Quote:
Originally Posted by a_Username
The Volt is simply a product of government regulation. CAFE is forcing automakers to reach a MPG standard across their fleet and this is GM's response. It is forcing a company that just came out of bankruptcy to produce a vehicle that loses money, but to the government it serves a "greater good." I'm sure what the government is betting on is a market expansion of electric/hybrid vehicles if automotive manufacturers are forced to create fuel-efficient vehicles. However, they can't create demand for these vehicles. All in all, this will be just another failed attempt at government economics.
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No...not exactly...Volt was started much before the bankruptcy and the reformed CAFE standards (which they could have met without the Volt...).
It was the brainchild of Lutz because GM has NO hybrid presence in the market, especially back then. They wanted to leapfrog toyota's prius with an electric vehicle as opposed to the standard hybrid. They did that.
The market chose this vehicle. People damned GM left and right when they sacked the EV1, and then people started buying up hybrids shortly afterward. See -- missed market potential. So, GM devises the Volt to make a splash. The PR was worth the initial loss to them. Stress on INITIAL loss, by the way...just like the prius it will eventually earn them money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Awesome
Who has done a comparison chart for the TOYota Pious, the Honda Hindsight, the Nissan Loaf, and the Chevy Volt?
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I'm not sure anybody can until we get a definitive mpg rating on the Volt...which may come not a minute too late...EPA had to
create a set of testing procedures for the Volt.