Five Reasons Why Voltgate Won’t Hurt Sales Of The 2011 Chevy Volt
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When the proverbial waste-product hit the fan yesterday with the revelation that GM could possibly have “lied to us” about just how its 2011 Chevy Volt operated we sat back and waited for the dust to settle. After all, the tabloid reporting of some sites didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already suspect. The Chevrolet Volt uses a planetary gearbox between the car’s motor, wheels and generator. As a consequence, in Power or Mountain mode, the generator can provide supplemental mechanical assistance to move the Volt along.
But instead of analysis of what the Volt is or isn’t, we’re going to concentrate on sales. Will Voltgate affect sales of its first plug-in vehicle since the EV1?
We don’t think so. Here’s just five reasons why:
Most Volt Customers Will Use The Volt For Sub 40 Mile Commutes
Why does the 2011 Volt only have a 40 mile range? Because most daily commutes are well under the magic 40 mile figure.
For 90% of Volt owners, their daily driving will comprise entirely of zero tailpipe, all-electric motoring. Only those with commutes over 40 miles or those who do a lot of aggressive freeway driving will find the gasoline engine kicks in.
Alternatives? Those who make commutes between 40 and 100 miles are already likely to be choosing a 2011 Nissan Leaf in preference to the Volt. And those who need to go further still are probably sticking to a traditional series-parallel hybrid like the 2011 Toyota Prius. In other words, they’re not on the Volt waiting list anyway.
Hardcore Right-Wing EV Fans Won’t Own A Volt Anyway
“Own a Volt? No way! That’s a stinking Hybrid!” If someone talks about the Volt like this then the chances are they aren’t the kind of customer Chevrolet is targeting as customers.
While many EV advocates are happy to accept a world in which a plug-in vehicle can also have a gasoline engine for backup power the purists who won’t accept anything except pure electric power are already suspicious of the Volt. They won’t be on the waiting list.
Many Consumers Need To Take Baby Steps
Asking many consumers to switch to electric cars is a bit like asking a technophobe to start using a computer to communicate with the world. It’s an uncomfortable step that many consumers just can’t, or won’t take without some form of safety barrier.
The Volt offers a crossover between a conventional gasoline car and the world of electric vehicles. As consumers discover they don’t use the gasoline engine they become more confident with the concept of electric cars. They may even go all-electric next time.
Nomenclature? Most consumers won’t care what the Volt is called. It plugs in and saves them money.
After all, how many friends do you have who truly know or care how their car works? We thought so.
Not Everywhere Is Pure EV Friendly... Yet
We’ve said it before, but not everywhere in the U.S. is electric car friendly. In fact, not everywhere in the U.S. is selling all-electric cars yet. While the Chevy Volt is initially going to be available in select markets, we think it will be easier to own a Volt in some states than it will be to own a pure EV. That fact is bound to help Chevy keep its sales figures high.
For Many, Style Comes First
If you’re spending $40k on a car you’d better like its design. While many like the Japanese stylings of the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Mitsubishi i-Miev, some find the large headlights and bulbous fronts a little too cutesy for a car.
For others, the 2011 Coda Sedan looks are a little dated. Leaving the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, with its much more aggressive stance.
While for some consumers fuel type comes before looks, most consumers choose looks first. If none of the other plug-in options float your metaphorical boat, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt may be the best car for you, even if it turns out to be a little more of a hybrid than you initially thought.
In Conclusion
The 2011 Chevy Volt plugs in. It has an engine too. Sometimes, it burns gasoline. If that frustrates you or makes you feel queasy then don’t buy one. There are plenty of electric-only alternatives.
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By Garrett Sanders Posted: 10/12/2010 6:44am PDT
Since it is only a 1.4Ltr engine it can only provide so much but as a supplement to the battery it should give some better acceleration when needed.
By Chris Posted: 10/12/2010 6:49am PDT
if you're that pissed that this car works the way it does, then buy it and rip out the engine. done.
Ah really? Actually the ONLY electric car available to me at the moment is the Tesla. I probably won't be able to get the LEAF for a year. Not sure when I will see any "alternatives."
But I agree the E-REV details are not relevant.
However, we are starting to see problems with the Volt.
1) MPG, much lower than expected
2) range, lower than expected
3) Charging higher than expected 9KWH not 8KWH
4) Charging efficiency lower than expected (67%)
5) Weight much higher than expected.
The reviews sound great, but a lot of the details are seeming weaker and weaker.
Later
John C. Briggs
By Chris Posted: 10/12/2010 6:57am PDT
there are times where it is more efficient to have this car directly driven from the engine instead of the engine making electric power that is (inefficiently) stored in the batteries and then again converted (inefficiently) into motive force.
this car isn't a pure EV. it never was going to be. anyone who liked the idea of this car before, but now won't touch it because its possible for this car to run in a way that bypasses the electric drive completely is a fool. once the charge is depleted, the electric system is only good for regenerative braking. this car will use direct drive to bypass the inefficient electric conversion when travelling on the highway.. if you do regenerative braking on the highway, it will recover that energy and reapply it to the drive train, but when that battery is depleted again, cut the electrics out completely. it is more efficient this way.
I'm an electrical engineer with hybrid design experience.
By lne937s Posted: 10/12/2010 7:22am PDT
But the Volt is being made in small numbers and loses money—sales are not its purpose. The Volt serves a marketing/PR purpose to convince the public (beyond GM fans) of the environmental responsibility and technological capability of Chevy/GM. This misstep damages that.
However, if GM resorts to trying to create “range anxiety TM” to promote their PR vehicle, then public distrust of GM may be a good thing for pure EV’s.
By JP Posted: 10/12/2010 8:35am PDT
By Chris Posted: 10/12/2010 10:32am PDT
JP, I live 15 miles from work. my daily commute is 30 miles, unless I stop for groceries, so add 2 more miles. I work in two cities and constantly am making a 5 hour/350 mile trip every week or two. I'm sorry but a lot of people drive like I do, less than 40 miles on a typical day, and take long road trips at least every month. Unless I buy two cars, how am I supposed to drive around electric only on a day to day basis?
You can try to discredit this car all you like, but the demand for this vehicle will be high. If it were to be a pop-culture symbol like the Prius, I'd give it 15 years before every commuter vehicle is set up similar to the Volt.
There, I've hedged my bet. Again.
By Chris O Posted: 10/12/2010 10:53am PDT
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2010 10:57am PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/12/2010 11:01am PDT
Actually it is 45k for 2012, but remember that is global Voltec production (there is only one plant)- not US sales. Opel, Holden, Daewoo, etc. also want their halo cars. You'll be lucky to see much more than 15k here in the US...
Even so, it would take a lot more than 45K global production to be profitable... try the 550k production from Nissan/Renault by the end of 2012.
By ecogo Posted: 10/12/2010 12:35pm PDT
By Chris Posted: 10/12/2010 12:37pm PDT
lets just all face it that this car is terrible.. we should all go buy the LEAF and limit our lives to a 50 mile radius
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2010 1:21pm PDT
most people simply wont be limiting their lives.
q1) do you/your household drive over 100 miles round trip very often ?
q2) will you/your household only have 1 car ?
if the answers to both questions are yes, what i would do is purchase a gas only car, but USED. i would put the least amount of dollars into gas technology now, knowing that ev range will improve over time. and jump in when it makes sense.
of course if you have multiple cars, only one of them would be typically needed for long distances. and lots of households have multiple cars.
if you only have one car, and you dont drive over 100 very often, then i would get an ev, and rent something when needed.
By lne937s Posted: 10/12/2010 1:27pm PDT
By JP Posted: 10/12/2010 2:00pm PDT
By Paul C from Austin Posted: 10/12/2010 8:05pm PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/12/2010 8:32pm PDT
http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-will-sell-volt-more-car-electric-during-mlb-world-series-90664.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+PluginCars+(PluginCars.com+RSS+Feed
By ryan Posted: 10/12/2010 8:28pm PDT
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/12/2010 9:41pm PDT
Fact is, the Volt is drawing many more people into the EV fold than the LEAF or any other BEV could ever dream of doing. It bridges the gap between old dependencies upon oil and new freedoms from it. Volt ownership is more about actual use and less about waiting to use it. It's an EV without borders...
Its success will be welcome and well deserved.
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2010 10:20pm PDT
i dont think we will ever need a bridge. what we do need is to get as many ev drivers on the road as soon as possible, thereby creating good exposure for those who havent walked across the street to the other side of the road.
we wont need a bridge. we will have people racing across the street on their own two feet.
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2010 10:25pm PDT
if there are 100,000 cars manufactured in a year, the price and range will match such that 100,000 cars will be sold.
the next year when production ramps up to 150,000 cars, the price and range will match such that 150,000 cars will be sold.
it is that simple.
if we needed a car today to have a battery that could deliver 200 miles in range, we would have a car today that gets 200 miles in range.
most of you simply do not understand how life works.
we have the technology, whenever we need it. but they want to sell us as many cars as they can. so improvements will occur, only so far as they are needed to sell the cars that have been made.
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2010 10:28pm PDT
you do this by selling EVS to those people waiting to get them. you then create free advertising for your next batch, as long as you are putting out a good car.
By lne937s Posted: 10/13/2010 7:18am PDT
There are two different approaches:
GM publically promotes the idea that pure EV's won't work and offers a cynical compensation (that loses money).
Nissan/Renault claim pure EV's will work, builds them in mass (to turn a profit and make the segment sustainable), helps build the infrastructure, and makes it happen.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/13/2010 8:00am PDT
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/13/2010 8:22am PDT
GM's Volt proves an EV can work as one's primary vehicle and it finds mass market acceptance, thereby establishing an EV market segment which opens the door for others to join in.
Nissan/Renault makes big promises with products that don't encounter mass market appeal, thereby causing other manufacturers to postpone or cancel any plans for bringing out their own EV into the market.
By lne937s Posted: 10/13/2010 8:49am PDT
GM has consistently made big promises, accepted by many, but came up massively short. They didn't end up with almost $100 Billion more in liabilities than assets by just messing up a little-- all the spin in the world doesn't change that.
If this is a question of source credibility, based on consistent performance, I think it is far more rational to trust statements and market evaluations of Nissan/Renault than to trust anything GM says.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/13/2010 10:04am PDT
Ghosn has watched Toyota's prestige climb along with the success of its hybrids and also has seen how Honda's own hybrids have helped its image and therefore contributed to its steady growth. And he certainly has known very well how poorly represented Nissan has been with its own hybrids.
How better to leapfrog over their competitors into the bright lights of free media publicity than to dust off an old EV program, update it and bring it back to life as the LEAF, with big production number forecasts that ensured cult status for Nissan among the green community.
Of course Ghosn is smart. He knows those numbers are not written in stone. But just by being out there, they draw attention to Nissan and that is what it's all about. It's all about business - and there's no doubt in my mind that if all this attention ends up not elevating LEAF sales to these forecasted levels, the numbers will be cut.
My hunch is that is how things will play out. Once the early adopter wave is complete, LEAF sales will slow to a trickle; Nissan will adjust their numbers downward and new plans will emerge.
Meanwhile, GM's conservative approach with the Volt will expand and eventually settle into sales numbers that will be considered successful.
By kcmo37@yahoo.com Posted: 10/13/2010 10:32am PDT
And while GM may be blasting media channels with a new remix of "Not Your Fathers Oldsmobile", there has been little tangible evidence to prove that yet. Creating misleading new terms for minor variations of existing tech (range extender, drive unit, EREV, etc.) and attacking pure EV's in marketing is strong evidence that they haven't changed that much.
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/13/2010 10:58am PDT
will the volt be a big seller, and disappoint its buyers ? i am guessing no - buyers will come to a correct understanding of gm and its volt, thereby devolting it.
By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/13/2010 10:59am PDT
will the volt be a big seller, and disappoint its buyers ? i am guessing no - buyers will come to a correct understanding of gm and its volt, thereby devolting it.
By Ray Posted: 10/13/2010 12:42pm PDT
Nobody wants a single purpose vehicle. I don't want a car that's only good for my commute. I want a car that does most things well and some things great. The Volt can provide that while the Leaf (seriously?) can provide limited use at best.
By Kevin Posted: 10/14/2010 1:47pm PDT
By B-Man Posted: 10/15/2010 6:49am PDT
By Carney Posted: 10/15/2010 8:18am PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 8:41am PDT
It has a slightly different layout, but it is functionally the same- electric motors and a gasoline engine feed into a planetary gearbox that can either send just electric power to the wheels or some combination of the two. Niether one can run without elecrtric motors. In fact, it is most like the 1997 Prius (not for sale in the US) that also used 3 clutches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius#1997.E2.80.932001_.28model_NHW10.29
http://wiki.epfl.ch/polymac/hybrid
The Volt is a hybrid, officially classified as a hybrid by the EPA. While it has plug-in capability, a larger battery and a bunch of misleading made-up terms, it is still a hybrid.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/15/2010 9:24am PDT
The Volt becomes an Electric Hybrid after 40 miles of driving, when the range extender kicks in, always being driven via electric motors. Its gasoline engine drives a generator which maintains battery charge, and when efficiencies call for it, the generator (driven by the gas engine) sometimes joins in with the primary drive motor to power the car down the road.
The Prius is mainly powered by an ICE engine, and therefore should be considered a Gasoline Hybrid.
Bottom line for any of these cars - how easy is it to live with, and how much freedom from petroleum will it provide. Pure EVs fail on the first count for many of us, while being excellent on the latter. GasHybrids very good on first count, marginally fair on latter. The SuperHybrid/EV Volt very good on both counts.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/15/2010 9:35am PDT
The Volt becomes an Electric Hybrid after 40 miles of driving, when the range extender kicks in, always being driven via electric motors. Its gasoline engine drives a generator which maintains battery charge, and when efficiencies call for it, the generator (driven by the gas engine) sometimes joins in with the primary drive motor to power the car down the road.
The Prius is mainly powered by an ICE engine, and therefore should be considered a Gasoline Hybrid.
Bottom line for any of these cars - how easy is it to live with, and how much freedom from petroleum will it provide. Pure EVs fail on the first count for many of us, while being excellent on the latter. GasHybrids very good on first count, marginally fair on latter. The SuperHybrid/EV Volt very good on both counts.
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 10:12am PDT
The only significant mechanical difference between a Volt and a regular Prius is a plug and more battery capacity (and that the Volt uses less efficient Otto cycle on its gasoline engine). This makes the Volt a plug-in hybrid, just like the Plug-in Prius.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/15/2010 12:28pm PDT
The Volt is always under electric power with gas providing a backup while the Prius uses gas as its primary power source, and electricity to fill in the edges. Calling them both the same is inaccurate, but not too surprising for GM-haters to insist upon. In fact it's amusing to watch them squirm now that the Volt is getting rave reviews in the automotive media.
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 12:53pm PDT
http://www.motortrend.com/features/editorial/1010_unbolting_the_chevy_volt_to_see_how_it_ticks/index.html
It is arguably the absolute minimum difference possible from Toyota HSD not to directly fall under Toyota patents (there will probably be lawsuits anyway). This is why it is important not to make up new misleading terms for existing technology-- it confuses people and leads them to promote the wrong conclusions.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/15/2010 2:08pm PDT
"It's important to note that the Volt's engine never directly powers the wheels completely on its own and only directly powers the wheels at speeds above 70 mph in range extending mode after the battery is drained. In addition, according to Andrew Farah, the engine cannot drive the Volt's wheels in any capacity without electricity flowing to the motor to provide the engine a force to work against, which means that the Volt cannot, at any point in time, move without using electricity."
http://www.plugincars.com/truth-out-above-70-mph-chevy-volts-wheels-powered-directly-engine-90006.html
GM had it right from the beginning - the Volt is an EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle).
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 3:24pm PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 3:30pm PDT
And all the misleading made up terms you or GM may decide to make up for existing technologies do not change that.
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 3:58pm PDT
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/15/2010 7:52pm PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/15/2010 8:39pm PDT
If GM wants to regain the trust of the public, they need to start being transparent and honest.
By John Posted: 10/16/2010 9:30am PDT
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/16/2010 9:54am PDT
By lne937s Posted: 10/17/2010 7:24pm PDT
If there is a term for a technology, use it. Don't make up a new misleading terms to confuse people.
If there are standard measurements for fuel economy, use them. Don't make up confusing situational numbers (without explaining the situation).
Misleading marketing hurts an automaker and the segment they are associated with in the long run. The attacks and distortions from GM may help them in the short run (at the expense of other vehicles in the segment), but it is not a long-term strategy. Unwillingness to accept lies and distortion as gospel is not hatred.
By Kent Stuart Posted: 10/17/2010 9:15pm PDT
We're far from that however and yes, the Volt is an incremental step towards that mark. Yet I seem to see the Volt as deserving much more credit for changing the rules of the game than do you. That you persist in downplaying the Volt and what it means; that you very much group the Volt side by side with Toyota's clearly inferior attempt with their 13 mile range PIP.... that is why I question your anti-oil creds and conclude you are simply lost in your anti-GM hatred. Maybe you're an ad exec with Nissan as your client - whatever. Anyways, we'll get there one way or another.
By lne937s Posted: 10/18/2010 6:56am PDT
By ryan Posted: 10/18/2010 7:06am PDT
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