The Chevrolet Volt was heralded as a technological marvel when it arrived on the scene for the 2011 model year. It promised a more efficient future with the combination of an electric motor and reserve gasoline engine and the possibility of 98 MPGe.
Fast forward to 2017, and the Chevrolet Volt hasn’t become the electric car savior General Motors envisioned at the height of the U.S. recession and soaring gasoline prices. Gas is cheap and the economy is relatively stable. According to a new report from Reuters, the combination of these market factors and a consumer shift to crossovers and SUVs may kill the Chevrolet Volt.
GM is said to be reviewing the future of numerous passenger car nameplates and the Volt’s future is in limbo, according to sources familiar with the matter. If the product plans prove true, the Chevrolet Volt will expire after 2020 and be replaced with a plug-in hybrid crossover vehicle.
The Volt’s future also rests with the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, which is seriously underused at the moment. The facility exclusively builds sedans in an unfriendly market towards the body style. The Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac CT6, Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala all come from the Detroit-Hamtramck’s production lines.
The United Auto Workers union is also in talks with GM about future sedan production as the market for the body type continues to decline and inventories of cars swell. Continued cuts to production risk additional UAW jobs.
“We are tracking it (and) we are addressing it,” UAW President Dennis Williams said.
Comments
I hope they have a change of heart. What they need to do is keep improving on the technology and the vehicle. The also need to spread the technology across other vehicles Put it in SUV’s,perhaps the Buick Lacross,the Impala and the CT6. IT’s an expensive technology so put in expensive vehicles. But don’t make the mistake like they did in the Cadillac. That vehicle was very beautiful but impractical and way too expensive for what you got.
Exactly!! More range and spread the tech around but still keep the Volt. They could use that concept CUV for the plug in. Plus add a little excitement to their models. Daring designs and more hp.
This is the only platform where you can drive your car across the country on gas OR electricity…..they MUST preserve access to buyers that have range anxiety. I for one, would have never purchased an all-electric car like a Tesla or a Leaf. I do like the fact that they are talking about porting the technology to a crossover vehicle….that’s what I would have purchased over my 2013 Volt….may no mistake, I love my Volt, but I’d be willing to give up a little economy for the extra versatility of a crossover.
Changing to a crossover is not a big deal but I would still keep the name. No need to give up the brand recognition.
Volt is a great name, but I felt Bolt really infringed upon it. If they’re intent on killing one of their best products, they might as well bury the name along with it.
They are these crossvolt crossover with these voltec drivetrain, they already have trademark for it. Went did they say they were dropping these voltec tech? All there doing is going to a different body style, crossover’s.
Cadillac’s crossover’s will see these most of voltec drivetrain.
My understanding was the Volt was only going to be around for a couple gens till the technology was moved into existing models.
To be honest this car could easily be a hybrid Cruze.
Bingo!!, scott.
These Voltec Drivetrain, is going on Crossovers and SUV’s.
The Volt was and is a game changer. Originally John Lauckner and Bob Lutz, the co-fathers of the Volt pinned it as the car that leapfrogged the Prius – and that it did. Even this latest iteration of the Prius with independent rear suspension and a Prime/Plug-In model comes up short in every way against the Volt. The first gen Chevy had a major identity crisis and it was painful watching GM try to advertise it and not say it was superior to it’s gas models. Instead, we got tons of phony, goofy ads that didn’t compare the car to Prius and didn’t explain rightly what the car can do. That, and an EV range of 35-40 miles and an MSRP north of $40,000 might had killed the first generation.
GM stuck with the program. They showed they definitely listen to their customers too. All the critiques and observations by customers in forums and focus groups got heard. The resulting 2nd generation Volt was a whole lot better car. Even as the first Volt was overengineered and strong as a bull from it’s burly thermally-controlled battery pack to it’s original design – the second Volt is tons better. 53 EV miles and 45 MPG COMBINED USING GAS was a major win. The new Volt not only looks better but it’s faster and better in every respect. It even has a T-pack running down the middle of the car just like the old platform – but they managed to squeeze in a center seat in back to accomidate a child or small person.
This time – GM was up against the end of that generous tax refund that could never become a point-of-purchase rebate. What with Bolt EV needing that $7500 to be semi-viable in the showroom, Volt got sidelined in the marketing department. While complicated, it’s a bonus to the buyer that can’t be underestimated. $7500 sliced off your income taxes is a sweet reward on top of buying the best car you’ve ever owned – smooth, swift and quiet luxury. They were reaching 100,000 Volts sold when the 2016 2nd gen. came around. GM had no idea how to deal with it. They spent millions in advertising to get the car a .30 second on-screen photo opportunity in the epic fail movie, Tomorrowland (2015). TV and print ads showed the 2016 Volt like it was a star in the movie. As it was – the car was an afterthought for 3 seconds in the last 5 minutes of the film – Not even driven or owned by any character in the story! – And GM’s ad fell on dead ears. Why? The car didn’t even come out then…It was six months before the car hit the dealers, AND AT THAT – ONLY IN 11 C.A.R.B. and ZEV states — THERE TRULY WAS NO 2016 VOLT in my state or most states! What a hiccup – right at the onset! To add insult to Volt injury, the 2017 was rolled out months later to no fanfare whatsoever. No ads on TV as GM said they’d stick to billboard ads in California and a few scattered magazine spreads in “early adopter techie magazines”. To date – no coherent TV ads spots for Volt in over 2 years! It’s as if they didn’t want to sell the car from the start. So basically, gen 2 became this secret stepchild born to die as they fast-tracked the confusingly-named BOLT EV to take it’s place as their “GREEN HALO” product.
The Volt is a tragic story. Why? Because it did out-Prius the Prius, and it’s far better than anything with a plug out there. GM just killed it before it ever got started.
My hat is off to GM’s fine engineers who made Volt a great machine that does what no other car at any price can do. Imagine an electric car 90+% of the time that fuels at home while you sleep and needs less maintenance that your gas-only cars and trucks…THE ONLY ELECTRIC CAR THAT WON’T EVER LEAVE YOU STRANDED OR CHARGING OUT IN THE WORLD FOR HOURS AND HOURS TO GET WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. LIMITLESS ELECTRIC – THAT’S THE VOLT!
On the other hand, I moon GM’s management and beancounters in Detroit for mismanaging the whole program from start to finish.
SAVE THE VOLT! – MAKE A CROSSOVER VERSION TOO! This was another fiasco as GM made a “MPV5 crossover” concept car and showed it at the Shanghai Motor Show. Only to ditch it and never show it again as if it too was a skunkworks secret project we never should have seen (!!!). For years, Volt fans HAVE BEGGED GM to build a crossover Voltec – a sedan Voltec with a back seat as large as the Cruze built on the exact same platform. 2nd gen Cruze was delayed one year because the 1st gen was selling well. When the 2nd gen Cruze came out on the same D2XX platform as Volt – it had a larger back seat and enough headroom back there for adults. They couldn’t design Volt to compete in the compact arena with it’s top-seller Cruze which made good profit margins to Volt = costing them money to build and sell each one. Everyone who knows cars knows they have to build a lot of EVs and PHEVs to make margins using economies of scale. They lose money on each Volt and Bolt EV due to low (22,000-30,000/yr.) production….Then they tell the press the public DOESN’T WANT THEM. Hey – the public can’t pay $40,000+ for a Chevy compact!
That’s what’s what with Volt. Tell GM we want to save it because – like Corvette, it showed the world what an American car company can do when they put their mind to something … Like showing Toyota their Prius is garbage in a can.
I have a 2017 Volt. Awesome product. smooth, quiet, fast enough. Most trips all electric, but gas backup for long vacation trips. The only thing missing is adjustable lumbar support.
I love my volt I have gotten 19000 miles on 18 gallons of gas. It is fast and loaded with bells and whistles. When my lease is up next year I will get another volt. It is crazy to stop making the volt. they do not promote it enough. most people do not know about it. How we convince Chevy to give it another chance ?
James were is going? Tell gm management to do what save these volt? Voltec Drivetrain isn’t going no were, these chevrolet volt is a compact/hatchback car on a production chassis with a electric drivetrain, it’s time too put it in something larger, say crossover’s and suv’s, that is what these going to do.
Here is some food for your thoughts:
UAW president announced that GM will end Volt production in 2020. He said GM will replace it with ( some kind of hybrid, but unspecified, could be a non-plug in ) a crossover in 2022. That leaves a 2 year gap in-between with no high mpg, high range hybrid using Voltec with a plug – Cadillac CT-6 PHEV nonwithstanding as they literally sell dozens here per year.
Now lets consider what some are saying – “Good riddance Volt sedan, bring on the more popular crossover version”. – Remember that lithium batteries are expensive. They are why GM doesn’t make any money, but bleeds money on every Bolt EV and Volt sold. Now crossover SUVs ( or “CUVs” ) are taller, heavier and have more ground clearance. This means they are less efficient vehicles than sedans. Weight = friction and the shape and height of such vehicles means they push a lot more air to go down the highway, thus get less mpg and if hybridized, get a whole lot less EV range. Now enter a Voltec powertrain and even more batteries to get say – 40 miles of electric range. Now we are talking an expensive vehicle! Look to around $50,000+ or so.
So those who say, “Hey, make Volt a crossover – ditch the sedan!”…Say so without much knowledge of the costs that entails – both to the consumer and the manufacturer. Costs more to build, costs more to own.
This rides along well with GM because the company does not want to build these cars. This is why the fantastic Bolt EV is produced in the 20-30,000 unit/yr. range. Notice no national Bolt EV TV ads? Notice no national Volt TV or magazine ads. These are compliance cars through and through. They comply with CARB, ZEV and EPA mandates – which GM is actively working daily with the Trump admin. to water down or eliminate altogether. Should Tesla fail in it’s quest to make everyday electric cars commplace – GM will continue to remove government mandates and stop using electrification in their products altogether.
A new wrinkle has arisen. That is new mandates in China, the largest car market in the world, and in California – the largest car market by far in the USA. China wants to eliminate all non-electric vehicles to be replaced by EVs ( or in Chinese-speak, “New Energy Vehicles” ) by 2025. SInce it is a communist country, it can dictate that Chinese auto sales be New Energy Vehicles pretty swiftly. California governer Brown has stated, “If China can do it, why can’t we?!”…So there will be a battle in California in upcoming years as to if they can mandate electric car only sales in the state.
Thus, in the last few days, GM has announced 20 new electric or electrified vehicles to be made. Ford has announced 13. Many of these will not be sold in N. America, but they have committed to at least 2 for this market.
Bolt EV will surely soldier on. Volt is manufactured in Shanghai and sold as a Buick in the Chinese market where it is named the Velite 5. In it’s present form, GM seems very eager to axe the car here. Thus the 2 year gap in-between it’s demise and this aforementioned crossover.
A lot may change between now and then. My take is to ask GM to continue on past 2020 with a 3rd gen Volt sedan – this time with a back seat 3 can sit comfortably in. Why? As I’ve said before, a sedan takes less energy and fewer batteries to go 53 miles all electric down the road. Less batteries means less cost and perhaps with increasing energy density happening in each new generation of batteries – a profit if they make enough of them and actually advertise the car as they do EVERY OTHER PRODUCT THEY MAKE.
Cheers, James
I am currently leasing a ’17 Volt and love the car. It is exquisitely engineered but does have some minor faults. I have also owned Prius’s and the Volt is superior. I don’t know if my Volt will become a piece of junk like the Ford Edsel or a collectors item like the ’55-’57 Chevy Belaire. At any rate I will keep it and enjoy passing up gas stations at a good rate of speed and comfort.
The US big 3 automakers have made many mistakes during their tenure and discontinuing the Volt is yet another. All n the interest of enhancing the “bottom line” and the CEO bonuses. Perhaps the executives should pay more attention to the engineering for the long term and less to market projections for the short term.
Many years ago in California before Ford scrapped their electric car their was a move to explore the use of solar cells on electric vehicles. With the advances in silicon cell technology there doesn’t seem to be any interest, that I’ve found out about, in solar powering of vehicles.
T shape and upright batteries are not going to work went moving upscale on voltec drivetrain, that will change and that change is now.
My general feeling is that I wish I could buy a Volt, but too many little items stand in the way. Rear and right quarter visibility are marginal, as is luggage space. Most salespeople are very limited in their understanding of the vehicle’s capabilities. I agree with all the commenters that this is a remarkably sophisticated auto, and keep hoping it will keep on evolving.
It is exactly what I need: Shopping car for busy city streets, yet completely roadworthy for long distances. Please keep it alive!
Can you stretch the Camaro add a couple of doors and make that the new Impala? Maybe make a domestic RWD cop car and SS replacement? And maybe a new Nomad or Kingswood type CUV? Just food for thought. i’d hate to see tbe Volt go—-i’m afraid abandoning it will be another EV-1 public relations nightmare. Can yo make the Volt into a little crossover or hatch or wagon, maybe a greener Outback?
As a Volt owner with a Gen 1, 2014 model, I’d say it’s the best hatchback compact to almost mid size car I’ve ever owned. I put a roof rack, bike hitch (yes it can be done), and tinted the windows, use electric 90% of the time for at least half less cost for otherwise gas miles. I’ve owned the Prius and what a horrid ride comparatively and don’t get me started on Prius drivers. If you are a big person, have a big family, it’s not the right one car choice, get your SUV. But for 2, you can take your sports equipment anywhere cheaply if you add a few accessories. With the tax savings, and other incentives, my fully equipped leather, nav 2014 cost about 26k from 39k. Now it can be had for about 15k. If I was in the used car market I’d jump on it. A few quirks, but all have. It is the poor or average man’s Tesla that smokes all carbon cars at the street light and gets about 40 mpg on long trips otherwise. GM blew it, but my car is a satisfied keeper.
I really love my Volt (2014), but I always did hope its approach would not be exclusive to that model. “Voltish” versions of other GM models would probably be a good thing but I have no idea how challenging it is to adapt the “extended range” approach to other models. I do hope my next car will be the Bolt (or something like it), but the speed of charging and charging infrastructure are points of hesitation for me going all electric. I would have traded some gasoline range for a bit more EV (100 EV + 250 gas); that would have made the Volt absolutely perfect for the current fueling options I have on the road. If charging options become as ubiquitous as fueling options (and you can get a near full charge for 300 miles of range in 10 mins), I think most folks would not hesitate on an EV purchase. I hope GM keeps pushing forward on affordable EV, regardless of specific decisions on Volt.
If GM drops the Volt I’ll drop GM…
I’ve had 3 of them, a 2012, 2014, and 2015… I have the 2014 and 2015 and plans to swap out (trade out) the older 2014 for a 2016 model…
But, those plans our out until I find more. I’ll go with another mfg …. Volvo possibly since they’re going 100% electric.
I’ll say goodbye to GM faster than they can say goodbye to the Volt.
Remember, this was the company that killed EV-1. Even after getting an undeserved government bailout, and a great Volt design…..management is still GM and still pretty stupid. I hope the Volt continues to evolve but stories like this make me look at the Fusion Energi more. Not a better car but I know it will be around.
They’re making the same mistakes. Wait until gas prices go up again, GM will need another bailout.
Maybe if they actually advertised the Volt the would sell more of them. I had a 2013 and now a 2017 and have lived both of them.
The versatility of both electric and gas is a big bonus for me. My driving patterns do not allow for purely electric mode. The infrastructure is not available in my rural area. I can and do run the electric out and switch to gas. The best of both worlds. After a 2200 mile road trip my combined mpg is still 70.
I have one complaint about the Volt. No lumbar adjustment. Other than that, the best car I have ever owned. I have driven it on two 5000 mile road trips which would not have been possible with an EV. Other than on vacation, I use zero gasoline.
I was hoping the next Volt would be an evolutionary improvement with a 60 mile electric range, and better mpg when not running on electric. Maybe a small diesel generator
The best selling vehicles are SUV and Trucks. Why not put the Volt technology in the best selling types of vehicles. Of course they cannot sell tons.. as a hatch back it is a bit pricey… Some said they didn’t like the body style or room or visibility… The technology in the Volt is fantastic… But need more than one body style… I own a Silverado LTZ and I would buy a mid-size Volt PU tomorrow!! No thought about it… I don’t need a huge truck but I don’t like the Colorado.. too narrow and interior needs lots of work.. back and front.
If this car was so good, why did people not buy it.
It hasnt been the savior because THEY DONT MARKET IT!!! Ive seen not one damn commercial for the volt. ever. Anyone whio asks about my car has no clue how it differs from other hybrids or electric cars. GM marketing are morons.
@Adrian Jones You’re absolutely right. GM never really did market the Volt. I never saw a commercial or ad on it. People also ask me where I got my Volt as most don’t even know what it is. The other month I started seeing a commercial on TV from Honda about their Hybrid plug-in and now I see it almost daily on TV. Honda is bragging that their car can get up to 300+ miles with electric and gas… It makes me laugh because you know what the volt can do. I truly think that the fossil fuel gas and oil companies are paying GM NOT to run ads on the Volt. If they would and more people would get the volt they the fossil fuel companies wouldn’t sell any gas. I don’t remember when the last time it was that I actually had to get gas. I’m lucky enough to be able to manage to drive on electric all the time.
The Volt is a fantasic car and the engineering is great. I would love to see SUV but…. I agree 100% that it has never been marketed.. It is a joke.. GM isn’t marketing anything right. They want to get rid of the Impala.. great car. they want to get rid of the Volt.. great car. They need some big changes on Colorado and Canyon. The resale is showing that people don’t really like these trucks.
My take is that the Volt is less profitable (or GM is losing money) than the Bolt and so the didn’t advertise it. I think that the Volt is a superior design because of the gasoline generator. They are building a vehicle on the Volt platform as a Buick for China. This might be where GM has decided to put its production energy.
I lease my Volt, had a 2014 and when the lease ran out I lease a 2017 and when this lease send I hope they still have the 2020 so I can lease that model. If they don’t have a 2020 I will purchase my 2017 at end of lease. This car is the ultimate car with the best of both worlds. GM doesn’t advertise the Volt at all. My dealer said they didn’t have one years model because GM was sending all Volts produced to California to meet their millage regulations. I now get 65 miles on eclectic only. I don’t take very many long trips, but when I do, the Volt technology is there for me. Until someone gets a nationwide system of fast charging stations the all electric cars will not get popular. What will an electric with 200 or 300 miles range want to go on a 500 mile trip? And what if you think you can make your trip just to run out of electricity 10 miles short of your trip. GM had better wake up and keep the Volt around.
Chevy will be making a big mistake if they kill the volt.
They’ve been so far above the competition and now many other companies are coming out with bi-fuel’ed cars.
It would be a mistake now that global warming is just now starting to be recognized.
We need more electric!
My 2017 Chevy Volt is absolutely the best car I have ever owned and I have owned a lot of them. Sadly, GM let this car die on the vine with a lack-luster marketing effort and incompetent dealerships. Clearly, GM lacks vision and has no future.
Very sad! I have owned my VOLT since 2014, and I will never get rid-of-it on my own, unless, of course, it starts to die on me. This is by far the most reliable and efficient vehicle I have had in all my years as a driver. After owning Toyotas for so many years. Very sad new! I hope GM people reconsider and starts marketing this vehicle as it should.
I loved my volt but had to switch to the Honda Clarity. Not as fast as the volt but has the same range and many more features.
people want a hy- bread with room enough for at least 5 passengers . The
bolt is too small and not at all good looking.
We just bought a Honda Clarity for my wife. After much research, it was the closest thing to a Volt we could find. She is very happy with it.
ABSOLUTELY BAD IDEA to cancel the Volt. So much invested in this excellent series PhEV, and if GM only learned to truly and properly market (and educate public) on the benefits of this vehicle, a lot more people would want it. GM needs to stand by it’s Volt heritage and continue to lead in this design. The volt is by far the nicest, and coolest PhEV in this class. It’s head and shoulders above everything else. And the series PhEV concept in the volt is the best transitional design for our current system. This car is amazing and GM is lead by fools if they let it go.. Keep it going and introduce your next variant in crossover form, but KEEP THE VOLT !
I had the 2012 Volt and loved it!
I traded it for the 2016 Volt and I love it!
I want to buy a new Volt and the competition doesn’t come close.
Please don’t cancel the production of new Volts.
I always drove Cads or the big Lincoln.
But, nothing is as great as my Volt.
My dealership in Kirkland, WA gives great service on my Volt.
Its a classy chassis! So stunning to look at!
P.S. I am a woman and have to go into the City some nights and feel so secure that it converts seamlessly into gas. No worries!