of the gen2 before then. There was plenty of 3rd party speculation, but we are seeing that for the 4th gen prius.

The gen3 Prius was unveiled at the 2009 International Auto Show, and went on sale in Japan in May of that year. North American sales would follow some time later. So the Prius had a shorter gap between unveiling and availability than the Volt. We can speculate about what the 4 months difference means, but GM's behavior was different in regards to Volt announcements now than with the first generation.

We just get a couple big events and press releases for a car very few will see, and even fewer can buy or lease.

 

You know how it looks like and the information (battery capacity, EV range, Engine spec, etc) they released. Knowing that, would you buy Gen1 or wait for Gen2?

 

That a red herring.

The appropriate question is to ask if they had included that option as part of their business plan.

An approach with built-in flexibility already is a whole lot better than having to react after the fact.

Remember the ultimate goal is to sustain business through profit. Being forced into a corner... like discounts to clear out unexpected inventory... can be costly. Simply being able to stop early is a nice option.

 

How often does unveiling the redesigned model not hurt the current one's sales?

The Volt's monthly sales peaked in July and August of last year. Monthly Plug-In Sales Scorecard The second gen unveiling hurt current sales, but they were in a general decline. Since GM made no announcement of deviating from the usual 5 year cycle with the Volt, part of the decline could do to expectation of the next generation. Not much GM can do about that. As it is the Volt sales have gained some, and they started of slow last year too.

I wouldn't call stopping production early because sales have been low a nice option.

 

there is some promise for the gen IV pip, didn't you read the thread you linked to, or don't you believe them?

 

Then I suggest you take a course in accounting, though economics may be just as informative. Keep goals in mind.

Long story short, GM bet the farm a single model. So, stopping hurts. Toyota simply shifted focus to their other models. So, no harm.

 

John, it doesn't matter. It is too big to fail.

 

I don't have much faith when it comes to Toyota and plugins. Stopping PPI production now means there is no chance of a wider roll out until the next model comes out, which is a year away at best. Unless they are going to surprise us, but that doesn't seem likely with their FCV investment.

Where has it been reported that stopping Volt production has hurt GM?
The new Impala is the number one selling full size sedan in the US.
The new Malibu was redesigned after 3 years to address shortcomings instead of being left to linger. It is getting a Voltec derived hybrid option as part of that.
Their cylinder deactivation technology was improved and expanded to the V6 in their trucks. The new family of small engines has been rolling out to their cars.
Cadilac is getting a new flagship model; including a PHV version with Voltec.

So no betting the farm on a single model there.

Old GM dallied with hybrids. They wanted too much for BAS, and eAssist was on the old Malibu that was a poor seller to begin with. Two mode was too expensive. On top of that, it was lacking in performance for a full side truck, but no one has a satisfactory hybrid system for a working truck.

This lack of a decent car hybrid isn't what hurt old GM though. Hybrid sales share has trouble breaking 3%. Nissan and VW seemed to do just fine without a hybrid for years. The lack of one didn't hurt them during the recession. The Altima hybrid with licensed THS was forced upon Nissan by CARB, and wasn't available nationally. It was just a lack of a decent car. The Malibu and Impala were rental agency fare. The only people buying the Cobalt were those that couldn't afford a Civic. The Aveo had to change its name in North America with the redesign. None were none for fuel efficiency. Perhaps Pontiac, Buick, or Saturn had some decent car models, but they weren't enough to cover the overhead of maintaining the different brands.

GM is coming around to the desirable car market. They are designing cars that people want as opposed to settling for, and they have been improving fuel economy. The new Malibu is bigger than the old, yet is lighter. It also has dropped the V6 option like the Fusion. It was 3 to 4 years before Toyota offered a hybrid besides the Prius in Japan, and that one didn't come to the US with the Prius.

So GM took a little longer in regards to the Voltec system. So what? Why does GM have to rush when Toyota can take their time?

 

Chevrolet Volt U.S. Sales
2010 - 326
2011 - 7671
2012 - 23,461(Peaked)
2013 - 23,094
2014 - 18,805
2015 April YTD * 2,779

 

The bet was for the goals set for 2010-2015 sales. That was lost opportunity. It's in the past. Bet lost. Notice how Malibu, Impala, Cruze, Equinox, and drew consumers instead? Looking forward to 2016 sales is a totally different topic, not part of the recap what already happened.

Gen-2 isn't as hoped either. The "diluting" of Volt is what enthusiasts fought hard against, yet it is exactly what we see planned. That's diversifying, not a single model... the farm.

 

why were you thinking they might roll out this pip?

 

Hope they would change course, but I guess "the new one is just(yet another) year away" is still a useful excuse.

Those goals were marketing bluster from executives no longer with the company. These sources have the goal at 10,000 for 2011.
Chevy Volt misses first-year sales target - CNET
Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Fall Short Of 2011 Sales Goals, But That’s OK - Gas 2

Wikipedia has the Prius plugin missing its initial sales goals also.
"Toyota's initial global sales goal was to sell more than 60,000 Prius PHV a year, with Japan as the main market and aiming for 40,000 units, two-thirds of the carmaker's global sales goal.[96]
...
As of September 2014, a total of 65,310 Prius PHVs have been sold worldwide, with the United States as the market leader with 36,680 units delivered, followed by Japan with 19,100 units sold, and Europe with 9,133 units."
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How many buyers of GM products only considered them after hearing news about the Volt, or even stopping at a dealership to see one? Considering the outgoing Malibu sells less than the Cruze, it likely had some hefty incentives of its own to move.

Are these Volt enthusiasts top management at GM?
GM had a Volt CUV concept and offered the ELR for sale, so I don't see how anyone can claim that they never intended diversify the technology.

Back to this. Outside this year, where all the alt fuel vehicles are suffering from cheap gasoline, what was the Volt's loyalty among owners?

 

actually, i've not heard them make excuses, just their business plan. you seem bothered, are you hoping to buy one?

 

I was at the Chevy parts dept. today and one of the salesman walked in. I asked how the holiday weekend went for them and he said they really did good, then I asked how the Volts did and he said they didn't sell a one. I asked were there any other models that didn't sell and he said the Malibu and the Camaros. He said customers are waiting for the new ones that are coming out. If they like it, they'll buy a new model, if they don't like it, they'll get a bargain on the leftovers.

 

Caddy has to do something, product is not moving off lots. Government Motors also is facing criminal charges over the ignition switch coverup Why would Volt gen2 save the company? I don't think so. Coworkers (4) considered the Volt - but did NOT like the price. So they bought (3) Cruzes and (1) Camaro - Go figure.

DBCassidy

 

Focus on the wrong thing is how this drags on and on, preventing progress.

Here's a dose of reality... GM wrings more pickups out of busy plant

The future is filled with guzzlers. Pretend it doesn't matter by continuing to make pointless comparison. We'll focus on the technology that's offered in a configuration actually capable of competing with the true competition.

 

Here's a second dose: Toyota posts gain, needs more trucks

"Toyota Division sales rose 1.2 percent to 173,144. Toyota-brand car sales fell 5.5 percent, blunting a 9.6 percent rise in light truck volume.

Both nameplates posted sales declines last month, with Camry volume falling 10 percent and Prius continuing its downward trend with a 15 percent drop."

 

There is nothing wrong with needing more of what is selling!

Toyota Prius Liftback(No PIP)
2015 April 8,822 -14.3% vs 2014 April
2015 April YTD 32,693 /-8.7%
2014 April YTD 35,816

The Camry has another midsize competition in the same showroom; Camry down 10% & Corolla up 10%.
Toyota Camry April YTD +1.7%
Toyota Corolla April YTD +14.9%

VW April sales total 30,009 units
Corolla(alone) April sales 31,990 units

Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - April 2015 - GOOD CAR BAD CAR

 

Step back and look at the big picture, then you'll understand what the situation was and is now. Don't just look at 2016 Volt. The "diluting" is with respect to other vehicles. Enthusiasts wanted everything to offer a plug and at least a "40-mile" capacity. They fully endorsed the same approach across the fleet.

Those enthusiasts fought intensely, to the point of hostility at times, to prevent support of any new vehicle from GM using a battery-pack smaller than that in the current Volt. So, whenever the topic of a more affordable model was posted, the person suggesting it got labeled as a troll and personally attacked. It was quite amazing to witness.

Long story short, they felt strongly about the "40-mile" range being a standard base for all vehicles going forward. In other words, this upcoming CT6 plug-in hybrid is what they absolutely didn't want. The enthusiasts used to make fun of hybrids to no end as well, portraying them as a huge waste of effort. So, the upcoming Malibu hybrid is the last thing they ever imagined would happen. Both are variants of Volt technology. One offers less electricity capacity. One doesn't even offer a plug.

The product-line is diversifying. They didn't want that.