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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/business/gm-suspends-production-of-chevrolet-volt.html?_r=1

G.M. Again Pauses Production of Chevy Volt
By NICK BUNKLEY
Published: March 2, 2012


DETROIT � General Motors said on Friday that it planned to halt production of the Chevrolet Volt for five weeks beginning later this month because dealers had more than they needed.
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The suspension, which will result in temporary layoffs for 1,300 workers at the Detroit plant that builds the Volt, is another troubling sign for the plug-in hybrid, whose sales fell short of G.M.�s targets in 2011. G.M. officials had already backed away from projections that they could sell 45,000 Volts in the United States this year, instead saying that production would match demand.

Production is scheduled to stop March 16 and resume April 23, a G.M. spokesman, Chris Lee, said. It will be the third time that Volt production has been stopped for at least a month since the car first went on sale in December 2010. G.M. tripled the plant�s production capacity during downtime last summer, and the plant was down for all of January in preparation for building a lower-emission version that is eligible for car pool lanes in California.

�Sales for the Volt in February were significantly better than January, and we anticipate that to continue,� Mr. Lee said. �We see good things in the future, but right now we had to make this adjustment.�

G.M. sold 1,023 Volts in February, up from 603 in January, on the heels of a federal investigation into the possibility that its battery pack could catch fire after a severe crash. Regulators concluded that the car was no more dangerous than a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle, though G.M. agreed to strengthen the structure around the battery.

G.M. said it had about 3,600 Volts in inventory. Last year, officials repeatedly dismissed questions about low sales numbers by saying the company could not build enough of the cars to meet demand. It ended up selling 7,671 during the year, instead of the 10,000 it had anticipated.

The halt also affects the Opel Ampera, a newer twin of the Volt that is being exported to Europe. They are the only models now built at G.M.�s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which is preparing to add the Chevrolet Malibu later this year and the Chevrolet Impala next year.

The Volt, which costs $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles, has become a favorite target of conservative commentators and lawmakers, who say it is too expensive and is being artificially supported by taxpayer money.

�Even as gas prices continue to climb, President Obama�s attempt to manipulate the free market and force consumers into purchasing electric vehicles like the G.M. Volt has failed,� Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, said in a statement. �Now some 1,300 workers will pay the price for this misguided experiment.�

Was gonna get one of them Dolts but got me one of those Maxwell pigs you see in the Geico commercials instead, lots cheaper. Attached generators to his pinwheel gadgets so it's all wind powered. The faster you go, the more wind, the faster those things spin the generator, the faster you go. And changing Maxwells when they wear out is cheaper than changing batteries, plus there's pork chops in your future. If your power source dies while you're on the road here in farm country you can just coast to a convenient farm and negotiate for a replacement. Pork chops in your future again, unless you do a trade-in. And Maxwells don't catch fire in a crash. People do notice the odor tho... The smell of money saved?

Has anyone ever reported on how many KWH's it takes to recharge one? Without that info, it's impossible to calculate how much more an electric costs than a gas car.

here is an article on the power density of biodiesel vs battery power http://www.dieselpowermag.com/news/1109dp_renewable_diesel_vs_electric_cars/index.html

Click on the chart and you find that petroleum diesel has 6 times more energy density than a Li-ion Nano battery when operating at 20%-80% efficiency. Gasoline has 5.29 times as much energy density as the same battery. If you drop down to the NIMH battery, diesel has 66 times more energy, gasoline 55.6 times as much. When considering that we have to burn coal or natural gas to generate the electricity to charge the battery, or use a nuclear power plant or hydro electric generation, minus the transmission and conversion loss, it is more economical to use the hydrocarbon fuel directly to power our vehicles.

The volt and all electric battery powered cars are a scam.

Yes it is this goverment got you again why do you think they loan GM the cash .for the goverment car

Its a POS. The battery will take you less than 30 miles.
I just saw an email on it. I will look for it and post it.


JD338

I'm a battery guy, and believe me, the battery powered car, in most U.S. locales, is a very stupid idea.

I'd like to see the White House, Senate and Congress run on self-sustaining "green" energy. Hot air and schit may suffice....

Found it, here is the email on the Volt.


Eric Bolling (Fox Business Channel's Follow the Money) test drove the Chevy Volt at the invitation of General Motors.

For four days in a row, the fully charged battery lasted only 25 miles before the Volt switched to the reserve gasoline engine.

Eric calculated the car got 30 mpg including the 25 miles it ran on the battery. So, the range including the 9 gallon gas tank and the 16 kwh battery is approximately 270 miles. It will take you 4 1/2 hours to drive 270 miles at 60 mph. Then add 10 hours to charge the battery and you have a total trip time of 14.5 hours. In a typical road trip your average speed (including charging time) would be 20 mph.

According to General Motors, the Volt battery holds 16 kwh of electricity. It takes a full 10 hours to charge a drained battery.

The cost for the electricity to charge the Volt is never mentioned so I looked up what I pay for electricity.

I pay approximately (it varies with amount used and the seasons) $1.16 per kwh.

16 kwh x $1.16 per kwh = $18.56 to charge the battery.

$18.56 per charge divided by 25 miles = $0.74 per mile to operate the Volt using the battery.

Compare this to a similar size car with a gasoline engine only that gets 32 mpg.

$3.19 per gallon divided by 32 mpg = $0.10 per mile.

The gasoline powered car costs about $15,000 while the Volt costs $46,000.

So Obama wants us to pay 3 times as much for a car that costs more that 7 time as much to run and takes 3 times as long to drive across country!


REALLY?!



Save the money you would spend on the volt and spend it on gasoline, you will be miles aand money ahead.

JD338

They leave out the most important fee/factor: cost for "recycling"/exchange a battery that technically is NOT recycled....

You're kidding right

That old e mail has been around: I don't think any in the US pays $1.16 KWH. More like .116 KWH.

Fox should be embarassed to have run that story. $1.16 per kwh?

You believe Obama? I hope you are!

HawkI,

Spot on buddy! I think its $1k plus for a new battery.

JD338

We discussed this last week. The highest power rate in the nation is Honolulu with a rate of about .22/kwh

No, its more than that, but the real issue is that spent batteries of this type are a real PITA to get rid of and the costs associated with them are full of feel good fines to those who have to handle them. The consumer has no clue.
The idea that the materials used to make these batteries are "green", more so than lead acid, is laughable. The idea that these materials are more plentiful and cost efficient, even more so.

Then its 220 volts to charge it not 110 so run you dryer for that long there your cost. 2 times longer on 110 if made that way

savage,

I think you are right.

JD338

According to GM, you can charge the Volt in 10 hrs using a 120v outlet. Or, you can have an electrician install this 240V charger that will do it in about 4 hrs...for ONLY $1475.
VOLT CHARGER

That will decrease the life of said battery.....
Where does the power for the chargers come from?