Featured Dead: Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV

There was no edit. Your quote confirms it. Showroom shopper has been the focus since Volt sales soured, resulting in the creation of Bolt.

The problem came about from the usual challenge... not having a sustainable means of profit. Conquest sales depended upon subsidies. Having a tax-credit was short-term, since no one shopping the showroom floor was expected to buy one. It was taking advantage of a niche. Dealers would embrace what followed.

This move to offer Equinox, Blazer and Silverado is long-term, what has been planned to follow... what showroom shopper will discover and what dealers will be able to sell at a familiar profit.

 

Your post clearly states you edited it. And Toyota benefited from subsidies as well from their PHEVs. At least, they did until everyone shifted to EVs and Toyota was left out.

 

word salad, so appropriate. i wish i had come up with it

 

Know your audience gets posted on a regular basis. The reason for it is Toyota targeted their own loyal customers, those showroom shoppers looking to replace their aged Toyota with a new Toyota. That is not what GM did with neither Volt nor Bolt. Both were exploits targeting early-adopters seeking opportunity. That fundamental difference is what this exchange is about.


Look at Camry hybrid and Corolla hybrid and RAV4 hybrid, then RAV4 Prime. Who they are intended to appeal to is undeniable. The strategy worked too. Toyota is now making more profit on hybrid sales than from traditional vehicles. That is a "game changer" success.


The new Prius builds upon that, seeking out not only former Prius owners while also taking advantage of market opportunity other automakers are choosing to ignore.


It's all a long-term strategy setting the stage for lots of PHEV sales, which set the stage for EV sales.

 

What are they doing now that their customers are jumping ship?

 

hoping to play catch up

 

Yeah, when the deal on Solterra fell apart, I looked for id 4 which was still qualified for the full credit up until a few weeks ago. But there was none in stock at local dealers. And now it no longer qualifies for the tax credit. So it is totally out of my spending limit on a daily driver commuter car. The Bolt with a full credit and our local incentives, if I find one on the lot, I can get it below $15K tax, fees all included.

 

You can't beat that price!

Just as an FYI - the id.4 just requalified for the credit. Again, not that it'll beat the bolts price.

 

Not worrying about short-term losses, because they have learned some come back in the long-term. Notice how many Volt owners showed no loyalty to GM with their next purchase?

 

Oh, I didn't know that. I read that it was initially missing from the IRS list. Only 10 Electric Vehicles Qualify for Full $7,500 US Tax Credit

Just checked it. Yep, you are correct. It is listed in the latest qualified EV list.
https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax2023.shtml

 

Hrm...how many of those who jumped from a Prius to bolt, Tesla, EV6, eNiro, or id.4 are out there longing for a b4zx?

They jumped, and they ain't coming back until Toyota has something compelling. Look, I think we're all knowledgeable about cars here, to an extent, and I don't see any b4zx owners here .. if there were, they'd probably get teased to hell and back.

 

John has one, and I actually one at a restaurant twice.

The only thing compelling about it is that it's a Toyota.

As for the Bolt, I had expected it to live out the usual five year life cycle, but GM wants the production resources for other EVs. If the pricing is close to as promised the Equinox EV should be a bigger success.

 

Yes, "more attractive" is the reason. "EV" is the new fad in vehicles, and they are trying to attract buyers by making them attractive.

That said, here is the "Turkish Tesla," which is called Togg:

Togg

I have never seen a car with the display covering the entire dashboard before.

 

Bmw is starting to do that display but not as busy. Tesla is more focused, cleaner and minimal. certain drivers will like the look here, or Toyota or Tesla. Choices are good. Batteries keep improving. The days of non plug-ins are numbered, but there is lots of room for small battery phevs.

 

That's not the feedback I got at our Earth Day event, where there were 4 Bolt, 3 Rivian, 1 Model Y, and my 4X. Think about who...

 

Perhaps they were humouring you so you would stop...

 

They asked questions, like a shopper would.

 

I'm still waiting on a GM apology for their 1981 Chevette.

Bob Wilson

 

Best car ever made. Will you buy this one?

https://barnfinds.com/41000-miles-1981-chevrolet-chevette/

 

One kick of the mule was enough. My late wife hated ours:

• She got a speeding ticket and beat the ticket in court. "Your honor, my husband said I had to get the car to the next gear red line before shifting which is why I was going so fast." The court room erupted while the cop said, "That is what she told us." The judge said, "Mrs Wilson, I wish your husband were here today. Case dismissed."
• On long distance trips, she could not nap because she had to be awake to complain, "You let that truck pass you." I could not nap because at the speeds she loved to drive, the wind noise and car rattles kept me anxiously awake.
• The clutch had to be replaced every 30,000 miles ... I did two of the three.
• Driving too close behind a pickup with an I-beam rear bumper, the truck driver saw a cop and suddenly stopped at a red light and she ran into it: decapitated the radiator and crumpled the hood back to the windshield. She was dancing in happiness that "The car is dead!" Arriving just before the tow truck, I verified she was OK and walking around the car, put my hand to my chin and said, "Oh I don't know. Fifty dollars in parts and I can get it running again." That was the closest I came to being killed by my late wife.

Back to the Bolt, the "Transport Evolved" team moved from BMW i3 to Bolt and documented their sad Bolt experience. The worst was the 50 kW peak charging rate but they also got hit by the battery and other recalls. It reminded me of our Chevette experience.

Bob Wilson