Posted on 11/07/2014 7:07:00 AM PST by lacrew
For October, the results did improve somewhat however, as 1,439 Volts were sold, which was up 3% from last month, but still off 29% from the 2,022 sold last year at this time.
For the year, 15,979 Volts have been sold, which is down 14.9% from the 18,782 sold through the first 10 months of 2013.
General Motors now faces a couple problems trying to finish out 2014 strong: •Production – the Volt’s Hamtramck, Michigan facility has been idled since mid-August as part of a previously announced $384 million dollar investment into the facility that is currently seeing the Voltec line being upgraded to handle both the next gen Volt as well as two other plug-in stablemates •Chevrolet Volt 2.0 – this month GM start its media-blitz/teaser promotion of the next Volt ahead of its January NAIAS debut. While no pricing or specific figures were released yet, GM did foretell that the range extending engine would be a larger 1.5l engine, and that the next Volt would have a larger battery, enabling more range – our math points to a 50 mile AER when the car is released next fall.
(Excerpt) Read more at insideevs.com ...
Two things amaze me - first GM dumped another $384 million into upgrading the Volt plant. A third of a billion dollars. Is GM so stupid that they are just flushing money down a hole...or do they anticipate some new...ahem...legislation...that will make this a profitable move.
Second - The excuse this month is that the new Volt will be so much better, why would anybody buy one now. Why, oh why, would a consumer believe any of GMs claims about range or price, when it comes to the next gen Volt...when the promises for the current Volt were so overstated?
Yes...GM is THAT stupid.
Volt sales are barely half of what the Pontiac Aztec sold every year...and that platform is widely panned as an absolute failure...and of course GM cancelled the Aztec.
This is insane.
And we haven’t even begun to hear the next story (which will somehow be a surprise to the EV cheerleaders) - the resale value for a Volt is going to be terrible.
Ping.
They sold more Corvettes (29,000) than Volts (16,000) I’m of the opinion only an idiot or a watermelon would want a Volt.
In a sane world, Volts would have been discontinued a long time ago.
Politics can’t make people buy them without a gun being held to the buyer’s heads.....................
“Volt sales are barely half of what the Pontiac Aztec sold every year...and that platform is widely panned as an absolute failure”
One thing for sure, the aztec was one ugly pizza chit.
“the next Volt would have a larger battery, enabling more range”
There by increasing the amount of hazardous waste it takes to produce them no doubt. Which kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?
Yet we Americans are prohibited from buying diesel cars that are sold in the European market that get better mileage than the stupid Volt.
“Which kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?”
Depends on the ‘purpose’ I suppose.
IMHO the mandates for other than internal combustion vehicles and unrealistic CAFE standards have one purpose - to keep us on the farm. More specifically to keep us in Soviet style apartment blocks, in perfect conformance.
The left is trying to make it more expensive to drive, plain and simple. Too many of us living outside of cities for their taste. And too many people doing sideline businesses with a pickup truck. In a leftist perfect world, only the Oligarchs will drive.
The Aztec was a brilliant success compared to the Volt. It was ugly, but practical. They’ll soon be collector’s items.
I neither love nor hate the Aztec...just used its sales figures as a benchmark for comparison. They were considered terrible (although they were nearly double the Volt’s)....so its curious GM persists with this loser.
BTW, I think the Aztec may have come out a few years too early...some of today’s ‘crossovers’ don’t look a whole lot different.
I sent a note to GM when they cancelled the upgraded Pontiac Fiero (with a production of 20,000 units).
Quote from Internet: "By 1988, more power, better looks, and a $30 million new suspension brought the Fiero closer to its original promise — just in time for the corporation to bring down the ax".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.