Get ready, Chevy Volt due this November. Update!!!

[Ghoste]

Not if its something normal.  If it suffers some fate like battery explosions then I know I won't show much mercy.

[red72chrgr]

One things for certain, no hybrid,electric, or other alternative fuel will give me what my Charger does. And that is the chill up my spine and the smile on my face when I turn the key and hear that V-8 roar to life. Until somebody comes up with something that will do that for me, I'll just keep my fossil fueled, smelly antiques.  

Well, electrics will out-perform gas fueled vehicles in acceleration, and you can now get a little device that plugs into your cigaratte lighter and transmits the sound of a car engine through your stereo system. You can make your car sound like a V8, or V12, and it is synchronized with your engine RPMs. They just need to make it work on an electric.
So I guess your time has come - lol

I'm surprised with the car in your avatar that you don't understand where I'm coming from. The feeling I get is akin to a 16 year old's 1st time with a girl IF you remember that. Besides, I'm not impressed with gizmos that try to mimic the feel and sound of a nicely tuned V-8. Do you have one of those thingys that go vroom vroom for your car?  Laugh at me if it makes you feel good and gives you the feeling of accomplishment but I'll still drive what makes ME happy. And that's ALL I care about when it comes to cars and trucks. I refuse to follow the crowd always have and always will hence the reason I have an old Charger and not a Mustang or Camaro. There's nothing wrong with those cars, just too common place for me. I'm a dinosaur and I LIKE being a dinosaur. You young folks go ahead and change the world, generations before you have been trying for years. Good luck.

Oh come on, you didnt get laid when you were 16.. 

Oh ok, I was 15 and her name was Melanie and she drove a Ford Falcon wagon(oh the memories in that car)
And as for the young changing the world, I suppose so but it really all comes down to money, doesn't it? I mean that IS what makes the world operate right? Sure people invent things for the "betterment" of the world but in the end it's really about money. Now to be fair in this exchange we're having folks be forewarned I am a cynic. The volt may very well be a fair try at making things better in this country but I figure someone decided to try and "sell" it on the public now that the economy is in the shape it's in. I mean what better time to push this when everyone is out of a job and trying to save every penny they can. If I can convince the public that it's a fantastic idea and show charts and numbers  and all the other pencil whippin things then I might just make some $$$$$. Nevermind that people really can't afford this car(or is this economic problem a sham?), if I can make people BELIEVE it's great then I stand to make $$$. FWIW I know the economy isn't a sham, believe me at $1205 a month income I know how hard it is. As I said above, I'm a cynic and pretty jaded so trying to convince me is like  .... You folks have your beliefs and I have mine so it's all good as far as I'm concerned.

[1969chargerrtse]

Not if its something normal.  If it suffers some fate like battery explosions then I kow I won't show much mercy.

Fair game 

[Chargerrtforme]

For all you battery worry warts. What about this?  What about that?  They can't this, they can't  that.
Have some faith in the brillant American mind please. Things will only get better and benefit all of us.


" Since its release last December the Chevy Volt has proven to be extremely popular — it's been crowned the 2011 Green Car of the Year, the North American Car of the Year and its sales eclipsed those of the Nissan Leaf. However it is set to become even more appealing as GE announced it is working on a new generation of batteries with double the energy-storage capacity. GM's licensed battery-electrode materials developed at Argonne National Laboratory (a U.S. Department of Energy lab) use mixed-metal oxides that not only increase storage capacity, but improve the safety and durability of car batteries. "

[mikesbbody]

Here's the link to the Article for the Chevy Volt   http://editions.amospublishing.com/KRPR/default.aspx?d=20110201
Make up your own mind.

I now think it's a Great Car with a lot of Potential  I just wonder if it gets a lot of Flack here because it's a Chevy?
If Mopar made it, would some here feel differently about it? BTW, I just spent 45$ (NZ) to put a Quarter of a tank of Gas in
My 1.5 Liter dail Driver... I hope the Chevy Volt does well 

[1969chargerrtse]

Here's the link to the Article for the Chevy Volt   http://editions.amospublishing.com/KRPR/default.aspx?d=20110201
Make up your own mind.

I now think it's a Great Car with a lot of Potential   I just wonder if it gets a lot of Flack here because it's a Chevy?
If Mopar made it, would some here feel differently about it? BTW, I just spent 45$ (NZ) to put a Quarter of a tank of Gas in
My 1.5 Liter dail Driver... I hope the Chevy Volt does well  

Wow, thank you.  Geez and I agree with the flack comment and that's a real shame.  I could care less who made it, I'm thrilled it's the beginning of greater things to come.  

Starts on page 45

[Troy]

I am not exactly brand loyal in case you couldn't tell. I like to think I'm a savvy shopper so, when something makes sense (financially and practically) to me I'll buy it. Oh, and it has to at least not look totally ugly in my eyes.

Troy

[1969chargerrtse]

I am not exactly brand loyal in case you couldn't tell. I like to think I'm a savvy shopper so, when something makes sense (financially and practically) to me I'll buy it. Oh, and it has to at least not look totally ugly in my eyes.

Troy

Think it's ugly huh?  I like it but lets not go there......

[mikesbbody]

Troy has his Mustang, yet he Run's DC.com   my Daily Driver is a Nissan   I bought it because it was cheap, had a small Motor and got good MPG as for looks, I don't think the Volt is Ugly no worse than anything else that's new out there (not comparing it to new challenger's Camaro's etc) personally, I think it looks pretty good  

[1969chargerrtse]

Troy has his Mustang, yet he Run's DC.com   my Daily Driver is a Nissan   I bought it because it was cheap, had a small Motor and got good MPG as for looks, I don't think the Volt is Ugly no worse than anything else that's new out there (not comparing it to new challenger's Camaro's etc) personally, I think it looks pretty good  

[Troy]

Believe me, there are a lot of cars lacking in style. In MY opinion. I've said it many times, if we all liked exactly the same things we'd be very boring. There are a lot of cars that I can appreciate but will never own. When I go to car shows I'm fascinated by all sorts of cars but that doesn't mean I want one of each in my garage. Parts of the Volt look good in my eyes but not the rest. For $32k (starting price) it doesn't look any better than Chevy's or competitors' $15-20k cars.

Of course, no one but me makes car buying decisions that are partially based on looks...

Troy

[mikesbbody]

Believe me, there are a lot of cars lacking in style. In MY opinion. I've said it many times, if we all liked exactly the same things we'd be very boring. There are a lot of cars that I can appreciate but will never own. When I go to car shows I'm fascinated by all sorts of cars but that doesn't mean I want one of each in my garage. Parts of the Volt look good in my eyes but not the rest. For $32k (starting price) it doesn't look any better than Chevy's or competitors' $15-20k cars.

Of course, no one but me makes car buying decisions that are partially based on looks...

Troy

Well said, and I agree 100% if we all liked the same thing we would all own Fords and Chevy's if we all liked the same Mopar's it would be 68-70 Charger's, or E Bodies but there is so much more to the Mopar Hobby than those 2  :Nana: if $ was no object, I
would have 5-10 mopars before I ever considered a Ford or Chevy but that's just because I prefer them not because i think Fords and Chevy's are crap lets face it, all 3 made good AND bad cars a "New" car to me is something 10 years old or less for my D.D car, I couldn't care less about looks it's all about MPG getting me from A-B. I cant afford a Brand new car for a D.D so i buy a Cheap (2k or less) car and drive it until it's no longer economically viable to keep then buy another cheap shitter, and hope it lasts as long or longer  if the Volt was available here and I could afford one I would give it a go.

[moparstuart]

Is the Chevrolet Volt running out of juice?  Even as the maker begins its long-promised production ramp-up, a new study suggests that potential buyers are rapidly losing interest in the plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Introduced last December, Volt is one of the first new vehicles to test the potential market for electric propulsion.  It has been going head-to-head with Nissan's pure battery-electric LEAF.  Sales of the two vehicles have been marginal, at best, though the makers insist that has more to do with limited supply than buyer demand.

Through the end of July, Chevy has sold about 3,200 of the plug-in hybrids compared to 4,500 Nissan Leafs.  But both makers have begun ramping up production, General Motors forecasting sales of around 16,000 for the year as a whole – including a small number of Volt clone Opel Amperas targeted at markets abroad.

But a new study by CNW marketing raises a red flag, finding that the potential buyers GM is most counting on are rapidly losing interest in the Volt.  In March, 21% of so-called Early Adapters said they were "very likely" to consider buying a Volt, while 38.1% said they were "likely" to do the same.  That slipped to 14.6% saying "very likely" in July, and 31.1% "likely."  Among EV Enthusiasts, reports the CNW study, the number of those likely or very likely to consider Volt fell from a combined 71% to 51% during the same four-month period.

"It's way too early to tell, but the signs aren't encouraging," said CNW's chief analyst Art Spinella.
When it comes to mainstream consumers Volt has all but slipped off the radar screen, only about 3% of new car buyers likely to consider the Chevrolet Volt, the analyst added.

The big problem is the plug-in's price, CNW data indicate.  When first introduced, the Volt carried a $41,000 sticker, though it qualified for a $7,500 federal tax credit.  For 2012, the Chevy will drop to $39,995, a $1,005 cut, though it is still thousands more than the Leaf – and nearly double the price of a base Chevrolet Cruze compact, which shares the same underpinnings as Volt.

Chevy officials defend the price tag, pointing to the complexity of the dual gas-electric hybrid drivetrain.  Volt is capable of clocking more than 35 miles on battery power alone.  While that's less than half of the range of the Nissan electric vehicle, the Chevy can shift to gas power and keep driving once its batteries run down.

GM officials remain convinced that Volt will meet their expectations, noting the vehicle doesn't need to generate a wide appeal to still reach sales targets – which the maker projects will grow to 40,000 in 2012, including both Volt and Ampera.

GM's commitment to electric propulsion is, if anything, being charged up.  As TheDetroitBureau.com reported last week, the maker has inked a deal with battery supplier A123 that will be used for a range of new battery-electric vehicles that will begin to reach market in 2014.

[68pplcharger]

Is the Chevrolet Volt running out of juice?  Even as the maker begins its long-promised production ramp-up, a new study suggests that potential buyers are rapidly losing interest in the plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Introduced last December, Volt is one of the first new vehicles to test the potential market for electric propulsion.  It has been going head-to-head with Nissan's pure battery-electric LEAF.  Sales of the two vehicles have been marginal, at best, though the makers insist that has more to do with limited supply than buyer demand.

Through the end of July, Chevy has sold about 3,200 of the plug-in hybrids compared to 4,500 Nissan Leafs.  But both makers have begun ramping up production, General Motors forecasting sales of around 16,000 for the year as a whole – including a small number of Volt clone Opel Amperas targeted at markets abroad.

But a new study by CNW marketing raises a red flag, finding that the potential buyers GM is most counting on are rapidly losing interest in the Volt.  In March, 21% of so-called Early Adapters said they were "very likely" to consider buying a Volt, while 38.1% said they were "likely" to do the same.  That slipped to 14.6% saying "very likely" in July, and 31.1% "likely."  Among EV Enthusiasts, reports the CNW study, the number of those likely or very likely to consider Volt fell from a combined 71% to 51% during the same four-month period.

"It's way too early to tell, but the signs aren't encouraging," said CNW's chief analyst Art Spinella.
When it comes to mainstream consumers Volt has all but slipped off the radar screen, only about 3% of new car buyers likely to consider the Chevrolet Volt, the analyst added.

The big problem is the plug-in's price, CNW data indicate.  When first introduced, the Volt carried a $41,000 sticker, though it qualified for a $7,500 federal tax credit.  For 2012, the Chevy will drop to $39,995, a $1,005 cut, though it is still thousands more than the Leaf – and nearly double the price of a base Chevrolet Cruze compact, which shares the same underpinnings as Volt.

Chevy officials defend the price tag, pointing to the complexity of the dual gas-electric hybrid drivetrain.  Volt is capable of clocking more than 35 miles on battery power alone.  While that's less than half of the range of the Nissan electric vehicle, the Chevy can shift to gas power and keep driving once its batteries run down.

GM officials remain convinced that Volt will meet their expectations, noting the vehicle doesn't need to generate a wide appeal to still reach sales targets – which the maker projects will grow to 40,000 in 2012, including both Volt and Ampera.

GM's commitment to electric propulsion is, if anything, being charged up.  As TheDetroitBureau.com reported last week, the maker has inked a deal with battery supplier A123 that will be used for a range of new battery-electric vehicles that will begin to reach market in 2014.

Price tag killed it for me... overall the saving in gas over a 41 mpg hybrid ford fusion didn't pan out for my daily commute

[1969chargerrtse]

http://www.thestreet.mobi/story/11382696/1/why-isnt-the-chevy-volt-selling-better.html

Interesting article.

Some points:

" But have you driven it? No, I would never drive one of those!
Well, the defense rests...
In contrast, almost everyone who actually does drive the Volt gives it high praise. It has the single highest customer satisfaction rating -- 93% according to Consumer Reports just two months ago -- of any car in the market, even higher than the Porsche 911 with 91%.
Of course, not every plug-in electric car will be successful. As with any car, some will flop for any of the usual reasons some cars always flop -- looks, price, market positioning, a quality issue, you name it. With the Volt, however, there doesn't appear to be any objective issue other than perhaps price, which is even dubious once you really compare the Volt appropriately.
The Volt isn't for everyone, of course -- no car is. Not every person is in the market for a car that can fit only four people and costs $45,000 before tax credits. Some people need much bigger cars to fit more people and cargo. Others need 4x4 capability. Yet others want a convertible or an extreme sports car that may fit only two people and do 0 to 60 in less than four seconds and can go much, much above 100 MPH. No one car can fit anywhere near all needs and preferences in the market.
The Volt technology will find itself into all sorts of body styles over the next several years. Ten years from now, it will probably be in almost all GM cars. Over the next 25 years, it could be in 60 million cars shipped. That may sound crazy right now with only 10,000 or so Volts sold, but not to those who actually get to spend some time behind this Volt version 1.0, because the reaction from those people is almost always "But of course!"

[404NOTFOUND]

I haven't driven a Volt but, I have ridden in one. Overall, I really liked it, more than most of todays cars. Trouble is, I'm not sure if I trust GM with this technology at this stage of the game. If that car was made by Mercedes Benz, I might feel better about it.

[1969chargerrtse]

I haven't driven a Volt but, I have ridden in one. Overall, I really liked it, more than most of todays cars. Trouble is, I'm not sure if I trust GM with this technology at this stage of the game. If that car was made by Mercedes Benz, I might feel better about it.

It's new, that's for sure but I can tell you this. Gm really gave a 110% to make sure that car was the best of the best. So far people who own one love it more any other car built. They knew it was a make or break for Gm and I think they did a great job on a great idea. It's only the beginning of other great cars to come.

[GULFGLENY]

Not for me, but every one has the right to do what the want, THIS IS AMERICA!

[1969chargerrtse]

Not for me, but every one has the right to do what the want, THIS IS AMERICA!

Yeah but were losing our rights daily.  Oh sorry, no politics. 

[GULFGLENY]

Hopefully thats about to change!

[mauve66]

Hopefully thats about to change!

sike!!

[The70RT]

Hopefully thats about to change!

sike!!

It will be all better soooon 

[1969chargerrtse]

When the idea for a electric car that could also run on gas was created, gas was about 5.00 a gallon. Well the news says 5.00 a gallon is already in Ca and coming to a service station near you soon. I saw my 2nd Volt today and want one really bad. The wife says no due to finances but I may take her out to dinner after a secrect test ride at my local Chevy dealer.  

[Troy]

I finally saw my first one last week. I had seen the little Honda EV early last summer. We'll see if they take over the world any time soon.

Troy

[chargerboy69]

I have yet to see one.

But when they sell 500-600 a month world wide it is not like they are parked in every garage. . . or even every other. 

I have seen the Leaf, now that is a fine lookin car.