Bob Lutz: Saturn Vue plug-in, Chevrolet Volt to be more expensive than originally thought
03/21/2008, 1:13 PM
By Drew Johnson
During the 2008 New York Auto Show, General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz addressed some of issue staring down the Detroit-based automaker’s plug-in hybrid plans. While GM’s plug-in hybrid vehicles might still be on track for a 2010 or 2011 launch, their prices will likely be much higher than originally anticipated.
General Motor’s first true plug-in hybrid vehicle will be a version of its two-mode Saturn Vue hybrid, scheduled to launch sometime around the turn of the next decade. The Vue plug-in will use next-generation lithium-ion batteries which should allow the Vue to travel 40 miles on electric power and have an EPA rating of 60 mpg. But that technology will come at a staggering price not normally associated with the Saturn brand.
According to Lutz, “the two-mode hybrid system will add about $8,000 to $9,000 to the price of the Vue, with the plug-in technology adding another $8,000 to $9,000 on top of the cost of the hybrid system.” When all costs are tallied, Lutz says the Saturn Vue will list “for about $48,000″ — which is $1,000 more than the cost of a base model Corvette.
With a price point more in line with Cadillac rather than Saturn, look for sales of the plug-in Vue to be extremely limited in its first few years of production.
But the Vue plug-in isn’t the only GM hybrid vehicle facing higher-than-expected prices. The Chevrolet Volt will be much more expensive than originally planned when it launches in November 2010. “I gave up on $30,000, but I haven’t given up on $40,000,” Lutz said. Lutz cited higher-than-expected battery prices for pushing the Volt’s price up by $10,000.
However, Lutz is still optimistic that consumers could still see a price closer to $30,000. “GM will see $40,000, but it’s possible that the consumer could see a price closer to $30,000,” thanks to government incentives.
But when it comes down to it, GM is more concerned about getting the Volt to market on time, rather than its price. “We’re not worried about [price], we just want to get it to market,” Lutz said in closing.
03/21, 1:22 PM
posted by:
snork
40 large for a Volt! And even worse…48k for a Vue! Gonna need to find some rich, tree hugging, General lovers who can afford that much.
03/21, 1:28 PM
posted by:
corvette
were all gonna go broke!!! still better than doing nothing.
03/21, 1:29 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
These are excellent prices when you think about it. People will be busting down the doors at GM dealerships to buy one of these revolutionary, high quality and extremely reliable vehicles from the General. It is our duty as Americans to support GM in their efforts and if it means paying a few more dollars for it will be a win-win situation for America. GM is the backbone of this nation and we need to support it or die.
03/21, 1:49 PM
posted by:
e36m
For those prices you could get a european or japanese diesel by then and not have a stupid looking vehicle.
03/21, 1:51 PM
posted by:
AmericanMade
^
^
I agree, i think General Motors is doing great things and can only get better from this point on….im an avid General fan and will buy nothing but..
03/21, 1:53 PM
posted by:
manhertm
Not that it the technology is, but I can see why Toyota’s chairman said the Volt was “wacky”. $40 for people who worried about gas prices and a falling US dollar is not close to being good. The Prius was a smash hit because of the price point and everything you got for that price. Nav, HID headlights, and of course the gas mileage. They should think about putting it in cars with more luxury so they can absorb some of the sticker shock.
03/21, 1:56 PM
posted by:
bolex
forget it. im all for supporting domestics but if they dont have what i want at the price-forget it. if they make one of there micro-car (triplet things) id rather just take on of those instead. 40K is way too much, unless they make it a Cadi.
03/21, 1:58 PM
posted by:
driver54
You are so ****ing stupid need more oil.
03/21, 2:01 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
AM likes being stuck on the side of the road I see
No GM is worth that much! I wouldnt pay over over 40k for any GM especially a Chevy
I dont care it comes with a pair of Jessica Alba’s used panties its still not worth it
This car wont be out in time to catch up to Toyota or honda anyway
03/21, 2:02 PM
posted by:
vLane
Shelling out 40 freakin thousand for a car just to avoid using gas. How is this NOT the GM EV1 all over again?
Did Lutz get the memo that the Prius became the first successful alternative fuel car because it’s, you know, PRACTICAL?
03/21, 2:19 PM
posted by:
Ricardo Head
I could buy an F150 and drive it for 10 years and donate the vehicular carcass to Goodwill for less than the cost of this.
That’s crazy.
03/21, 2:24 PM
posted by:
LJ
Honda just unveiled its CR-Z Concept at Tokyo Motor Show, but has already announced that a variation of the car will make production by 2009. …
http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-cr-z-future.html -
Cost less, too.
03/21, 2:30 PM
posted by:
LJ
If anyone who likes this WILL MAKE THE PAYMENTS FOR ME, I’LL BE GLAD To HAVE ONE IN MY DRIVEWAY.
thanks.
03/21, 2:30 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
Good luck getting 10 years out of an F-150 is all I got to say. Or are you joking? The only trucks that last that long (and way longer) are those from GM.
Even if you were able to get 10 years out of a POS Ford, you’ll be paying WAY more than 40 thousand dollars in repairs, maiintainence and tow truck fees you idiot. 40 thousand dollars is a great price for that piece of mind knowing that you are driving the most dependable vehicles on the planet. And the piece of mind of knowing that you are doing your duty as an American by buying American made cars and trucks from GM.
03/21, 2:32 PM
posted by:
LJ
Should have said(above) Volt: You pay for it, 40,000 dollars, I’ll drive it.
03/21, 2:37 PM
posted by:
AmericanMade
I think the technology is a good idea regardless if its going to cost a few extra bucks, their will still be a market for it. Look at Hollywood when all those wealthy actors were buying Toyota Prius’s left and right. This technology will be a success…
03/21, 2:37 PM
posted by:
LJ
American? Where? Like the GM-DAT(DAEWOO) cars? 95% S Korean? How many UAW workers work in Mexico, or S Korea or China?—————–
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Equinox
The Equinox isproduced at the CAMI Automotive GM/Suzuki joint venture plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. The 3.4 L LNJ V6 engine is made in China, while the Aisin AF33 transmission is made in Japan.
——————————–V6: CHINESE BUILT…. Japanese Tranny, Built In Japan.
American ,LOL… tell me more jokes.
03/21, 3:06 PM
posted by:
AmericanMade
The Equinox is produced at the CAMI Automotive plant because of the JOINT VENTURE between GM and Susuki…the XL7 is all GM minus its skin..
03/21, 4:50 PM
posted by:
MercMark
This car will never arrive as a serious attempt by GM, this is all smoke and mirrors.
It will be killed off by GM (if it ever shows up at all)
Saudi Arabia won’t let the US switch to electric cars. (they own big oil and probably GM too )
03/21, 5:28 PM
posted by:
400horseSS
I totally agree with mercmark no way in hell BP and ConocoPhillips will allow fully electric cars, seriously people its all political bullsh*t.
03/21, 5:51 PM
posted by:
injunraiv
Ah, I see 1115 is up to his old tricks! No one is mentioning that Honda and Toyota will be in the same boat. If batteries cost GM this much, they cost everyone this much.
But as far as I can tell, hybrid isn’t about saving money on gas. I’ve heard you would need to drive a hundred thousand miles in city traffic to pay for the difference in price to get the hybrid in the first place. It’s about doing something about the environment, foreign oil, etc. People who care about that stuff will shell out the cash to make a statement.
03/21, 6:46 PM
posted by:
autonut
Batteries may cost more for GM then for Toyota. Toyota bought into Subaru, because Subaru has a good grip on batteries development. GM decided to outsource batteries. Now 2 companies must produce profit from batteries GM and whoever they outsourced it. Toyota does not need to share it with anyone.
But I ma not surprised by Lutz’s fiasco – it is reoccurring event.
03/21, 7:38 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Stay tuned for next week’s episode of ‘As the General Squirms’ where Carbob Lutz (Leslie Nielson) reveals a shocking secret. Is there really an electric car project, or has his evil half brother Dick Wanker (William Shatner) stolen the only Magic Battery to power his electric hair implant?
03/21, 8:42 PM
posted by:
autonut
For some reason mentioning of the Putz name makes my posts disappear.
Johnny, here’s correction: Volt started as electromechanical cure for male erectile dysfunction. Chemical solution by Pfizer saved the day, but chairman Bob redirected research into new venue.
03/21, 8:52 PM
posted by:
bigp
thats too much an not enought mpg
03/21, 10:42 PM
posted by:
F451
GM would be far better off leaving the PR work of the Volt directly in the hands of the Volt team. I’d much rather get the updates from the team versus a hood ornament (Lutz). I am genuinely excited about the Volt, but completely turned of when Lutz has anything to say about it. Let the Volt be special, leave Lutz out of it; it will fare much better without him.
03/21, 11:10 PM
posted by:
jjayc08
This is a grave disappointment to me. It’s not so much that I’m suprised about the price, but that it’s been hyped up so much, and then they drop the bomb first about battery testing, then scheduling and now pricing. I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few people considered high 20k to low 30k for a Volt, but 40k seems too much.
You know what I think they should do? Just go back to regular, reliable NiMH batteries, or even bring up the existing issue of large format NiMH batteries, being owned by an oil company.
F451- Very similar to what I had been thinking.
03/22, 3:10 AM
posted by:
Jon Luc
Needs more Oil (like every GM product) your bias is blinding you. I have a 1990 Ford F150 with over 250K miles on it, & all I’ve had to replace was the starter, & 2nd gear cog. That’s it, that’s all. Other than yearly tune ups & tires, that is. Needs More Brain Matter.
03/22, 10:54 AM
posted by:
AmericanMade
Jon Juc, “Needs more Oil (like every GM product)”, i think your bias is blinding you my friend…..
03/22, 12:34 PM
posted by:
autonut
I guess chairman (or chair attachment) Bob speaks so much about Volt, ’cause he assumed product management responsibility. Like most of other responsibilities he failed. Cost should be estimated before product development and adhered more strictly then swinging 33% (30 to 40 maybe so far). My guess (again) it will not stop here: 40 looks to me like 49,500 + shipping cost.
03/22, 4:22 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
You ****ing asshole idiots, look at the monster you’ve created. Pushing and pushing and PUSHING for hybrids and all this bull****, and this is the result – $50,000 econoboxes brought to you by the most unreliable company in the world after VW, GM.
Have fun getting cluster****ed by that hybrid in 3 years’ time, whoever is stupid enough to buy it. I can just imagine the chaos that ensues as the mechanics try to figure out which ****ty GM part of the dual-mode drivetrain crapped out this time…
03/23, 11:16 AM
posted by:
jdasch1
GM will do all in its power to kill this technology…they can’t help themselves.
03/24, 1:58 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
“I have a 1990 Ford F150 with over 250K miles on it, & all I’ve had to replace was the starter, & 2nd gear cog. That’s it, that’s all. Other than yearly tune ups & tires, that is.”
250 thousand miles is not impressive or your making **** up pal. Besides, GM trucks go 10 times that on a regular basis and you will never have to replace a thing. Just brakes tires and oil changes.
Ford couldn’t design or engineer a paper airplane that lasted, let alone something complex as a truck. Your POS is an anomoly.
03/24, 2:15 PM
posted by:
driver54
2.5 Million miles on a regular basis for GM trucks. Do you ever read what you write?
03/25, 8:35 AM
posted by:
injunraiv
^LOL, I was thinking the same thing. This guy is like bizarro 1115…
03/27, 3:26 AM
posted by:
F451
This is simply Lutz’s bull**** propaganda to fight against the proposed CARB standards. Lutz is full of ****, and he knows it.