Who do they think they are foolin??

[Mike]

it's very possible that a prius purchase keeps just as money in this country
as a volt purchase.[/QUOTE]



Most Toyota are about 60% american parts while GM cars are about 85% and the money goes to Japan not here.



On the otherside, I like the idea of the volt. Would I have one, probably not. But as a emplyee of a dealer I can tell you its about time that GM took the lead like they use and came out with some cars that people just might buy like they did with the camaro. GM needs to get the car built and out in the public. Stop hanging the carrot in front of people like they did with the camaro and put the cars in the showrooms. I've been to a couple of deals on the volt and the idea seems very good. Will it work, get it in the showroom and let the pblic decide.

 

[willy]

(Even though word on the street today is that GM is the stock to buy now- it won't stay low forever...)

Well now that the US Government has what..a 60% stake in GM? Hey well then I own part of that right? Bail them out..file for bankruptcy..and then the company plans to cut 21,000 employees, about 34 percent of its work force, and reduce the number of dealers by 2,600.

This was in May:

Administration officials said late Sunday the federal government would pump $30 billion dollars into GM as it makes its way through bankruptcy court. That's besides the $20 billion in taxpayers' money that the Treasury already lent to the automaker.

(damn..that money machine has got to be getting tired)

Tell me we don't have a problem, Martin. The success of the clunker bull will be done here shortly. Then it's back to reality. I wonder..with the upcoming 10% unemployment..how many new clunker sellers will default.

I'm actually waiting on the housing buyout..ya know..I like my house but man..I sure would like some support upgrading. Well sh!t..housing market is in just as bad a shape!

 

[Mike]

David, cash for clunkers=housing market on 4 wheels



Written in part by Diane Feinstein who's husband is in the banking business, Ya think! Naw(LQTM)

 

[Smiley]

I KNOW the big three are international. But, for cars and trucks built for and sold in the US, I don't think the money that's made on a US-bound car goes to the UK, for example. It goes to the US first.

BTW, there are plenty of great cars that the big three could sell here, but don't.

You mean like the 50MPG COMBINED Focus Turbo Diesel that Ford has been selling overseas for years?

Buy a used FORD FOCUS DIESEL ESTATE 2.0 TDCi Ghia 5dr [Euro 4] [Non-DPF] car

The US isn't real Diesel Friendly..

 

[Smiley]

Okay, so they get a tax credit for buying this Volt thingy. Then they go so many miles without filling up, and then gasoline revenues go down, therefore taxes generated from gasoline sales for the road tax go down, so now the roads cant be fixed so they jack the tax up more to make up for the loss in taxes...oy, my head hurts.

Add to that what happens when the batteries give up. Last I heard for a Prius it was about 12k for new batteries. They have an 8-10 year lifespan.

Can you image how fast those things will start stacking up in the boneyards? They are throw-aways and will have ZERO resale value in 6-8 years because of the battery cost!

 

[Mike]

Add to that what happens when the batteries give up. Last I heard for a Prius it was about 12k for new batteries. They have an 8-10 year lifespan.

Can you image how fast those things will start stacking up in the boneyards? They are throw-aways and will have ZERO resale value in 6-8 years because of the battery cost!

Bet nobody thought about the cost to get rid of the battries.

 

[mick]

here's the deal on batteries..........article i read a few months ago

Clean Energy's Dirty Little Secret - The Atlantic (May 2009)

 

[sharkman]

Hummmm, very interesting article, I don't know much about the Volt but I really like the new Camaro SS/RS, Black on Black with a six speed, yea baby! that thing rocks! or the new ZR1 vette with a blown 6.2 putting out 638HP, see the USA in a new Chevrolet! keep them coming guys!

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

At the GM proving grounds in Chandler they are running a Suburban that tows a trailer to/from Payson completely on batteries. There has been loads of technologies being tested that we are not privy to but with the Kenyan's bailout, everything that could have happened to save GM won't. GM's bankruptcy could have kicked the UAW to the curb and made them competitive in so many ways but instead the Kenyan jumped in to save his voters (the massive unions) and we'll all watch as both GM, one of the world's largest corporations and our country go down in flames. Mark my word!

 

[Dave]

I know, I saw that. I'm kinda wondering how they got that figure.

Just one thing - the Volt's gas engine is only used to charge the batteries. It's not used to drive the wheels, so it only needs to stay on for a short time. It looks to be a better car than the Prius - and you're buying American at the same time.

The gas engine is used to drive a generator which sends the power to the electric motor or battery, whichever is needed.

They are basing the MPG gallon figures on short commutes, so if you make daily commutes longer than 40 miles your actual mileage may vary...

The max range of the Volt is about 640 miles on a tank of fuel which is 12 gallons. That sounds like 53 MPG for people with long commutes or that take long trips, pretty close to the Prius. The advantage the Prius has? You never have to plug it in.

 

[Dave]

Add to that what happens when the batteries give up. Last I heard for a Prius it was about 12k for new batteries. They have an 8-10 year lifespan.

Can you image how fast those things will start stacking up in the boneyards? They are throw-aways and will have ZERO resale value in 6-8 years because of the battery cost!

Actually, the replacement cost for a Prius battery is about $2300-$2600(depending on the year model) plus labor. It started out much higher than that but I would expect it to continue to go down. The warranty on a new Prius is 10 years/100,000 miles.