At first, the Chevy Volt was a novelty, and dealers couldn't get enough (usually one was all they got) -- not to actually sell but to bring folks into their show rooms.
Now some Chevy dealers don't want the Volt at all. It's become a nuisance.
I am sure the sales people are getting tired of defending the exploding battery, coal-powered car that fails California's elite emissions standards. Why spend all that time talking about a car that they won't be selling, wasting time that could be better spent talking about cars they might actually sell.
Also, there's that awkward fear that the car might actually explode at any moment. Even though the owner, Government Motors, says that the problem is resolved, or at least no longer worth studying.
From the linked site:
Some Chevrolet dealers are turning down Volts that General Motors wants to ship to them, a potential stumbling block as GM looks to accelerate sales of the plug-in hybrid.You have got to be kidding: allocation - 100 vehicles; dealer acceptance: 30.
For example, consider the New York City market. Last month, GM allocated 104 Volts to 14 dealerships in the area, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Dealers took just 31 of them, the lowest take rate for any Chevy model in that market last month. That group of dealers ordered more than 90 percent of the other vehicles they were eligible to take, the source said.
Jumping to conclusions again to appease your disdain for alternative energy? The Volt has a very high consumer rating from owners and a high quality rating from JD Power. Better than Nissans, VWs, Subarus, and Suzukis.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/quality-ratings-by-category/compact-car/
The main issue with the Volt is a $40k retail price (and not being a SUV or CUV). Dealerships know this so they are staying away for now.
You are correct: the price is a huge factor, which I have addressed elsewhere and often.
DeleteBut that's not what the article said. This is what the article said:
GM spokesman Rob Peterson confirmed that "dealer ordering is down" for the Volt. He said many dealers have been waiting for resolution of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation into the risk of fires in the car's battery pack. Last year three packs caught fire in the days or weeks following government test crashes.
Dealers are waiting for the battery explosion issue to blow over (pun intended); they are not waiting for the price to be lowered, because that ain't gonna happen in the near term.
I have no disdain for alternative energy. I just want to see it (alternative energy). As noted, the Volt is coal-powered.