GM to Stop Volt Production Again in July
The Detroit assembly plant, currently idle, will shut down for an additional week in July.
General Motors, continuing to face low demand for the Chevrolet Volt, is shutting down production for an additional week in July, according to a report today by the Detroit Free Press.
The Volt's Detroit assembly plant, which has been shut down since March 19, will be closed for an additional three weeks in July -- one week longer than the usual two-week shutdown, the report said. The plant and its idle 1,300 workers won’t resume production of the plug-in hybrid until April 23.
In March, Chevrolet sold 2,289 Volts, a 50 percent increase since December. But Chevrolet fell short of its 10,000-unit target for 2011, selling only 7,671 Volts. Nissan sold 2,003 more all-electric Leafs in the same period. Both cars are priced at more than $35,000.
GM said it expects to sell 45,000 Volts in the U.S. in 2012, despite a voluntary recall in January that addressed reports of battery fires and hampered sales.
[Source: Detroit Free Press, MSNBC]
Annatar, if you want your diesel, you can have it in 2013. GM is putting a diesel in the Cruze. The replacement for the outgoing Colorado and Canyon compact truck is reported to have a diesel as well. As far as a performance V8 diesel, I don't think your going to see that anytime soon. I think your are in the minority as far as wanting a diesel. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but the majority of the US car purchasing public does not want a diesel or a stick shift. They have to build what people will buy.
Annatar, who currently makes a diesel V8 performance car? Are there any?
When I think of V8 diesels, all I can think of is the Powerstroke and Duramax, but I don't see those powering cars, 800ft lbs might be a little overkill.
And I'd be all over the Cruz diesel, especially if they offer a hatchback varient. I think the interior is nice enough, but I think the sedan is not attractive at all. Apparently I'm in the minority though, as I'm seeing lots of them around.
Shrimp_roll, do you think the Prius is a successful car for Toyota? Do you know that the first year of production the Prius did not have as many sales as the Volt did? Toyota sold the Prius at a loss for the first several years. Now Toyota has several Prius models and the tech is spread across several cars in their line. I am sure that is what GM is hoping for with the Volt.
Troy S., Yes they will get paid, do you know that even Toyota and Honda in the US also pay their workers when they have a short term layoff? It is cheaper to pay them for a few weeks while the plant is idle or retooling then to hire and retrain new workers if the laid off workers find another job.
Annatar, Yes, people would buy a diesel hybrid that gets 60mpg and cost less than 20,000. Do you know why no manufacture has done it? That price point is not attainable. I would like to see some manufacture try though.
You constantly talk about how great Japanese diesel engines are. Yet no performance diesel engines for sale. Why do they get a pass?
To be fair, a few weeks ago he was on here railing about how Toyota/Subaru weren't bringing the magical Subaru boxer diesel over in the FR-S/BRZ. Even went so far as to want a boycott of the companies for not doing so. Personally, I am likely to be at Scion in the fall with money in hand to buy an FR-S all the same. That or a FIAT 500 Abarth, it's a tough choice.
Annatar, if you want your diesel, you can have it in 2013. GM is putting a diesel in the Cruze.
No, no I can not! What I want is Cadillac CTS-V station wagon with that 4.5L Duramax V8 diesel and a manual transmission!Or the Opel OPC Tourer which GM brought over, homologated, than bragged about not selling it here!
They have to build what people will buy.
Oh, people would buy them, if only they were available. Just scour all the car forums for people asking how to do a Duramax drop-in. However, let us assume that you are correct: what people would most certainly buy is a clean diesel hybrid getting 60+ MPG and beating out TOYOTA Prius, priced no more than $20,000 USD. And where is GM with that? Nowhere! Why? Because they are too big and incompetent.I think the interior is nice enough, but I think the sedan is not attractive at all. Apparently I'm in the minority though, as I'm seeing lots of them around.
I am with you. For all the quality faults that GM has, the Cobalt coupe was a good looking car. Then they take away the Cobalt coupe, and the replacement has been hit with the ugly stick.
they should really kill the money losing over priced (too expensive) volt. they sell it at a loss anyways.
the figures look like it will only reach 40% of expected yearly sales.
(the volt was some pre bankruptcy dream to begin with)
GM had a dismal march and were punished at the stock market for it.
(personally i did not think the figures were all to shabby)
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