The Volt cheerleaders at GM-Volt.com have given The General a chance to explain away the controversy over CEO Rick Wagoner's $30k price pledge on their new plug-in gas electric hybrid Volt. And the spinmeisters have grabbed it with both hands. "I now have official confirmation [from] GM spokesperson David Darovitz that 'there was an unfortunate misunderstanding that resulted in inaccurate information published,'" Dr. Lyle Dennis faithfully reports. "He also went on to say 'we are not in the position to speculate on the retail pricing of the Chevrolet Volt.'" Not after that debacle, you're not. Anyway, Dr. D. provides a helpful update on GM's efforts to use your tax dollars to help the Volt compete with the Toyota Prius. "Last week a new bill called HR 6049 was passed again by the house, allowing $5000 in plug-in tax credits for a car like the Volt with a 16 kwh battery. It allows $3000 as a base plus $200 per kwh over 5 kwh up to a maximum of an additional $2000. It may soon go before the Senate." Although volt.com's blog post on this misunderstanding displays a roll call of Senators who championed/shot down the last attempt at same, so that Volt supporters may lobby on behalf of a Volt subsidy, members of TTAC's B&B who wish to email their senators to oppose this legislation might find the list equally helpful. That said, Dr. Dennis didn't link the list to the Senators' email. Oops!
8 Comments on “Volt Birth Watch 52: Wagoner’s $30k Promise an “Unfortunate Misunderstanding”...”
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Does money paid to lobbyists count as R&D for the Volt?
I was wondering when GM would reneg on this claim. It’s not like the CEO of GM is accountable for his words or even his actions. So what kind of bonus do you think he deserves for such a “heck uv a job, there waggy”?
Some sort of tax credit is appropriate, especially since regular hybrids got one. But $5,000 is probably too much, unless this car gets stellar fuel economy.
How about the regular hybrid formula, plus a certain percentage based on the battery-only range?
So what would this House bill afford new Prius owners? Reading through the tech specs on Wikipedia I see the toal capacity of the 45kg battery pack is just 1.31kwh. [I was supprised to see this figure juxtaposed against the huge 16kwh this blur mentions.] So I say let GM lobby all they want for $3K rebates for the Prius…
Well, that didn’t take long. It’s best to stand back when you’re catapulting propaganda, and to make sure the arm slings it far away, and not straight up into the air.
How many of these “we stand splashed, face and all, in egg of our own making” can GM stand?
Good heavens, Wagoner looks like a mortician in that photo! Come to think of it, he always looks like a master of the embalming arts. How appropriate.
Who wants to bet that if such a credit goes through, a Plug-in-Prius appears before the Volt does to claim the tax credits?
We shouldn’t complain about some type of subsidy for new technology like this. We have been subsidizing gas guzzlers for years by allowing 1 year depreciation for big trucks. So, a 2 or 3K tax write off for the Volt (if it ever sees the light of day)seems fair in my opinion.