Chevy Volt....sales let down

[Blade]

Just saw this: http://jalopnik.com/5846097/is-the-c...t-a-sales-flop

Is the Chevy Volt a sales flop?

General Motors has repeatedly claimed a sales target for 2011 of 10,000 units for the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt sedan. But, nine months into the year, they've only shipped 3,895 off the lot. In fact, in September sales numbers, released an hour ago, GM sold only 723 Volts. Will GM fail to meet its own sales predictions?
To be fair, GM has claimed that sales would falter during the summer because of a pre-planned shutdown of the automaker's Hamtramck assembly plant. But, it was thought by most analysts that GM would have already swallowed that hiccup and by September we'd see higher sales. Despite more than doubling last months sales, we somehow don't think 723 units sold this past month is what one would consider massive sales momentum — especially given this summer's anemic numbers. And that's not to say there aren't any Volts on dealer lots. Cars.com shows over 2,600 units available in a nation-wide search of new vehicle listings.
To give you an idea of how few vehicles that is, here are just a few of the GM vehicles that sold better than the Chevy Volt this month:
Cadillac Escalade - 1,527
Chevrolet Colorado Pickup - 2,171
Chevrolet Avalanche - 1,861
Chevrolet Suburban - 5,246
Buick Lucerne - 1,068
That last car, the Buick Lucerne, is even more ironic considering it's made on the very same assembly line as the Chevy Volt — yet the Buick-for-blue-hairs still managed to sell almost 50% more units this past month.
Compare those sales with the vehicle most pundits position as a direct competitor — the Nissan Leaf all-electric car. Nissan sold 1,362 Leafs during the month of August and 1,031 during the month of September. Year to date, they've sold 7,199 — twice the number of Volts GM has shipped off dealer lots.
GM has a steep hill to climb if they plan on making their claim of 10,000 units sold. By our count it means they'll have to sell over 2,000 Volts during each of the remaining three months of 2011. We'll see if they can make it — or if the Volt ends up being a flop for GM in its first year of sales.
So what does all this hand-wringing mean? Who knows. It could mean there's very little desire for such weird, new technology. Or it could just mean GM's still working the kinks out of the supply chain. All we know is — sometimes it's best not to put hard targets to leap over unless you're sure you can clear 'em. Because tripping and falling always hurts.

I think it's a good report, although I think the major problem is that Chevy screwed up marketing for this car. They just started airing the funny Volt commercials on TV, but until now they kept pushing the Camaro(Guaranteed sales) and the Cruze (woulda picked up sales on its on) on TV. No one would have though Chevy would come up with a car that could tackle the Leaf.

Major screw up by Chevy Marketing.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by JoshBobGuptaMarley

The dealer at the place I bought my car hates the volt. He is not trying to sell them at all. He personally said to me he thinks its a huge ripoff.

Are they even available in Florida? Last I checked you could only buy them in a handful of markets around the US, and I don't recall Florida being one of them.

[motorhead]

I think a lot of the problem is do to supply. You just don't see any. Also they don't seem to market them very hard. If it's out of site it's also out of mind to most consumers. I just saw my first one in the flesh on a lot last weekend and you can't even buy that one. It's just a demo.

Edit: I shouldn't try to post while on the phone.Sorry

[Overflow]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Are they even available in Florida? Last I checked you could only buy them in a handful of markets around the US, and I don't recall Florida being one of them.

We have Volts here. Not many, but they're here.

[FenwickHockey65]

Jalopnik?

Pfft.

[Buffnshine]

I have driven one, there cool. I think they are overpriced for that. But if I was buying another car I would get it for driving to work and around town. I would never have to put gas in it since its within its range. Chevy needs to market better

[Blade]

Originally Posted by motorhead

I a lot of the problem is do to supply. You just don't see any. Also they don't seem to market them very hard. If it's out of site it's also out of mind to most consumers. I just saw my first one in the flesh on a lot last weekend and you can even buy that one. It's just a demo.

City Chevy in Charlotte has had one since spring, just sitting there, you couldn't even test drive it........SMH

[Inferno Orange 2SS-RS]

They are to expensive. If it were half the cost I would consider one for a daily commuter car.

[2010SS2SS]

Sold 5 when I was with Chevrolet. We had them sold and paid for before they hit the ground

[a_Username]

Originally Posted by motorhead

I a lot of the problem is do to supply. You just don't see any. Also they don't seem to market them very hard. If it's out of site it's also out of mind to most consumers. I just saw my first one in the flesh on a lot last weekend and you can even buy that one. It's just a demo.

Perhaps it is the fault of GM for not predicting which markets would need more Volts than another, but I'm thinking this is more a demand problem; there are not many willing to buy an electric vehicle simply because it's more of an environmental statement than a cost-effective one. Of course, the car being cost-effective is the bigger priority to the one's whom value saving gas money.

[Dosin]

Is GM purposely not trying to sell too many. Are they sort of "testing" it before they put tens of thousands on the road????

[toesuf94]

I would buy one for my daily drive...it is just too much money and BARELY available in Iowa. I have only seen one on the road here, and it had Michigan MFG plates on it.

I would love to just charge and go every day....but my gas savings would never be offset by the cost of the car over say, a Golf TDI or a normal Cruze Eco.

[DarkneSS]

If you were trying to save money on fuel it makes no sense to buy the Volt. A $2,000 old Civic from the 90s with a fuel conservative tune and an intake could get just as good gas mileage. Not to mention it will cost almost nothing to insure and repair, compared to the volt that is.

They just dont make sense...

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by DarkneSS

A $2,000 old Civic from the 90s with a fuel conservative tune and an intake could get just as good gas mileage. Not to mention it will cost almost nothing to insure and repair, compared to the volt that is.

They just dont make sense...

A civic can average over 100 mpg?