One of the big arguments I keep getting from the drill now crowd is "the Volt will be too expensive at first", blah, blah, blah. As with any new technology its always more costly in round one but once its out for a while, the costs go down and the product improves.

How much would GM be able to save if they sold the first round of Volts directly to the most die hard Volt enthusiasts? Buyers must show up at the manufacturing plant after having pre-paid a few weeks in advance so the checks have all cleared. No dealership mark-up and in consideration of the national emergency that the gas prices have created GM tries to get these beta 1st round models out sooner than November 2010.

What would be the savings on the dealer mark-up?
What would be the savings on the shipping costs from Michigan to Springfield?
Could GM get them out to the hard core folks sooner than 2010?

How much would GM be able to save if they sold the first round of Volts directly to the most die hard Volt enthusiasts?

You mean after the lawsuits for violating their contract with dealers? ;)

Something can be arranged like a "test" car that would be exempt from dealership rules. Universities can get some vehicles that way without dealership involved, except where to pick them up.

Maybe die hards should petition strongly enough.

I don't think that would work. It would piss off the dealers something awful and factories aren't exactly showrooms. It's not the most ideal place to buy (or sell) a car.

Nice idea, but the first adopters will be paying full price and then some. A franchise contract is a contract. Tough to get around without losing a lot of money.