Bye Bye Chevy Volt

[easysurfer]

Saw on the news today that GM is laying off thousands of workers and will no longer make some car models. Most noticeable, no more Chevy Volt.

IMO, there always was this thought that GM wasn't that serious about the Chevy Volt anyhow, but more made the car just to say something like "Toyota has a hybrid, well so do we."

Amid flagging sales, General Motors confirmed on Monday that it will no longer make the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, ceasing production on March 1st, 2019. The news comes as part of a wider plan by GM to slash car production in North America and halt production of several low-selling brands. Trading on GM shares was briefly halted on the stock exchange early on Monday in anticipation of “major operational changes,” according to CNBC.

The imminent death of the Volt is certainly a disappointment, especially for fans of early electric and hybrid vehicles. GM was lauded when the Volt came out in 2010 for its prescient bet on vehicles with electric powertrains. The first-generation model got 36 miles of electric range before the gas kicked in, while later versions would get 53 miles of electric range. That was enough for most people to cover their daily commute. Volt owners would often brag about not having to fill up their gas tanks in months or even years.


Volt owners would often brag about not having to fill up their gas tanks in months or even years


GM briefly ceased production of the Volt back in March 2012, but it restarted it just weeks later with a refreshed look. The release of the all-electric (and similar-sounding) Chevy Bolt in 2016 took some of the wind out of the Volt’s sales, but the Volt still retained a dedicated fan base.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/26/18112536/gm-layoffs-factory-closing-ending-production-chevy-volt

 

[Bamaman]

We just love our 2018 Camry Hybrid. You'd never even know it was a hybrid if it wasn't so silent running and if it didn't get 48 mpg @ 75 mph. Gets 52 mpg in town. And no plugging it in either.

 

[Ready]

From what I recall the Volt only could go about 12 miles on battery power before requiring gasoline. That's not terribly useful nor competitive at this point. I drove one for a few months and didn't care for it much.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

It seems they are playing the Bolt, so jettison the Volt.

 

[jimbee]

From what I recall the Volt only could go about 12 miles on battery power before requiring gasoline. That's not terribly useful nor competitive at this point. I drove one for a few months and didn't care for it much.

Around 50 miles on electric.

 

[Jerry1]

I’m more disappointed that they are discontinuing the Impala. I guess us big car guys are a thing of the past. Maybe I’ll get on of the last ones if they run some deals.

 

[skipro33]

Well, I'm trading in my 2015 Subaru Forester for a 2019 Ford Excursion. We now have siz grand kids and need the room...

 

[Winemaker]

Just like Ford announced a few months back that they will stop selling cars in North America, GM has followed. If a family has the proverbial 2.3 kids, it is downright impossible to put more than 2 car seats in a car. One must buy a SUV or a crossover, which are nothing more than shrunken/elevated station wagons of the past.

 

[Spock]

Just like Ford announced a few months back that they will stop selling cars in North America, GM has followed. If a family has the proverbial 2.3 kids, it is downright impossible to put more than 2 car seats in a car. One must buy a SUV or a crossover, which are nothing more than shrunken/elevated station wagons of the past.

The proverb needs to be updated as the average is down to 1.9.

 

[VanWinkle]

We just love our 2018 Camry Hybrid. You'd never even know it was a hybrid if it wasn't so silent running and if it didn't get 48 mpg @ 75 mph. Gets 52 mpg in town. And no plugging it in either.

And that's why Chevrolet is no longer making the Volt. Competition is good, even when the foreign competition wins.

 

[RunningBum]

Just like Ford announced a few months back that they will stop selling cars in North America, GM has followed. If a family has the proverbial 2.3 kids, it is downright impossible to put more than 2 car seats in a car. One must buy a SUV or a crossover, which are nothing more than shrunken/elevated station wagons of the past.

The proverb needs to be updated as the average is down to 1.9.

And the average size household is 3.14, holding pretty steady between 3.12 and 3.2 for the last 30 years. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183657/average-size-of-a-family-in-the-us/ .
There are plenty of singles, DINKs, and single parents that could drive a car, and choose not to. I'm one of them. I need AWD to get around the mountains where I live, and the choices are a lot greater with an SUV/crossover. And I don't feel like I'm giving up much with one of those, while gaining hauling space. As Winemaker says, the smaller ones aren't much different from the old station wagon.

 

[gerntz]

We just love our 2018 Camry Hybrid. You'd never even know it was a hybrid if it wasn't so silent running and if it didn't get 48 mpg @ 75 mph. Gets 52 mpg in town. And no plugging it in either.

I don't have to plug in my gas powered Infinity either. I'm sure it's nice, but I don't see the value unless gas gets over $4. Plus I want AWD.

 

[JoeWras]

I'm a sedan guy. I've thrown in the towel. I guess my next car will not be a car.

 

[kgtest]

I’m more disappointed that they are discontinuing the Impala. I guess us big car guys are a thing of the past. Maybe I’ll get on of the last ones if they run some deals.

It'll come back down the road. Sort of like they are bringing the Blazer back(although that is in the higher margin SUV cat).

Cadillac would me my big car choice.

 

[mystang52]

I'm a sedan guy. I've thrown in the towel. I guess my next car will not be a car.

I was a sedan lover until 5 years ago and got my first SUV. I won't go back.

 

[Ronstar]

Sedans will soon be a thing of the past. People want SUV’s and trucks. My niece had a Hyundai Sonata. She’s a hockey mom now pregnant with her third kid. She needed more room, so her and her husband traded in the sonata on a new suburban.

 

[Jerry1]

It'll come back down the road. Sort of like they are bringing the Blazer back(although that is in the higher margin SUV cat).

Cadillac would me my big car choice.

Well if anything is coming back, I’d wish for one of the old land yachts like a Crown Vic. In a Cadillac, I’d want one of those late 90’s Fleetwoods. Something you could ride in comfort with plenty of room.

SUVs are fine, I have one, but doesn’t anyone appreciate a trunk? A place to put something like your golf clubs out of sight.

 

[JoeWras]

It is kind of funny in a way. Recently we were at a museum that had a lot of cars from the 20s through 70s. The oldest cars were on frames and rode pretty high. As time went on, they were able to drop the frame down for that sleek look that became so popular in the 60s. Low and fast.

It reached peak in the early 90s when the Explorer turned the world to the future we see now. Yes, I know SUVs and utility vehicles were around all this time, but the Explorer started something big.


Pretty soon we may be sitting up in periscopes to "see above everyone."

 

[RunningBum]

SUVs are fine, I have one, but doesn’t anyone appreciate a trunk? A place to put something like your golf clubs out of sight.

Many SUVs have a cargo cover that rolls out from the top of the back seat. Just as out of sight as in a trunk.

 

[HF63]

I love the sedans but as I get older i prefer the SUV. I some times drive my son's CRV and the height makes it much more easier to get in and out. My lower back really likes the height, I wish it had the Volvo seat but does another story.

 

[misanman]

You practically need a SUV if you are going to carry more than 5 passengers. Years ago, we packed 4 adults and 5 kids in a CJ-7. We'd probably be arrested if we tried something like that today.

 

[Red Badger]

GM is great at making colossal mistakes. Anyone remember the Saturn? Not a terrible car, but not great either. The cost to launch was in the billions.... On a car that would never turn a profit. But it would cannibalize sales from its plethora of existing, overlapping and in some cases, struggling divisions.

And then along came the next game changer. The Volt. Sigh.

 

[Andre1969]

I’m more disappointed that they are discontinuing the Impala. I guess us big car guys are a thing of the past. Maybe I’ll get on of the last ones if they run some deals.

Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed there too, as I kinda like the Impala. I think most "big car" guys made the jump to pickup trucks and B-O-F SUVs years ago. What passes off as a "big" car nowadays would have been a compact back in the day...a comfy 4-seater at best.


Personally, I wouldn't mind getting a Dodge Charger. Got a feeling they're not long for the world, either.

 

[Andre1969]

I was a sedan until 5 years ago and got my first SUV. I won't go back.

I'm starting to make that transformation as well. FWIW, at one time I was hardtop guy (no B-pillar, roll-down rear windows), but they were pretty much gone by the late 70's. Then a coupe guy, but they were mostly gone by the late 80's. Kind of hung on to wanting a "large-ish" car, but Chrysler left that market in mid-1981, GM in 1996, and Ford kept de-contenting their Panthers until they felt like little more than taxi cabs.


Anyway, in 2012 I bought a Dodge Ram pickup. And I got used to the seating position, the room, the visibility. The ease of entry/exit. It started making cars feel small, cramped, and vulnerable. Originally, the Ram was supposed to be a spare/backup vehicle, but I liked it enough that I kept using it more and more.


For years now, I've been wanting a Dodge Charger, but just kept putting it off. And, the last time I sat in one, I just wasn't that crazy about it. In the meantime, I inherited a 2003 Regal from my Dad, and use it for a lot of my driving now, as it gets better mileage than the Ram and doesn't require mid-grade. But, it's not going to last forever. And when it does go, I'm not so sure I'm going to replace it with a sedan. The Charger is still on my radar, but who knows what will happen when the time comes.

 

[GravitySucks]

The proverb needs to be updated as the average is down to 1.9.

Yuo. And the houses and 'car's keep getting bigger.