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Endless Obama Green Fail: GM Expected To End Production Of Chevy Volt



Jan 12, 2012 13 Comments ›› Pat Dollard

(ZDNet) — General Motors is closely watching sales of its Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle and will adjust its production of the car accordingly, potentially by June, according to a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

Actually, it sounds like the company’s Volt electric vehicles may be available strictly on a build-to-order basis in the future.

The revelation comes amid continued reports of disappointing electric vehicle sales to mainstream consumers. GM only sold about 7,700 Volts during 2011, missing its 10,000-vehicle projection. It also has put the brakes on its original prediction that it would sell 45,000 Volts in 2012. GM CEO Dan Akerson told attendees of the Detroit auto show this week that the automaker will only build as many Volts as it needs.

But GM executives intend to keep experimenting with electric vehicle design and pricing. “The worst thing we could do is back off the technology and the commitment because of things we can’t control,” GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky told the WSJ.


  • Anonymous

    I can’t wait for “Who Killed the Electric Car?: Part II” directed by Michael Moore and starring all of the Hollywood talent that pushed for these types of cars and refused to buy them (even with massive subsidies).  It’s sure to get an Academy Award for best comedy. 

  • Edwaters

    Dieter Zetsche – what a faux pas! Will Hitler be the next murderer to be the “poster boy” for selling Mercedes?

  • http://www.fullcirclethinker.com/ Fullcirclethinker

     “The worst thing we could do is back off the technology and the commitment because of things we can’t control,” GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky told the WSJ.
    Just great!  All this tells me is they will ‘go back to the drawing board’ by way of confiscating more of our tax dollars for future boondoggles such as the Chevy Volt.  That solves his dilemma of not being able to control things.  It has nothing to do with a failed product, right?

  • bajohn3

    This article makes a rather large leap.  Of course it makes sense to adjust production according to demand.  The Volt may or may not be successful but announcing it’s demise is a tad premature.  Meanwhile the LEAF, a real EV, is selling as fast as it’s made.

  • Dhrivnak

    I think we need to give GM a little break here. The Toyota Prius only sold 2000 units its first year so you could could say the Volt is 4x more successful than the Prius. While I am against government aid could we start by stopping the billions given to oil and gas companies.

  • Dhrivnak

    I think we need to give GM a little break here. The Toyota Prius only sold 2000 units its first year so you could could say the Volt is 4x more successful than the Prius. While I am against government aid could we start by stopping the billions given to oil and gas companies.

  • RW5207

    According to Wikipedia, in 1997, the sales of the Prius (Japan only) was 0.3K (300) units.  In 1998, it went to 17.7K units, in 1999, 15.2K units.  All of these were in Japan.  In 2000 sales were 19K units world-wide.  It’s been on a steady increase the entire time.  The question to ask is, “How much government subsidy did the Prius get compared to the Volt?”  What is the true cost to produce a Volt?

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  • limp

    Why, people want and need oil.

  • limp

    Remember, the Prius broke the ice. The Volt has warm water to sail in. You will never know the true cost of the Volt. It is in the 100,000. Take the plant and modify it to proudce the Cruze which is selling very well.
    P.S.
    Be positive, every Volt not made at least saves you and me $7,500.00. All the other billions are lost. Thank you Mr. President

  • Bob Twain

    I don’t think we can compare the Volt to the Prius.  The Prius uses batteries to reduce its overall fuel consumption.  The Volt’s primary mode is electric and uses a gas motor in the event the battery energy becomes depleted.  It comes down to a usage model and GM basically screwed up.  American consumers are not going to pay $40k+ for a 30 mpg car, which the Volt basically is after it goes 30 miles.

  • Bob Twain

    I don’t think we can compare the Volt to the Prius.  The Prius uses batteries to reduce its overall fuel consumption.  The Volt’s primary mode is electric and uses a gas motor in the event the battery energy becomes depleted.  It comes down to a usage model and GM basically screwed up.  American consumers are not going to pay $40k+ for a 30 mpg car, which the Volt basically is after it goes 30 miles.

  • Billhunter

    Let the phony bastards fail!