Do You Agree? GM CEO Says Volt Has Become The Punching Bag Of The Industry

Agent009 submitted on 1/25/2012 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 11:58:50 AM

24 user comments | Views : 4,708 | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: www.detroitnews.com

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General Motors chairman and CEO Dan Akerson strongly defended the safety of the Chevrolet Volt, saying the plug-in hybrid has become "a political punching bag.

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Akerson told a House Oversight and Government Reform panel Wednesday that the events cast "an undeserving, damaging light on a promising new technology.

He added that the Volt has suffered "collateral damage" from the negative publicity and denied that government safety regulators gave GM "a free ride."



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Do You Agree? GM CEO Says Volt Has Become The Punching Bag Of The Industry

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Agent009

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User Comments

randy3022

The VOLT was ruined by GM. The following action resulted in the fiasco:

1) The design of the production car was "focus-grouped" to death; the production car looks nothing like the concept (of course, aerodynamics are important, but this decision was NOT based 100% on aerodynamics, don't lie, GM.)

2) There are black plastic trim pieces on the production car which make no sense. These appear to be cheap faux carryovers from the concept which featured neat translucent plexiglass panels. Anyway, these now need to be removed.

3) The car is too expensive, by about $8,000.

GM should have been allowed to fail. The management failed.

— randy3022 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 12:30:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

internationalmanofmystery

"GM CEO Says Volt Has Become The Punching Bag Of The Industry"


He is wrong!! To actually qualify as a "punching bag" it would have to be "hit" repeatedly with sales!!

— internationalmanofmystery (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 12:55:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

MeanVulcan

the claim was over 100 mpg !!! LOL.

— MeanVulcan (View Profile)

Posted on 1/26/2012 10:22:43 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

irishmike

I think it will take time to build the trust of the consumer when it comes to these cars with all new technology, especially if that new tech is coming from GM. Toyota's Prius is the best selling "green" car out there. Well, it's also been around the longest, too. I think that, in spite of consumer research, this car does miss on a few points. Yes, it is pricey, too. Maybe instead of marketing it as a chevy, they should have considered branding it a Buick or Caddy in order to justify the higher price.

— irishmike (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 2:07:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

MeanVulcan

What GM did was try to rush a mediocre product that was very overpriced, quality was bad (clearly), its battery failed, in order to compete with Toyota. The gov supported this incompetent effort in the form of subsidies and pushing safety issues under the rug.

Audi CEO was 100% correct in his comment about the Volt when it first was announced.

We paid BILLIONS to bailout GM (against our will I might add) and this is what we get, more mediocrity which is FURTHER SUBSIDIZED BY OUR TAX DOLLARS!!!!! When does this end????

I supported them going bankrupt then and I still do now.

— MeanVulcan (View Profile)

Posted on 1/26/2012 10:27:22 AM | | Votes: 3   

Joe_Limon

You do realize internal combustion engines are a lot more complicated then electric motors... right?

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 2:40:21 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Joe_Limon

Somebody actually hired you?

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 2:41:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Joe_Limon

I work for the UAW? I'm not even American! lol

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 4:22:06 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

vdiv

Here we go again! Thank you 009 for proving my point!

OK haters, I'd like to buy a PHEV or a pure EV today and drive it home tonight that goes 300+ miles(500+ km) before recharge/refuel so I can go and visit Grandma 2 states away and drive to work and back without using any gasoline. What choices do I have and why?

Crickets?!

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 4:59:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

MorePower

Tesla S, Karma, Greyhound, Amtrack, buy Grandma a ticket on Southwest/JetBlue and have her stay with you for a week

— MorePower (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 5:55:28 PM | | Votes: 1   

quizz

The reason the Volt is not loved is because it is freakin' too expensive targeted at the wrong market. You're going after people who care about the price of gas, but can't afford your car. What about the environmentally minded consumers? When was the last time you saw idealistic hippies drive anything that wasn't 15 years old??

GM's marketing assessment was a FAIL. The Volt itself isn't the punching bag, it is GM's market research. It's like building a $30,000 Honda Civic, good luck with that. I'm sure it'd be a great car, but a complete market FAIL.

— quizz (View Profile)

Posted on 1/26/2012 9:36:10 AM | | Votes: 4   

vdiv

Inch,

That's exactly what is good about the Volt. I can drive it like a normal gasoline hybrid on a long trip and as an EV around town.

The "truly green" Civic GX has a few problems, just like EVs it is hard to find a place to refuel and has a lower range (180 mi), just like a gasoline-powered car it still uses a fossil fuel (CNG), and just like other "truly green" cars it is hard to find and buy (sold in CA, NY, UT, and OK only). Not to mention it is ugly, relatively expensive ($27k), and underpowered.

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 1/26/2012 1:08:22 PM | | Votes: 0   

vdiv

Quizz, don't underestimate the purchasing power of the green hippies. After all they are the ones that forked over tens of thousands of dollars for solar panels, geothermal wells, rain water recuperation, and organic products. They drive a 15-year Volvo instead of a 24-month leased SL AMG because it is the green thing to do. They object to the price of gas not because they can't afford it, but because of who the money goes to, what they do with it, and what burning carbon fuels does to the environment (at least according to the green hippies).

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 1/26/2012 1:44:52 PM | | Votes: 0   

cohwang

GM CEO said this for the investors, not for the industry. Otherwise it would be the funniest joke in the global auto industry.

— cohwang (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 9:10:43 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Mooky

Government Motors is now the biggest punching bag, well deserved.

— Mooky (View Profile)

Posted on 1/25/2012 10:03:47 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

AutoFanatic_WW

GM made a product in which resulted to nothing but failure and criticism. It is only when news comes out about the Volt failing that people base their opinions and cruise the vehicle because most of its related news is bad.

They are the ones at fault for introducing a vehicle in which only says "HIT ME AGAIN"...

— AutoFanatic_WW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/27/2012 1:39:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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