Chevy Volt

[Grumpy]

Seems they are finally got the batteries sorted out on this and are going in to production this month. Do you think it will help pull chevy out of its slump ?

[noonereal]

not unless it has some meaningfully advantage over other electric models.

I would suggest it does not.

http://www.hybridcars.com/electric-car

[Grumpy]

I think its a matter of the public did not need it, until they were told they did.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

I think its a matter of the public did not need it, until they were told they did.

That is marketing to a saturated country/market.

Create a demand and fill it yourself.

You question asked if the volt can save Chevy.

I don't think the product is unique enough to accomplish this.

[merrylander]

What happened to the compact that was to replace the existing one - CRS kicked in and I forget the names of either one.

[HatchetJack]

I think Chevy should get back to being Chevy. Build relialble cars for a fair
price. They should get out of the 40,000 SUV and truck business and stop
building rental cars. They need to stop redesigning everything and just
stick with some of the platforms they have now. They could make the Camaro
a 40 mpg car to compete with the civic and still offer it with a V-8.
They could even build crossovers on the same platform. They could also stand
to lose some of those fat ass overpaid union workers.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

I think Chevy should get back to being Chevy. Build relialble cars for a fair
price.

When was that Chevy? I remember when my dad bought the brand new Chevy Citation. 1980- the first year for Chevy's first FWD car. Sure did seem cool at the time.

About a month later we had to take it back. Transmission went out. They found the cellophane from a cigarette pack in it. Had to rebuild it. That was under warranty at least. Couple years later a head bolt broke and shot up so hard it put a dent in the hood. Dad and I pulled the head and sent it to a machine shop and put it back together. Later a brake line came off and my sister spun the car. Luckily she didn't hit anything. No one in my family ever bought another Chevy.

We became Toyota folks and have had good luck. It'd be hard for Chevy to get me back, but the Volt is a good try. I'd look at it. Rather have an EV1 though. I still don't understand why they pulled the plug (pun intended) on that one. Seemed like a great car.

[HatchetJack]

The FWD was the beginning of the end for GM. That and the computer
emmisions control systems mandated by the feds. The technology was just
not ready for that yet. It put customers and mechanics under unnecesary
hardships. Had they continued to improve their existing technology and
platforms, things would have turned out for the better. Give me a 78, 79
chevy or ford over a mid 80's model anytime.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

The FWD was the beginning of the end for GM. That and the computer
emmisions control systems mandated by the feds. The technology was just
not ready for that yet. It put customers and mechanics under unnecesary
hardships.

So, why didn't it cause the same trouble for any other manufacturer?

And we'd be better off if cars were still belching out the level of poison they did pre-1968?

Had they continued to improve their existing technology and
platforms, things would have turned out for the better.

They did. They just couldn't keep up.

Anyway, I thought it was the UAW that killed Detroit. Sounds like you're saying it was management and engineering. Help a poor dumb lib to understand.

John

[BlueStreak]

"Rather have an EV1 though. I still don't understand why they pulled the plug (pun intended) on that one. Seemed like a great car. "

It was a legal battle over the batteries. GM tried to screw the inventor of those batteries out of any compensation for his design, and a court battle ensued. (This is how the GM capitalist machine rewards innovation. No, wait, I've got that wrong. "It was all the unions fault". I keep forgetting my wing-nut political correctness.)
Anyways, as I understand it, the case has been resolved. But, in the mean-while the courts would not allow GM to market the EV1. Couldn't just leave them sitting around, so they crushed them.

Dave