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Insight: GM's Volt - The ugly math of low sales, high costs

reuters -- Reuters) - General Motors Co sold a record number of Chevrolet Volt sedans in August — but that probably isn't a good thing for the automaker's bottom line.

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Submitted Sep 10, 2012 By: jbob357

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E-Squirrel Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,012 Points:819,060 Joined:Feb 2005	Message Posted: Sep 27, 2012 3:10:04 AM Ignore E-Squirrel Report Abuse As a high sales volume selling vehicle for a number of years now, Toyota's Prius is often compared with the Chevrolet Volt. Although both vehicles are actually hybrids, GM prefers to describe their best hybrid vehicle effort to date as an "electric car". Toyota, with more engineering and sales experience in this area believes that gas-electric hybrids are the future, and battery electric cars are not. Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s vice chairman and the engineer who oversees vehicle development, told reporters on Monday: "The current capabilities of electric vehicles do not meet society’s needs, whether it may be the distance the cars can run, or the costs, or how it takes a long time to charge."
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,623 Points:1,609,520 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 12:01:11 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse Gnus: hard to turn faux noise off..
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,003 Points:1,111,445 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 12, 2012 8:53:14 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse And sick.... take two facts... turn off faux and see us in the morning....
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,003 Points:1,111,445 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 12, 2012 8:51:56 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse Boy....ya got to love all the fuzzy math wizards posting here.... According to them, we should have no cars at all..... because they haven't paid for their construction BEFORE they are sold....
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,003 Points:1,111,445 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 12, 2012 8:49:36 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse Well said Benno
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,623 Points:1,609,520 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 12, 2012 7:53:33 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse esquirrel: funny!
E-Squirrel Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,012 Points:819,060 Joined:Feb 2005	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 5:32:05 PM Ignore E-Squirrel Report Abuse Looking on the "positive side", Jmac2008 assures us: "the Volt is the best hybrid on the market right now." It certainly is not the best selling hybrid, but then it would be hard to beat out the Fisker Karma for the dubious distinction of being the worst. [Edited by: E-Squirrel at 9/11/2012 5:33:02 PM EST]
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:2,999 Points:597,805 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 3:33:27 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Thank you for posting.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,623 Points:1,609,520 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 3:23:16 PM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse fuzzy math?
blupupher Champion Author Houston Posts:3,550 Points:748,045 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 9:09:49 AM Ignore blupupher Report Abuse Thats some funny math.
remay Champion Author Houston Posts:6,963 Points:2,117,390 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 9:09:45 AM Ignore remay Report Abuse What's ugly about it? There is little infrastructure, there is LIMITED range, etc... the math all adds up to me...
BennoBlue Champion Author Virginia Posts:37,054 Points:1,464,745 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 1:23:51 AM Ignore BennoBlue Report Abuse This is a silly misrepresentation. It's essentially saying that if you spend $1 million in research & development, then sell your cars for $40K, the first car off the line is losing $960,000, the 2nd car is losing $920,000, etc. No one who actually understands business economics looks at it that way.
MrPony Veteran Author North Carolina Posts:421 Points:393,760 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:45:10 AM Ignore MrPony Report Abuse Come on guys...Pres. Osama said it was good and he wouldn't lie, would he?
matthwbar Champion Author Toledo Posts:4,063 Points:1,017,805 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:41:10 AM Ignore matthwbar Report Abuse It's a government boondoggle...
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,003 Points:1,111,445 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:21:30 AM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse No brainer. Perfect description of the story and most of the posts lately....
sickhp Champion Author San Antonio Posts:1,374 Points:516,905 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:20:08 AM Ignore sickhp Report Abuse Us taxpayers are taking it in the shorts with Obama demanding the Volt, we are paying for this as we are with his other green failures, wake up America Nov 6 change the leader he has failed.
52MPG Champion Author Dayton Posts:7,262 Points:1,741,705 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:18:21 AM Ignore 52MPG Report Abuse Government Motors logic at work.
Quick68 Champion Author Columbus Posts:8,223 Points:1,225,800 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:10:45 AM Ignore Quick68 Report Abuse I don't believe GM or any other man on earth when it comes to money.
menagerie1013 Champion Author San Diego Posts:2,365 Points:689,990 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:07:36 AM Ignore menagerie1013 Report Abuse Crazy
cssco Champion Author Virginia Posts:7,326 Points:1,751,530 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:04:59 AM Ignore cssco Report Abuse It is an understatement to say the business plan for this trick was flawed but, no one in the organization seems to be acknowledging it. Maybe it is a bonus killer to do that.
rahcat Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:2,468 Points:662,950 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:04:52 AM Ignore rahcat Report Abuse Only losing $49,000 on each car. Thanks Obama.
ManOfLeisureII Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:1,874 Points:454,900 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:03:53 AM Ignore ManOfLeisureII Report Abuse Can you say "another bailout"?
BlewettCA Veteran Author California Posts:318 Points:240,410 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:01:23 AM Ignore BlewettCA Report Abuse no bama
walkingtall Champion Author Toronto Posts:3,994 Points:1,120,705 Joined:Nov 2004	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:58:36 PM Ignore walkingtall Report Abuse A sale,is a sale.
obimerrill Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:1,440 Points:289,715 Joined:Jul 2012	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:58:32 PM Ignore obimerrill Report Abuse I just don't see it
SUPPER Champion Author San Bernardino Posts:2,476 Points:1,288,680 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:57:34 PM Ignore SUPPER Report Abuse No bama
joeschmo12 Champion Author New York Posts:1,016 Points:306,240 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:57:03 PM Ignore joeschmo12 Report Abuse Hehe
Mustache_33 All-Star Author Toronto Posts:900 Points:181,455 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:54:17 PM Ignore Mustache_33 Report Abuse a sale is a sale. it's a good sell :)
bonzoonfmb Champion Author Florida Posts:1,782 Points:644,585 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:53:13 PM Ignore bonzoonfmb Report Abuse I will have to look into the deal mentioned where you can lease one for 2 years for $5000 - that would be the only way I would consider a GM Volt. Electrifying, MG Sputnick, electrifying.
RickF350 Champion Author Washington Posts:3,419 Points:705,775 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:53:13 PM Ignore RickF350 Report Abuse When is GM going to pay us back?
69Bonne Champion Author Gary Posts:1,150 Points:473,150 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:52:49 PM Ignore 69Bonne Report Abuse Great comments by pgerassi. Engineers today don't think about costs, just make a fancy looking car with lots of features that probably aren't necessary. When the EV is under $25K, then more people will buy it. Hybrids are more likely to succeed until battery usuage is in the 200-300 mile range.
EmperorsFinest Champion Author Chicago Posts:1,564 Points:340,870 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:52:17 PM Ignore EmperorsFinest Report Abuse Tubular
Jmac2008 Champion Author Missouri Posts:2,274 Points:881,140 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:52:10 PM Ignore Jmac2008 Report Abuse the Volt is the best hybrid on the market right now.
jrsva Champion Author Virginia Posts:9,852 Points:1,613,000 Joined:Jan 2006	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:50:46 PM Ignore jrsva Report Abuse I don’t see how the Volt stands a chance. It has too many fancy features, which push the price out of reason. It seems like it was obsolete in many ways when it first came out. EVs are not yet ready for prime time and the Volt is a prime example.
mrbee Champion Author Little Rock Posts:3,754 Points:2,465,980 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:48:47 PM Ignore mrbee Report Abuse Keep them.
hauler43 Champion Author Oakland Posts:8,158 Points:2,597,750 Joined:Sep 2003	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:47:58 PM Ignore hauler43 Report Abuse I seen a few
SHEP20715 Champion Author Maryland Posts:8,468 Points:1,714,845 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:47:54 PM Ignore SHEP20715 Report Abuse neither one
Piggy1959 Sophomore Author Fort Worth Posts:166 Points:110,495 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:47:21 PM Ignore Piggy1959 Report Abuse I will choose Toyota.
abcdMA Champion Author Worcester Posts:7,922 Points:1,574,980 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:43:12 PM Ignore abcdMA Report Abuse the car was a prototype never planned to go to production
drobbbb Champion Author Maryland Posts:3,475 Points:811,485 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:42:19 PM Ignore drobbbb Report Abuse ok
midnightsdc Champion Author Ontario Posts:2,299 Points:1,483,315 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:39:23 PM Ignore midnightsdc Report Abuse Great car...just lower the price
Digger52 Champion Author Chicago Posts:2,407 Points:848,935 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:38:51 PM Ignore Digger52 Report Abuse Not practical or affordable. ..
TXryder Champion Author Texas Posts:2,709 Points:432,730 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:34:49 PM Ignore TXryder Report Abuse Here yesterday, lingers like a bad odor today, gone tomorrow
Blue48 Champion Author Illinois Posts:7,305 Points:1,637,945 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:32:38 PM Ignore Blue48 Report Abuse NOT GOOD!
RevDrCBJ Veteran Author Ann Arbor Posts:364 Points:187,555 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:31:29 PM Ignore RevDrCBJ Report Abuse $49,000.00 loss on building care> that's somebody's salaries
Titan_62 Champion Author Maryland Posts:1,463 Points:328,430 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:25:28 PM Ignore Titan_62 Report Abuse ...it's not just the cost factor; but where to charge it-- and how far you can travel on a single charge!
gasaholicNC Champion Author North Carolina Posts:1,214 Points:1,449,080 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:25:25 PM Ignore gasaholicNC Report Abuse Another GM Flop....
us4usa Champion Author Missouri Posts:5,987 Points:1,113,060 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:25:02 PM Ignore us4usa Report Abuse Toyota runs on REGULAR gas the Volt runs on PREMIUM gas??? We will NEVER buy a car that rans only on PREM like REM gas, because thats what you get at the pump a REM job with PREM gas...
Buddy2264 Champion Author Tampa Posts:11,654 Points:2,359,970 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:24:55 PM Ignore Buddy2264 Report Abuse OK around town and if you can plug in at work and at home. For now the hybrid that uses the engine to recharge the batter, with a plug in option would be the best move until the technology catches up with the charging stations.
FuelOilOH Champion Author Cleveland Posts:2,837 Points:1,180,220 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Sep 10, 2012 11:24:32 PM Ignore FuelOilOH Report Abuse I'm not partial to GM Vehicles but if I could drive one for $199 a month for two years I think my transportation cost would go way down for those two years. And then to just walk away from it when the lease is up and let someone else worry about the battery pack is mighty tempting.