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

Discussion in 'GM Hybrids and EVs' started by Jeff N, Oct 1, 2014.

  1. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    115,000 reservations at the time of the Model 3 reveal. I wonder how many now?

    GM had already spread itself too thin, dividing resources among both Volt & Bolt. They've haven't been clear about intent either.

    What should we expect now?
     
    #601 john1701a, Apr 1, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
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  2. ggood

    ggood Senior Member

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    I could say the same thing about Toyota. If they've got something better than a BS fuel cell or lame joke 22 mile range car in the works, maybe they should tell us now, before we all jump ship to the Bolt or the Model 3 (or even the Pacifica).
     
  3. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Toyota is focusing mainstream consumer offerings on hybrids. How is that the same?

    We just got the new Prius and RAV4. Later this year will be Prime.

    What basis is the 22-mile capacity considered a lame joke? Is that based upon the belief that bigger is better? If so, we should focus discussion on economics, accounting, and marketing... the problems GM has struggled with.
     
    #603 john1701a, Apr 1, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
  4. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    The March sales for Volt are in: 1,865.

    And that's during a typically slow time of the year for plugin sales since buyers pull forward their purchases in November and December in order to file for the tax credit. And that is also without the CA HOV stickers which ran out in January.

    I think the gen 2 Volt will do well as more and more people become interested in BEVs but want to try a "BEV with training wheels" first.
     
    #604 Jeff N, Apr 1, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
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  5. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    This is the same as the measuring "success" of the past. What does "well" represent?

    The target supposedly has been to achieve mainstream sales volume... which makes sense, because when the tax-credits expire the technology must be well enough integrated into the market to continue profitably.

    That's a minimum of 5,000 per month.

    The tech could of course be spread to other vehicles, which would be another way of keeping production high so cost remains lower. (Toyota obviously does that with Prius.)

    1,865 is well below that. It is also just barely higher than the average with gen-1, which was 1,600 to 1,700 per month.
     
  6. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    THAT number is paltry. Gen2 needs to really pick up the pace in sales numbers.

    OR, is GM happy as a "pig in s**t" with tat dismal number?

    DBCassidy
     
  7. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Seriously, what is the deterrent from higher sales, especially now with gen-2 being available?
     
  8. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    Sales of 2016 Volts had been restricted to CARB states and then production shut down briefly and switched to the 2017 model which is being sold nationally. So, national distribution just is in the process of rolling out.
     
  9. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Painfully slow ramp up of gen-2 Volt doesn't set a good stage for Bolt.

    With 200,000 orders for Tesla 3 to fill, GM really needs to deliver... something.

    update: 232,000 now.

    I wonder what Toyota is thinking with Prime plans. This sends a signal that the market is opening up. More people will be receptive to plugging in... Prime could prove to be well positioned for this next stage.
     
  10. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    Oh, let us not forget the committee GM established a couple of years ago to keep an eye on Tesla. Boy, that move has produced meaningful results to date - NOT!

    DBCassidy
     
  11. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    It's produced the Bolt EV which is a lot more than any other car company including Toyota has done to compete with Tesla.
     
  12. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    I glad I am responding to your reply, currently sitting behind the wheel of my new Bolt!.

    DBCassidy
     
  13. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    You mean developed, since none have been offered for purchase yet.

    Toyota focused on motor, controller, charger, and battery development. The vehicle itself will come as market direction is defined.

    Look how rushed to market Volt was. Making that firm rollout deadline didn't turn into high-volume sales.
     
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  14. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    The schedule was a bit compressed and risky from a business sense but it turned well, I think. The Volt is the highest volume plugin vehicle sold in the US over the last 5.5 years and the quality and reliable were pretty good considering the circumstances.

    GM pushed the envelope on the Volt PHEV/EREV much like Tesla is pushing the envelope on BEVs. I'm glad they did. Meanwhile, Toyota is quietly biding their time and preparing for future vehicles. Things were reversed back in the late 1990's with hybrids. Toyota, to their credit, led the way even when it wasn't to their immediate yearly financial gain. They looked ahead and built cars while incrementally refining them. GM is doing that with the Volt but you give them little credit. GM is doing that with BEVs while Toyota does nothing that consumers can buy. I like Toyota as a company overall but I think they have lost their way a bit although they have a better clue than lots of other car companies.
     
    #614 Jeff N, Apr 3, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2016
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  15. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    Yes, GM gets very little, if any credit. You are overlooking one thing, which is a BIG one: taxpayers bailout of GM. Without us, bye, bye GM. THe lions' share of credit goes to all od us taxpayers bailing out a fiasco like GM. Also Chrysler, the "BIG" banks, etc.

    After all, they were all "too big" to fail.

    GM, today, really isn't that innovative, especially in their marketing execution. They are consistant in failing to gauge the trends in marketing, afvertising, and engineering.

    Bottlom line, Gen2 Volt should be flying out of the showrooms - but they are not.

    Thats' reality.

    DBCassidy
     
  16. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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  17. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Nothing.

    PiP production ended way back in June of last year. There are only a handful left to be purchased.

    The reason Toyota stopped is obvious now. Prime offers quite a number of system improvements. Continuing with such an outdated generation simply didn't make any sense.
     
  18. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    So this huge dropout of PiP production and sales from June of 2015 to early 2017 is smart planning?
     
  19. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Yes. There are several threads discussing that very topic in great detail.
     
  20. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Just like never offering it in states where there were potential buyers.
     
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