GM: Less than 200,000 Volts in the First 5 Years of Production

[Harley Lover]

GM said in its filing that it wouldn't produce a high volume of Chevy Volt vehicles before 2015.

 

"GM's game-changing (extended range electric vehicle) technology should be treated as a low-volume application" through the 2015 model year, GM said in its filing, adding that it "strongly discouraged" NHTSA from assuming large numbers of vehicles would be built before then. It urged NHTSA to drop its yearly increase to 3 percent per year.

 

A person familiar with GM's plans said the company expected to produce less than 200,000 Volts in the first five years of production and many of those would be exported to other markets.

 

I was surprised that no one latched onto this yesterday. This info is buried in an article about fuel economy regulations, but it's very illuminating info. Here's the link for the entire article: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...D=2008807100356

[NickF1011]

Not surprising. If you ran a company, would you want to sell hundredsand hundreds of thousands of a product you know you're going to lose money on?

[Harley Lover]

Agreed. I find it fascinating from the standpoint that GM has put so much of their credibility on the line for this product - it's their "gamechanger" to quote the corporate puke. How can the Volt be a gamechanger when they won't build enough of them to create a ripple on the sales charts?

[old_fairmont_wagon]

Assuming that 2/3s of the production will be for the US market, and that 120K will be devided evenly across the 2010-2015 model years, that's roughly 20K per year into the US market. That volume sounds very similar. What other US manufacturer produces a very popular hybrid and only makes about 20K a year of them, yet touts them to lift up their green image...

 

Could it be Ford with the Escape Hybrid?

 

So, in that sense, there's nothing wrong with GM waving the volt flag. They are still technically mass producing a very efficient vehicle. (assuming it goes on sale for the 2010 model year). How many Prius hybrids or insight hybrids did Honda and toyota make in their first 4-5 model years? Not as many as they'd like you to think. Yet they got substantially greened by both vehicles.

[billyk24]

Assuming that 2/3s of the production will be for the US market, and that 120K will be devided evenly across the 2010-2015 model years, that's roughly 20K per year into the US market. That volume sounds very similar. What other US manufacturer produces a very popular hybrid and only makes about 20K a year of them, yet touts them to lift up their green image...

 

Could it be Ford with the Escape Hybrid?

 

So, in that sense, there's nothing wrong with GM waving the volt flag. They are still technically mass producing a very efficient vehicle. (assuming it goes on sale for the 2010 model year). How many Prius hybrids or insight hybrids did Honda and toyota make in their first 4-5 model years? Not as many as they'd like you to think. Yet they got substantially greened by both vehicles.

 

It is funny because the Honda Insight can not meet the Partial Zero Emission standards. That is one reason it was dropped for the 2007 MY.

[mlhm5]

I think this information reveals that GM intended to use the Volt to get front page headlines and the final product will be more of a niche product than one that would appeal to as many consumers as the Prius.

 

By the time this thing finally comes out, with all the compromises GM is making, Toyota will have its improved hybrid technology available in the Prius leaving Lutz scratching his head and reciting his usual line, "I don't know why we're losing market share".

 

IMO, Volt will be just another hybrid, working differently, but now will not get that much better range than a Prius if it all.

 

GM led consumers to believe the Volt was supposed to be much better then a Prius but is slowly and surely becoming a more expensive Prius.

Edited July 13, 2008 by mlhm5

[rmc523]

I think this information reveals that GM never intended to use the Volt to get front page headlines and the final product will be more of a niche product than one that would appeal to most consumers.

 

By the time this thing finally comes out, with all these compromises, Toyota will come out with its improved hybrid technology leaving Lutz scratching his head and reciting his usual line, "I don't know why we're losing market share".

 

By the time 2010 rolls around, Volt will be just another hybrid, working differently, but now will not get that much better range than a Prius if it all.

 

GM led consumers to believe the Volt was supposed to be much better then a Prius but is slowly becoming a more expensive Prius.

 

Did anybody here ever think it was going to be a mainstream product?