mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

Community Question: Should GM Discontinue The Chevrolet Volt?

Perhaps it’s just to stir the pot, but The Motley Fool ponders a future without the Chevrolet Volt in it. It’s not due to the vehicle being a bad product — far from — and it’s not because customers aren’t satisfied with it — it’s one of highest ranking vehicles in overall customer satisfaction.

What Motley Fool points out, however, is that the Volt’s sales numbers have constantly underachieved its admittedly ambitious projections. This has largely to do with the rather high MSRP of the plug-in vehicle, mostly because it uses expensive technology that no other automaker seems to be using at this time. Yet anybody who has been paying attention knows that General Motors is planning on soldiering forward with the Volt, promising the next-generation model to be much cheaper, and at the same time, much more efficient.

We at GM Authority think it would be ludicrous to abandon the pursuit of a better, cleaner, cheaper, more efficient vehicle. But we’re sure some of you out there may argue against such a thing, and would rather just see GM focus on sports cars and pickup trucks. With that in mind, feel free to participate in our latest Community Question poll, and discuss in the comment section below.

Former staff.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. I’d say keep the Volt. Especially since the technology is improving rapidly and future versions will probably be considerably better. It keeps GM connected to a potentially important market segment.

    I am seriously considering purchasing one in the next few years. Not the current model, but I would be interested in seeing its successors.

    Reply
    1. I find the dealer teams (at least in South Carolina) do not have a clue about the car. Further,they even seem to be unaware of the generous federal and state tax income tax credits which are available. An untrained sales force could be a major obstacle to the Volts’ sales success.

      Reply
  2. Like you said, Dan Akerson has gone on record saying gen2 Voltec will offer further electric distance and be cheaper. That ends the argument right there. It’s not about making money now, it’s about being sustainable for the future.
    You can’t just be looking at the company two weeks from, now or one year from now, but need to be considering 5, 10, 20 years from now. Stay ahead of the curve and innovate. That’s exactly how Apple got to where it is today.
    The Voltec technology will spawn new variants, the ELR is right around the corner. Let’s see a Buick compact CUV next. Have a truck under Chevy and GMC with the battery built within the bulkhead and under the rear bench seat, you might loose, what, 6-8″ of bed length?

    Reply
  3. Keep it but work towards lowering cost without sacrificing things. Use parts from the GM parts bin on the new model etc.

    Improvements needed: Volt has 4 seats which isn’t ideal for some families so try and work towards a 5 seater model. Also needs to seperate the back row of seats from the boot/trunk.

    Also need to introduced an electric model on proper/regular cars, when that happens, the Volt could be discontinued.

    Reply
    1. What!! Heresy. Get rid of a hatchback???

      Reply
  4. The Volt and the Voltec system are too, too valuable to just leave and neglect.

    Image. If there was one single piece of hardware that can change GM’s public image from that of a wallowing, tired dinosaur, it is in the Voltec system. The user accolades, even if they are the unverifiable, are something that no amount of money can buy…and GM needed all the positive image it could get post-2008.

    The future will be full EV, and at the very least GM is pointed in the right direction with the Volt. The next gen Volt and Voltec will have more efficient batteries and will rely less on the ICE. Whatever becomes of it will benefit GM in the same way the Prius and it’s powertrain eventually complimented virtually all of Toyota’s range.

    It would take a loss of brain cells greater than that of a gunshot wound to the head to cancel the Volt and Voltec. GM can’t afford to share the bottom of the powertrain barrel with Mopar.

    Reply
  5. I own a Volt. Best GM car in their stable. The tech is evident and maybe a little in your face, but, it is the most affordable and practical way to experience EV drive. Amazing.

    Reply
  6. They have learned a lot through doing this car. It would be crazy to throw in the towel on this technology now. And like Mr. Akerson says the next gen. will be smaller more efficient and less costly. I think all of these are good things.

    Reply
  7. Like this is a bright thought.

    GM is on the verge of creating a segment changer that will have wider appeal than any other electric car in the market and they ponder dropping it.

    Once the second gen arrived this will cheaper and longer range. The third gen is already in the works too.

    The whole Volt program was like NASA going to the moon. They started off with the basic things to create a path to the future. As each program like Gemini and Apollo came along each one became more advanced and improved. Cost on many of the things also came down in relation to size. It got bigger but not in relation to cost.

    This car will not save GM but to go with out it will put a major hurt on them.

    Motley Fool alright.

    This car has many enemies as if it secedes it could render many other eclectic car programs obsolete. This car could cost Nissan and Toyota billions if they have to create a similar car once the volt takes off with the lower price.

    Reply
  8. Keep it. Not so much for the present as for the future. Yes, even now it makes the statement that GM can do high-tech. But the next generation Volt will as they say be much cheaper and considerably more efficient and they should finally not lose money on it (though maybe still not profit). Don’t throw the title of green back to Toyota and to the likes of Nissan.

    Reply
  9. For the foreseeable future the Volt should be kept and improved. But over time, It would be better to start bringing Voltec into other models and maybe take the Volt name and create a small electric roadster or something along those lines.

    Reply
  10. Can I win a Volt for being the exact #100 voter?

    …please..?

    Reply
  11. I hate hybrids like the prius, but for a long long time I wondered how come nobody was making a car with an on-board gasoline motor for a generator, and was driven only by electric motors. To my understanding that’s exactly what the Volt is. I think THAT is the way to make a hybrid. I think Chevy has done the right thing and should not stop. That and the Volt is a pretty good looking car.

    Reply
  12. I don’t see why they can’t make electric vehicles look like a camaro.

    Reply
    1. For the same reason you can’t go to other tires it will kill the range as it presently is.

      Just the shape of the rear bumper and the sharp corners has a great affect on the range of the car. Make less than aero than it is and you will remove up to 7-10 miles of electric range and range is the whole point.

      Look for them to make the future car more stylish as in the ELR and not look as much as a science project. As the equipment improves so will the freedom for styling.

      Reply
      1. I forgot about the ELR. If the Volt was to go, so too would the ELR.

        Even if we ignore the powertrain, the ELR looks too damn good to throw away.

        Reply
  13. Maybe one day they will. 🙂

    Reply
  14. First, This is even a question? The volt is and unqualified success, Unfortunately, it will take people years to realize this, much like what happened with the prius.

    Second, WHEN DID THIS NEW SITE COME UP, I know i have been gone for a little longer than usual, but come on, feedback? a article about the new website? forum?

    That said, it looks great,

    I’ll miss the old format GMA made its humble beginnings from. It’ll always remember it. 🙂

    Reply
  15. The can’t discontinue it! If GM did, it would be an absolute PR nightmare. With the bailout and being the second discontinued electric car, heads would roll and market share and market cap would be pummeled.

    **** Again, I forgot to enter the number and when I clicked back my form was clear. JavaScript client validation needs to occur before the form is submitted. ****

    Reply
  16. I’m not getting to blinkered by the car itself being good or bad infect almost every car now has to be good due to competition. This has been on the cards for a while because it isn’t exactly new news that the volt looses money & costs GM, also factor in the Cadillac ELR which could due to its higher price recoup some of the volts losses. The Spark EV also due soon would overnight make the volt old fashioned & even harder to sell. GM has tried hard with the volt even exporting it to Europe, Australlia & china in a bid to increase sales & make it turn a profit, had it been another model it would of been axed long ago.

    Reply
    1. “The Spark EV also due soon would overnight make the volt old fashioned & even harder to sell.”

      The Spark EV will likely have a greater electric range than the Volt.

      The Spark EV will likely have a much smaller TOTAL range than the Volt.

      That’s the difference between the two.

      Reply
  17. GM should absolutely keep the Volt. Great car, but the advertising and marketing for it has been really ineffective, they need to develop a clever, sharp campaign that simply positions the car as having the best mileage out there, and superior to the Prius. Also, as a Volt owner we found that when shopping for the car the majority of the dealers were not enthusiastic about selling it, and most of the salespeople really didn’t understand much about it and didn’t really know how to sell it…

    Reply
    1. Most of the sales people din’t understand much about it. That sounds like any car. Or any product.

      Reply
  18. The Volt has made an important statement. It is propelled by the electric motor,no matter the power source. A small diesel engine could make the mileage ever greater,and GM is developing a small diesel now.

    The next great milestone ,GM can make, will be a hydrogen power source for the electrical generation.com

    The knowledge GM has grain,cannot be measured in dollars and cents. GM is on the cusp of being the leader in the field of the automotive sphere.To get cold feet now jeopardizes every mass investment GM has made.

    Reply
  19. Lease the battery buy the car. Upgrade battery when technology improves.

    Reply
  20. Unfortunately everything is measured in monetary terms so whilst many would vote to keep it , business is not run off well we will keep it incase it eventually pays. Business big or small cannot afford not to make money – even people’s own homes need to be run efficiently and so if there’s an expense that can’t be justified it goes, simple as that.

    Reply
    1. I think you are missing the point. GM is not just creating a new model here they are creating a new market with a new kind of product.

      The fact is GM and every other MFG in the world needs to increase MPG in a major way that can not be done with diesel, CNG or any other fuel right now.

      The plain fact is there are no fossile fuels or Batteries that will meet the mandated 52 MPG average in 2025. To do so would require a very small underpowered car or short range battery. The Volt is the best of both and the technology has to be grown to make it better and cheaper.

      It is simple most suppliers will not invest in batteries and better electric motors unless they have some place to sell them. Most people will not buy an all electric car as they could not live with one in many cases as they have no place to charge it or they drive more than they will have range. The Volt give them the short range battery and the fast easy to refuel gas when needed.

      To make the Volt GM could have done like Tesla and sell it for $100,000 to a small select group or they could try to sell it cheaper to create a niche and then ride it out to wait for the pay out as the price of the car get lower and range gets farther. The next gen will get cheaper and more people will be attracted and profits will grow. At some point if a fast charge long range batter arrives they can just drop the ICE and make it full electric very easy. But I do not see a do all battery for a good while and GM has a good answer till or if one arrives.

      GM is investing in the future here and the pay out is not 2012 but 2020 and later.

      GM made it clear that this was not a short term project and will take time to mature.

      Also many things learned on lighter weight and efficiency on this car will be integrated into many other models.

      This is a case where you have to spend money to make money as this is a whole new ballgame.

      The bottom line is the 52 MPG average is just that an average and that means we will need to see some cars rated at 70 MPG and more so we can still have light trucks, performance cars and larger cars. The Volt and it like are not a car for everyone to buy but they are a car that will let you buy the car you still want to own that many not make the government mandates.

      You have to look big picture here and not micro manage this one.

      Now a car like the Sonic, Cruze and Malibu are the profit car that need to make money. GM need to better support the trucks with profitable cars and they are the heart of the line up for profit. This is why the Malibu is getting the fast changes.

      Reply
  21. The next one is going to be cheaper and have further range because I believe they are going to have a dedicated engine for this application. Maybe a diesel or imagine if they used a LPG, the emissions would be di minimis.
    Add that to the better battery tech and it will be doing very well.

    Reply
  22. Like someone stated ahead, it will nice to upgrade your car more like upgrading your PC.. Like how you are able to upgrade ram, gpu, cpu, even the os. I understand it’s not as cheap as that but it will be nice to see an electric car with an operating stsrem that will be able to offer software updates to be more efficient etc.. And hopefully one day the batteries will be as small and common to be able to upgrade yourself.. Idk it was just a thought.. But yes keep the volt tech, you get recognition for stepping out and exploring not by playing it safe all the time..

    Reply
    1. i like your idea about software updates

      Reply
  23. No, they should not. Even if the car is not popular, GM still needs a compliance car to meet with regulations. And it is not bad that they are selling poorly right now – GM shouldn’t work their way through their 200,000 allowed tax rebates right away until it’s become profitable, in the next rework.

    Reply
  24. Hell no I was thinking of getting one once the new generation comes out for my senior year in high school (my parents spoil me a little bit) I’m confident GM will work all the minor problems with the current volt.

    Reply
  25. Underachieving numbers? It outsells the Vette. By that logic, would you also get rid of the Vette?
    This car was never meant to sell in large numbers, but if GM can be patient (for once), and learn and improve on the technology, this will be the future of the automobile.

    Reply
  26. I’m surprised there hasn’t been any mention of this here, yet. IMO, it’s not just the cost of the technnology that went into the Volt that makes expensive, but partially because greedy dealers jacking the price up by charging a “premium” because the Volt is “limited” in production numbers and available markets does not project a completely positive image onto the Volt because of these sales tactics.

    Reply
  27. Preponderous! A provocative question, but one with an obvious answer: No

    2nd gen Volt will be better in every way. Remember how many years it took
    Toyota to build 2nd gen Prius – at which point, it not only became profitable
    and a big seller, but sold worldwide in all major markets in numbers that
    nobody saw coming. After 2,000,000 sold, today, 3rd gen Prius has a
    plug in ( inferior to Volt in nearly every way except seats 5 ), an MPV and
    an economy model.

    Volt definately needs more vehicles off it’s soon new platform to help
    it be profitable, including CUV. VIA Motors has proven the EREV format
    works great for pickup trucks and large vans. No huge amount of R&D
    need be done – VIA has already built GM trucks that work fantastic. Since
    this is the #1 selling category – GM is really sleeping at the wheel for
    not building these. Mass production brings economies of scale into play
    which makes the GM version sell in the $45-55,000 range – not unheard
    of for a topline truck. VIA’s V-Trux sell for $85,000, making it practically
    an experiment – or a study for large fleets.

    While Tesla Model S may just well be the best car in the world at this point,
    the Volt still completely eliminates EV range anxiety at half the price.

    ELR is pretty much a waste of time – I certainly hope GM does to
    Volt what Toyota did to Prius in it’s 2nd iteration. If so – we have a
    revolutionary product at a price people can afford.

    BTW – Gas reached over $4.00 per gallon in Seattle this week.
    BRING ON THE VOLTS!!!!!!

    Reply
  28. I really have to agree with the economy of scale achieved by creating more vehicles that use Voltec technology. And though I think the ELR is very cool, it won’t sell in the numbers needed to be of much help. They need something that will in large volume like, I suspect, the Chevy MPV5 concept.

    Reply
  29. What some here fail to understand it the present car and the next gen car is also shared with the Cruze, Verano, Opel and Holden. It is on the present Delta II and will be on the D2XX as will the others. Now that the hard points of the system have been worked out the cost of improving the system will come down as they no longer will be working from scratch.

    They must still be selling well as in my 12 mile trip today I saw 4 on the road on one in parking lot. To with new tags. Note this is in Ohio and we are not tree huggers here.

    My question is if we do away and do not finish this line how do you expect to achieve 52 MPG average in 2025?

    Few people will buy full electrics as they can not live with them as a daily driver or an only car. The public wants a car that fits their life not one they have to fit they life to the car.

    We will see a small cross over with the next gen. You can bank on that.

    Reply
  30. The volt is a good example that GM can at lease apply some usefull innovation, that will be integrated into other GM vehicles for the future. Further, I hope that GM can upgrade the Volt’s system along with e-assist to be use on future SUVs, such as the Escalade, Thahoe and others.

    Reply
  31. If you don’t think the Volt is a sports car, you’ve never driven one, and floored it from a stoplight. Too bad they don’t publish 0 to 30 times for cars.

    Reply
    1. I didn’t realize 0-30mph defined a sports car. The C7 must be a space shuttle then.

      Reply
      1. Wouldn’t surprise me if Volt beats the C7 0 to 30 mph, by the time all those pistons and heavy crankshaft get up to torque.

        Reply
  32. Yes…it reminds me of Obama.

    Reply
    1. Everyone here is now dumber from having to read that.

      Reply
    2. In what way? There are a number of gas-electric hybrids around these days. Kudos to GM for theirs. Hopefully the next version will be slightly smaller and even more economical to run and buy.(not you Manoli, Joe is where this is directed.)

      Reply
      1. Joe is saying that yes, they should discontinue the volt because it reminds him of Obama, which apparently is a bad thing.

        Why does no one understand that the decision to build the volt was made years Obama was elected, before Obama was even a senator. And if you don’t believe that, then how do you explain such a complicated car being sprung up out of nowhere in 1 1/2 years.

        People did the same thing with the “new GM” and the bailout, failing to recognize that all these new amazing cars GM is building, cars like the Cruze and Camaro, have nothing to do with Obama’s intervention and GM’s new management, Wagoner and Lutz made these cars, both who left shortly after the “new GM” . Its to bad the economy collapsed before GM could complete its turnaround plan, they only needed another year or two.

        Reply
  33. Is this a joke? Why would GM discontinue the one product that will eventually lead their fleet? GM should be singularly focused on the electric revolution.. Extending range and eliminating the fuel will make them competitive in this area. People want GM to succeed in this field. People want an American car manufacturer to produce a cleaner more efficient vehicle. If you build it,they WILL come. GM should focus on what’s important to people…..distance and affordability…. Cars represent freedom, the ability to move FORWARD, and Possibility. So many people are in a holding pattern waiting for the $35k 250 mile range representation of just that…but GM must know consumers are much more educated. We know it can be done without gas… Stop mucking about with gas and give the people what they want…GM is truly an institution people believe in BUT right now they aren’t holding up their end of the bargain. Regardless the one thing GM should NOT is cancel this car, it’s the best achievement they’ve made in my 40 yr lifetime

    Reply
  34. I have now owned my 2013 volt for around 3 months, previously owning a Honda Hybrid for 7 years. Currently I am achieving mileage of 160 KL per Litre, travelling 80 kl to and from work each day, I have to commend GM for the Volt, i is extremely quiet and a pleasure to drive. I do have a few gripes, 1 being the cost, It would have been nice to achieve 100 kl on a charge, and my radio does not have the Mylink nor satellite radio features which is disappointing, the 5th seat would have been nice, but I understand the logistics of this, another possible thing for GM to think about is an attachable battery Extension pack, and or a larger fuel tank, which would help give extra mileage. Overall the vehicle is a good vehicle, and I just love driving past petrol stations, as I used to in my Honda Hybrid averaging 1000 kl per 50 Lire’s. That’s what I want to be able to do in my Volt 1000 kl, in Australia our needs are a little different than the US and I am realistic to understand that we are a much smaller market. GM keep up the good work and devise other methods or perpetual recharging with & without using fuel sourced generators.

    Reply
  35. The Volt is a significant vehicle for GM, much as the Corvette is. If I didn’t have a 60 mile round trip commute I’d have one in my garage, or better yet the new Cadillac ELR! If my company, a very large public electrical utility put charging stations in the parking lot that would sway me to get one.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel