It is GM’s intention to be as transparent as possible about the Volt ordering process. Since demand is expected to outstrip supply, it is important the company provide robust feedback to customers who are waiting for their cars.
To that end, beginning today GM is allowing customers to view the real-time status of their Chevrolet Volt order online. The Volt tracking functionality is available directly on the Chevrolet.com website and is intended for all Chevrolet vehicles. Just go to Chevrolet.com, click the “owners link” and you will see a drop down to “track your order.”
Courtesy of GM-Volt reader Sharon O., the following email message was sent to some Chevrolet dealers yesterday:
Chevrolet is pleased to announce the addition of the Track Your Order functionality to the already robust research/shopping tool set that is available on Chevrolet.com today.
This new functionality, which will be live at 12am on Wednesday (9/15), will allow our customers to log-in and watch the status of their new Chevrolet as it goes through the production process and finally ends up at their dealership of sale. Additionally, consumers will be able to see a 360 degree image of the vehicle they’ve purchased (trim, color, most options/accessories), vehicle build information and window sticker, and selling dealer information amongst other things.
Don’t be disappointed if you type in your Volt order number today and don’t find much, the apperance of your order there is part of a several step process.
First a customer contacts their Chevrolet dealer and orders the Volt configuration of their choice. “The dealer then types in that order online,” explains Volt marketing manager John Hughes.
Once the order gets typed in it won’t yet be available for tracking. The next step is for the dealer to “look at their orders and then prioritize them within the 30 or 60 day production cycle,” says Hughes. The dealer “physically controls which cars they sell first,” he adds.
Still, even at that point the car may not go on to assembly. “The dealer has to have a sufficient earned allocation,” for that car to be built says Hughes.
So if your Volt is the 30th Volt a dealer ordered who only has an allocation of twenty cars, it wont be assembled. Hughes laments that dealers often blame GM for not building such customers’ cars, but the reality is that the dealer hadn’t actually qualified for that allocation and shouldn’t have ordered it.
“Our allocation system is extremely equitable,” sasy Hughes. “It is applied accross all of our dealers.”
The magic moment of your order’s appearance in the tracking system is when the dealer asks for it and GM determines the dealer is eligible for it. “It is then pulled into the production system process and then it gets built,” he says.
Hughes wouldn’t say exactly how many Volt orders GM has gotten so far since the pricing and ordering process was annouced on July 27th, but implies it is quite significant.
“We have over 100,000 handraisers, which is great,” he says. “Orders are coming in pretty hot and heavy.”
“We’ll be more than sold out,” he said.
+8
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:20 am)Good luck all you lucky first adopters.
I honestly and sincerely hope you have a good experience.
+18
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:29 am)I agree with Rashiid, but if GM is aware that the demand is high, why not increase production and make more sales?
Isn’t that the basic idea of business???
Or are they truly losing money on each sale, and they do not want to sell any more than the announced volumes?
Or didn’t they source out enough parts for more vehicles?
If GM is really going to be transparent, then why don’t they just tell us????
+7
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:37 am)Well all this sounds great but honestly as much as I still want the Volt my excitement has been waning over the past few months as I know I still have at least another year before I see one in my “rollout” area. Perhaps then the tracking of my Volt may be more exciting. Right now its a feeling of who cares. I look on the bright side I have that much more time to save and therefore less to borrow when the Volt does become available in my area.
+14
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:37 am)From the article
“We have over 100,000 handraisers, which is great,” he says. “Orders are coming in pretty hot and heavy.”
“We’ll be more than sold out,” he said.
Duh! So like Jim I says, why not increase production and earn more money?
A slow roll out is important for testing the fleet, however keeping customers happy is also very important. Let’s assume they are running 3 solid shifts at the plant and the plant is maxed out.
Can they lower the price because of the volume of cars they are making?
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:39 am)More good news!
With 100,000 people competing for 50k cars (over 2 years), it will be very interesting what GM does. I am thinking if you got an extra 50k orders in the pipeline it’s a pretty good position to be in.
Good job early adopters!
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:42 am)Does this mean that we’ll soon be able to see what the official window sticker looks like?
+7
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:42 am)Why would they? This product will be hot for a while. GM needs to ride that wave as far as it goes.
+8
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:48 am)A month ago the local Chevrolet dealer says he’s getting 14 Volts. When asked how many people are on the waiting list he replied, “A lot”. I then asked, “Dozens?”. He replied, “Yes”.
=D-Volt
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:54 am)Oh goody, goody. Something else to try.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:58 am)Does this mean we’ll soon know who gets # 1?
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:06 am)When we hear an announcement that LG Chem is adding capacity to their Michigan battery plant being built, then we could here that GM is increasing Volt prouction beyond 45k. As much as I’ld like that to happen for MY2012, realistically MY2013 is the earliest we can expect this (IMO).
+12
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:18 am)Well I plugged in my order number and it’s past the “Order Placed” stage and at the first stages of “Being Produced”
its not listing my color and trim choices though that part seems to be empty.
+9
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:38 am)Same here Robert. It says “*Please Note: content shown may not include all your options and accessories. See dealer for complete list.”
I have Order Placed: 8/31/10
So excited!
Just to give an idea, I was #2 on my dealer’s list of an allocated 8 Volts.
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:40 am)Good PR? I understand your point, but GM could really use some good PR points.
They could be as strong as dollars in the long run. It was just a though, anyway.
+14
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:43 am)I believe they are ramping up slowly (relative to what we want) because it is a very complex process with new suppliers, new components, and the important fact that Gen 2 will have some different components and suppliers.
I think they know they have a huge winner and they will ramp it up over the next few years. Just because they could sell 100,000 today doesn’t mean they should do that because then tomorrow they could only sell 1,000 a day. So we’ll have to suffer a slow ramp up until demand and supply equalize, unfortunately that will take a few years.
Just think how far we’ve come the last 3 years. The next 3 years will see many BEV/EREV choices come on line. And thats pretty exciting. Unfortunately for me in Ohio I have another year to wait to be an early adopter.
All i’ve done is reserve a Leaf so far, and follow this site daily. I may actually stop at a Chevy Dealer in next day or so for first time to discuss. I have several more months until I’ll probably make my final choice (Volt, Leaf, Focus/Transit Connect). The Volt is the nicest car but as I’ve mentioned before my minimum 66 mile commute requires frequent day time charges no matter what I get. The Volt would need to be charged so I don’t burn gas on the way home, a BEV needs to be charged at work on days I’m not going straight home.
Us Early Adopters will pave the road to until charging stations at work places, and else where are in place to allow people to drive without Oil which will
- save money as eventually gas prices go higher (exploration has waned and shortages are coming)
- stop the flow of money to our enemies to buy imported oil
- keep money in our economy to create jobs instead of buying imported oil
- eventually keep us out of middle east wars when we don’t need their oil any more
All of a sudden a 12-18 months to wait for my car doesn’t seem too long.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:51 am)I cannot tell you how excited I am. Is it a dream…. No it isn’t a dream anymore. I am going directly to the owners site now.
Take Care,
TED
+20
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:03 am)My Volt is there… Still shows standard options (ie no polished wheels). Shows the date my dealer placed the order and shows in progress of being built.
I’m so excited I could bust.
Take Care,
TED
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:14 am)I do hope that once the dealers allotment has been reached, they explain to the rest of the customers that want to leave deposits the situation. I hope they don’t just that the deposits and keep the customers waiting month after month when they know their order will not be filled in the first year.
I had a similar experience like this years ago and after waiting 7 months I had to threaten to sue the dealer for him to give me back my deposit. I would call every month and ask if the car came in with that months allotment and was always told “no not this month, but probably next month”
Many customers aren’t as “volt savy” as we are here and won’t know they can track their orders so they will just go to a dealership, leave a deposit and call every once in a while to check on the status. I just hope the dealers are up front to the customers that will not be in the first years allotment.
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:15 am)Congratulations Robert! Let me know once you have a delivery date.
+17
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:33 am)We’re getting closer…!
Here’s a quick look at GM’s ordering system:
-Over the summer, launch market dealers were given their “estimated allocation” covering production from start through June 2011.
-Each month every GM dealer goes through a process called “consensus” where GM tells them how many of each model that dealer will be allocated in the following month’s production. Each dealer can ask GM for more or less of each model; but the estimate is typically what they get. This month, September, is the first such ‘consensus’ that includes the VOLT.
-Once consensus is closed for the month, GM’s computers go through a process that spreads out each dealers allocation for ordering the following month. Thus, the first month of VOLT consensus (Sept) will be for October ordering to be built in November. The following month (October consensus) will be for November ordering to be built in December. The process goes on each month.
Thus some, but not all, launch market dealers will see their first actual VOLT order(s) begin to move toward production. Since the initial ‘estimated allocation’ covered production through June 2011, I would expect that those allocations will be spread out between October and May covering November 2010 through June 2011 production.
Currently, any VOLT order that has been entered by any dealer is in PRELIMINARY status. Beginning in October, dealers who have earned allocation for that month will see orders placed for production into IN SYSTEM status. Once an order goes IN SYSTEM, it typically takes about 3-5 weeks to be built, and then another week or two for shipping to the dealer. Thus orders placed in October will likely be built by mid-December and may find their way under lucky someone’s Christmas tree! I sure hope Lyle’s is one of them!
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:38 am)I checked my order and fount it. No date apparent as to when the order was placed (I put a deposit down on July 17 but didn’t find out my order number until Aug 27 – still have not spoken to GM rep). Only options shown are the 17″ polished wheels althouth it says to check with dealer for complete list. Has not moved to vehicle being produced stage. My dealer told me my order was 19th out of an allotment of 32. We’ll see if that holds up. This ratchets the excitement up another step. Thanks for letting us know this is online now.
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:40 am)I am happy that so many people are interested in the Volt. I hope that it stimulates further advances in technology and cost reductons. As for me, GM leaves too many questions unanswered. They have not even mentioned a possible diesel ICE Volt and have not answered the basic question of how many miles it gets in the gas mode. I am turned off by the fact that it must use premium fuel. Mercedes and Peugot are comeing out with a diesel hybrid that get better than 60 MPG! Wouldn’t that be nice with a Volt. GM has done an excellent job in selling the Volt but I want to see exactly what I am going to get for my money. Within a year, we are going to see a lot more advances and price reductions. I want to buy American. Please GM, make it so!
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:44 am)Good information! Thanks!
I’m so vicariously jazzed I may not need coffee today.
I’m ordering for 2012my build, so, all I can do is watch the fun!
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:47 am)THe competition will Surely siphon off those excess orders that GM cant fill
+5
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:49 am)They ruled out diesel early on because of the expense and because it’s very difficult to meet EPA diesel emissions in the US.
Diesel would make a pretty good generator imho because of the torque.
EPA again. GM got burned on the early announcement before (remember 230mpg?). I doubt you will see any kind of mpg announcement until the stickers are actually on the cars. From earlier posts, the EPA may not even have them ready for launch.
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:54 am)Perhaps, but the question is, with what?
+5
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:54 am)What competition? There is no other EREV or even serial hybrid on the drawing board that I have seen.
They may lose some due to inability to quickly fill orders, but, there’s plenty of us in the pipeline waiting for the opportunity to order. All Volts built will sell whether there’s competition or not.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:12 am)My two cents of advice would be to avoid the dealers I’ve dealt with in the DC area. The lack of knowledge about the Volt and the painfully slow response time about basic questions is quite bothersome.
Secondly you should start working with your company regarding getting a charger installed at work. I filled out the forms related to the Charge Point program and have had the local distributor come out to our office to walk us through getting a free charger installed. It was fairly simple and it appears that my company will likely spend the money to do the electrical wiring to get the charger up and running. If that happens and if my local dealer ever provides me with the information I asked for, I may essentially get off oil for like 95 percent of my driving.
Exciting times!
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:12 am)100,000 hand raisers for 10,000 Volts to be sold in the first year. Amazing!
GM will have to work hard to manage peoples expectations – a nice problem to have. I haven’t even raised my hand yet or been to my Chevy dealer yet to put down a deposit on a Volt because I don’t live in one of the first roll out states. Just wait to see the demand when the Volt is available nationwide!
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:16 am)I checked my order and it’s there:
08/09/2010 ORDER PLACED
08/23/2010 VEHICLE BEING PRODUCED
The interior options I selected are not shown yet.
The “order placed” date above is the day that I had the dealer submit the order into the GM system so I could get an order number. I had placed a deposit (and signed papers) with the dealer on 07/30/2010, 3 days after the pricing announcement and the dealers started accepting orders. I’m #1 in line at my dealer — I was #2 but the #1 guy had to drop out later.
It seems to me that this tracking and the CamaroTracking site are complementary in two ways.
First, the CT site gives me the actual order status code (e.g. 1100 right now for all of us), which will probably give us some more granularity later in the process, since there are 20 or so order status codes and this Chevy tracking has only 5 steps.
Second, the CT site EMAILS ME when the order status changes, so I won’t have to obsessively check the Chevy tracking every day — if not multiple times a day.
Yee haw!
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:26 am)Especially if they make them better and sell them for less.
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:34 am)Purchasing Volts? How fun!!!
For those lucky enough to be looking at financing you should check out this NY Times article. Basically a web site where financial institutions in your area compete to write your loan or lease. Even if this is not the best rate you can get it would make a great place to start:
http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/a-new-way-to-find-a-cheaper-car-loan/?src=busln
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:35 am)This is a wonderful thing GM is doing for the Volt.
OT
How many miles should I expect to see on my new Volt due to transportation from plant to dealer?
I’m guessing no more than 15 miles. Is that too much?
I’d hate it if my $41+K Volt was being test driven by other people before I get it.
NPNS!
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:36 am)Still have not rec’d an email from GM. Just a little concerned about that. Got my order number from the dealer.
Take Care, TED
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:43 am)I notice on my “Order Summary” ‘ under Powertrain it states : ENGINE FLEXIBLE FUEL, (GAS/ALC), 4 CYL, 1.4L, DOHC E – FLEX, FAM 0.
Is something new or a change from Premiun Fuel or just another way of saying read your owners manual for fuel requirements??
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:47 am)I never got an email from Chevrolet with that information. My Dealer called me up with the order number, and then 2 days later I got a call from a Volt Specialist. I don’t think they were sending out official emails with order numbers.
-5
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:50 am)How are people ordering without knowing important details about the car like the CS MPG or even EPA ratings? Are you planning on canceling if it turns out to be unsatisfactory?
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:00 am)I think that by now, most people here know that I am also from Ohio.
But yes, 12-18 months sounds even farther away when I read about people checking on order status for their cars………………
;-(
+10
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:10 am)If you’re uncomfortable purchasing without knowing and accepting info that is important to you, then of course don’t order. Just know that you can’t get a new Volt until later, probably much later, as others who ARE comfortable order ahead of you for a vehicle in very short supply.
(CorvetteGuy and LeoK, how am I doing?)
+7
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:10 am)People that buy $40k cars aren’t that concerned about mpg or EPA. It’s more about customer service, fit and finish, performance, and trim level.
Early adopters just want to be the first on the block. The details don’t matter.
+5
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:12 am)Well, my daily commute is 28 miles round trip. So CS MPG isn’t that big of a concern to me, even on the odd trip down to my sister’s [90 miles there, 90 back] I would still use less than half the gas I normally would now. I currently own a 2004 Trailblazer, so any MPG rating is better than what I have now.
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:13 am)I placed an order. I drive less than 40 miles a day.
NPNS!
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:31 am)By all means do stop and if you don’t get a realistic interaction with the dealership then check as many near you as possible. I had a “pre-order” deposit at a dealership near Columbus and just before I cancelled it they indicated that “it won’t be long”. I cancelled because I had a order much closer to home in Michigan. My Volt will be made in the March time frame per my salesman. I have a hunch that some Ohio dealerships will get cars very soon after that. At the least it cannot hurt to ask. And ask for a commitment of price AT MSRP (both of my dealers did that).
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:33 am)Never got a call from a Volt Specialist either.
Take Care,
TED
+5
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:35 am)Just plan on driving without using gas except in an emergency.
Take Care,
TED
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:35 am)My last 2 new cars had about 12 miles on them due to taking on/off the truck and some test driving. They were both off the lot. I don’t remember about the rest of them. One was a dealer demo and had 3000 on it. I got a huge discount because of the mileage.
If you order it factory new (not off-the-lot new) it should have way less than that just for moving it on/off transport.
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:39 am)JohnK
Did you get a call from a Volt Specialist?
Take Care,
TED
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:40 am)I guess that there is something infectuous about this website, but some of us have been bitten by the Volt bug or the Lyle enthusiasm or by the mix of attributes of the Volt and the people that have brought it to us. Anyway, I and I suspect quite a few others have been so bitten that those things, while they do matter, are of secondary importance. Personally I am hoping for CS MPG close to 50, but a few main things seal the deal for me: performance, new technology, moving in the direction of oil independence (with a fall-back position). I’ve been in the presence of the Volt on three main occasions — NEVER been disappointed.
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:43 am)Ted,
The first call is just to say they have your order and tell you a Volt specialist would be assigned to you and call after their training period. They will follow you thru the complete process and be able to answer questions an help till your car is delivered. I later talked to a Volt supervisor and he said they were in training and talking calls from customers as part of the training.
Roy
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:47 am)OT: They just posted a gallery of screens from the LCD Displays on the official Volt Facebook page – facebook.com/chevroletvolt
-1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:48 am)Dont fool yourself thinking we are going to “save the planet” driving volts,sure anything is better than nothing but we are adding 80 million new people to the planet each and every year, 5 million
coming into the US alone. Until this tsunami is addressed the trickle of electric cars is like a grain of sand in the sahara.
-1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:48 am)I have bought 3 new cars they came with the following mileage
2001 Chevy S-10 1 Mile
2006 Scion XB – 5 Miles (but the dealership had to realign it after putting on the TRD springs/struts – It came off the trailer with 0 )
2010 Prius Lease 3 Miles
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:50 am)It should be 3-12 miles depending on the route the tech uses when he test drives it and if he finds anything that makes him do it again. I found when I worked at a dealer for 7 years that 4-6 is very common.
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:55 am)If it was going to be available in IA, i would have ordered one even if the CS MPG was 20MPG. I have a 34 mile round trip commute, I will us RE mode on holidays when I visit family and potentially on small vacations where I dont take Amtrak.
Waiting on volt in Iowa….
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:01 am)Not yet. In fact, John T suggested that it might be after the first of the year before that happens. But I did ask him for the order number, and it DOES work with the new order tracking function (as well as with the Camero order tracking site). BTW my order “number” is all alpha characters, no numbers at all, but it seems to work just fine for the two order status sites. I’m happy. If I got a call saying that I could pick up my Volt in a few weeks I’d be shocked and have to come up with about $10K (it would be SO helpful to get something to offset the $7,500 rebate), but am resigned to waiting till March.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:08 am)#3
That pretty well sums it up for me. +1
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:18 am)What surprises me the most that GM with pent up demand is not able to raise production ..they should be putting additional shifts OR production line to meet the demand ..cuz once the competetion Toyota Nissan etc come on line it will be harder for GM to sell Volt as some may just move to other BEV etc ..GM is an old hand at production & need to take this opportunity to drive the sales of Volt to max…
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:18 am)All the more reason why we need to push NASA and technology to the point where we can safely move off planet. Those who want to go can go, the rest can stay. I’ll be on the first ship out of here.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:20 am)LeoK #20, surely do wish that I could give more than +1. Excellent post!
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:23 am)WOW! Its really Happening. I wish all those waiting for their Volt the best and truly hope their experience is a good one.
Although I live in an area selling Volts, I am now not able to afford one due to a serious medical situation and faciing disability. I will live my dream through hearing all the news on this site and others.
Lyle please keep the good info coming.
Only the best to the early adopters.
Thanks.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:23 am)Interesting… How does GM determine which dealers get more Volts allocated? Does it have to do with their sales volume?
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:25 am)Hope we get a chance to meet when you pick up your Volt.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:43 am)It’s the same for me except the ORDER PLACED date is 08/02/2010.
I wonder what’s magical about the 08/23/2010 date. Is that just when some database manager at GM happened to push a button?
Once owners start taking possession, it will be interesting to see if anyone tries driving with sub-premium fuel. GM has hinted that it would work ok, but that the mpg (in charge-sustaining mode) would suffer. I don’t think I’ll be willing to make my Volt the guinea pig, though.
+6
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:44 am)Hey Rashiid, I can get you a confirmed ticket & advance boarding pass on the first shuttle to Mars for only $15million. But you need to be aware the only flights available are one-way.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:45 am).
Your statements are correct but perhaps misleading. The developed countries of the world, of which the US is one, are as a group net negative. Here the problem is more population decline rather than increase, because population decline brings with it an associated increasing fraction of older people. (The net positive region is almost entirely in southern Africa where only a small fraction of the population will have the opportunity to buy a car.)
-2
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:58 am)I’d like to see someone come up with a plan for inducing climate change on Venus to make it inhabitable.
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:00 pm)How about this thought.
GM wants to get the price of this car to be below 30,000 before tax rebate. The fact that they are offering a 350 dollar a month lease means that they are expecting to get close to 20,000 for these cars after 3 years. If they’re selling a new model for close to 30,000 minus the 7,500 in 3 years without all the fancy gizmo’s in it. They may not want hundreds of thousands of these first Gen Volts out there competing with their new cars, especially if they own a hundred thousand first gen Volts. A cheaper Volt may cause the Value of these first gen volts to drop below that 20,000 asking price. There’s only so many people who are going to want to spend only 3 grand less for a 3 year old car because it has 2 big screens and a few other gizmo’s.
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:02 pm)Mars too.
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:02 pm)This info is from the http://www.chevrolet.com Owners/Order Tracking for my order number (not actually numbers but a letter code which my dealer gave me as my order number).
Final order documentation is on its way to the factory, where the assembly line is being prepped, materials are being ordered and production is being scheduled. Once in production, your vehicle will continue down the assembly line where it will receive the quality manufacturing that makes it a Chevrolet. Check back soon to view your vehicle’s most recent status.
Order Summary*VIN# : View Window Sticker (not available yet)
PackagesExterior
Wheels, 17″ 5-spoke forged polished aluminum
Interior
RADIO AM/FM, DVD ROM &HDD, MP3 (AUX IN), USB, NAV
Powertrain
TRANSMISSION AUTOMATIC, ELECTRONIC RATIO SELECT, GM, STRONG HYB RID, EVT, PLUG IN
ENGINE FLEXIBLE FUEL, (GAS/ALC), 4 CYL, 1.4L, MFI, DOHC E-FLEX, FAM 0
*Please Note: content shown may not include all your options and accessories. See dealer for complete list.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:08 pm)FWIW I have an Order# with five letters and one digit.
I didn’t realize that. I was wary of handing over some personal information to that site, but I may have to reconsider.
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:20 pm)“We have over 100,000 handraisers, which is great,” he says. “Orders are coming in pretty hot and heavy.”
It is a great compliment to gm that they have produced a product that is in such high demand. I’m sure that having 100,000 hand-raisers for only 10,000 cars is giving many people at gm a feel of great joy. Deservedly so, and congratulations to all who have had a part in designing the Volt, and to everyone who gets one.
The darker side is that 90,000 other people are left disappointed, and presumably there are many more if one adds people in other states and countries. One wonders what will happen. Will they sit quietly waiting for a Volt to come their way some day in the far future? Hard to picture people doing that, but maybe so. Lose interest? Move on to a different product? That’s a lot of demand (and a lot of money) to be just waiting.
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:22 pm)To a nice, hospitable place like the moon. Oops, a vacuum with bone-destroying micro-gravity, cosmic rays and micrometeorites. Just stay inside and watch football, I guess. Can’t WAIT! 8^)
Better to flip-flop it and have people voted OFF the island earth.
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:24 pm)Nelson—Typically they will have 3-5 miles. A lot will depend on how far from the loading dock to the rail car. Then from the rail car to the storage lot and then how far they are driven at the dealer.
GM used to have a program where an inspection specialist would take a car out on the public hiway (at the factory) and drive for around 15 miles-city/hiway checking. When completed he would place a note signed by him in the glove box explaining the extra miles. We never had anyone complain–in fact we got thank you letters. This only happened on a few vehicles per day.
Don’t know what happens today – in our lawyer happy country.
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:30 pm)How long will it take some to realize that, 80% -90% of your miles being pure electric, the particular mileage that it gets in CS mode is a matter of indifference. 30MPG or 50MPG, at the end of the year it’s only going to be a few dollars. ‘Course, bragging rights, vs other hybrid owners, I guess that makes a difference.
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:37 pm)Yes, I can still remember the vaporware time of yestermonths, when some people would argue that the Volt was just a PR gimmick and that GM would never manufacture the car. That as soon as they got bailed out, the car would vanish.
Sweet memories to cherish until november. > Who’s laughing now ?
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:40 pm)We live in a world of instant gratification. “Why did it take 3 years for Guvmunt Motors to give us the Volt?! It’s so simple to make! I coulda done it in Shop Class for $28,000…In 6 months…Yeah! Why if I was in charge I’d be producing 50,000 the first year… no. 200,000. Yeah! When Honda (Toyota, Ford, etc.) comes out with a Series Hybrid next year, why, all they’ll have to do is make 300,000 the first year, for $25,000… They’ll kick GM’s butt. Yeah!”
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (12:57 pm)i would strongly advise anyone considering placing an order for a volt that, before you send any money, make sure that you ask the dealer what his allotment is and how many people are on the waiting list ahead of you. if the guy tells you something to the effect that he doesn’t know anything about any allotment limit and that he can “just place orders”, then the guy either doesn’t know what he’s talking about or he is pulling your leg.
so make sure you know the allotment and assess the time frame in which you can expect to get delivery. then you can make a more informed decision about whether you want to work with a particular dealer, move on to another dealer or consider other options.
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:13 pm)Assuming availability, what woud the normal conversion ratio be from hand raiser to order placer? 50%?…25%? I’m sure it isnt 100%. Maybe one of our experts on the board knows.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:18 pm)Out of topic but I really fail to understand why people make mistakes when they write wrong spellings for a lot of words. Here instead of hear. Their instead of there and vice versa. It gives a totally different meaning. Or is this just texting language that I am not aware of. Hmmm…just thought I would mention this.
….again, amazing website and amazing Volt!!!!!
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:20 pm)I see people posting their info from the Order site and one thing i notice is that they all say Flex Fuel…
Is the RE-ICE going to be E-85 ready?
Octane rating is higher than premium 100+ octane rating.
I know GM originally said it would be then they stated that it would not be flex fuel capable, but why put it on the order site if its not?
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:21 pm)I have a feeling that the number of handraisers will rise far faster than the number of Volts available for order.
The conversion of these handraisers to order placers doesn’t matter since all Volts produced will have a buyer one way or the other.
The buzz of having this many people interested matters more than sales of units.
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:25 pm)I am an example of that. I raised my hand but didn’t convert.
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:27 pm)“Here” and “Hear” are both correctly-spelled words. We now live in a spell-checker-dependent culture.
* The culture brought this on itself with “creative spelling.”
* The phenomenon is Not limited only to this site.
Text messaging didn’t help, but really has nothing to do with this phenomenon; except for offering some general encouragement of spelling as a semi-relevant, lost art form.
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:29 pm)Nice anonymous comment, no comment. I seriously doubt that this will stop people from ordering.
The dealer’s allocation changes over time and gets updated periodically. If it’s a largish dealer, just place the order. It will be filled in due time.
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:32 pm)A variety of reasons I would think.
1) English is not their first language.
2) Speed typing and not speed checking.
3) Poor education.
4) Being human and mistakes happen.
No big deal though. The message still gets across.
Worry about the big stuff. If this is the worst thing that happens to you this week, please count yourself lucky. Have a nice day.
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:33 pm)In every story, there is a beginning. Even the Sahara had it’s first grain of sand. Consider that the tiny point of a needle can have a profound effect on the future of a balloon.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:34 pm)+1 to that! How many votes do we get? ‘Cause, I think I’m gonna need a stack of ballots as thick as my arm.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:42 pm)Something could be done with Mars, maybe; Venus, not so much: Even without the thick, poisonous atmosphere, the surface is a volcanic hell; on a crisp winter day on Venus, you can take a refreshing dip in molten lead. In general, it ought to be easier to warm a cold planet than cool a hot one.
There’s a certain smug, shoe-driving troll from Minnesota I’d like to nominate …
… and I’m certain he would disagree with me; so let’s send him to Venus.
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:42 pm)These words are not spelled incorrectly. The grammar/word usage is incorrect.
Like Jackson said, it’s not just this site. It’s inattention to detail because it’s informal. I, for one, have no problems understanding the post meaning just because a word or two is out of place.
Plus this is an international audience. Second and third language folks sometimes get a few things wrong. I’d hate to be doing this in Espanol. I’d probably get things wrong as well. (Like spelling Espanol. lol. Where the heck is that funny-looking ‘n’ when you need it?)
Lighten up Sandy.
Sep 15th, 2010 (1:49 pm)I haven’t converted yet either. Some people have a longer event horizon than instant gratification.
Sep 15th, 2010 (2:07 pm)My pet peeve:
its versus it’s
http://www.angryflower.com/itsits.gif
Multiple offenses above. It happens aaaaall day long on forums like these, and you just have to ignore it. Such is the price we pay for increased access to technology that enables soapbox platforms for everyone, nut just people properly schooled in the English language.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (2:13 pm)I refuse to use apostrophes unless I’m getting paid for it.. you are smart enough to figure out what I’m saying from the context.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (2:57 pm)Mine too!
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (3:03 pm)This is true… I had checked mine then was looking over the blog today to see what other people had said. Flex fuel.
I would love to have a flex fuel engine in the Volt at least… diesel would be better (for bio diesel of course). Anybody out there at GM want to comment on this? At the very least, you need to fix the website to correct the data if it is incorrect.
Harrier
Sep 15th, 2010 (3:08 pm)Thank you!
+2
Sep 15th, 2010 (3:27 pm)My guess is that you are very correct…. GM has 100,000 hand raisers without too much effort. Sure, many of us have been living and breathing VOLT for 3 years; but the majority of ‘Jane and John consumer’ on main street USA have not even heard about it. AND very few people have gotten to drive one.
I suspect that in year 1, GM will have 600 Launch market dealers with 1 VOLT demo each. If each VOLT demo causes 1/3 of the test drivers to become Hand Raisers (assuming 3 demos a day, 5 days a week); that’s 5 Hand Raisers per dealer or another 156,000 in the first year.
Add in the word of mouth generated by those roughly 10,000 consumers lucky enough to take delivery during year one and you’ve got another significant number of Hand Raisers.
Get to year 2 and do the math again – only now you’ll have 3,500+ Chevy dealers with VOLT demo. The numbers will grow exponentially.
Just keep adding battery capacity…. and keep refining the product. Yes, competition will come, but I believe GM has a lead and competitive advantage in the EREV concept. This is the technology that is most easily adapted by the largest percentage of the public. Thus, it will be successful.
Naysayers step aside. The VOLT is near….
+4
Sep 15th, 2010 (3:28 pm)That’s amazing, how much did you make for those two??
Do you get a residual because I quoted you?
-1
Sep 15th, 2010 (3:49 pm)i can’t tell people how to spend their money; but for my part, i want to know what my chances of actually getting a car at the time that i part with my cash. so i am inclined to make decisions on the basis of what the dealer knows (or will disclose) at the time he asks me to part with my cash. on the other hand, if it’s just a matter of placing an order with no cash until the dealer determines that he has sufficient allocation to fill the order, then i would be ok with that. this all comes down to what one’s individual risk profile is, but as far as i’m concerned, i’m not inclined to give up definite cash in exchange for an indefinite idea of what “in due time” means.
Sep 15th, 2010 (4:12 pm)GM is not the only company that has a planned EREV vehicle. Fiskars is also going to offer an EREV vehicle; and one of the selling points that i expect fiskars to raise is that they maintain performance levels even when you switch over to CS mode. i believe that fiskars uses a bigger, and supercharged, engine generator and is a larger car.
that said, i don’t think that anyone has tested their vehicle as thoroughly as has GM. given the risks that come with new technology, i trust the volt a lot more than i do the other cars – including the Leaf.
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (5:43 pm)hey post #79
SandyOut of topic but I really fail to understand why people make mistakes when they write wrong spellings for a lot of words.
nice grammar mate!
you English speak good
(people in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones)
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:16 pm)CONGRATS!! I’m now at the point where I can actually find myself genuinely enjoying the excitement of the lucky ducks involved in the ordering process. For a bit there, it was tough to get toooo involved, simply because I’m a shallow, petty, self-interested Voltiac (lol). I’ve now regained *some* perspective and really can celebrate with you folks! (G) Please keep us posted!
Be well,
Tagamet
/just got in from a long work day.
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:21 pm)Naysayers???? We have NAYSAYERS??? Naw! (lol).
Be well,
Tagamet
Sep 15th, 2010 (6:53 pm)Say it isn’t so!
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (7:09 pm)I have to agree. September 20th (5 days from now) we are supposed to get the ‘official allocation’ where the numbers to date have been a ‘working estimate’. I am hoping that next week we hear an announcement from GM about INCREASED production goals based on all orders submitted to date.
If we don’t get an increase, there will be a lot of dealers with unhappy customers who probably will not wait for the 2012 model year. And I personally don’t want to ‘test people’s patience’ for that long. There is not a lot of profit in a VOLT to make that headache worthwhile.
Now if I could just get a job selling a few Bugatti Veyrons… I could handle it. No problem.
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:00 pm)Slow roll out makes no sense!
This car has been tested, tested, and tested by a company that has made cars forever. If there is a “problem” Chevy will fix it.
If there are a LOT of orders then Chevy should build to meet the demand. Their competition is coming fast. Toyota has got a plug-in Prius coming in a year and a half. The more folks that get a VOLT now will be instant salespeople for it. (this current VOLT demand is with essentially no advertising other than this site). It has been noted here before but Apple has learned to build to demand and look where they are now.
Chevy should make every effort to build 24/7 to make enough VOLTS to meet current demand and the expected increase as more folks learn about this car. Just my 2.5 cents… :+}
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:29 pm)So how soon until consumers can order directly from the factory on-line for home (or work) delivery?
+3
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:32 pm)I checked in my email and my tracking webpage says “Good Luck Charlie – No Volt For You In Seattle!”
L
L
Please no shower of negs for me — it’s all in gooood humor…. Plus I’m pouting that I won’t have a Volt in my garage for years.
RECHARGE!
James
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:38 pm)You do sell Corvettes, right? Selling Bugattis will only get a few customers a year. Keep selling “bow ties”!
Raymond
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:40 pm)I just put in my order number, and it tells me it’s being produced!
How exciting!
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:41 pm)Looked up my order number, and at first it said invalid number. After Angie at GM informed me that I had the wrong number (F vs S problem), my order number went in fine and the site says “Vehicle Being Produced” for the status.
I hope that’s as positive as it sounds, but I’m still concerned that maybe my order isn’t preferenced against my dealer’s initial allocation. It would be nice if the tracking site also gave the same detail as those four-digit order codes.
Also, I haven’t received any calls from a Volt specialist. My dates for production/order entry seem to be the same as others on this site, and the same as in Lyle’s graphic. Yet we all clearly didn’t order on the same day… Hmmmm…
join thE REVolution
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:57 pm)Thanks for the reminder, CG, I’d forgotten about that. Hopefully we’ll have another wave of excitement on Monday. It’s getting pretty busy around here!
Sep 15th, 2010 (8:58 pm)The manager at the local Chevy dealer gave the impression that although the order number is established. And the date of order is in the pipeline. The final order isn’t 100% set in stone at this point. The reason being that options are not priced.
It may be that buyers will have a final adjustment menu to work additional options into their Volt. This is a win for the buyer and for the seller. And will lay the ground work on the system to order 2012 Volts. Who knows, GM may really be wise and start taking $1000 deposits on the 2012′s.
=D-Volt
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (9:52 pm)Maybe the 100,000 signed up on GM’s web site. Showing interest and ordering are two different handraisers. One has money in hand and the other is raising an empty hand!
To all who have ordered, APPLAUSE!
To those who showed interest, a salute!
I hope that the majority of first generation VOLTs will be owned by those who must drive at least 40 miles a day. That will optimize the fuel savings for the country.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (10:57 pm)Extremely cool.
Congrats!
Tagamet
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:12 pm)The Volt has been tested but the machinery on the production line has only had preliminary testing. GM must ramp up production slowly. As the machinery proves capable of increased production, GM will up the numbers built. Forging tools for making the body parts are very expensive and easily damaged. It usually takes two years for these tools to be designed and built and set up in the plant. I believe GM may be able to increase production when and if, and as long as, these machine tools are working properly.
Another problem that slows the pace of production is proving out the various components that go into the car. As this is a new design fraught with many new components because it is an electric vehicle, the first of its (not it’s – it is but its
) kind the parts still need to be proven as the parts suppliers ramp up their production also. One little defect in one of these new type auto parts could set back the clean record that new GM is trying to establish. This is a time tested procedure that only becomes more important because the Volt is so revolutionary.
Once this quality control issue is past and a risk assessment is done, GM will start to increase production. As we have seen in the past, this procedure is fraught with danger. Look at all the recalls we have seen recently. Despite all the quality control measures taken problems do crop up. This is the reason GM is taking it slow and easy. I am confident that they have engineered and had built machine tools that will function properly, and testing has shown that the quality of body parts finish has improved over the past. GM can build a Volt with the present production line. If quality control of components from their suppliers can be maintained as production increases, only one question remains. Can the machine tools withstand the continuous use when GM goes to two and three shifts manufacturing Volts?
It is great to see the day coming that owners can buy a Volt and even greater for the day when owners of the Volt can report performance here on gm-volt.com, and voice their opinions about this revolutionary vehicle. There are a great number of issues to report on; CS mpg is most likely one of the top issues we all will be sitting on edge waiting to hear about. But the Volt comes with so many exciting features that Lyle won’t be wanting for something to report on. His problem will be pick and choose what the followers here want to hear about most.
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
+1
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:36 pm)EVERYONE WILL APPRECIATE THIS ONE…
It is SOOOO ironic that you wrote this TODAY. I’ll get you back on topic with this same text.
I wrote to my local GM dealer today, specifically to let them know about the new website discussed in today’s thread. I wanted to know what my place was on the Volt list and if they knew an allocation number yet (probably not; in FL). Anyway, I didn’t get a real answer yet, just a form letter…a form letter they send to EVERYONE. This is an exact quote from the email:
“Hear at our dealership we guarantee the lowest price in the State of Florida. . We do this because we are out in the country with low over head our building is paid for so we pass on the savings to you . Why pay the big cities prices . Don’t make a $5000 mistake . Hear at xxx Chevrolet , Buick , and GM Certified Pre-Owned Center we can save you …”
They didn’t just screw up ‘hear’ once, they did it twice! I hadda laugh when I came back HERE this evening to read this comment.
And one better…on the way to this SAME dealership several years ago, I saw a sign out in front of an AUTO PARTS STORE nearby to the dealer. The sign advertised a special on “Moter oil”.
Yeah, this dealer is out in the country all right.
“I cum ta git mah wahf a furrr piece an I cum a furrr piece ta git it.”
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:46 pm)i don’t understand this comment; using less energy is always better than using more energy.
Sep 15th, 2010 (11:59 pm)Thanks for the clarification :+}
Sep 16th, 2010 (12:02 am)The point he’s making is that if you sell 10,000 Volts to people who drove MORE than 40 miles per day, more gas will be saved OVERALL than if you sold those same 10,000 Volts to people who only drove 20 miles per day. Maybe that is a bit clearer.
Sep 16th, 2010 (9:52 am)See that is what I mentioned……Thanks flmark…..I feel better, now that I got answers to my questions….and yes I agree that “to err is to human and to forgive is to God”, but…..
Sep 16th, 2010 (11:12 am)i guess it’s like when a store advertises a sale and says “the more you buy, the more you save!” – i’ve never been able to make sense of that either…
Sep 16th, 2010 (1:35 pm)Anyone know of a dealer in Connecticut successfully taking orders without ripping the buyer off? I’m still trying. Had too much trouble being in Colorado trying to get one close to where my folks live out that way.
Please post. Thanks.
CHEVY VOLT: American-made, American-FUELED. Time to rid the world of the hateful terorrists the only way one can actually do so – end the addiction.
Sep 16th, 2010 (2:33 pm)When will the BYO for the Volt show up on Chevy’s website?
+1
Sep 16th, 2010 (8:04 pm)Maybe that button really was magical. I just re-checked my status and it tells me this:
* 08/02/2010 ORDER PLACED
* VEHICLE IS AT YOUR CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP
Sep 16th, 2010 (10:04 pm)Hey, My status went to the dealer as well. How about that!!
Sep 17th, 2010 (12:51 pm)Mine just went from “Vehicle being produced” back to “Order Placed” with the following note:
Congratulations on placing an order for your new Chevrolet. Your dealer has received an order number from Chevrolet. Once your dealer has an available production slot, your order will be scheduled for production. You can sign back in at any time to see your vehicle’s progress or click on the accessories area below to further make this vehicle your very own.
One forward and one step back. Anyone else get this?
Jim K.
Sep 17th, 2010 (5:21 pm)Finally, I located the information I was searching for. I have been doing research on this subject, and for four days I keep finding websites that are supposed to have what I am searching for, only to be disappointed with the lack of what I needed. I wish I could have located your website sooner! I had about 30% of what I was looking for and your website has that, and the rest of what I need to finish my research. Thank you and I will report back on how it goes!
Sep 21st, 2010 (1:00 pm)Me to Jim,
2 steps forward one step back