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As the release date creeps ever closer (Nov 2010)
In what will probably be GM's most important new car release in decades
I just want to know what CD thinks if the Plug-In Hybrid Chevrolet Volt will be a sales success or not ?
So do you think the design will appeal to the masses ?
Is the price right for the market ? (estimated to be near $32,500 USD, after a $7,500 federal tax credit)
Do you think the Volt will travel (real world) 64 km on a single charge ?
Will it out sell the Toyota Prius / Nissan Leaf ?
I know its hard to tell these things until November. But I thought it would be interesting to get some early predictions to see how close some of you get
It's not the car for me but its semi decent looking for an electric car. They probably did the best they could with the restrictions on drag that they had. Come to think of it, it actually looks like something Honda would make.
I think it's all in the marketing. At 32k you're really dealing with the upper-end of family sedans, almost hitting the near-luxury segment, so your product needs to have cachet with the Nordstrom-shopping, yoga-practicing, pinot-swigging demographic. Toyota hit it out of the ballpark with the Prius, positioning it as the anti-Hummer, anti-Benz vehicle of choice for artists, hipsters & professionals alike.
As far as 64km, I'm not sure if they've tested it in stop-n-go LA traffic, so I'll take a wild guess and say closer to 50km for normal bumper-to-bumper conditions. And no it won't outsell the Prius because you're still tethered to an electric outlet.
I think it's all in the marketing. At 32k you're really dealing with the upper-end of family sedans, almost hitting the near-luxury segment, so your product needs to have cachet with the Nordstrom-shopping, yoga-practicing, pinot-swigging demographic. Toyota hit it out of the ballpark with the Prius, positioning it as the anti-Hummer, anti-Benz vehicle of choice for artists, hipsters & professionals alike.
As far as 64km, I'm not sure if they've tested it in stop-n-go LA traffic, so I'll take a wild guess and say closer to 50km for normal bumper-to-bumper conditions. And no it won't outsell the Prius because you're still tethered to an electric outlet.
it does have a gas powered 1.4 L (71 hp) generator which bumps it to 300 miles (483 km)
with a base price of $32K AFTER the $7500 rebate you could buy a 5.0 411HP mustang GT for that price
Agreed 32 k is still a lot of money, especially when a Prius is 25k
But if this car really will do 64 km on a single charge before the Gas engine comes on.Thats a really BIG drawcard. You may not have to go to a GAS Station again.
If the economy improves, Gas prices rise, plus when you add that toyota's reputation is a mess. This car may have come out at just the right time
I think this might sell really well for GM
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokingGun
I think it's all in the marketing. At 32k you're really dealing with the upper-end of family sedans, almost hitting the near-luxury segment, so your product needs to have cachet with the Nordstrom-shopping, yoga-practicing, pinot-swigging demographic. Toyota hit it out of the ballpark with the Prius, positioning it as the anti-Hummer, anti-Benz vehicle of choice for artists, hipsters & professionals alike.
As far as 64km, I'm not sure if they've tested it in stop-n-go LA traffic, so I'll take a wild guess and say closer to 50km for normal bumper-to-bumper conditions. And no it won't outsell the Prius because you're still tethered to an electric outlet.
Its still a Hybrid, but its a Hybrid you can charge up at home if you want
When that power cuts out, the Gas engine comes on to power it back up
I think it's all in the marketing. At 32k you're really dealing with the upper-end of family sedans, almost hitting the near-luxury segment, so your product needs to have cachet with the Nordstrom-shopping, yoga-practicing, pinot-swigging demographic.
And technology early-adopters, who they're really counting on to help break it into the mainstream, just as Honda did with the Insight and Toyota did with the Prius.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokingGun
As far as 64km, I'm not sure if they've tested it in stop-n-go LA traffic, so I'll take a wild guess and say closer to 50km for normal bumper-to-bumper conditions.
Steady-state driving is actually worse for electric-vehicle range, not better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokingGun
And no it won't outsell the Prius because you're still tethered to an electric outlet.
No you're not. There are probably 50 reasons why it won't outsell the Prius (for now anyway), but this isn't one of them.
Location: Still in Portland, Oregon, for some reason
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I'm sorry but I think you could get a lot more car for $32K and you're talking about a niche market here. Obviously there will be the techno-enthusiasts who want the newest, latest, and greatest but I just don't see it being a runaway sales success. It works great as an engineering exercise but as a sales giant, I just don't see it.
I think its a nice first effort but I do not think the general public is ready for electric cars... yet..
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