Chevy Volt - future GM failure

[TLyttle]

The EV-1 story is a prime example of GM's arrogance, and stupidity. It ran on lead-acid, off-the-shelf technology, and those who leased them wanted to keep them. So, in its wisdom, GM took the lot back and chopped them up into little pieces. Hell, they kept producing the Corvair for the public, why not the EV-1???

And who in their right mind is going to pay 25G for a replacement battery?

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by TLyttle

The EV-1 story is a prime example of GM's arrogance, and stupidity. It ran on lead-acid, off-the-shelf technology, and those who leased them wanted to keep them. So, in its wisdom, GM took the lot back and chopped them up into little pieces. Hell, they kept producing the Corvair for the public, why not the EV-1???

People liked the Corvair. You know, it's ironic - the Corvair used the Porsche suspension system. When Nader went after GM for the Corvair's "problems' nobody bothered to remind him that there were thousands of Porsches on the roads with the very same problems. Typical social activist "justice", pick on the poor folk's cars but leave the rich boy's toys alone.

I knew a lot of people who owned Corvairs and liked them a lot. There are still Corvair enthusiasts out there with Corvairs. They were never a car for me, not after I watched a neighbor's Corvair burst into flames one day.

Originally Posted by TLyttle

And who in their right mind is going to pay 25G for a replacement battery?

When you have "special" stuff there's a premium. Sad to say but that's just how it goes.

The Wiki article on the EV-1 speaks about a lot of different possibilities for their EV program, including a hybrid vehicle, a diesel recharging system a CNG vehicle and a three different versions of storage batteries for the EV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1

In late 2003, GM officially canceled the EV1 program.[15][16] GM stated that it could not sell enough of the cars to make the EV1 profitable. This,combined with the fact that their parts and service infrastructure costs required to maintain the existing EV1's for the state legislated minimum of 15 years, would mean the existing leases would not be renewed and all of the cars would all have to be returned into GM's possession.

Well, well, well... they had to support the EV-1 for 15 years.... I'd have pulled the plug on it too. You can't just tell some company - "You SHALL support these vehicles for fifteen years", not with an experimental car, one that may not make it in the market.

Gene

[jambo101]

$40,000 for a Volt in the USA should be closer to $60,000 up here in Canada and at that price they may sell a few but if they are thinking they will get big sales numbers on this vehicle then the've totally misread the market again.