Volt owners get an offer from GM!

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

Actually, it is a demand problem. Yes, they have limited production capacity right now, but despite that, they are not sold out. I think GM has greatly overestimated the number of buyers interested at their price level.

If nobody wants them, why did GM release a few thousand demo models for sale? Or ... why did they even designate thousands of cars to be reserved as demonstration models in the first place? If people aren't buying them, there's no reason to force dealers to keep 1 on the lot, since it would just stay there on its own anyways.

[CamaroSkooter]

So, I found the thread, but accidentally closed my browser before I could copy the link and I'm too lazy to go back and find it

Basically, there's a handful of folks buying Volts who do not understand how electricity works. They plug their Volt into a house with old(er) wiring without first consulting a qualified electrician. Some even think that by simply changing out their current 15Amp circuit breaker to a 30Amp or (for the love of God) 60Amp breaker they can cut their charge time in half (or by one-quarter) on a 110V socket

I believe there may have been a faulty issue with the first handful of charging stations, but it sounds like Chevrolet has improved the design considerably.

The 120V charging station comes with a 20-foot charging cord. To save space, you can wrap this cord around the charging station as shown in this photo when not in use:



People were only pulling off however much cord they needed to reach their car and leaving the rest wrapped around the charging station. Anyone who understands high-voltage applications knows that running 12Amps (that's the max amperage that the station is suppose to pull) of current through any size wire for a long duration will cause heat. If you don't allow the heat to dissipate (you know, by coiling the excess wire around the station) the heat will just continue to build up.

I have a feeling this is a bigger issue of user error than anything else

[hot_rod]

fielderLS3 - Your on the right track !

Interesting editorial on the subject:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion...terstitialskip

The Volt is a product that the current administration has determined will be successful....regardless of what the free market system says.....after all "they" know better!

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by hot_rod

fielderLS3 - Your on the right track !

Interesting editorial on the subject:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion...terstitialskip

The Volt is a product that the current administration has determined will be successful....regardless of what the free market system says.....after all "they" know better!

What in the hell don't you understand about "No Politics?"

[Chrisrp454]

And where does all that electricity come from? Must be thin air?
*sigh*

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by midnighter

This doesn't look good to me...

Attachment 311464

Someone plugged it into a 99 cent K-mart adapter? Seriously? Some people really do get what they deserve.

Originally Posted by DGthe3

If nobody wants them, why did GM release a few thousand demo models for sale? Or ... why did they even designate thousands of cars to be reserved as demonstration models in the first place? If people aren't buying them, there's no reason to force dealers to keep 1 on the lot, since it would just stay there on its own anyways.

GM over-estimated the initial demand for the car. They wanted the demos because they figured that their first year or production would all be sold before it was even produced, but they were wrong, which is why they have released the dealers to sell the demos earlier than originally planned.

Originally Posted by CC Performance

Electric cars are a viable option so much so that in the early 90's GM and the oil companies got together and killed them.. GM had a good viable option way back then and it was squashed by the oil companies.. and GM...

I'll avoid getting as political as you did,, and limit me response to saying there was no conspiracy theory. The EV1 was was killed because it was a billion dollar disaster for GM (a billion they could have used making the rest of their lineup better). The marketplace ultimately killed it because it was very expensive, impractical, and the very expensive lead-acid batteries lasted maybe 40,000 miles under the best of circumstances. It's only reason for existing as a production car to begin with was because CARB mandated it.

The Volt is better in every way. It is practical (a two-seater, has no range anxiety, and can go more than 80 mph flat out), and at least a little more durable in that the batteries should last about 8 years (much longer than the EV1, but still only about half the life expectancy of a normal car).

However, even with all the improvements, the Volt's sticking point is still cost. If they can get production high enough and costs low enough, it may well be a very successful niche car. I hope that can happen, because another EV1 disaster will not be good for any potential GM car buyer. But if you envision a world 10-15 years from now in which all cars will be electrics or plug-in hybrids, you are mistaken, as there is nowhere near enough raw material in the world to produce that volume of batteries.