GM to idle Volt plant for 4 weeks, sources say

Automotive News ^ | August 27, 2012 | Mike Colias

[taildragger]

This is the traditional down-time for many plants to retool for the next model year.

Yes and No...

If my memory is correct is was 2 weeks around the 4th of July. That gave them 2 months of production for new cars in the show rooms during September.

Ford in particular now has white collar - salary employees take one week off the week of 7/4 to conicide with plant shutdown / retool time..

Tanget to this last year the Obamatons played some funny downtime(s) with their GM'ers to boost employment numbers, this might be part of this as well....

[N. Theknow]

Borrowing a page from the 0bama playbook, where Team 0bama is holding down the size of the crowds on purpose, GM is holding down the sales of Volts to increase their value by making them as scarce as Picasso paintings.

Next we will be seeing where Volts are being auctioned at Sotheby's and Christie's.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Stupid question but don’t most auto companies shut down plants during the year to do repairs/maintenance and upgrade?

[Mr. Lucky]

If GM wanted to increase Volt sales to the general public, all they would need do is rip out that bizarre power train system and install a 350 small bock Chevy engine with an Edelbrock blower.

[A_Tradition_Continues]

I heard the Volt is going to be rebranded as the new “Firebird”.

[dfwgator]

Or the new Pinto.

[N. Theknow]

Stupid question but don’t most auto companies shut down plants during the year to do repairs/maintenance and upgrade?

You are correct.

However, it was/is usually done around the 4th of July to correspond with a lot of workers being on vacation. Those ones who weren't on vacation, then got OT for doing the retooling, which did not require as many workers.

That said, this shutdown is happening from mid-September to mid-October which is the traditional time for roll-out of new models.

Which is an even bigger indicator of the dismal sales performance of the Volt.

[equaviator]

So you’re saying that’s all it is?...Nothing more tuit than that?

[vlad335]

Don’t worry about those UAW workers being laid off for 4 weeks. UAW auto workers draw 98% of their pay while laid off.

Plus the Obama campaign gets to add 1500 workers!

[equaviator]

“I heard the Volt is going to be rebranded as the new “Firebird”.”

More like ‘Fireturd’.

[matt04]

I’ve only see two. One at a dealer, the other on the road. Hideous thing.