why did chevy volt fail?

Question

i have only seen 1 volt on the road since the car was launched. And I drive 1000 miles a week. The car is absolutely nowhere to be seen on any type of road or street. Obama put lots of high hopes on volt and encouraged people to buy it too

Answer 1

Volt is not a big seller in the US, but it's not a failure, either.

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Take a look at sales statistics for all hybrids and electrics (around 100 different car models):

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/march-2012-dashboard-44059.html

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Now, take Volt's number (2289) and put it into the list of hybrid cars on the page (Volt is a hybrid, it can be in either list.) Notice that when you do this, Volt is in third place - right behind Toyota's two best hybrids. Notice also how badly Volt is now beating Leaf and other electric and hybrid models.

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And this is just US sales. Sales of Volt in other parts of the world - where gasoline is much more expensive than it is here - are just beginning. There are already 10,000 pre-orders for the Ampera (the Euro version of Volt). Sales figures from Europe aren't fully available but we know the Volt's assembly plant in Michigan ran at full output last month.

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Some people here say Volt is too expensive. Take a look at this list of midsize cars published by US News - they rank Volt in the top ten:

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Upscale-Midsize-Cars/

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If you look at Volt's price on the page - $39202, and adjust for the available tax rebate (no one buys the car without the rebate), Volt's price is $31702. That's the cheapest average purchase price ON THE ENTIRE PAGE of midsize cars. And that's before fuel savings. A typical driver can save $100 - $200 every month by driving on electricity instead of gasoline.

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Someone else says Volt is poorly made. In fact Volt has received over 30 awards and honors for engineering, quality, safety and others. Consumer Reports magazine ranked Volt's reliability as superior to any other GM car. Actual drivers of Volt voted it into first place in Consumer Reports Buyer Satisfaction Survey:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57334967-48/chevy-volt-scores-highest-satisfaction-rating-in-consumer-reports-survey/

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Also, some media reports to the contrary, Volt is one of the safest cars on the road. The insurance industry awarded it "Top Safety Pick":

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/tsp_archive.html

Answer 2

I see more Leafs (leaves ?) than anything else.

The Volt is a loser because GM shot callers are too far from the street.

Camaro is a winner but was 3 years late in arrival and convertibles are just out now.



Take a hint from Harley, get a Willie G. Davidson on the product development board.



Last good GM idea ? Build your own LS-7 at a GM facility.

It will never do volume, but that is the stuff that makes people bleed Chevy Orange.

Answer 3

It's very poorly made, and the idea of electric cars hasn't really caught on with people who're still being cajoled by big coal/oil/gas companies.

Answer 4

The price . starting price of $40k+ ( average of 47k )

the range. 35-38 miles electric range is .. well bad. most people couldnt go to and from work on them.

Why buy one of these?

Answer 5

I think its just too darn expensive for what you get. I'm a conservative but would love to drive a fuel efficient car. But I'm not going to spend 50 grand for a POS car just because its fuel efficient.