Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash - Jalopnik Comments

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

seyoda — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:47:57 EST

Ridiculous, the price started at 25k and has quickly climbed to 35k and by the time things go live it will cost 40k.

For up to date news, videos and more check out [www.chey-volt.net]

seyoda

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

superbad — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:54:56 EST

@JHJVJR: While you and I understand the difference between a series and parallel hybrid, 95% of the general public doesn't, nor do they care. While GM is doing all this development in public (development they should have been doing 5 years ago, but that's another story), Toyota is selling cars. GM needs to take a cue from Apple- announce products when they are done and ready to buy.

This car is going to be late, more expensive, and look vastly different from what they showed. So what was the point of showing it? When the next gen Prius comes out, do you really think that customer base is going to hold off on that purchase for an indeterminate number of years to see how the Volt turns out?

superbad

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Littlebitsofpaper — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:48:03 EST

Two words - Lithium Polymer

Bob Lutz, you can send me the consulting fee via my PayPal account ...

Littlebitsofpaper

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

JHJVJR — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:37:28 EST

@cgarison: The G-Wiz is purely electric. In order to have the 40 mile range in a Volt, they need a lighter weight battery than in a G-Wiz, because they also need to accommodate the weight of the gas generator.

The battery would also have tobe more powerful than a G-Wiz, as the Volt is a larger vehicle that can travel at highway speeds.

JHJVJR

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

JHJVJR — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:31:44 EST

@P161911: I just finished watching that episode on BBC America. It was Kristin Scott Thomas, Clarkson's resident crush.

JHJVJR

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

JHJVJR — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:24:39 EST

@superbad: The next-gen Prius is a PHEV parallel hybrid, totally different from the series hybrid that is the Volt. GM also has a PHEV series hybrid coming out, the Saturn Vue PHEV, which already exists, runs, and has a release timetable before the next-gen Prius. Saturn PHEV in 2009, next-gen Prius in 2010.

JHJVJR

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

smokyburnout — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:00:14 EST

@3304HL: there's a 4 between the 6 and the 0, dude. 40 miles on battery, 600 on the gas engine recharging the battery. 640 mile range.
i imagine if Jalopnik actually put all the numbers in every volt post, we'd still get posts on the "40-mile range" every time...

smokyburnout

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

3304HL — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:36:59 EST

GM rushes again to the rescue of......japan.

What's the market for a $40K commuter with a 60 mile range?

$20K for a second car to run to work in maybe, but for 40 large wouldn't you pretty much expect a full time CAR?

personally, I think the Prius is an over-hyped POS but at least you can drive it on a trip further than the 7-11.

get serious

3304HL

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

allenparkpete — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:15:17 EST

@RalphieDC:

the band. they exist. the other is a science project.

allenparkpete

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

lascauxcaveman — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:57:17 EST

@icntdrv: And since when is a 40 mile range acceptable. i drive 20 miles to work everyday. I'll be lucky if the Volt makes it to my driveway.

You haven't got a clue about this car, have you?

lascauxcaveman

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

The-Simpsons-Rule!! — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:38:22 EST

@smokeydog001: weirdest.comment.ever!

The-Simpsons-Rule!!

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

smokyburnout — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:01:02 EST

attention all automakers: bring back radio delete!

that is all.

smokyburnout

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

superbad — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:58:49 EST

@pauln: "Who would show an electric/hybrid concept with lousy aerodynamics (except GM)?"

The same company that would show a car whose windows can't be rolled down.

Toyota is going to pull GM's pants down and kick their ass when the new Prius comes out. And the Volt will still be five years away.

superbad

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

dolo54 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:17:35 EST

Cmon this is too easy. Instead of $5000 super-efficient radio and wipers, just hook up regular ones to a gas powered honda generator in the trunk.

dolo54

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

tekdemon — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:52:11 EST

Considering how little power the radio uses...and for that matter, the fact that windshield wipers don't run 24/7 anyways...this is just plain pathetic.

What's the brilliant $5k redesign? A lower wattage amplifier for the radio?! Gimme a break.

tekdemon

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

smokeydog001 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:56:08 EST

I wish my Photoshop skills were up to snuff. I'd like to show my grandkids a ratrod Volt. Lord knows they won't live long enough to even see it on the showroom floor!

smokeydog001

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

smokeydog001 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:51:31 EST

@P161911
My '56 Chevy wipers were vacuum. Great sport trying to cross the Rockies in a spring snow storm!

smokeydog001

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Euromobile — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:34:04 EST

@P161911: I don't know about clockwork, but the earliest 2CVs had wipers run off the speedometer cable. Fun at speed apparently.

I think the words that everyone is searching for here are EPIC and FAIL.

Euromobile

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:25:59 EST

It's Apollo 13 all over again. Got to find that final coupla amps from somewhere...

"Gotta shut the computer down. Gotta shut it all down..."

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

RalphieDC — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:21:28 EST

@allenparkpete: Motors or the band?

RalphieDC

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

boognish — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:04:18 EST

How bout a window with a perm coating, like rain-x crossed with teflon, and just one wiper, that dosent have to work hard. I love the ideas of the headrest speakers, if done properly.
How bout a secondary power supply, fed by solar and regen brakes, or a frickin 1 liter turbo oil burner??
Will someone please make a car with a torquey electric motor powering all 4 wheels, possibly in wheel motors, (ala mitsu mivec) With the juice coming from a tiny efficient engine/ generator/ capacitor set up?? And while your at it... make it really modular, and easy to upgrade and swap out parts, and have the ability to decide if you want to run hybrid, or staight up electric. and obtain electricity from alternate sources, like an outlet at my house. You know, for when china and india use up all of the oil. This way I can fill my tank with the fry vats of KFC...
This concludes the post 4:20 rant. Thank You.

boognish

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

eltonito — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:57:23 EST

@Morphine: Perhaps you need to invent some sort of "cure for pain" and reap the profits.

eltonito

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Benson2175 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:53:11 EST

Is that 5k in real money or unicorn fairy dust money?

Benson2175

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

icntdrv — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:46:27 EST

wasn't Lutz just dogging on the Prius and Camry hybrids for being too expensive for normal consumers?

And since when is a 40 mile range acceptable. i drive 20 miles to work everyday. I'll be lucky if the Volt makes it to my driveway.

icntdrv

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

rgseidl — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:46:17 EST

@ Davidaum -

precisely, the only peripheral that really eats a lot of power in an EV is the A/C. The best way to tame that beast is to minimize cooling demand by keeping the sun's rays out in the first place. That means insulating the roof and using either special infrared-blocking glass mixtures and/or coatings, or double glazing, or electrochromic glass that is activated only if the vehicle is parked outdoors on a hot day (or if the driver so desires). Messing with the glass in a car is very much non-trivial, though.

[www.europhysicsnews.com]
[www.icg.group.shef.ac.uk]
[uk.gizmodo.com]

rgseidl

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

eltonito — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:44:24 EST

@FreeMan: Legacy costs? I thought the Volt was GM, not a Subaru!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

eltonito

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

sos10 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:41:14 EST

the should find a way to accumulate the flatulent gasses from Bob Lutz and use that to power the windscreen wipers.

sos10

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Blah8 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:38:46 EST

Aside from showcasing some really long-lasting battery technology, this car does nothing for me. 40 miles isn't long enough, the recharge time is much too long, and guess what it uses when the battery runs out: a "generator" that runs off of either petrol or E85 ethanol... Seems like it's just a hybrid with improved battery tech that, instead of running off of both gas and electric, just runs off of one at a time.

Blah8

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Morphine — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:34:13 EST

I really wish I were a rich celebrity - I would buy the first TWO Volts off the line. One to see if it's really worth a damn. The other to completely rip the guts out and drop in a 572 big block crate engine (Vega style), a custom "VOLTRON" license plate, and a CROCK OF SHIT bumper sticker.

Morphine

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

DavidAUM — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:27:22 EST

So...no A/C compressor I'm guessing...

DavidAUM

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:20:56 EST

@eltonito: Legacy costs.

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

eltonito — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:19:46 EST

@lascauxcaveman: [www.worldcarfans.com] - According to that link, LED headlight tech is improving, but not quite ready for prime-time. I think by the time the Volt hits showrooms (in 2038) LED will be fairly common place.

Even if they don't work it out, the limited range of the Volt doesn't represent a huge problem for conventional lighting and a deep cycle battery.

eltonito

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

eltonito — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:12:41 EST

Same thing I said on Autopia yesterday - deep cycle battery for the accessories similar to your average VW Westfalia and you've solved 80% of the problem. $160 for an Ultima battery, $50 in wiring and relays to make sure it charges properly when the main battery is on the charger. The Ultima should buy you at least 40 miles worth of stereo, wipers, fan and lights.

So where is the other $4790 going?

eltonito

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Elhigh — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:10:52 EST

Hey guys, about that crock...

Some of these items I can't open until I get home, because I don't want the article's headline to show up on my browser history. Just sayin'.

Elhigh

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

lascauxcaveman — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:05:22 EST

@STR8SIX: They've already said the actual Volt isn't going to look like the concept Volt, so those gun slit windows will be going bye-bye.

lascauxcaveman

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

lascauxcaveman — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:03:24 EST

Most normal car stereos don't draw much power. The big high-end megawatt subwoofer ones do, but how loud ya' need yer NPR, anyway, greenies? (I semi-kid here.)

I would think the headlights would be the big draw, from having experienced a couple bad alternators in mid-voyage at night. Anybody know if they've got super efficient all-LED headlight systems up and running? I'm ignorant on the current state of headlight tech.

lascauxcaveman

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Miscellanea, now on the main floor! — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:51:15 EST

Time to bring back the boombox!

Miscellanea, now on the main floor!

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

beercheck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:50:26 EST

I blame the government-mandated 200dB blind-people-warning klaxon.

beercheck

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

pauln — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:40:17 EST

@bozoerrebbe: Shouldn't take a lot of resistive heating to warm up the tiny Tesla cabin. Of course, they could install a gasoline auxiliary heater...

pauln

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

my favorite car is a motorcycle — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:40:12 EST

What? No 1200 watt, 16-speaker stereo for impressing the neighborhood?

This thing will never win an award at SEMA.

my favorite car is a motorcycle

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

bozoerrebbe — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:35:29 EST

ICE's have abundant power to run ancillaries as well as a tremendous amount of energy in the form of waste heat, energy that can be recovered for the heating system or by a turbocharger.

Electric cars have to do everything off the battery. I'm intrigued how they will handle the heating in the pure EVs like the Tesla. Once the battery pack is under load, it will generate some heat, but I wonder how they will handle defrosting in cold climates at cold starts. Any kind of resistive heating element is not conducive to long range.

bozoerrebbe

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

cgarison — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:32:36 EST

WTF! A G-Wiz is only $18,000 US. Why all the fuss over wipers and a radio. A G-Wiz gives you the option on a dark rainy night of either headlights or wipers, but not both.

Bangalore is that far ahead of the US. I thought that was only on Oracle RDBMS and not cars. It is time for GM to pack their bags and head home if this is as good as they can do. Audios Rick. You proved you cannot manage a car company if you cannot out perform Reva. And Maximum Bob needs to hit the bricks and his job be outsourced to India where they can show the rest of the company their Tatas.

cgarison

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

beercheck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:29:49 EST

@pauln: You know, I seem to recall GM already spent a lot of money developing a very, very aerodynamic, lightweight, manufacturable design.. What was it....DU-0? FW-2? Something like that.

beercheck

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

STR8SIX — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:25:34 EST

I'll pay an extra $5,000 for GM's engineers to design larger windows for the Volt. And another $1,500 to tear out the electric drive and install a turbo-diesel.

STR8SIX

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

mikedrawcar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:15:12 EST

@grzydj: listening? Don't you mean reciting for daily practice of motherland great nation?

mikedrawcar

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

pauln — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:12:29 EST

According to Lutz, the Volt concept (as shown here) was more aerodynamic running backwards than forwards. Had to go back into the wind tunnel for a complete re-design. Who would show an electric/hybrid concept with lousy aerodynamics (except GM)?

pauln

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

P161911 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:11:36 EST

@Bento: Didn't some old cars have clockwork windup wipers? Just use lots of Rain-X

P161911

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

allenparkpete — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:11:15 EST

I heard Daryl from Tesla gets the first one.

allenparkpete

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

P161911 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:10:42 EST

Remember seeing a guest on Top Gear talking about her GWiz electric car. Said you had to choose between headlights or windshield wipers. Sounds like the smae type of thing with a volt.

Just get a $10 radio from Wal-mart, add some D batteries and throw it in the seat. It has worked for my last two trucks that I have been too lazy to install radios in.

P161911

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Mysterious Utility Bento — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:09:50 EST

Save 5 grand and give every buyer of a Volt an IPOD and a Squeegee!

Mysterious Utility Bento

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

beercheck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:04:24 EST

@johnnyichiban: Those were probably U.S. dollars..

beercheck

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Mad_Science — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:04:11 EST

I spent the last 6 months gradually becoming a fan of GM, believing they had what it took to make a product turnaround.

The last 4 weeks of GM news kinda killed that for me. Not just because the one potential product of theirs that I was excited about (G8 Wagon) got the a, but because of news like this.

Blurbs like this suggest a major failure when it comes to product development and R&D management. How could you not build the accessories into the battery power budget? (or at least do so apparently do so accurately)

Mad_Science

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

TriShield — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:04:07 EST

It's a ways off and what it will actually cost is all speculation right now. We don't even know if technology will advance enough to support the 40 mile electric range they want.

TriShield

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

johnnyichiban — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:02:23 EST

I heard from Autoblog that this thing was going to start at $40k.

[www.autoblog.com]

johnnyichiban

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:02:23 EST

I'll take my iPod and not drive in the rain.

But then, I still don't want one. So I'll shut up.

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:01:12 EST

@neredowell: I bet it smells more of Nytol, Vicks and Horlicks

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

beercheck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:00:24 EST

Fiero headrest speakers. Efficient. Done.

beercheck

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

yellofury * * * * * — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:57:47 EST

shoot take back the 5 grand and throw in a GPX boombox in there ..done deal

yellofury * * * * *

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

bmoredlj — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:57:37 EST

I doubt it matters what it'll ultimately cost; there probably won't be enough of a supply of Volts to satisfy demand (like there weren't enough Soltices or Malibus), and dealers will definitely jack the price up as far as they possibly can.

bmoredlj

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

grzydj — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:57:10 EST

GM really has to stop hyping their "savior" vehicles like the new old looking Camaro and the Volt a half a decade before they even go on sale.

I'm sure I'll be driving a Chevy Volt while listening to The Chinese Democracy.

grzydj

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

beercheck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:56:45 EST

@neredowell: I was thinking raw babies.

beercheck

Chevy Volt Gets A $5K Price Hike As GM Puts Engineers To The Lash

neredowell — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:54:22 EST

I bet his breath smells like hot dogs.

neredowell