1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

September Volt Sales:

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by hill, Oct 2, 2011.

Page 1 of 3
  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,874
    8,173
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Officially, Detroit won't reveal the number of Volts that were sold last month until tomorrow, Monday. Unofficially, Detroit seems to be hinting the numbers projection will be disappointing.

    Chevy Volt sales don't have expected spark - chicagotribune.com

    When GM was first questioned about low sales months ago, GM said, "we sell every one we make"
    yet there are several lots with Volts on them, even as GM's dealerships are exposed for selling them back and forth between dealerships for the 2 fold reasons of collecting the tax incentive, and so they can claim a sale.
    As months passed, GM was questioned about sales - which led gm to claim last August, "we're shutting down the assembly line to change over for the new year".
    Now that the assembly line has been up ... GM says, "we're clearing our throat"?? The show starts now? October? What? (sigh). So does this officially mean tomorrow won't be a let down?

    .
     
    #1 hill, Oct 2, 2011
  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    6,035
    3,855
    0
    Location:
    Rocky Mountains
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    It will only be a let down if you are expecting anything. No expectations, no failure. GM has succeeded with what they wanted, project a good image and sell a bunch of low model Cruzes.
     
    #2 2k1Toaster, Oct 2, 2011
  3. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    GM has said that they will produce 160000 this year (first it was 25k).... they have sold how many again? 5000? Less?

    So clearly it is an failure that has cost them a billion or so.
    Cruze is a good car and sells on its own right.
     
    #3 spwolf, Oct 2, 2011
  4. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,121
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Cost who a billion or so? The American tax payer ;). Pop in a war to try and increase oil production and the price of petrol should fall and we can all go back to buying SUV's.

    Until the next time :(
     
    #4 GrumpyCabbie, Oct 2, 2011
  5. Roadburner440

    Roadburner440 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2011
    316
    59
    0
    Location:
    Hampton, VA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Don't really know. Think if more people had an opportunity to drive them they would love the car. On paper it looks fairly unimpressive, but having it there on tap is quite amazing. Is why after I test drove one I was sold. I think the car is just destined to fail due to bad PR, and all the misconceptions out there about it (I now get it 2 fold with both the Prius and the Volt). I just hope the Volt turns out better than the rest of the GM vehicles I have owned otherwise I may be a Leaf convert (or Focus EV, that thing looks nice) when the lease goes up in 3 years.
     
    #5 Roadburner440, Oct 2, 2011
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,498
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I've vented in another thread about how much I am scorned by GM's marketing and questionable antics but will reiterate that when I drove the Volt (and rode in it while others drove) I had one impression: it's a nice car. I wish they could have priced it closer to 35k which would have made it sub-30k after rebates.

    Here's how I look at it, if the Volt turns into a runaway success, we have another viable car and alt technology in the market and more people learn about everything we've been preaching to each other. But if the Volt turns into a loss, GM will pull the plug (see what I did there?) and explain that the reason it didn't sell was becaue the American consumer doesn't want hybrid or electric cars. It's what they did with thier Silverado Hybrid. Simply hearing this from an American manufacturer will give more people the right to say, "that's right; now go build me another Super Duty truck."

    So from the way I see it, if the Volt succeeds, we all win. If the Volt gets cancelled, we all lose. Taking pleasure in low Volt sales (even though it's even a little fun to watch GM suffer) is akin to wishing the apartment below you where the mean people live would catch on fire. There's a good change you're going to suffer too.
     
    #6 TonyPSchaefer, Oct 2, 2011
    7 people like this.
  7. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2008
    3,033
    708
    75
    Location:
    Ballamer, Merlin
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Nice analogy. Are we winning yet:

    Chevrolet Volt owners Storm and Dee Connors were reportedly
    woken up by the sound of fire alarms in their Barkhamsted, Connecticut
    home for the second time in a week. As you may recall, the Connors
    family escaped injury when a garage fire consumed both their new Volt
    and a home-converted electric Suzuki Samurai on April 14.

    Now, local news outlets are reporting that the remains of the Volt
    reignited while still in the charred remains of the garage. The vehicle
    was not plugged in at the time of the second burning.

    Burnt Chevrolet Volt mysteriously catches fire again
     
    #7 Rokeby, Oct 2, 2011
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,860
    49,455
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    msn money had gm as pick for blue chip stocks. they are sitting on a ton of cash and have almost paid off the government.
     
    #8 bisco, Oct 2, 2011
  9. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Don't I wish.
     
    #9 SageBrush, Oct 2, 2011
  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,324
    3,591
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    ....heard on the radio today that all hybrid car sales are down in 2011 compared to 2010. The reason given was higher cost vs. 35-40 MPG gaso vehicles (such as Cruze). However, I was wondering if Japan Tsunami was part of reason.
     
    #10 wjtracy, Oct 2, 2011
  11. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    12,544
    2,123
    1
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    They're probably referring to the article linked to at http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hybrid-ev-alt-fuel-news/98480-hybrid-cars-losing-market-share.html. And no, CNN didn't bother pointing out the supply constraints due to the tsunami.

    I sometimes wonder if this sort of news is started by Toyota competitors or someone anti-hybrid person... None of the '11 Cruze non-Eco engine and transmission choices achieve even 40 mpg highway and have combined mileage ratings from 27-30 mpg. Highest rated '11 Cruze is the manual Cruze Eco w/28 city/42 highway and 33 mpg combined.
     
    #11 cwerdna, Oct 3, 2011
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    22,102
    11,546
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Their combined mpg don't touch the Prius', but for people in which a mid-size is more than they need or would rather/can not pay more than $20k, there are many attractive choices now. Most of which could probably be had for $4000 to $8000 less than the Prius.

    The tsunami played its part in Prius supply and used prices, but our market is finally getting more choice fuel efficient cars too. Some manufacturers didn't even offer a B-segment model back when the gen2 was introduced.
     
    #12 Trollbait, Oct 3, 2011
  13. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2009
    13,574
    4,114
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    3172 ytd august, according to hybrid cars. I'm not sure where 160,000 came from, it certainly isn't for 2011 or 2012 from anyone reputable. GM has said 10K this year and 45K us (60K world wide) next year. 1000 should be around expectations for September and we should see what the number is soon.


    Going from 20mpg to 30mpg drops 200 gallons in a 12K mile year, and many cars off 30mpg combined. Going from 30mpg to 50mpg drops another 160 gallons. A mazda 3 would have cost me $7K less and honda fit $6k less than my prius and I would not have needed to replace my rims to a larger size. I thought the fit and 3 drove better than the prius, but bought it for the fuel economy.
     
    #13 austingreen, Oct 3, 2011
  14. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2011
    3,938
    1,351
    28
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    #14 Sergiospl, Oct 3, 2011
  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,874
    8,173
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    723 Volts sold in September? I hope they've stopped counting sales back & forth between dealerships just so they can get the Fed tax credit.
    I get your point - but think of the example differently:
    Taking pleasure in Low Volt sales is akin to having the very best 10 members on a foot ball team, with no money. You can bring on 2 other players with so much (fed) money that they can pay for uniforms, equipment, transportation, support staff, etc. . . . . . but they have a 60 year history of showing NO character, NO honesty, NO integrity, NO values, NO morals, and they have WAY less talent, and WAY less ability to learn, and very little willingness to learn. You have to play with them, but you KNOW they're taking you down several notches in reputation. So ... what do you do ...

    At 3,895 sales, that puts 10,000 sales out somewhere in 2013 ... not the end of this year.
    They've been selling out of state ... but you'd have to buy out of state. They're selling now in more states, and in Canada too.
    .
     
    #15 hill, Oct 3, 2011
  16. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2011
    3,938
    1,351
    28
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Also, not sure if this sale figure represents all 50 states!
     
    #16 Sergiospl, Oct 3, 2011
  17. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    it was 16k, sorry.
     
    #17 spwolf, Oct 3, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  18. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    yikes... cars.com reports dealer inventory of 2600 Volts for the USA. That means that Volt has 100 day supply which is rather huge.....lol.
     
    #18 spwolf, Oct 3, 2011
  19. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,874
    8,173
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Hummers were being stacked deep once gas hit $4.00 ... I'm still hoping Volt doesn't suffer the same fate.
     
    #19 hill, Oct 3, 2011
  20. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2004
    14,487
    2,997
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    This is how it looks in a graph. Remember this is only the US sales.

    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

    #20 usbseawolf2000, Oct 3, 2011
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 3