Opinion Desk: Will The Volt Be A Halo Car For Chevy?
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The concept of a halo product in a product lineup is nothing new. The goal is to release a product that has a high public profile while attracting a significant amount of attention to sell more of its other products. For the auto industry, halo products have usually been expensive sports cars — think Corvette for Chevy, Mustang Shelby GT500 for Ford, Supra for Toyota… to name a few. But is it possible that the Chevy Volt is a new breed of halo car — one of a more environmentally-friendly nature?
In effect, the real question is whether the Volt has the potential to, first, attract a large amount of attention and, second, transfer it to other vehicles in the Bowtie’s lineup… much akin to a gateway drug, for those familiar.
The Volt could be resounding halo success if — and only if — it’s a remarkable sales success (which it insofar is not) and/or it becomes a magnetizing topic of discussion that permeates the mainstream (which it hasn’t yet become).
In my opinion, the Volt can be considered a halo car for Chevrolet only if it achieves those two criteria. Until then, Chevy will have to make do with the Corvette and Camaro as its halo jewels… too bad those don’t appeal to the environmentally-friendly types.
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Personally, it’s 50/50 halo/stop gap.
What I call the natural progression to EV’s goes like so:
ICE > hybrids > cars like the volt > EV’s
The Volt is an important bridge between hybrids and full EV’s. EV’s aren’t yet fully practical for everyone, but will be someday.
Until that day comes, the Volt will be for everyone who wants an EV but wants to treat it like an ICE car.
If anything, GM should keep the Volt relavent for future generations in which (after the nessisary tech and range issues have been met) they ween the Volt off Voltec powertrain and into full EV. By then, the Volt name could be well established and precieved as a halo car.
The Volt to me is a car for a very select group of people, an alternative to an EV because the infrastructure and range issues. Definately not a Halo car in the sense discussed here. Volt should be a long term brand that builds on and evolves into a more formidable competitor. The Volt while unique and ultimately the best product on the market for a select demographic, still though does not represent the shock and awe it should have upon its release. On the other hand it does bring people into dealerships that’s why all the Demos are on dealerships front lawns…
Agreed on both accounts! The eventual long-term solution is pure electric; if the Volt can successfully (without failure) be the stop-gap car that gets us there while selling a boatload of units, then it can achieve iconic status in the pure EV era.
If a horsepower battle between ZL-1 and GT-500 is anybody’s idea of a “halo” war…I’d have to say, either, “go back into your cave!”, or “grow up and get real”.
One full U.S. carrier group ( you know a floating city called an aircraft carrier, destroyer, frigates, support ships…) defends the oil terminus off S. Iraq in the Persian Gulf. How much do you pay in taxes for this? How many lives lost, how much for protecting U.S. access to foreign oil? How many times will you let Big Oil rip you clean and make record quarterly profits? ( 2011 holiday season record gas prices ). My point being while GM has positioned Volt as a halo vehicle based upon the large price of it’s battery – current studies such as the one by Kiplinger’s have proven the total ownership cost nearly equals a Cruze LTZ in five years. It won’t take much to get Volt over this hump to where it just plain makes sense as a vehicle that uses AMERICAN electrons vs. foreign fuel while being much cleaner to meet the same needs.
Volt is no “green halo” for GM. Your article wrongly typifies Volt as appealing to “environmentally-friendly types”. Volt is for you and me, or at least folks who realize our daily drivers need to suck a lot less gas. A ZR-1, ZL-1 or Lambo can be a sunny weekend warrior, but our mindsets need to modernize.
If we parallel the Voltec platform with the development/adoption of the Toyota Prius – the Volt would be on track for gen II to take the world by storm. Pure EVs with a range of 250-300 miles that are affordable are not in the foreseeable future. This leaves an extended-range PHEV as the answer for most of us. Economies of scale for modern battery packs won’t happen if only a few “early adopters” tip in for a Volt.
This site shouldn’t lament poor Volt sales numbers as many Volt detractors do. As you know, 50 state availability won’t be ’til the end of the year. Let’s wait and see how sales rise now that GM has released dealers to sell their demos and dealers nationwide can sell them. The jury’s still out as to what Volt will be. Former director of the CIA under Clinton and Bush Sr. James Woolsey drives a Volt with a bumper sticker that says ” Terrorists Hate This Car”. This alone should tell you something.
Like it or not – more people are getting smart, ICEs no matter how “advanced” still are 19th Century technology. SRT-8 Hemis, 650 HP Mustangs and Corvettes and Camaros no longer represent an attainable halo in their minds. Instead, they represent dinosaurs – and they consume far too much non-sustainable fuel to aspire to. Today is the day such exhorbitant wasters of fuel are no longer seen as an attribute to a company’s image. Tesla Model S and roadster more conform to an American-made aspirational car that doesn’t bankrupt a nation or sell out the future’s of our children.