It looks like we may be on the cutting edge.
It turns out only 7 percent of the US population said they would very likely purchase a plugin car in a random nationwide survey performed by Consumer Reports. Over one quarter of the respondents (26%) said they were likely to consider one.
However, 72% of the population said they were unlikely to even consider it. Consumers appear unwilling to sacrifice performance or convenience.
The study of 1752 purchase-intent people also looked at perceived range requirements and price expectations.
Overall the median electric car range desired was 89 miles. It was 102 miles for men and persons in households earning less than 50,000 per year. Less than half (49%) the respondents felt 75 miles of range was adequate and only 29% would be satisfied with less than 49 miles.
An additional 29% said they needed at least 200 miles of range. Total range was the consideration, which in the case of the Volt would be gas plus electric or roughly 340 miles.
The median price premium people were willing to pay for an electric car was $2068. One fifth (20%) would pay nothing extra and another one fifth (20%) would be willing to pay $5000 extra, though this was correlated to income.
The majority of people (63%) said they would consider an electric car only if they could charge while at work.
A previous study published by Pike research in late 2009 drew a different conclusion. It showed 48% of the US population would be very or extremely interested in buying a plugin car with a 40 mile range like the Volt.
So although we may lament GM’s near-term maximum production volume of 50,000 – 60,000 Volts per year, uncertainty of this new market may make planning difficult.
Source (Consumer Reports)
+11
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:25 am)Glass is 1/4 full?
+20
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:27 am)It IS Consumer Reports. It will probably take a few years until they reflect reality as we see it.
+22
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:30 am)Well I for one cannot wait to wear “the Volt smile”. And I suspect that it will be very contagious. But we need some Volt Wheels On The Road.
+24
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:33 am)I wouldn’t buy a purely-electric car. But I’ll buy a Volt. Sometimes I want to drive 500 miles in one day. Just like I won’t buy a sedan, but I’ll buy a hatchback/5-door/station wagon. Sometimes I want to bring home a bunch of lumber from Home Depot.
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:35 am)So although we may lament GM’s near-term maximum production volume of 50,000 – 60,000 Volts per year, uncertainty of this new market may make planning difficult.
One can easily agree with that, especially when most people have never seen one
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:37 am)GM has been quoting Consumers Digest a lot lately in advertising. Consumers Report is just a tough nut to crack. But I suspect it will be like a heavy pendulum, once they swing this way it will tend to keep going. I’ll be interested in what they (CR) say specifically about the Leaf.
No matter what, it surely does look like the production volume plans of GM are being overly conservative if Hamtramck is the only plant producing Voltec cars for THE WHOLE WORLD.
+17
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:40 am)Good morning all.
From the article:
However, 72% of the population said they were unlikely to even consider it. Consumers appear unwilling to sacrifice performance or convenience.
Really? What is more convenient than plugging the car into the garage socket?
Also, how was the question asked?
I would answer NO to a BEV.
I would answer YES to an EREV.
+15
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:45 am)Those numbers will change when gas hit $5.00 a gallon. And it will. Soon.
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/03/18/kuwaiti-study-conventional-oil-to-peak-in-2014/
+28
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:51 am)Until these cars get out on the road, and people start to see them in operation, of course there will be fear and resistance to change. The ICE based vehicle has 100 years of time tested performance behind it.
How many electric cars has the average person seen on the road? For me, the answer is zero!
Once the benefits can be shown, and the cars work as advertised, the changeover will begin. EREV’s for those that need the range and BEV’s for those that need only a commuter. It just makes so much sense!
As far as pricing, increased competition and production will take care of that…..
+20
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:54 am)“..unwilling to sacrifice performance.” They OBVIOUSLY know NOTHING of the Volt. And putting it that way makes the Volt stand out.
+11
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:56 am)Sounds like a good time for Chevrolet to schedule more Volt test drive events. They could have employees giving test rides, if they’re concerned about safety.
+13
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:04 am)Consumer Reports? What the heck do they know? They are so bias, I don’t think they could ever make an accurate report!!
+31
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:05 am)I would turn the question around.
It seems like 28% of the population would consider to buy a product that is not on the market yet! Looking at the numbers this way 28% is actually rather high. These numbers are BEFORE the electric car hype even begun! Wait a year or two, after Volt and Leaf are released…
This is like asking customers a few years ago: would you consider buying a mobile phone without a keypad? …then came iPhone…
+9
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:09 am)This is a great article to keep archived to see how these numbers change a year or two after the Volt has it’s wheels on the ground.
If the Volt is as good as we believe….
If gas prices continue their significant upward trend of the last 3 years…
If we promote it (and other EVs) to the level that they deserve due to their performance…
Then a whole lot of people are going to be having a change of mind and a lot of ignorance is going to be removed.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:10 am)My sentiments exactly.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:13 am)It’s not surprising, really. Perception is going to be all over the place until the vehicles get out there and the early adopters are driving them. People wouldn’t have considered a hybrid years ago but now it’s an option. If you look at almost any emerging market you’ll see a similar theme. A small percentage “get it” and when enough have it and talk about it then it has the potential to hit the mainstream.
+7
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:15 am)What about when they realise… it runs silently, does not have range anxiety, looks like an ipod, and they’ll PAY 1/5th in electricity what they do at the gas pump. Surveys don’t take into account these kind of figures…
+21
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:18 am)72% said, what the heck is an electric car?
+7
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:20 am)One of the big differences in 2009 versus 2010 is likely that people still had $4 gasoline on their mind, so an alternative was much more attractive. If gas prices start going up again, the larger percentage interest will also increase.
Additionally, 40 miles all-electric with unlimited range via gasoline should be a question in the survey. I have to believe that a lot more people would like that trade space.
+10
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:26 am)Look, Consumer Reports or anybody could have done a survey asking Americans if they would by a “hybrid” car eight years ago and the results would have been much worse. Today there’s a couple million of them driving around, and Toyota calls Prius “a core product”.
So surveys SHMERVEYS is what I say!
RECHARGE! James
IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:32 am)I would like to hear the results of the poll when gas is at $4.00 / gal. I wonder if people would feel differently?
Nothing changes minds faster than a pinch in the wallet.
+15
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:33 am)Well, don’t forget that at the current pathetic sales rate of 10 million cars a year, 7% is still 700,000 cars. That far outstrips any max volt production of 50 – 60K a year.
+13
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:36 am)This is good news! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get one because of consumer demand. I can only hope they’re right!
+12
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:37 am)Selling electric cars is like selling anything else. It’s best to start in the stronger markets. Develop support services and customer care. Eventually lower costs.
_________________________________
I copied this from the link Lyle provided:
Data provided by Jeff Bartlett (the Consumer Reports National Research Center).
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/03/consumer-reports-electric-car-buying-survey.html
“More than one-quarter (26 percent) of consumers said they are likely to consider a plug-in electric car the next time they are in the market for a new vehicle.”
“45 percent said they would be satisfied with a range of less than 75 miles, and just 29 percent would consider less than 49 miles to be ideal.”
“…nearly 3 in 10 (29 percent) require a daily range of at least 200 miles.”
“63 percent said they would be more likely to purchase an electric car if their place of employment had charging stations.”
_________________________________
Here are a few survey questions for you:
1>I currently buy $30 of gasoline per week. Would I rather buy $5 worth?
2>My high school age son is considering enlisting in the military. I currently send $30 per week to OPEC. Several OPEC countries are willing to war over control of oil flow. Will I consider sending less money to OPEC?
3>My car requires frequent oil changes and tune ups. My car requires brake jobs and SMOG checks. Would I consider owning a vehicle that doesn’t require these services?
4>My current vehicle runs loud and is slow to accelerate. Would I consider owning a clean, quiet, vehicle with peppy acceleration?
The above list doesn’t mention:opportunity charging, convenience of home 110V recharge, American made, State and Federal tax credits.
Sure there are places where electric cars will be slower to sell. Any many population dense areas where electric vehicles are in high demand. Whether you’re drilling for water or drilling for oil. You pick the largest pool to tap into.
=D-Volt
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:43 am)And with a low sales year (10 million new car sales in the US), this means a potential of 2.8 million car buyers will consider electric.
The point from this article that is concerning is the price premium people are willing to pay. Apparently, it will not be easy to convince the public to pay a big premium for electric cars. This puts a lot of pressure on the manufacturers, and they may not be able to bring down costs to the necessary levels.
If these numbers are accurate, it tells me that the general populace isn’t willing to pay a large premium for zero emissions and lower CO2.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:56 am)“It turns out only 7 percent of the US population said they would very likely purchase a plugin car in a random nationwide survey performed by Consumer Reports
. Over one quarter of the respondents (26%) said they were likely to consider one.”
How can you say “7 percent of the US population said” in one sentence then say “in a random nationwide survey” in another and still be taken seriously. The phrase “7 percent of the US population said” means to me 7 percent of everyone living in the US. I live in the US and was not asked if I would purchase a plugin car.
If you randomly choose a group of people, and 100% of that group would not buy a plug-in car, all that proves is that your random selection did not happen to include any people that would buy a plug-in car. Percentages are extremely misleading.
You would think in today’s web enabled society we would be able to get more reliable statistical data.
NPNS!
+6
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:56 am)Have you seen even one person after test driving the Volt not have a big smile on their face? The driving experience combined with the lower cost of operation will sell the Volt. There is little doubt cars will transition from gas to electric. The only question is how fast.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:03 am)That’s why we’re called first adopters. Some lead. Others follow.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:09 am)This survey says 88% of Americans believe hybrid leaderships is crucial for the U.S.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/13/study-88-of-americans-believe-hybrid-leadership-is-crucial-to/
This survey also points out 47% surveyed believed education is key in marketing hybrids.
Here’s the Pike study: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10346557-76.html
The industry has the easily-met challenge of answering these questions: http://www.hybridcars.com/economics/top-five-excuses-to-wait-to-buy-hybrid.html
I found not only this survey of “Why People Buy Hybrid Cars” interesting, but also – hybrid owners response to the article on the survey: http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f13/study-why-people-buy-hybrids-interesting-5374/
Many people cite buy-in cost of hybrids or EVs as a deterrent. This vanishes when gas goes up. Last week in Seattle gas went up 8 cents per gallon. So far this week, it’s up again – today’s tally: $3.06/gal.
These surveys lose most of their steam when the price of a gallon soars. We all know it rises every Summer, just like the sun. When did CR do this survey – mid Winter? Statistics show Americans have a THREE MONTH MEMORY of gas price woes. We panic when they rise, and go buy a hybrid – but when they ease, we go back to same-ol’ same ol’ – OIL, or “OHHL” as they call it down South.
GM, put that 230mpg sign with the plug behind every Volt in the showroom and use the terms coined here in GM-Volt.com like “ELECTRIC CAR PLUS” do start a dialogue about what Volt does.
Cheer up – I hope GM doesn’t live by the survey.
RECHARGE! James
IF YOU BUILD THEM THEY WILL COME.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:13 am)That number makes perfect sense to me. Until an electric car provides a significant positive economic impact on people’s lives, the numbers won’t change. It will take a huge spike in gas prices, a huge drop in the cost of an electric car, or a gas shortage before you will see the masses change their mind.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:21 am)Nelson @ 26:
Yeah, they didn’t ask me either. They should take a “random survey” of all GM_Volt .com readers and see what they get. It’s all meaningless.
Although there is a cultural lag that can take years for people to catch on to a new thing, with the Volt, one test drive and the customer will be sold. And if the sticker “MPG” is anything in the triple digits, which I think it will easily be, the Voltec technology is going to take over the automobile industry.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:32 am)As many of us have said in response to the rumored Volt price near $40,000, “Chevy needs to get the price down.” Folks that are looking for a new car costing around $20,000 would not consider a $40,000 Volt.
On the up side, nearly 30% of those surveyed think the extended range of the Volt is necessary, and nearly 30% will pay a price premium of $5,000 for an electric. If Volt can split this market with the Plug-in Prius, (15% of the 10 million new vehicle market) they each could sell about 75,000 cars.
-1
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:32 am)On a lighter note, this start-up may have an answer to the Leaf’s range anxiety.
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/10/05/crank-up-battery/
A couple hundred of these in the trunk and you’d never be stranded, or if it could be scaled up, they could put a fold out handle on the trunk of a BEV. No gas or expensive solar equipment required. LOL
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:33 am)Another problem with many of these surveys, is that they are kept statistically-sterile.
Just ask:
Want to buy a Chevy Volt that goes up to 40 miles electrically, then 300 miles on gasoline thereafter with an imperceptible electric to gas switchover when driving? (Just say yes.)
Would you enjoy the finest and smoothest acceleration that you ever experienced in your life?
(…yes, of course I’m supposedly going to be called “biased”.)
It’s the finest vehicle there is, and more are on the way.
+6
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:42 am)26% of the people would consider something there are none of at this time. I think that’s very good.
It’s not like that number is going to go down once the cars are on the market.
7% of 10,000,000 is 700,000 who would buy and 26% is 2,600,000 that would consider an electric car.
WOW that is a lot. It will be a long time before anyone can build that many.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:49 am)I bet if they did this same study with cell phones/personal computers in the 1980′s 72% of Americans would not be willing to give up their typewriters and rotary phones either.
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:51 am)That’s right, 72% of US car buyers won’t consider buying an Electric Car.
So it sure is a good thing that the Volt is in fact a Serial Plug-In Hybrid, which is an essential intermediary step in the eventual mass acceptance of the electric car.
This study simply validates that which we already know:
Adoption of the Electric Car will be slow and will take time, thus introducing an intermediary vehicle such as the Chevy Volt, not a true Electric Car but rather a Serial Plug-In Hybrid.
Thank you Consumer Reports for telling us here at gm-volt.com that which we already know.
Thank you for validating the Chevy Volt.
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:57 am)On the way into work this morning it was just under $4.00
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:57 am)Let’s see…..
7% of the 225 million people over the age of 18 is over 15 million
As far as the other 26% – 56 Million
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (8:59 am)I wonder how many of these “1752 purchase-intent people” could even name one of the BEV or EREV cars available at the time of this survey? (Tesla)
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:01 am)Reminds me of the original cars with the crank start before electric starters.
+6
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:03 am)_________________________________________________________
Article Headline:
“Consumer Reports Survey: 72% of US Car Buyers Wouldn’t Consider an Electric Car”
—————
That’s excellent news for the Volt!!!
It means 1 in 3 US Car Buyers WOULD consider the Volt. That’s a huge early-adopter market share potential for GM Volt to have an opportunity to tap into coming out of the starting gate.
__________________________________________________________
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:06 am)OT: a Prius owner was talking about a problem that he had. Because the hydraulic brakes are so seldom used they got a big buildup of rust on the rotors and then developed pitting. This could be a problem for Volt drivers also. Probably much more so for hyper-milers (maybe this guy fit into that category).
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:13 am)Wow, lots of great comments already today. Excellent articles tend to do that!
I’m on-board with Jim I’s comments about the Volt experience going a long way toward rapid acceptance. I’d go a step farther and ask how many people even know someone who has driven one, let alone had the experience themselves! I also love the idea of archiving this survey, to pull out and look back on, in a few years. It will be interesting either way, but in my heart I know that it’ll be with a knowing smile, and with the memory that “we were there”.
I’ve said for a while that there will be a “tipping point” for broad acceptance. The biggest factor that will move us to that point is for real people to get Volts in their driveways. That will go a long way toward removing the mystique AND misinformation surrounding electrification of family transportation.
Tending to lean ever so slightly toward the, ahem, optimistic side, I hope that 60K consumers per year will be enough to prime the populous pump. In large part that will be 60K families that will be out there talking about their Volts – and those families interface with other families.
Interesting times – in any case.
Be well,
Tagamet
No ER, No Sale!
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:17 am)Designing a good survey seems to be a difficult task! (I don’t want the job either!)
Until I found this site I was VERY anti-electric car, I simply do not trust ‘just’ a battery with my families life during ‘extreme’ weather.
I considered the EV-1 a toy for rich people, just like the Tesla is now.
Interesting? YES!
Cool? YES!
These little ‘city’ electric cars that can’t run on a freeway will not work in Calgary and I suspect a lot of other places. Every road out of my subdivision exceeds the maximum speed of one of these things, just getting to our grocery store would be dangerous because the car would be a hazard (rolling roadblock) on the road.
Interesting? nope
Cool? nope
Would I buy either? not a chance in ‘heck’.
The Volt is the first and only electric car that I have ever considered.
I’d be open to a larger AER, but honestly when I’d exceed the 65km (40 mile) planned range I’d exceed it by a significant margin. It’s the Range Extender/genset that makes the Volt viable.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:24 am)Hi John k @ 43, interesting comment. During rain every few miles I lightly “ride” the brakes to “dry” them out. This may not be necessary for disk brakes, I learned the practice back in the drum brake era. But the issue remains, how do you “lightly” ride the brakes to “dry, clean, etc” in a vehicle that does not engage the hydraulic brakes except after the braking force of the regen system has been applied?
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:24 am)I used to read Consumers Reports but became disenchanted when they seemed to report in a biased way. They insist they are not biased but in so many areas of testing they lean heavily towards what I see are their favorites (Toyota, et al).
Just my conversations with hundreds of parents and students (high school and university) since mid 2007 tells me a completely different story than what Consumers Reports is telling. Those I speak with are very, very interested and intent on checking out the Volt when it becomes available in mid-Michigan.
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:25 am)Yeap. Only a matter of time and this product will become the most relevant one in automotive history.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:26 am)The Public will buy the Volt in the out Years. In the mean time it makes it easier to get mine
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:27 am)Off topic – I was trying to post this in the forum, but haven’t had much success in getting permission to post as I haven’t seen anything in the forum about it or in the daily post.
There is a Volt Display at the South By Southwest (SxSW) Music Film and Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. The reason I know about this is my wife, who is attending SxSW, texted me last night about all the things she did the first day and almost as an afterthought texted me “Oh! I saw a Chevy Volt today!”… Needless to say, I sit here in my office this morning a little sad, that I’m not there, and that even though I have followed the volt since it was first announced, my wife somehow managed to get up close and personal with one before me…
Anyway, if you are in Austin and didn’t know it was there, there is a volt on display outside the convention center. My wife is going back today to see if they have some kind of handouts to placate me…
Oh, and on topic, I’m proud to count myself as part of that 7%!!!!
+7
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:29 am)Better yet. Whatever they pay in electricity remains in the US to create US wealth instead of going overseas and finance god-knows-what.
The Volt is a winning proposition.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:33 am)Great. Those of us who are willing to pay the premium for a breakthrough product will get the first Volts, showing the way for the others to follow.
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:38 am)I suspect others have touched on it above, but it’s all in the way you word the questions –
“Would you rather drive a non-polluting [sic] car which is good for America, Mom, and apple pie, or a gasoline burner which spews toxins, kills polar bears, and funds terrorists?”
I used to read CR and there was some interesting stuff, but they definitely are NOT unbiased. I seem to remember them criticizing the center-mounted gauges in the Saturn Ion, but if Toyota had used the same design they would have gushed over how wonderful it was. In fact I believe there is a Japanese car now with the same center-mounted design, but I forget which it is. I had an Ion for a couple weeks as a rental and the center gauges actually worked quite well, after about 20 minutes of getting used to them. Unfortunately most test drives are probably about 10 minutes.
I keep seeing angst about the cost of the Volt, and I understand if you work for minimum wage or not much above it. But (at least here in Metro Detroit) I keep seeing everybody and their brother driving fancy SUVs or mega-loaded pickups, either of which hits $40K easily. So people seem to be able to find the money somehow when it comes to showing off. Do you really need a Land Rover to haul your [rear end] around?
As for me, I’ve already got the Volt $$ saved up, it’s just a question of do I want to delay my early retirement by a bit… Dad worked in a grungy factory until 65, I am not that motivated!
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:39 am)I know how much GM pays attention to the reports when! They want to make a market on a product. Who gives a crap on what the survey says. Hell, most everybody that drives hasn’t even seen an Electrict Vehicle (EV) let alone, ride in one or, DRIVE ONE.
Less do it boys and Girls and not get weak minded over a little survey of people that have no idea of what they are asked to make a decision on or answer, A QUESTION!!!!.
Need to get one out in the public so people can see that they are real vehicles and not toy golf carts.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:39 am)More mud to cloudy the water. If more people would only realize what a slave to oil we all are.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:42 am)And what’s better performance than maximum torque at 0 rpm and instant, strong, linear acceleration?
This CR survey seems to say more about survey designer and consumer unfamiliarity with electric drive than it does about electric vehicles.
Until there are lots of electric vehicles on the roads in retail purchasers hands, launching hard from red lights and stop signs and conveniently charging automatically at more varied locations and times than gassers, all possible with EVs as they already are with current tech and existing infrastructure, I don’t see those misunderstandings caused by consumer unfamiliarity and rampant FUD, misinformation and negative lies about EVs easily changing.
Disclaimer: My EV has an OEM claimed range of 40 miles. OEM claims have been independently verified in conjunction with EPA and CCSE and are now part of US EPA and CA CARB metrics.
Bottom line: GET THE VOLTS ON THE ROAD IN CONSUMER HANDS. NOW!
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:46 am)As of right now your choices are limited to a Tesla. So unless you pony up $100,000 you can bet people will say no.
As cars like the Volt get out on the market and the average person sees just how much better and more convenient they are, the attitude will change and the survey results with it.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:47 am)I hope everyone keeps in mind that these surveys are crap. The majority of those interested are also going to be those of us that do not have landlines because we use our cell-phones exclusively and the survey companies are not allowed to knowingly call a cell phone.
Plus, the Volt is not what most would consider an electric vehicle, it really falls more under what most consider a hybrid with hybrid meaning multiple power sources. I don’t care that it only has electric drive, I consider it to be the first true hybrid since you can plug it in and power it with gas. Previous hybrids I think of as higher efficiency vehicles since they only have a single power source (gas) and the power created there gets recaptured into the batteries when possible and then used to lessen the gas need later.
An EREV will be much more popular for quite a long time than an EV, and I think the survey reflects EVs. GM has really sucked on Volt education so far and that’s what will kill the Volt more than anything.
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:02 am)Where is Nate Silver when we need him ?
US has about 110 million households. Last year 10 million cars were sold – a drop from usual 17 million.
So, if 7% are very likely to buy – we have about 10 Million households who want to buy EVs NOW. I consider that a very large market – lot more than the # of people who bought iPhones in the 1st year.
26% are likely to buy – that translates to some 30 Million. Close to the # of people who have iPhones.
How is this bad news ?
I guess it depends on expectations – was the expectation that a large majority would want to buy an EV now ? What is the point of that anyway, since only a fraction of the demand can be satisfied ?
+5
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:16 am)Well said —also, I can find nothing in the Consumer Reports reference that indicates their questions were able to distinguish EREVs from EVs, which could make a HUGE difference in the responses to questions involving RANGE. So it’s likely that many more US car buyers would consider an electric car IF THEY CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD IT COULD BE AN EREV SUCH AS A VOLT WITH A RANGE COMPARABLE TO THAT OF ORDINARY ICE-POWERED CARS (i.e., >300 MILES)!!!
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:16 am)As sad as it is to say it, these numbers are probably pretty close to the truth. It’s certainly less biased than that range anxiety survey but that’s not saying much. hopefully that numer will change after a few more vehicles come out.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:29 am)And how quick did people latch on to cell phones once they were, here’s that word again, available? And cell phones didn’t have any of the societal benefits nearly gas-free cars will have. Hope my daughters don’t see this.
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:33 am)I couldn’t put it any better.
EEeeep!! I just filled up at $2.79/gal! I wasn’t happy until now. Thanks!
-1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:36 am)Is that something like the Tesla smile (that actually exists right now)? After 40 miles are you like,
Aww…
LOL!!
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:41 am)I’m with the optimists on this one. The most recent news is that car sales are surging to levels of between 12M and 13.5M SARS. 7% of 13,500,000 is a big number. 27% of 13,500,000 is a HUGE number.
Doubtless these numbers will get knocked down — way down — as people see how much they will cost. Big time. Notice the numbers on this critical issue? A $5k premium? Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. This will have to be addressed moving forward as we get Dan Pettit on the PR trail with Frank Weber to wax poetic about how the EV ride is better than any luxury car, and as the vehicle acquires its status as a socially and nationally beneficial ride.
The range questions at this point are meaningless. Until people have experience with the cars asking them what range they want is like asking your ten year old what they’d like to do when they retire. No context so no real ability to answer the question.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:48 am)Until pricing is announced, it would be unwise to draw conclusions about public opinion. There
also aren’t any such cars out there, and gas prices have not skyrocketted. I suspect that high
gas prices could be the big motivator, at least untill a practical battery comes along. At that point, gas cars are obsolete.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:51 am)8:47 AM PDT and it’s all been said. That’s about as many “+1s” as I’ve ever given out, LOL. You guys are awesome. I think that the Tagamet optimism is getting more and more contagious.
LJGTVWOTR!! NMST!
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:51 am)Off topic…
Just back from a required registration SMOG check. Here’s how it went:
SMOG> Where is the vehicle registered?
Dave> In Carpinteria.
SMOG> This is a district which may require a dyno test. This will cost more. (checks State law chart) No, it’s the regular test.
(test was performed ~ we’re now at the payment counter)
SMOG> Let’s see if it passed.
Dave> You kidding? It’s a Honda.
SMOG> Anything that runs on gasoline can fail.
Dave> I agree with that.
SMOG> It passed. That will be $54.
(walking to the exit)
SMOG> Have a good day.
Dave> Okay, thank you.
SMOG> I know I will!
This ritual has got to stop.
=D-Volt
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:53 am)You can two foot brake and gas a Prius. At light brake applications the over-ride doesn’t kick in. Any time you use both the brake and gas, regen is disabled.
You can also put the car in neutral, and the regen is disabled.
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:57 am)I find this article actually a ray of sunshine, a true EV vehicle would be a hard sell for most Americans as we all know on this site the Volt is a far cry from a straight EV vehicle. The American public has yet to be educated on the Volt and the powertrain that powers it. All this will shake out in time the early adopters, advertisement, one parked in your neighbor’s garage, the news will leak out slowly at first and then starting to gain momentum and hopefully when early adopters of the volt start telling the tales of months going by without putting any gas in the tank the news will leak out faster and faster. One thing I know for sure is Americans love the one up their friends and neighbors and jealousy reigns supreme. This car is just flat out cool with all the technology built-in. The survey I would like to see is how many people are fed up with OPEC. The phrase I hear the most offen in this thread over the last couple years is quote ”this car is a game changer”, I still feel this to be a true statement. The only question remains how long will it take for the Volt to change the game.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:05 am)Now *that’s* frightening (lol). Let’s hope that it goes “viral” (and that there is no cure).
Be well,
Tagamet
No ER, No Sale!
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:09 am)This is terrible news! We need to do what we can to get that number as high as possible or we’ll have no chance of getting a Volt for years.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:14 am)#71
Well I was about to say “epidemic” instead of “contagious”, but I decided to tone it down a little, LOL. How about “pandemic”? +1
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:21 am)Given that the technology will be available in Europe as well, pandemic fits pretty well.
Be well,
Tagamet
No ER, No Sale!
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:23 am)===========================
This brings up an interesting point about the Volt:
Would it have to pass a SMOG test? And how would it be done, when the ICE only kicks in as needed? I feel bad for those that try to explain that one to the person at the testing center!!!
We don’t have that in Youngstown, thank goodness……………..
NPNS
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:26 am)I would love to know how much GM spent developing the Olds Aurora. And all that car had was a nice engine and “very precision trunk hinges”. Something’s screwy in Denmark when GM is acting iffy, in today’s climate, about producing a car that uses almost no gasoline.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:27 am)Increase taxes on gas $2 per gallon and you will see change in attitude. America needs not only independence from foreign oil but also investment in infrastructure – it is time to do it now! When will policy makers understand that without actually increasing price of gas in significant numbers America will be left behind in development of this new and very important technology? The world will not wait. History of the GSM system for mobile telecommunication and its adoption around the world, outside of the US, is the best example of how procrastination (or plain stupidity?) causes long lasting damage to America’s national interests (not to mention consumers).
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:29 am)Dave, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but with the Volt, this ritual will continue. Same with Fisker and the Toy PHEV. I dunno how the hell their gonna do the test but they will be required because of the ICE in there. The good news is it should be an easy pass.
Now if it were my idea, you’d be able to buy the Volt as a BEV only, regiter it AS a BEV, with the option to add the Genset later or remove it. That way you eliminate the SMOG test……..maybe, just a crazy ass thought.
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:34 am)That’s a good question.1 I wonder if volts have OBD IIs on them?
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:37 am)lol….I’ve asked that before. My gues as well as others is that there will be a “Diagnostic Mode” where it kicks it into CS mode for the test. The Prius get’s tested the same ol way right? And doesn’t it have some low speed AER? I wonder how it handles that? Any Prius owners please comment so we all know…K?
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:39 am)26% want electric cars, that’s huge. wait till the technology has been around and proven it self.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:42 am)The survey is hardly a surprise. Anyone I’ve talked to (in Alameda Cal.) about EV’s would NOT be willing to plug in – period. (And Alameda is proven EV friendly ) The crux of the matter is being able to implement a graceful and otherwise meaningful transition from ICE power to electric power. That’s why its sooo important to emphasize range. The more the better. Again, GM indicates its reliability on poll vs. design interpolation wrongly. I mean asking someone if they’d plug in every night without pre-qualification simply doesn’t follow. The question should be REALITY tailored. Q. Have you ever driven an EV? – A. No. Q. If you had an EV do you have a place to plug it in. A. No. If you had a place to plug an EV into – and you could cut your trips to the gas station down – would you consider buying an EV … 1) at any price, 2) at a competitive price, 3) only at a price significantly below ICE powered. Now ask the same question expanding: ‘If you cut your trips to the gas station to a max of once a month’ – Now that’ll do the trick.
Insofar as VOLT, sure at under 100,000 units in 2011 it’ll outsell production- hands down. Never to doubt historically VOLT is mass market inception of the transition from ICE power to electric power.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:11 pm)Wonder if an OnStar printout verifying low ICE use will exempt the Volt? There is currently a simple $18 non-use registration fee in California.
=D-Volt
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:15 pm)Given that the product isn’t on the market yet, I think those numbers are really good. And given the Volt’s range extender, it should be an easy sell even to those who aren’t currently interested. (Although it will be a while before they exhaust the built of demand from would-be early adopters.)
If not, the next run up in gas prices should do the trick.
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:25 pm)It does have a purely electric drivetrain. It just has an onboard gas generator too.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:42 pm)This survey doesn’t jibe with my personal mental survey that says that 99% of Americans have no real idea what they might do in 5 years.
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:46 pm)#76
Yeah, and how about the Hummer? SSR? Saturn Vue hybrid? Malibu hybrid? Pontiac G-8? Modern era Pontiac GTO? Many billions of dollars, IMHO.
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:48 pm)I trust in the market. If they get Volts out in a number where they can sell them without dealers gouging the price.
Right now, it looks like GM is just going to piss of a great deal of people.
So now I am focusing on how to force them by using whatever pressure and influence I can manufacture to get GM to step up production.
Anybody else here have ANY ideas on how to place pressure on GM to make more than a few thousand?
RECHARGE! James
IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:48 pm)The survey is asking the wrong question. The question needs to be…….
I have a car that if you plug in at night when you are done using it just like your cell phone, you can get up to 230mpg still have all the conveniences that you are used to and have no sacrafice on power and if you foreget to plug it in no problem you will still get 50 mpg, would you be interested?????
Tom C
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:49 pm)#86
Too true to be funny, as my Dad always used to say. +1
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:52 pm)That’s a good idea. But I dunno man, them CARB folk aint the shapest resident in the Trailer PArk if ya no whatimean.
Trying to get them to agree on this where the type of data is not “Across the board” for all mfgrs or available has a snowballs chance in hell.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:54 pm)The general population has no concept of how the Volt works so these results have no applicability to the Volt. They do illustrate the problems with BEVs that make the Volt a superior alternative. There is no real convenience penalty for driving the Volt if you don’t mind hitting the range extender before the 40 miles is up. One potential problem however is the price penalty. It is assumed that the more economical operation makes up for the price premium, but that assumption may not be true for people who can afford Volts in many areas of CA, a primary test market. Many of these folks, due to CA enviro regs and tiering, wind up paying 40 to 47 cent/kWhr for any energy above their current use. That dramatically reduces the Volt’s operational cost advantage. GM needs to get on top of this and make sure Volt customers don’t pay more than the actual cost of the energy used for their Volt, about 20 cents per kWhr in CA
Given the pendency of more enviro regs even that price is going up.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (12:57 pm)in 1990, i bet you could easily have seen these headlines…
“72% of US Car Buyers Wouldn’t Consider a Hybrid”
it seems that the current prius sales would then put this survey to rest as 10 – 20 years after 1990, this headline i’m stating would be garbage.
ANY new tech takes the landscape to change. gas prices WILL continue to rise and thus this fact of paying a little bit more up front (just like a hybrid) will then be worth it. our buying needs are changing. it is the same thought process from the same “i don’t like change” people that filled out this survey and the same survey can be done ten years from now on the next new tech.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:05 pm)What percent would have said they would buy fax machines in 1970?
-car phones in 1975?
-computers in 1960?
-smart phones in 1990?
-email in 1980?
-etc., etc.
In general, most people don’t have a lot of vision when it comes to new ideas and new technology. This is why it is sooo important to get real products into real production. Even at that, 7% of 200M is still 14M. 28% is 56M. This is still a LOT of EVs and a lot more than will be produced for some time. I also get the feeling that EREV’s weren’t polled separately.
IMO, while this may be disconcerting at first glance, this is pretty good news.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:06 pm)I always wondered why Consumer Reports Car Reviews and ratings were so different from all the other car Magazines like MT, R & T, C & D, and all the others. When they list the best cars in a category NEARLY every single one is Japanese. They are bias and shrills for the Japanese. Yes the Japanese make fine cars but when you have no mention of BMW or Audi or any other Manufacturer – European or American something is wrong. I’ve written to them about this and received no reply. I don’t trust CR and I tell my friends when looking for a call and doing their initial research stay clear of CR. Rely on the standard Car Magazines before you go out shopping. CR is a load of crap.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:06 pm)This survey clearly shows why the Volt will be a success and why a pure electric car such as the Leaf will have a hard time in the marketplace.
+4
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:16 pm)This survey is somewhat related to what I was showing yesterday.
If you take the middle ground on the price announcement yesterday on the LEAF, you get $41,450.00 which is $46,172.00 after Sales Taxes and Fees.
Let’s pretend the VOLT is the same price as the LEAF:
At 4.90% for 72 months, you get:
$743.50 per month with $ZERO Down
$663.27 per month with $5,000 Down
$582.81 per month with $10,000 Down
If GMAC offers ZERO Percent Financing for 60 months, you get $769.54 per month
Then it was asked, “What if the VOLT comes in at $34,000?”, since it has been reported here that it will be “substantially below $30,000 after federal tax credits”.
$34,000.00 = $37,983.00 OTD after taxes and fees.
So at ZERO Percent financing for 60 months, you get $633.05 per month.
Now, if you’re lucky to get mileage compensation from your work, or you really drive a lot and are going to save $240 per month or more on gasoline, then your ‘effective’ monthly payment could be something you can live with.
On today’s topic, I would have liked to have seen the actual questions. Survey questions tend to be written to get the answers the surveyors are actually looking for. Just like in politics.
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:21 pm)Thanks CorvetteGuy, that gets it down to the basics.
You are totally right about surveys…
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:22 pm)Regardless of what the actual % numbers are I think they reflect two very important points:
1) range anxiety is very real
2) cost is very important.
The Volt will be able to overcome #1 pretty easily I think as people begin to understand how it really works. I think that’s an already solved technical issue with the Volt and it’s just a yet to be solved marketing issue. That can be sorted out.
#2 is more difficult to overcome. Quite simply, the cost of the Volt will have to come down or gas prices will have to go up to really start replacing “ordinary” cars.
I mean, hybrids are like what, 3% of total sales? That’s not nothing but it’s certainly not replacing “ordinary” cars by any stretch. It’s going to take awhile for all those costs and prices to align for sales to really take off for any new fuel-saving drivetrain. But, keep in mind that if you don’t start somewhere you won’t be ready when those costs and prices do finally align. Not every one of us can afford a Volt, but the real question is are there enough of us that can to keep it going and eventually make it more affordable?
I think and hope so.
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:26 pm)_____________________________________________
#75 Jim I said:
“This brings up an interesting point about the Volt:
Would it have to pass a SMOG test? And how would it be done, when the ICE only kicks in as needed? I feel bad for those that try to explain that one to the person at the testing center!!!”
———————
That does bring up an interesting point. Perhaps the Volt will have a battery kill-switch that takes the battery offline for those circumstances requiring the IC to override the battery.
______________________________________________
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:30 pm)To me the survey is a strong wake up call to GM and their marketing team. The message needs to convince the buying public that the Volt is an electric car but fear about range just doesn’t exist with the Volt.
One effective add could be a Volt owner getting ready to leave his garage and saying “darn! I forgot to charge it last night, O well I’ll do it tomorrow.” Then the Volt is started and off he goes!
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:37 pm)Well since there will only be 50K VOLTS on the road the result of this survey is not a big concern. With time EREV’s and BEV’s will prove them self. It will be a slow and natural progression. Just get it on the road!
Mar 19th, 2010 (1:43 pm)koz ~ What percent would have said they would buy fax machines in 1970?
____________________________________
Remember when AOL first came along? And how much fun it was to dial-up connect with your Pentium I. And to be able to speak with someone in London, Sydney, or Madrid? And how internet time was charged by the hour? Before competition came along and the prices dropped.
The first thing that came to my mind way back then was. “Think of the cars AOL online time is taking off the streets. And the savings in gas.”
Look at the internet today. If you wish, you can order everything online and never leave the house. My last computer gadget, several shirts, leather couch, and golf clubs were all ordered online. Most with free shipping.
This leads us to EV start-ups. Several are taking reservations online now. 2012 is going to be big fun. We here at gm volt dot com can stand tall and say, “We told you so”.
=D-Volt
BTW: I ran into the automotive manager again. The fellow I mentioned last month. We talked about the Leaf. And played with the yen/dollar conversion numbers. He thinks the EV hardcores will be okay with it. All I could say was that we’ll need to wait and see. He nodded and mentioned that overall sales numbers are still down. He gave me a percent (won’t disclose here).
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:05 pm)Depends on who is conducting the survey. We all know consumer Reports is quite unbiased. Ouch, dang it, I just bit my tongue, hate it when that happens.
-1
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:19 pm)Then it was asked, “What if the VOLT comes in at $34,000?”, since it has been reported here that it will be “substantially below $30,000 after federal tax credits”.
—————————————————————————————
It has been said many times by some posters that you can not use the deduction of the rebate to calculate the monthly payment. Those numbers are way off but it does bring to light what the monthly payments *could* be. I don’t think there are very many people in the US that can afford those payments but we can only wait till the official announcement from both gm and nissan.
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:21 pm)No concrete conclusions should be drawn from this study. Electric cars like the Volt and Leaf have up to now never been in dealer showrooms – the average consumer does not have any clear idea of their operational benefits. Given this, people’s perceptions about electric cars should be very easily made positive once they begin to see them on the road.
-1
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:22 pm)Without knowing what the actual question was, the survey is crap.
-2
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:26 pm)stuart22 Says
Electric cars like the Volt and Leaf have up to now never been in dealer showrooms –
Wrong, the Volt is a PHEV Hybrid. Not an EV. Notice the exaust pipe?
But you are correct, they never have been in the showrooms so their consumer poll is garbage. It’s a poll on something that does not exist for the consumers.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:29 pm)Consumer Reports DID include the 2010 VOLT in their annual April ratings edition. It’s listed in the description section, so anyone checking the Chevrolet paragraphs will at first glance think the car is available now. They describe E-Rev nicely. This will help buyers decide if they want to wait for the VOLT.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:33 pm)This is all good news! More VOLTS & LEAFS for those who really want them!
GO EV !!!
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:45 pm)It all comes down to erroneous perceptions due up front price slowing things down. Would better warranty marketing be part of the solution?
I checked news archives. Survey respondants were MUCH more positive about their potential hybrid purchases in the 1990′s than they are about EVs in this survey. Automakers have to date largely failed to supply the hybrids in the configurations and prices that respondents wanted. Two things that all the surveys missed – price premiums, and the dearth of offerings in most types of vehicles (the latter causes the former). The surveys did correctly estimate potential efficiency gains, though.
We’re still waiting for automakers to get serious about producing desirable, affordable hybrids, which’ll ramp up volumes and get premiums down.
Mar 19th, 2010 (2:56 pm)Electric Cars are very badly promoted !!! Remember the advertiser for the EV 1 or the Toyota RAV EV back in 1998 ?
They wore the most bad advertisment I ever seen.So GM start advertising electric cars like you do for the gasoline ones BEAUTIE, STYLE ,BETTER, BEST this sould be the words for the EV’s.
And one more thing,when people will see that their neihbors use SOLAR POWER for their EV’s and so travel for free of charge then the IDEA will get to them to!!!
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:01 pm)… and I still wouldn’t consider buying a mobile phone without a keypad, but that may be because I’ve never had one in my hand. So I’m agreeing with you.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:05 pm)Info like this helps to illustrate the difference between leading and following. Leaders are in the small minority and will be out in front of an idea/issue. The other people follow.
The obvious questions are, as always, who are the leaders, which ones will be followed, and how quickly?
Timaaayyy!!! Biz 101
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:24 pm)My goof. It was just under $3.00. Sorry about that.
+3
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:25 pm)I would like to see a survey of horse/buggy drivers when cars first came out. Who would want a noisy, expensive, unreliable car??
Wait ’til terrorist hit our petro distribution system and then watch ‘em get in line.
John
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:40 pm)“On today’s topic, I would have liked to have seen the actual questions. Survey questions tend to be written to get the answers the surveyors are actually looking for. Just like in politics.”
Amen to that!
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:44 pm)OT: I wonder what happened up in the early posts, that resulted in about a dozen “green” comments? (g). Maybe it’s just that we *are* that good! (lol).
Sorry for the tangent.
Be well,
Tagamet
Mar 19th, 2010 (3:49 pm)Oh.
And here you were making me feel good for only having had to pay $3.019 yesterday at the cheapest station I could find.
Mar 19th, 2010 (4:05 pm)=D-Volt
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (4:07 pm)I went to the Auto show in Columbus Ohio yesterday and came out disappointed. No Volt
When I asked where the Volt was the worker at the GM booth said Texas doing testing. They have about 100 of these built (some running some not) why would they not have one at the Auto show? GM is missing out on PR big time. They need to have these out so people can get educated.
They did have a Cruze but you could not get in it. It looked nice …. very nice interior. I asked about the Cruze and again no information. Come on GM the car is going on sale this year ….. get some info out. I asked about the price of the Cruze and all they said is that is was going to be more then the Cobalt which was $16,000. Thanks … that really helps.
On a positive note for GM ….. There were twice as many people in the GM booth then anyother …. to bad they missed out on those people with having no information on the Cruze or Volt.
Mar 19th, 2010 (4:09 pm)Hmm, that is weird my experience is the opposite — disc brakes get wet and may not work for the first second or so when applied, whereas drums almost always stay dry and work immediately. I had some scares when I had my 1992 Saturn coupe with all discs, after a good spray at the car wash. No such issues with the 2002, with drums in back (not that I prefer drums, but that’s what it has…).
Also weird about the claimed rusting and pitting of Prius discs (due to all-regen braking) by someone. I just checked 2 Priuses out in the parking lot and both had nice shiny polished up rotors (including the rear discs on the one vehicle, probably newer). Maybe their regen isn’t working properly?
Not trying to start an argument, the above comments are just my observations.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (4:42 pm)#118
Pandemic optimism.
Mar 19th, 2010 (4:47 pm)ROTFLMAO.
From your lips to God’s ear!
Be well,
Tagamet
Mar 19th, 2010 (5:48 pm)cool,
The Volt “Skateboard”
Mar 19th, 2010 (5:53 pm)The Beauty of a Volt
: Peace
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:02 pm)The Beauty of a Volt…
Peace
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:17 pm)Post 126 was supposed to be a response to ROTFLMAO.
I was trying to figure out the “boldness”of it and ended up deleting(?) the part I wanted.
So what I was trying to post was…
ROTFLMAO
The Beauty of a Volt…
Peace
Sometimes I get mixed up,
Cheers
-4
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:40 pm)No doubt about these numbas, the Volt will be a tiny niche market during its greatest sales. Can you say small fries.
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:43 pm)Yeah, well, six years ago I asked my brother-in-law what he thought about the Prius. If I HADN’T listend to him I would have saved about $3000 at the pump over six years, a couple grand on my taxes, and been driving a car with a blue book value that is about $4,000 higher. But I bought the common wisdom about never buying new tech and went with a GM car because I wanted to buy American. A big tax credit and the prospect of saving better than 80% at the pump, plus the opportunity to buy an American made product = I’m buying a Volt. Once they all see me driving it 24/7/365, and gas goes to $4.00 a gallon, and the price comes down under $25K, they’ll all want one too.
-6
Mar 19th, 2010 (6:47 pm)This is the best survey i have ever seen on this site. Definitely puts the whole EV Volt stuff in perspective. I thought the Volt would change things but not with these numbers. Looks like the Volt has been massively overhyped beyond belief actually. woot.
+6
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:19 pm)Wait till they feel the torque in these vehicles. Wait until they don’t stop at the pump. Wait until they see the low and no maintenance features.
Electric is here to stay.
Mar 19th, 2010 (7:33 pm)It’s OK, Buddy. It happens to all of us.
Be well and Peaceful,
Tagamet
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:00 pm)Why lead with a negative headline when not a SINGLE consumer as surveyed has even seen an EV let alone driven one? You might as well ask Americans if they would consider living on the Moon.
A 26% positive response is encouraging under the current non-existent circumstances.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (9:03 pm)Ask J.D. Powers about a survey.
Consumer Reports hates everything American.
They are on a rage because Toyota and their magazine
has been caught in a lie !
The Volt will sell
+2
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:32 pm)HA! 2009, the worst year in actual numbers(not percent of population mind you) since 1982 saw approximately 11.5 MILLION cars sold in the US alone. We all know 2009 was a horible year but if the Volt hit 7% of that year it would sell 805,000 Volts. That’s just in the US! That’s is a huge market. Some would even say GINORMUS! Multiply 805,000 by $30,00= 24,150,000,000! That’s over 24 BILLION! Yeah I think GM wants some of that market. And remember that’s just in the US! What about the rest of Europe.
… Wait, holy crap Steve Austin is peddling hearing aids on TV, oh man I’m old!!! EESH
What ever I’m talikin’ dolla’s! 24 huge. The only bad news here is I can’t go buy stock in GM.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (10:40 pm)See #136. Deffinately 1/4 full and over flowing my friend! This is GREAT NEWS!!
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:06 pm)Poor Mr. Weber being in the *opposite* (quiet engineer) PR side of the continuum from where I am at; the “loose-cannon”-”teach-the-techs-on-the-front-lines-&-cut-all-bs” side of the auto industry (as your jest had brought to light), I always demand to give techs credit for the harsher (yet as intensely intellectual as that of a brain surgeon nowadays) jobs that they must always perform.
And now, we have a product that separates the gifted, or deeply dedicated, or consumer-protective service techs from others whom have not yet decided what the future holds (for them *or* anyone else).
Retention of deep respect for historical electric motoring efforts by high voltage EV engineers who continually advise me (as I advise them ICE-wise on their own vehicles in return), is something most people may never be able to also sufficiently respect, as the internet is so diffused to the point that important electric motoring histories are beginning to be lost.
A few weeks ago, Tag mentioned that I was well positioned in the job I was in.
LOL!! Well I would hope so, and, please pardon me for saying why, I had to work five years to create this job/business, with no business models to reference whatsoever, and with 60k in my own personal lines of credit in the first place since 2001, as no one else on the planet does what I do. Not even the fine people who make the Genisys scan system can do what I do with their finest of all diagnostic products.
So, if ever I was given the opportunity to contract with GM, I would have to carefully survey the challenges they might be interested to contract out to field experience, then submit a findings proposal after engineering finalized software.
Thanks for bringing that up DonC.
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:20 pm)P.S. to my #138,
Amend to “…contract out to aftermarket historical GM field technical training experience,…”
-8
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:22 pm)Realities of business will come crashing down long before that.
The need for profitable & competitive sales will require tough decisions.
Even with the tax-credit, some have admitted the price is still too high. And once that’s gone, then what? Heck, we’ve already witnessed the abandonment of the “no plug, no sale” motto after 2 years of devoted use. How will Volt break out beyond niche volume? How will the technology be expanded?
Whenever tough questions get asked, rather than a constructive debate, the post simply gets a negative vote. How will high-volume sales be achieved?
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:42 pm)Dan, I have no idea what you do. But if you’re interested in expanding on a larger scale and would like to give it a try, I know how to go through the process of doing that and would be happy to help as best I can to set up some contacts for you. If you go the VC route, I can even tell you which VCs are the a**holes, which ones the complete jerks, and which ones the mere sharks. LOL I’d also be happy to tell you why you may not want to do this!
Seriously, if you do have something unique that helps people do their jobs better it would be a shame to have it limited to Austin. You ought to look at what you can do with it. There is always more money than good ideas for innovations.
+1
Mar 19th, 2010 (11:59 pm)People are willing to pay a $5k premium for the Volt.. since the Volt will be comfortably under $30k (probably including the fed credit) that brings it down to the $25k average that most Americans spend on a car. GM wont be able to keep it in stock, but we knew that already.
Mar 20th, 2010 (12:02 am)72% are uninterested in a technology they know little to nothing about? No surprise. Like others have commented, when gas prices shoot up, so will interest. When friends, families and neighbors know someone who drives a Volt and begin to understand how it works, attitudes will change. That’s why GM (and the US) needs to get the Volt launch done correctly. A flubbed product will set back attitudes for many years and likely allow Toyota to bootstrap the Prius into the Volt market.
Mar 20th, 2010 (1:19 am)This survey reflects the knowledge of the average consumer about the Volt. The Volt is likely to catch big time if the initial reviews are good. Many of the folks east of the
Rockies in the northern states already plug in during the winters, so its no big deal for them. As the batteries improve, it will win more converts. And the best way to win over the public is a worry free Volt. Reputation and word of mouth is the best way to high sales.
Until the Volt hits the showroom, surveys don’t mean much.
+1
Mar 20th, 2010 (5:40 am)Chevy Volt Demo at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFOehrQICAU
=D-Volt
+1
Mar 20th, 2010 (5:45 am)If at any time you become unhappy with the operation or performance or this cell phone, you may return it to any SouthernBell office, where you will be provided with $5 in quarters and directions to the 3 nearest pay phones.
+2
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:00 am)Half the people will not try anything new, the same half will be jealous of their neighbors new stuff. Such is life.
Peace
+2
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:05 am)Fewer Volt dancers and more EREV education I say…
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:10 am)Boy, it’d be really neat to see another bit of history spring up from this site! That’s a *very* kind offer DonC.
Be well, and good luck to you both!
Tagamet
No ER (or brakes), No Sale!
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:16 am)Yep! And the *other* half will complain about…. no, wait, that’s three “halfs”… never mind. (g).
Be well and good morning,
Tagamet
No ER (or brakes), No Sale!
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:30 am)And a fine morning too you (and everyone else too).
Will be off to the airport to look for that electric plane today.
Peace
+1
Mar 20th, 2010 (7:37 am)You cannot translate Toyota’s problem to CR. That would be like blaming Air and Space magazine for the loss of our space shuttles!
CR’s has no vested interest in making Toyota king. This is an American made magazine that puts out facts on the vehicles. Many of these facts come straight from consumer polls.
In the past Toyota/Honda have squarely beaten the GM/Ford/Chrysler products with superior products, but now that you are seeing the quality of GM/Ford increase, and issues arise on Toyota, you can see that the gap in CR is closing and in some cases reversing.
Their are plenty of real conspiracies to go after. CR is not one of them.
+1
Mar 20th, 2010 (8:09 am)OT, I found an article by a reporter in Austin TX who got a test drive. Claims the Volt has an 8 gallon gas tank and 400 miles range in CS mode (440 mile range total). That reveals CS mpg to be 50. Can’t totally believe it. Also can’t believe that “it slipped out accidentally”. Plus GM can always claim that it is not a production vehicle.
But the author IS a reporter that covers automotive topics. Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-17513-Austin-Alternative-Transportation-Examiner~y2010m3d19-Chevy-Volt-Test-Drive-in-Austin
Mar 20th, 2010 (2:26 pm)Of course, only time will tell for sure. But let’s hope it’s factual. I’m hoping my “surprise on the upside” prediction about CS mpg turns out to be right!
JohnK: OT, I found an article by a reporter in Austin TX who got a test drive. Claims the Volt has an 8 gallon gas tank and 400 miles range in CS mode (440 mile range total). That reveals CS mpg to be 50. Can’t totally believe it. Also can’t believe that “it slipped out accidentally”. Plus GM can always claim that it is not a production vehicle.But the author IS a reporter that covers automotive topics. Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-17513-Austin-Alternative-Transportation-Examiner~y2010m3d19-Chevy-Volt-Test-Drive-in-Austin (Quote)
Mar 20th, 2010 (2:38 pm)And this is the best news. This answers the question as to why the general (affluent) public would pay entry-level BMW or Mercedes prices for a Chevrolet. BMW and Mercedes offer you merely a very fine ICE; the Volt offers you something fundamentally much better to drive.
Mar 20th, 2010 (3:01 pm)History has revealed them to be a terribly inaccurate source of information about new efficiency technology.
As for your hope about 50 mpg in CS mode, that simply does not make any sense. GM would have an affordable runaway hit (pun intended). Selling a second model of Volt with a very small battery-pack would greatly help to achieve high-volume sales. It would do wonders for CARB requirements too. Yet, that is never confirmed… still only speculated and hopes remain despite observations of lower mpg.
Mar 20th, 2010 (4:25 pm)(/pardon the ot everyone).
Hey DonC,
I absolutely do have a perfected system.
I can usually tell right away whose intent is genuine.
I learned to tell that in the 1980′s.
If you google search
Dan Petit Texas DPS Emissions Training
(then) Genisys Waveform Seminars
it’s a pdf file.
you can get an idea of the structured methodology for auto diagnostics I’ve perfected.
You’ll also find my landline phone number on my flier which they host on their site, which you are welcome to call and leave a message, and I’ll be glad to get back to you.
Yes, at this point, it would be indeed a shame to have it limited to only Austin, Texas.
Mar 20th, 2010 (4:29 pm)Consumer Reports has a cult like following.
They are in love with Japanese cars and their readers
are so brainwashed.
Where is the recall on Honda airbags in the magazine?
J.D.Powers is the way to go for the truth.
Be American, Buy American!
Consumer reports should have a section on “where does the
money go”.
Back to Japan
Mar 20th, 2010 (5:18 pm)Smarter Chargers for Electric Vehicles
This spring, GE will start selling a line of “smart charging stations,” devices that communicate with utilities to optimize charging, for electric vehicles.
The devices could help stabilize the grid, and make charging electric cars cheaper.
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24764/?ref=rss
Mar 20th, 2010 (5:30 pm)I wish some posters could get over their pathological need to make snide comments regarding Consumer Reports’ supposed enthrallment with Japanese automobiles. As it happens, their April 2010 Annual Auto Issue notes (page 5) that CR is withdrawing their recommendation of 8 Toyota models, on account of the sticking accelerator recall.
Mar 20th, 2010 (5:55 pm)Not surprising. Because few people have been shown how great the VOLT is. And saving gas money is not yet a big demand. But it will be. In spite of what the oils want. Once the general public gets the idea that they can drive a regular car without ever having to buy gas (normal commuter) – they will GET the Volt.
Until the first Volts are being driven by high profile people to capture publicity, there is little chance the general public will react positively. Remember the Prius was not a popular car until three or four years after introduction. Volt is well made, well positioned and it will grab the imagination of Americans in the first two years of sales.
GM needs to carefully nurture the message that the Chevy Volt will help make America stronger, energy independent and cut payments to hostile nations. If people really care about the $450 billion in annual payments for foreign oil – they’ll think hard on the Chevy Volt.
Mar 20th, 2010 (6:11 pm)Whoa! Talking about oversimplification.
Let’s not overlook the fact that the next generation model was bigger, more powerful, much more practical as a hatchback, and profitable. That naturally made it more popular for everyone (consumer, dealer, automaker). Also, let’s not forget all the misconceptions it had to deal with back then too.
What improvements will GM offer to increase sales?
+1
Mar 21st, 2010 (6:49 am)Consumer Reports is a joke. Hybrids didn’t catch on at first simply because the laymen public didn’t understand them. Once people realize the huge benefits of having an EV, they will flock to them in droves.
If you build it, they will come.
Mar 21st, 2010 (10:43 am)This is Consumer Reports… the ones that send out forms in THEIR magazine to rate cars. So only people who read their biased reports are part of the “survey”. So their red dots are based on readers of their magazine only which is very biased.
CU is known for very biased “reports” which are next to meaningless… but CU also knows that Yellow journalism sells. Time will tell how many people are interested in electric cars.
Mar 22nd, 2010 (9:35 am)Time will tell, and not that long a time at that. If I were GM, and if I knew the CS mpg was going to be 50, I would be keeping it under wraps. Never telegraph the knockout punch.
If the whole serial-hybrid concept is to have any future, Volt CS-mode mpg must be Prius-competitive. We see Lotus and Audi moving toward serial hybrids; from that it would seem that at least some smart engineers think serial hybrids will work. Ergo, there is reason to hope that Volt CS mpg will be Prius-competitive.
Which observations of lower Volt mpg are you referring to?
(I briefly got a dashboard reading of 5 mpg pulling out of a gas station this morning. When I arrived at work it read 43.7)
+1
Mar 22nd, 2010 (2:50 pm)To the gaz giants dismay, IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE once you’ve gone hybrid or electric you can never go back. Especially when the gaz price will peak. watch then the gaz guzzlers owners run to these alternatives…. Oh yeah by the way if there were even a few hybrid or electric car ads maybe they would sell a lot more ?
P.S GM please bring back the EV1.
See the movie Who killed the electric car….
Mar 22nd, 2010 (3:25 pm)You know what I am dying to see is the warranty on this vehicle?! Do you know what it will cost to replace the batteries in this puppy?! Considerably more than the Prius batteries. I am willing to bet the average American wouldn’t consider it to be viable if they aren’t effective the first few years from the initial production run of the Volt.
Time will tell.
Mar 22nd, 2010 (6:01 pm)Wow, 72%! I thought only about 60% of the population were idiots.