This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
When Channel-Stuffing Comes Home? GM 'Idles' Volt Production (Again)
Color us unsurprised by this turn of events as Automotive News reports GM is set to idle the plant where it assembles the Chevy Volt for four weeks - starting next month. GM will close its Detroit-Hamtramck plant from Sept 17 to Oct 15 with its 1500 staff being made aware by union reps at the end of last week. The knock-on effect is relatively obvious as the illustrious government-owned auto manufacturer notified suppliers last week and while a GM spokesperson would not confirm the planned shutdown, we couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the comment that "we continue to match supply and demand" as we note this is the second time this year that GM has throttled back on Volt production. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant was idled from March 19 until April 16 amid swollen Volt inventories.
And from Bloomberg:
Sales of the plug-in hybrid sedan haven’t met Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson’s projections this year. Through July, GM sold 10,666 Volts in the U.S., according to researcher Autodata Corp. Akerson had aimed for sales of 60,000 globally, of which 45,000 would be delivered in the U.S. In June he said sales would probably total between 35,000 and 40,000.
It seems that maybe GM's bondholders had an inkling something was up a week or two back (as they considered rotating to the new GM issues last week)...
Chart: Bloomberg
»
- 10672 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
This wouldn't be a problem if the government just agreed to buy all surplus inventory.
I have officially seen one Volt on the road since it's release 2 years ago.
never seen one but I'm in Canada, perhaps they don't sell them here? lol
edit they went on sale in Canada in the fall of 2011 so that answers that question. They start at 41.5k for the base model? WTF?
http://www.autotribute.com/8597/chevy-volt-sales-begin-in-canada/
I've see one.
It was smothered with a big ass ObamaBiden2012 sticker.
'Nuff said
nothing like bigass yellow ribbon with words "support our troops" on a giant SUV in Walmart parking lot....
idiots couldn't educate their kids, so only job their stupid kids could get was with the government killing other people for oil (aka. US military), so idiot parents can continue to drive their super size fat asses in supersized SUVs to walmart.
How about "support my fat ass"?
Today I saw a yellow ribbon on a car and it said, "Pray for our Troops." It got me thinking I want to make some saying, "Pray for our Taxpayers." Maybe we could make up some ZeroHedge ribbons. In Black of course.
I hate those damned ribbons so much, I almost wish somebody would come out with one the color of blood with the phrase "Damn the Troops".
Just what the fuck does "Support the Troops" mean anyway, aside from being neocon code for "Support the Wars"?
"Support the Troops" is just a way to elicit guilt. Of course we don't want anyone to die, but the reality is the bumper sticker could just as well say "Support General Dynamics" or "Support Lockheed"
"Support United Fruit Company"
Popular bumper sticker circa 1913.
Support Batista corrupt government is making of Fidel Castro.
Channel-stuffing?
I thought we have outsourced that to China, no?
Boris was talking Fidel/Batista and chennel stuffing. Maybe it was Bill Clinton using cuban cigars to stuff Monica's channels.
Support my Volt, oh, thanks I guess you already did with your tax dollars.
Now get around back and push!
Support the Troops means Support Rothschild, Support the FED, Support the MIC, Support SATAN.
What kind of car do you use to lug around your fat ass?
Your data on all account is wrong. People from across the educational and sociaoeconomic spectrum volunteer to serve.
I'm not one for SUV's, but I sure respect those that volunteer to serve.Ans in a car crash, the SUV wins.
What have you done for your country lately..Butt-head?
What is there to respect in those who willingly support, sometimes with their lives or with life-long crippling injuries, the aggressively militaristic and imperialist, interventionistic foreign policy of the US federal government?
Face it: there is virtually NOTHING of "defense" in the actions of the US armed forces today ---- it is essentially all OFFENSE, and the Orwellian-named "Department of Defense" should be even more rightfully called what it once honestly used to be named, the Department of War.
I support NOBODY who is willing cannon fodder for an immoral foreign policy of aggressive war, and I have nothing but contempt and loathing for the ignorant and jingoistic rednecks and duplicitous neocon traitors who equate patriotism with kneejerk nationalism, endless warmongering, and blind devotion and obedience to a corrupt and criminal government.
EDIT: I can see by my down arrows here that even ZeroHedge is not free of a certain proportion of brainwashed, Police-State-loving zombies. Each of you can go to Hell, and if there is a God, you will.
You blame the soldier for the actions of the politician then?
No, I blame the soldier for the action of the soldier.
"I was just following orders" didn't cut it as a moral defense in Nuremberg, and it doesn't cut it today. Nor does "Well, I needed a job."
But I guess avoidance of responsibility, particularly moral responsibility, is so rampant in this fucked-up nation today that most Americans would not understand that.
Tough row to hoe, but damn fine job. +1
I know of a number of electrical contracts from the UK who have worked in Afghanistan on bases. Americans - particularly the steroid fueled jackasses who work for gestapo outfits providing 'security' are reviled.
I'll assume you didnt think about this before you wrote it.
You blame the Klan member for the action of the leadership?
The only "blameless" soldier is the one who is coerced into an army by the edict of a draft, under penalty of death or imprisonment. And even then, conscripts in Vietnam still couldn't use the Nuremberg defense.
Today's soldiers are volunteers. VOLUNTEERS. They willingly sign up, and some of them even re-up after their first tour ends. Maybe some of them got bad parenting, or grew up in tough circumstances, and saw no other way for a better life than joining the army. But they're all adults. That means they have to take responsiblity for their choices. If they can't see that they're being duped, being used by their civilian leaders, as little more than disposable cannon fodder to enrich a few of the 0.01%, then they're most certainly not blameless.
Is Tony from the neighborbood "blameless" after he joins the Mob, and finds out that his job is to break people's kneecaps? He knows what the Mob is. He joined anyway.
do they still do " goto jail, or volunteer, " for poor criminal types?
2 down arrows at the time of this post - and that is worthy of your rant on the immorality of war - on an article about the Chevy Volt and channel stuffing by GM? Lighten up, Francis.
I didn't down arrow you because of your message, I did because you're an asshole.
Well, ASSHOLE, I was not the one who initiated the diversion in the conversation.
And regardless of that fact, I make no apologies whatsoever for taking a stand against lemmings and Quislings who endlessly repeat such pro-government tripe as "Support the Troops".
Do you downarrow EVERY other poster who has EVER digressed from the original topic in a thread? I guess you are spending nearly all of your time downvoting posters on ZH, then.
Lighten up, Francis.
Your angry tone is making it difficult for me to masturbate while reading your message.
It must be difficult to keep flipping back and forth between ZeroHedge and YoungNakedAsianBoys.com.
Is maybe try OldRussianMen.com?
you're too funny akak, and you too boris!
Gotta bookmark that one, thanks!
Up arrow from me. Couldn't have said it better myself! While I have lots of friends who served, I simply chose not to. I didn't want to fight for politicians who wrapped themselves in the American flag and scream about patriotism (yet oddly enough) never sat foot on a battlefield and have no problem ordering me to my possible death. Chickenhawks?
I have seen plenty of SUVs and high end gas guzzlers with Muslim-Biden 2008 and 2012 stickers. Don't kid yourself asswipe.
I do not drive a gas guzzler. In fact, I think the Ford Fusion hydrid plug-in looks pretty cool. Toyota should have doen a Prius plug-in years ago. Want to know why it did not happen? The lib shithole California would lose MAJOR tax revenues from a drop in gasoline sales with plug-in hybrids.
The best technology for high gas mileage is German diesels. Anyway you are an Obama-Cass Sunstein fuKKing mole/troll.
Not so many here in LA. I don't give a crap what you drive. If you can pay to keep it moving, then good for you.
I drive a big ol' huge 1979 cadillac convertible with cowhide seats, whale skin wrapped dash and steering wheel and custom baby seal skin covered hubcaps - the back seat is full of old foam BigMac boxes that blow out onto the road occasionally. My bumper sticker says "honk if you can read this through the exhaust fumes!"
I'm Lovin your comment AD!
What I am looking forward to is when the US economy really hits the skids as the crony capitalists grind it into the ground - then the guns come onto the streets and we have a hate thy neighbour fueled binge of terror.
America is gonna get exactly what it deserves. This is gonna make the French Revolution look tame!
I am hopeful that the gunners understand who caused this fiasco and they make sure to focus on Wall Street. But then, Americans are pretty stupid so that's a long shot
Obviously they don't sell them here either. Well they sold one .. To DCFusor but that's it as far as I know.
Don't worry anyone. The BLS will seasonally adjust these temporary layoffs away just to piss off Tyler.....
Even stalinObama won't campaign at GM this year
The BLS will seasonally adjust these temporary layoffs away
The BLS will probable adjust this into a huge beat, lowest claims in a year.
Wonder how many of those 10,000 sold have been at retail? Probably about 5K to GE and 4.75K to employees. Leaves only a few suckers who actually thought it was cool to own one
Whole Foods has preferred parking spots for plug in vehicles at their newest store in Raleigh. Guess who makes the plug-in electric kiosks? GE. So GE has some incentive to buy these vehicles
It'll be interesting to see Toyota's efforts at selling the EV Rav4 this fall. Marketing says the battery range is 100 miles before you need to plug-in. It'll probably be priced lower than the Volt.
Lots of hackers have done Prius plug-ins since the Prius came out. The Prius plug-in from Toyota is coming out and it gets 86 mog but they jacked up the price a lot. The new Ford Fusion plug in looks good too. California says it wants these cars but they are worried about losing gas tax revenues.
The technology is getting better but it is still not there. Turbo charged 3 or 4 cylinder direct injection diesels would be a better way to go.
Toyota produced a test batch of electric Rav4 vehicles years ago... they are very sought after vehicles and many times sell for more used than they did new. The U.S. would adopt a plug in vehicle that could travel a decent distance and not cost an arm and a leg to both the buyer and the taxpayer. Oh, and it should seat 5 (ahem, GM!)
I have actually seen 3 in my small town, the grocery store has plugs for 4. But then this used to be a retirement town for rich people b4 the world went to hell. Green Valley AZ
Global Hunter , Does GM still have a higher sticker price for it's cars sold in Canada? I've seen 5 Volts in Orlando ,, most with utility company signage...
Seen one last week for the first time too.........it was on the back of a flatbed diesel burning junk yearning wrecker.
I have seen three in new york
i thought i saw one the other day...turned out to be just a bond fire....
I haven't seen any.
Sure, Ben can finance unlimited inventory at near ZIRP!
This just allows the UAW workers to go out campaigning for O while they collect.
Can you say jobs bank? Sure you can, bitchez.
Goin' green b!tchez
Extend and pretend...
"Extend and pretend..."
Note the battery range: 38 miles.
That would get me to work in the morning but I'd only get a quarter of the way back home that night
They want you to steal from your employer apparently or alternately, they are giving your employer an excuse to garner, cut or otherwise take away a portion of your current wage.
Central planning, they think of everything...ya gotta love it ;-)
Now that's razist...
"Fuel" operating cost.............. More than a dollar a mile.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/chevyvolt.asp
In before DCFailure shows up to defend the electroturd.
Runs on compressed unicorn farts!
That's some crazy shit, I'm tellin' ya.
If Obama believes in the Volt division so much (seeing as he's squandered 10's of billions of taxpayer dollars on just this) Why doesn't he have his entire secret service use commercially available Volt vehicles to protect him...ya know, seeing as they are so 'reliable'. I want to see secret serveice in Volts.
Shit. Come to think of it his campaign bus was made in Canada wasn't it?
Hope and Change.
Green era is done now that the Emerging Markets are collapsing.
A plug!!!...a plug!!!...my kingdom for a plug!!!
a) cork
b) finger in dyke
c) electric
d) butt
e) some of the above
f) none of the above
g) all of the above at the same time
lol...I was thinkin C...but G will hit the spot right about now ;-)
This thread is downright racist.. The new Government Motors work camps will save trillions in taxpayer EBT expenses…
This Is Bob - Bob Is a Racist
/sarc
They should shut down all American car production until Americans lose enough weight to fit in the driver seats. Fat people shouldn't be allowed to drive or fly. They didn't design cars or planes to carry fat people. Last week every pair of fat people seemsed ot have a screeming fat brat baby between them on the plane just so they could fit, three seats across, all the way from LA to NYC. Make them walk.
Tickets and vehicles purchased with EBT card - Everybody Be Trippin'
If people got their weight under control, we could get by with less than 700cc. http://landolakes.patch.com/blog_posts/a-place-that-celebrates-the-small...
Here in the USA we're experiencing the miracle of "high-fructose corn syrup" being used in a strategy to fatten up the population. Benefits? The requirement of bigger vehicles (as you cite Q99x2) using more oil to propel, and promoting the sale of more diabetic products such as insulin, those "scooters" you see advertised on TeeVee (paid for by Medicare), plus lots more doctor visits and other prescription drugs to deal with all the side-effects.
What's not to like?
P.S. Forgot to mention the many exercises centers across the land, selling 1 year minimum memberships that the buyer will only use for 2 weeks before giving up. And over time they can virtually sell 100,000 memberships in a club that can accomodate 200!
Next month just for fun, tune in to "the biggest loser" on NBC. Good teevee fun!
Absolutely no cost to me.
Imagine these fat fucks plopping down on a toilet seat a few times a day. And how do they shit in those airplane bathrooms? America has way too many fat disgusting fuckers. And they want you to buy a Volt?
Speaking of fat asses, anyone else notice the number of fat people riding motorized scooters in grocery stores? One store by me has at least three scooters and I always see peeps on them. I'm not talking hobbled seniors, I'm talking middle aged lard-asses putting around. Stores need to put Twinkies on the top shelf to make them at least stand up to get their crap snacks!!
What I really notice are all the chunky if not obese 20-somethings and even teenagers nowadays in the USA.
Back when I was a teenager in the 1970s, there were hardly any teenagers, or even people in their 20s, who were noticeably or significantly overweight --- in high school, I would put the percentage of such people at less than 5%. Today, it seems to me that the majority of those under 30 are overweight if not obese.
I suspect that HFCS, and the almost ubiquitous and constant consumption of sugary drinks, are partly responsible for this, but I put much more blame on overprotective parents who will not let their kids even ride their bikes to the end of the street without the paranoid fear of having them kidnapped (I have news for almost all of you parents: nobody wants your brats), as well as on the kids themselves, who are increasingly spending too much time on their indoor e-gadget obsessions and texting God knows what to each other to actually get off their increasingly fat asses, go outdoors and do something physical and/or meaningful, as we did at their age.
Your post really hit home akak. My 19 year old younger daughter is at least 50lbs over weight and I'm just unable to do anything to help her. The sad thing is is she really doesn't think she's overweight. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I have offered to help her in any way to lose the weight and she says she doesn't have a problem. I grow up in the 70s too. I was 15lbs overweight and was the school fatty. I was teased by my classmates and my own mother who threatened to buy me only old lady clothes if I didn't lose weight. Boy was there a lot of pressure back then not to to be fat! I'm not saying what I went through was right but this "cluelessness" today is just strange. I pulled my daughters pants out of the dryer the other day and because I couldn't help myself, looked at the size. She is wearing a size 10! I damn near passed out. In the 70s that should have been a size 18 or 20. I wear a size 10 and those pants were huge on me.Shes living a lie. Duped by some corporate strategy to resize and make everyone feel good.It's just devastating for me, I can't help her and she won't hear me. The only thing I can do is not enable her and not stock the kitchen with junk. If she wants garbage, then she must pay for it out of her own money.
It makes me so sad just to write about this. I'm not a protective parent nor did I let any HFCS in our house. She, unfortunately, is highly influenced by her peer group and what they eat. I'm hoping she'll wake up some day and not become one of the patients I see everyday in my line of work.
Miffed:-)
HFCS is in everything along with salt plus other crap. Every packaged food is filled with both. Once in a blue moon, I go into McDonalds for a fish sandwich. It is the only thing they sell, besides salads, that contains something close to what is advertised. I can tell it has something related to fish because the portions keep getting smaller.
MCD is loaded with Obama supporters. MCD sells poison. The food is total crap. The libs bitch about Chik FilA but at least they sell real food. MCD is in Illinois aka Chicago - so they get a free pass on selling food that is worse than Soylent Green.
Try to keep your daughter away from any soft drinks. Even the diet ones are bad. Supposedly anything with wheat is bad now because they are using GM wheat now which is fattening. Best of luck.
A little suggestion: start buying only fruits, nuts, beans, cereals, veggies and meats, no prepackaged processed stuff, and tell her it's for your own health and wellbeing because you want to live long enough to see her have grandkids. Obviously this is if you don't already do this. Snacks = trailmix, popcorn, frozen bananas (I eat mine with peanut butter w/o sugar) and frozen juice pops, animal crackers or graham crackers; drinks = club soda, fruit juice (no sugar added stuff); less pizza and replace with whole wheat pasta and sauce with less sugar...just eliminate as much sugar from the regular home diet as possible. Also ask her to help you test new foods, participate in it together, get wasabi peas, different exotic fruits (I tried pomegranate as a kid and loved them withouth ever hearing about "anti-oxidants"), spicy kale chips, gourmet pretzels, soy chips, there are thousands of different new and "exotic" things to experiment with try and many online resources. Always be careful to get low sodium stuff if possible (people get more than enough salt in their diets usually). Ask her to help you...
http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/inexpensive-healthy-snacks/
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/healthy_recipe...
Try to make everything in cupboards something that must be be prepared, or fresh fruit and veggies. No heat and eat, or open and swallow.
Thanks guys for all the kind responses and advice. Boy I wish it would work. To bad I don't have privileges like HH or I'd show you what is in my cupboards and refrigerator right now. You'd be shocked. Probably more austere than you suggested. Refrigerator= cooked chicken and salmon, my homemade chicken soup w/ vegetables, raw milk, fat free plain yogurt, tons of seasonal fruit & veggies bought at the local farmers market, blueberries and strawberries, various condiments, some artisan cheese.Pantry= raw nuts, pearl barley,rolled oats,farro, brown rice, flour, canned sardines and tuna,oils, some whole grain pasta, dried fruit, brown sugar, spices, honey and molasses, cacao powder and good quality protein whey powder. Freezer= meat, chicken feet and beef bones for making stock, fruit for smoothies, Amy's frozen dinners (she'll eat these occasionally) I used to have Alden's ice-cream sometimes ( to die for! Great treat) however she ate the whole quart in one sitting the last time I got it ( it's quite expensive, I was hoping it would last a few weeks) so I no longer buy it. Perhaps I'm too austere but frankly this is what my husband and I enjoy eating and it's the only way I can avoid being 50 lbs over weight (Ive been there) She complains there's nothing to eat in the house and I show her what she could make. She rolls her eyes at me and goes out to eat with her friends at Cheese Cake Factory. I feel lost and hopeless. If there is a god, I pray there is some hope out there I just don't understand. Judging and criticizing her won't work.
Miffed:-)
Where does the money come from to go out to eat?
airfare, by the pound, just like freight fees
Ha ha! You just had 9 normal sized people read that, and 8 fat ones!
Bailout 2.0 right around the corner. Especially so when they need another $5 billion in credit to short cover their pensions.
Who would touch this paper....
This is the kind of stuff that is beyond comprehension.
A vehicle designed by committee, funded by tax dollars (while privatizing profits), and pushing a social agenda? What could ever be wrong with this picture?
(/sarc - tag for the mentally impaired. You probably don't know who you are).
Spec was for a horse, delivered a camel with black and white stripes.
More tax money down a bottomless hole. What a waste.
A Chevy Volt story.... Where is DCFusor to tell us how great they are?
For goodness sake. Why don't the liberals use their brains a little and provide a little more incentive. How about, for every volt you buy, you get a free house to plug it into. Kills two birds with one stone. sarc
" Why don't the liberals use their brains".......
They have brains?
They don't need brains they have Fisker Karma.
Yes, they have half a brain left.
Gave the other half away to a less fortunate brain dead child at birth.
Or give half of one's spine away to Mr. Lubner who was born without one.
AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHHH
Fucking liberals.
A bunch of my uber-liberal golf buds out here in the Winter Home of the Great Satan are always talking about social justice, taxes, etc., meaning take it away from the rich and give to the poor. And are globalists to boot.
You know, bitching about the rich 1% fuckers who need to fund the rest of the world's woes
I pointed out to them that if you make $25,000, then welcome to the 1% On A Global Basis.
So I suggested we take half their income and give it to the UN, etc....
They screamed
And got pissed off about being caught in their hypocrisy
And I also suggested they car pool to work or take a fucking bus...which due to the geographics here abouts is totally doable... and when they screamed about that I suggested a Volt.
They screamed about that, too....
I don't know what to do...
(fucking liberals... and just you wait until the other half is back in office...)
+10
I don't know what to do...
Find new golf partners. Golf is for the idle rich anyway. I play once a month on a cheap muni. I can afford better but not with our Islamic Mugabe in power. They talk about social justice and taxes? Tell them to pay more taxes. Send in an extra $2,000 with their tax return. You suggested that they give it to The UN. LOL!
These people are scum.
There definitely needs to be a "Golf Tax" because obviously people that can play golf are elites and can afford a golf tax and also higher water tax because if you can water a golf course with an increasingly depleted resource you can pay for that and also a clean air tax (like carbon emissions) because anyone that is rich enough to play golf can afford to pay a little more for the fresh air they are guaranteed on a golf course and it would be a good idea to have a "polo shirt" tax because anyone that has a collared shirt with an animal or rich person playing a rich sport like polo on it can afford to be taxed and also a "leisure" activity tax because anyone that is wealthy enough to have leisure time could certainly afford to pay for someone else's leisure and "specialty shoe" tax because anyone that can afford an extra pair of shoes with spikes on them can afford to pay extra for that and...
sessinpo "For goodness sake. Why don't the liberals use their brains a little and provide a little more incentive. How about, for every volt you buy, you get a free house to plug it into. Kills two birds with one stone. sarc"
OMG hush don't give them any more idea's on how to steal from the taxpayers they take that stuff (and our money) literally. Too bad we couldn't give China the bill along with the piece of crap Volt.
General Motors is becoming China Motorshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvl5Gan69Wo
Odd how the union's are quiet about this. In fact liberal's in general given China's human right's conditions. I guess as long as they get their pensions and payouts from the taxpayers it suddenly doesn't matter that Zero outsourced their jobs.
Get over it, Volts last too long due to superior quality, nobody needs a new one right now.
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 tell-tale Heartbeat of America...
Chevy Volt misses 2011 sales goal December 1, 2011: 5:14 PM ETNEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- General Motors admitted Thursday that it won't sell the 10,000 Chevrolet Volts that it had hoped to sell in 2011, and said that it would buy the plug-in electric car back from any customer fearful about its safety.
Until now, GM has stood by its goal of selling 10,000 Volts by the end of the year -- even as sales lagged. But when GM reported its November sales, an executive admitted that the goal is now out of reach.
"We're not at all disappointed," said Don Johnson, GM's vice president of sales operations. "We'll hit it early next year."
By the end of November, Chevrolet dealers had sold a total of 6,100. Of those, 1,100 were sold in November, about the same as the month before.
GM executives said on the company's conference call that Volt sales have been constrained not by lack of demand, but by lack of supply.
Volt sales had slowed to a trickle during the summer months as GM temporarily shut down the Detroit factory where the car is built. The month-long shut-down allowed GM to revamp the factory in order to boost the car's production volume.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/01/autos/chevy_volt_sales/index.htm
"The month-long shut-down allowed GM to revamp the factory in order to boost the car's production volume." when they can't even give the fuckers away.
Gubamint thinkin' at it's best.
So when the plant shuts down for a few weeks… does that mean GM is 10% more efficient since the workers are only getting 90% of their pay for not being there?
Somebody double check my maff to see if I got that right.
And while the plant is idled the union workers will collect unemployment, I thought the purpose of the union was to support the workers during short-term shutdowns, but no, the state will pay unemployment benefits.
The benefit isn't worth the high price. It's essentially a $40,000 Vega.
>>>>>a $40,000 Vega
Now that's funny!
They should have just taken the plans of the East German Trabant made of wood cellouse and put golf car batteries in it. It would have been a better value than the Volt and more in tune with command economy manufacturing.
I remember in college a little coverage of command economies aka USSR. Who knew it would make such a comeback with our dear and beloved islamic brother.
They invested in the wrong tech.....
The Germans got it right again - simply stick a 1.2 litre diesel engine in a small car , increase the gear ratio , take the spare tyre out , narrow the wheels a bit and you can get 90 MPG on long journeys with conservative driving.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsdiEc80vKs
PS cheap car = lower capital cost.
My supercharged V8 Jaguar with 18" front and back runs just fine on imported oil, with 2 sets of clubs, thanks.
I'll stick to my BMW. I fell in love with the brand the first time I ever drove one. I haven't veered away since.
Really? I owned several as a young person, but never would again. Great design and performance; never reliable. As a poor person, I have to work on all my own stuff: I don't really drive, but my wife and son do.
I am not wealthy by any means(monetarily that is), but I do believe in buying quality. I got tired of every domestic I had rattling apart after three years. When I bought a domestic that was in the shop three times the first year I owned it is when I started looking for something a little more durable. I guess I am fortunate when it comes to reliability , other than brakes and routine maintainence I haven't had any problems.
I bought a 1978 chevy pickup with a 137,000 miles from my dad's midas shop, in 1988 and traded it in 1995 for a Toyota, the odometer said 26,000 miles, the salesman said obviously it has turned over, I said "yup" Never mentioned it had turned over twice.
Well the Skoda is Czech there Seamus, but they are owned by VAG (VW Audi Group). All VW direct injection diesel technology. The Germans have the best diesel technology and it kicks the hybrids and electric cars asses.
I have done that drive and it is a long ass way too. This is like driving from South Florida to Virginia or probably NY to Chicago and back or about 2/3rd of Callifornia and back or one end of Texas to the other and back (east to west).
There are some up and down roads going downhill to N Germany and uphill on the way back. Incredible. It is the right technology. You can't get that sh*t in Calliefornia because it would kill tax revenues. MoonBeam state was terrified that the Prius would kill gas tax revenues in CA.
You mean GM is cutting loses....bullish
Usually they grind losers into the ground before they give up
That man was getting 2.1 litres per 100KM.........
thats
134.5 miles per gallon
keep it simple stupid.
Normal guys can get 90MPG on long journeys with that car & model.
I am not sure why anyone junked you. That test using the Skoda was the real deal. It can get that mileage. It is amazing technolgy to be able to do that. What spped was he averaging on the autobahn?
GM has bondholders? OMG now THAT is funny!
Screw me once, shame on you...
GM has bagholders.
hey Clint, what quarter is America in now......this game is dragging on !
But Jay Leno said his Volt is a great car.
http://listofsuck.com/the-chevy-volt-sucks/
I saw a Volt today! Making it about 5 I've seen since they were released. I also saw a Nissan Leaf over the weekend for the first time. But I live near a big city where most parking garages have charging stations in them. Funny that I have yet to see a car being charged though.
If I was going for a green vehicle, I'd probably get a Prius. Or maybe just a used 40 mpg Focus or Elantra for half the price of a Prius which is about 3/4 the cost of a Volt!
I saw a Volkswagon Rabbit on the road a few days ago --- I was astounded that there was one that was not only still intact, but actually in driveable condition.
We love our Leaf! Gets about 70-80 miles per charge which gets my husband to work and back with about 10 miles to spare. If he has plans after work that may push that limit he just pilfers electricity at his job. We've spent under 50 dollars for him to drive 2000 miles. Government subsidy made the car cost about 23,000 and we have solar (payment for solar equals the cost we paid San Diego gas and electric) so it's been very cost effective for us. It doesn't have enough range for me to go to work and the miles really plummet if you go up a lot of hills so the mileage indicater (guessometer as my husband calls it) can't be very inaccurate. Funny thing, the dealership said a few obese customers reported getting significantly less mileage than average! Actually the car is kinda fun to drive, surprisingly lots of torque.
Miffed:-)
The thing that blows my mind about the owners of these stupid green cars is that they buy them to drive around town and show off to their neighbors that the are concerned and cool. The dumb fucks don't realize that you need to freaking drive the shit out of them on the interstate, 100's of miles a week to make sense.
Funny you guys mentioned these fat ass kids today.
Just saw a public service announcement advocating "get up and move" or some derivation there of. Couldn't help but remember the public service announcements I watched as a kid talking about "this is your brain on..." or teen pregnancy or whatever. Now it seems people don't even care if their kids are getting high or fucking or whatever as long as they are off their Xbox or PSIII or fat lazy asses and doing SOMETHING!
We were skinny as rails when we were kids, played outside constantly.
would someone please plow this haggard has-been arrogant bag lady of a car company under???
GM is closing down a plant in Shreveport Louisiana Aug-30th. Around 700+ workers will loose their jobs there.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/when-channel-stuffing-comes-home-gm-idles-...
Their nuts may be loose, maybe that is why they are losing their jobs.
ONLY IN DETROIT
what more is there to say
The first clue that they were fucked was that they started a Volt leasing program. After the lease was up it would be a reVolt.
I leased a volt three weeks ago. I've gone 700 miles so far and used 0.3 gallons of gas. I've owned 12 cars so far, and this one is by far the most fun, mainly because at this rate I will not need to go to a gas station for two years. Ok, junk away :-)
I take it this means you don't have to drive farther than 35 miles or so, and have access to charging stations after each drive? What happens if you need to take an interstate trip of over 200 miles? You stop every 35 miles and recharge? How long does the recharge take before you can go the next 35 miles? Once you go past the capability of going all electric drive, you're running on gasoline, and on a long trip that would equal far more than 0.3 gallons used, would it not?
Fair questions. To my surprise, the car easily achieves 45 miles on battery power (so far). We have a garage w 120v power so we "fill up" whenever we're home. We have a Hyundai Sonata that we will use for longer trips in order to optimize the lease mileage on the volt's efficiency to avoid $4 gas. It takes about 8 hours for a full recharge, but very often, we'll use about 20 miles in the AM then plug it in and get the full 45 mi in the pm. We will be getting a 240v charger installed next week that will give us an operationally effective 80-90 miles per day electtic range.
If you have a garage this is a truly breakthrough car. It is easily as good overall as a BMW. I am not a political animal. I'm a utilitarian...one question only...does it work better for me and do little to no harm to others? If so, then it's a go. It's simply a car, not the antichrist :-)
Well, obviously gasoline is too cheap. The government needs to tax gas (and/or create artificial scarcity) to the $10/gal level if they expect to sell Volts.
Go primal - No carbs (yes even whole wheat - it is poison). No processed food.
Just eat plants and animals.
Buffett's investments in BYD should give us all a clue about where the battery powered/assisted vehicles industry is heading in the near future. To date, BYD has been quietly testing the most advanced electric vehicle platform, and struggling to sell to their domestic (and subsidised) market. Their profits have dropped by 94%, and there is no way that they will ever meet the target of 500,000 cars per annum by 2015. If this is a good indicator of consumer demand, my bet is that we might even see the great GM bail out AGAIN fairly soon.
Nothing short of a "Pearl Harbour event" (Should sound familiar to fans of PNAC), perhaps an oil supply crisis lasting months will do to create the impetus for consumers to switch to battery power. I'm hedging on both.