http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/green_machines/running_on_empty_is_the_2011_chevrolet_volt_hype_or_hope_car_news"However, industry sources tell us the claims about the Volt’s batteries are wildly optimistic when weight, cost, capacity, and longevity are considered."
"To what extent the Volt will “change the game” is still unclear. The biggest obstacle the Volt must overcome is cost. Even assuming a suitable battery can be mass-produced in time for the Volt’s launch, it will probably cost significantly more than $5000—possibly over $10,000."
"We estimate building a Volt will cost GM more than twice as much as a conventional compact. All told, how much green does something this green cost for consumers? Lauckner says to expect a price somewhere in the mid-$30,000 range, but frankly, we’d be surprised to see anyone get much change back from $40,000 when the paperwork is signed. “Even if we have to forego most or all of our profit, it’s still going to be a reasonably expensive car,” said Lutz. "
"Limited production will also curtail any sort of large-scale shifts in transportation trends."
"If the Volt is priced as high as we suspect, demand will limit sales to a few thousand units, which seems realistic given the myriad new technologies used and the inevitable associated teething pains. "
"Even at fifty grand, the Volt would hardly be profitable for GM in these early years, considering how much coin GM has already dumped into the project, the actual production cost, and how much will be required for sales and technical training at launch. And unless some cash starts falling from the sky—or the federal government—GM’s financial situation may still be extremely precarious at that point. GM can’t afford to lose money on the Volt as it did on the EV1 and as Toyota did on hybrids for years until demand increased and production costs fell. "
"What GM doesn’t say explicitly is that the customer will likely have paid an extra $20,000 for the car compared with the price of a conventional compact. Recouping the investment would take at least a decade, at which point the Volt’s running costs and potential battery replacement could further add to its costs. It likely would never prove more frugal overall than a comparable compact with conventional internal combustion technology. "
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
