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Holden pulls Plug on Volt Electric Car

20K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  Aus1 
#1 ·
As I predicted .....

GM Holden gives up on electric cars in Australia ! After selling only 250 Volts
So my Volt I dearly love is a rare classic now.

They will NOT be importing V2 (thank goodness) ironically because GM can't make RHD! - WHAT ?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/companies/holden-pulls-the-plug-on-its-volt-electric-car/story-fnkjkh02-1227321791823

I was at both Toyota and Mazda the other week and funny enough they run LH / RH Mixed model and specific versions down the same line and What GM can't ? after spending years copying the Toyota production system in Californian's NUMMI plant for years.

GM get it together will you !
Ford will have a RHD Mustang shortly in Australia and GM will have crickets chirping in the gravel car parks !

It wasn't for the fact I so dearly love the way my Volt drives / works and looks & reasonable servicing, I would have sold it at a loss and bought some Japanese or German hybrid instead.

Just sad that GM had a world leading / futuristic car in the Volt and can't make a go of it outside of North America.

So when I go to buy my next vehicle I wonder what brand it will be?
Will GM be relevant at all where I live in the future ?

Interesting times indeed - how companies with a brilliant new innovative product line can make a hash of it so quickly.

I do so wish there was more support for electric vehicles in Australia and around the globe, but fear Hydrogen fuel will be the only place where both governments and fuel companies can both keep & make a killing of the average motorists wallet.

Wonder why all the Japanese vehicle manufactures I visited have already in production or have advanced plans for fuel cell vehicles?
Japanese government has already called it, watch the hydrogen BS spread to keep the status quo system happy.

We need advanced batteries with higher densities now - before we all taken for an energy inefficient and expensive Hydrogen fuel ride in the future.

I call it how I see it.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
GM didn't copy Toyota's production system at NUMMI, GM was already occupying the plant when Toyota showed up as a joint partner in production. No USA production by Toyota is RHD. Let's not ignore that Toyota and Mazda are RHD in their home market, while GM is not. GM's penetration in RHD markets like Japan is miniscule compared to their presence in LHD markets.

It takes two to tango, and if Aussies were not supporting whatever GM/Holden had been offering then so be it.
 
#4 · (Edited)
They were operating, but they wanted Toyotas input to re-organise Nummi and learn The Toyota Production System.
For your info all auto manufactures have learnt to use TPS from Toyota - & no it is NOT the other way round, I work in production scheduling so I should know ...

Funny enough VW and Europe luxury makes are starting to make a go of in Japan, so I don't agree that GM should give up... on RHD, but make it so they can do small runs of RHD easily ! It is do able ask the Japanese who do LHD or Europeans RHD limited runs where there is an initial will their is a way.

As to two to tango maybe ... GM / Holden totally miss ready the market offering a fully optioned VOLT only for what is essentially a 4 seater mid/compact car. This is the real issue where they screwed up big time as being an incredible eco car it was priced out of the range of the eco buyers who so desperately wanted one.
 
#3 ·
We weren't in the line-up to get Volt 2 here in UK, so it follows that Oz wasn't either.

Same reasons, really. Poor sales.

EVs just sell badly. Simple. BEVs sell badly enough, but a proposition like the Volt/Ampera is just far too confusing to the general public for them to decipher what they would actually be buying.

The only thing that surprises me is the surprise that EVs don't sell well.
 
#5 ·
True agree how ever this is the mentality of GM to simply throw hands up and walk away, vs Toyota or others where they steadily keep at it - for the long term picture, even the Prius was a flop when initially released yet they kept at it.
Look how many they sell now.

This is something GM has difficulty learning / understanding & actioning on for the long term as it will be at their cost as I'm sure other will pick up the challenge to do the hard yards and be market segment leaders at GM expense.
 
#9 ·
The on the road cost would be about $50860.55 USD when released and No there are no tax credits.

The price is around the smaller model end of BMW or Mercs in Australia and they sell old technology vs VOLT but they are a desirable brand name to be seen in - that is the difference in desirability.
 
#10 ·
The RHD manufacturing comment is an odd one, since GM has been making the Ampera and Volt RHD versions at their Hamtramck facility right along with the LHD Volt.
 
#15 ·
Basically the RHD went out with Ampera/Vauxhall/Holden and RHD Volt. No market after Chevrolet left Europe and Opel canned Ampera. I guess Gen2 was not seen as a success in Europe with the drastic decline in sales after i3/GTE launches.
 
#12 ·
Add this to the long list of Holden's history of short term commitment to its product. Dealers are worse than Holden itself having walked away the first moment they could.

Now imagine Volt 2 with the big issues fixed vs Volt 1 priced at $49,900 and you'd have a bigger opportunity. However, my suspicion is that with exchange rates dropping 20% or so that was no longer going to happen.

Oh well, shows in the resale of Volt 1 now doesn't it?
 
#13 ·
Exactly - This is why I give credit to Toyota for having a spine and sticking it out for the long term win vs GM who are repeatedly soft and fold their hand at the first gust of head wind.

Business and profit long term only favours the Bold and the ones with dedication & "GUTS" for the long haul.

He ends the sermon for GM to learn something - One can only hope.
Sadly history is repeating itself as GM has done this in Australia how many times now? and customers are like elephants we NEVER forget.
 
#14 ·
Unfortunately GM is very short sighted. Endless waves of buyers have deserted the brand for its lack of commitment and the way consumers have been left holding the dirty nappy. Little wonder buyers have gone to other brands.

Recent examples:
- Opel in Australia; they lied to consumers right to the last day then continued the insults by dumping left over cars ending every % point of resale
- Volt; yep, just unloaded my Volt not a pretty thing to see what they are worth now Holden has dumped and run
- Epica/Malibu/etc; may the force be with you when you sell your vehicle as Holden are walking (no sprinting) away from one night stands with these model names

Let's be blunt. Holden's target of market leadership or doubling sales by 2020 is a sign of just how out of touch they are with consumers.

I made the choice to buy a Volt knowing full well everyone in the chain was an early adopter, but I very much expected Holden to stick it out past one single model generation. I have bought at least 6 brand new Holdens, will be a hard hard sell to get me into a showroom now.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Happy with Volt disappointed with Hoden

I could not have been happier with my decision to have purchased a Volt, and Holden had been great - up to the last few months. I was a Ford convert.

First they rationalise their service centres, now they pull the plug (no pun intended) on the upgrade/replacement path for existing Volt owners.

I called Holden's customer care number and was not impressed with their response - "a business decision". That's great, but what about the impact on your existing customers? Where's the communication to tell us what support we will continue to have. There was absolutely no empathy with someone who rang them to express concern.

I still love the Volt and really wanted to get into the next model when my lease is up, but now I have the concern my resale won't even cover the residual payment.

So for a first time Holden customer, who was recently really happy with their service and support, their reputation is rapidly becoming tarnished beyond repair in my mind.

EDIT: I meant to mention that Holden didn't completely rule out a future model Volt in Australia. I guess they couldn't really take any other position.
 
#17 ·
Hi Climber-bob,
Yes it is frustrating .... the Volt 1 is a great car and a great drive, people at the price / brand point just didn't buy enough.

The only 2 vehicles worth getting in Holden range were / are the Volt and Commodore.
After this I don't know how they are going to compete as they really have no standout vehicles in any lines.

The rebadged Opel's are / will be overpriced, Asia supply is mediocre class at best and USA GM couldn't be bothered to do RHD for Australia / Europe / Japan etc. plus our recent currency drop vs the new third world Country USA .... read China is bidding heavy finance for a Bullet train between LA & SF and there is also someone doing E-Tuk Tuk-Tuk's for sale in the US.
My how the world is changing fast !

Australian GM competitors (non EV) are running HOT, so it currently appears locally, GM is throwing models it can get it's hands on like mud on wall and seeing what sticks.
The others seem to approach it with a more mature long term focus.

Sadly our recent local results - is a typical expected outcome from North American board room - decisions with classic short vision.
Lets hope for GM they realise this before it is 5 minutes to midnight.
 
#18 ·
Aus I am also loving the fact I just purchased an instant classic. I just picked it up from Perth and drove it to Melbourne 3500 k 's across the nulla so I had alot of time to think :).

I think 2 entities are responsible for fking this amazing products life opportunity in Aus;
A) Holden for not marketing it properly
B) Our amazing backward bogan government

The car was too overpriced. My 30 year old tech savy, ipad buying, smart phone munching hipster friends love this car and we all wanted one so bad when we found out they were coming to aus but then....the price tag.... you gotta be kidding me. I just stretched myself to buy one at a bit over half the initial launch price so I could get into one before they're appearing at shannons auctions when they're as rare as 2 digit number plates.

I've run around and shown this amazing piece of automotive revolution to a few people in my circle. My cousin said she'd never heard of it but had her jaw on her lap as she drove it around continuously saying.... so you plug this in to the wall like my phone yeh...
My housemate calls it (the spaceship) and has someones innocent daughter in it right now and my dad hasnt stopped saying wow everytime he looks at it....

I guess my point is, this car has fallen into the hands of a 30 year old commoner.... where it belongs and is shining as it should ...if it had of been marketed and priced accordingly they'd be scattered across metropolitan suburban australia...instead.. it was priced and marketed to 55/60 year old BMW 530 driving Miles Poshoski and it was never going to take off with the polo crowd... it had a holden badge on it for starters... anyway I came out of a diesel golf and I can only say this is a totally amazing and surprising car and I love it...

Only thing is I cant select mountain mode but im sure ill work out why on this forum...
 
#19 ·
I have heard from my friends down under that Holdens are owned by commoners in general who like to burn rubber and wear knock-off clothing. So no biggie.

Unconfirmed, but I just read somewhere that GM is shutting down manufacturing on the island continent altogether. You may lose your Utes too.
 
#21 ·
True story Dave, no more Utes or Commodores after 2016 I think.
About 30 years ago there were 2 cars predominantly on the road here. Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. These were in the shapes of utes, sedans and station wagons. It was almost a little bubble socialist society. If you didn't drive a large Australian made car you were a bad person. Then the education system got better and we became a little more open minded and we realised the Japanese and Germans make really good cars that are reliable, fuel efficient, safe and up with the times in all shapes and sizes. The market shifted to predominately buying imported small/medium fuel efficient cars and/or SUVs yet our local car companies kept making the same cars, same sizes, same name badges, same dinosaur technology until one day the companies heads got back from an extended golf trip and realised... bloody hell fellas... we're not going to have a job anymore, we haven't listened to the market... we should have made a medium turbo diesel 4 cylinder car and brought back the Torana namebadge or we could have used the Voltec drivetrain for a plug in version of the Cruze and priced it at 34990 drive away.... or an awesome turbo diesel SUV... instead they watched large sedan and ute market share figures suicide for the past 15 years and didn't change a thing.

Its a bit of a sore spot... I think the only local manufacturing we'll have after shutting down the car companies will be digging holes in the ground :(.
 
#23 ·
Its a bit of a sore spot... I think the only local manufacturing we'll have after shutting down the car companies will be digging holes in the ground :(.
And so I've also heard that your coal industry is taking a hit too. Not sure what the market is right now. Well, there's always agriculture if you're not having massive floods. ;)
 
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