Will the Chevrolet Volt be a failure or a success?

That's a great point. What happened to the 50,000 preorders?

We know GE is going to buy 25,000 to keep it alive.

 

From the link: "Well, now General Motors is accepting pre-orders for the car. Automobile Magazine reports the company said that it has received 50,000 inquires. "

Theres a big difference from an inquiry and an order. GM-volt.com started a list and tried to get GM to adopt it as the waiting list, they didn't.

Nissan experienced similar, first they had a long list of "interested" people for the Leaf, then they started taking deposits and the numbers were much lower.

 

Not 50k pre-orders, 50k 'inquiries'

Look what a shambles the production hype is in though. So far they are running at about 10% of the hype. About matches the car. Volt jokes aside, I often wonder how the Hamtrack plant is slowed down enough to only make 20 cars a day. Do they run the line for a couple of minutes and then shut it down for an hour ? One day activity a month ?

 

50,000 inquiries? That's absolutely meaningless. That's barely better than registering web hits to their site (I've gone there several times).

On premium, presumably.

 

I think they still make a Buick and Cadillac there too.

 

Sorry.
PHV/EV's and outdoor parking are incompatible.

 

If it's inconclusive after 41 pages, the Volt has already won.

GM's Volt will succeed as long as it doesn't turn Fiero.
It's success is a good thing (!). I just read the LG-Chem has already started hiring workers for the Volt battery plant it is building here. When will Toyota start building Priuses in the US ?

 

It will start but it will also shut off pretty quickly too. And when it is running it is generating power for the battery and using waste heat to warm the battery. That is a pretty efficient use of gas.

 

Won what?

Isn't the point to replace tradition vehicle production with the new technology?
.

 

Well TPFUN, if you look on this board to find Volt supporters in the past you will find me. And I supported it for years not just for a bit. I fell in love with the Volt when it was announced. I love the idea of a true serial hybrid and still think a properly designed one would be a real winner. I championed the Volt here for quite a long time and still think of it as a respectable car. But I will say it. So far...

It is a failure.

With production numbers still in the 300 range a month SOMETHING is wrong. I think it is the high price the CS mpg combined but it could be GM is holding production back as well. It does not matter, if they can not make more then 300 a month it is mostly irrelevant.

GM could fix the Volt by....
Lowering the price to get it under $32000 with tax credit

AND

putting a better engine such as a 1 liter turbo (which will cost GM MORE not less) that might get the car to 40mpg CS.

But now I do not think (trust) GM will do that.

 

Will 2012 model be a definite AT-PZEV? It is not listed in the "New Features" nor "Changes" section.

 

Actually, if it's inconclusive after 41 pages, it's inconclusive.

I don't care to but probably somebody could scan all the posts in this thread and tabulate individual responses to get a picture of success/failure to date.

 

Sure, we can frame the debate as "if at least one troll exists, GM has won," but why bother ?

 

hw,
I disagree that something has to be wrong for the low production figure.
I believe GM is minimizing startup risks by the slow sales ramp. This is an entirely new platform with brand new components and paradigm, not to mention the extremely high visibility (presidential level) this project has.
The worse thing for GM is to make thousands a month now and having to do a bad recall on them. No launch of a brand new platform (Prius included) is perfect without some recall or another.

 

Do posts labeling anyone as a troll count ?

 

Reports from Motor Trend, Inside Line and Consumer Reports said no. The heater is anemic. Child seat isn't possible in the rear seat. 3" ground clearance. Requires plugging in to inflate the MPG.

How can a car be up to the chore if it is not affordable to use for the chore?

 

Your link doesn't work.

 

GM disagrees with you, if you believe their anticipated production hype from 2009 and 2010.

Anyway, at best that excuse was good for a month. At this point, 6 months into production, GM is either incompetent, has accepted the Volt is a commercial flop, or both.

 

Huh? My 2 year old will be surprised to hear this.

3" ground clearance is FUD. It has a soft, pliable spoiler that hangs low. All the hard parts are at normal heights. It's nothing like an actual low car like a Porsche GT3.

 

I believe he was trying to link this:

Meet Your 2012 Chevrolet Car Lineup - GM Inside News Forum