Battery-powered Chevy Volt being tested: Still vaporware?
Time to start believing?I've never doubted the Chevy Volt. Of course, maybe GM is only developing the Chevy Volt to protect SUV sales (more), but that's a whole different story. Anyway, now that GM is testing the first Chevy Volt with a lithium-ion battery pack, should all critics finally stop calling the Volt 'vaporware'?
Finish: Battery-powered Chevy Volt being tested: Still vaporware?
posted by Dahcredyns at
11:06 AM
5 Comments:
I'll buy that Malibu mule! Maybe GM will give me a good deal on it! HA!
I think the EV1 won the aerodynamic prize for GM. It was ridiculously low...
that's true, but the volt can't compete with the ev1 on aerodynamic drag because it has to have 4 seats and a look similar to the concept.
what i mean is aerodynamic tuning.
when tests on the volt proved that reducing weight on the Volt was less important than reducing aerodynamic drag, gm was forced to make the Volt as aerodynamic as possible while maintaining concept-look integrity.
this has resulted in a number of changes since the concept debuted and will result in even more changes. essentially, according to gm, at this point in time, aerodynamics are key to whether gm can achieve the Volt's most important goal, 40 miles of pure electricity up to 100 mph and a pretty respectable 0 - 60.
the volt is taking the art of aerodynamic fine-tuning to a whole other level.
It's vapor ware until it's available for purchase.
will-
and if gm does build it, would you be interested in the vehicle?
I believe GM will sell some of these cars in 2010.
The big question is PRICE. Granted the first generation li-ion battery will be expensive, they will still be ramping up production and tweaking minor problems. GM will be VERY stupid if they try to recoup their investment too quickly, in typical American corporation quaterly-profit fashion.
At $35,000, this car is a niche market. At $20,000, they will be starting a new wave. Sell 20,000 the first year, it's just $300 million (lost income) to buy word of mouth and real buzz, and build the market for a potential home run.
The next year, battery prices come down, raise the price a few thousand if there are waiting lists, and again take a smaller loss, for a bigger market. 40,000 vehicles, sold at $23,000, at a cost of $30,000 per vehicle (for example).
Grow the buzz, grow the number sold per year, get economies of scale going in the li-ion batteries. In this way, GM can lead the electric car segment. Call the money spent 'marketing' and 'R&D' (to improve the battery and manufacturing costs). Totally skip advertising - word of mouth and news stories will sell the first few years Volts.
Otherwise, if they do EV1-style whining "it cost us $35,000 to build, we have to sell it at $42,000" - GAME OVER. GM is toast. Fire Lutz, and sell off the remaining assets to the Japanese.
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