Featured Bolt the cannibal and used hybrid/plug-in generator

the bolt may attract some cuv drivers.

 

Considering they have two models Volt and Bolt I'm half heartedly expecting the next EV/Hybrid to be Jolt. Thus continuing their major EV/Hybrid models to follow the -olt name trend. If that's not sub-branding like Toyota did with the Prius then I don't know what is.

The Equinox comment is mainly directed at the fact that the model literally debuted in 2010 riding on a Saturn platform that was based on a older German SUV. Literally the least advanced model in its class and it's the 4th best selling crossover behind three very refined and updated models. 2018 model year looks to be a huge improvement but that model needed to be replaced in 2014.

 

Didn't GM think of changing the name soon after the Bolt concept was unveiled, because it was too close to Volt?

 

Probably why EV was added as the official model name.

 

No, it was others complaining to GM about the confusion already happening. But in the grand scheme of things, the mix up is to their benefit. Sadly, most people don't pay close attention and GM has a very real problem with tax-credit availability. If they truly want to make Bolt compete with Model 3, they pretty much have to sacrifice Volt... which is currently struggling with sales growth, even with the $7,500 subsidy. The product lifecycle is simply too long and the need for profitability from high-volume cannot be avoided.

However, the blow from business reality crashing down can be softened from people continuing to her "olt" when the reputation for GM electrification is mentioned.

Put it this way, it's all a big gamble anyway. The approach of "hoping battery prices will plummet in the meantime" is quite risky. They didn't fall fast enough to save gen-1 Volt. Now they have 2 very different vehicles with the same hope.

 

Only a limited number of dealers are committed to selling Bolts. I'm pleasantly surprised that the GM dealer across town is now listed as it wasn't 10 days ago.

The Bolt base price can mislead you. I just configured one and my price was $44,295 to get all charging options and all safety options. I couldn't tell if that included a 240v home charger. It did include 2 110/120 cords. No special color charge and I didn't go wild on the accessories.

Less $7500 tax savings (if that continues) and less the $12k my 35k '12 v3 is said to be worth, that makes my buy in price around $25k plus tax, delivery, dealer prep, documentation fees, etc. Add maybe $1,500 for electrical work to install the home charger.

At 40MPG and <$3 gas (currently $2.189), I can drive my current car forever on the ~$25k not spent. Lower insurance and taxes too.

After I see one around, I'm liable to at least go drive one. But certainly buying one make little financial sense me.

 

That's like saying NiMH prices didn't fall fast enough to save the gen1 Prius.

The gen2 Volt is an improvement over over the gen1 in virtually all metrics. The $5000 to $6000 price improvement was mostly because Li-ion costs have been improving, and faster than predicted. At this point Li-ion is lower cost for cars than NiMH per kWh.

Having two cars using Li-ion traction packs helps in getting savings from mass production.

 

How is that the same? Toyota didn't set a mainstream level sales goal like GM. Whatever the case, it isn't gen-2 Volt either. That $7,500 dependency is a very big problem still.

Battery cost for 18.4 kWh capacity simply is not going to drop $7,500 in the next few years. If the beliefs of $200 per kWh are true, that means the entire pack for Volt is only $3,680 in terms of lithium cost. It would currently have to cost double that just to break even. To actually grow the market, price of the vehicle must come down too.

And what the heck does "save" mean? That generation ended production as planned, following the usual product-cycle schedule. The plans for Volt achieving mainstream sales was mid-cycle. The gen-2 is expected to go full cycle. That means at least 4 more years of sales. The tax-credit will run out long before that. Bolt will be gobbling them up.

Look at Prius Prime. With an MSRP of just $27,100 for the base model, there is no dependency. Even without any tax-credit, it has the potential to grow. Any mid-cycle update will contribute to that. It most definitely is not the same.

 

how do i find out which gm dealers are or will be bolt dealers?

 

not many car purchases save money.

 

I asked the dealer I bought my Volt from and was told they're expecting theirs early Spring, so just ask your local dealer.

 

thanks. mike mentioned 'now listed' in post #268, so i thought there was a list somewhere.

 

Seen plenty comparing the Ioniq electric's range to the Bolt's; it is severely lacking, but sales success depends on what the actual price will be.

I think there is simply too large a difference to make comparing Ioniq to Volt an interesting discussion. The Volt doesn't have a hybrid only model, and the range of Ioniq PHEV and EV operation will likely be closer to that of the Prime. Volt vs Prius comparisons I think were more about there simply not being much else to compare a Volt to at the time of it's introduction.

While increasing the battery size, improving performance, and increasing the efficiency, GM reduced the base price of the gen2 Volt by $5000 to $6000 from the gen1's initial price. Without access to GM's accounting for each Volt, why wouldn't it be possible to reduce the price further by the time the tax credits expire?

You tell me. you didn't define it in your post.

The Volt is following a standard 5 year production cycle. I expect claims of the Volt going mainstream in the first generation were from grandiose blowhards that left the company before the Volt reached market.

Comments from a certain major Prius seller here were along the lines that the Prime had very slim margins. The Volt could have wider ones. We simply don't know.

 

splitting hairs on MPGe differences doesn't make a lot of cents/sense, either.

 

i've always wondered why the irs is so fussy about which year you take a deduction in, or in this case, a tax credit. are they hoping you won't qualify in some cases?

 

Yes - and the stupid factor doesn't end there. GM quietly paid (dearly) for infringing on Yamaha's 2013/2014 trademark name;


New 2016 Yamaha Bolt Motorcycles in Murrieta, CA | Stock Number: Y002913


If GM truly needed to rhyme with Volt - and still needed a lame name - they could of went with (think of a bird shedding / loosing its feathers) "Molt" ... because it's shedding / loosing its need to use gas.

.....snip.....
oh c'mon, other manufacturers over-hype their hopes for huge/prospective sales .... as previously mentioned with the hydrogen Murai - Toyota said 10's of thousands on the road within 3 years? .... when they can't unload a few hundred? - even after pushing many of 'em on governmental fleets? ... even with ever deepening price / lease reductions? Even with the (3 years) promise of free hydrogen? even after lobbying for credits/rebates WAY higher than plugins? No, all manufacturers will push truth "out the door" in order to push a product that otherwise may have a tougher sell. Does it matter if the promised "spin" is claimed to happen this year or within 3 years? Spin is spin ... and regardless of manufacturer ... sometimes it backfires.
.......snip........

Prime only has ~ 1/3 the ev range of the Volt .... and what ... 1/8 the range of the Bolt? and what ... 1/12 the range of a Model S ? You get what you pay for when it comes to fossil fuel free driving, or fossil fuel free driving with more than only 4 seats. It's the owners' different needs/desires that means all the manufacturers are (at least) filling a niche.
.