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Outside the door to General Motors' Washington office is a photo of the Chevy Volt framed by the U.S. Capitol.
GM loves to market the Volt, the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year ("A car of the future you can drive today.") It's an engineering breakthrough, a darling of the "green" media and evidence that stodgy old GM knows how to innovate.
So why, I asked Mike Robinson, GM's vice president of environment, energy and safety policy, is GM selling so few Volts? Just 321 in January, 281 in February, according to GM's monthly sales report. By comparison, Chevy sold nearly 70,000 Silverado pickup trucks during those two months.
"We're on target," he assured me. "We've probably got orders for every one we can build in the next year." Chevy plans to sell 10,000 Volts this year, and another 45,000 next year and, if all goes well, a lot more after that.
"This is not a science project," he said. "We really want to build a mass-market vehicle. We believe that electric cars are a better long-term solution than pure gasoline."
Strong words from an executive at GM, which remains the No. 1 automaker by sales in the U.S., selling 2.2 vehicles last year. If GM believes in electric cars, chances are we'll be seeing many more of them in the years ahead.
I was meeting Mike for the first time. He's a straight-shooter who divides his time between Detroit and D.C., where he's got an apartment. Mike, 56, is a native of Worcester, Mass. and a lawyer who was educated in Jesuit schools and has worked for GM since graduating from Villanova Law in 1984. Before that, he spent four years as an Air Force officer in Mississippi, Oklahoma and King Salmon, Alaska, where, yes, the fishing was great. He loved the air force, he told me, but didn't care for the bureaucracy. Somehow he wound up at GM. Go figure.
The good news, he said, is that post-bankruptcy, GM is a leaner company where young people, many of them passionate about sustainability, are being heard. "We're a lot nimbler than we used to be," Mike said.
I would buy a diesel; they
I would buy a diesel; they generally get around 40/60mpg. I don't see any advantage in owning an electric or hybrid. Agree that gasoline is a loser.
'"This is America," Mike
'"This is America," Mike says. "People have choice. In some places you might be able to dictate to the population what they are going to do, and not do." Not here, thank goodness.'
"(A $7500 federal credit will ease the sticker shock.)"
I wish I could choose not to pay for other peoples Chevy Volts. Unfortunately, this is America where we have no choice.
Umm how are you paying for
Umm how are you paying for this? Do you understand how tax credits work lol? It would lower the persons taxable income not increase your taxes.
Wow........just wow!
With that said this car is ridiculously overpriced.
Your point makes some sense,
Your point makes some sense, but... Lowering my tax burden (assuming I bought a Volt) would not cause the Federal govt to lower its budget. It should, but it doesn't. Therefore, what it does do is increase the actual burden of funding the government (both actual, financed debt, and deferred debt) spread amongst the rest of the population. So actually, yes, it does mean that other people have to pay more.
Think of it this way. Lets say the three of us decide to go to a restaurant and buy a pizza for $15. But because Anonymous is sitting in the special seat, we decide that he only has to pay $3 instead of $5. The extra $2 has to come from somewhere. Just because the government has been borrowing itself into oblivion for the last X years, doesn't mean that the pizza now only costs $13, any more than the government decreasing someones tax burden makes us have to pay less to fund programs.
If we really think about it, isn't it ridiculous that our government would pay us to buy a car, or home, or new appliances? Though we all like the idea of free money, it just is crazy. Remember a few years ago, when the government paid for all of our digital TV converter boxes? Huh? As if the fatties that couldn't survive without TV would be able to pick themselves off their couches to start riots over that one.
--on the Volt---
I drove one and was really quite impressed. It was actually a decent car with way more power than the Prius. It did have some strange noises that GM needs to work out. Rolling down the back windows created horrible wind noise, and with the radio off there was an awful scream coming from the dynamos, or something. I would buy one if those things were worked out...oh and if the price was cut in half.
Wow, another comment section
Wow, another comment section full of comments bereft of any intelligence. New products always cost more initially; look at how much plasma and led televisions were when the first came out as compared to now. Obviously, the Volt is not for everyone, but if you have a short commute to work, which many people do, you can drive back and forth on electric power for a fraction of what it would cost for a gasoline engine. The technology and performance will only get better from here. When gas hits $4 and $5 a gallon I will like to see how many of you want to continue to complain about the Volt. This is the future; you had better embrace the change that is coming.
My 1996 BMW Z3 gets better
My 1996 BMW Z3 gets better mileage than this (29mpg), costs about $7000 on ebay and looks better. Why am I going to buy this ?
Considering they're $40,000+,
Considering they're $40,000+, I'd rather buy a corvette than a volt. I know they 'dont make much money' on these cars but a price tag that hefty is a hard sell.
This car was designed not to
This car was designed not to sell. Even GM and the government know it's a lemon. That’s why they are using tax credits to entice suckers to buy it.