Volt production halted; 1,300 workers out of work

[xchrom]

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/02/10563905-volt-production-halted-1300-workers-out-of-work

Facing a significant backlog of unsold inventory, General Motors will shut down production of the Chevrolet Volt for five weeks.

The maker has notified 1,300 workers at the GM plant in Detroit that they will be idled from March 19 through April 23 while assembly operations are idled. But the maker insists the latest setback is not a sign of long-term problems for the plug-in hybrid, noting that Volt sales in February jumped 70 percent over the prior month.

“We’re going to do what we need to the keep production in line with what the market demands,” said GM spokesperson Michelle Malcho.

She noted that demand has been recovering in the wake of reports, late last year, that several Volt battery packs had caught fire following federal crash tests. After briefly opening an investigation into the problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Chevy Volt a clean bill of health when GM announced it would take several steps to further reduce the risk of battery problems. The maker has stressed there have been no such incidents involving Volts in real-world use.

[Initech]

1. Its not the battery - it's the $40K price tag as to why they're not selling.

[Drale]

3. Exactly

We just payed 24k for a fully loaded Kia Optima (all built in the US), a base model Volt is 40k, whats that you want stuff like air conditioning?

[AverageJoe90]

10. Only some Kias are built here, and probably none of them with too many U.S. built or sourced parts.

Or at least not with union labor. Frankly, I've never really liked their shitty junk anyhow. Even Hyundai wasn't making real decent cars until recently(with the Tiburon being just a rare exception). So I'd take the Chevy any old day.

[Drale]

11. The Car, the engine and the trans where all built in the US

85% of the parts did come from Korea. All the info was in the tag.

[AverageJoe90]

13. Oh, okay, I guess a few of the parts did come from the U.S.

Still, though, I'd rather buy a car built with union labor, like the Volt as union-built autos do tend to be better-made overall.

[B Calm]

4. I checked one out at my

local dealership. I think it's way overpriced. GM wants you to pay them the dollars you saved by not having to pay for gasolene.

I still don't know why the small motor cannot recharge the main battery. Hell a small 22 hp diesel motor could recharge the battery and also move the vehicle at highway speeds.

[FogerRox]

5. Right, considering Nissan Leaf is about 30k- Prius 20k

VOlt is a good looking car, but who would pay a premium of 10-15k for looks......


Uh, Dear Chevy, try selling the Volt for $26,999 and you might smack the doors off of the Nissan Leaf.

The Chevy Volt really would really take off if it was made at a price that would allow it to be sold for 20k.

[Initech]

9. The Volt would own the Prius even at that price.

I talked to a guy who owned one a while ago and he said that he and his wife took it to Vegas and back to LA and didn't need to fill up once - he averaged about 95.6 MPG, that's insane.

With the gas prices the way they are now GM would be stupid not to do this, they'd completely outsell Toyota at that price range.

[FogerRox]

12. A plug in Prius can do 95mpg

But your point stands, the VOlt is no way worth 40k, its simply not competitively priced.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. I saw a Volt commercial just today

Perhaps if GM spent more on creating economies of scale that would bring down the cost of all-electric vehicles - instead of Madison Avenue hype and celebrity spokespersons - they'd have a product that working-class Americans would give serious consideration.

[Purveyor]

6. Repukes are absolutely 'gleeful' over this announcement. eom

[global1]

7. How Long Before The Repugs Start Claiming An Obama Failure On Two Counts......

1. the auto industry bailout; and 2. alternative energy initiatives.

I can see the Repugs making hay over this announcement.

[Purveyor]

8. They have already started...a while ago. eom

[gulliver]

14. Those 1,300 workers should thank Newt for his really funny line.

"You can't put a gun rack on a Volt" was Newt's hilarious line. No doubt these 1,300 Americans who work manufacturing an American made product will find Newt really funny.

Why do Republicans keep putting down American products and saying America is a bad place to do business? Why do they get away with it?

[fujiyama]

15. It's an expensive vehicle

as are all electric cars. Even the leaf isn't quite cheap enough to be a consumer's primary vehicle. The range just isn't there yet for longer drives. It's good for a daily commuter (if you have a short commute), but not much more for longer distances.

Especially considering many vehicles with internal combustion engines have been increasing in fuel economy, an electric vehicle is still, by many consumers for right or wrong, considered a novelty or a very expensive toy - an experimental vehicle of sorts.

Now personally I love the technology and a buddy of mine is converting his own car to use an electric drivetrain. But he's an engineer and a smart guy overall. He's also spent a pretty good amount on the batteries and a lot of other components. And of course he has another car for day to day driving. Most consumers don't have more than one vehicle, and if they do, one is usually a work truck. Families usually don't have more cars than drivers in the household. For such a consumer, there is a feeling of hesitancy in adopting a new technology for such a large purchase as a car.

While I'm bullish on battery electric vehicles in the long run (the range is constantly improving), I think hybrids will have to be a bridge to getting off gas. And unfortunately there as well, the Prius is one of the few that most people even hear about. But the Prius will let you drive a standard vehicle driving distance and will save on gas.

GM might be better off just selling the volt cheaper even if it's at a loss just to get more exposure for it. Unlike the leaf it also has a gas engine. I think it's a very nice car but the fires don't help the publicity for the car either, even if it's unrelated to the batteries...

[Texasgal]

16. I'd buy one

if I could AFFORD it!

The price is ridiculous!