Only about 10% of the traffic to GM-Volt.com comes from Canada, yet our friends to the north seem to be very vocal in the comments (you know who you are). Earlier this week, GM released the news they have been waiting for.
The Chevrolet Volt will become available in Canada in the second half of 2011. The following seven cities will be the initial launch markets: Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Oshawa, Ottawa-Gatineau, Vancouver and Victoria.
“The Chevrolet Volt is a game-changer, offering consumers an electric vehicle without compromise,” said Kevin Williams, president and managing director of GM of Canada. “These seven cities represent some of our largest automotive markets in Canada, where customers and major fleet operators are known to be leaders in adopting groundbreaking environmental technologies.”
GM is also working closely with Canadian utility companies to prepare these markets for the arrival of the car. It is expected the Volt will become available all across Canada by the end of the 2012 model year, but service locations will be broadly available from the point of launch. Canadian pricing has not been determined and will be set closer towards launch.
In addition to the Canadian markets, GM has made some inroads towards getting the car into Asia. It was previously announced that the car will be exported to China in 2011, a market that could become quite large.
Apparently, the Volt has also been given the greenlight for a test fleet in Japan. GM said it would introduce a limited number of Volts into Japan in 2011 for market test purposes. If this goes successfully it could pave the way to wider export volumes
Furthermore, this week a new trade agreement was reached with South Korea which will remove import tariffs that slow down the purchasing of US-made cars in Korea. In theory this could open the door to Volt sales in Korea as well.
GM spokesperson Rob Peterson however says currently there are no plans to export the Volt to Korea “at this time.” Peterson admits in the future “anything’s possible,” but notes at this time “Korea is a unique market where we have a strong presence already.” A test fleet of pure electric Cruzes are already on the roads there.
So not only will the Volt be able to help get the US off of oil, but has the potential to help to do so for the world, underscoring how the Volt may eventually become a very large volume product for GM.
Check out below a cool new two minute time lapse video of the Volt being built at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant:
Source (GM)
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 5th, 2010 at 8:15 am and is filed under Global, Launch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
-1
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:25 am)Interesting to see what is and isn’t automated in the production processes. So little done, so much to do? I’ve heard it said that the reason factories went overseas is because automation attempts in the 70s didn’t work out. Maybe now we’re getting close.
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:33 am)Great news lets all hope the economy of volume will help reduce the cost and the price I just hope they do not make the volt hard to find and buy hear in Illinois I still cant get one until 2012.
Tom
+12
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:38 am)Congratulations to GM for recognizing the Volt’s potential in export markets. This will certainly help ramp up production.
I’m always amazed in watching vehicle assembly videos at how diffenent car types are built on the same line. Now, GM has blended in the Voltec drive with conventional ICE’s. A masterful display of logistics.
I wonder if Johnny Cash would swipe Volt parts to put into his Chevro-Caddie??
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:40 am)The Volt is needed wherever people desire to use less oil, yet have the freedom to travel without the plug. Getting the Volt into every country will allow GM to check Mountain Mode and tweak the settings if necessary. The colder temperatures of Canada should help with the Gen II design and improvements. There will be some who want the Volts for US distribution first, but the answer is to build more Volts for everyone and increase production numbers for the US, Canada and the world.
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:42 am)The video is amazing look at and pause to see Buick and Cadillac cars mixed in on the same line.
Does anyone know how many total units they can produce a day?
Tom
+3
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:43 am)Since most all human assembly is at end, maybe GM could sell the chassis with the box of parts as a DIY kit. I’d buy it that way.
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:56 am)Great for Canada….what about New Hampshire???!!!! You want cold, we got it!
+27
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:06 am)By the way, Thank you, Dr. Dennis, for the Drive Log. This is the data that the whole automotive community has been waiting to see. I check it every day and each incremental increase in the overall gas mileage numbers convinces me even more that the Volt is the way to go.
+7
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:14 am)Being from Montreal this is fantastic news. For those interested, the local dealers are now taking orders. Its unofficial of course but you are getting in line at least at the dealer level. Folks, you need to hurry up since the spots are limited!
Apparently I was the first in Quebec to sign up for a Volt. Wow!
Can’t wait to get mine.
-25
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:24 am)(click to show comment)
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:30 am)In the speech at Hamtramck, I think I heard it twice that the Volt would be available nationwide in the US before it would be available in Canada or other countries.
Join thE REVolution!
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:38 am)There apparently was a National Geographic channel Mega Factories episode on the Volt construction at Hamtramck. I have hunted for it but can’t find the day/time. While I do find Porsche, Bugatti and Lamborghini factory shows. If anyone knows when the episode is, please post it here. That’s good company the Volt keeps!
Love the 2 min video. I like the way it starts with the robots and then proceeds to humans for adding all of the pieces. I bet those workers are pretty happy to have those jobs which is a far cry from the 80s when workers took those jobs for granted and produced crappy cars as a result. Read the history part of this NUMMI factory article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NUMMI.
+20
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:39 am)Canada did put up considerable money, following the US pattern, but earmarked for the GM and Chrysler branches in Canada.
And for those who don’t know it, here in Ontario the government has a $10,000 tax credit for EVs including the Volt.
Join thE REVolution!
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:45 am)Sounds like fun, however the associated shipping and handling costs would probably outweigh any cost savings…
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:46 am)Does Canada get Volts or Amperas? If they get Volts, I hope they have hold mode, then all I would have to do is find Canadian programing for my US Volt.
+8
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:47 am)I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that the Canadian Government put up money to help bail out/buy shares in GM when they were in trouble. They apparently have four factories still running in Canada and make 5 different GM models ranging from the Regal to the Equinox to the Terrain.
In addition, we need exports to take off if our economy is going to improve. This is all good. Of course, exporting a car that is more profitable than the Volt might be better for the economy but its good to share the early adopter burden (and ‘high” costs) across the globe.
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:52 am)Burrr, it is cold out today. Putting new struts in the HHR, in a heated garage. Seems like I will have to make the HHR last another couple years.
Any pictures of the Volt in snow?
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:04 am)GM needs to move as quickly as possible to get this into every market it can. This two year jump on everyone should be maximized.
GM now has the most advanced automotive technology on earth. Milk it, spread it, enjoy how it helps brighten the halo for all of GM’s models.
All the governments in the world need to know there now exists a nearly affordable option (it will be affordable once they are coming out in the hundred of thousands and after a few years of cost cutting). Not only that it exists but you can drive down to the local GM dealer and buy it!
Once there are other options, governments will be able to turn the screws a bit. Before, they were unable to do anything to reduce fossil fuel demand without killing economic activity. Now, only a small $10,000 incentive is needed to make it work. That will hit parity in just a few years, if the volumes shoot up.
This next two years will make or break this round. The last round (last decade – EV1, RAV4 EV, etc.) was too far out with batteries that were just a bit too weak.
Is this going to be it? Is the iPod of EVs here? It sure looks like it. Go Apple, er, GM!
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:05 am)Cool video… now, does it drive off the assembly line using battery power or the gas generator?
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:06 am)I think what we have here is:
1) Different levels of GM management saying “slightly” different things.
2) A dynamic situation, where the distribution plan is subject to change.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:11 am)It is great to see the robots welding the body. This means it’s all setup for high volume.
If you see hand welding, it has been decided to be a low volume model.
Also of note is the fact that the factory workers don’t have to pollute their air as much when driving out the finished units. Assuming they don’t start up the engine that is.
+16
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:11 am)I’ve got a good feeling that our first Volt may come in this week. The stupid computer still says “in transit”, but I know the status updates don’t happen in real time. It could show up tomorrow out of the blue! Here’s to hoping…..!
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:12 am)Yes.
12-18 months ago, many wondered why it takes so long to get from prototypes to production. I think this video does a lot to answer that question. Building some prototypes is very different than cranking up a real assembly line.
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:13 am)I am kind of curious to see who gets their car first, will Lyle get his Volt before anyone but Lance Armstrong gets their Leaf? More importantly, will the Volt outsell the Leaf in the critical first quarter of sales? Because the first reports of who is outselling who is all that most people will remember.
I think, and hope, that GM has under promised and will over deliver on the amount of Volts that they will produce. But I thought they would do that on the AER and the CS mileage, as well.
+10
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:13 am)We went to Buffalo NY for shopping yesterday and of course I filled up my gas tank on my way back to Toronto, US $3.19 per gallon in Buffalo where the regular unleaded gas equivalent to US $4.22 per gallon in Toronto. as a Canadian consumer, I am ready to welcome VOLT, LEAF or plug in PRIUS. any of these car will do just fine for my family of 3 vehicles. The higher gas price in Canada actually help to promote any form of EV. and VOLT is my first choice………….Go VOLT go.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:18 am)It’s also interesting to see how many pre-fabricated sub-assemblies are used on the line. We’re only seeing the final assembly phase here. Perhaps automation is used more in building the sub-assemblies and other parts.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:23 am)During a trip to Banff, back in 2005, my conversations with my Canadian brethren up there made me realize that (other than business travelers), I have probably visited more of Canada’s major cities than most Canadians. I have been to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal and would expect to see these cities mentioned. However, having also been to Calgary and Halifax, I was surprised to see these cities not mentioned. These are very progressive cities with populations that, I would assume, would be clamoring for lots of green alternatives. Maybe you Alberta folks have some leverage- ‘Give us our Volts or we’ll stop giving you oil!’ Seems fair to me.
+12
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:24 am)The Volt Weathers the Cold in Kapuskasing, Canada
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:33 am)That video really is good. Hopefully in Feb I will get a chance to see the plant with my own eyes. As I learn more I will post.
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:37 am)Recall that many people in the US are ordering their Volt “long distance”, i.e. from a dealer in a remote city. I’m pretty sure the same could be done in Canada.
Any mention of pricing? I presume that exsport taxes/tarrifs and/or currency exchange will be an influence.
+18
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:37 am)Interesting Buffalo was mentioned. Right now Buffalo is knee deep in snow and the highway was just closed for many hours.
Here is an important point that cannot be trivialized, since the Volt has a 9 gallon gas tank filled with very energy dense gasoline, it can keep the passengers alive should they get stuck in these conditions. With 9 gallons of gas you can keep warm for a very long time until help can arrive.
What about the Leaf? It would quickly run out of energy (lithium batteries are more than 40 times less energy dense than liquid fuel) and you might find yourself in a very serious situation.
Until battery energy density improves over the next few decades, having a fuel burning system on-board to keep warm is extremely important, especially in the North.
The more you think about it, the better Volt looks.
+3
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:41 am)My, how times change. I recall that back in the early ’80s, it was we in Buffalo who ventured the other direction to get gas (mostly due to the exchange rate, I believe). I can’t wait until the trip to the gas station is so rare that you don’t even pay attention to the price.
Think about it. We pay attention to a few cents a gallon (just 1% or so in real terms). Let’s say we fill up our Volt four times a year- putting our 9 gallons in each time (getting down to fumes) and we pass a gas station charging 20c a gallon more than competitors (simply outrageous). The excess paid might not even cover one meal at a fast food restaurant. Our days of journeying out of our way to find cheaper gas are nearly over.
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:49 am)Wow! Looking at “The Making of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt” video on this post it just dawned on me that Volts roll off the line without any tailpipe emissions.
NPNS!
+18
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:50 am)Regular is up to $3.11 locally. Let’s get these Volts on delivery trains soon.
=D-Volt
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:55 am)I supprised that the Volt is only going to go to the extreme ends of Canada…. And why 2 cities in Quebec… the “poorest” province in Canada (They also get the biggest handouts from the Federal Government that takes from the “have” provinces and give to the “have not” provinces.)
The Ideal province should have been Alberta which is the biggest oil producer in Canada…
I will just have to wait till 2013 to get my Volt…
I guess General Motors wants to keep selling all their trucks in Alberta… and they sell lots and lots of them….
Good luck to all the Canadians that will get an early opportunity to own a Volt…
Now as for the pricing ?????? no government handouts or credits…. Canadians always hosed on pricing…. I am willing to bet it will hit around the $45,000 mark….
I currently own a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid… I want a Volt in my driveway but will keep the Fusion Hybrid as it is a bigger car (Lifetime MPG 41000 KMS…5.8 L/100 KM… 48.7 MPG Canadian and 40.55 MPG US.)
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:58 am)Apparently, the Volt has also been given the greenlight for a test fleet in Japan. GM said it would introduce a limited number of Volts into Japan in 2011 for market test purposes. If this goes successfully it could pave the way to wider export volumes
Furthermore, this week a new trade agreement was reached with South Korea which will remove import tariffs that slow down the purchasing of US-made cars in Korea. In theory this could open the door to Volt sales in Korea as well.
I’ll believe this when I see it.
How many Japanese will buy the VOLT after $20,000 in tariffs? But we will still be giving $7500 for each car they sell here. Test fleet? what for?
I want to know how many and how much they will cost the buyer in these countries.
We can sell cars in Canada and Mexico…and maybe China.. that’s about it.. everywhere else it’s a one way street.
The playing field is totally uneven for American companies… I don’t see that changing.
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:06 am)Great video!…. Thanks!
Someone here in PA that I work with said his delivery is in a couple weeks?
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:26 am)At the risk of pissing off Americans who want their Volt before foreigners, I’ll be frank and say that one of the keys to reviving our economy isn’t ONLY in recirculating American dollars amongst ourselves, but also in EXPORTING products such as the Volt so we can apply corrective pressure to the current trade imbalance.
Volt already does that with the energy trade imbalance, but now it can do that for the manufacturing imbalance. WAHOOOO!
I trust that finding a healthy balance between exporting the Volt, and satisfying domestic demand is the order of the day.
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:28 am)BTW – does anyone know if GM will have to give up the Voltec technology and designs to the Chinese? If so, then we are SELLING OUR SOUL. It’s just not worth it.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:32 am)But what about the “We need to test it for a year and make sure it’s perfect” thing?
+6
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:32 am)Cool Video!!!!!
I hate to mention this, but:
Why would GM announce release dates for Canada, and Asia before giving us release dates for the rest of the USA??????
Would it be so hard to just list all the states in the USA, and when they will be authorized to sell the Volt??? By this point in time I would think the GM has this all planned out!
I am not getting the logic here……………..
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:34 am)That will make a lot of folks in the US happy. Lyle mentions the seven cities where Volt will be introduced in Canada, so covering the whole US and then the seven Canadian cities would make sense.
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:36 am)Sell ‘em wherever you can get the most profits, GM. Duh. They’re not in the charity business.
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:43 am)A few comments:
1) Yes, the Canadian (and Ontario) Governments played a large part in the bailout of GM. I don’t recall specifics, but their contributions were quite significant.
2) I believe Ontario has a $10,000 grant for Volt buyers. I’m not sure about other provinces.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:58 am)Awesome! It only takes 1:55 to make a Volt.
8^)
-10
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:11 pm)(click to show comment)
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:20 pm)That’s a good point. I recall unexpectantly taking 3 hours on a trip home in a snowstorm that normally is a 25 minute drive. Makes me wonder if I was returning home in a pure EV with the heater and defroster going, if I would have run out of charge. Think there’s a good chance I would have been stuck somewhere with a discharged battery.
+3
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:28 pm)Unfortunately the Ontario Gov changed that $10K to $8500 max. And raised the threshold on it too! Now the volt doesn’t meet the criteria for the max rebate. Only cars with a battery pack larger than the Volts will get the max rebate. Plus there are only 10,000 rebates available. I call BS on this and I don’t even live in Ontario!
B.C. on the other hand has NOTHING so I guess I can’t be too hard on any of the other Provinces. Heck, none of the other Provinces have a rebate for that matter.
I’m a little choked that B.C. hasn’t done anything as we are the “green Province” and all. They pay a lot of lip service to it but have done nothing to back it up. Well, wait there were those TWO charging stations that were put in… ha
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:29 pm)That episode is well worth seeking. I kept the original on the DVR and watch it every couple of weeks. Have you checked hulu.com?
Good luck.
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get The VOLTS ‘ Wheels On The Road!!
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:37 pm)These were awesome to watch!
Man-Made Chevy Volt HD
A heavily guarded preproduction factory near Detroit gears up to produce the first specimens of GM’s all-electric car, an aerodynamic four-door …
1/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxN3zHlSRaU
2/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbiRLWpDF2k
3/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74pShxP7bIM
4/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEwPDWgm810
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:38 pm)Doesn’t the timing mentioned *give* them a year to gather data?
In one sense I’d like to get a post-Canadian release Volt, if for no other reason than the seriously cold weather data will have been expanded. All my other senses want one now though (g).
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get Enough VOLTS ‘ Wheels On The Road!!
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:40 pm)Tom,
Tom–Most GM plants are built to operate at 60 units per hour. The volume depends on the number of shifts, the units per hour etc. Also the forecast of sales,the type of vehicle.
There seems to be movement toward three shifts to fully optimize the fixed costs but there is need for a very well run maintenance system to operate on three shifts.
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:46 pm)When Chrysler first introduced the PT Cruiser, they were instantly sold out all throughout the US (I ordered mine on April 2nd; it showed up in early November). Anyway, what was interesting was how many Canadian-bound Cruisers made only a brief pit-stop in Canada before getting immediately resold to U S dealers. I predict the same thing might happen to Volts.
Dec 5th, 2010 (12:51 pm)Tim in SC,
Tim–At this point it could drive off with either. The next step for that car coming off the line is the roll test.
On roll test, the car will be plugged into a mainframe computer. The driver will run thru a series of activities using both the CD and CS systems to verify that the unit “Deserves” an inspection stamp.
Assuming all is good, the unit will drive to the shipping gate where it is “Sold” to the dealer.
+6
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:03 pm)Actually, we did. $9.5 Billion of it be precise. Or 11.67% of the shares. Unlike the US government, we haven’t sold very many of ours. We may actually make money of the timing is right. Unlike many Americans, most Canadians don’t have a big problem with public ownership of critical resources.
The North American (US and Canada) automotive market has been thoroughly integrated since 1965. My car happens to be made in Michigan, many or yours (Buick Regal, Chevy Equinox, Camaro) are made in Ontario.
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:11 pm)Pricing announced for Volt in Canada…seems high @ $49,000 CDN!!
http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/life/article/705944–chevy-volt-poised-to-lead-the-electric-revolution–page0
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:12 pm)flmark,
Where in Buffalo do you live Flmark. I live in the nroth towns, Ransomville. For me the Volt can’t get here soon enough?
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:31 pm)+1 for this thought. The drive log is great and gives a good idea about the real world MPG you might get. Seems like for those putting 12K to 15K miles on their cars a good guess would be 250 MPG.
Looking at the mileage in the drive log, Lyle definitely needs to buy not lease his Volt. He’s on track to drive 25K miles a year, and leasing is not good when you’re putting on so many miles. The battery warranty would almost be kaput before the lease was up!
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:32 pm)In Quebec, we pay well over 4$ a gallon of gas (around 4,30$ at the moment) while we pay AT MOST 7,5 cents a kilowatt anytime (first 30 kwh of every day is 5,45 cents then we pay the higher rate). I’m still running the numbers and trying to figure it out – thank you for your journal, Lyle – but it might actually make economic sense to buy the Volt for me. Better yet, almost 100% of our electricity is from hydrolic dams which means that producing the electricity is done here without emissions at all.
Alberta ? They are the richest province of the federation for the moment but over there gas is cheap and household income is very good so their incentive to buy a Volt is not as strong, even if they are richer. Lots of trucks over there (and in the Prairies in general). Lots of compact cars in Quebec so the fact that the Volt is kind of a compact is not an issue here.
In my case, availability in Montreal is great news. Depending on how much the dealer will offer for my trade-in – I have to get at least what I still have to pay on the car – I will be an early adopter… or almost an early adopter (I should be able to do better than break even in 2012 and the tax credits will still be 8000$ by then).
I’ll be waiting for the price announcement.
+11
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:37 pm)Looking at Lyle’s drive log and the fact he’s using only one gallon of gas every 150 miles, despite his high miles, reminds me of this thought for the day courtesy of Thomas Friedman of the NY Times:
When we import $28 billion a month in oil, we can’t say to the Saudis: “We know the guys who would come after you would be much worse, but why do we have to choose between your misrule and corruption and their brutality and intolerance?” We’re just stuck supporting a regime that, sure, fights Al Qaeda at home, but uses our money to fund a religious ideology, schools, mosques and books that ensure that Al Qaeda will always have a rich pool of recruits in Saudi Arabia and abroad. We also lack leverage with the Chinese on North Korea, or with regard to the value of China’s currency, because we’re addicted to their credit.
Geopolitics is all about leverage. We cannot make ourselves safer abroad unless we change our behavior at home. But our politics never connects the two.
Think how different our conversations with Saudi Arabia would be if we were in the process of converting to electric cars powered by nuclear, wind, domestic natural gas and solar power? We could tell them that if we detect one more dollar of Saudi money going to the Taliban then they can protect themselves from Iran.
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:46 pm)Cool. I need to drag my butt to my GM dealer to put a deposit down since I’m in an initial launch city. I’ve worked over 90 hours in the past 8 days (helloooo overtime!), and I haven’t had a chance to go see them at all.
Ontario incentives will be between 5000$ and 8500$ depending on the size of the battery. As mentioned previously, the volt will not qualify for the full 8500$. Probably more in the 6500-7000$ range I’d expect. My local dealer has told me to expect pricing around 35000$ after the government rebate (it’s not a tax credit here, they just send you a cheque for the amount), So I’d expect 42k$ or so, which makes sense since the dollar is pretty close right now. As is typical with Canadian models, we’ll probably have less standard equipment, but I’m OK with that to a certain point.
Cheers,
Luc
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:48 pm)GM won’t be able to keep up with demand for the Volt for a lot longer now that they are making it available in other countries. They have such a huge lead with the Voltec technology and it will probably be at least two or three years before a major manufacturer has an EREV that could compete with the Volt and there is no way it will be as good.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (1:50 pm)Speaking of early adopters, I’m preaching the merits of the Volt every chance I have. One of my coworkers has the money to buy an expensive car and is already saying that his current car is his last ICE car : his next will be electric.
Only problem is : he owned a GM car 20 or so years ago and … wasn’t impress, to say the least. Didn’t own a GM car since. There is much preaching to do before convincing him
So even if they sell only a few hundreds Volts at first in Quebec, GM needs the early adopters to change the perception of the company and praise the product. For every Volt sold here, all the neighbourgs, all the coworkers, all the friends will be watching. If everything goes fine, and I’m confident it should and it will, sales will blossom.
The last GM car I drove was the Cadillac De Ville of my father in 1979. I bought japanese and german cars all my life. But this time around, I think GM is the leader of this technology and I’m willing to trust their know-how.
Dec 5th, 2010 (2:01 pm)Any word on the Australian/NZ rollout plans? From what I have read here in Australia it will be 2012 but when exactly in 2012 I am unsure and whether they will be locally assembled or built in Detroit at least for the first year I don’t know.
I do know though other than the name and of course being right-hand drive they will be Volt’s unlike Europe which will have the Ampera and a slightly different exterior look. The one good thing at least here in Australia is I won’t need a 240v charger as that is the normal outlet power, only will need to get a outlet put into my carport to plug into.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (2:05 pm)BC EV Driver,
From the article you cited :
There’s also no official word on what the car will sell for Canada, but since a base price of $41,000 (before federal and state rebates) has been announced in the U.S., a best guess would be somewhere in the $48,000-$50,000 range.
I don’t understand why it would cost 20% more since the canadian dollar is at par or almost at par with the US dollar.
I hope their ‘best guess’ is completely… wrong. A bold move would be to have the car at 41K even if they remove a few fancy options.
Let’s wait for the official announcement. We’ll hear it first on this site, I’m sure.
Dec 5th, 2010 (2:55 pm)___________________________________________________________
Great Video!
It visually brings home the Volt is indeed real and capable of future high volume production.
I watched the video 5 times and would another 10 times had my wife not just walked in inquiring how I’m coming along the weekend Honey-Do list.
___________________________________________________________
Dec 5th, 2010 (3:07 pm)NY home on Lake Ontario in central NY. Lived in Buffalo suburbs a few decades ago. Due to family (in laws) there, I am in Buffalo suburbs often (Kenmore, Depew, Blasdell). Unfortunately, I must fly out of Buffalo shortly to return to FL. Four ft of snow in Depew. Yuch! It’s that time of year we all love (‘Lake Effect’). When winds are SW, Western NY a mess. When winds are NW, Central NY a mess. So that drive is always dicey at this time of year.
Right now, though, I don’t know what is worse in Buffalo- the weather or the football. Bills down 31-7. Eeeoooo! Well, thanks to my roots in PA and FL, I still have two other cities to root for (Pittsburgh, Tampa- 3 Superbowls, 2 Stanley Cups combined during decade
). Buffalo- the home of the most longsuffering fans- by far!
Thanks to this diversity of geography, Volt is ONLY choice for me. Pure EV absolutely out of the question until battery ranges are MUCH better.
Dec 5th, 2010 (3:07 pm)What about South America? 80% of my country’s electricity is hydroelectric. The rest is thermal and those plants are only used to supply peak hours, because they are easier to turn on and off.
The Volt would have an even more positive effect on the environment here.
I know it won’t be 2011, but it would be nice to know when.
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:00 pm)Don’t know about that. The “shipping and handling” on a finished Volt is baked into the MSRP and is –not– insubstantial. Delivery on new cars usually runs anywhere from $600 to a grand.
Seems to me they can put the parts on a truck just as cheaply as a whole finished vehicle. Not saying they ever WILL… but you get the point.
+3
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:02 pm)I’ve been to Alberta. Nothing in Alberta is within 40 miles of anything else in Alberta. Ontario would be a better bet.
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:12 pm)Google calculation and graph. Looks like in 2009 this would have been more comparable.
http://www.google.com/search?&q=49,000.00+CAD+in+USD show $48858 USD
Canadian gas price map: http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_can_gastemperaturemap.aspx
USA gas price map: http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:22 pm)If the line *really* moved that fast, I daresay none of us would be waiting long for a Volt of our own!
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:34 pm)tassieEV,
I’m with you on this one.
Any other Ozzies on this site hoping to get a VOLT?
+3
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:35 pm)Statik should be thrilled with this.
A worldwide Volt is necessary to get us all off of oil.
Keeping pushing the envelope GM. Sell, sell, sell.
Dec 5th, 2010 (4:40 pm)Yea, and did you see how fast those union workers were working. Amazing!
Dec 5th, 2010 (5:02 pm)Hey R-ville. I’m from Lewiston (but live near Philadelphia now). The Volt would be one EV that could actually get me home to lewiston on one charge + tank of gas. The Buffalo area is perfect for Volt owners as “everything is 20 minutes away”.
Dec 5th, 2010 (5:17 pm)CG, does your computer system give you a status code, like 3800 or 4200 or similar?
Dec 5th, 2010 (5:27 pm)Yeah. 3 out of 12 orders are at code 3000 or higher. None at 4000. But I’ve had Camaros show up when they were still at 3800. Our first unit is VIN 122… so if 200 were built before Nov. 30th launch day, then it could show up at any time. That’s what I’m hoping.
Dec 5th, 2010 (7:42 pm)My calculation was wrong. 1 gallon is 3.7854 liters. Gas is at 1.20 a liter so it’s 4,50$ a gallon at the moment in my area. I love the oil companies.
-9
Dec 5th, 2010 (7:46 pm)Just be glad our tax credit is $2,500.00 less then Canada’s. Plus me if you agree? Or $7,500 VS. $10,000 Canadian.
+5
Dec 5th, 2010 (7:49 pm)Volt might help South America get off it’s addiction to Japanese and Chinese cars too!
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:54 pm)Actually, the credit is only for the province of Ontario, and it’s no longer 10000$, they’ve reduced it to 8500$ max, and the Volt will not qualify for the maximum because the battery is too small. (Tesla gets the full 8500$). I figure Volt will qualify for 6500-7000$.
The nice thing is that it’s a rebate, not a tax credit. They actually send you a cheque upon claiming, regardless of whether you owe taxes or not.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:55 pm)If it weren’t for the Volt, I wouldn’t even consider buying American. Been burned too many times.
But energy independence it a powerful motivator. I’d rather take a chance on Volt reliability than help finance terrorists. So for consumers like myself, this is a chance for GM to prove they can make reliable cars. If not, my next car after the Volt will be foreign.
Dec 5th, 2010 (8:57 pm)Thanks CG for the quick response! Good to know.
+2
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:21 pm)This is all very nice but I’m 75 years young and would like to have one before I die.
No plans for shipments to Oregon untill who knows when.
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:35 pm)Nice to see some real wold working Volts in the snow (even if they are preproduction).
Dec 5th, 2010 (9:45 pm)Ohh, a red Volt! There is a very lucky person out there!
Want many many more red Volts!
+1
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:20 pm)Even though I fell that it is a great thing that GM will export the volt. Make sure that all that have deposits down at dealerships, like myself, in this country, get a Volt delivered to them first.
P
+4
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:52 pm)75 is the new 45 (God willing). Have you driven a Volt yet? If you have experienced it (and therefore I assume, survived the thrill), shoot for patience. Sounds like you have miles left on the personal odometer, and are young enough to be “Volt knowledgeable”, so now it’s up to GM to adjust their production (for us).
Here’s an idea: Maybe congress should pass an affirmative action law that mandates that the Volts be allotted to the oldest customers first! After all, we have less wiggle room than a 30 year old buyer. OK, I’m just kidding, but it *is* a thought (lol).
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get Enough VOLTS ‘ Wheels On The Road!!
Dec 5th, 2010 (10:54 pm)I agree that there are a *lot* of lucky people anxiously awaiting their Volts, but that on looks more cranberry than red, to these old eyes.
Be well and believe,
Tagamet
Let’s Just Get Enough VOLTS ‘ Wheels On The Road!!
Dec 5th, 2010 (11:50 pm)The Crystal Red looks different in different lighting. Sun, shade, artificial, etc.
Dec 6th, 2010 (12:05 am)Darn, I’m in China this week and the Chinese Government Censors have You Tube blocked here. So I don’t get to see the video you have all been cheering about.
Does anyone know a ‘non-You Tube’ site for this video?
-7
Dec 6th, 2010 (1:28 am)Unni,
)
Guys keep eyes open and listen more. If some one else is doing good – appreciate it and learn from it. ( chance to show more attitude
k Back -inside line has a comparison of volt to plugin prius :
http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/volt/2011/comparison-test-2011-chevrolet-volt-vs-2010-toyota-prius-phv.html
Some aspects are interesting like :
From that article :
EV-mode electricity consumption (*kWh/100 miles) *unlike mpg, smaller is better:
Volt 39.0
Prius PHV 23.2
HV-mode (hybrid vehicle) gasoline fuel economy (mpg):
Volt 31.1
Prius PHV 47.2
EV-mode electric range (miles):
Volt 33.9
Prius PHV 14.6
Driven the same way, our Prius PHV used 34 percent less gasoline in gasoline-hybrid mode and 41 percent less electricity in EV mode than the Volt.
Volt , seems there are tough times ahead
. Plugin prius, Leaf, Imiev and Honda is yet to announce its 2 motor plug-in hybrid.
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:07 am)I agree korea send us 52 cars for every american car we send them. The only reason the Japanese or koreans would want a volt for is to take it apart and steal the R&D.
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:11 am)Randy,
GM is already one of the top 3 automobile manufactures in Korea. (GM- Daewoo) I don’t think its much of a secret here.
Tom – in Korea.
+1
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:20 am)pjkPA,
Free trade always was a myth. China and Japan certainly thank our limited capacity to understand they will NEVER live up to anything that go against their interests. Thanks for the point.
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:21 am)This is my third year here, and I know my day will come. Tried, believe me I tried. Saw one in Colorado, I guess when they did the Pikes Peak climb. Looking forward to driving without Middle-East oil.
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:46 am)what abour europe ? when the volt will be here in europe ?
Dec 6th, 2010 (5:01 am)We really need the Volt in Vancouver, our socialist city council won’t build freeways through the city and there’s a million traffic signals. Short drives around town uses a ton of gas but with the Volt when I’m sitting at all our signals and in congestion I won’t be wasting fuel. Gas costs a $1.20 / litre and it’s been going up steadily over the past year. That would be about $4.50 a US gallon.With the Volt I would save about $2400 a year in gas because I seldom drive over 40 miles in a given day.
Dec 6th, 2010 (6:56 am)A serious suggestion to BEV drivers in cold climates. Keep a down or cold weather sleeping bag in the car. Works for ICE vehicle drivers that might run out of fuel or have heater trouble too. Have one for each passenger. Stay warm and drive safe.
Dec 6th, 2010 (7:11 am)Mark Z & Texas: GREAT suggestion for owners of either conventional cars or BEVs like Leaf or Tesla!
And it helps to highlight the fact that the VOLT is the ONLY new car having TWO fully-redundant propulsion systems, which means spare gas or sleeping bags should never be needed …because
1) if you run out of gas you’ll have several miles of spare battery power or, 2) if you discharge your battery you’ll still have several miles of spare ICE/GEN power. In either case there’s little danger of ever being stranded in a dangerous or remote place when driving a Volt.
Dec 6th, 2010 (7:49 am)These figures look highly suspicious. They say that the Prius motor cuts in with anything more than feather-light acceleration and we know that to get only 34 miles out of a fully charged Volt you have to drive with a lead foot. So either the drive comparison was not the same (they say same drive loop used) or more likely the 14.6 miles of Prius battery-only range included some gasoline motor assistance. Also the 31.1mpg CS mode for the Volt is a bit low and again suggest aggressive driving, but I will say that the Chevy has a long way to go to catch up to the Prius in this mode.
Dec 6th, 2010 (8:32 am)Steph,
Really? I’m excited to hear that!
Which dealership did you sign up at? I know that parkway is in the midst of a legal battle to retain the ability to sell GM cars. I checked with Royal in Lasalle a couple of months back, and they were confused about that whole thing.
I gotta get on this list!
+3
Dec 6th, 2010 (10:48 am)Larry McFall,
Uh, Larry… on a per capita basis Canada put up MORE money than the US did…
Do your research please.
I am somewhat sad that the entire prairie region was skipped though.
Calgary and Edmonton may be in the oil belt but it doesn’t mean we don’t understand the issues…
+1
Dec 6th, 2010 (11:18 am)[quote]The following seven cities will be the initial launch markets: Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Oshawa, Ottawa-Gatineau, Vancouver and Victoria.[/quote]
Ouch, Alberta snubbed… teach us for having that dirty oil ><
Looks like I will be waiting till end of 2012 for the Volt.
Roy H Said:
And for those who don’t know it, here in Ontario the government has a $10,000 tax credit for EVs including the Volt.
Wow nice to see that there are credits out there… again Alberta has nothing for us.
Got a kick out of seeing the "cold" weather testing… -4 C would be short and tee-shirt weather. Woke up to -20 C for the commute this morning.
Counting down the days till 2012 ;p
Cheers!
Dec 6th, 2010 (11:28 am)#41
I agree. +1 Oh well, I have decide to wait until the dust settles and the supply issue gets a bit clearer. The Cobalt is running just fine and getting a consistent 29-30 mpg in my mix of city/highway driving, so what’s the rush?
Dec 6th, 2010 (11:48 am)Steph, how do you know which dealers have been selected to sell Volts? Or will any GM dealer do?
Dec 6th, 2010 (12:18 pm)Actually it will be more like $8230, at least according to this site: http://www.autonorth.ca/home/2010/7/9/times-run-out-on-ontario-hybrid-rebate.html
I was worried about that too because only cars with a 17KWH battery or more qualify for the full rebate, missing the limit by only 1KWH. I thought the Volt would drop into a lower category and get a much smaller rebate just because it narrowly missed the limit, but now I’m more confident this won’t be the case. That site seems to suggest that the rebate value will be linear so it’s not bad, it will be almost the full amount.
+1
Dec 6th, 2010 (12:31 pm)The 10000 car limit might seem low at first, but if you put into perspective it’s not so bad. It’s for one province for one thing, and GM will only build about 10000 Volts total in the next year or so, Ontario will only see a small fraction of that. Right now only the Tesla qualifies, and I don’t think there are many of those in Ontario. Of course there will also be Leafs here soon, but even so I think it will be years before this rebate program dries up. I think the bigger program is actually finding a Volt to apply this rebate to, they’ll go fast!
Dec 6th, 2010 (2:29 pm)Eco_Turbo,
Some levels of automation failed becuase there are certain things that robots cannot do. Nissan’s first plant in the US bombed becuase of overautomation.
-1
Dec 6th, 2010 (4:39 pm)I don’t want to sound petty, but damn it! I can see why it looks like mid-to-late 2012 before I will see a Volt in my area dealer’s showroom. It would seem to me that GM should try to satisfy more demand in the U.S. and to some extent, Canada, before sending Volts to Asia. This is one more reason I think I will find it very hard to be able to purchase a Volt. The Nissan Leaf or a Ford electric or even the Prius is looking more and more viable every time I read a story like this.
Dec 7th, 2010 (4:11 am)Hey, they’re building bike lanes
My last fill was @ $1.16/L for regular and I think premium was ~$1.24L Electricity is about $.08 kWh for first tier usage. I’ve not gone into second tier usage so I don’t recall the kWh pricing.
I went from New West down to White Rock via the King George @ 4pm the other day. Talk about death by a 1000 traffic lights… A Volt would work out well around these parts alright.
Dec 7th, 2010 (6:07 pm)Steph,
Hello i leave in quebec city and the dealer have no information for me can you give me the dealers name where you can be on the list for orders.
Thank’s
Dec 8th, 2010 (7:23 pm)I’m in Victoria and already have my GM-VOLT number plates. I just wish the South Australian Government move on their premiers idea (eirlier this year) to produce the Volt in Adelaide on the new Cruze line. It shares the volt platform.