>From the reviews, the Volt is a good vehicle. From the driving data
(50% drive 25 miles a day or less, 80% drive 50 miles a day or less) it
has a chance to make a real impact: it comes close to solving a
real-world problem (they miss on the fact that something like 75% of
these trips/miles are single-passenger).
There are several questions surrounding the Volt that have nothing to do
with "the problem" or "the engineering":
1. Do you trust GM, crusher of the EV1?
2. Will people buy a $41k compact Chevy?
GM did *not* do themselves any favors on point #1 with their continued
insistence that the Volt was an electric car, that the ICE was merely a
range extender and then it comes out after the fact that it does indeed
power the wheels. More efficient or no, better engineering decision or
not, patent pending issues aside, it does not engender trust that GM
will do what they've said they would do. And they did this knowing full
well that this backlash would be coming from the EVthusiasts. Given
that, do YOU trust GM?
When's the last time anybody paid that much for a Chevy? For a
compact-class car? For reference, you've got the Ford Fiesta ICE in
that size class for US$14k base price with pretty decent MPG numbers
(30/40 city/highway, though my 91 Camry does 27-33 mixed).
IF GM can get past their checkered history (EV1, bailout), lack of
truthfulness and poor marketing/product line-up decisions... but even
then I don't think that they'll be able to get the volume up given that
they've already torque'd off many of their choir -- their early adopters
and promoters, the EVthusiasts by not being up-front and continuing to
insist that it's an electric car. Call it something else, make up a new
word for it, but if you put gas in it, it ain't a pure EV and we know it
and it DOES matter. Don't pretend to be something you're not, define
your own class!
I attended HybridFest 2008 of which GM was a major sponsor. The GM
Spokesperson delivered a speech and asked how many people were driving
Prii, how many Insights. Only one person there was driving a domestic
(Ford -- she lived in upstate New York so needed the SUV/4WD). The
spokesperson claimed that soon those numbers would shift in GM's favor.
What vehicles did they bring in '08, when everybody wanted to see even a
non-working Volt? Hybridized Yukons and Denali's. [email protected]#$#! Afterwards I
congratulated her on delivering to a tough crowd, her response was "We
all like hybrids, right?" I didn't have an answer then, but it felt
wrong. I have an answer now: "No, we like high MPGe vehicles and
truthful companies"
SO with the twisting of words -- the MPG ratings I've seen instead of
MPGe, stretching the truth that it's an electric vehicle when it's a
strong electric hybrid -- I don't believe that GM is past the "Who
Killed the Electric Car" stage. That'll take at least 5-10 years to
determine, and they're not outta the gate yet with the Volt and still
making basic mistakes on trust and marketing. THAT is what is most
likely to kill the Volt.
[email protected]
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(50% drive 25 miles a day or less, 80% drive 50 miles a day or less) it
has a chance to make a real impact: it comes close to solving a
real-world problem (they miss on the fact that something like 75% of
these trips/miles are single-passenger).
There are several questions surrounding the Volt that have nothing to do
with "the problem" or "the engineering":
1. Do you trust GM, crusher of the EV1?
2. Will people buy a $41k compact Chevy?
GM did *not* do themselves any favors on point #1 with their continued
insistence that the Volt was an electric car, that the ICE was merely a
range extender and then it comes out after the fact that it does indeed
power the wheels. More efficient or no, better engineering decision or
not, patent pending issues aside, it does not engender trust that GM
will do what they've said they would do. And they did this knowing full
well that this backlash would be coming from the EVthusiasts. Given
that, do YOU trust GM?
When's the last time anybody paid that much for a Chevy? For a
compact-class car? For reference, you've got the Ford Fiesta ICE in
that size class for US$14k base price with pretty decent MPG numbers
(30/40 city/highway, though my 91 Camry does 27-33 mixed).
IF GM can get past their checkered history (EV1, bailout), lack of
truthfulness and poor marketing/product line-up decisions... but even
then I don't think that they'll be able to get the volume up given that
they've already torque'd off many of their choir -- their early adopters
and promoters, the EVthusiasts by not being up-front and continuing to
insist that it's an electric car. Call it something else, make up a new
word for it, but if you put gas in it, it ain't a pure EV and we know it
and it DOES matter. Don't pretend to be something you're not, define
your own class!
I attended HybridFest 2008 of which GM was a major sponsor. The GM
Spokesperson delivered a speech and asked how many people were driving
Prii, how many Insights. Only one person there was driving a domestic
(Ford -- she lived in upstate New York so needed the SUV/4WD). The
spokesperson claimed that soon those numbers would shift in GM's favor.
What vehicles did they bring in '08, when everybody wanted to see even a
non-working Volt? Hybridized Yukons and Denali's. [email protected]#$#! Afterwards I
congratulated her on delivering to a tough crowd, her response was "We
all like hybrids, right?" I didn't have an answer then, but it felt
wrong. I have an answer now: "No, we like high MPGe vehicles and
truthful companies"
SO with the twisting of words -- the MPG ratings I've seen instead of
MPGe, stretching the truth that it's an electric vehicle when it's a
strong electric hybrid -- I don't believe that GM is past the "Who
Killed the Electric Car" stage. That'll take at least 5-10 years to
determine, and they're not outta the gate yet with the Volt and still
making basic mistakes on trust and marketing. THAT is what is most
likely to kill the Volt.
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| OPTIONS: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev