For those of you who haven’t seen it here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jIaDv5qMaE

I’m betting they just want to see how the Volt sells before they start thinking about other body styles.

As far as premium price for early adoption of a new technology? Duh, thats how it works folks. I’m the proud owner of a $700.00 HDDVD player thas currently worth $20.00, but me and my family have been enjoying true High-Definition movies for two years while our friends keep waiting for the price to drop.
If you want to be one of the first to drive 40 miles every day without a drop of gas in a well designed car by a major auto maker, if you want to help create demand that will ensure this technology stays and grows, if you want to be part of the solution…then you spend your money on a battery instead of oil/gas.

For me…$35,000.00 is a big stretch, BUT I don’t want my 6 year old boy to ever have to drive a gas car.

Damn right! I’m right there with you.

Now wouldn’t it be nice, if as an old man, I could buy an equally iconic vehicle? You bet! Go Volt.

The underlying premise of capitalism is that private enterprise is entitled to profit in exchange for taking risks that would be inappropriate to take with public money. But the supply-side camp insists on subsidizing flawed business models and letting corporate lobbyists write legislation. Why take risks when you can design your own loopholes and collect corporate welfare checks? GM could ride the E85 CAFE loophole all the way to the bank.

The Volt is not a moon shot, it’s just that GM so rarely takes significant risks that this one seems more extraordinary than it should be. Finally this lumbering behemoth decides to allocate some capital toward something that should have been done many years ago. Many small ventures have already proven the concept, but without billions of dollars, they’re exercises in futility. It’s amazing what can belatedly happen when money is belatedly invested toward the right pursuits.

The Apollo program solved numerous major technological challenges that had never been addressed before. The Volt is about commercializing existing technologies. It’s just as much of a moon shot as it would be if we were to go back to the moon today. If we do that, we should send Bush. He’d look hilarious hopping around in his codpiece-enhanced spacesuit. Houston, mission accomplished!

Oh oh, touched a nerve. So sorry.

Actually, I have been accused here of being a Toyota fan for some of the positive things I have said about their business model. Not so, however.

Monstrous misrepresentation? You do me too much credit!

I’m ready. Where do we send the checks?

I tried to send one to Lyle, figuring it might increase his leverage with GM if he was holding a few million $ in deposit checks, but he doesn’t want to be their banker. I can’t think why.

I tried to give one to my local dealer(s), but they looked at me like I was from the moon (no comments, please).

Look what the Prius has done for Toyota. It given Toyota priceless “green” and technological credibility. It has also, as many here have pointed out, provided cover for monster Tundras and Sequoias, which are as big of gas guzzlers as anything GM sells.[/quote]

Equating the two in that way is just a monstrous misrepresentation. Toyota actually sells what people want – some people want big SUVs, and some people want small cars. GM, on the other hand, actively hates people who want small cars; and pushes for (and gets) tax breaks to make big SUVs even more artificially cheap than they were before through CAFE loopholes, depreciation rules, etc.

Not remotely the same thing, and you know it.

And we still have zero evidence that GM is really interested in the Volt as anything more than FUD. You know when we’ll really know? When they start to sell the thing. At which point Toyota will have been selling hybrids for about fifteen years.

Of course these would be refundable, but duh, GM could profit the interest… Plus, GM needs to know just how many of these puppies they are going to sell. Sure worked well for the Tesla Roadster. No question exactly how much production is needed.

Exactly.

The idea of charging a higher price to the “early adopters” of new products is a time honored marketing strategy dating back into ancient history.

How about people camping out all night to get the latest whiz bang electronic gadget? The Corvette ZR-1 was so hot it sold for $20K over sticker and more for a while, until they got enough built to cool off the market. It’s a fact of life.

It’s just a balancing act for the marketers to “skim” the maximum profit from the “early adopters” without alienating them to the point that they wait it out.

I want so badly to make a statement about technology, oil independence and, call me a sap if you want, saving US jobs, that I will buy one early on, knowing full well that the price will fall and reliability will improve over time. Just don’t push me too hard, or I will quickly find the will power to wait.