Posted on 03/08/2014 5:27:27 AM PST by Kaslin
Here’s the good news about the ObamaCar known as the Chevy Volt: There haven’t been any reported fires connected with the ObamaCar since the company recalled 8,000 of the electric vehicles—that’s one in six vehicles.
That is no fires, if you don’t count the people who’ve been “fired” from the Volt production line as sales continue to make Obama’s “one million” electric car promise just another broken dream in a crooked scheme.
Obama promised that by the time he finished as president, he’d put a million electric cars on the road.
Thankfully, he won’t quite make it.
No telling how much it would cost to put a million on the road after calculating the costs of putting 60,000 on the road.
So far the GM has manufactured only about 62,000 cars, if you count sales of the European model the Ampera.
“Sales of the Volt meanwhile fell 25.6 percent from February 2013 to 1,210 units last month,” says the GM Authority blog. “And while the Volt still holds on to the overall sales lead over the Leaf, Volt sales appear to be slowing in 2014. In January, Chevrolet moved 918 units of the Volt, down from 1,140 in January 2013 and 2,392 in December 2013.”
And despite slashing the price by $5,000, 2013 saw fewer Volt sales than 2012.
“The Volt saw a boost upwards from a November slump and sold 2,392 units in December,” says AutoblogGreen. “That puts the plug-in hybrid's annual total at 23,094, just down from the 23,461 sold in 2012.”
If Ralph Nader contended that the Corvair was “unsafe at any speed,” then I contend that the ObamaCar demand has reached it’s apex and is “unwanted at any price.”
That might be because no one can actually tell buyers what it might cost to replace the batteries in the car.
Continues the AutoblogGreen:
We called up Keyes Chevrolet in Los Angeles and were quoted a broad price range of between $3,400 and $34,000 to replace a "drive motor replacement battery" in a 2012 Volt. Tellingly, perhaps, the dealer we spoke with was not sure what replacing a 'drive motor replacement battery' (and the 'Grade B' version, at that) entails, and told us we'd have to bring a Volt in to see what's wrong with the pack to get a real estimate. We got the same confusion and numbers to replace the battery from Berger Chevrolet in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We asked GM to clarify what this $34,000 charge includes, but that information was not forthcoming.
GM’s hilarious official response to this was a non denial denial: "The high end of what you provided is not consistent with what we would expect the customer to pay," says Kevin Kelly, manager of electrification technology communications for General Motors.
And that’s the ObamaCar problem.
GM actually has manager responsible for “electrification technology communications”?
So THAT’s where the $11 billion…and more… went in the auto bailout that taxpayers got stuck for.
Divide by two, carry the one and… for only $215,696 per battery taxpayers could provide FREE batteries to every Chevy Volt owner.
That is if they could rely on a plant to manufacture the things.
Because here’s where it gets really silly.
GM expected sales of the Chevy Volt to be so robust that they got the government to “invest” $150 million in a third party manufacturing plant owned by Korean company LG Chem that can produce 50,000 to 600,000 batteries per year.
For a car that’s selling only 25,000 per year? And supposedly has batteries that last 8 years or 100,000 miles?
And still they can’t quite nail down how much it will cost to replace the batteries in the Chevy Volt.
And that’s the great telltale: We know, despite denials from the White House and GM, that the Chevy Volt really is an ObamaCarm designed by the softest minds in the federal hierarchy.
And its problem isn’t its power source.
No.
Its problem is the same that all great, signature ObamaProducts have.
Its problem is simple math.
It doesn’t add up.
Personally, I enjoy the angry looks of Prius drivers as I pass them in my Sprinter van. The large Mercedes made truck is the seeming antithesis of a Prius.
Isn’t Chevy Volt the pace car that failed on the Nascar track, and I think it caught on fire too? Upset a lot of race fans, or so I heard.
And I am starting to wonder who the real idiots are. Should you:
1. Get a free cell phone or pay for one?
2. Work for a living or collect government benefits?
3. Look after yourself or utilize "obamacare"?
4. Think and reason things out or flip on the tv and vote democrat?
So, tell me again, who are the "idiots"?
Sorry, in a dark mood today.
Chevy SS Pace Car Catches Fire in Daytona at Sprint Unlimited - 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Hmm, yeah you really have to wonder
I remember that too. However, the big difference is the Prius uses NiMh batteries, where the Volt uses Li-ion. The Prius battery is ~$2500 plus labor, and is a relatively small battery.
The Prius battery has a capacity of only 1.3kWh, weighs 42 kg (93 lb)
The Volt's lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) battery pack weighs 435 lb (197 kg), and has a capacity of 16 kW•h.
I rented a Prius for a week when visiting family. I was impressed at how well it was built, but it was absolutely the worst car I’ve ever driven in terms of handling and performance. It was a nice car for puttering around neighborhood streets, but downright scary when taken on the highway or interstate. I was glad I drove one though, just so I could learn what it was like for myself.
But you must admit that 2500 bucks in a fairly decent amount for rejuvenating an older car. But they don’t seem to be priced to reflect that.
I agree. We looked at used ones for my daughter a couple of years ago, with high miles, and they were still very proud of them. When factoring in a replacement battery, and the payback involved, we went with a Civic instead.
QUOTE: "But you must admit that 2500 bucks in a fairly decent amount for rejuvenating an older car."
If only! That's strictly the battery replacement, and add in at least $300 for labor. After that, you still have a Corolla with 100,000+ miles on everything else, including the gas motor and transmission. It is a Toyota, though.
My wife and I have seen 1 Volt in wino country since it was launched.
We see Pious’s everyday. In fact in our little cul de sac, ‘with 11 homes there are 6 Pious’s running each and everyday. Some owners are on their second Pious, and they love them.
On each shopping trip we take, we see so many Teslas, they are no longer a novelty. Lexus e vehicles are now common in this area.
hehe
Compare the Volt battery cost to the obviously MUCH more expensive cost of the Tesla battery.
Electric cars are neat technology, but still a rich man’s toy, a toy that’s ultimately being heavily subsidized by people who can’t afford one.
Thanks for the data and comparisons.
We have kayaks, and I’m saving money to get either a lithium battery by itself, $1200 to $1600, or the Torqueedo Kayak motor with interchange able Lithium batteries about $2000 per total unit and close to $600 for each battery.
The reason for the Lithium batteries is that they are a lot lighter and run longer unless you are pegging them at the max speed.
But the morally superior preening value already received will have been priceless!
This is the “push a rope” strategy of the liberal.
Creating things that are only wanted by hobgoblins in their minds that are forever running scared from their own shadows on this globe. And lassoing everybody else into supporting it whether they want to or not.
They worry the globe might die due to some small perturbation in atmospheric gases caused by “fossil” fuel burning. They don’t notice that they will all die themselves, and are pretty cavalier about making unborn babies die and inconvenient seniors die.
Turns out that that old fuddy duddy theology had it right after all. God and the devil. Salvation and death. God never asked for the creation of things like this under the auspices of governments using taxes. If some rich eccentric inventor wants to sink his fortune into making an electric car that he hopes to persuade people to want, that is wonderful. Because that scenario might actually push the idea towards practicality. All this subsidization will not push the idea towards practicality.
Ah yes, the MSPV.
Well folks can take the easy road but they can’t escape the dark consequences.
It isn’t just for our own self-applause that we take the hard road. Because we die anyhow and who applauds at cemeteries?
There is a God. There’s also a devil that humanity had made a deal with. God has provided the road out of that anyhow, and a Guide to that road. But we have to actually take it. And this is where all that old fashioned theology about a Savior starts to click and make sense. When people are ready to accept it.
I always thought that a good investment was to buy Volts, then part them out.
I’m in SE Michigan, home of GM and I have only seen the Volt 6-7 times. With the winter we’ve had all the Volts are in the garage for the season.
“I’m in SE Michigan, home of GM and I have only seen the Volt 6-7 times. With the winter we’ve had all the Volts are in the garage for the season.”
Our Volt sightings are probably the norm.
Thanks Kaslin.
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