G.M.’s Electric Lemon (NY Times)

NY Times ^ | 7-29-10 | EDWARD NIEDERMEYER

[WOBBLY BOB]

So the future of General Motors (and the $50 billion taxpayer investment in it) now depends on a vehicle that costs $41,000 but offers the performance and interior space of a $15,000 economy car. The company is moving forward on a second generation of Volts aimed at eliminating the initial model’s considerable shortcomings. (In truth, the first-generation Volt was as good as written off inside G.M., which decided to cut its 2011 production volume to a mere 10,000 units rather than the initial plan for 60,000.) Yet G.M. seemingly has no plan for turning its low-volume “eco-flagship” into a mass-market icon like the Prius.

[WOBBLY BOB]

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[KarlInOhio]

Get some copper and zinc plates, insert them into a lemon and wire it into a toy electric car. Presto! The GM Volt.

[Uncle Ike]

Sooner or later, Libs are going to be smacked in the nose with the realization that, “If I build it, they will come” may be a neat movie tag-line - but it’s a horrible marketing strategy....

[stephenjohnbanker]

Why would anyone buy a $42,000 Lexus, when they can buy a $42,000 Malibu from Government Motors??

[WOBBLY BOB]

because you have a UAW pension and get the employee discount?

that’s the best I can figure

[keepitreal]

Why would anyone buy a $42,000 Lexus, when they can buy a $42,000 Malibu from Government Motors??

You're giving the Malibu short shrift. At least it can go more than 40 miles on a fill up of an energy source, unlike the Volt!

[Signalman]

The first “Edsel” of the 21st century.

[SJSAMPLE]

At least we’ve got pictures of Obama sitting in it and statements by him giving it a thumbs-up.

[chiefqc]

How long would it take to drive coast to coast?

I wonder if you could ride a bike and get there sooner.

[hosepipe]

Is buying a VOLT.... A TAX on a tax?.....

[colorado tanker]

I'm convinced this car is a lemon, but why is the NY Times saying this? This is there kind of car, the Obamawagon.

I suspect they are afraid that any car approved of by liberals might derail their effort to force us all to abandon our cars in favor of public transit. How could Democrats continue to refuse to fund road construction if it's needed for a bunch of Volts?

[Moltke]

Yeah, but you’ll make up those extra $26k over the econobox in fuel money savings in only .... a century or so.

[stephenjohnbanker]

;-)

[stephenjohnbanker]

1987 Yugo redux ;-)

[Liberty Valance]

GM is nutz

http://toyotaofboerne.com/Model.aspx?d=304&tsid=googleppc&gclid=CMGx146ElKMCFQTXnAodAnEStQ

Brand new Toyota Prius - 22,800 - approx 50 mpg

[WOBBLY BOB]

88 Honda CRX HF 5 speed 1.5L— under $2000k and gets 45 MPG hwy.

[newfreep]

The DOLT!

[OldGuard1]

I'm surprised that this misconception is still out there. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid. It can run on either electricity *or* gasoline. It can go any distance on gasoline, but only 40 miles on electricity. So your first 40 miles are on electricity, and after that, it's on gasoline.

It's still overpriced, of course. Performance isn't bad - 0-60 in 8.5 seconds (nothing outstanding, but not bad) (no, your state of charge doesn't affect performance). Interior features are nice -- nicer than a 15k car, but not 41k nice. TCO-wise, if you drive it into the ground, depending on gas prices, it should save you about $10k or so off its sticker price. Our ever-so-generous Uncle Sam will pick up another $7.5k, and some states will pick up some as well (ever-broke California will take $5k off your bill).