Increase production = dropped price = more sales.
they need to use diesel fuel for there “generator” and there has to be a quicker way to charge these things soooonn… and prices have to drop into the low 20’s and then they got there hot ticket… I am happy to see the progress with the “EV kinda” that chevy has done, however why could they add 10 more kw’s of energy (increase batt pack) and have one halve the packs run the car, and the other being charged by the generator, then when the first pack discharges they the car can run on its second… diesel is insanely efficacy and would further increase the time needed to “refuel”… this way the car would not be limited by its battery range, but instead its diesel fuel… I would imagine you could drive 5000 miles before refill… and also include the 220v charging station for overnight trickle charge…
Not a bad idea…
EDIT: during the “recharge phase” the generator would not run all the time, reg brake would help recharge along with steady driving, the generator would work on a “clutch” principal to only quickly charge and top off charge when needed… In my model the generator would not be connected to the drivetrain at all, its sole purpose is to charge/pick up high loads for creature comforts inside car (i.e. radio, power seat, a/c, heated seats, ect) to limit drain on main battery… this would prolly prolong the life of the batterys!!
I dont like the idea that there is a 1.4 engine that will also drive the car… its just a glorified hybrid then…
What dose NYSPEED think of that???
Just a thought - I’m not sure we’re getting accurate journalism when the person he’s quoted (Mark Modica) as being able to locate “plenty of Volts” also calls out “Government Motors” in his posts. And as GM readily admitted that there were about 116 Volts “in inventory” nationally (also in Modica’s blog), I’d say that this number does indicate a “virtual sellout” - especially considering GM’s also sitting on a ~120-day supply of Silverados.
In short, the Volt is a highly politicized vehicle, and regardless of the merits, I’d bet that many dealers have sold plenty of “Volt-intenders” a Cruze Eco instead (which is leading its segment and blowing the Corolla/Civic away, IIRC). Therefore, the sales exercise that is the Volt is doing its job nicely.
the cruze aka cavalier is a joke… fact is any car in that class is being sold out before it hits the lots
Yes, but that price drop doesn’t come without expense to the company and probably in turn their shareholders.
Somebody is losing money when price drops, correct? 
They are probably gauging opportunity costs and thinking the more cars they get out there the more viable the technology may become. The more charging stations we may see adopted etc… You can’t expect to recoup R&D losses in one wave…unless you’re Apple of course. HAHA
The cruze kicks any jap car in its segment’s ass. Even Honda nutswingers Consumer Reports recommend it over the new Civic.
and if the diesel cruze ever shows up as intended, fukkkkkkkkk…
GM > all (including chuck norris).
in the compact market, anyway.
Hmm… July 2011 sales numbers:
Compact:
Cruze: 24,648
Corrolla: 17,577
Jetta/Golf: 15,357
Elantra: 15,181
Focus: 14,889
Civic: 14,006
The other side is - we all know per-unit costs drop when production rises (economies of scale). Perhaps GM will drop the MSRP when some component costs drop with the increased volume.
i know for a fact that has to do with supply and not so much demand
both hyundai and toyota could not keep up with demand, hell elantras are presold before they hit the lots
Hyundai, sure. Both the Elantra and the Focus are new, and hence popular.
However, Toyota Corolla days-to-turn in May was an abnormally high 57 (average was 51, and you can’t blame the tsunami 100% for that - the car’s built in Canada).
But the fact that the Cruze is selling well (days-to-turn were 32 in May, and sales topped 20k/month for 4 months straight - something the Cobalt couldn’t boast in its best year) demonstrates the fact that people are now thinking that Chevrolet can build a fuel-efficient car, which is what the Volt as a “halo car” would underline.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/05/gas-prices-mean-small-cars-gather-no-dust.html
(and BTW - the Volt’s metric for this period is 18, with the Prius at a comparable 20 - though both were beat by the Elantra at 12)
Put the Cruze up against any car in its segment and it beats it. Sales numbers show it dominating the class too. We sell them as soon as we get them in. People are realizing that Chevrolet did it right when building a compact car this time. You can’t even compare it to the Cobalt and the Cavalier. It’s a whole new car. 10 airbags, better gas mileage, more standard features, and when they release the diesel Cruze…
well i do sell both, and suprisingly we only had 2-3 corollas on our lot at a time throughout the past 2 months, while every single elanta was sold before it hit the lot or it was sold within 2 days of hitting the lot! it was crazy… i do admit the cruze’s features look nice, but you have to get the eco model to get the fuel economy
diesel anything in that market will dominate
as far as the cruze goes… i guess thats something we will have to wait a couple years to see if the residuals hold up or if they are just hype in a sellers market
So much hate towards GM, a lot of it seems uninformed too. I bet if the Volt had a Honda badge on it people would proclaim it the second coming of the E30 (God’s chariot).
The cost of the batteries will come down exponentially as the technology matures and alternatives to pure Lithium ion packs become viable.
I don’t understand the concern for a hit to people’s electric bills, I guess buying 1 tank of gas a month (or less for many people) doesn’t help? Yes, the car is expensive, but the original Prius was sold for a loss because Toyota could afford to do so and they needed to get a car like that on the market to start the image and buzz of hybrids. GM cannot afford to do this unfortunately. This technology is expensive today, but each generation of ANY electric vehicle/hybrid will lead to improvements for the next generation and the industry as a whole.
I hardly ever see cruze’s on the road in Raleigh. Hyundai’s are selling VERY VERY well here. I know someone in particular who recently chose the hyundai over the cruze based on a test drive of each.
The Cruze is a very good effort on GM’s part, but everything Hyundai is trying to do seems very well executed.
They are increasing production to meeting the government and GE orders not the general public.
Still a tough sale at that price point.
Cruze eco on the other hand has my eye for a new daily replacement. Unfortunately due to demand there is very little cash available on them.
Maybe once the Japanese supply rebounds and they start throwing cash around to move volume and hit yearly targets, GM will follow suit.
Otherwise I will wait to see what prices do once the new Malibu hits the road.
Be prepared to wait a while or look for used - the Cruze’s average transaction price has been some $2k more than a comparable Cobalt and isn’t showing signs of dropping.
It will drop once Toyota/Honda has supply this fall and dumps loads of cash on the hood. Industry estimates are as soon as September/October.
Are they comparing apples to apples. Cruze has standard power windows and locks, 10 airbags, 6 speed tranny, AC, and is a larger car. So realistically that $2k is accounted for with many upgrades and standard features. there were a lot of Cobalts with manual windows, no ac, and a manual transmission.
people bought cobalts with no A/C?