Chevy Volt Failure: The Next Obama Solyndra Scandal?

[daveman]

Welcome to the free market, cons. What's the matter - you don't like it anymore? And what's with rooting for GM to fail? I thought you were all America-loving patriots? You sound like a bunch of commie assholes to me. Carry on.

What do you drive?

He drives a Hummer... compensation issues.

 

[auditor0007]

and all these commercials about new cars "ONLY $19,999" !!!! oh, plus tax, title, insurance, 3.50 gas, etc. Whatever happened to the good old days when cars were fairly priced between 10 and 15K? I can still remember when Lincolns and Caddillacs were between 10-12K. I remember buying a new camaro for $7,200. If the average car today is $20,000, then something is wrong. Whats in the price? Union Pay Offs,their retirement and free health care?

Damn those union employees. How dare they expect health insurance as part of their benefit package. Man, you really are a quack. Oh, and those Camaro's for $7200, where are they now? They rusted through in the first five years and headed off to junkyard heaven. Today's cars are made so much better and safer, and the cost when adjusted for inflation isn't much different than back then.

 

[auditor0007]

If we could oil back to 40.00 a barrel, gas around 1.00 a gallon, then maybe consumers will pay 40,000 for an electric car.

What in the HELL are you talking about? if Oil/gas was that cheap and plentiful... why in the hell would anyone pay $40k for an electric car? You make no sense whatsoever.

Hell, you can't even talk reason to some people about their Gas Guzzlers... because they need MO PO'UR! Even though they more often than not... get stuck at the same damned redlights as I do.... and that's at $3+/gallon.

I was being SARCASTIC!! and lets all hope that sometime next year we have another oil glut which forces oil back to around 50.00. Does anything think that could happen?

Sure it could happen, but it would only last for a short period of time. The only way that happens over an extended period is if someone figures out how to extract oil from shale in an environmentally friendly manner. Then we have an additional 200 years of oil. However, it is much more likely that the new technologies we develop will involve renewable resources, which makes more sense anyway. As an intelligent species, humans are very shortsighted. We seem to think that 200 years or even 1000 years is a long time.

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

I miss my 1981 camaro!! back then the doors were heavy/strong, unfortunately i was hit on the drivers side in 1985, the door took the hit well, if i had been driving a Hyndai, I would of been injured or killed(well back then their doors were wooden like),,,,,,,,and back then we were laughing at Hynda's(i cant spell it!)

 

[auditor0007]

I miss my 1981 camaro!! back then the doors were heavy/strong, unfortunately i was hit on the drivers side in 1985, the door took the hit well, if i had been driving a Hyndai, I would of been injured or killed(well back then their doors were wooden like),,,,,,,,and back then we were laughing at Hynda's(i cant spell it!)

That 81 Camaro would have been creamed in a head on with a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. Both cars would be demolished, but you would have a much better chance of walking away in one piece if you were in the Sonata. This is true for any newer car of somewhat similar size when compared to cars from before the 90's forward.

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

Yah, I remember driving with someone who had a Huyndia back in 1986? I remember opening and closing the door, it was like the base of a ford pinto. Wood and plastic. And at the same time (when i was a kid) my camaro doors were so heavy!! and a slight change of subject,,,camaro's at some point became the most stolen vehicle, it may have been in just in florida, but there was also a time when the 1984 Camaro was one of the most wanted/aka/stolen vehicles in florida or maybe the country. Those cars were so awesome !!

 

[oreo]

The news of the Chevy Volt sales are just another reflection of where billions of tax payers money has gone to. Didn't Obama hand Michigan billions to build the factory that was to make the batteries for this $40,000 car? And what happens if this factory shuts down next year?

Liberals can't fool the average and angry American. Everything Obama promised to build and move the country foward HAS FAILED !!!
Let's hope the RNC makes an ad showing the failure of the Chevy Volt on our tax dollar. How will Obama, Pelosi, Reid and Wasserman explain their way out of this billion dollar debacle?

Now one has to wonder about that 650 million that went to Finland to build $10K electric sports cars in FINLAND?

Here is the model for the new OBAMACAR--for 2012--

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

The whole handing billions to car makers is just a money laundering scheme. we all know some of it will go right back into Hitlers campaign fund.

 

[rightwinger]

and all these commercials about new cars "ONLY $19,999" !!!! oh, plus tax, title, insurance, 3.50 gas, etc. Whatever happened to the good old days when cars were fairly priced between 10 and 15K? I can still remember when Lincolns and Caddillacs were between 10-12K. I remember buying a new camaro for $7,200. If the average car today is $20,000, then something is wrong. Whats in the price? Union Pay Offs,their retirement and free health care?

Damn those union employees. How dare they expect health insurance as part of their benefit package. Man, you really are a quack. Oh, and those Camaro's for $7200, where are they now? They rusted through in the first five years and headed off to junkyard heaven. Today's cars are made so much better and safer, and the cost when adjusted for inflation isn't much different than back then.

So much longing for the good ole days when you could buy a car for $10k. Do you remember what you were making in the 70s and 80s? You may have been making $20k a year to buy that $10k car. Now you make $50 k and pay $25k for a car

Cars today are head and shoulders above the crap cars you bought in the 70s and 80s. They are more reliable, safer, last longer and have more features

 

[Inthemiddle]

The only reason people bought the Volt was because the taxpayers subsidized the purchase price.

And how the Hell is that?

with a $7,500 tax credit, that's how.

So that means that tax payers are subsidizing big oil corporations, right?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

And how the Hell is that?

with a $7,500 tax credit, that's how.

So that means that tax payers are subsidizing big oil corporations, right?

No. People received $7,500 tacx credit to buy a Voilt. People don't receive tax credits to purhcase gasoline.

Don't be so goofy.

 

[Claudette]

there have been only 6,142 volts sold as of Dec 1, 2011.....the sales goal was 12,000 units. FAIL

5,000 of that 6,142 total volt sales came from GE who was bailed out by the Government.

I smell a Rat!

Yup and from what I understnad loads of the Volt were sold to the Govt as fleet vehicles.

The american car buyer just isn't interested right now.

Where would you plug em in and how much is the electricity to run em going to cost??

 

[Inthemiddle]

No. People received $7,500 tacx credit to buy a Voilt. People don't receive tax credits to purhcase gasoline.

Don't be so goofy.

I never said the government was subsidizing people's gas for their cars. I said that the government is subsidizing the oil companies.

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

so how does the chevy volt handle being side swiped by a 2 ton SUV ? who wins?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

No. People received $7,500 tacx credit to buy a Voilt. People don't receive tax credits to purhcase gasoline.

Don't be so goofy.

I never said the government was subsidizing people's gas for their cars. I said that the government is subsidizing the oil companies.

Really? How so?

 

[Conservative]

so how does the chevy volt handle being side swiped by a 2 ton SUV ? who wins?

how does any car that size do in the same situation?

http://www.cars.com/chevrolet/volt/2012/safety-ratings/

NHTSA... nothing lower than 4 of 5 stars.

 

[Inthemiddle]

No. People received $7,500 tacx credit to buy a Voilt. People don't receive tax credits to purhcase gasoline.

Don't be so goofy.

I never said the government was subsidizing people's gas for their cars. I said that the government is subsidizing the oil companies.

Really? How so?

Same way they're supposedly subsidizing people buying the volt. But letting them keep more of their own money. If the argument goes one way, it goes both ways.

 

[Navy1960]

Bring back the late 80's Camaro and IROC-Z !! then maybe GM will see some profit. (White&Red Combo IROC-Z, the car Ive always wanted !!! are there any left?}

My neighbor has one just sitting in the desert , I've tried to buy it from him for years but my last effort of trying to tell him how much more room he would have to plant roses in his back yard didn't work . It's been sitting there for 5 years now, it's a shame too.

Well, nostalgia is great, but many compact cars these days wipe out IROCs in every performance category, and lasts 3 times as long.
Unfortunately, fun has been outlawed, and enforced. lol Too many people dadgummit.

You will have to forgive me on the nostalgia score Franco, because as an old geezer LOL I tend to look fondly on the cars of my youth as it reminds me of some very fun things as do a few aircraft I look on fondly, but I can't very well go and buy a used A-6 LOL. As to your point on new generation car's your right, and while they do outperform yesterdays cars for the most part, there is something about the simple design and thrill of it that takes you back a little. I tend to think though that enginnering of todays cars is something to be admired and promoted because it cannot do anything but help our nation in terms of jobs and competion on a world stage. The Chevy Volt is just and example of that technological skill at least in my humble opinion and seems to me a shame that rather than promote it as an American product built by Americans it is mired in controversy based on the political feelings of one side or the other.

 

[Navy1960]

I have 2 GM Cars and enjoy both of them, the main reason I purchased a GM because number one have always driven one, and number two I tend to like the idea that my money is going to an American company. Again, while some may not like the idea of bailouts and in principle I don't myself, however when it comes to industries the sad fact remains that in order to compete on a world stage in which almost all these industries receive subsidies from their Govts. I would rather our industries be promoted by our Govt. rather than sit back and let the rest of the world out compete us because we refuse to support our own domestic industires the same way. This is just my humble opinion, there needs to be more of this supporting American industry not less and less supporting of overseas industry. Here is a good example, that I always like to turn to, recently before it was cancelled after spending over 100 Million dollars, the new Presidential Helicopter was awared to an Italian company that gets subsidies from its Govt. at the expense of American Industry! See what I mean? So when it comes to the Volt, I am all for promotion of anything that promotes American Industry it would be a nice change of pace from the Wal Mart Culture we have become.

I drive Fords. When I feel the need to replace my pickup, I'm pretty confident they'll still be around.

Ford is building some good products too,

Ford is boasting that the new Focus is expected to be the first first five-passenger EV with a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) - one mpg-e more than its rival: the five-passenger electric Nissan Leaf.
Ford debuts Focus Electric 2012 | TG Daily

Again, I am just one of those that is for promoting American made products regardless because it's my feeling that we as a nation need to start being more focused on our own domestic industries rather than looking overseas for eveything, so Ford, GM , as far as I am concerned as long as they make it here, I am all for that, and it deserves to be promoted.