Volt Sales by Month

[techtom]

Just looking at the trend, I can see why they are suspending production for 5 weeks. Production is probably way over. It's a shame that most of the drop is due to the bad press with the rare fire incident.


volt_sales.jpg

[Jeff N]

Realistically, the tax credit also has a large effect on cars like the Volt and LEAF by bring forward sales that would naturally develop in early 2012 so they happen instead in late 2011. That means early 2012 will have lower sales than there would be without the tax credit. And, of course, there was the battery crash fire confusion.

Sadly, another round of bad PR about the temporary shutdown will now discourage Volt sales this Spring. This is annoying in the short run but over the course of the next decade EREVs should become an important market segment if battery improvements and price drops match current trends.

[JamesMcQuaid]

Nice graph!

Volt fans can take some encouragement in monthly sales being a random upward walk. Paradigm shifts do not occur overnight, so do not be discouraged.

[swapdmyvette4this]

A new ad agency would turn it around

[Ziv]

Excellent graph, it shows a steady increase, albeit with pauses in sales when supply was limited, that indicates a definite market for the Volt. It also indicates that though GM has some fine engineers, the MBA's that run it know the price of nearly everything, and the value of nothing. They finally have the production ramped up so that most GM dealers can get Volts if they want them, though there are hundreds of Volt purchasers still waiting for their Volts to be delivered. The last 2 weeks of February look to have been pretty good sales-wise, since the first 2 were horrible due to limited supply of Volts.
But that is only part of the equation. I spoke to the sales manager of a local GM dealer, and his take on production was that he would rather lose customers due to not having vehicles in stock rather than risking overproduction and having them sit on the lot a little longer. I asked him if he really believed that was better for GM and he looked at me like I was a fool. I told him that if he lost a Chevy pickup buyer to Ford, they might never come back. He said, "There are always more buyers out there who will like what we have to offer". Idiocy. You don't lose business on purpose and stay competitive, but he and another Chevy dealership owner I spoke to at a GM event seem to think that limiting production is brilliant. I am beginning to think that MBA's are causing more damage to the American economy than drug dealers.

[bonaire]

They lack Volts in Canada.

They built a lot of Amperas for export in February too.

One dealer in Buffalo I visited had 11 going into February, ended with 4 Volts. I don't see a big problem here in selling cars.

There is a big problem "delivering" vehicles from Michigan to dealers to actually get the customers in the seat, however.

>> Ziv: I am beginning to think that MBA's are causing more damage to the American economy than drug dealers.

Well, kind of. However, marketers and opinionists on tv who are telling people what to think are doing worse than the MBAs. People are wanting Volts - it's just not the same market in every state or dealership. Some dealers have zero units and want more but have no allocations. Others have moved a bunch and want more too. Who do you send them to? Also, some who have ordered have to wait a while. Let's not forget that Canada shortfall where buyers are finding nothing. I don't know if the MBAs feel that "zero units are good for sales".

My opinion: A lot of early adopters bought Volts in 2011. Some families, two of them. Their friends and co-workers now have been watching them drive the cars. The price of fuel is rising. The Volt owners' friends, family and co-workers are now going to be shopping for vehicles - and the Volt "fence sitters" will be "fence jumpers" this year and there will be an increase in buyers. I would have put the layoff in late April as the MY 2012 units start to wind-down for the summer shutdown. Doing so now is just the wrong time since there are quanitifiable "areas of need" where the builds could actually go.

[Ross Buchan]

As a layman, I will admit to never having run a production line in a factory but it does seem like a better approach on the Volt line would be similar to what was done during the Great Depression of running the factory 2 or 3 days a week rather then the fluctuations of weekly production and now a stop and start pattern.

There is no question, that the far right can manipulate this to look worse then it probably is.

European demand may be harder to fathom but I would definitely agree with the comments about shipments to Canada. I don't think a week goes by without a Canadian bemoaning the fact that too often they don't even have a chance to buy a Volt let alone choose a color or options. Canada is only a rail shipment away.

I want to also thank the GM employees that take the time to monitor this and other blogs and give us feedback as to the blogosphere's concerns and issues.

Does anyone at the new General Motors above R & D look at these blog postings and pay attention?
The department doing the advertizing should be particularly responsive to the suggestions IMO.

Ross Buchan

[scottf200]

Excellent graph, it shows a steady increase, albeit with pauses in sales when supply was limited, that indicates a definite market for the Volt.<snip>

What is missing from the graph that would make it "telling" is production in each month ... even if it was rough.

[stuart22]

What is missing from the graph that would make it "telling" is production in each month ... even if it was rough.

Ziv? I'd also like to see LEAF sales on a separate but identical graph, I'll bet the trend lines will be very different and not very optimistic for the LEAF. Which would confirm that the Volt has roots that are taking hold.

[techtom]

What is missing from the graph that would make it "telling" is production in each month ... even if it was rough.

Scott... that would be nice. Can you help me find that information, and I'll add it.

Tom