http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/ Autoblog Comments for http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:20AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:34AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:39AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
The money losing part has to do with the massive amount of capital invested to get the project started. That's why he said the second generation would be profitable. The initial setup cost would no longer be part of the equation.]]>Jun 19th 2008 12:08PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 12:13PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 12:25PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 20th 2008 12:49AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 20th 2008 9:36AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:20AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
I wonder which one will sell better?]]>Jun 19th 2008 11:23AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:27AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:36AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 11:40AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
And with the price of the Prius climbing what makes you think that the new Lexus branded Prius (which has never been stated to be a PHEV) loaded up with options will be any less than 40k?

Not to mention the next Prius and it's Lexus counterpart will still be hybrid drive vehicles, while the Volt is an electric drive vehicle. Either way you're still comparing apples and oranges.]]>Jun 19th 2008 11:42AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 12:25PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
While the Volt doesn't have Hybrid Synergy Drive, the Prius (as sold by Toyota) doesn't run 40 miles without starting up the engine. You say the series-hybrid layout is less capable, others say it offers more electric-only operation. I suggest you wait and see what the actual product can do before dismissing it. I also like the bias in your original comment... the Volt is a "Malibu with an extension cord" while the Prius is a "plug-in." ]]>Jun 19th 2008 1:22PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 1:22PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
You know how independent companies are making Prius cars into plug-in Prius cars (for way too much money though) well think of having a Volt for 3 or 5 years and then a company comes out with a conversion kit (or they do it) where they turn the Volt into an all electric car. Well, they could do that with the Prius, right? It could go something like this though...

Assuming a do-it-yourself kit for Volt:
Step 1. Remove 1.0L engine. Free (your labor)
Step 2. Remove gas tank. Free (your labor)
Step 3. (Remove old or supplement) new longer life batteries when technology is better.
$5k-$10k

Assuming a do-it-yourself kit for Prius:
Step 1. Remove 1.0L engine. Free
Step 2. Remove gas tank. Free
Step 3. Remove old and/or add new longer life batteries.
$5k-$10K
Step 4. Remove Electric motor. Free
Step 5. Add new more powerful electric motor $5k-$10k
Step 6. New controller $1k
Step 7. New transmission maybe? $1k

Even if the cost even out (because the Volt cost more at first) I'd believe in the reliability of everything factory in place except the new and/or add on batteries. If the system worked for 5 years with the drive train (remember, the engine on the Volt is not part of the drive train) then that probably won't be the worry.

Yup, the Volt is so much less compatible with something I'm sure. Wake up to the real world where GM engineers continually pwn Toyota engineers with technology.

I see commercials for Toyota rain sensing wipers a couple years after my GM truck had it. HUD, OnStar, night vision Cadillac, HyWire, Sequal, world record distance hydrogen Equinox, etc., etc. Oh yeah, one of my favorites: emails about foreign cars in the garage with their lights on. My $20k GM vehicle has automatic headlights standard.


Anyway, I will buy a Volt the first year if for $40K it has OnStar, automatic lights, Bluetooth, tire pressure through DIC, XM and Sirius, Navigation, rain sensing wipers and whatever GM calls the functionality where your radio and windows, etc. stays operational until the doors open (one of my vehicles has it and the other doesn't).

Another nice feature one of my GM vehicles has and the other doesn't: a button that disables the inside lights for when the doors open. When my son falls asleep in the car it is nice to hit that button on the dash and when we open the doors he isn't woken up by lights. Yes, that is simple if you only have the one light top center of the ceiling and it has a switch but many modern vehicles have the ceiling lights in the corners so a dash button would be necessary.

Anyway, those features aren't too much to ask (I'm sure others would want more but that would make it worth it to me) for $40k


One other thing of interest about the Volt on the Saturn fans site apparently someone who has seen the near production Volt IIRC says the front end is Saturnish. It was in an article not just a forum post. ]]>Jun 19th 2008 1:57PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/Jun 19th 2008 2:18PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/lutz-volt-will-cost-40-000-first-gen-will-lose-money/
You both have valid points, so I propose a solution. Have electric motor(s) powering one set of wheels and the gas engine powering the other with something similar to Hybrid Synergy. Electric on the front would probably work best to get the most regenerative braking, but I may of a flawed understand here. Also, electric power is easily torque vectored resulting in a high stability, simple awd system.
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