RangerM Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 http://content.usato...er-slow-sales/1 General Motors is halting, for a month, the manufacture of its well-known but seldom-sold Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car, according to trade publication Automotive News....... .....A GM spokesman declined to comment. "We don't comment on production schedules," the spokesman told the News. "We continue to match supply and demand." Although the plant had another temporary shutdown earlier this year, Volt demand has actually been healthier. GM sold 10,666 Volts through July, way up from the 2,870 sold during the same period a year earlier. I'd wonder who's buying them. All but one of them I've seen has had either dealer or government tags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 http://content.usato...er-slow-sales/1 I'd wonder who's buying them. All but one of them I've seen has had either dealer or government tags. Volt sales are up about 270% over 2011 and GM expects to sell 2,200 more when August sales are reported, best month yet. Many of them go to CA where they are very popular. 2,200 sales in one month is not bad for a $40,000 plug-in hybrid. The plant also builds the Ampera for Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 LINK GM late Monday disputed published reports that the move is because of slow Volt sales. GM sold 10,666 Volts through July, way up from the 2,870 sold during the same period a year earlier. "We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We're gearing up for production of the new Impala," Chevy spokesman David Darovitz said in an email. The 2014 Impala, a complete redesign, is an important model for Chevy, and GM wants to take extra time preparing the factory to ensure a high-quality launch, he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Volt sales are up about 270% over 2011 and GM expects to sell 2,200 more when August sales are reported, best month yet. Many of them go to CA where they are very popular. 2,200 sales in one month is not bad for a $40,000 plug-in hybrid. The plant also builds the Ampera for Europe. If your sales are up 270% and you're still only at 2200 a month, something isn't quite right, don't you think? Ignore the "plug-in hybrid" part. Qualifying its low sales with that doesn't make it any more successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 I'd wonder who's buying them. GE. Here's a picture of the PHEV parking area at GE Fleet's new Innovation Center facility in Eden Prairie, Minnesota: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 GE. Here's a picture of the PHEV parking area at GE Fleet's new Innovation Center facility in Eden Prairie, Minnesota: Ameren, a big utility company here in MO has a few as well. They offer them to employees to use to run errands and what-not. Just sign up and you can check out a Volt or Leaf. Sadly, as a consultant, I don't get to use the vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boominup Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 GE. Here's a picture of the PHEV parking area at GE Fleet's new Innovation Center facility in Eden Prairie, Minnesota: GE in Painville, Ct has a similar center that is at least twice the size as this one, but with never more than half a dozen Volts lined up at a time. The other slots are usually taken up by "normal" cars or Prii! What a waste of money that was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Well, one thing that will help, will be the Cadillac ELR. Adding a Cadillac variant of the Volt will certainly increase sales for this platform. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 If at first you don't succeed, add a Cadillac version. #foolproof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 If at first you don't succeed, add a Cadillac version. #foolproof Or they can export it as an Opel so they can import it again as a Buick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Or they can export it as an Opel so they can import it again as a Buick? They're halfway there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 They're halfway there... The Opel version looks better. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retro-man Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I see quite a few of them out here that seem to be in private hands. It's a nice looking car up close. I see quite a few Nissan Leafs too. There was one involved in a fatality accident this evening. (The fatality was in the other car - a Mitsubishi Galant which had been driven across the center line by an apparently-intoxicated driver. The 4 occupants of the Leaf have non-life threatening injuries.) I'd like to see the Volt survive and evolve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 They're halfway there... Looks like they are stealing some styling ques from Ford of Australia with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) Well, one thing that will help, will be the Cadillac ELR. Adding a Cadillac variant of the Volt will certainly increase sales for this platform. :rolleyes: And is so disappointing that GM enlists Cadillac as cover for its ego lead product decisions. Extended range EV in a larger vehicle like the Epsillon IIs instead of that blech E-Assist would have been received much better. That tech could have been spread across more vehicles bringing the cost down instead of just one or two show ponies case vehicles. But then that's GM for you, you can't put a pragmatic Ford head on a GM corporate shoulders... Looks like they are stealing some styling ques from Ford of Australia with that! LOL, Motor companies are an incestuous lot.... I wish Falcon did have more of that higher profile Visor look but at least the 2014 Falcon will have Fusion's front end styling Edited September 1, 2012 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 "We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We're gearing up for production of the new Impala," Correct! They did not suspend Volt production this time due to low sales, that is a lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) "We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We're gearing up for production of the new Impala," Correct! They did not suspend Volt production this time due to low sales, that is a lie. That sounds fishy, though. I thought that the whole point of building multiple vehicles in one plant is to allow production of one vehicle to continue even if the lines have to be down for the other, to ensure that the plant continues to be utilized. And if there is sufficient buyer demand for the Volt, wouldn't GM find SOME way to build them? Edited September 7, 2012 by grbeck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldd Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 One of my co-workers just bought a Leaf, bringing the total to two, in a small, ~80-person, office. I haven't seen a Volt in person, though the North Bay should be fertile ground for sales. Maybe it's all the Priuses that crowd them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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