Volt Birth Watch 128: "Our Car is Already Outdated"
I’m paraphrasing of course, in the grand TTAC style. But what are we to make of GM’s pre-bailout beg-a-thon announcement that Chevy’s electric/gas plug-in hybrid Volt will be easier to upgrade than a “conventional” car? Automotive News reckons Frank Weber’s assertion means “GM eyes fast gains with future Volt models.” But then we’re Garth to their Michael, and they still illustrate their Volt stories with the slammed concept car. Oh, hell, you be the judge. “This is almost like getting software updates into your car,” asserts the Volt’s global vehicle line executive. “This is not a mechanical world. So, even within a vehicle lifecycle you will see updates that are very significant.” How vague is that? Predictably so, given “GM expects to begin production of the Volt in 2010. The company has not said when it expects to roll out the second generation of the vehicle, but plans to focus on cutting the size and cost of the battery are a top priority. GM has not said how long it will take to produce an offshoot of the Volt.” Nor how much it will cost, if it really will go 40 miles on battery power alone, how long it will take to recharge, etc. But we do know one VERY important fact: GM will not make money on the Volt v1. AN programs the reminder . . .
GM plans to build about 10,000 Volts in the first year of production and eventually push annual output to about 60,000… GM has said it does not expect to make money on the first generation of the Volt, making its subsequent launches more important for the struggling automaker.
Is it me, or does this dovetail perfectly with GM’s “our plan is to make a plan” planning for its upcoming date with its new paymasters (i.e., the U.S. taxpayers)? In other words, THIS Volt isn’t the REAL Volt, but just wait/pay until you see what we do NEXT!
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tesla deathwatcher: Conversions do not offer the intigration, unified feel, reliability, tested durability, and features available on a fully engineered EV from a major manufacturer. E-REVs are much more difficult to achieve from a conversion standpoint. Integrating a range extender and having it work seamlessly is not a simple matter. If it were that easy, GM wouldn't be spending hundreds of millions of dollars in R&D to develop and test these systems. The devil is always in the details. Given no other option, I would go down the conversion route, but I would prefer an engineered, tested, and refined option from a major manufacturer. Major manufacturers abandoned EVs for reasons other than lack of interest. There was a line up for the EV1, and every other EV at the time. Tesla has a waiting list 1000 strong and growing, Aptera has a waiting list, hell, BMW is delaying the launch of the Mini EV because they have too many applicants. Every EV maker on the planet, vapourware or not, has a waiting list. There is a large pent up demand for these vehicles, at any price. To say that a business can't sell cars in that strong a market, claiming that it's 'bust', is misinformed. John Williams: With Tesla having a 1 year wait for a 110k toy car, I'm sure, out of the 300 million people in the USofA, let alone the world, GM will find buyers for every last one of the 10k Volts to be produced in year 1, at asking price. After that, as battery costs start to fall, and production ramps up, the market will expand from there.