Bob Lutz: Chevrolet Volt may cost close to $40,000

[overst33r]

http://www.egmcartech.com/2008...y-cost-close-to-40000/

WN: What?s the target market for the car? Will it be a high-end car, a mid-range car?

Lutz: I?ve always said I?d like to be able to sell it at around $30,000. The way things look now, it doesn?t look like that?s going to be possible. It looks like it?s going to be more.

WN: How much more?

Lutz: I don?t know. You?d like to have it at about $30,000 for the customer, but what I?m hearing from the team is we?re not going to get there. They say we might get there on the second generation, and they say if they had a lot more time they might be able to cost-optimize it. I don?t want to wait for cost optimization. I?d rather come out in 2010, and if it costs closer to 40 than 30, well, that?s too bad.

Wasn't this thing supposed to be under 20k initially?

 

[MovingTarget]

I think it will sell in the 30-40k price range, but not achieve widespread adoption. These are the kinds of people who buy a lexus hybrid - an expensive vehicle with a minor change in fuel economy compared to conventional. At below 30k, you'd probably see sales skyrocket. The public has been wanting a car like that that is above all AFFORDABLE. This is not.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
I think it will sell in the 30-40k price range, but not achieve widespread adoption. These are the kinds of people who buy a lexus hybrid - an expensive vehicle with a minor change in fuel economy compared to conventional. At below 30k, you'd probably see sales skyrocket. The public has been wanting a car like that that is above all AFFORDABLE. This is not.

i agree - i think it will sell in small quantities.

if they can get a 2nd gen out fairly quickly, they may very well start selling like hotcakes.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Sounds like they are going to kill another electric car. Toyota did the same thing with the RAVEV by overcharging, then using the excuse that there was no demand. I actually thought there was hope for GM this time.

 

[BarneyFife]

Too expensive.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
Wasn't this thing supposed to be under 20k initially?

Nope. From the beginning Lutz has said it would be around $30k

 

[Gillbot]

If it comes out around $40k, GM will have once again shot themselves in the foot by pricing themselves out of competition.

I was excited about this prospect but it seems to be just another overhyped pipe dream.

 

[warmodder]

Well I'm sure they have their top men working on it. If it can't come out at the price point, they'll release it at a higher point just to show it's possible and lower the price as they find ways. It's not a small market car, so there's no way they could sell it at a loss.

 

[MovingTarget]

I wonder if they will come out with a pure EV version of the Volt. Seems like it wouldn't take too many modifications from the regular version.

 

[SketchMaster]

Edit: Moved to it's own topic.

 

[Stunt]

I wonder if I could run an extention cord to my car without my apartment building knowing and charge my car with my free utilities
(I understand utilities are included in rent, but you know what i mean)

 

[Nessism]

Batteries cost a lot of money; it's not the manufacturers gouging on the price.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: Nessism
Batteries cost a lot of money; it's not the manufacturers gouging on the price.

But batteries + electric drivetrain aren't going to cost anymore (or much more) and an ICE and and a transmission.

I just finished watching Who Killed The Electric Car? It lays out and makes a good case that the technology is there and is feasible. The problem is big oil, the car manufactures, and our current government.

As related to your post, the automobile manufactures don't want electric cars because they will lose guaranteed service money. A simpler car is easier and cheaper to maintain. If your main consumables are only a battery, tires, and the occasional failure in the rest of the system you have lost a lot of revenue. As it is now look at all the work you have to have done to keep a complex car running.

 

[amdhunter]

lol, somewhat offtopic, but has anyone ever noticed that the only people who buy hybrids, are people that can afford gas easily? lol

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
lol, somewhat offtopic, but has anyone ever noticed that the only people who buy hybrids, are people that can afford gas easily? lol

I don't make a lot, but I can now afford to travel more ....

But really, what does that have to do with anything? Am I obligated to give x amount of $$ to the oil industry? What if I choose not to? If given a choice I will give them even less. It would be one step towards getting us out of the middle east.

edit: and before you bring up the, "hybrids are expensive" argument, I bought used and got a damned good deal.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity

Originally posted by: Nessism
Batteries cost a lot of money; it's not the manufacturers gouging on the price.

But batteries + electric drivetrain aren't going to cost anymore (or much more) and an ICE and and a transmission.

I just finished watching Who Killed The Electric Car? It lays out and makes a good case that the technology is there and is feasible. The problem is big oil, the car manufactures, and our current government.

As related to your post, the automobile manufactures don't want electric cars because they will lose guaranteed service money. A simpler car is easier and cheaper to maintain. If your main consumables are only a battery, tires, and the occasional failure in the rest of the system you have lost a lot of revenue. As it is now look at all the work you have to have done to keep a complex car running.

You guys amaze me here. Everyone's an engineering genius, and can also spout off conspiracy theories at will.

An electric car is no answer to anything. Not as long as the electricity is obtained from our grid. Why devote a ton of R&D to a vehicle that solves none of the problems inherent in the gasoline engine? Get real.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity

Originally posted by: Nessism
Batteries cost a lot of money; it's not the manufacturers gouging on the price.

But batteries + electric drivetrain aren't going to cost anymore (or much more) and an ICE and and a transmission.

I just finished watching Who Killed The Electric Car? It lays out and makes a good case that the technology is there and is feasible. The problem is big oil, the car manufactures, and our current government.

As related to your post, the automobile manufactures don't want electric cars because they will lose guaranteed service money. A simpler car is easier and cheaper to maintain. If your main consumables are only a battery, tires, and the occasional failure in the rest of the system you have lost a lot of revenue. As it is now look at all the work you have to have done to keep a complex car running.

it's all the stonecutters fault, i tell you!

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity

Originally posted by: Nessism
Batteries cost a lot of money; it's not the manufacturers gouging on the price.

But batteries + electric drivetrain aren't going to cost anymore (or much more) and an ICE and and a transmission.

I just finished watching Who Killed The Electric Car? It lays out and makes a good case that the technology is there and is feasible. The problem is big oil, the car manufactures, and our current government.

As related to your post, the automobile manufactures don't want electric cars because they will lose guaranteed service money. A simpler car is easier and cheaper to maintain. If your main consumables are only a battery, tires, and the occasional failure in the rest of the system you have lost a lot of revenue. As it is now look at all the work you have to have done to keep a complex car running.

You guys amaze me here. Everyone's an engineering genius, and can also spout off conspiracy theories at will.

An electric car is no answer to anything. Not as long as the electricity is obtained from our grid. Why devote a ton of R&D to a vehicle that solves none of the problems inherent in the gasoline engine? Get real.

It does when 1) it centralizes energy production and 2) We start producing energy using solar, wind, geothermal. ect. I guess some people are happy with leaving things the way they are, but I'm not, and that oil will eventually be gone. We use too much oil, plain and simple. As far as the R&D, these cars are not that complex, neither is the existing battery technology.

 

[desy]

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17930/

Sigh because the grid is underutilized
because we are self sufficient in electricity
because electric cars are much better cars than ICE ones, way mechanically simpler and efficient

Cars will move to electric and storage from battery hydrogen or maybe untracapacitor, its inevitable,

 

[StageLeft]

Plug in hybrids make a lot of sense for the future.

I knew as anybody did that this would cost more than the pipe dream initial cost, just as the $100 laptop continues to elude (yes I'm aware of its recent inroads).

Anyway, last time I got a power bill I...got a power bill. It cost money. I see dazzling figures out gas economy and all that but NO FREAKING NUMBERS ON WHAT THE TOTAL COST WILL BE, as if because it doesn't use gas it's free, which of course it won't be since it will jack up my power bill. I actually have no idea if it's cheaper to drive a mile on gas or a mile on an electric car. Does anybody know? My electricity isn't terribly cheap. Saving $100/month on gas to see my power bill go up $80 seems like a waste of time. I assume the transition of energy is far more efficienty with electricity than gas to motion but that doesn't mean it is necessarily cheaper.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Plug in hybrids make a lot of sense for the future.

I knew as anybody did that this would cost more than the pipe dream initial cost, just as the $100 laptop continues to elude (yes I'm aware of its recent inroads).

Anyway, last time I got a power bill I...got a power bill. It cost money. I see dazzling figures out gas economy and all that but NO FREAKING NUMBERS ON WHAT THE TOTAL COST WILL BE, as if because it doesn't use gas it's free, which of course it won't be since it will jack up my power bill. I actually have no idea if it's cheaper to drive a mile on gas or a mile on an electric car. Does anybody know? My electricity isn't terribly cheap. Saving $100/month on gas to see my power bill go up $80 seems like a waste of time. I assume the transition of energy is far more efficienty with electricity than gas to motion but that doesn't mean it is necessarily cheaper.

With current tech plugin EV's should cost 1/4 or lower of what you use in gas at todays rates. That is why they throw around those 120 - 140 mpg numbers ... they are just equivalents. The EV1 supposedly cost $2.60 to fully charge and had a 100 mile+ range. I don't think anyone has claimed wall charging would cost nothing.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Plug in hybrids make a lot of sense for the future.

I knew as anybody did that this would cost more than the pipe dream initial cost, just as the $100 laptop continues to elude (yes I'm aware of its recent inroads).

Anyway, last time I got a power bill I...got a power bill. It cost money. I see dazzling figures out gas economy and all that but NO FREAKING NUMBERS ON WHAT THE TOTAL COST WILL BE, as if because it doesn't use gas it's free, which of course it won't be since it will jack up my power bill. I actually have no idea if it's cheaper to drive a mile on gas or a mile on an electric car. Does anybody know? My electricity isn't terribly cheap. Saving $100/month on gas to see my power bill go up $80 seems like a waste of time. I assume the transition of energy is far more efficienty with electricity than gas to motion but that doesn't mean it is necessarily cheaper.

With current tech plugin EV's should cost 1/4 or lower of what you use in gas at todays rates. That is why they throw around those 120 - 140 mpg numbers ... they are just equivalents. The EV1 supposedly cost $2.60 to fully charge and had a 100 mile+ range

Thanks, and those are good numbers. There is a small town in our greater city area that somehow has some weird contract for power and it pays about 1/3 what we do...terribly, massively below the national average. I bet plug in cars would be picked up by them quickly

 

[desy]

"The price of an EV is set by market factors not cost. For equivalent production volumes battery EVs should be cheaper because they have many fewer parts. This also means they are cheaper to maintain. Only the cost of battery replacement every 3-5 years is about $3000. They are less expensive to operate by a factor of ten over gasoline."

So vehicle is cheaper to build because of less parts and also cheaper to maintain.
10X cheaper to run a mile than gasoline, we pay 8 cents KWH around here what do you?
Batteries are the caveat and still are, cheap batteries that last a long time? cheap car.
Not cheap and have to be replaced often? not so cheap..

 

[SketchMaster]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Saving $100/month on gas to see my power bill go up $80 seems like a waste of time.

That is were solar power will come into play, there is some exciting work being done that will double the output and cut costs by 60%. From what I saw watching discovery Sci, a guy found that by mixing certain chemicals together he could make photosensitive ink that puts out more power than the solar cells we have today. Also, he can make the ink different colors so you can have a multi layered solar cell that will absorb much more of the light spectrum giving you more power output per square inch. Best part is since it's an ink, you can print it on most anything.

They are hoping to have it out by 2010.

 

[crYnOid]

Think of it this way. GM WANT to be first! If that means the car will cost closer to 40k than 30k so be it, but that is what it takes to be first. Enviromentalist will LOVE IT at any cost!!

It wont get wide spread appeal at 40k but after it is released expect GM to start working on making it cheaper.