Volt Birth Watch 32: How Much Will It Cost Now?
First it was $30k. Then it became $40K-ish. Now, who knows? There's no way to guess how much GM will want for a Volt if when it finally hits the market in 2010. Bloomberg reports that Product Developer Supremo Bob Lutz is warning that "We are going to bake in a very substantial warranty cost for the battery in our overall pricing calculation. We need to be conservative, simply because it's the first time we've done anything like this." Maximum Bob gave no indication what that warranty cost would be. With experts estimating that each Volt battery pack could cost as much as $10k, it won't be pocket change (except for GM's management). Between the warranty costs and the workarounds for power-sucking accessories, the Volt's guinea pigs first generation customers may find out it's no fun living on the bleeding edge.
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The Volt does not compare to the the Tesla in anyway except that they might both end up being vaporware. Tesla rightly decided to make a boutique product precisely because they knew the new tech would be costly. Who wants a small sedan from GM that costs over 40k? I am betting it is not a big seller.
At the end of this month, we may also get some real insight into who wants a big hybrid SUV from GM with a $10K ($13K, $6K, pick your value) premium from GM.