33,000 buyers supposedly signed up for GM Volt

[cwerdna]

Over 33,000 buyers signed up for GM electric car | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

[TonyPSchaefer]

Hey! It's Volty!

I wonder how he came up with the number? Perhaps the hit-count to the website. Or maybe a poll thread stating "if the Volt were produced today for less than $30,000 and achieving 90 miles per charge, would you buy it?" But then again, we have more than 33,000 members here at PC and we're lucky to get 100 respondents to a single poll.

I would just really like to konw exactly how he got that number.

[Zythryn]

Considering the last estimate I heard from Lutz for production numbers was 10,000 for the first year, I guess that means a waiting list into 2011 or so.
Still, I look forward to it. I don't believe it will happen, but I hope it does.

[john1701a]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

I would just really like to know exactly how he got that number.

People just send in their email address saying they are interested in the "Volt" concept.

The catch is you can't remove your name, which has really upset some as the price continues to go up and specs for the vehicle change. There is no obligation either. It's actually quite arbitrary.

.

[hill]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

Hey! It's Volty!

I wonder how he came up with the number? Perhaps the hit-count to the website. Or maybe a poll thread stating "if the Volt were produced today for less than $30,000 and achieving 90 miles per charge, would you buy it?" But then again, we have more than 33,000 members here at PC and we're lucky to get 100 respondents to a single poll.

I would just really like to konw exactly how he got that number.

Go outside, in the daylight, when there are no clouds. Look up. What do you see? The answer is the same . . . clear blue sky . . . that's where the answer came from.

Ready for a real shock? GM has actually been failing to build the Volt for nearly 40 years now. Don't take MY word for it. Here's a copy from a 1969 Boys Life Magazine. Best to copy & paste the scan so you can zoom in to read it. You tell ME what it is:

http://usera.imagecave.com/w4abj/Hyb...l-Lec-1969.jpg

40 years. Read it and weep. For 40 years . . . thanks for nothing GM. Thanks for nothing ~ still.

[efusco]

As stated above you sent in your e-mail, initially, and you were on the 'wait list'. Lyle recently sent out an e-mail asking for folks to confirm and update their data. I'm actually #13 on the list even though I'm not likely to buy considering it only seats 4 and the cost has crept up into the $40k + range.

I'm also pretty sure I'm on the list twice...though it's hard to know for sure.
There's some fairly interesting information on the Data Page:
GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site Wait List Data
more than 25K people didn't specify what country they're from...about 9000 from the US did specify. To me that means that 9000 people remained interested enough that they went back to fill in details when requested ~4 months ago and that's probably the REAL number on the list....

Note also that the average price people are willing to pay is just over $31000. If the real price is closer to $40k that could whittle down the list to a pretty small number of people truly interested.

[ceric]

I don't know why people on this board are so critical to Volt.
There has been several articles on IEEE Spectrum on Volt project.
Those are American engineers like I am who have been working hard on
the Volt. As an engineer myself,
I will continue to give them my support. I don't necessarily love GM,
but I would cheer for those American engineers who try very hard to get
it (Volt) done. I hope they succeed eventually, and GM be smart this time
to stand behind it.

[Godiva]

That's nothing.

4,294,967,295 voted "Fix for Sirius Static" as the Topic of the Month.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by ceric

I don't know why people on this board are so critical to Volt.

Most people here are in favor of progress. Most are in favor of reducing our dependency on foreign oil. Most would like to see our overall dependence on petroleum dwindle. As a technological achievement and a means to the goal of achieving those goals, most here would really love to see the Volt and many other plug-in hybrids on the road.

What scorns most people is the approach that General Motors has routinely shown. They seem to have mastered the art of protesting as loudly and hard as they can afford until they lose that battle and then, after embracing the new direction, proclaim as loudly and hard as they can afford that they are not only the leaders but the original innovators.

That's it. Just that little technicality.

[PriusSport]

If gas prices drop below $3, they are liable to kill the Volt. The manipulation of oil and gasoline prices is ripe for some investigative journalism, but that seems to have disappeared from the American media. Some people are beginning to think the people at the gas pump are paying for the government's mistakes the past 8 years.