CBS News:
“The oversupply of Volts suggests that consumer demand is just not that strong for these vehicles,” says Lacey Plache, Edmunds chief economist. Plache notes that high price is a drawback. “The price premium on the Volt just doesn’t make economic sense for the average consumer when there are so many fuel-efficient gasoline cars available, typically for thousands of dollars less.”
It’s the economics of the car, stupid. Yes Secretary Chu and Team Obama: I mean you.
"typically for thousands of dollars less" - that's with the rebate. Typically for tens of thousands of dollars less. There, fixed it.
Looks like there are plans for gasoline to necessarily skyrocket. To infinity and beyond. Catchy campaign phrase, eh?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou nailed. There is no way for this to make economic sense on its own, so you have to play with the market by forcing taxpayers to subsidize it and artificially raising gasoline prices. And if that succeeds, what you have is more expensive transportation for everyone. Who does that hurt most, if not the people at the bottom of the economic scale that this administration claims to be helping?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere are a lot of very nice, very luxurious, very well equipped cars available in the $45,000 range, and a lot of very fuel efficient, well-built, dependable and extremely functional cars available in the $20,000 range. The problem for the Chevy Volt is that it is neither of the above.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI got to do a comparative test drive between a Volt and a Cruze Eco. The Volt has a little bit better pickup and much better brakes. The Cruze can hold five people, while the Volt only holds four. Other than that, they're the same car.
The Volt costs $20,000 more than the Cruze, and if you drive your Volt for 28.5 years, you'll make up the price difference in fuel costs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThrow in the mandatory battery replacements vs. mandatory maintenance for an ICE car and the deficit only gets worse. You won't ever make it up.
The original business model for electric cars was lease only, no sales. Some electric vehicles are still like that. It was precisely because of the massive batter replacement costs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou can buy 2 Hyundai Sonatas ( The 2012 Consumer Reports top choice in family sedans) which have the identical CARB CO2 emissions rating as the Chevy Torch aka Volt Co2 , for less than 1 Chevy Torch. President Obama has increased the burden of honest taxpayers by increasing the 2013 Torch rebate to $10,000.00/Torch. Also in his typical "Chicago Way" display of crony capitalism president Obama is getting GE to mandate Chevy Torches as company cars and in return getting generous tax breaks from Obama, which in the end will also have to be paid by taxpayers. But there are people who find the Torch to be a symbol of loyalty to president Obama.
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe product is great it's just those stupid consumers who won't buy it. Solution: electric vehicle mandate. Because liberals know best.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuseperfect captca "dead battery" sums up this subject in two words.
If it wasn't for government mandates, over regulation, handouts and political pressure from "know nothing" government types and "green" groups would any car company build a car like the Volt? Not a company interested in earning money and building great cars. Not in a million years.
The Volt is the result of all those things above. The losers: car buyers, taxpayers, shareholders, car employees. The minute the taxpayers money is gone is the minute the Volt is discontinued.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePerhaps when called to task by His Serene Highness and his minions for this paragraph, CBS will response fake (but accurate).
((chuckle)) Capcha: sacred cow
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot one person has addressed the real problem. The Chevy Volt is a combustion engine vehicle requiring gasoline from the oil corporations, the enemy of the american people. People don't want combustion engine vehicles even if they have a small electric motor. People want 100% electric cars like the Nissan Leaf. That is why Nissan can't keep any in stock as they sell out too fast. I'm currently in the market for a Nissan Lead but have no interest in the Chevy Volt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe reason the Leaf sells out, is because Nissan was smart enough to only build one or two at a time.
Oil companies are the enemy of the American people? On what planet do you live?
Finally, if the American people wanted all electric vehicles, why don't they line up to buy them? Instead, 99.99% of all cars sold every year are gas or diesel powered.
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