Chevy Volt - future GM failure

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by tuckevalastin

I doubt that, the Prius wasn't much when it hit the dealerships and that didn't stop the buyers.


At the same time how can GM perfect the volt without actually releasing it?

The Prius was about $22k at release and came from a trusted auto manufacturer with the solidity to back it. GM is nothing like that.

I am not sure why you have the idea that an auto has to be released before it can be improved upon but that is just not so. There are several things that can be done to improve the Volt before it goes into production:

1) Make it a 4-5 seater. Coupes are impractical.

2) Focus it's strengths on range and efficiency rather than performance. Continuing to make vehicles based on hp, 0-60 times and top speeds far in excess of the highest speed limits the country has in place is idiotic and unreflective of the world we live in.

3) Stop self-enforcing the ridiculous idea that COTS batteries are not good enough for use in EVs. People have been driving successful EVs for decades on lead acid and NiMH batteries. About $25k of the Volt's cost is nothing but GM's own battery build.

4) Provide an extended warranty for the drive line and totally outsource it. No one trusts GM to be there, or at least to be fully functional, or to at least be autonomous, in the coming years.