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

LA Times: Nissan Leaf far outselling Chevrolet Volt

Discussion in 'Nissan/Infiniti Hybrids and EVs' started by hill, Jul 19, 2011.

  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,604
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Not wanting to flame the Volt fans, I buried this in the less popular EV section ... kind of like preaching to the quire.
    :p

    Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, electric car: Nissan Leaf far outselling Chevrolet Volt - latimes.com

    Now ... the REAL irony to me is THIS:

    Range Anxiety Antidote: You Don't Drive As Far As You Think
    Wow! Really? a large U.S. company you say ... I wonder who that could be ... out there spreading range anxiety FUD. Could it be . . . . . . . . . . . . nah.
    ;)
    Another irony is that many Volt drivers want to brag and brag and brag about never using any gas! But ask them why on earth (not counting the $40,000) would you buy a Volt? Invariably the answer comes back, "Well yea ... but if I was ever needing to drive across the country on the spur of the moment ..."
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. Insight-I Owner

    Insight-I Owner 2006 Insight-I MT + 2011 Prius

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2009
    505
    100
    0
    Location:
    Essex, CT
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Maybe Nissan should include a course of range anxiety therapy sessions (with a licensed professional of course) with every Leaf they sell.
     
  3. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2009
    4,050
    727
    5
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    This makes sense. I've several Leafs where I live and very few Volts.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    when you think about it, it's 20 miles a day, 50 once a week and 150 once or twice a month. then you figure, leaf has to be primary car with an ice backup. i must say, for the price of the volt, and the rep of the company making it, they are not doing too badly. surprising to me at least.
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2004
    14,487
    2,994
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Leaf's sales number is not that amazing. What's more amazing is how they recover from the earthquake / tsunami and still able to produce more than Volt.

    Volt is marketed as "more than electric". So much more that it's fuel consumption is measured with gallons of premium gasoline. Makes sense? Nope, I didn't think so.

    2012 Leaf will come standard with electric battery heater. Volt comes standard with gas powered battery heater.

    Both EPA and CARB classify Volt as a plugin hybrid. Per SAE's official definition of a hybrid, Volt perfectly fits the description. However, I have been having second thought. Once the 35 miles EV range runs out, Volt doesn't give hybrid like MPG. It gets compact non-hybrid like MPG. The emission is also non-hybrid like ULEV rating.
     
  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    This makes sense, Nissan wants to sell Leafs, Chevy wants to sell Cruizes.
     
    2 people like this.
  7. rebenson

    rebenson Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2008
    364
    43
    6
    Location:
    Suburb of Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Heard the volt production will be ramped up with additional capacity and chevy will be producing 3x's more vehicles (I assume not including July since plant has just re-opened).

    That would mean august sales will be 1,500 - 2,000 vehicles a month...


    For the comment about the range anxiety, Leaf owners have some assistance available in free charges if they do get stuck... And If they are anywhere close to someone they know, I'm sure there are outlets....

    They said they would produce 16K the remainder of year, so their must be more capacity...
     
  8. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Still can't buy a Leaf here but yeah Nissan definitely seems to have an actual plan and executing it. They're leaving Volt sales in the dust.
    You sure? Volt sales are severely lagging where they should be by now, I've been hearing for many months about them ramping up production, but the most Volts they've ever sold was in March.

    I think that if GM does ramp up production they'll see a big sales increase initially and then it will peter out. There just aren't enough people to pay that price for a four seat car that has a lot of shortcomings.
     
  9. priushippie

    priushippie New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2009
    330
    41
    0
    Location:
    Pennsyltucky
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V


    Maybe they should go to Marcus Bachmann for prayer therapy! Oh you silly goose!
     
  10. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    2,287
    460
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    This is not news.

    The Nissan LEAF has been outselling the Volt right from the start. Initially the cars went to Japan and when Japan's major subsidies were over the supply started coming to the USA and elsewhere.

    Newspapers have stories, not reports.
     
  11. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    2,287
    460
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    That's exactly the point of having PHEV.

    If you just drive short distances, you get an ICEV.
    If you can have multiple cars and only need one with range you get a BEV and HEV.
    Otherwise:
    - If you often drive long distances, you get an HEV.
    - If you usually drive short distances and regularly drive longer distances you get a PHEV.

    The problem for the Volt is that many people who could use a Volt can also use a LEAF or iMiEV and will be able to use a PHV or Focus EV. All of them will be cheaper.
     
  12. oldasdust

    oldasdust Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2011
    356
    47
    0
    Location:
    illinois
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Some great ideas and statements. Like many have stated about the volt making it .... The only thing i see is this. Is chevrolet all in and totally committed to the volt?? If not it will fail. The culture at chevrolet has not changed and it will because of this fail.
     
  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  14. Maine Pilot

    Maine Pilot Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2011
    166
    504
    0
    Location:
    Saco, Maine
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    III
    Just heard a news story on NPR that Nissan is going to raise the price of the Leaf by ~$2000. According to the company's press spokesman, the increase is due to adding more standard features, including a "battery warmer" and a "heated steering wheel!"

    How could I ever live without those features that my Prius lacks? I must buy, I must buy...
     
  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,604
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    NO mystery there . . . the 2012's will not only have heated seats (they'll be opening sales to some of the sub zero winter states now) and traction battery warmers, Nissan's Leaf will be made with the CHademo quick charge port (a $700 option prior to 2012) as well.
    Very deliberate wording . . . . "Capacity Is Trippled". It says they'll now sell 3x as many. But it doesn't say that. It says if there are buyers, than GM would be able to even make that many. Sigh. Reading between the lines from a company with so much double speek is daunting. Oh well. They DID qualify the true meaning at the end of the read:
    I'm still tryng to decipher the GM purpose of selling the new Volts back & forth between dealers ... making them "used" sales. It's hard to keep up sometimes.

    And what's up with these journalists that don't know an EV from a hybrid?
    :p
    .
     
  16. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2008
    11,627
    2,530
    8
    Location:
    Southwest Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I don't doubt that 5 - 10k more Volt customers are waiting in the wings to buy the car. Past that, I am skeptical.
     
  17. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    924
    123
    11
    Location:
    GA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Just proves my modular idea has merrit.

    A hoistable, plug in MG set with battery maintenance capacity that fits under the hood of a 100mi range EV giving it a 400+mi gas range would be a specatular option.

    Best of both worlds, and if you are super slick you can market the MG as a house back up gen while it sits in your garage waiting for you to go on a trip.
     
  18. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,604
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Just a week & a half - and July will be done . . . then the Leaf / Volt July stats will tell whether GM's sales pick up ... or remain as they are. Drum roll !!
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    can't wait, woo hoo! i must say, heated seats and steering wheel in an electric car seems a bit much. do they use much juice?
     
  20. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2004
    14,487
    2,994
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Those are much more efficient mode of delivering heat than through air.