[tedtropy]

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.UDwkZ6PdM3s

It's a really short article/blurb, so here it is below. The sheer price of the thing alone, even after the tax credit, just kills any of my interest, although I certainly don't mind how it looks at least.

General Motors is halting, for a month, the manufacture of its well-known but seldom-sold Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car, according to trade publication Automotive News. It would be the second interruption in production for the Volt, which can go 38 miles on battery power before needing a recharge from its gasoline engine or via a plug-in. Automotive News, citing unnamed sources, reports the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will suspend production from Sept. 17 until Oct. 15. Leaders of the UAW told the plant's 1,500 union workers about the scheduled downtime last week, the source said. A GM spokesman declined to comment. "We don't comment on production schedules," the spokesman told the News. "We continue to match supply and demand." Although the plant had another temporary shutdown earlier this year, Volt demand has actually been healthier. GM sold 10,666 Volts through July, way up from the 2,870 sold during the same period a year earlier.

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I'm shocked.

[Divvy]

Aren't these disruptions normal? I remember there was an article about the last one that explained it. Regardless, sales have been up lately.

[Resilient]

Repulsor technology is the future!

[duderon]

The "slow sales" part of the title is totally bullshit. Emphasis here because it will be overlooked.

Although the plant had another temporary shutdown earlier this year, Volt demand has actually been healthier. GM sold 10,666 Volts through July, way up from the 2,870 sold during the same period a year earlier.

I'm not an expert, but the reason the public doesn't hear about other model shutdowns is because they are routine.

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

It's an ugly POS car. I hope something like the Tesla's continue to sell and aren't too affected by this.

[Mr. F]

It's an ugly POS car. I hope something like the Tesla's continue to sell and aren't too affected by this.

How have Tesla cars been selling anyway?

[hoos30]

I bought a car last week at a GM dealer in the DC area. While I was waiting on paperwork, I asked the salesman if I could check out a Volt. He said he would love to, but they can't keep them on the lot because they sell out as quickly as the truck brings them in.

That said, the price tag is truly mind boggling. People still have stupid money to spend around here, but in many other areas of the country, not so much.

[fritolay]

Do those 1500 union employees still get paid when they don't work during this time?

[yankeeforever2]

They need to get the cost down some more, maybe 5 to 10 years the average consumer can afford it.

Do those 1500 union employees still get paid when they don't work during this time?

Nope, kind of liked a forced unpaid vacation, don't know if they get to go to other factories during down time

[ezrarh]

If it was down to something like 25k, I'd get an electric car in a heart beat.

[duderon]

How have Tesla cars been selling anyway?

Tesla has 13,000 reservations for the Model S. They will sell as fast as they can produce them. That said, production has been slow to ramp up, but is increasing. They made 100 as of last Tuesday the 21st. They're shooting for 500 by the end of September. Then 5000 by the end of the year.

[hoos30]

Do those 1500 union employees still get paid when they don't work during this time?

No. In theory, the old "jobs bank" program doesn't exist anymore. Someone closer to the industry could surely explain better.

[CoilShot]

Not surprise at all. When I bought my camaro they was sitting on the lot at 40k plus and the dealer was telling me no one was interested in them.

[Mr. F]

Tesla has 13,000 reservations for the Model S. They will sell as fast as they can produce them. That said, production has been slow to ramp up, but is increasing. They made 100 as of last Tuesday the 21st. They're shooting for 500 by the end of September. Then 5000 by the end of the year.

Wow good for them, 13,000 is more than I would have thought considering the price tag. Glad that it's still a viable business, interested to see where they go.

[Divvy]

Not surprise at all. When I bought my camaro they was sitting on the lot at 40k plus and the dealer was telling me no one was interested in them.

You should probably read the article and the thread.

Wow good for them, 13,000 is more than I would have thought considering the price tag. Glad that it's still a viable business, interested to see where they go.

I do hope they can fill out their orders. They've already experienced a lot of delays and they're lucky their customers are relatively patient.

[fritolay]

They need to get the cost down some more, maybe 5 to 10 years the average consumer can afford it. Nope, kind of liked a forced unpaid vacation, don't know if they get to go to other factories during down time

OK. I know some factories will purposely group downtime together so the workers can pull unemployment, but I don't know the details.

I think people will look back at the price tag of the Volt and it's 38 mile electric range and laugh. I actually hope that happens as electric or hybrid vehicles get better. However short term GM really screwed up with the Volt in my opinion. The lower and middle class can't afford this. Only hope is that more early adopters buy cars and the costs get lower and dare I say "trickle down" to the middle and lower class. However if Toyota can make a 20k hybrid prius why would you want to buy this except if you wanted to by a GM product? Fail.

[GashPrex]

Leasing a volt is actually worth it for the price - very good actually,

[Randolph Freelander]

Overpriced and ugly.

Best of luck when they fire back up the kiln.

[Pctx]

2 things... actually, wait no 3.

1) How many people will actually read the OP? Answer: The people who come in and answer: "Good, the thing was a POS, glad they finally are canceling it." are not part of that number.
2) The UAW bosses should also be furloughed for this fuck up as well or ultimately fired.
3) Market rules and not subsidies is what wins races.

[fritolay]

2 things... actually, wait no 3. 1) How many people will actually read the OP? Answer: The people who come in and answer: "Good, the thing was a POS, glad they finally are canceling it." are not part of that number. 2) The UAW bosses should also be furloughed for this fuck up as well or ultimately fired. 3) Market rules and not subsidies is what wins races.

If the thing was selling like hot cakes they would not suspend the line. Point is still valid.

[Volimar]

I hope it works out. We need more mainstream sales of these vehicles to bring the costs down sooner rather than later.

[Loofy]

I dont know what the designers were thinking.

"Guys lets make it look like the old Acura TL but make it uglier. Oh yeah two tone sideskirts that look like unpainted fiberglass. Thats super ugly."

[Bombadil]

It would be the second interruption in production for the Volt, which can go 38 miles on battery power before needing a recharge from its gasoline engine or via a plug-in.

It's an impractical piece of shit that doesn't deserve to sell.

[HoodWinked]

blame the nissan leaf and prius for doing it better.

[nateeasy]

Do those 1500 union employees still get paid when they don't work during this time?

They can apply for unemployment. The GM Factory here would shut down one week every year and a lot of the employees got unemployment.

factory is now shut down for good

Edit: Better article than in the OP

DETROIT - General Motors Co will idle the Michigan assembly plant that makes the Chevrolet Volt for four weeks from the middle of September to the middle of October, plant suppliers and union sources said on Monday. It will be the second time this year that the plant, which straddles the border of Detroit and the city of Hamtramck, has stopped making Volts. GM confirmed the plant idling, saying it will continue to "match supply with demand" for both the Volt and the Chevrolet Malibu sedan that is also made at the plant. The automaker declined to specify how long the plant will be closed. During the shutdown, GM will do some retooling and other work to prepare for production early next year of the 2014 Chevrolet Impala sedan. The plant will begin building preproduction prototypes of the redesigned Impala this fall. The 2013 Impala is now made at a GM plant in Oshawa, Ontario. Production of the current-model Impala will continue in Ontario through the second quarter of next year, GM said. The Volt is "doing great" and gaining sales each month and GM officials expect to report strong August sales as well, said GM spokesman Dave Darovitz. Sales of the plug-in hybrid car are up 272 percent since last year, but are below initial expectations when GM launched the Volt in late 2010, followed by its near-identical version for Europe, the Opel Ampera. Advertise | AdChoices Some 1,200 hourly workers at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will receive unemployment compensation during the four-week shutdown period, which amounts to about 90 percent of their normal pay, a union source said. The plant's single 10-hour shift works four days a week. That single shift will be suspended for four weeks beginning September 17, supplier and union sources said. GM would not say whether the number of workers will rise once Impala production has fully shifted to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. The idling of the plant was reported earlier by the Automotive News.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48806747.../#.UDwt2aOoaSo

[fritolay]

An updated quote was just released, so nothing much to this story it seems.

"We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We're gearing up for production of the new Impala," Chevy spokesman David Darovitz said in an email.

The 2014 Impala, a complete redesign, is an important model for Chevy, and GM wants to take extra time preparing the factory to ensure a high-quality launch, he said.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.UDwuFNZmQ6w

Edit - Beaten. They get 90% of their pay for not working? Holy crap that is surprising.

[Phoenix]

If the thing was selling like hot cakes they would not suspend the line. Point is still valid.

Vehicles get their lines suspended all the time based on market timing and use of the line by other vehicles. This happens to ALL classes and types of vehicles.

[eastmen]

It's an impractical piece of shit that doesn't deserve to sell.

How is it impractical ? I don't have one sadly but 35 miles would get me to work and back. Then on the weekends or when i need to go to the store I'd use the gas engine.

Its more practical than the leaf in which after x amount of miles i have a paper weight.


Gas is set to rise again with the hurricane hitting in the southeast and the refinery in vensuala blowing up

[Anticitizen One]

Prius is the superior car

[Wuthering_Heights]

Price it reasonably and it will sell.

They did not do that.

[FStop7]

How have Tesla cars been selling anyway?

I had heard that Tesla was having trouble but the most recent news sounds pretty good. They're opening new service centers and could start repaying their federal loans ahead of schedule.

[Onion_Relish]

Price it reasonably and it will sell. They did not do that.

This is the only problem. Why would I not just buy a Honda civic and spend the 16000 I save on gas? The only benefit to driving a volt is to wag your penis in front of ecogeeks and have the privilege of paying 5000 for a replacement battery 2 years down the road.

I'M JIST DROWNING IN SAVINGS.

[commedieu]

blame the nissan leaf and prius for doing it better.

Right? The volt's entire story would make an interesting movie. I remember when it was supposed to be a sports car. GM just... doesn't..think things through?

[The_Inquisitor]

Guys, article is bullshit.

I work in a semiconductor fab. Even though loading are average, we are taking 8 days mandatory vacation before Christmas. Absolutely normal.

[Divvy]

Right? The volt's entire story would make an interesting movie. I remember when it was supposed to be a sports car. GM just... doesn't..think things through?

Check this documentary out:


http://www.revengeoftheelectriccar.com/

It goes into the history of the volt, the leaf, and the Tesla roadster.

It's a sequel to "who killed the electric car?"

It's on Netflix

[commedieu]

Check this documentary out: http://www.revengeoftheelectriccar.com/ It goes into the history of the volt, the leaf, and the Tesla roadster. It's a sequel to "who killed the electric car?" It's on Netflix

Hate how all of my fucking ideas are always stolen by lesser mortals! Things like this keep me writing on my novel! Hmmph!

I did a buncha promo stuff for the volt before its debut, was so epic. But what it turned out to be was just sad and useless.

[twinturbo2]

Meanwhile, Tesla Motors is hitting their marks with Model S production targets. Elon Musk lent his Model S to Motor Trend. Here's the result.

[out0v0rder]

thats how you sell more things, restrict supply.

worked for nintendo when the wii came out.

[SRG01]

Guys, article is bullshit. I work in a semiconductor fab. Even though loading are average, we are taking 8 days mandatory vacation before Christmas. Absolutely normal.

You work in a semi fab? I feel so sorry for you and your long hours :(

That being said, these shutdowns for car factories are completely normal.

[Bombadil]

How is it impractical ? I don't have one sadly but 35 miles would get me to work and back. Then on the weekends or when i need to go to the store I'd use the gas engine. Its more practical than the leaf in which after x amount of miles i have a paper weight. Gas is set to rise again with the hurricane hitting in the southeast and the refinery in vensuala blowing up

I don't know what the average daily travel distance is where you live, but a 35 mile range is impractical in commuter regions like Los Angeles.

I'm surprised that it's 35 miles. I thought the range for electric vehicles had surpassed 90 mile ranges.

[The_Inquisitor]

You work in a semi fab? I feel so sorry for you and your long hours :( That being said, these shutdowns for car factories are completely normal.

Pretty sweet gig for an engineer out of college. I want to move to design after I complete my master's degree.

[Ninja Scooter]

if people are going to spend $40-50K on a car, they probably want it to say Lexus or Acura on it.

[Duracelllll]

If it was down to something like 25k, I'd get an electric car in a heart beat.

Guy here says, "I just bought my second Volt yesterday, a black 2013 model. This one was the base model at $40K, less a dealer discount of $4K, federal tax credit of $7.5K, CA tax credit of $1.5K and GM Card discount of $1K. Basically, a brand new Volt at $26K. Gotta love it!
Also, for the approx. 3 hours that I was at the dealership, I saw three other Volt sales completed. The finance manager told me they are selling between 30-40 Volts a month. It will be interesting to see what the sales numbers are for this month."

Go for it!

(*Yes I know the Volt is not a fully electric car.)

[Blackace]

Price it reasonably and it will sell. They did not do that.

It's almost as if they don't want it to sell...

[twinturbo2]

if people are going to spend $40-50K on a car, they probably want it to say Lexus or Acura on it.

The Cadillac ELR with Volt tech inside should be out in a year or two.

[LOCK]

I would have got one recently, if not for the price.

Maybe in 5 years.

[distantmantra]

My parents' friends have a Volt and I got to drive it few months ago. It's a great car, but I cannot justify the price.

[Piggus]

Prius is the superior car

No, it's garbage. Cheap materials and build quality to make up for the expensive batteries, and my god they are SO stupid looking. I'm actually a huge fan of cars and love the Volt, but it needs to come down in price. What the hell is impractical about a car that uses very little to no gas on an average commute but still has the option to go long distances?

It's an impractical piece of shit that doesn't deserve to sell.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/...t/viewall.html

[ChanHuk]

How and why are people saying that the Prius is a better car than the Volt? For one the Volt actually looks like a regular car while the Prius was designed by blind scientists wanting that extra drag coefficient.

Pricing is the only issue, but its new technology, its gonna be expensive.