http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/27/1585412/gm-to-sell-volt-for-41k-lease.html
Very cool.
$350/lease should be enough to attract some customers.
Obviously this is a “beta” car - a 1st gen that will probably have some long term issues, so the lease is a really great idea for early adopters.
I really hope it goes well, because I think 2nd and 3rd gen versions of these vehciles could be wildly successful.
The lease price puts the Volt in line with the Leaf as the purchase price of the Volt is a lot more than the Leaf. Pretty good marketing by GM on this one. We need a new car but not sure about the Volt yet. Will have to see what the bugs are before I jump in.
I think it’s bad for business to chare a lot more for a Volt than a Leaf.
Not really. The thing with a Volt is you can drive across the country only having to stop for gas. The gas backup is a HUGE advantage. The Leaf has a range of 100 miles and is electric only. So what happens if you buy this vehicle and you are transferred to California? Good luck moving it at increments of 100 miles between charges. You’ll have to literally slap it on a train or a trailer and have it transported.
I know what they were going for, but come on. The Leaf?
That way you can hop in your car and say “I’m gonna make like a tree and…”
whoopty doo… still waiting on the flux capacitor… call me when doc brown hits his head on the toilet hanging the clock
Until battery technology advances further, GM has the right idea. Fully electric for most daily commuters, but also the ability to drive long distances. Someday when we have quick charge charging stations and batteries that can hold a charge for 300+ miles without huge drops in performance when the temperature drops, a fully electric car will be a lot more practical. At the $350 price point, I may consider getting a Volt.
Perhaps the board has been slow, but this cracked me up.
[quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:1, topic:23642”]http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/27/1585412/gm-to-sell-volt-for-41k-lease.html
Very cool.
$350/lease should be enough to attract some customers.
Obviously this is a “beta” car - a 1st gen that will probably have some long term issues, so the lease is a really great idea for early adopters.
I really hope it goes well, because I think 2nd and 3rd gen versions of these vehciles could be wildly successful.[/quote]
The Volt is a halo model – more of a concept than a 1st gen. I do agree, very cool. Would beat the shit outta my ~14mpg commuting to work.
I agree. The Volt can be a replacement car, the Leaf, not so much.
I haven’t payed much attention to the Volt or Leaf. What makes them differ from one another?
Volt has a charge of 100 miles I believe with a gas back up… Leaf is electric only.
Also, one is made by the japanese and the other is made by Americans but likely built in Canada.
[quote=“CharSFNiners, post:13, topic:23642”]Volt has a charge of 100 miles I believe with a gas back up… Leaf is electric only.
Also, one is made by the japanese and the other is made by Americans but likely built in Canada.[/quote]thanks SF.
The key for me is the Volt is built like a car I wouldn’t mind driving. In the past Hybrids (i.e. Prius) are just freakin ugly. The Volt is sharp looking.
I would be interested to drive it to see what kind of power you get.
The price is still to high IMO, but I agree the lease offer is smart.
[quote=“CharSFNiners, post:13, topic:23642”]Volt has a charge of 100 miles I believe with a gas back up… Leaf is electric only.
Also, one is made by the japanese and the other is made by Americans but likely built in Canada.[/quote]
Volt only gets 40 miles per charge with a 300 mile back up. Leaf gets 100 miles per charge.
With the gas back up in the Volt, my guess is that the Leaf doesn’t last long in competition, despite the Volt costing more.
[quote=“MKNiner, post:15, topic:23642”]The key for me is the Volt is built like a car I wouldn’t mind driving. In the past Hybrids (i.e. Prius) are just freakin ugly. The Volt is sharp looking.
I would be interested to drive it to see what kind of power you get.
The price is still to high IMO, but I agree the lease offer is smart.[/quote]
Nice thing about electric motors is huge torque numbers. That equates to quick off the line, just not a sustained strong acceleration from factory most likely due to low HP.
[quote=“ChevEE, post:17, topic:23642”][quote=“MKNiner, post:15, topic:23642”]The key for me is the Volt is built like a car I wouldn’t mind driving. In the past Hybrids (i.e. Prius) are just freakin ugly. The Volt is sharp looking.
I would be interested to drive it to see what kind of power you get.
The price is still to high IMO, but I agree the lease offer is smart.[/quote]
Nice thing about electric motors is huge torque numbers. That equates to quick off the line, just not a sustained strong acceleration from factory most likely due to low HP.[/quote]
I just saw that the Volt has roughly 75HP and 273 lb-ft of torque.
As comparison, one of my uncles tried to restore an old WWII Army jeep which has an engine of 60HP and 110 lb-ft of torque.
MK, the gov is offering 7500$ rebate on the 41k price tag. If they keep that rebate for the next few years and work out the bugs, i’ll jump on it.
The rebate is phased out as the number of vehicles sold increases. I think the full $7500 is only available for one full quarter after the 200,000th unit is sold. It then drops to 50% for two quarters, then 25% for two quarters.