Think GM's Volt is Failing? Think Again

[Ambalanche]

Wow Ed! I can't remember ANY of the MEDIA screaming about Toyota loosing money on every Prius it built for the first three generations to get their Hybrid out there! Volt will make money, if it's not deamonized as the second comeing of Satan! Can't wait for the ELR!

[plane]

There is always one in every crowd.

[plane]

As more and more Volts are sold GM will lose even more money.
The GM haters and brazen marketeers, not pointing at you Ed, should be cheering on the Volt.
Just do the math.

Let's see, at an $837 million loss per Volt, (per someone not Ed)'s math.....
If GM can reduce prices and sell 1 million at $30k each, GM will be bankrupt in 27 seconds.
Sell MORE VOLTS GM!

[osbornk]

Wonder what is the break-even point regarding annual sales? Seems like a small number of sales considering the hugh investment and cost of production.

[plane]

Wonder what is the break-even point regarding annual sales? Seems like a small number of sales considering the hugh investment and cost of production.

I've run the numbers independently and the breakeven point is negative 7.
Anything below that is pure gravy for GM.

[Ed753]

Wow Ed! I can't remember ANY of the MEDIA screaming about Toyota loosing money on every Prius it built for the first three generations to get their Hybrid out there! Volt will make money, if it's not deamonized as the second comeing of Satan! Can't wait for the ELR!

Neither do I, actually I've never followed Toyota that close, especially back then, but then again, the Government wasn't mandating electric cars, gas was cheap, and I thought everybody that drove a Prius was an idiot. Not sure if our Government ever owned part of Toyota, certainly not as much as they do of GM.

For the Volt to be practical, the technology has to get a lot cheaper.

[Brenie]

Great news for the VOLT................I hope my local U.S. Representative reads this. He's a Chevrolet Cadillac dealer and constantly knocks the VOLT..........says he won't sell them and refuses to sell Corvettes. He also has a KIA/Hyundai dealership on his premises. He latest political ad says that the government was wrong in buying VOLTS to prop up General Motors.
He, according to one of the other local Chevy dealers has directed Cruze buyers to an Elantra.

This man should lose his dealership.............congressman or not!




Delete this post if you wish.............but facts are facts!

GM should have a good hard look at this bloke.

Having just watched your election from the outside, your political set up looks seriously messed up at the moment, not good for your country or the rest of us either.

[chinamonty]

If the Holden Volts are made in the US are they included in the production figures that have been given here. I know they won't be a huge number but will they be reflected in the figures or excluded totally?

[2wd-k5]

If the Holden Volts are made in the US are they included in the production figures that have been given here. I know they won't be a huge number but will they be reflected in the figures or excluded totally?

thankyou. lets remember ED, there are more produced than CHEVY SELLS.

[Voltastic]

Only the truly inane folks think that GM can get to generation 3 pricing and volume without actually producing generation 1 & 2.....

[VS Ute 5Litre]

Neither do I, actually I've never followed Toyota that close, especially back then, but then again, the Government wasn't mandating electric cars, gas was cheap, and I thought everybody that drove a Prius was an idiot. Not sure if our Government ever owned part of Toyota, certainly not as much as they do of GM.

For the Volt to be practical, the technology has to get a lot cheaper.

Has not California mandated Zero emissions cars in one form or another for over a decade?

Just quietly i think your letting political views cloud your judgement on this

[john1701a]

Wow Ed! I can't remember ANY of the MEDIA screaming about Toyota loosing money on every Prius it built for the first three generations to get their Hybrid out there!

That's because profit was achieved before the second generation was rolled out.

Gas was also dirt cheap back then, there wasn't pressure to reduce consumption or emissions, and buyers didn't get a tax-credit.

Honestly, I never thought of it as "failing". But the average person hearing and reading all the negative commentary in the media (especially from CERTAIN SOURCES), can be forgiven for thinking that is was.

That "over promise, under deliver" strikes again. It shouldn't have declared to be a "game changer". Expectations were set for mainstream sales volume in the second year. That wasn't realistic considering the state of the market and the production cost. There's also the 500 million shares of GM the federal government would like to sell back without a large loss.

Looked upon as a niche, Volt is doing fine. There isn't a minimum required to become business-sustaining and using tax incentives are fine. It's that jump to middle-market consumers which presents the challenge still being faced.

The heavy emphasis on monthly sales continues to contribute to the problem too. Enthusiasts don't really like to address what it takes to be profitable or actual need. The focus continues to be on want.

[Railfan]

I guess it all depends on how you define "failure".

If it's the fact that GM is losing money on every Volt, then it could be considered a failure.
If GM doesn't continue with the developement of these kind of vehicles, then it could be considered a failure.
If it's looked at as a vehicle that is paving the way for future electric GM cars and trucks, then maybe it isn't a failure.
If it's looked at as a perception changer, ie maybe electric vehicles can be OK to own and drive, then maybe it isn't a failure.
If it helps GM improve it corporate mpg rating, then maybe it isn't a failure.

So my point is.....wait a minute, I forgot. Oh ya, "who knows"!!!!

[Ed753]

If the Holden Volts are made in the US are they included in the production figures that have been given here. I know they won't be a huge number but will they be reflected in the figures or excluded totally?

I wasn't aware those were being made yet, but as you point out, they can't be a huge number, so maybe that drops inventory 4 - 5 months to 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 months?

YTD 8,680 Ampera's (which is broken out) have been built (2 in October, yes, 1, 2.... TWO) - I didn't include them, because that has nothing to do with the subject matter.

My point was to dismiss the expected fall-off in November sales because of low inventory. Not that it means much, but of my local dealers, one has 27 Volts in stock and the other has 37.

[pinyon]

I guess john1701a just couldn't stay out of a Volt post. Here we go...