Lack Of Volt MPV Just Cost GM This Sale
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You may have heard of, or even visited, GM-Volt.com — a forum for Volt aficionados. This is noteworthy because the site’s founder, Dr. Lyle Dennis, was the proud owner of the eighth Volt off the line and was in close contact with the team leading the Volt’s development, even being part of the Volt customer advisory board. And he just purchased a Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid
The C-MAX Energi features a 21-mile EV range and a total range of 620 miles. It also seats five passengers to the Volt’s four. And as luck would have it, Mr. Dennis needed to fit more than four people into his vehicle — a feat that’s impossible to achieve in the Chevy Volt thanks to the center console that runs from the front to the rear seats. The console covers the large T-shaped lithium ion battery, and therefore limits the Volt’s ability to seat more than four people — the driver, along with three passengers.
The GM Authority Take
Possibly the most dismal part of this story is that GM could have a competitor to the C-MAX Energi in the form of a Chevy Volt MPV. It showed off a concept of such a vehicle, aptly named Volt MPV5, at the Beijing Auto Show in April of 2010, but the car has since vanished from the auto show circuit, as well as our collective radars. So for some reason, GM decided against (or is really dragging its feet on) bringing the Volt MPV5 concept to market (or the Orlando MPV to the U.S.).
And that’s a shame, since the Voltec powertrain needs to be made available in as many vehicles as possible in order for GM to drive down cost as well as to increase its popularity — both factors that ultimately determine the long-term viability of Voltec. Let’s hope that the Cadillac ELR isn’t the only vehicle powered by the excellent Voltec powertrain in the near future, although that may well be the case.
At the end of the day, this is yet another case of Chevy not being a true full-line automaker. It lacks an MPV in the U.S. (read: Orlando), a modern line of utility vans, as well as a compact hatchback and coupe. It also refuses to offer all wheel drive in its midsize (Malibu) and full-size (Impala) sedan offerings, while the competition seems more than happy to oblige (read: Ford Fusion and Taurus). Does GM, and by association — Chevrolet, not mind that Ford eat its lunch in those segments?
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Well, how many Ford C-maxs have been sold here?
And also how many AWD Fusions and Taurus’s?
Once you answer those questions we can see if Ford is eating GM’s lunch.
Gotta feeling though that they are pretty low volume models but I may be wrong. I just need data.
MPV5 would have been my first choice over a Volt, though I did end up buying a Volt anyway. Hopefully, by the time I’m ready to replace the Volt GM will have something like the MPV5. Even better if it had AWD.
I doubt we will ever see AWD on an electric UNLESS they somehow split the power source between the two ends, i.e. electric motors in rear and gas in front. but I really doubt it.
The weight gain of AWD just would hurt the range and they are fighting to get every mile they can get.
Please, bring the Orlando or the GMC Granite to market in the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GM also lacks a mid-size 4wd SUV suitable for trajler towing, highway cruising, the inclement winter weather of Canada and outdoor life in our northlands. Please bring to North America the new TrailBlazer available elsewhere. The success of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is not a fluke!
The Lambda triplets (Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave) fit that bill nicely.
Until you factor in that customers looking for a 3-row vehicle are likely to consider the least expensive Lambda too expensive given that they can get a Kia Sorento for $5,000 less, also with 3 rows. They’ve priced themselves out of the market.
While some may compare the two for their 3 row needs the Kia can only tow a max of 3500#. While the Traverse can tow 5200#.
Also interior wise the Kia is quite a bit smaller. 9 cu ft vs 25 behind the rear seat. That is a huge difference. And with only the rear seat down (which is the way most will travel unless they have 4 kids) it is 37 Kia vs. 70 Traverse.
To my thinking the Kia is basically a slightly larger Equinox but swith a queezed in a 3rd row.
Not sure how it is in other families but we need all the space we can get since we fill our Enclave up (with only 2 kids) whenever we travel. Kia is just too small.
Try pulling a real trailer with a Lambda model – their awd is handicapped under load or in off road situations (their minimal ground clearance is another problem), they are too big for my overall use (and garage) and they seem greatly underpowered in hilly country – front wheel drive is not an asset in the trucking/trailering world! they are way too expensive unless you need a bus.
I do pull a 4000# trailer behind my Enclave and I forget it is there. Plenty of power and stability.
I do not go off roading in it though.
I have a Volt and my wife has a Honda Pilot. After seeing how little gas I use my wife decided she wants a plugin hybrid also. We need more space than the Volt offers, but GM doesn’t have anything else available. So we’ve ordered a C-Max Energi. They’re only being sold right now in markets that also sell the Electric Focus, but will be available nationwide next year.
How much is the C-Max; does it look like a transit connect or whatever that utility vehicle is..,
The C-Max is an MPV based on the Focus’ global C architecture. The Hybrid starts at $25,000 and the Energi is $33,000. Doesn’t look all that appealing, but not bad either:
http://www.ford.com/cmax
Chevy definitely has some huge holes in its lineup.
As good as the idea of an MPV5 and other Voltec applications are, I dont think we’re going to see them for a few more years. According to this very website ( gmauthority.com/blog/2012/08/gms-next-gen-d2-platform-to-support-at-least-12-nameplates/ ), in the next few years we’re going to see the Volt move this new D2XX platform along with the already in testing Cadillac ELR.
On top of that, the next generation Cruze is also going to debut on this platform, according to the article, as a 2015 model. Given that, I dont think we’ll see a Cruze coupe (the biggest hole in Chevys lineup) or Orlando in the US until then either.
As a side note, given the overall shape of the ELR, the fact its a coupe, and its probably based on this new platform, I wouldnt be surprised if a Cruze coupe looks like the TRU 140S concept we saw at NAIAS this past January.
If they can patch these holes, and a few others, GM and Chevy can get onto the business of forcing the competition to react to them instead of the other way around.
Alex, you can’t be serious comparing Kia Sorento to any Lambda. besides the fact that the Lambdas are a way better vehicle in every aspect, the posters comment was lamenting GMs supposed lack of a mid size, and, trailer capable SUV. Sorento, with it’s 3500 lb tow rating in v6 trim only versus the 5200 lb rating that Traverse carries, certainly does not fit that bill.
When discussing towing, you automatically narrow the market to less than 5 percent of all car buyers, since those are some very unique requirements that are not shared by the market at large.
As for the Sorento, of course I’m serious. Customers don’t care whether a vehicle is based on a Lambda platform or on something else entirely. They assess their needs and determine that they need a vehicle with 3 rows, and start shopping accordingly. Their choice is thereby narrowed to either a CUV or an MPV.
The cheapest way to purchase a GM product with 3 rows in the US is the Traverse, which is $5,000 to $8,000 higher than competitors, including the Sorento and say a RAV4, respectively. This puts GM at a price disadvantage and results in the loss of customers, sometimes for life. Wouldn’t call that a positive, would you?
Some possible solutions:
1. Bring over the Orlando
2. Create a Midsize crossover with 3 rows, ala Toyota Highlander
Agreed a 3 row Equinox would be a plus. BUT around here there are Lamdas everywhere. Now we are in an affluent area with families so we can afford a little more, but as I said above we need the room of the Lamda. We are considering buying one of those hitch platform thingys to get a bit more space for traveling.
Somehow I knew right from the start that the Volt MPV5 would not see the light of day. Alex, you got it right about all those missing products. Lack of AWD, no small MPV, very limited choices in the compact car class, those things will hold GM back in a huge way. Or for myself, I keep hoping for a Buick GTC, because right now despite the fact that I’m a huge GM fan, there isn’t really any GM product that I want to buy (that is affordable at least).
Alex, you’re always good – but with this article, you knocked it out of the park!
It’s only by economies of scale that GM can make Voltec the profitable prospect it
should be. For whatever cost, union conflict, market conflict they perceive, they are
missing the boat by dragging their feet. If they’re waiting for the deadlines of C.A.F.E., the election and development of the new Cruze/Volt platform – they’re waiting much too long in my opinion. Why? Because the C-Max is proving them wrong. Why lose
fantastic GM/Volt customers like Lyle ( who actually helped Volt get built – due to his website’s buyer’s poll submitted to GM ) and “Frugger” above – who also owns a Volt and a gas-powered CUV. I myself may buy the C-Max Energi because if it doesn’t have a plug they have no sale. A 5 or 6 seater would mean I could own one car to do two jobs. GM can do better than Ford – they just haven’t adequately assessed the market as well. Ford knows a PHEV sold as near to $30,000 as possible that seats 5 and goes 20 miles all electric is a doable and desirable price point and capability. Better will come later – and Volt still stands alone in ability – but not in practicability for families and folks with the need for more seats.
In response to another poster – there are already All-Wheel-Drive hybrids out there in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid with an electric motor driving the rear wheels, and it’s cousin the RX450h for Lexus. Mitsubishi has just announced it’s Outlander PHEV, with two electric motors in front and one on the rear axle will debut in Japan late 2013 and North America and other markets in 2014. Not sure where you get your information, but electric motors are not heavy nor cumbersome and can be packaged in axle or in-wheel.
Alex, you make the assumption that we are not developing further voltec programs, that is not correct. you will see further investment and products that will fit a larger demographic than the volt. the volt has proven to us that this type of vehicle if done right can be an entry into new sales. we have alot of products that are coming out over the next year or so some the public knows about some are not known. We hope you stick with us we are developing and building some of the best cars and trucks in the market with some of the best ideas yet to see production. voltec will be used in a variety of cars and trucks sorry i cannot give any details. more to come 2014-16
I hope so! I really liked the Volt MPV5 as soon as it debuted, thought it would be logical to release it a year or two after initial Volts go out to mimic the Prius line (MPV5 ~ Prius V, ELR ~ upscale Prius C, not a perfect comparison but the variety is at issue). Guess not until 2015 though, if ever…
Can’t wait to see Voltec in more vehicles, hope those Envia batteries are working out to bring costs down/range up? Lutz was right, $40k is asking a lot for a compact car, especially in the midst of recession (and now “recovery”). A larger vehicle with more capability (this is ‘merica after all) would certainly help justify the price premium.
JD, I appreciate your comment.
However, I’m not really making the assumption that other Voltec programs are not underway. Instead, I’m simply stating that at least one shopper who needed a vehicle that seats more than 4 and couldn’t wait for GM to apply Voltec to other body styles bought a competing product.
That’s not an assumption as much as it is a statement of fact. So is the fact that Voltec is currently limited to a single body style. This may not be the case in the future, but it’s the reality at the present.
I just wonder if the bogus media rhetoric made GM step back and rethink its Voltec program; now that this bad plublicity has proven wrong they can expand and improve on the overall system. The lack of a reliable Hybrid system is really what is hurting GM. Also developing the Volt Brand will be crucial or developing an overall hybrid/EV brand will be paramount…
I can’t imagine GM would really listen to Fox “News” and their coordinated misinformation campaign. It worked to scare their elderly audience, who I can’t imagine were in the market for a plug-in in the first place. Anyone who watched the segment with Lee Spieckerman will understand how the argument can be made for the Volt to anyone on the right. That tv segment should be a Volt infomercial, make Fox play it during primetime every week. It could be a really good political ad spoof – run a highlight reel of all the negative comments with ominous announcer and music in the background, then have the music change and the sunshine come through running clips from the Lee Spieckerman interview.
The Volt is bringing people into the GM tent that never considered GM before, they can’t afford to lose the ground they’ve gained. If you want the next generation of car buyers and coming generations of car buyers to consider GM then Fox News is the opposite of where you should be looking. The environment, climate change, and gay marriage are all 70/30 issues (or more decided than that) for millenials and the Volt gives GM inroads to these future buyers. Mom, dad – I’m electric. America will embrace it, and Fox will have to get over it.
I love JD’s comment. It does give hope for the future. But, like Alex indicates, it’s going to be too long for enough other voltec products to be for sale. Far too many people cannot wait that long and will buy the c-max or other companies’ products. I sure hope GM is working like mad on those products.
Hey Guys ! Model mix is tough, tougher still when you as a manufacturer don’t listen to anyone except focus groups. I am a fan of the Orlando, and “WOULD” buy one if someone in GM would simply make the decision to sell them in the states. I can see the reason for buying the C-Max, I don’t like a console in the back seats either. I thought the Volt’s rear console was a option, not a “have too” kind of thing. I’m a wagon guy, and yes I’ve bugged GM about the Orlando. I’ve also been quite vocal with Ford about not offering the “Grand C-Max” talk about a winning vehicle. it seems that all the big three wants to sell are SUVs and Crossovers. I’d even hoped that Hundai would have brought the I-40 wagon think Sonota. I don’t mean to offend any female readers but, ladies forget the stigma about station wagons. If you drive a Equinox, Traverse,Tahoe, etc ….. you’re driving a 4WD jacked up station wagon.
A CUV is not a “jacked up” station wagon. Yes they are car based but the interior room of a station wagon does not compare to a CUV. And that is why a CUV will outsell a traditional wagon. Remember the minivan put the nail in wagon sales and they are still around while the wagon is virtually dead (in sales at least)
And the buying public and the OEM’s knows it. Many have tried to sell wagons here but they always struggle for more than niche sales. Remember the Camry wagon? Accord wagon?
In fact most “wagons” today are just 4 door hatchbacks. And I believe all wagons sold here are built overseas and imported.
Well, seems to have struck a nerve, but yes 62vett a CUV/SUV really is a jacked up station wagon, and the humble station wagon (not a Caddy sportwagon) had as much room as a full sized SUV (think CapriceEstate/Town&Country/CountrySquire) type of vehicle. One of the things I agree with President Obama is it’s crazy to waste so much gas to go by the corner market. I’d bet 90% of the SUVs sold outside of snow country don’t ever see dirt/snow unless they back into the flower bed. If you have just two kids a Focus or Cruze or Dodge Dart will get you there. To quote another, Yes Virginia there is a EGO who has to have a ego-mobile. With gas approaching $4.00 here in NC the time for ego to let go and drive a fuel efficient vehicle is here. Now with that said, vehicles like Chevy’s Equinox and Ford’s Escape with their 30+ mpg rating is a start in the right direction. But remember 62vett there are people like my wife and I who need a lower entry/exit vehicle and one where the wife’s wheel chair can be out of the weather. Only one …. Ford’s Escape can a fold-up wheel chair be stored standing up as needed. I will include by bevoved Malibu-Maxx with the Escape. EGO,
has got to stop driviing so much of the marketplace. A little bit of EGO is OK, but to completely disregard what made the big three is a mistake. Ford is making steps in the right direction, Focus, Escape, Transit Connect are a start. GM & Chrysler doesn’t have vehicles with the exception of the GM’s Equinox/Terrain to compete. GM for some reason won’t bring the Chevy Orlando into the United States Also 62vett ponder this … In Europe an Asia station wagons make up close to 62% of their sales, not coupes, sedans, suvs, and trucks …. station wagons. Take a look at Autozine/UK and see what makes up the backbone of the business. The humble station wagon.
Yet here in America those Asian station wagons do not sell.
They have tried.
They already have the tooling done and yet they could not sell a profitable stations wagon here.
You can espouse all your beliefs but the US consumer has spoken.