Slip-Up Or Fiction: Dealer Pre-Announces Buick Ampere, Quickly Issues Retraction
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Jim Ellis Chevrolet newsletter mentioning Buick Ampere
A Chevy, Buick, and GMC dealer in Georgia recently announced that it is installing a six-bay solar charging station, making it “the only one of its kind at a dealership” in the state. You know what else it announced? A Buick “version of the Volt” that will apparently be called Ampere.
“Jim Ellis Chevrolet customers will be able to “plug into the sun” and charge their Volts completely in three hours”, wrote Jim Ellis Chevrolet in its monthly newsletter. “Initially, charging is complementary for Jim Ellis Volt customers as it will be for Buick Ampere (Buick’s version of the Volt) when it arrives next year!”, concludes the dealer.
Since publishing the original newsletter, Jim Ellis Chevrolet has retracted its comments and InsideEVs contacted GM for comment; not surprisingly, General Motors responded with the standard “we do not comment on future product” reply.
The GM Authority Take
As loyal GM Authority reader James pointed out to us in an email (hat tip James!), a Buick variant of the Volt would make sense for several reasons. For starters, Volt sales in China are few and far between… but if the EREV were to suddenly obtain the much-coveted and respected Buick Tri-Shield on its grille, then it would likely have a much better chance of attaining a respectable sales volume. But what would a Buick-rebadged Volt — if that’s what the Ampere will end up being — do to the car’s overall reputation and image in the U.S.?
Furthermore, Ampere sounds very similar to Ampera, the slightly dressed-up Volt sold under the Opel/Vauxhall badges in Europe. Of note, however, is that General Motors — as of this writing — does not own the trademark for the word Ampere as far as the United States Patent and Trademark Office is concerned. And what hapenned to Electra?
We’re curious what you make of all this, and are eager to read your own take — in the comments section below.
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My thought was that “Electra” represents a larger sedan and not a 4 seat compact like Volt/Ampera. Traditionally Electras have been boats.
Jim Ellis’ email response to it’s customers explained that an overzealous employee had seen the Ampere story online and added this information to the website without duly checking it out. They apologized for the confusion – ’nuff said…..uh….or is it?
I think in the USA – the Voltec platform as is would benefit from a Buick version. Buick buyers seem in that price sweetspot just below Cadillac, and many are very eco-aware. What’s unknown is if Americans will get that old brand-engineering vibe if the bodystyles aren’t significantly different. I don’t think GM could just put a Buick logo on the front and rear and add the Euro Ampera’s trim pieces. My feeling is that they’d have to spend a considerable sum to cast dies with new forms for the Buick, which would cost a pretty penny.
Final assessment: I don’t think it’s real. Especially after the astute journalistic detective work done by Alex and his staff displaying no “Ampere” trademark has been acquired.
Chevy has the sedan with the Volt
Cadillac will have the coupe with the ELR
Buick needs, and would make sense for Buick to get, a small Voltec CUV
As much as GMC is a truck brand and a CUV EREV could take on the rugged appearance brand home, I see a Buick CUV selling better.
The Volt is already $40k, how much more would a Buick Ampere sedan sell for? The ELR will get the Voltec 2.0 tech, so better performance with longer range and I believe lighter battery pack, so selling it at $60k is reasonable when you look at cars like the Karma and Model S prices. But a Buick Voltec sedan at $50k? I dunno ’bout that. At least a CUV would distinguish it more than enough away from the Volt.
This is a better picture of what a Buick badged Volt would more or less look like
http://gm-volt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Buick-Ampere-550×412.jpg
Just to add, if GM wanted all it’s North American brands to have their own take on the Voltec, I’d like to see the new Canyon get it. Which would help distance it from the Colorado (which is apparently what GM is doing with their next line of trucks; going beyond just changing the front fascia to say one is a Silverado:Sierra or Colorado:Canyon). If they could get away from the Volt’s T-shaped battery and incorporate it in under the rear bench seat and bulkhead of the truck it wouldn’t take away bed space or interior room.
But with that said, they should also play it safe and not dilute the image of what the Voltec is. Offering a version under each brand in a totally different application is a good idea. But it would make it hard for the Voltec to become it’s own brand, like what is happening with the Prius line. Saturn would have actually been perfect as an Eco brand.
If GM branded the Voltec like the trend is going with Toyota and the Prius, it would limit the design language for the vehicles. If you look at the Prius, Prius plug-in, Prius V, Prius C, they all have the same look.. Actually they all have the same look, boring, but that not because they’re Priuses, it’s because they are Toyotas, so bad example.
But the same idea could be said if the Voltec went that same sort of direction. Sure there could be a Voltec sedan, coupe, CUV, but they would all look similar. If a person wanted that technology, they are stuck with basically the same look.
Where with each brand getting a version, each brand gives it it’s own design language and personality.
Well… I’m just rambling pros and cons so I’ll stop.
One of the many ways that a Voltec-powered Buick could be differentiated is by following Buick’s tried and true approach to luxury: comfort, silence, and total occupant isolation. Think Lexus rather than BMW (Cadillac).
But IF the Ampere comes out, then how much would it be?? Since Volt is selling around $39k to $45k and my guess for the ELR will be around $70k to $80k then would the buick sell around $50k to $60k? Also if the Ampere looks exact like the ampera, then wouldn’t it just be kind of a rip off?
I agree with you guys. It’s a shame that there is no Voltec CUV as this is such a hot segment right now, and will be for some time to come.
I look at Orlando, and the Voltec spinoff ( called MPV5 ) that appeared at the Shanghai Auto Show a couple years back and shake my head they never made it, or Orlando for the ‘States either. Sure, the pricepoint with that expensive lithium pack misses the boat with the common CUV buyer. You’re right that a more premium price could float labeled as a Buick.
The ELR price has me puzzled – they have to compete with four door Teslas… A $50k mark for a Buick Voltec is too high. I’d say it’d have to look a lot different from a Volt – and to do that and sell it for under $50k probably is undoable.
or not unless they want to bring a CT200H competitor?
@ Andrew:
Agreed. Voltec should eventually (it took Toyota 15 years to make Prius a line of cars, if not a “brand”) become it’s own division spun off from Chevrolet.
A Voltec Colorado-sized truck would ROCK! ~ VIA Motors, with Bob Lutz assisting, is selling fullsized Chevy trucks, vans and SUVs with an EREV ( very Voltec-like ) drivetrain – for $79,000-up. At this price, they’re obviously very low volume items and should escape the wrath of GM lawyers. GM could build these, but at such a price – it’s not a profit-making proposition. A Colorado/Canyon EREV/PHEV for around $40,000 before $7500 federal kickback could work. I’d buy one tomorrow! See ya later to my present 20 mpg V-6 pickup.
The T-shaped battery pack in Volt works for the MPV-5 and also pickup trucks because of their increased ride height. In this way , the Orlando-based MPV-5 had a three passenger backseat – and the VIA T-shaped pack works underneath the high truck bed and van – SUV floors.
Some peoplecwont buy Chevy but will buy Buicks.
So it makes sense to badge it as a Buick.
But badge engineering does smack of the old days, the 1980′s. Not GM’s finest hour.
NO,NO, NO! Buick should not have a car version of the Chevy Volt. I mean come on, then people will realize the badge engineering, of the Cadillac ELR. This won’t turn out good. But, if they did use the Voltec technology and made a CUV, then by all means do it.
The ELR isn’t badge engineering. It’s a coupe, with very different styling inside and outside. Yes the platform and drive train are the same, but that’s globalizing platforms and everyone is doing it.
Badge engineering is taking a Cavalier, removing the Chevy badge and putting a Pontiac on and calling it different.
If only one car could be based off a certain platform, and only that car could utilize a certain engine, brands would only sell 5 different models.
I think we have done a good job of making the looks of cars on the same platform look differant and function differantly. v-tec has many applicaitons that will help the company meet mpg targets. the caddy and chevy are very differant but yet on a very similiar chassis the buick will also be very differant ’14 will show alot of change in the v-tec system and broaden the use in a 2 door 4 door and then the buick. all I can tell you is there will be 3 distinct models in the 2.0 release of voltec. we are very proud of our system and the upgrades will be game changing and will be robust enough for many applications, I think you will like. keep an eye out for news more to come.
So then there will be a Voltec Buick right jd?
1, Why is someone from GM hiding behind a screen name, that isn’t really they’re executives style. Not to mention the amount of spelling mistakes makes me think your are just voicing your thoughts and opinions like the rest of us and you aren’t actually an insider (remember what Russell Crowe went though?!)
2. v-tec=Honda, involving a change in cam-lobe profile and rocker arms which when activated about whatever RPM holds the intake valves open longer. sick v-tec bro!
1 – JD can be as right or as wrong as he pleases. Ultimately, we, the users of GMA, will judge his accuracy and wether or not we can value what he offers reguarding future products.
Nobody here is betting their lives on everything he types out. Things could change tommorow, and the ELR may be forced to drop the coupe can be offered as a sedan only. He may or may not be able to comment on this, or he may causually forget to mention it.
Nobody is holding JD’s feet to the fire and demanding 100% accuracy for all products; whatever he can drop, we can keep a record of. Simple.
Andrew – are you really questioning the validity of JD’s comments? He has been right on the mark ever I’ve been here. And as far as “spelling mistakes”… engineers don’t need to be great writers. Let’s get real here: JD is not only welcome here but he also brings some great insight into the company.
More or less I guess I was. As an engineer myself I can attest to the fact to proper spelling is important; being a great writer, you are correct, not important.
I didn’t say he wasn’t welcome, I just found it funny (not “ha-ha” funny) that he is an insider talking product planning while using a screen name. GM execs and engineers have never really gone anonymous to a public forum while still claiming to be within the company. And Akerson just the other week said “media leaks are an act of treason”.
The use of “we” as an inclusion within General Motors combined with the piss poor spelling was humorous and that’s merely what I was commenting on.
As for the accuracy of his claims now and previously, everything I’ve seen I had already heard/read elsewhere. He could just be a dealer who has seen a product road map.
I wasn’t necessarily comment ‘at’ him as much as I was commenting on his comment.
Well if I was GM but would was not authorized to leak information than I would hide between a screen name too, and jd has been right before, and I even though vtec is associated with honda I think jd means Volt – tech by v-tec.
Oh no no no. Please no. We already have the chevy, and getting a Caddy. I dont think we need a copy Buick.
Food for thought, though… There was cost-cutting with Volt and Ampera in things like the door panels and back seat. The driver-passenger experience is good, but the back seat of the Volt is a sea of plastic, and there are some funky bits. A Buick Voltec could change all that with some new door panels ( leather ) and possibly a dash w/o the capacitive buttons – maybe a nice wood look, or a faux carbon fiber. There is no bling inside the Volt, it’s nice – but it’s purpose-built. I prefer Volt because my backseat passengers can live with plastic and I wouldn’t pay extra for the glitz. But there’s plenty who would, I believe and the h – series Lexus are way ahead with versions of Hybrid Synergy Drive. It might be a good inroad for Buick to get some green from green-minded, better-healed folks who would look at a Lexus like the E series hybrid.
I still agree that just pasting a Buick moniker on the nose and tail wouldn’t hack it. Ampera body bits might do the trick and they’re already in the parts bin. The Buick grille is a challenge, but I can see a waterfall grille with fillers working just fine.
Buick has the perfect vehicle to become a Voltec platform: the LaCrosse, It is big, has plenty of luxury (Shaquille said so!) , and the eAssist helps its MPG, but having the full Voltec system would improve its range and become the new Electra.