The Chevy Volt is one of those cars that manages to gain a fairly geeky image. While it’s green roots are what it’s most known for, electronics, gadgets, and complex science are never something to ignore. Unfortunately, GM utterly failed in delivering an “affordable” and dependable electric vehicle. Besides the actual price coming of of GM being a good $10,000 higher than what was expected, dealers themselves are showing their tried and true colors (read: Greedy green) by marking up the popular yet scarce hybrids by as much as $20,000, bringing the total after-tax-credit-price to $52,000.
I don’t know about you, but that has failure written all over it. Still, I have no doubt people will soak up the limited 10,000 vehicle run for this year. The situation is ironic given GM’s statements claiming they’d “watch for dealers overcharging customers for the Volt”. Too bad for GM it was overpriced to begin with. Adding more on top of it at the dealer level only makes it worse.
Anyone miffed/saddened?
Fancy saving a tree or two and happen to title yourself a nerd? There’s no doubt that Chevy’s ambitions Volt project has been a long time coming. Since the truck market bombed out a few years back, they’ve been scrambling to catch up to other manufacturers more fuel efficient and alternative fuel-powered vehicles. And up until now, the biggest mystery about the Volt was the price. Price it to high no one will buy it. Lucky for consumers, it looks like Chevy will make it relatively affordable, at a now confirmed base price of $41,000. Interested parties may even get a stab at the electric wonder vehicle for a far cheaper price, however. At stake is a tax credit totaling up to $7,500 as well as leasing options. Speaking of the latter, the leasing program looks like it’ll hit a little closer to more individuals’ homes with a $350 monthly payment and $2,500 due at signing.
But what good is a hot new geek car with relatively new and untested reliability without decent warranties and protection from the factory? Oh dear reader, jump on in and find out…
While the GM “made” Chevy Volt isn’t technically a gadget as it is much larger and is usually be looked upon as a vehicle, it is still a fine piece of electroinc technology that will *hopefully* at some point grace the public at large. While GM has announced today their plans to go through and file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, already concerns as to whether the Volt will ever make it to market are beginning to surface. The Volt is now several years into promise after promise by GM to deliver the electric/hybrid vehicle in a respectable amount of time. Several years later and we are still looking at a late 2010 release at best. Is the Volt dead? What about GM?
The auto industry is in shambles. The cause depends on who you ask. For some, it is the years of mismanagement. For others the resistance to developing other cars besides SUV’s. What you might not know however is a smaller group who consist of those who believe the lack of technology in cars is the Big 3′s real demise. What kind of technology do I mean? Is it manufacturing technology, engine technology, or more “geeky” technology consisting of the gizmos and gadgets inside of the cabin? For the next few minutes we will be focusing on the last topic — the technology inside of the cabin. If the Big 3 drastically updated the internals of their vehicles with mobile internet all around, bluetooth technologies, etc, could it save them?
