this more attempt @ thought provoking ramble cogent argument, you've been warned.
volt flop?
gm sold under 7,700 volts in 2011 - short of stated goal of 10,000 units. moreover, there evidence suggest chevy dealers don't want take on allotments of volts. there battery fire recall issue has been in press time, though not seem fatal issue design of car.
add perspective, nissan sold 9,674 of all-electric leaf in 2011. falls short of nissan's own 10,000-unit goal, close it's hard call failure.
why people don't hybrids , electrics
matter, volt failure may seem think is? top gear ripped leaf in review of car (i shudder think volt), of criticisms focused on power source (mostly coal) , feel-good, save-the-polar bears marketing approach rather car itself.
think same arguments explain of negative press volt getting. many people find "you're saving world" marketing approach selling hybrids , electrics smug , nauseating. know annoys me @ times. "greenness" gets far in selling cars. fuel economy benefits seen largely offset inital price of cars , anyway diesel efficient - more efficient when cruising actually. math behind thinking seems infinitely arguable, fact there argument - doubt. there perception wealthy yuppies , celebrities can afford buy these cars. finally, there real, serious , ongoing political battle in u.s.over whether subsidization of design, production, sale , ownership of these kinds of cars worth cost. last complicated , perhaps important factor in advent of hybrid/electric cars.
the counter-argument
taking these factors together, hybrids , electrics seem high risk proposition.
there toyota pious -er, prius. toyota took arguably much bigger risk nissan or gm , introduced hybrid 15 years ago. have since sold on 3 million of them. argument volt much, hold water? let's not forget 1 further little wrinkle - gm ev1. @ time ev1 program cancelled, popular verdict was interesting dead end. history has proven verdict sadly off mark in opinion, , there plenty of circumstantial evidence gm developing, , should have contiuned develop, hybrid successor ev1 have come market decade ago. gm decided program never profitable - toyota has, in opinion, emphatically proved them wrong prius. people want buy these kinds of cars - not few aged hippie/yuppies, lots of other people.
where hybrids heading?
consider myself auto enthusiast, , admit don't think become hybrid owner in foreseeable future. think hybrids , electrics make sense drivers, , market these cars make more sense our infrastructure adapts needs of such cars. key issue though - plug-in cars clean grid, , right grid arguably dirtier gasoline-powered cars. however, grid has potential cleaner - more gasoline-powered cars.
so, chevy may have been foolish declare 10,000-unit sales goal, still sold lot of volts. if stick concept, think can big success prius. leaf seems successful product in eyes, , more market exposed such cars more accept them. diesel can still similar or better fuel economy , cheaper, more reliable , more familiar, potential (and, once again, on word hinges future of breed) environmental , economy benefits of hybrid/electric concept should not ignored. despite technological hurdles, hybrids , electrics become more efficient , cleaner today.
volt has been burdened huge expectations , nasty political wrangling, it's no surprise many labelling flop. i'm not chevy enthusiast, think gm ought perservere design - don't think american auto industry can afford not to, honest. these cars may still little ahead of time, waiting until "their time" game far late, in opinion.
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