Not officially yet of course, but thanks to some forced disclosures to protect their intellectual property in China (under a antiquated, nationalistic ‘we are a island’ patent process), some sketches have surfaced showing that the Michigan made Chevrolet Volt, which was given a facelift and then rebranded as a Ampera for Europe will be rebadged again on its way to China…likely to be born again as a Buick.
It is most likely a Buick because that brand has a lot of cachet in China, and is the flagship of General Motors in that country (despite Cadillac being present in the country since 2004). The only other real choice would be for it to launch as a Chevrolet; but it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to have the Chevy logo stuck on the Ampera skin that was meant to distance itself from the look of the Volt in the first place.
It is also unlikely that it will be continued to be marketed as a Opel in China, because Opel has no weight in that market whatsoever, illustrated by that fact that cars such as the Astra and Insignia (which are built in China) are both branded Buicks in China (Excelle and Regal). GM has recently considered expanding Opel’s role in China, but as of now the score in China for auto sales (at least in 2009 )was Buick 447,000 – Opel 3,000.
Additionally, considering the price point will likely exceed $50,000 USD by the time the American made car lands in showrooms in China, it pretty much has to be a Buick.
According to sources, and despite very limited initial production plans (up to 8,000 vehicles in 2011), the Buick (insert name here) will go on sale in China in the first half of 2011. Couple that with plans to launch the Chevy Volt in Canada in mid-2011, the Vauxhell Ampera in the UK and the Opel Ampera in the rest of Europe in late 2011, the Holden Volt in Australia in early 2012, and that is a very full dance card indeed.
Which begs the question. Only 5 brands for the Volt GM? I look forward to ‘new’ Voltec offerings from Wuling and Daewoo any day now. /very ‘old’ GM
Sidenote: Everyone’s favorite GM exec, Susan Docherty, has just resurfaced (again) as vice president in charge of sales and marketing in China (and the many other regions inside GMIO…which account for about half of all of GM’s sales), so perhaps a new ‘Volt dance’ will resurface at the 2011 Beijing auto show in April.
Source (TheTycho.com)
+3
May 29th, 2010 (8:16 am)Per Chinese patent law, it has to be filed there for there to be any protection.. and thus we should start seeing details on the Voltec tech soon from those filings. The state of the art will soon advance in China
+5
May 29th, 2010 (8:24 am)Meanwhile in the latest study:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/05/auatotechcast-20100529.html#more
30% of the respondents said they were somewhat likely to purchase a plug-in-hybrid if it added $4k to the cost, and 25% for pure electrics.. 32% said so for fuel cells so there is still room for some consumer education.. a few months of $4 gas will do it I think. The good news is that 30% is about 3.3 million cars per year in the US alone.
+21
May 29th, 2010 (8:25 am)Very nice to hear a story about the US sending product TO China for a change.
-2
May 29th, 2010 (8:30 am)Re-post from yesterday’s topic ( since not many go back and read late posts from previous days ).
JEC:
James,Very passionate post.Not sure why you would think Rashid works at GM?If he was a GM worker, who was trying to help the GM cause, he would have wanted the Govt assistance for electrification.Anyway, I see your points, and while I am very much on the conservative side of taxation, the one caveat on this is the incentives to get off oil.This has such large ramifications toour economic and national security, that I am leaning towards the idea of a gas tax being a good idea.
============================================================================================================
Thanks JEC for the support. And you’re right. I am very very passionate about getting our nation off of the teet of foreign oil. Just look at what it’s doing to us all. Not one aspect of being dependent upon other nations for oil is positive. What seems obvious to all is that it is becoming so much more dangerous as time goes on – even if someone were to discount “peak oil”, we have to look at O.P.E.C. nations and what they represent to our safety and sanctity. Hugo Chavez wants us dead, Saudi Arabia loves our money but hates our freedoms of religion, press, speech, markets, equality of sexes, human rights….etc, etc, etc. Now just look at that pipe nearly a half mile underwater in the Gulf just spewing that “black gold” we all need so much by the tens of millions of gallons pretty much finishing off that ugly ugly picture we find ourselves in with our dependence – and you have the perfect environment to push an electrically transported, domestically-sourced, bio-fueled USA into reality. Oil addiction is getting uglier by the minute ( literally ).
How appropriate many like to discuss the possibility of a gasoline tax. Sure, even us anti tax-and-spend zealots have to admit, as one poster today so aptly stated, “water conservation should be of top priority unless one’s home is burning, at which point, our drastic need outweighs our conscience to do what-in the long term- is right.
Automobile Magazine interviewed the current Asst. Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg this month. In that interview she stated,”…There is not an appetite (in Washington today) to raise the gas tax…”. OF COURSE THAT WON’T HAPPEN, we can say we think it’s the answer, but it won’t happen due to voter backlash. Politicians mainly do populist things to retain their job – plain and simple. God only knows there is an Abraham Lincoln out there breathing air in these United States – but in today’s world he wouldn’t make it past the primary – because he likely would realize a SIGNIFICANT gas tax would solve many of our current lingering problems. Truly you and I may have slowly come to this realization, but the vast majority of people only see such a tax as a government penalty on their freedom to burn crude. So the The federal levy of 18.4 cents hasn’t gone up since 1993 and its buying power has been eroded by 67 percent inflation in construction costs since then, leaving the federal Highway Trust Fund insolvent.
In Europe, gas taxes are more like $3 – $4 per gallon. And they have a different model. Back in the Eisenhower administration the political consensus was to use the gas tax to pay for our interstate highway system – a user fee. That fee has not had an increase since 1993!!!! Can you believe a tax in America that hasn’t risen since 1993?!!!! In Europe they pay huge gas taxes and they’re not user fees. The proceeds go into a general treasury ( kitty ) to pay for whatever they need them for – healthcare, transportation, defense…… . A tax here of 50 cents per gallon could go into a general fund and help pay down our national debt. Instead of placing the load onto the manufacturer – the consumer drives the market by demanding higher mileage cars and trucks. Simple. But it will never happen. It’s just politics.
This is why I endorse a bi-partisan stimulus to jump-start an electric auto revolution.
People are 110% right in saying there are 100’s of ways we can reduce our deficit, especially by cutting up the credit cards and removing unneeded programs. I think a true EREV promoter would have to agree this government progam is truly truly needed.
As for Rashiid Amul. Daily his early East Coast posts render +10s to +20s for his simple, “Just build Volts”, “Go GM, good job guys” positive comments. Today he rendered +73 ( +72 after my negative vote ) for basically stating this darned government spending just has to stop. No kidding! But this particular spending is needed – and more – to right the ship of an out-of-control oil dependency driving us into a lot more debt. Period. I say he must work for GM ( half in jest ) because every day he slaps GM on the back yet states to popular approval that the government should just stop helping! When you work for GM, you know the government is that large monkey on your back telling you to build better mileage cars. When you’re GM you know you sat before a Congressional inquiry and stated the Chevy Volt was your “way forward strategy to get off oil and improve carbon footprint, so please bail us out” ( see YouTube for Congressional hearing ). When you’re GM the Volt is expensive. Very expensive. So you don’t want the government sticking it’s prongs into you with incentives to the consumer and public funding of charging stations to force you into actually mass producing expensive Volt in more than a couple markets! Now do you see my point? All of a sudden GM fan boys like Rashiid Amul are barking that government incentives are wrong because, darn it, they just raise our deficit!
RECHARGE! James
+11
May 29th, 2010 (8:33 am)It is hard to believe how much upwardly mobile Chinese drivers love Buick, but they do. They equate to Cadillacs in the 50’s and 60’s here, or BMWs in the 90’s, it is what young men dream of driving. And you know, the Buicks in China do look pretty sharp after driving through a sea of Elantras, Camrys and Corollas. VW sells a ton in China too, but somehow they just don’t seem to measure up for the Chinese drivers, and their reliability is not even close to Buick. Odd talking about great reliability and the subject is an American car made in China. It is kind of cool talking to Chinese drivers, they are very proud of the cars made in their country and they want to own a car in the worst way, so I hope they will have plenty of EREV and BEV choices soon.
+6
May 29th, 2010 (8:35 am)Me too.
Have a great weekend. Try to forget all our political differences and just think about all that is right with our great land, and remember those who have made it possible!
- Michael
+4
May 29th, 2010 (8:47 am)I hope they have a plan in place for bringing unsold Voltecs back to the US from China, in case there are any. That’s one Chinese import I’d be proud to drive.
+7
May 29th, 2010 (9:03 am)Again, a very nice mix of new info with all that we know about the Volt. Makes me ever so nervous that the Chinese will gain all of the benefit of this great technology. But we really should be proud of it. And I hope that it is shared in a mutually beneficial way. And it shurely does seem that it will help to offset some of the initial costs of getting this new technology accepted and into the hands of consumers the world over. This could be a darn big step for Voltec. Thanks much, Statik.
+5
May 29th, 2010 (9:11 am)OK, since this appears to be “repost day,” here’s mine:
Not one dime of incentive money should go towards the buying of foreign electric cars. The LEAF will initially be made in Japan, in case you didn’t know.
In this time of high unemployment our government should be helping our own domestic car companies, and our own taxpaying workers. The Japanese government would NEVER subsidize their own people to buy American cars. In fact, they do everything in their power to prevent any importation of our cars.
This is NATIONAL SUICIDE, committed by our own government. They are cutting our throats with our own tax money.
This is TREASON!!
+3
May 29th, 2010 (9:12 am)In his interview with Lyle, Bob Lutz suggested that the Volt was a world car which would be sold world wide. So this is not such big news.
Is it good news? While more markets for the Volt has to be encouraging, shipping cars around the world more or less requires the car to be a niche vehicle with good margins. It’s hard to do with ordinary cars as witnessed by the fact that the Pontiac G6, which was built in Australia as a Holden, was discontinued after the currency exchange rates went sideways. So this move suggests that GM is still looking at the Volt as a low production number halo car. And that strikes me as bad news.
+4
May 29th, 2010 (9:15 am)An another:
The Japanese government and the CEO’s of the Japanese car companies are no doubt LAUGHING their heads off at the utter foolishness of our American government subsidizing the Japanese car industry and bolstering the Japanese economy using OUR OWN TAXPAYERS MONEY, or worse – BORROWED MONEY!
They would never do such a foolhardy thing and stab their own people in the back.
No government monies should be used to promote FOREIGN car puchases such as the Nissan LEAF, when our own car industry and many of our own fellow citizens are hurting badly and need to be employed.
May 29th, 2010 (9:26 am)I wonder if the 8000 in 2011 mentioned, is in addition to US Volts or will these Chinese cars reduce that number? If 8000 additional, where are the battery packs coming from? Lets just sell all the Volts we can here in 2011. I thought we needed to make sure they’re perfect, before we turn them loose to the masses.
+2
May 29th, 2010 (9:31 am)Stop the madness! I am urging anyone contemplating buying a Nissan LEAF, which will be initially made in Japan, to hold off, and wait for the Chevrolet Volt.
Besides being a superior electric vehicle, with its on-board range-extending generator that will eliminate any “range anxiety” that cars such as the LEAF will have, the Volt will be MADE IN AMERICA, by taxpaying American workers, who will spend their earnings buying local things like houses and candy bars, etc.
If you buy a foreign made car like the LEAF, your money, and our tax money that helped you buy it, are shipped overseas and LOST FOREVER!
PLEASE STOP BUYING FOREIGN MADE CARS, when you have a choice of quality-made American products. We are bankrupting our country and committing National suicide by sending our dollars out of the country.
And shame on our government for taking our tax money, (or borrowed money!) and giving it to people to buy foreign cars, when our own fellow citizens are in desperate need of jobs.
+7
May 29th, 2010 (9:32 am)Yes, but in my repost I suggested, “Try to forget all our political differences and just think about all that is right with our great land.” Thanks.
Let’s talk about cars, Voltec cars.
+2
May 29th, 2010 (9:33 am)Chinese no care. All American cars look alike.
+2
May 29th, 2010 (9:38 am)Statik, pardon my ignorance, but does Canada have a Memorial Day like the US to remember those who dies in service?
+10
May 29th, 2010 (9:41 am)Can we have Rashiid be tangential rather than central to the discussion? As you point out, many agreed with him so it’s not really Rashiid we’re talking about.
The fact is that voters in the US are not ready to face up to the fact that at some point you have to pay for what you get. Collectively voters have voted themselves benefits that cost 26% of GDP to deliver. For this they pay taxes equal to 19% of GDP. Now if you can do basic math you should be able to figure out that collectively we’re not paying enough taxes. But if voters accepted this most obvious fact it would would mean they would have to pay more, which they don’t like.
Enter the Kool Aid narrative. This narrative claims that the “real” problem is — not with voters who aren’t willing to pay for the benefits they’ve voted for themselves — but with Washington DC and all the “bad” politicians who have siphoned off all of our dollars into wasteful and useless government programs. It’s a Kool Aid narrative because it’s utter and complete BS. Not that there isn’t waste, but in truth the only way to balance the budget with cuts is to slash Medicare, Social Security, and Defense. And if a politician spoke the obvious truth, they would lose to some demagoguing opponent who will claim that they can put a million angels on the head of a pin. So what we have had since Ronald Reagan is the institution of the “Spend and Borrow” plan. Want a tax cut but can’t figure out how to pay for it? No problem, just pretend it will only last for ten years and we’ll just borrow the money. Want a prescription drug plan to help buy senior votes and to pay off campaign contributors but can’t find the money? No problem, well just borrow the money. Want to go to war but don’t want to raise taxes? No problem, just take the war costs off the budget, pretend it doesn’t count, and then borrow the money. And on and on and on.
What would be funny were it not so sad is that so many, including many on this board, complain about the recent stimulus bills. Yet in truth this spending has been the only deficit spending that made sense in the last fifty years.
Personally this has worked out because there was almost a ten year period when everyone was spending that you could be lending at good rates indexed for inflation. It’s really not true that EVERY US citizen owes so much in debt. Many are net creditors. But overall it hasn’t been a good thing at all, and the problem will become more acute going forward as Medicare costs rise to levels most posters on this board can’t comprehend.
All of this is just a long way of saying that while a gas tax would be an absolutely great idea it’s not going to happen. Politically it’s a non-starter. Which is why we have the alternative which is Cap & Trade. And even this is being attacked as a “jobs killer”, apparently based on the idea that we want to preserve the power of Iran and Saudi Arabia.
We’re pathetic.
+2
May 29th, 2010 (9:45 am)I know what your saying here, but just thought I would mention that it was the VE Commodore that came from Australia and was rebranded as a G8. The G6 was built in Michigan at the Orion plant starting in 2004, as a 2005. (Which I only remember because I bought one, and I can honestly say it was the worst new car for return visits of ‘warranty repair’ I ever had…the joys of being one of the ‘first’)
It is a shame what happened to the G8 too, (as in, not being produced in NA along with the Camaro on its Zeta line in Oshawa), it was/is a really good car…that is the car that should have be on the Zeta, not the Camaro at all.
+7
May 29th, 2010 (10:00 am)We don’t have anything going on this weekend, we had our long weekend last week. No such tie in as Memorial Day. Our weekend goes by ‘Victoria Day,’ which is (was) to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday (and I guess whoever happens to be the Queen now)…very old school though, lost through time…most just call it the May 2-4 long weekend.
Our ‘Memorial Day’ if you will is November the 11th, which we call Remembrance Day (as opposed to your Veteran’s Day)…which remembers the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. Not a ‘holiday’ per se, but everybody stops at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and observes 2 minutes of silence. Lots of wreath ceremonies, and everyone wears a poppy.
+4
May 29th, 2010 (10:09 am)It should be noted Rashiid broke all records with his post decrying the deficit. Thus, it made the post ( and it’s advocates ) a prime example of the extreme irony of Volt/EV fans who are great at pontificating until it costs them something.
My re-broadcast of that post was a reply to JEC’s comment/inquiry as to why in my former post I called out Rashiid. In that post I spoke in regards to all who go to gm-volt.com and say “yay GM” while shooting down governmental incentives and regulation which are the only reason Volt exists in the first place.
RECHARGE! James
+14
May 29th, 2010 (10:44 am)Since this Memorial Day weekend is “RE POST DAY” I wanted to re-transmit this for CaptJackSparrow as he posted this yesterday….. [ after the break ]
To me this is why Memorial Day speaks to me so strongly in this current day we’re in where we are reminded of valor and sacrifice by Americans who came before us – even the ultimate sacrifice. Best we continue to carry forward all deeds by everyone mentioned in this piece, as OneNation stated yesterday, it’s the efforts of us all – Americans – who hold up our freedoms and liberty even if it means stretching the budget to buy a Volt or championing any government involvement forwarding an EV world free from dependence upon oil producing nations.
Of less importance but great significance to me is also the running of the Indianapolis 500 – forever seared into my brain since childhood, my WWII veteran dad blaring the race to us kids every early Memorial Day morning ( West Coast ) I could remember as a kid. He used to tell us how innovation born at the race track would find it’s way into improving the cars we would drive as adults. Perhaps an Indy 500 soon will find hybrid electric ( F1 2009? ) cars, and someday EV racers silently breaking new speed and freedom barriers. Where civilian transportation innovations found their way to our halls of racing greatness!
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYBODY!
RECHARGE! James
Thanks again, CaptainJackSparrow for this —->
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I just want to get this out now because I don’t have inet @ home….
Thanks to all who have served in any branch of our US military and remember….
It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
/I salute all of you who serve and who have already served.
+2
May 29th, 2010 (10:52 am)I just wanted to add a +1 to your comment, I think it was excellent.
+5
May 29th, 2010 (10:57 am)Statik, thanks for the reply. The difference here is that we “recognize” and honor all veterans on November 11, and we “remember” and honor fallen service members on Memorial Day. It’s just a guess, but I’ll bet 1 in 3 people (probably more younger generation) don’t even recognize the difference.
I’m not a “veteran” in the traditional sense, but served my country in different ways (33 years with Department of Energy and its predecessors). Many recognize the efforts I was involved in as “patriotic.” (If I said more, I’d have to shoot you.
Oh, and I guess everyone else reading this. Nah, that’s too much shooting. 
) Bottom line, I am patriotic and I appreciate these days as more than a day off.
Everyone have an enjoyable weekend.
-Michael
May 29th, 2010 (11:05 am)Always fascinated by spin on statistics. I agree with your optimistic selection of figures, but the spin by greencarcongress is completely the opposite, preferring to state that only 4% very likely (as opposed to your somewhat likely) and taking that as a negative proving the vast majority of consumers don’t want plugins or pure electrics (at least if they have to pay a premium). It will change, just like CDs overcame vinyl records.
May 29th, 2010 (11:18 am)To get back on topic. I think to-days post is interesting, I don’t care what names GM puts on the Volt for different markets (and I believe they have chosen wisely). Just get the Volt out there.
The down side is of course the limited production, but I think that is only for the first 6 months. GM appears anxious to make sure everyone in the world is not only aware of this product but that it is available in their country (or at least will be soon). They must know they can sell every one they can make at Hamtramck in the US alone and be completely sold out for 2 years within months of demo availability at dealerships. Is GM setting up an assembly line in China for the Buick Volt? I bet they are. The Volt will be produced in several plants around the world, and I think they are planning very high production for 2012 at Hamtramck and soon after in Europe and China.
+4
May 29th, 2010 (11:23 am)Each and every electric that GM sells worldwide does its part to help with the R&D expense and get us closer to the day of affordable EV’s and GM to making Voltech profitable.
Every Voltech sold in China reduces what we owe them.
Every Voltech sold anywhere reduces demand on Foreign oil.
Every Voltech sold brings down the price of batteries.
Need I say more? Thanks Static.
Take Care,
TED
+4
May 29th, 2010 (11:29 am)-1. How is this post so important as to be posted twice? (or three or four times with replies) This doesn’t even relate to today’s topic.
How about some original thoughts?
-1
May 29th, 2010 (11:30 am)Roy H said:
The Volt will be produced in several plants around the world, and I think they are planning very high production for 2012 at Hamtramck and soon after in Europe and China.
The thing I don’t like about today’s post is it seems to say that some of our precious Volts will be going to China in 2011.
We could sell one Patriot missile defense system to Taiwan, and make a bigger dent in the trade balance.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (12:03 pm)I think that GM will eventually manufacture the Chinese Buick in China. This distribution across the world shows that GM is not holding back production to make Volt an halo car.
GM told us what they are going to do. Why is it such a painful thing that they are actually doing it? I find it a good thing that 8k 2011 model-year Volts are on the way. Not a glass-half-empty view at all.
If they can’t ramp up production right now because they are losing money on each copy (or whatever internal reason), they can’t. They have recently told us that the engine/generator costs too much and the battery costs too much. This tells me that they won’t ramp up GenI Volt because of these cost issues.
They will likely slip-stream next gen batteries into production (they are on Gen5 of the battery I’ve seen in multiple places.) This will make 2012 model year possibly profitable. Heck genII or genIII of the battery may show up in 2011 Volt. They aren’t in production yet.
Sometimes, as a developer, I need to go back to the drawing board. It’s not the end of the world and usually the customer gets a better product.
I have no problem with that.
May 29th, 2010 (12:04 pm)I never thought of the Department of Energy as a top secret organization.
Department of Energy – Homepage
Governmental department whose mission is to advance energy technology and promote related innovation in the United States.
http://www.energy.gov/ – Cached – Similar
May 29th, 2010 (12:14 pm)Volt existed before GM went bankrupt. Throughout the bankruptcy, GM kept on track with Volt against high odds that the program would be squashed.
Government intervention is not the *only* reason Volt exists today.
May 29th, 2010 (12:18 pm)DOE is the department that includes NNSA, National Nuclear Security Agency.
Mission: The NNSA is responsible for the management and security of the nation’s nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs.
Los Alamos, Sandia, and Livermore are three national labs that are most involved with one aspect of (top secret) national defense. You will find interesting reading about more aspects at:
http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/
+1
May 29th, 2010 (12:28 pm)Thanks Michael, I didn’t know that.
I echo your thanks to all Veterans, and thank you for your service.
I read the coverage of the launch of the new GPS satellite in Florida Today, and never knew that it also had an important defense role.
-1
May 29th, 2010 (12:39 pm)some other post told initial volts will be imported from US and later china production starts for serving the world demand.
Any way don’t worry, some other company will copy volt design instead of ampra because ampra design is only patented in china
. or even can change 2 lights and create new patent.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (12:51 pm)This goes without saying. Which raises other questions. How well will the knockoffs sell? Will these give the original a bad image?
Wouldn’t be surprised to see EREV kit cars available by 2018. Long recharge time and limited numbers of high power recharge stations will minimize sales of pure EV for quite a while.
=D-Volt
May 29th, 2010 (12:52 pm)Patents sometimes just get in the way, IMO. Better bring to market fast and sell the heck out of a new product.
-14
May 29th, 2010 (1:14 pm)(click to show comment)
+4
May 29th, 2010 (1:20 pm)I submit… yesterday is yesterday. If folks are REALLY interested in yesterdays post they will go back a day. The history in this blog goes back to day one.
Save the blog space for todays articles.
With that minor rant.
I see the China revelation as significant. The VOLT concept is expanding even before the first VOLT has been sold. It appears GM is confident enough to be building this car in significant numbers from day of launch. Now that is a real Holiday present for all interested VOLT Buyers.
+11
May 29th, 2010 (2:00 pm)Dude —- The U.S. Government ran out of money along time ago. We are coasting on China’s money right now. They own all our debt. That is why they can do what they want. All they have to do is call in the debt and we are done. Ironic isn’t it!? The Communists out capitalized the capitalists.
-3
May 29th, 2010 (3:00 pm)Yes, but see my above post @13, where I also say:
“And shame on our government for taking our tax money, (or borrowed money!) and giving it to people to buy foreign cars, when our own fellow citizens are in desperate need of jobs.”
Note the “or borrowed money” phrase.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (3:13 pm)Happy almost Memorial Day, everyone.
Will we be graced with Statik posts through Monday? We and Lyle thank you.
May 29th, 2010 (3:28 pm)Yup, what he said.
+3
May 29th, 2010 (3:39 pm)OK friends, give me the -1 now.
I fell off the bandwagon. I am tired of waiting for the Volt. So my wife surprised me with a new car. What did she pick for me? A 20 year old red convertible. A unmolested cherry of a Miata. I love it! Great looks, good mileage and cheap parts. Sound the trumpets I will drive the road to the carpocalyse sunset with the top down. A perfect car…
/rediscovering the joys of windup windows
+1
May 29th, 2010 (3:47 pm)I have to say I like the new GM television commercial “Excellence for everyone” it ends with a really hot Volt in what looks like a paint oven. Yup, GM has one in the oven! Hope the delivery goes well (hehe).
+1
May 29th, 2010 (3:58 pm)#3
True that! +1
I hope they sell several million made in Michigan Buicks in China, and balance the balance of payments just a bit. Alas, I assume that they will start making them there long before any such thing can happen. Oh well, every one will be good, if indeed it happens.
May 29th, 2010 (4:02 pm)I want my Olds Volt NOW, darn nabbit!
NONS (No Olds, No Sale) for me.
+3
May 29th, 2010 (4:18 pm)On this Memeorial Day weekend I would like to thank all the families of the fallen soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice with their sons, daughters, and loved ones. Our great country remains free because of them. And many other countries owe them a debt of gratitude too.
And in this time of great financial stress and high unemployment I think Americans need to re-evalutate the importance of maintaining America’s strenth by keeping our fellow citiziens working and producing something of value. That is why I have, in my most recent postings, emphasized buying American made products when they are available and we have a choice whether to buy foreign or domestic.
Along with freedom comes responsibility. And it IS our responsibility to keep America working. It is our responsibility to keep our money on our shores whenever possible, helping the next person down the line when you spend your money here instead of shipping it overseas where it does no good to any of your neighbors.
Keeping your fellow citizens employed keeps them paying taxes. This where the money to support our military comes from in the first place. And to those who just say we are borrowing money from China, or wherever, to support our government, well, that is ALL THE MORE REASON TO STOP BUYING FOREIGN PRODUCTS. Keep the money here where it supports OUR economy and thus OUR tax base.
How on Earth anyone could give me a “minus” vote when I say this is beyond my comprehension. Is it stupidity or evil. I don’t know. Maybe the foreign trolls are out in force today.
My comments aren’t political. They are just sensible to me.
It brings tears to my eyes knowing that so many of my fellow Americans are out of work through no fault of their own. They are hurting. I feel badly for them. It should not be this way. If I can do a small part to help by encouraging people to buy quality, American-made products whenever possible, I feel it is my duty to do so.
Any Nation is as wealthy as it MAKES things, especially the big things, like cars. If we just let the rest of the world make things for us, we will go deeper into debt, and lose our position as the greatest nation the Earth has ever known. We MUST manufacture the things for our survival on our own shores, using our own engineers, and with our own companies, or we will one day cease to thrive as a nation.
I have traveled to something like 60 foreign countries, many of them very poor. Do you know what makes them poor? They don’t (or can’t) MANUFACTURE things – at least not anything of importance. Many of them them exist by selling trinkets to tourists or t-shirts to each other. This will alway be a losing game since it only pays for a bare subsistence level existence. They can barely get enough to eat.
America has become an economic powerhouse by MAUNUFACTURING more things per capita than any other country on Earth. We are the World’s greatest producers. But this will not last if we let the capabilities of our fellow citizens whither and die. That is why I say BUY AMERICAN whenever possible. It keeps our nation strong.
With our great wealth we have done much good in the world. We are the most generous nation on earth. Our soldiers have freed a lot of people from oppression. We can only continue to do these with a broad tax base.
So on this Memorial day weekend I am asking everyone to think about the effects their purchases have on other people and on America.
Keep our money here. Keep our money working here. We are the GOOD GUYS of this Earth. We deserve to prosper.
My comment are appropriate for this website, regardless of the topic of the day, bacause I am and avid Chevy Volt fan. Not just because of the Volt’s superior, cutting edge technology, but because it is helping to re-invigorate the Great State of Michigan, where the automobile had its beginnings.
I love Americans, and I love America.
My thanks to our fallen soldiers!
GO GM!
GO CHEVY VOLT!
+2
May 29th, 2010 (4:32 pm)I’m 1000% behind you with this one. I’st sad no other have given you a plus.
I’ve noticed that the newer generator don’t give a damn about where it made or which foreign country we are handing out money to. I don’t see any body else on this blog complaining about this…. the US handing out huge amount of money to foreign owned companies.
I feel badly about this because the future of the younger generation will suffer greatly unless they wake up. As for myself, I’m retired and living very comfortably. I just wished they could do the same.
Buy American!!
+1
May 29th, 2010 (4:38 pm)Shame on the ones who put a negative on this post! Maybe you should read the link below. A long read but worth reading.
http://www.uwsa.com/issues/trade/japanyes.html
+2
May 29th, 2010 (4:41 pm)Very nice graphics today.
Thanks also for the update on Susan Docherty — impressive new position for her.
Also looking forward the new Buick-Ampera-Volt song, too.
+3
May 29th, 2010 (4:57 pm)You are a true patriot, Michigan Guy! God bless you.
I thank all those soldiers who fought and died to keep our safe!
Have a happy Memorial day to all!
+3
May 29th, 2010 (6:06 pm)After considering many possibilities, it might be the case that Amul’s 74 votes reflect new participation from a new budgetary voting block, and, his one sentence triggered the quick higher numerical responses, where there were not numerically-reflected any same trend for any of the other similarly stated responses.
If so, as we were talking about the Deficit, and the elimination of it, or at least reversing the trend of it, the current crude leak crisis in the Gulf might be sufficient to mobilize the only thing left that is going to go the farthest to reverse the Deficit trend: *American* Electrification of the Automobile.
Nothing else will do.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (6:20 pm)I think going to bat for America whether behind a desk or behind a gun are equally honorable. And as you’ve pointed out – although this Memorial Day we’ll be honoring our fallen, I know many like us honor this holiday to reflect on all sacrifices so many like yourself have undertaken to make “America The Beautiful…”. OneNation eloquently pointed out that all mentioned in CaptJack’s poem are bound together in purpose as we are …..”One Nation Under God With Liberty And Justice For All”.
RECHARGE! James
+2
May 29th, 2010 (6:33 pm)Hey Joe,
I just clicked a positive on Michigan Guy’s comment, and a negative number popped up instead. Maybe Lyle can answer about this apparent irregularity when there were no votes plus or minus showing in the comment box for Michigan Guy’s post above. Perhaps it is done on purpose to stimulate conversation, but I would think that unethical if true. Maybe some intervening handling bug of some sort, so, I wouldn’t give it any credibility for that particular post. I think that post ought to be up around a plus 8 for the care and concern contained within it for the sake of the unemployed in hardships right now.
Today I am addressing the totally skewed voting counter behavior versus what apparently are the social merits for that post. I think I’ll just do this from now on, state how much higher a post ought to rate if there is an apparent issue with it.
May 29th, 2010 (6:34 pm)#37
Well good luck to China then, LOL!
+7
May 29th, 2010 (6:41 pm)James, thank you for your kind words towards me. I appreciate them.
To clarify:
I don’t work for GM and never have.
My last GM car was a piece of junk 1986 Sunbird.
I love the idea of the Volt.
I don’t like the deficit.
I hate the thought of a high gas tax, although I do believe it would help.
I never said government incentives were wrong. I said a 13 trillion dollar debt is enough.
I do live on the East Coast. Connecticut.
I am a fiscal conservative and fight my town every year on their stupid spending and their raising of property tax. I currently pay $6000 in property tax a year.
If you are offended, I think you need inside yourself and not me.
To everyone else: We all have our own opinions. I really enjoy reading your comments.
I try not to beat up on anyone but I am also not overly sensitive to stuff.
The deficit is huge. Clearly both parties, voters, people who can vote but don’t, etc are all to blame for this mess.
May 29th, 2010 (6:43 pm)#54
I think that the +s and the -s just run behind a little bit sometimes. I’ve had the same thing happen to me, but it all seems to even out in the end. It takes a few seconds for your vote to register, and others may be voting at the same time, so the total runs a few seconds behind. And I went back and gave him a + too. Good man Dan.
-1
May 29th, 2010 (6:50 pm)I think Michigan Guy’s post ought to be up around +8, don’t you think? Since his comment reflects concern for others who are suffering without work. By talking about these positives, we can nullify apparent systemic faults, and give truer credit where truer credit is due.
-9
May 29th, 2010 (6:53 pm)Never u mind. China not want garbage. U keep it.
May 29th, 2010 (6:56 pm)To Joe @ 48, 49, and 50.
Thanks Joe! And Happy Memorial day to you!
Mich
May 29th, 2010 (6:57 pm)And thanks Dan!
Mich
-9
May 29th, 2010 (7:03 pm)Please stop sending garbage. We not want your garbage expensive dumb products.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (7:03 pm)Thanks for that link Joe. I have read that article several times since I first came across it, it is so good. Every American should read it.
-2
May 29th, 2010 (7:10 pm)It was re-posted because I wanted my message to be heard. As a West Coast Voltnationer, lots of times with work and family I can’t post until well after everyone back East has gone for the day. I felt this subject important enough to re – post. It was after post #200 last night.
End of story.
On Topic:
The fact that all this international distribution is planned by second quarter 2011 indicates Volt production will defininately have to be ramped up more drastically than GM has initially indicated, IMO.
So good news all around! Importing to China, what a refreshing thought!
It also brings to memory the article here that suggested the MPV5 was not for North America but for the Chinese market. I’m still smarting over that one – ouch! I just don’t see how that could be possible since we need that 5 seat EREV here so badly. My only conclusion would be Chinese production – meaning cheaper costs.
I want an MPV5 made in America. LKTVWOTRMIA ! <— Let's Keep The Volt Wheels On The Road Made In America! ( the MIA can also symbolically represent our nation's MIA )
So glad to see Susan Docherty landed such an important position. Last year China was a larger market for cars than the U.S.. While that may not be as our economy recovers, China will still remain incredibly important to the financial health of automakers worldwide. I hope she knows Mandarin! —- The "Volt Dance" will probably play well with the Chinese, they eat that kind of stuff up over there – just keep it over there, thank you.
RECHARGE! James
+2
May 29th, 2010 (7:14 pm)Too bad I can’t get some sort of grant somewhere to put everything I know into a set of DVD’s to cause more technical employment in Michigan instead of just doing everything live in shops only here in Austin, TX.
My current shops are now demanding repeat seminars to the extent that I am increasingly closer to being unable to fulfill all the demand hours.
Don C is right that it’s a shame to just have only Austin able to get my datum, but, I can’t be everywhere at once.
Micheal said a really nice thing to me when we were at the Volt show that “You ought to be cloned, you know so much” (lol), sorry, but the data engrams are not inherent (lol), but a very nice compliment anyway.
I could make a library of very very easy to understand DVD’s, just as I wrote 14 e-books on microdisk in the 1980’s when I finished my degree.
And yes, a tremendous amount of wasted energy and money is caused by the wrong diagnostics priorities every day on 80 percent of all service attempts, because the wrong priorities result from insufficient processes that could be very easily remedied with training.
The DVD’s could conservatively put thousands back to work fairly quickly, but there is no mechanism that I know of that can even cover the production costs, never mind the original data collection costs I am still paying for. It is truly an absurd situation. Shops are begging for trained techs. Techs are begging for me to stay longer at their shops to train them.
Grants persons have no technical expertise generally to understand any of this.
Yet we all want decent paying jobs. Helloooooooo!
+3
May 29th, 2010 (7:15 pm)#47 Michigan Guy
It is ashamed that Americans can not agree on what is best for Americans.
I have heard many Americans say “The US Autoworkers did it to themselves so tough sh** with them.’ I don’t agree with that , BUT I bought a Saturn several years ago because I wanted to support American. What I got was the worst car I ever owned. Amoung other things, I had to have a ring job just our of warranty, however Saturn agreed to give me the parts since I did an excellent job on keeping up with maintenance. I asked several other Saturn owners at work, and several of them also had problems although not as bad as mine. So the next time, I bought a car with a 10 year warranty (Foreign). I would rather pay more for quality products than buy cheap and have trouble — especially a car. I really hope the VOLT is a well-built dependable quality product as I am hoping that is my next car.
Another thing is our society has going from being a ‘doing what is best for a group’ to ‘doing what is best for me.’ Today, most american’s have a general mentality of ‘I am going to buy what is cheap, I don’t care who makes it.’
On the flip side, I think the American Auto Companies either got too comfortable turning out inferior products and lost their edge OR the American Auto Companies decided higher profits for share holders where better than investing in improving the quality of their product.
I think it has become all about making profit for shareholders and if it means making/selling inferior products to increase profits for shareholders, then shall be it.
Just my thoughts
+2
May 29th, 2010 (7:47 pm)L
L
Kudos Rashiid. I’m glad to hear you don’t work for GM.
What’s so exciting about Volt, Leaf and iMiev, are that for once middle class North Americans can drive a lithium plug-in car that isn’t a top-line Mercedes S Class, a $120+,000 Tesla two-seater, or a $80,000+ Fisker Karma!
The deficit is with us, and like you I’m vehemently against tax and spend and borrow and spend economics. We’ll just have to disagree that, at times a government sponsored regulatory initiative or two, and funded consumer incentives are what it’ll take to make Volt a reality and not a dream.
Middle class American consumers are not going to rush Chevy dealerships to spend $40,000 on a four seat EREV second or third car. It just aint gonna happen. With the size and number of rebates mentioned in this bill, it would seem the demand for EREVs and EVs would rise and no longer need such incentive programs – as others have mentioned – was the case with Prius. Today Prius are flying off the shelves without any government incentives at all.
I think it’s a win-win for America and GM. Gives them breathing space to build more practical EREVs with price, battery and seating options that’ll fit with more and more demographics.
As for property taxes, I feel for you man. I’m sure we all do. In Washington State I paid over $9700 last year – and that was for my residential properties only! It’s a constant struggle with local governments – and don’t get me stahhhhted on Immanent Domain!
We all, as you say, “love the idea of the Volt”. But that idea will never see mass acceptance until some of us put our money where our posts are and put them out there on the road for people to see. So my gists were – it’s going to cost us – it’ll be a sacrifice to buy the first EREVs, but with the government’s ( our money ) help the ball will roll, and gain momentum. Much better than “wishful thinking” and admiration, I think.
FYI – I often get on board and plunk down +1s for your posts, man – I just never mentioned that. In that way I’m a “Volt fan boy” too.
It’s only with that uber popular post yesterday stating the obvious – that the deficit is ridiculous and must come down – where we part ways , sir. You see, by getting off offshore oil we boost our economy much more than we raise debt in the long run.
Peace.
RECHARGE! James
+5
May 29th, 2010 (7:54 pm)I suspect good ol’ madeinxhina is some 19 yr old college kid just playing. But I recently had a chance to give my 85 year old dad some good natured ribbing. He is retired UAW Local 291 from Rockwell Axle (now Axletech). We ran across a bunch of his old Union news magazines from the 1960’s/70’s. There were all sorts of ads for workers party meetings and forming groups with ties to the Chinese Workers party. I will try to scan some in and post. I kidded him that too bad they were not successful. He could have had the pay, working conditions and benefits of the great Chinese worker. Even he laughed. Are there any old Union leaders here that can explain what that was all about 40+ years ago? I mean WTF — LOL
+3
May 29th, 2010 (8:03 pm)All is good, James.
FYI. I didn’t vote for myself, nor did I expect all of those votes.
After my 1986 Pontiac Sunbird fiasco, I never bought another American car again, and swore to never buy another GM product for as long as I live. The Volt really changed that for me. I really want this car to succeed. It is too pricey for the masses, at least for now.
It must come down and must be affordable to all if a real change is going to occur.
Stay well. $9700 for property tax is nuts. Be thankful you don’t have a State Income Tax on top of it. We do.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (8:15 pm)I want a wife like that!
RECHARGE! James
+1
May 29th, 2010 (8:32 pm)In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
-1
May 29th, 2010 (8:34 pm)I here to chew bubble-gum and kick-butt !
And…….
I am all out of bubble-gum !
Way to leverage the Volt Platform Mister GM.
- Scoot McCluskey (aka The Terminator)
May 29th, 2010 (9:05 pm)So, the devil truly is in the details of Chinese patent laws.
Let GM do their job of maintaining tedium. That’s what the Chinese are paying for isn’t it?
We’re buying their cheap labor, they’re buying our ability to dream of, and most importantly create, products that people want. They’re buying our ability to use ambition and self fulfilled dreams as a substitute for their own inability to allow creativity to become a selfish reality.
This country rewards great ideas no matter where they come from. Do we, as a capital driven society, actually share more than the Chinese socialist society?
+1
May 29th, 2010 (11:26 pm)Somehow what you say doesn’t quite sound correct to me. The government is not giving tax payers money to buy foreign cars. It is giving the money to U.S. taxpayers to purchase electric vehicles to end our addiction to petroleum! It is the purchaser who is making the decision whether or not to buy a foreign car.
I am all for “Buy American” made products if they are quality goods and even if they are slightly more in cost than the foreign made product. I would willingly give more of my money to buy a quality U.S. product. I still want the freedom to buy from whom ever I decide has the product I want. So don’t go blaming the government for what people do of their own free will. Give your support to the U.S. companies by purchasing their products; that will help them to employ our citizens.
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (11:39 pm)I for one will “ditto” all of your remarks in post #20, James.
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
+1
May 29th, 2010 (11:54 pm)Loboc,
James didn’t attribute the Volts existance solely to the government intervention!
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
May 30th, 2010 (12:47 am)When will we see the Volt in red? What is Frank Weber up to?
Hey GM, how about more parking lot demo drives for us working folk? Earn Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara has a nice big lot. It’s nearly empty a couple of days a week. About 150,000 people live within 15 miles. With another 50,000 tourists in town looking for something fun to do.
=D-volt
May 30th, 2010 (7:37 am)Dan,
You lost me on that post.
\just saying…
May 30th, 2010 (7:48 am)Sorry, when someone says “governmental incentives and regulation which are the only reason Volt exists” it looks that way to me.
May 30th, 2010 (7:52 am)Like many others, I think the “insert name” should be Electra.
Today is a special day, May 30, Memorial Day. Yes I know we will be celebrating it tomorrow, but for most of my life, today is the day. It was also my Father’s birthday.
Is it American to buy American, or is it American to buy the best product for the money. Provincialism, like tribalism is not something to advocate. On the other hand, no one should be biased against American cars because of lousy products produced in 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. When Consumer Reports shows red dots for reliability, based on actual customer feedback, rather than advertising claims, I will consider those American cars.
May 30th, 2010 (2:35 pm)The Article above could result in a wrong conclusion. The Opel Insignia is of course beeing build in Rüsselsheim Germany. Only the “rebranded as Buick” Insignia is beeing build in China, so the rebranded “Buick” Astra.
Jun 1st, 2010 (1:54 pm)The Volt “Ampera” model to be sold in China looks so much cooler than the Chevy Volt to be sold here. If that model was sold here I would buy it in a second! What is GM thinking?
Jun 8th, 2010 (2:42 pm)Buick had a car with the right name:
Electra!