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Wrong price at the wrong time
I am also impressed that Chevy is giving consumers flexibility in choosing their fuel source based on their regional market, and I hate to repost the thoughts of others but who will pay for this?
Yes, this may make sense as an investment if another oil price shock hits, but that doesn't mean that most consumers will be able to make this investment.
$40,000 is a lot of money when you're worried about losing your job, paying for health care, and paying off credit cards and mortgages.
Even if the US is out of recession by the time the Volt hits assembly lines, is it really going to replace gas guzzlers, or is it simply going to compete for the same market of Prius drivers?
I'll admit, the car looks pretty sweet; however, most people will not be able to afford this and the environmental impact will be marginal until costs are under control.
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Looks cool, but is it logical?
The Chevy Volt seems like it is no more than a conventional gas-powered sedan with the addition of just a few hybrid parts--ones that are certainly not up to par with those hybrids produced by Honda and Toyota. Despite it's futuristic look, the Volt only gets 32 mpg, in comparison to the 50+ of the Prius. With a lower mpg and a higher price, the Prius is obviously the logical choice. It's good to see that GM is making an effort to help the economy by going greener, but perhaps they should have waited to make their product more energy-efficient.
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Mild hybrids
Honestly I do not know how Chevrolet executives considered a release of mild hybrid systems (with marginal efficiency gains on comparable all gas cars, mitigated by worse drivability). When a buyer decides between a new "mild" hybrid and a Japanese "hybrid" that's been proven to be reliable in the market for a number of years, the less impressive, more expensive model is not the obvious pick. It will definitely be hard for the Big Three to make up for the "sins of their past."
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Chevy's effort is genuine...
I'd say Chevy's effort with the Volt is a genuine one to get its foot in the door with industry leading energy efficient tech - IF they market it seriously. Considering that they did ignore trends and passed up social responsible business practices for a long time, they can only do so much so fast. The Malibu was a poor start but when you look at the numbers for the Volt you see that they actually trump the current Prius or Insight (40 miles on pure electric battery, then it combines power with its 12 gallon oil tank which gets 50mpg... for a total of 640 miles on one charge and one 12 gallon tank). Some of its test models (with a different body) are hitting the streets today. And while Must can shoot the environmental gains of the Volt in comparison to his fully battery powered Roadster, neither are close to mass production, and the Volt is truly impressive for a car of its price range.
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The bottom line is that the Volt won't hit mass production until 2011 - after originally being promised for 2010. And while the release has been pushed back the technology does not promise to be any better. While Chevy puts a spin on their 40 mile capacity charge with their "range extender," the facts are that even today (and definitely two years from now) this will be anything but impressive for a $35,000+ car. Chevrolet, as well as the rest of GM, had ignored customer trends for so long that by the time they got around to the Volt they were far, far, far away from Honda and Toyota. They just opened their first battery R&D center in the United States this June. They failed miserably in designing a commercially viable hybrid with the Malibu (it was much less efficient than Japanese counterparts and cost much more) and has a backlog of 2009 models so large it can't produce any more of the line in 2010. Even by today's standards for electric hybrids the Volt is weak (it goes 40 miles and then it switches to gas). Tesla's Musk has verbally ripped it apart numerous times. And then, two years from now, we'll see it slip into overpriced mediocrity while Chevrolet flails with taxpayer handouts to redesign the rest of the company.
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volt
I have always been skeptical of plug-in cars. While it may be true that the average American does not consume more than 40 miles/day's worth of gas, the fact that the Volt drivers will have to plug the car in every single night is a little bit troubling. The numbers on the Volt are also troubling. It looks like a fast car, but it only has 160 hp, and only goes from 0-60 in over eight seconds. I think consumers should wait for a more efficient and less pricey electric car to come out.
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Good Idea, But Reasonable?
The 2011 Volt does look impressive. But most consumers will not pay $40,000 for the new hybrid vehicle. Personally, I would rather spend $20,000 on a standard Chevy and pay $3 or even $4 at the pump. The remaining $20,000 is a large long-term investment that will be difficult or impossible to recover. This price just isn't reasonable for most middle-class or working-class families.
Chevy also has other hybrid models, such as the Tahoe Hybrid, Malibu Hybrid, and Silverado Hybrid. The Tahoe Hybrid is over $50,000 and the Silverado Hybrid is nearly $40,000 - both only get 22 MPG on the highway. The Malibu Hybrid is actually affordable, at $26,000 and gets a respectable 34 MPG on the highway.* Unless these prices fall, Chevy may struggle to sell its pricier hybrids.
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Positive Thinking
I think the fact that consumers have the ability to choose their type of engine is incredible. It gives the consumer a great degree of flexibility! Though the Chevy Volt may be somewhat expensive right now, such a versatile car entails big spending. Look at things like the iPhone: when it first came out, it was being sold at a sky rocketing price, but now there is a $100 special being offered. This shows that in the future, cars such as this will be the norm and will drop in price [hopefully].
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pricey!
$40,000 is the rumored price of the Volt as reported by Scientific American (http://tinyurl.com/nf3eon). Anyone know how fast it's supposed to pay for itself?
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New Volt looks great!
The new Chevy Volt is a new line of hybrid they just came out with! They are different from allthe ones int eh past becasuse they are a Series hybrid, which means power is fed directly to the motor, not the battery. It can be plugged into a household electric socket and charged fully within about six hours. Completely charged it can drive roughly 40 miles on electricity alone. According to GM, more than 75 percent of Americans live within 20 miles of where they work, meaning the Volt would get them to the office and back on 100% electricity with no direct emissions.This is great and will hopfully encourage more people to purcahse nad use hybrids!
If the battery does run down, the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gas engine acts as a generator to charge the battery and provides enough power to for up to an additional 600 miles. This is great and that is a such a long distance the amount you would save on gas is rediculous!
The second significant aspect is that the gasoline-driven generator engine can easily be replaced with an engine that runs on E85, diesel, bio-diesel, pure ethanol or even a hydrogen fuel cell. People would then be able to chose their engine based on fuel availability and prices in their region. Another great and innovative option that will really appeal to the consumer where ever they are.
I think this is best hybrid to date and hopfully this is just the beginning of better and greener hybrids/ electric cars to come! I guess its better late than never!
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