June19
Although General Motors first targeted a $30,000 price tag for its 2010 Chevrolet Volt, GM vice chairman Bob Lutz has revealed that the nation’s largest automaker will miss that mark. Due to the high cost of development, the Volt will hit the market with a sticker price of about $40,000.
Lutz revealed the Volt’s likely price tag in an interview with the Seattle Times and added that he doesn’t expect GM to make a profit on its first-generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles. However, the 76 year old GM executive is hopeful that GM will be able to turn a profit on future plug-in vehicles.
Lutz recently drove a Volt mule and was quite pleased with how well it drove. In fact, Lutz is so confident in the program he declared that “for the first time, our well-thought-of Asian competitors will be left in the dust.”
The Volt is an extremely important product for GM and, even though the price might be slightly higher than expected, it’s good to see GM executives so determined to bring the car to market.
Maybe if gasoline was $15.00 a gallon. $40k for a car that seats only 4 people. Make it $25k and I’ll buy.
“Lutz recently drove a Volt mule and was quite pleased with how well it drove”
Well for a 76 yo or for a car guy?
This thing will be like the iPhone with all the idiot poseurs forking out thru the a$$ to have it while the rest of us wait around for the next gen that will do more and cost half as much.
At least it’s not made by crApple, though. Screw crApple.
mayer_ray_nagin wrote (No. 3): This thing will be like the iPhone ….
If the Volt sells anything at all like the iPhone, then GM will be thrilled. If the Volt works anywhere nearly as well as the iPhone, then its drivers will be thrilled.
If Lutz can make it go 35 miles on electrons only he will sell all GM can produce.
People want a commuter car that doesn’t need use gasoline.
Oh yea..the car needs to recharge in an 8 hour shift to make it back home.
At 76 I wouldn’t be throwing out a lot of ‘dust’ references, CarBob.
$40K for 35 miles. Great. Can I trade my Prius and Insight and Civic Hybrid and Green Line and…..
Give me a Tesla!
LOL Johnny. You took your funny pills this week!
If this thing ever makes it to production, that price will leave it on dealer lots dried up like a turd about to blow away in the fart wind of competitors.
Wanna eliminate gas altogether? 40 g’s buys a ton of bus passes.
Otherwise for 25 grand, a 60-70 mpg Prius will be far more accessible.
Right, it will leave Prius for 22K and Fit based hybrid for 19K in the dust. Let’s not worry about dust, what about old timer’s flatulence?
At $4/gallon, $40,000 for a car that only goes 40 miles on electricity just doesn’t work financially. It would make FAR greater fiscal sense to buy a $25,000 car that gets 60+ (once the Prius gets its Li-Ion plug-in batteries)
But, with virtually every expert out there saying that oil prices are only going to go up, the story changes quite a bit when (not if) gas prices are $6/gallon or $8/gallon or even $10/gallon.
Gas prices are up 100% in the past 12 months. Think about the possibilities of what prices could be in another 24 months or so when we finally get the Volt.
Sure, it’s a gamble that the prices will continue to climb. Choosing to produce just about any car is always a gamble. I don’t know how much of a limb one has to go out on to think that gas prices which have doubled in the past 12 months will do it again in the next 24 months.
… and Chevrolet up to bat for GM… the pitch… swing and a miss.
^^^anywhere else with such betting average they change the staff
…i’m curious why chevy got this car. for 40k, seems like slapping a Saab or Saturn badge on it would make more sense.
Folks, the Prius and Fit hybrid go less than one mile on an electric charge only.
When the Volt runs out of all-electric juice, the gas motor kicks in, not to power the car, but to act as a generator to recharge the batteries. The electric motor will still power the car.
So, according to GM, it’ll be the equivalent of about 150mpg.
At that point, the Prius, even at 60mpg, would be using 2.5x the amount of gas of the Volt.
People will pay $40k for the Volt. Easily.
40 g’s to be a guinea pig for a new car with brand new technology from a company NOT known for building quality hybrids? (Their mild **** doesn’t even work and that’s not even complicated) Um no.
Lessee, a first gen Chevy Hybrid for 40 thousand dollars (probably more) or a proven hybrid like the Prius that has 10+ years of reputation to fall back on for 25?
Maybe some Hollywood millionaires will take the gamble but the average Joe Shmo I highly doubt there will be many takers.
I am all for the Volt and praise GM for “finally” getting off theirs asses and moving into the next realm of vehicles. However, I sure wish Lutz would shut-the-****-up, and the team who is actually working the Volt would give us more insight versus the bull**** that comes out of Lutz’s mouth. Investors should be demanding GM’s number one priority be cleaning house at the executive ranks, starting with Lutz as he is full of ****.
Inline6, Honda hybrids in the past did not go anywhere on batteries alone. Prius does go on battery in city traffic and even recharges during breaking. It does not have 40 mi. range, but did anyone except Lutz drove more then 5 miles? Did Lutz driven it 5 miles? Are we suppose to believe fairy tale stories about marvels of not existing technologies pooped out for the past 4 years? We are comparing science fiction to reality. There is no Fit hybrid, but Civic Hybrid goes 40-44 mpg. Prius does better. And that the fact as presented by the US government (you may or may not believe all government’s facts) but I am sure much less of us believe Lutz’s.
F451, I would hold the praise until you can test drive a car. So far it is as realistic as Star Trek episodes (actually those you can purchase, it’s not fair to Star Trek).
Hey Sicko (Oops, I mean 1115 - you’re not fooling anyone): Before tax credits, The car will be 40K. But NY is talking about eliminating sales tax on electric vehicles, and I assume other states will do the same. that is quite a reduction off the bat. Then it’s easy to figure your gas cost. Drive 15k/yr at 150 MPG, you use 100 gallons of gas. Gas is $4/gal, that’s $400.
Drive that same distance getting 45 MPG in a Prius, you pay $1,333.
At $6, it’s $2K vs $600.
At $8, it’s $2,667 vs $800
Granted, it would take a lot to make up the difference in price between the Pious and the Volt, but most hybrid drivers are about getting off the oil, not about saving money. It’s a statement vehicle.
Now, will most of these owners notice the increase in their electric bill? That’s the real question…
You’re assuming the new Prius gets 45mpg… Maybe the current one, not the new one. I doubt very much Toyota will hold back on the next model, I’m expecting the next one to reach 60mpg, 70 even. Plus, current owners ARE getting the 60mpg advertised (sometimes even more) so right there you’re being pessimistic (or optimistic
)with your figures.
I’m not 1115 btw, I can assure you I post under no other handle.
I’d buy one …. after it’s been out for two years …. and if the competitors don’t have a more economical offering.
Don’t forget, it’s not just Toyota that will be the only game in town, Honda will have it’s hybrid models out there(target is also $20k for the next Insight), Mercedes own Smart car could get diesel or even electric (As reported by LLN) and I’m sure there will be others looking to steal a piece of the Volts pie. There is a lot that can happen between now and 2010.
Does electricity cost anything in NY state? Last time I looked at my bill it doubled since last year.
Take a break and get a laugh…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVLPC8yujcM
The Toyonda Prius looks so ugly. Why would you want that thing? No wonder its only 22k it’s so ugly. Now the Volt has looks. Now let’s do some math. Here in Canada its $1.47 a litre. Now let’s say the Volt will get 60mpg or if we times 60 by 1.61 we get 96.6kp4l and that would be about 5.3L/100km. now let’s say you did the average yearly travel of 20,000km (20,000 Divided by 0.62 = 12,400miles)Now 100 divide by 20,000 = 200. Now 5.3 x 200 = 1060L in one year used (1060L divided by 3.79 = 279.68 Gallons) Now take $1.47L x 1060 = $1558.2 in one years of gas. The Prius is 4.8L/100km. 4.8 x 200 = 960L or divided by 3.79 = 253.30 Gallons. 1.47 x 960 = $1411.23 in gas in one year. (35 x 1.61 = 56.35) If you did your all electric drive once a month you save $83.09 a month off your final gas bill. (1.47 x 56.53) The prius 7mi x 1.61 = 11.27. You only save $16.56 a month off your final gas bill. The Volt 83.09 x 12 = $997.08) 1558.2 - 997.08 = $561.12. The Prius 16.56 x 12 = $198.72) 1411.23 - 198.72 = $1212.51. Look at that in the end who is paying more money for gas? With the Prius you’re spending more than double a year than what the Volt is. So in the end by the time you’re saving money from the prius the Volt owner was saving money about six months before that. There is a lot of information we need to take into consideration though. We need to assume gas prices will be the same during that time, the American Dollar is getting weak, if any break downs happen, Insurance, and the fact that this is all in Canadian and not American. I’m sorry but I don’t think using another few lines to figure it out in American is not worth it. This is all the essentials of math people this is all simple sh!t . You learn this in grade 10. Next time you want to say you won’t save any money off something, do the math.
1981blueZ28, how’s the handling on that Volt? We have to assume it will be build and when and at what cost. We have to assume it will be 2010 and it will be only 40K USD. Those are all assumptions. Science fiction has more science and reality then this.
1981, you’re so cute when you try to use logic on this site!
Sicko: I still don’t buy it, you and 1115 use all the same arguments. You’re either the same person, a clone, or lovers. I notice you never post at the same time. Hmmmm…
And you’re assuming that just because Toyonda will have their own plug in / next gen Hybrid it will still be cheaper than the Volt, or get better mileage.
XY: yes, electricity costs. But think of the people who could put up windmills or solar arrays to charge their cars! Now THAT’S living off the grid!
XY, electric cars are a fantasy? Holy cow, batman! have you never seen a train go by your prison cell? Those are Diesel/Electric!
I wasn’t trying, that is reasonable estimate on the yearly cost and saving of the Volt and Prius. Its easy math. Not hard at all its like 1+1=2. Also if you live in a small town like mine you would never have to pay for gas there for saving even more money off the Volt then the Prius.
xyunya,
So I’m supposed to assume that the Prius will get 60mpg with the redesign, but the Volt won’t do what GM’s been promising since it was first shown?
I know they did this in the ’70s and ’80s, but these days, GM doesn’t tend to over-promise and under-deliver. Look at the new Malibu, CTS, CTS-V, and ZR1 if you want proof of that.
I think that GM has caught the other automakers napping and will move the ball so far ahead of the competition in 2010 when the Volt is released that it will make the 2010 Prius look like an Aura Green Line by comparison. And I think the thought of that makes you domestic-bashers nervous.
Not that you don’t have a right to bash the domestics. They came out with nothing but junk up to about 5 years ago. But I wouldn’t count them out yet. Especially GM.
People will buy it, just to be the first green assmunch, remember the PT Cruiser and New Bug, they had a huge markup, me on the other hand could give a flaming bag of **** about saving the earth, dont give a ****.
thejairus, that video sucked badly.
Maybe if gasoline was $15.00 a gallon. $40k for a car that seats only 4 people. Make it $25k and I’ll buy.
Dude, you just described a Prius!
Anywho….
So we’ve established that GM cannot, and will not, get this job done either, as the new Lexus Hybrid based off the Prius will probably be $5k cheaper, the next Prius $10-15k less, so………..
Congratulations, Bob!
DrFill
hey cookie4me, last i checked a car like the CLS only seats 4 people… i dont see you complaining about that sticker
Bus Passes ???
Waiting in the rain, snow, or 95+ weather ???
Exactly the reason humans STOPPED riding the damn bus.
The people commenting on the $40K price tag kill me. A lot of people have been willingly spending this much on SUVs. Not because they need an off road capable vehicle or need to tow a house, but because this was fashionable and “what they wanted” People will still buy $40K cars. But, now Green is fashionable. I think the Volt will be a hit and will become the new Green darling.
I say congrats to GM. I liked the general concept of how the drivetrain was designed to work from when I first heard of it. I just hope they can pull it off.
Ask any dealership what cars they move the most — regardless of brand — and I’m willing to bet that the cars from $17k to $22k are the highest volume (assuming they have some available, obviously Lambos are excluded here). If the US is serious about weaning ourselves from imported oil and wants to put more high-mpg cars on the road in place of gas guzzlers, you’ve got to hit that volume mark and the car has to be good enough to convince joe and jane average to ditch their crappy old Suburban or Caprice Classic and go plug-in hybrid. The Volt is a start, and in some sense already a stumble. 2010 is a LONG way away, I’m willing to bet that Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi and several Euro manufacturers (as well as Subaru) will have iterations on their existing electrics and plug-in hybrids ready to go by that time. The gas crunch is happening on a global scale, China and Japan are feeling it too; they have strong motivation to push forward. Thinking GM is somehow going to leapfrog when they started so far behind is just ludicrous.
“And you’re assuming that just because Toyonda will have their own plug in / next gen Hybrid it will still be cheaper than the Volt, or get better mileage.”
No assumptions, the current Prius already IS 25k! And last I checked 25k is not 40 grand… 40 thousand for a Lexus version that supposedly coming but not the Prius. And I am saying the next Prius will get better mileage, 100mpg was there target in multiple sources.
Your assuming the Volt will be 40 grand. Lutz initially was shooting for 30 when the program started. Who’s to say it doesn’t got to 50k? 60k?
“think that GM has caught the other automakers napping and will move the ball so far ahead of the competition in 2010 when the Volt is released that it will make the 2010 Prius look like an Aura Green Line by comparison. And I think the thought of that makes you domestic-bashers nervous.”
I don’t have a crystal ball on what will happen in 2 years so who knows. But what I do know is that at the moment, myself and any other consumer out there can go to his or her Toyota place and buy a Prius right now.
And they won’t be paying 40 g’s for it.
And it isn’t some quirky new unproven technology
And it has 10 years of reputation behind it
Hey, for 40 g’s I could buy a Highlander hybrid, or even an Escape/Mariner hybrid which carries way more stuff than either the Volt OR the Prius.
“And I think the thought of that makes you domestic-bashers nervous.”
What’s to be nervous about? It’s a car, not my livelyhood. If it does well fine. I have my doubts and I’m not being unreasonable.
Oh, and I’m not a domestic basher and I’m not tripleon5. Sorry to disappoint.
Yeah, right. “SickOfGarbageMotors” is not a domestic basher… good one 1115!
Believe what you want guy.
Jairus, you spamming piece of ****ing ****. Your video stunk so bad I forwarded through it in 3 seconds and then closed it. You ****ing homo, if I catch you on the street I’m going to hogtie you and throw you to the alleytrannies.
injunraiv, it is limited view from my cell, but I don’t see that many windmills converted to harness electric power. I am all for it, it’s just not here. Wait, the same applies to Volt. And we have no idea when either one will grace the earth with its presence. Meanwhile, my children zip around in Civics averaging 40 mpg in real life driving without any hybrid help and without science fiction. Please advise on any GM car with same cost, value for the buck and great handling (considering price) and fuel efficiency in one package. And when it will be time to sell, compare the residual value (that is if you pay for your ride yourself, I guess your parents fit that bill, just like me for my kids).
XY, I am definately NOT looking at any sort of Hybrid as the end all of the next wave of the automobile.
The discussion here is the plug in hybrid and electric vehicles in general. The General is making lots of promises here, and if they fail it will be catastrophic. They are developing a technology that might help get us off the oil IV. IMHO, this is the critical next step if we are to replace the I/C engine as our primary means of propulsion.
Remember when the Volt concept was introduced? They were saying that you could replace the gas engine with a hydrogen fuel cell (when available), or any of a number of other technologies, without significantly affecting the basic vehicle propulsion system (the electric part). To me, this is the heart of the movement - to allow us to go to the next fuel while still building the infrastructure. It makes rolling the new tech out easier, and gives incentive to local energy vendors to invest.
I also find it very interesting that while both GM and Toyota are slugging it out trying to get the plug in to market, Toyota is sort of trash talking it and GM is doing the pie in the sky bit. I wonder what the real deal is myself. But it might just be that the only reason Toy is talking it down is they know they are behind. That makes Lutz’ comments all the more interesting…
Again, the idea that Toyota is behind is 100% bull**** blended with 110-proof wishful thinking. Guess where all the batteries and almost all the electric motors in the world are made? Asia. Guess who developed all of them? Toshiba, Samsung, Sony. Guess who brought the first real, buyable hybrid and fuel cell and all-electric cars to mass market? Japan. GM doesn’t have a magic wand.
Oh, yes. Some of the greatest cars in the world are built by Sony, Samsung, and Toshiba… How silly of me to forget.
Unfortunately, they’re not built by GM either. In my experience not even close.
It never ceases to amaze me the America hating idiots on here. Regardlesss of what the domestics do or will be doing is always a failure in the anti-America Rising Sun flag waving fags on here.
Tripleonefag, I’m back. Unlike you I am a busy person who is unable to sit on website forums bashing things. So I usually have to disappears for a couple months at a time. But then again I don’t live with my Mommy and surf Transgender porn and Acura websites like your little fat fag ass.
The fullsize LS Lexus hybrid, now that is a greenie wanna be joke people, just like TripleFiveFaggot and his ****smooch fan club on here.
I’d like to actually see a Prius on the highway doing more then 50mph’s and not be in my way.
Yes, Sicko/1115 isn’t a domestic basher, though…
Seriously, how can you even make that statement. You come in here with a BS cam failure story and have never said anything but negative crap about domestic manufacturers.
But then again I don’t live with my Mommy and surf Transgender porn and Acura websites like your little fat fag ass.”
But you are named after another poster on this site so you must be in love with that guy to take his name Now who is the fag lol. You are always talking about transvestits and such Hmmmm ?Do you have a secret you want to share lol
Im more than sure that a guy who cant get every couple of month (bc hes working overtime and the library stopped the free internet) is a guy who has a life lol
Im enjoying Injuraiv going crazy thinking Im SOGM Its funny as hell
Paranoid are we ?
Anyone who’s IQ was above the ‘Idiot’ range would realize I am insulting Sicko by relating him to 1115. But look who I’m talking to…
injunraiv, I hope you don’t do anything on a daily basis that requires reading comprehension, because I quite clearly stated that the BATTERIES are built by Sony, Samsung and Toshiba, not the cars.
Call me crazy. But take my word, gas prices will collapse. Just when everyone thinks prices will head one way, it goes the other direction. Just like the internet bubble. And just like the subprime bubble.
02, your point seemed to be that because the battery companies are Japanese, all the innovations in the electric car biz will be from there as well. Maybe you should try logic comprehension…
PK, I agree.
Lamboz get a life, you are my hero. What is it with all these retards on here that live in AMERICA and continue to worship countries that are destroying us from the inside out. It’s EASY for the japs to fund their R&D dept’s when the U.S. government gives them HUGE tax breaks and other BS incentives for bringing a foreign company to U.S soil.
that’s 2 nmuch $