Local dealer has Chevy Volt

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by camaroitalia

So basically if there is black out, your screwed? lol

Not at all...you've got a gas/E85 powered generator on-board if you need it!

If you have the leaf you're screwed.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by stikSS

U were told wrong because they don't go on sale till 3 quarter of this year...



Sent from my EVO 4G

They've already sold over 500 units since launch.

Originally Posted by camaroitalia

So basically if there is black out, your screwed? lol

No. This isn't a half-assed Leaf. GM recognized the fact that Americans wouldn't settle for a car that goes 100 miles (less, actually) and stops and added a back-up gasoline generator.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by stikSS

Is that to the "certain" markets? Or zipcodes because NC isn't one of those and the sales manager said they couldn't do anything with it for awhile. Just curious?


Sent from my EVO 4G

You are correct. I didn't realize your comment was to a specific region. GM announced a roll out that started with some key markets.

Sorry I misinterpreted your comment.

[Epitaph]

Originally Posted by shawn18

The estimated annual fuel cost of my wifes 2010 Malibu is 1560.00 dollars. Now the cost of a Volt is what 40k or so? I paid 17k for my wifes car. So with a difference of 23k +/-. If I wouldn't have to buy one drop of gas at all for the Volt , it would take me 14.7 years to make up the differnce in cost. I understand this is purely hypothetical and based on avereages but still , I dont see the appeal to this car. It is a great car I am sure. I just dont see me buying one.

There are several reasons to own the Volt and not a cheaper vehicle.

First, let's take a look at your logic. The Volt takes 15 years to make up the price difference compared to a Malibu, therefore I'm going to buy a Malibu. How about the fact that there are several other cars that would be cheaper over a 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50... year period compared to the Malibu? Therefore everyone should buy the car that's cheapest over it's lifetime.

Now that's out of the way, we can take a look at the real reasons: Keeping up with your neighbor (for the moment), having the newest technology, and wanting to live in a cleaner environment.

Since most people don't get a flying frick about the environment (and hey, the earth is going to get swallowed up by the sun in a few billion years anyways), why bother with this technology that's cleaner than just about everything else that's out there?

The real reason is: the more people that buy this technology, the cheaper it gets.

Obviously, not everyone can afford one. But what if 40k was chump change to you, and you were an environmentalist? You would (probably) want one...or a Tesla.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by Darth Martel

The Volt is a plug-in hybrid. It's marketed as an electric car but, it's really a plug-in hybrid.

No quite accurate either which is why it is so hard to classify the Volt. Even the new PHEV Prius can not do the things the Volt can do. It can't go full speed with out the engine, it won't have the range and it won't have the ability to opperate in EV while driving hard or up hills or with full passengers and cargo. PHEVs simply don't have the battery capacity.

So for the first 40 miles (+/-) the Volt is an EV. When the Volt is in charge sustaining mode it's a hybrid.

But as we always want to categorize a thing so we can understand it and compare it, it is easy to understand why some would want to over simplify the Volt as just a hybrid, because at times that is what it acts like.

Originally Posted by shawn18

The estimated annual fuel cost of my wifes 2010 Malibu is 1560.00 dollars. Now the cost of a Volt is what 40k or so? I paid 17k for my wifes car. So with a difference of 23k +/-. If I wouldn't have to buy one drop of gas at all for the Volt , it would take me 14.7 years to make up the differnce in cost. I understand this is purely hypothetical and based on avereages but still , I dont see the appeal to this car. It is a great car I am sure. I just dont see me buying one.

Originally Posted by Scruffage

Exactly the point I was trying to make. The battery is under warranty for 8yrs or 100,000 miles but what is the cost to replace it? Where do you dispose of it? You can buy a brand new chevy cruze for $17,000 that gets 36 mpg. The cost of owner ship for a Volt doesn't justify the cost of the car. I'm not hating on the Volt. I would love to have one if the price was under $20 grand. If they really plan to make an impact on reducing our reliance on petroleum they are going to have to get that price down where the average middle class person can justify buying it.

Actually it can.

I've posted this many times. Lets simply use the 40 mile range of mixed city and highway. And lets further assume you compare to the new Cruze LTZ which is the closest in content to the new Volt. The Volt is a very highly contented vehicle. So if simply look at the purchase price (less taxes), the Cruze LTZ will run you $26,000 and the Volt $32,500 after the tax incentive. so that's a difference of $6,500 in purchase price.

Now back to the 40 miles per day or 14,600 miles. If you are doing very well you will get 30 MPG combined schedule in the Cruze LTZ. At $3.25 per gallon, that's a fuel cost of $1582. For the Volt, that's a fraction if you are charging at home at night. So there you have paid back the difference in just over 4 years.

If you can recharge at work (which GM has made provisions for) you can double the range and the payoff is much faster.

Now the costs change if you are driving less or more miles than the ideal Volt customer, but to point out it will pay for itself.

And if you consider the $350 per month lease, it is very reasonable, IMO.

Originally Posted by meb885

I've seen at least 10 volts with normal non dealership license plates cruising around metro detroit already. (15 or so if you include the D and M (dealer and manufacturer) plates) but the majority are customer cars already.... MI seems to be in full swing delivering volts to early order customers.

All CTF cars have regular Michigan Plates. There have been hundreds of them out and about for months now.

Michigan just had it's first Volt delivery. A big article in the Free Press this week.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Number 3

And if you consider the $350 per month lease, it is very reasonable, IMO.

I think the lease is the sweetest deal right now...for less than what some people are paying for their Camaro's on here...and about the same as what some people are financing 'regular 'ole' Impalas and Malibus for...they won't ever have to use a drop of gas for the length of the lease.

Plus...I absolutely trust in the engineering and design of this vehicle to hold up over the years...but it's still cutting-edge, unexperienced technology. A lease from Volt-to-nextgen Volt over the next several years is the best way to go, imo.

[v6sonoma]

I saw one the other day at the International Auto Show in Providence. I have to say it's not bad at all. It didn't look like a Prius. It looks more like a normal car. I was very impressed.