Sweet Chevy Volt lease deals boosting sales numbers

Extended range electric powertrain, federal and state incentives, still-high gasoline prices and hip interior and exterior design are all helping the Chevrolet Volt lead U.S. plug-in vehicle sales. Even though the overall numbers remain small, the Volt is clearly bypassing the Nissan Leaf and niche competitors. The stumbling block has always been the MSRP sticker price, which started out at about $41,000 when the Volt was launched in late 2010. So far, leasing has been the solution and that's getting even better for car shoppers.

When pricing was announced two years ago, eyebrows were raised over the Volt being priced about $9,000 more than the Nissan Leaf. General Motors forecasted strong residual values for the Volt and set up a lease program very close to the monthly payments for the Leaf. Since then numbers have gotten even more competitive, and TrueCar said the best lease deal arrived in July. A consumer can place $2,529 down and make $260-a-month lease payments for 36 months. The deal expires September 4. PluginCars is hearing anecdotal evidence about even better deals through individual Chevrolet dealerships.

There's also the question of resale values and finding deals on used Volts, once enough of them come off-lease within the next two years. The estimated trade-in value of a 2011 Volt, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association used car guide, is $29,325. That's 90 percent of its post-incentive $32,780 sticker price.

In California and New York, it's helping that the Volt qualifies for the HOV lane access for driver-only trips. It would also help to see gasoline prices go up over $4 a gallon – the Volt's competitive advantage being range anxiety reduction and freedom from gas station trips. As the Chevrolet Volt website says, "Electric When You Want It. Gas When You Need It."



Source: Autoblog Green

Consumer Reports says Volt and Focus EV compromised, unlike ‘purpose-built’ EVs

In the process of checking out the electric vehicles at this year’s EVS26 Symposium in Los Angeles, Consumer Reports has observed that purpose-made EVs trump ones adapted from conventional internal-combustion models.
The influential publication called out the Chevrolet Volt and Ford Focus Electric as being among those that are “full of compromises” having been “built from gasoline models,” thus having higher center of gravity and sacrificing interior space. The Volt, CR observed, shares its chassis with the Cruze, and the Ford Focus EV is based on, well you guessed it, the Ford Focus.
“The primary reasons to base an electric on a gasoline platform is to save money and race to market-both fair business objectives,” CR said. “But that approach smacks of lower commitment by those automakers to building electric cars.”

In contrast, CR praised the design philosophy of the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S better as these pack batteries low under the floor.
“The sleek Tesla Model S has impressive space efficiency, with a flat interior floor that’s wide open in front and gives generous legroom in the rear,” CR said. “It has a spacious hatchback big enough for a rear-facing third-row seat, and a trunk up front where the engine would go.”
And believe it or not, CR gave kudos also to the Coda electric sedan. Even though it is based on a 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer, “the company found a way to sandwich most of the batteries under the floor,” CR said.
After reading through Consumer Reports analysis, one could just as well summarize it by saying the publication appears to be increasingly coming to favor the inherent design advantages of the EV “skateboard” design, or the nearest equivalent.

Tesla Model S “skateboard” chassis.

The advantages of stowing batteries low and out of the way are several. For one, it does not necessitate sacrificing a fifth seat passenger as the Volt does. Nor does it sacrifice usable trunk space such as the Focus EV does by loading batteries in the back. In fact it leaves engineers free to design the vehicle with much less encumbrance from bulky batteries fitted into a conventional chassis.
And from a handling, braking and ride quality standpoint, the argument is made that the lower center of gravity afforded by flat batteries slung along the floor is the way to go.
That is, the heavy batteries ride low, and Tesla for one, has gone on record saying its Model S will be a superb handler among sedans in part for this reason.
“We’ll be looking for more purpose-built electric cars in the future,” Consumer Reports said, having inadvertently defined a new metric.
But while true the Cruze and Volt share much, it’s also been said GM built the Volt based on its 2007 concept vehicle and it has been called purpose built in some respects. Perhaps some could say it was sort of purpose built, but GM based it on a conventional design, and also spun off the Cruze that has since become a cash cow, while the Volt took the place of a halo for the New GM.

Nissan places batteries less obtrusively below the Leaf’s floor.

The Ford Focus EV is another issue, however. It undeniably came out of an existing model, has been called a high-efficiency “compliance car” to improve the company’s fleet fuel consumption and emissions average, and Ford has shown a nominal commitment to it thus far, so we’re more inclined to see CR’s points there.
Not addressed by CR however is crash-worthiness. Those batteries and related hardware are expensive, and would compound the complexity of any body shop repair if smashed in an accident.
Aside from much-amplified reports about the Volt’s battery potentially smoldering if crashed and left still charged, its battery is shielded from side-impact damage by being so buried in the center of the car. So that might even be an advantage for this one aspect of post-crash repair – depending on how hard it is hit, of course.
On the other hand, we’re not sure how protected the batteries would be from the side with electric vehicles with a skateboard design. No doubt all vehicles must be designed to protect occupants to acceptable standards – in fact the inherent weight of electric vehicle tends to help them do comparatively better in crash test results – but how would their electric underpinnings fare after an impact?
Maybe OK? Maybe not? More light will be shed on this question after these vehicles have had more time on the road, and more of them have had enough real world crashes for patterns to emerge.
But what do you think? Consumer Reports opens its article saying “The difference could not be more stark” than between converted ICE vehicles and those made from their inception as EVs. Is it right, off base, or is the truth somewhere in the middle?


Source: GM-Volt.com

Volt named one of top 10 underappreciated vehicles

Chevrolet’s Volt has been named to a laundry list of awards and accolades, but a recent dubious distinction is its being named to Cars.com’s list of Top 10 Underappreciated Cars and Trucks. Hey that’s not bad right? Sort of like an honorable mention with implications that it is just waiting to be discovered? Not sure, but here’s what Cars.com’s Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder wrote about the Volt as republished in the Chicago Tribune: All plug-in cars are expensive, but so are luxury vehicles, and the reasons for driving both prove to be surprisingly similar. As owners, we know the Volt has downsides, as all cars do, and we accept that they’re deal-breakers for some shoppers. But Volt resistance seems to be more about partisan pretzel logic and safety misperceptions than about the car itself. GM’s sales expectations were too high, but the Volt definitely deserves more success than it’s seen so far. Many people have said the Volt deserves more success than it’s seen so far, but it still has detractors throwing mud at it. If you’re interested, the complete list of vehicles Americans have not appreciated enough are: 1. Ford Flex–This seven-seat gem is terrific, yet it’s outsold five-to-one by the Ford Explorer. 2. Suzuki Kizashi–An efficient sedan that’s fun to drive and has a stunningly high-quality interior. 3. Mazdas (all models)–These fun-to-drive vehicles are just as good as the competition but lag competitors, sometimes drastically, in sales. 4. Kia Optima–With its handsome exterior, high-quality interior and generous standard-equipment endowment, there’s no question why the Optima was chosen as Cars.com’s Best of 2011. 5. Hyundai Genesis–It was awarded our top honor when introduced in 2009, and has only improved since. 6. Nissan Quest–With a troubled past, the new, competitive, high-quality Quest has yet to build a name for itself. 7. Dodge Challenger– Voted Cars.com’s Shoppers’ Choice Award winner in 2012, it is roomier and far more comfortable than virtually all of its direct, better-selling competitors. 8. Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen–A surprisingly versatile, fun car that beats many of its trendy crossover competitors. 9. Chevrolet Avalanche–It does the work, serves as a five-seat SUV or full-length pickup truck, and comes from a trusted truck brand. 10. Chevrolet Volt–Though GM’s sales expectations were too high, the Volt definitely deserves more success than it’s seen. Of all of them, Mazda can say the loudest “ouch!” Its entire lineup is considered underappreciated, but Cars.com says there is sort of a silver lining to it all. “Good products usually sell themselves, but that’s not always the reality,” said Wiesenfelder. “There are so many great options on the market and these 10 vehicles are no exception. Our editors recommend that car shoppers research and test drive these models if they’re already shopping for similar cars. They might even get a good deal because these are not moving off lots as fast as some of their competitors.” So, being named to the 10th car listed on Cars.com’s write-up of 10 underappreciated vehicles is not meant to say the Volt is bad. On the contrary, the publication says it is a good car, but not enough people are catching on in a timely manner. Since we all know it is a great car, perhaps the question that persists is: what’s it going to take?

Source: GM-Volt.com

Jason King is on his way to driving his Volt for ‘free’

Is the Chevy Volt way too expensive – a car for well-meaning but well-heeled greenies to make themselves feel good? Or, is it so frugal to own and drive that you cannot afford not to get one?
Those are two extreme views aren’t they? We’ve heard from critics – who often have never even driven one – and who’ve tried to paint negative views, and more recently we heard from Jason King, who says his Volt fits the latter scenario, and is paying him back fast.
King is a writer and photographer living in Maui who figures his driving will soon be effectively “free” due to low-cost solar panels he had installed to keep his car charged.


The cost of solar has come way down in recent years, but we know where gas is going, don’t we?
“Gas prices are only going up,” King said. “Gas here is around $5 a gallon, and I drive by just laughing, you know?”
What’s more, King says his Volt is the best automotive value he’s yet had despite not having recouped any federal or state subsidies when he bought it. Being eager to get one early, he bought his Volt in California just two months after GM began production, and shipped it for about $1,000 to Hawaii.
His cost for installing nine extra solar panels to his pre-existing solar array was $5,000, plus he paid $500 for an optional fast charger.
If you have no solar now, you would also need a DC-to-AC inverter and related hardware, so it could be up to double or more compared to what King paid, but this is an investment that would last for many years that would effectively wipe out your gasoline bill, and you may even be able to sell unused electricity back to your local utility.
As for King, he says buying a Volt and solar charging is a good deal even though he forfeited eligibility for a $4,500 Hawaiian state subsidy now available, and the $7,500 federal subsidy.
To others, he says it should also make good financial sense, as they more likely will qualify for federal and state subsidies – for the car, and possible for the solar installation.
King’s estimation that charging costs will soon be no charge takes into consideration what he formerly spent monthly on gas for a Honda CR-V. In nine more months, his Volt will have paid off its lifetime cost to solar recharge, then every electric mile he drives thereafter is effectively free.

Not having a particular affinity for the undesirable effects petroleum has had on the environment and society, King has set up his house to live autonomously yet with high quality of life.
“I was previously spending at least $2,500 a year on gasoline so that means in two years the solar panels have paid for themselves, compared to what I previously spent on gas,” King said. “You know – in terms of the cost of the solar panels to power it. That means in two years my driving is not only pollution free, it’s free.”
The deal was especially sweet where Maui electric rates can hover around 30 cents per kilowatt-hour or more.
King acknowledges everyone’s situation is different, and living entirely off the grid as he does, his environmental commitment is deep, but having researched solar, he does not understand why more people are not doing it – particularly when a less-involved approach of grid tie-in is more financially feasible than ever.
Nor is he alone.
Jay Friedland, legislative director for Plug In America says a growing number of people are discovering what it is like to cut or eliminate the electric bill – and even be able to sell energy back to their local utility for a very satisfying turning of the tables.
State-by-state subsidies are available, as is a 30-percent federal tax credit, and so are loans if needed.
Friedland cited others who have realized – like King – that all of a sudden having effectively free kilowatts on hand, they would benefit from buying or leasing an electric vehicle.
Naturally, beyond the cost-benefit analysis, every individual’s motivation is unique. People’s rationales can include preferring their energy to be domestically sourced, and it’s satisfying knowing the money stays at home, instead of paying domestic or foreign oil suppliers. Others point to what it costs in wars and military expense and lives to keep the oil flowing here. Others point to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Others point to being self-reliant and not having to pay for ever-increasing gasoline expense. You can take your pick, or empathize with some or all of the above.

King’s off-the-grid living is made possible through readily available technology.
But consumers who are not as ideologically driven want to know they are not paying extra just to support a cause. There are those who want to able to simply justify the outlay, and see a return on investment.
That ultimately depends on a host of variables for your local circumstances, but the good news, says Friedland – and King – is that solar recharging can pay back out-of-pocket costs to switch to solar.
King says his solar power system includes 24 deep-cycle batteries for storage, and a diesel generator backup – which he rarely if ever uses, and he looks forward to when the Volt can be used in a smart grid application as his backup.

Twenty four deep-cycle marine batteries last maybe seven years or so. The rest of the system is much more robust. Battery backup is optional, and not required for more ordinary grid-tied systems.
In any event, his solar panels recharge 100 percent even on a cloudy day, and about the only time he may not generate power is in a torrential downpour.
If anyone thinks solar is only for sunbelt states though, you’d be mistaken. They just need a clear exposure to the sun, and Friedland notes the second largest solar energy usage outside of California is in New Jersey. King observes also that Germany leads the world in solar proliferation.
As for justifying whether it would be worth it for solar electric car recharging, one major factor to consider is how much you spend on gasoline and electricity per year, and factoring the Volt’s electric range and money saved can make a compelling case.
In King’s moderate climate, his Volt’s all-electric range is much better than the EPA-stated 35 miles, and he averages 45-48 miles on a charge. All this to him will soon be effectively free, as he is not even paying a utility for the kilowatt-hours or a gas station.
His reasoning extends also to other electric vehicles with longer ranges, such as the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubushi i, and other available or soon-to-be models like the Ford Focus Electric or Tesla Model S, and others.

Going well beyond creating enough juice for their car, Norma and Alan Williamson power their California home with photovoltaic panels. We’re including this photo to show an example of a more ordinary residence with solar system potentially tied to the grid. This is one of Plug In America’s case examples mentioned.
If the vehicle to be charged has a larger battery as pure EVs do, you’d need enough solar energy daily, and a 240-volt level 2 charger, but the math can still work out – while giving a hedge against inflationary gasoline prices.
For his part, King says the Volt makes the most sense because its range meets his daily driving needs – and statistically, those of most Americans – and has gasoline backup when needed. Thus far, he estimates he’s only used about four gallons, and has effectively driven the Volt at 2,000 miles per gallon – with his electricity soon to be paid off as well.
“It’s not just a hype – the lack of range anxiety that I feel having that backup, you know? I mean if it was just pouring rain for few days and I needed to use the electric that my panels were generating for my house; I didn’t want to charge the car,” King said. “So yeah, I can still drive. You know, if I need to drive 100 miles in a day because I have friends visiting and I’m taking them all over the island, no problem, so I’ll drive 100 miles and I’ll use a gallon of gas.”
To determine what state-by-state incentives are available, the Energy Department has an interactive map. You can think also about leasing solar from a company like Sungevity, or others, and as you know the cost of a Volt can also be offset by a presently reasonable lease rates – and this might make sense especially if you do not fully qualify for incentives.
For more information on solar power in general, you can contact a non-profit like the American Solar Energy Society, and the Energy Department has further info worth perusing as well.


Besides these resources, there are many others, but they ought to get you started in the right direction.
Calculating cost for solar would also mean factoring in amortization, as the solar array will not last forever, but they are known to last many years even decades.
But if you ask Jason King, he says he has the formula dialed and even if your daily mileage goes a bit over the Volt’s electric range, it still is an elegant solution with no downside.
“The point I want to drive home to people is most people think that they can’t afford to do it,” he said. “I’m living proof that you know what, you can’t afford not to do it. I only have nine moths to go until all my driving is free and powered by the sun with no pollution.”



Source: GM-Volt.com

Michigan Chevrolet Dealership Selling 25 Volts Per Month

We’ve often seen suggestions for how GM could better advertise the Chevrolet Volt. True more could be done, but the actual transaction takes place at the dealership, and regardless of political, economic or corporate marketing factors, one Michigan dealership is consistently delivering 25 Volts per month. In a feature by Forbes yesterday, Serra Chevrolet in Southfield was shown to be capitalizing on the fact it’s on GM’s home turf, and going well beyond, it has honed a sales formula to move inventory proving the Volt need not be merely a showpiece “halo” car. There are nearly 2,600 Volt-selling Chevy dealers in the country, and could you imagine what potential is there if each sold only three Volts month after month? That’s 7,800 units, a little more than the number GM sold last year. But as Forbes observes, that may be a stretch, as the average auto dealer in 2010 sold just 653 vehicles, and last month was the Volt’s best at 2,289 sold. Nonetheless, Serra, which opened only around a year ago, is cranking out the Volts. “We’re getting in 25 a month” from the GM factory in nearby Detroit, “and we’re selling 25 a month,” said Serra’s General Manager, Greg Brown, to Forbes contributor, Dale Buss. “We only have five left on the lot; we should always probably have 15 to 20 here at the dealership. So we just put in an order for another 25.” Boiled down to the basics, Serra has a top-down dedication to the Volt, its own Excel spreadsheet to demonstrate how the car makes sense, plenty of Volts on hand, and all its sales people are proficient at explaining the car. Following are the main points Brown relayed to Forbes that together outline the dealership’s Volt sales formula: • Cross-selling the car • Creating sales-force expertise • Coming up with new sales hooks • Playing the parent card • Keeping Volts in stock • Committing from the top • Using The Windmill Effect • Offering generous lease rates Number one on the list is “cross-selling,” and here is a reversal of the all-too-often told story whereby Chevrolet salespeople steer would-be Volt buyers away from GM’s purportedly expensive halo to easier sales like the Cruze and Malibu. Brown told Forbes the dealership has rapidly become a magnet for Volt shoppers, but about half the customers who purchase a Volt there do not start out with one in mind. “Since we really got to know the vehicle, we’ve been able to switch people from the Cruze, Equinox [crossover] and Malibu [midsize sedan] to Volt,” Brown said. This, he said, is accomplished by not having only one or two Volt-trained salespeople, but every single salesperson is fully comfortable discussing the Volt’s pros and cons. Brown said the dealership uses a consultative sales process to qualify whether the Volt fully makes sense – and often it does – but Brown says Serra’s salespeople are capable of leading a person to see that for themselves. Of course, neither Ralph Nader nor an editor from Consumer Reports is in charge there, so the dealership does rely on old fashioned salesmanship to help with the psychological factors in the decision. That’s where being creative with new sales hooks and playing the parent card come in. A sales hook need not be mind games and manipulation though, rather one example was showing how much gasoline per month the Volt could save compared to a conventional car. “A payment on a Volt might be $150 more a month,” Brown explained. “But we can show them that they’d be saving $150 or $200 a month in gas with a Volt, so it might make sense for them.” The “parent card” was mentioned as a potential aid to closing the deal based on the simple fact that teenagers need not ask the parents for gas money. “And if they are hitting you up for gas money if they’re driving a Volt, then you know that they’re driving the car further than they should be,” Brown joked. Of course, if you are a parent, you can decide whether you are willing to turn your young driver loose with a new Volt … Other factors adding up to Serra’s ability to deliver 25 Volts per month include keeping plenty of cars in stock, and “committing from the top.” Regarding this second point, it simply means sales managers are all about the Volt, and encourage sales people to be also. As for the last two points in Serra’s formula, the “windmill effect” and “offering generous lease rates” the second one probably needs no explaining, but the windmill effect is an environmentalist pitch. Just as GM has been doing from the corporate level – issuing press releases showing how environmentally consciousness it is with solar installations, efficient light bulbs, recycling, etc. – Serra has a little bit of green cred to boast of as well. In this case it has two large windmills reportedly quite visible to passers by that provide 15 percent of its electricity, and it offers a Volt charging station on the premises. “Those aspects of the store, and the mindset of the Volt, go hand-in-hand,” Brown said. “It helps.” All told, the synergy adds up to a whole lot of Volt sales, Brown said. Now just imagine if other Chevy dealerships yet finding it tough to sell Volts – or preferring not to – took these steps too

2013 Chevrolet Volt options - again

One more driving mode, one less color.

That's the crux of the changes in store for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in electric vehicle. Changes for the 2013 model year will include a driving mode that lets drivers force the car into gas-powered, extended-range mode in situations where it's most advantageous to switch out of EV-only mode, GM Inside News reports.

Driver can choose the Volt's "EV Hold Mode" in certain cases, such as when the route consists of a bunch of highway driving prior to city driving, according to the publication. Switching over to extended-range mode, in which the gas-powered on-board generator is used, would be best in that situation because high speeds drain a plug-in's battery charge a lot more rapidly than city driving. "EV Hold Mode" is standard on the Volt's European sister vehicle, the Opel Ampera. The closest that U.S. drivers can do with today's Volt is engage "Mountain Mode."

Additionally, the Volt will eschew its black roof and trunk backing and will go to body colors for those parts of the car for 2013. Other improvements include a lane-departure warning system that's becoming commonplace on many U.S. vehicles.

GM released details of the 2013 Volt following the model's most successful sales month since its late-2010 debut. The automaker sold 2,289 Volts in March, a monthly record that is more than three times higher than figures from a year earlier. The Volt missed the 10,000-unit target set by GM for 2011, moving just 7,671 units last year.


Source: Autoblog Green

2013 Chevrolet Volt Trim and Options Revealed

If reports are correct, over the weekend, GM released specifics about a host of model year trim and options changes for the 2013 Volt.

Perhaps the big news is an EV Hold mode – a la Ampera – and deletion of the black-colored roof and rear liftgate.

We do not have photos of the new models which will have body colored roof and liftgates, nor have we seen pricing, and GM’s media site sure doesn’t mention the changes at all.

Other deletions of note are the Bluetooth for phone, 30 GB hard drive, and they’re changing the five-spoke wheels to a new design of five-spoke painted wheels – haven’t seen them either.

Although GM has not confirmed it, a GM-Volt reader with the initials GSB has maintained that Crystal Red Metallic as shown on this Volt with the polished wheels is the fastest color, and others have widely agreed.

According to gmauthorityy.com, a new paint color – Silver Topaz Metallic – will be available, and while we could go on, we’ll just list all reported additions, subtractions, and changes with thanks to GMAuthority.com.

It and GMInsideNews reported it, and http://rumors.automobilemag.com/2013-volt-rumored-to-get-ev-mode-body-trim-color-changes-125609.html grabbed the news also but hedged the report calling it a “rumor.”


Source: GM-Volt.com

Mitsubishi companies launch smart grid demonstration system using EVs and used battery packs

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Mitsubishi Electric) have completed the development and begun the operation of M-tech Labo, a smart grid demonstration system consisting of a 20 kW photovoltaic system, 5 electrically-dischargeable electric vehicles (EVs) and 80 kWh of used rechargeable batteries collected from EVs.

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate load shifting by charging at night when demand is low, storing power produced from renewable sources in rechargeable batteries, and supplying such power back to the grid when factory facilities and offices face peak demand.

MC, MMC and Mitsubishi Electric also expect that utilizing EV batteries and used rechargeable batteries, instead of expensive, dedicated batteries, will lower costs while promoting the environmental-benefits of renewable energy and EVs.

Tokyo Institute of Technology is playing an advisory role for the project. This demonstration project is part of the KEIHANNA Eco-City Next-Generation Energy and Social Systems Demonstration Project, one of the four smart grid initiatives authorized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Project targets for this fiscal year include:

Reduction of electricity fluctuation at the Administration Building of MMC’s Nagoya Plant by utilizing electricity from M-tech Labo at a maximum power of 50 kW (Target: 33% reduction of the 180 kW fluctuation range).

Validation of EIS (Electric vehicle Integration System) which aggregates data and information of available dischargeable capacity and hours of each EV while still allowing the EV to be used as a mean of transportation.

The three companies will collaborate in project implementation and application of knowledge obtained. The primary roles of each company are:

MC: Study of electricity-related business utilizing of rechargeable EV batteries and used rechargeable batteries.

MMC: Research on the effect of discharging and charging on EVs, and on the necessary information and data from EVs.

Mitsubishi Electric: Validation of a system that can effectively utilize rechargeable EV batteries and used rechargeable batteries.

EV-Only Mode May Come To Chevy Volt

Though the Chevy Volt and Vauxhall Ampera are built on the same platform, the reception the two cars have received could not be more different. While the Volt has been polarized and bastardized as a product of Obama, the Ampera sold out before it ever went on sale. There is another key difference too; the Ampera lets you select when you use EV mode and charge-sustaining mode, whereas the Volt does not. But that may soon change.

We first reported on this feature back in October, when it became apparent that the EV-only mode was only available on the Vauxhall Ampera. U.S. Volt buyers get no such option. This feature was put in so that drivers of the Ampera could run on electricity only, allowing them to avoid congestion charges in major cities like London or Paris. These congestion charges allow EV drivers to avoid a fee, and the Ampera lets its drivers decide when to use EV mode, and when to run on the petrol engine.

GM has yet to make any official announcement regarding an EV-only mode for the Volt, though at a recent breakfast meeting, one GM exec reportedly said that they were considering such a feature for U.S. models. First they’d have to discuss things with the EPA, but if I am not mistaken, the Prius Plug-In will also have a selectable EV mode…so no problem there.

Allowing drivers to select when to turn on or off the EV mode could result in even better gas mileage results, as drivers know their vehicles and routes better than GM. But logic and common sense sometimes gets lost on GM’s factory floor…hopefully this is one feature that is the exception.

Source: Gas2.0

Detroit-Hamtramck will resume Volt production a week early as sales rise

Chevrolet’s Volt could be considered a grandfather among a yet-small but growing segment of plug-in vehicles that rely on electric power as a source of propulsion.

We’ve heard all about how the Volt has been targeted by opponents to what it could all lead to – and can do now – to wean away from petroleum reliance, but the Volt has shaken off many of the malignant allegations, and enthusiasm for it is growing.

Following another record sales month in March, General Motors has said it will cut the time out it has given its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant from five weeks down to four.

GM North America President Mark Reuss told the Detroit News the company is heartened by 2,289 Volts sold in March, and expects the higher average momentum to continue, but he will not forecast actual numbers.

The company’s CEO, Dan Akerson, has been quoted as saying he’s looking for 2,000-3,000 per month, but GM’s official posture is it will manage inventory closely to match supply to demand.

The five-week closure now shortened by one week had been from Mar. 19-April 23, and had been just for this reason in light of negative press and nationwide inventory considered excessive.

Industry watchers also note the company is continuing with a favorable lease package, and wants and needs the positive press to continue.

In rather a unique category as a “plug-in car,” the Volt, launched December 2010 – as was the Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle – has not been threatened to date by the Leaf’s month after month sales.

And while the tide is seemingly turning further for the politicized Volt, and some Republicans have been very conspicuously featured lately as endorsing the car, eyes also are on the Prius plug-in hybrid, which scored 911 units sold its first partial month in March.

For its first sales month, the Prius PHV made a sizable splash into what is a small but growing pond of plug-in electric cars tracked by the HybridCars.com Dashboard. Sales of all brands combined in February added up to 1,662 units, with a total market share or “take rate” of 0.15 percent , and in March this jumped to 4,161 total vehicles with a take rate of 0.30 percent.

There is a proverb that says people ought not to look down upon “small beginnings” and fact is, everyone has to start somewhere. This industry has many players posturing and preparing for growth, and the Dashboard’s plug-in numbers do not count Coda and Fisker which do not regularly report sales, or Tesla which when last we checked, said it has over 12,000 pre-orders for its Model S.

As for the Volt vs. Prius vs. Leaf question – three different kinds of technology with the common denominator of ability to plug into the electricity grid – a sense of rivalry will always be there, but the big picture is the market is growing with major commitment and sentiment expressed by respective plug-in automakers ranging from mildly bullish to fully optimistic.

Source: GM-Volt.com

Monthly record sales for Prius, Volt help drive up March alt-fuel sales almost 40%

Rising gas prices may not have lifted all alt-fuel vehicles last month, but they did a pretty good job for some of the higher profile models.

Overall, U.S. March sales of hybrids, extended-range plug-in hybrids, battery-electrics and diesels jumped about 40 percent from a year earlier as both the Toyota Prius hybrid and Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in set all-time monthly sales records. One possibility for the surge is that U.S. customers, beaten down by rising gas prices last year, are now willing to spend the extra money for more fuel-efficient, advanced-powertrain vehicles as gas prices continue to rise.

The sales surge was led, of course, by the Prius.

The sales surge was led, of course, by the Prius, which moved 28,711 vehicles, up 54 percent from a year earlier. Toyota, in fact, set an all-time U.S. monthly sales record for the Prius, which was introduced here in 2000. Fueling the increase was a combination of a broader range of models – the Prius C compact and Prius V wagon both debuted in the U.S. this year – and 2011 sales figures that were held down by supply constraints stemming from the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan last March.

Meanwhile, sales of Toyota's non-Prius vehicles, including the Camry and Highlander, jumped 61 percent from a year earlier to 6,011 vehicles. And, while Toyota didn't break out Camry Hybrid sales, the Camry's overall sales jumped 35 percent from a year earlier to a March-record 42,567 vehicles, hinting that the updated Camry Hybrid that was introduced late last year has been well-received. Sales of hybrids under Toyota's Lexus luxury badge were up 5.8 percent.

As for the Volt, General Motors sold 2,289 units last month, more than triple the Volt's year-earlier sales and beating previous monthly record from December 2011 of 1,529 Volts. With such record sales, GM may shorten the five-week Volt shutdown that started March 19 by a week, and the automaker made good on former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's prediction last month that March would mark record sales for the model. In fact, when factoring in the estimated 2,500 Buick LaCrosses, Buick Regals and Chevrolet Malibus sold with the eAssist mild hybrid powertrains, GM sold almost 4,800 hybrids and plug-in hybrids in March. That's more than the hybrids sold by Ford and Honda combined.

While Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle sales weren't as gaudy, they still almost doubled from a year earlier to 579 units.

While Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle sales weren't as gaudy, they still almost doubled from a year earlier to 579 units, and were also up from 478 Leafs in February. Additionally, in the smaller victories department, Mitsubishi sold 52 of its i battery-electric vehicles, beating the previous monthly record in February of 44 vehicles, while sales of Porsche's Cayenne and Panamera Hybrids jumped a combined 46 percent from a year earlier to 167 vehicles.

Since late last year, the average price of regular gas has jumped almost another 60 cents a gallon and is approaching the $4 mark, according to AAA. Determining how much such gas prices drove up alt-fuel vehicle sales is tough to determine because makers of smaller-production hybrids such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz don't break out hybrid numbers, and Audi didn't break out diesel sales a year ago.

U.S. sales of hybrids, battery-electrics and diesels increased about 38 percent to more than 57,000 vehicles in March.

Still, with most of the alt-fuel market accounted for, U.S. sales of hybrids, battery-electrics and diesels increased about 38 percent to more than 57,000 vehicles in March, with the Prius, as usual, accounting for about half the market. Additionally, Volkswagen's diesel sales appeared to spike from the rising gas prices, jumping 44 percent from a year earlier to 8,452 units.

Toyota, GM, Nissan and VW's alt-fuel sales more than offset continually lagging hybrid sales from Ford and Honda. Ford sold 1,797 hybrids, down 45 percent from a year earlier, and Ford Fusion Hybrid sales dropped 31 percent from a year earlier. Ford Escape Hybrid sales plunged 86 percent.

Honda, who, like Toyota, suffered from supply constraints last year, fared even worse than Ford. Honda's hybrid sales were cut in half from March 2011. While Civic Hybrid sales actually doubled from a year earlier, CR-Z sales dropped 68 percent and sales of the Insight, which was designed to challenge the Prius for hybrid supremacy, plunged 63 percent. Overall, Honda sold 2,475 hybrids, down from 4,908 a year earlier.

See the details in our chart after the jump.

Source: Autoblog Green

Improving Chevy Volt sales leads GM to shorten summer shutdown

Just the other day, we heard that General Motors might extend its traditional two-week summer shutdown to three weeks for the Chevrolet Volt. But, after record Volt sales last month, we wonder how the calendar looks in Hamtramck now. We wonder because we are hearing reports that the current shutdown – originally scheduled to run for five weeks, from March 19 to April 23 – will be shortened by a week. GM originally decided on the hold to reduce supply that had grown too large because of soft demand.

Don LaForest, the chairman of the United Auto Workers bargaining committee at the Hamtramck plant where the Volt is made, told Talking Points Memo that GM is "adding a week of production back in." The Detroit News reports that GM President of North America Mark Reuss said the same thing Wednesday during the New York Auto Show. Reuss said, "We're doing it because we sold a lot."

Increasing sales numbers (GM sold 2,289 Volts in March – well over double February's 1,023-unit total) come at a time when some of the right-wing attacks on the plug-in hybrid appear to have calmed down. LaForest told TPM that his union workers have been confused about these criticisms. "I don't think Newt or Mitt have said a single negative thing about the Nissan Leaf," he said. "They're attacking our car to get at the President. But our car is going to change the way America does business. It's a breath of fresh air."



Source: Autoblog Green

Opel Ampera Wins Monte Carlo Rally

With all of the bad news surrounding the Chevy Volt these days, I think a few fluff pieces about its kissing-European-cousin the Opel Ampera is in order. Last week I talked about how Opel was entering the Opel Ampera into the Monte Carlo Alt-Fuel Rally. Well congratulations to the two cheese-eating surrender monkeys French drivers who took their Ampera to the top spot.

It was an overall good day for the Ampera. Of the 7 Ampera teams that entered the alt-fuel rally, four finished in the Top 10. But it was the car driven by Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert that finished in first out of a total field of over 130 competitors. The other three teams finished in 3rd, 7th, and 8th place. This ends the Tesla Roadster’s 5 year dominence of the event, and crowns a new champion of the Monte Carlo Alt Fuel Rally.

This year’s course included a 342-mile jaunt from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monaco on the first day, and a 169 mile trip down the original rally route. This follows on the Volt/Ampera being named the European Car of the Year. If only more Americans cared about this kind of “racing”, the Volt might find a few more fans with the Fox News crew.

Source: Gas2.0

GM China signs MOU with CATARC for Chevrolet Volt demo fleet

General Motors China has signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) to manage GM’s Chevrolet Volt demonstration fleet in Beijing for one year and to help organize workshops and seminars that will build support among decision makers and key stakeholders for vehicle electrification policy in China.

The demonstration fleet vehicles will be delivered to CATARC during April.

GM and CATARC will form a joint working team that will be responsible for gathering feedback from Volt demonstration fleet usage to better target discussions and actions to support new energy vehicle policy in China. Specific objectives and goals of the partnership will be developed through the working team. According to the MOU, both GM and CATARC will also study how real-world performance, charging and infrastructure for the Volt and other electric vehicles can address the varying needs of Chinese consumers.

This partnership is strategically important to us. The Volt, with its cutting-edge and practical technologies, will provide information to assist us in preparing the Chinese market for future electrified vehicles.
—CATARC Director Zhao Hang

According to Ray Bierzynski, GM China executive director of Electrification Strategy, GM’s relationship with CATARC will provide GM access to top opinion leaders and policymakers.

To support the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, GM has recently installed charging poles at Tsinghua University, the office of SAE China, a Chevrolet dealership in Beijing as well as GM’s China headquarters in Shanghai. The company plans to install charging facilities at CATARC’s Tianjin headquarters as well.

China is among the initial markets to introduce the Volt following the United States.

CATARC is the most important third-party automotive technology service organization recognized by the Chinese government. It is playing a critical role in the development of new energy vehicles.


Source: Green Car Congress

GM "loans" Volts in Southern California to spur sales

General Motors is looking to spur sales of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid in California by loaning hundreds of Southern California drivers Volts for as long as a week, Green Car Reports said, citing GM representative Shad Balch.

Under GM's "Cars to People" program, the automaker has loaned almost 300 people Volts over the past few months, and will likely loan the cars to a few hundred more by the end of the year, according to the website. Balch told Green Car Reports that the challenge behind simply explaining the cars' technology to potential customers was the impetus behind the program, and that the Volt "sells itself" to potential buyers.

The program represents yet another way GM's trying to boost sales in the most populous U.S. state. GM last month started deliveries of 2012 Volts, which are notable because they're eligible for solo-driving in California's high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes. California Volt buyers are also eligible for a $1,500 rebate from the state, on top of the federal tax credit worth up to $7,500. Last month, GM also began offering so-called "Quad $0" lease program on Volts made in 2011, in which customers could lease the vehicles without a down payment, security deposit, first month's payment or cash upon sale. Those cars aren't eligible to be driven solo in California's HOV lanes.

Meanwhile, GM this week began a five-week shut-down of Volt production in an attempt to thin out dealer inventory. While GM was about 2,400 units short of its goal to sell 10,000 Volts in 2011, Volt sales showed signs of life last month, moving 1,023 units, up from 603 vehicles sold in January.



Source: Autoblog Green

2012 Chevy Volt versus Nissan Leaf Mash-up Drag Race

Volt vs. Leaf

GM weighs in against Washington’s proposed EV surtax

General Motors earlier this week sent a letter to Washington Gov. Chris Gregorie asking that a proposed $100 EV surtax be removed from the state’s transportation bill (Senate Bill 6455, ESSB 6455) on the grounds that it will create a disincentive toward the purchase of an EV. The proposal currently excludes vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt, which can run part of the time on gasoline.

Proponents of the surtax argue the fee is needed to offset losses in state gas tax revenues since EV owners don’t need to buy gas. GM believes this proposal is misguided and will hurt sales and market adoption of EVs. The small number of pure EVs on the road at this point have a negligible impact on state revenues, GM argues.

Electric vehicles are a promising new and evolving advanced technology. Independent studies consistently conclude that price is a barrier to adoption of the technology, this concluding the need for incentives...Conversely, a fee which singles out electric vehicles will be a disincentive to the growth of the electric vehicle market in Washington State.

As a practical matter, there are currently so few electric vehicles on Washington’s roads today that their impact in replacing fuel tax revenues will, for now, be negligible. Finally, on the question of fairness, broader consideration should be given to assuring that taxes and fees fairly relate to the use of the system and that they are technologically neutral (i.e. do no favor certain technologies over others). ESSB 6455 does not contemplate any of these important questions.

...We believe that all beneficiaries of the system should pay their fair share of the costs for preserving, operating and improving the statewide transportation system. To that end, we applaud you intent to commission the Road user Future Funding Task Force, and we stand ready to be a contributor to the process.

—Letter from GM

The Chevy Volt Is Dead; Long Live The Volt?

To hear some people tell it, the five-week Chevy Volt production hiatus that GM announced last week is the death blow to GM’s plug-in hybrid. After missing 2011 production goals by about 24% and selling less than 1,700 Volts in the first two months of 2012, the Chevy Volt really seems to be struggling over a year after production first began. But is it really?

No doubt GM has a had a hand in the politicizing of the Volt. Then again, I’m not sure anything would change even had GM kept the hype toned down. We’ll never know. What we do know is that there are a lot of people hoping and praying for the failure of the Chevy Volt, and they’ve had some success in that regard, despite their complete and utter distortion of the facts. Perhaps the greatest detriment to Volt sales has been conservative-commentators’ ability to link the Volt to President Obama, even though the Volt Concept debuted in January 2007, two years before Obama was sworn into office and a year before he even started campaigning for office.

The NHTSA investigation of the Volt battery pack was much ado about nothing, but the damage has been done in regards to the Volt’s image. Furthermore, GM and the Obama administration’s incredibly generous production estimates make it seem like there will be a $40,000 Volt in every other driveway. Perhaps in a strong economy with more generous government subsidies, these numbers would have been achievable. But in the middle of a recession? Not likely.

But let’s take a step back and analyze the situation, without making excuses for the Volt. Let’s just look at the facts.

First and foremost, the Volt went on sale in just a few select areas at its launch, starting in California, New York City, and Austin Texas. Only in November did the Volt go on sale nationwide…right around the time the NHTSA battery scandal developed. It was a small issue blown out of proportion, truly awful reporting by most of the mainstream media. But the damage was done. Still, sales of over 7,600 Volts in just a handful of markets isn’t exactly awful.

GM missed its own imposed 2011 sales target of 10,000 vehicles by almost 2,400 units, and in January sales barely broke 600 cars. February sales were only slightly better at about 1,000 units, prompting GM to halt production for the third time. The first time was over the summer, when the Hamtramck assembly plant was shut down for retooling that would allow GM to build up to 1,200 Volts per day.

The second shut down came in December, when GM sought to align production with sales. Even though December 2011 was the Volt’s best sales month yet, moving more than 1,500 cars, that’s only a little more than a day’s worth of the plant’s possible production capacity. One of GM’s biggest problems pre-bankruptcy was over-production, which resulted in a lot of fleet sales that impacted resale value and brand perception. It hurts the Volt’s image to have production shut down for five weeks, but it may also preserve long-term value. It also does GM no good to have a bunch of unwanted Volts just sitting on dealer lots.

Historically speaking, the Volt’s slow initial sales are not necessarily an indicator of future success. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but in the summer of 2000 the Toyota Prius went on sale nationwide. In six months on sale across the nation, the Prius sold only 5,600 units. The first full year the Prius was on sale in 2001, Toyota only sold about 16,000 Prius hybrids in the U.S., and a grand total of just 30,000 Prii worldwide. In 2010, Toyota sold over 2 million.

One does not even have to look outside of General Motors to see the history to see tales of cars that almost failed, only to go on to be huge successes. The original Chevy Corvette, born in 1953, was subject to terrible sales for its first 3 years. Sales were so bad, in fact, that GM came close to killing off the Corvette altogether. Flash forward almost 60 years, and the Corvette is ingrained into the hearts and minds of Chevy fans world wide.

Edward Niedermeyer over at The Truth About Cars opines that GM should have marketed the Volt more as the “anti-Corvette,” an expensive technological wonder whose technology would eventually trickle down to other vehicles. I think he’s absolutely right, and GM has bungled its marketing of the Volt almost from day one.

But this is not the end of the Volt, not by a long shot. GM has too much invested into the Volt to just abandon the project, and there may be better sales just on the horizon. Gas prices are going up, and the Obama administration is talking about hiking the EV tax credit from a $7,500 tax credit to a $10,000 immediate rebate that would bring the cost to purchase a Volt down to about $31,000. Even if that doesn’t happen though, GE and other companies may buy the Volt for the simple fact that it can use little or not gasoline for a vast majority of short-distance trips.

In short, the demise of the Chevy Volt has been greatly exaggerated. I’m not saying the Volt isn’t in trouble. It’s image is tarnished, its sales are slow, and its future is uncertain. But I still wouldn’t bet against the Volt, and GM, to make a strong comeback starting this year. Politics tend to go out the window when gas prices go up.

Source: Gas2.0

Opel has received more than 7,000 orders for Volt cousin Ampera

Opel has so far received some 7,000 orders for the Ampera electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt’s European cousin. Opel said that the numbers surpassed its most optimistic expectations for this point in time.

Enno Fuchs, Opel’s e-mobility launch director, said that the Ampera sales target of 10,000 units for 2012 is “well within reach.” Customer deliveries, which began in February, are going according to plan, according to the company.

In the US, General Motors is suspending production of the Volt for five weeks starting 19 March, due to higher inventory than demand. GM is also suspending production of the Ampera, according to the report in the Detroit News.

The Ampera and the Volt were just voted “Car of the Year 2012” by a panel of judges in Geneva, made up of 59 leading automotive journalists from 23 European nations. The Opel Ampera / Chevrolet Volt tallied 330 points against VW Up (281) and Ford Focus (256).

Volt and Ampera selling relatively well

As the dust settles from the batterygate debacle that GM hopes to relegate to forgotten history, U.S. Volt sales jumped to 1,023 last month, and in Europe, they cannot get enough a good thing in the form of an imported from U.S. Ampera.

Volt sales in this year’s 29 days of February leaped above weak January numbers of 603 Volts that GM executives have said were low because of bad press, not to mention January is normally a slow month anyway.

This month, the E-REV outsold the Nissan Leaf – side note: why do we compare the Volt to this car? Because they are both two different approaches to electrification? What ever the case, since we’ve done it since they both launched, we’ll keep the tradition going and mention the Leaf sold only 478 units, a decline from 676 sold in January, and 954 in December. Nissan has nonetheless said it hopes this year to double the 9,700 Leafs sold in 2011.

And speaking of goals, GM has abandoned its long-standing 2012 North American sales target of 45,000 units, and as it had begun hinting a while back, will match “supply to demand.”

UPDATE (3/2/12):

As the line above says, we knew GM would curtail supply, but more specifically, today GM said it is halting production of the Chevrolet Volt for five weeks as it works to sell down its existing inventory.

“We have more than enough to meet our demand,” said GM spokeswoman Michelle Malcho.

As part of the shut-down, GM will temporarily lay off 1,300 workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

###

While we expect critics – including those who for some reason lurk around GM-Volt, and who are being watched for the attitude they project – may pounce on the above statement, GM has said it is still working on rebuilding its damaged image.

It bears repeating because it is true: The Volt’s reputation was damaged following fictional reports of Volt batteries “exploding” and other extravagant tales. I’m still asked by people about the alleged big fire risk. The misinformation was willfully spread, it didn’t happen in a day, and its reversal won’t either.

But over in Europe, news is a bit brighter for the Volt’s cousin. They are only doling out perhaps one-quarter the U.S. number of E-Revs, and if GM will extend its policy of matching supply with demand, it should probably think about increasing the Euro allocation.

Ampera

There had been reports not many weeks ago that General Motors was holding back European deliveries of the Opel Ampera until issues in North America surrounding its sister vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt, were resolved.

Since the reports of a federal investigation into battery safety were properly settled, last week Opel announced customer deliveries have begun of the extended-range electric vehicle.

The company says it is approaching 6,000 European orders, is well on the way toward its (conservative first-year) sales goals, and is taking sales away from premium brands.

“Our first deliveries are running smoothly and I’m pleased to confirm that our sales target of 10,000 units for 2012 is on track,” said Enno Fuchs, Opel’s e-mobility launch director. “We’re very happy that our European customers can now drive our revolutionary Ampera.”

Opel is apparently also happy that sales of the Ampera represent a “premium brand conquest” as clients transfer loyalties to the American-produced, environmentally friendly vehicle.

“The majority of Ampera retail customers previously owned top premium brand cars and are making the switch to the Ampera and Opel because they want to be the first to use such cutting-edge technology,” Opel said.

A similar phenomenon occurred last year among high per-capita earning first adopters of the Volt in the U.S., but in Europe, Opel notes the majority of Ampera clients have been fleet or business customers.

Last August, Opel chief Nick Reilly said he was already hoping to be allowed to import more than only 10,000 units in 2012, and that around 75 percent of Ampera pre-order customers were fleet buyers. This latter assertion Opel reiterated this month, mentioning some of its top fleet accounts.

“These include big names such as Lease Plan, ALD and Europcar,” Opel said. “A number of big global brands have placed orders and further showcase their environmental commitment by having Amperas in their fleet.”

For now the vehicles are being imported from GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, although if success continues, GM is looking to produce Opel and similar Vauxhall-badged Amperas and Chevy Volts closer to their point of consumption.

Source: GM-Volt.com