[bro1999]

http://wardsauto.com/engines/chevy-bolt-s-success-stings-volt-stablemate

This is something a lot of us thought would happen. It took a while, but it now definitely seems like the Bolt is stealing sales away from the Volt.

 

[ClarksonCote]

I'm not buying it. Around me I can find 50+ Bolts for sale but only a couple Volts. They're not stocking Volts, at least not everywhere, and that's not helping Volt sales.

Nobody had a Volt going into the MY2018 switch (in my area), and now Volts continue to be very scarce. The Volt is a mature product now, you need product on the lots so people can find the color/option combination they want to buy, not special build.

 

[Sean Nelson]

http://wardsauto.com/engines/chevy-bolt-s-success-stings-volt-stablemate

This is something a lot of us thought would happen. It took a while, but it now definitely seems like the Bolt is stealing sales away from the Volt.

Yeah, it's certainly true in my case. Back in 2014 I was eager to get a Volt because I wanted an electric car that could go further than the other reasonably-priced offerings of the time. I waited for the Gen2 Volt, but by the time I was able to actually see one in the flesh the Bolt had been announced. The hatchback configuration of the Bolt was far more attractive to me than the Volt's liftback with it's awful rear seat headroom and terrible rear visibility - and it had the kind of range I was comfortable with. It's been a long, long wait but just yesterday I finally took delivery of a Kinetic Blue Bolt.

 

[Steverino]

I think the production plant shutdown and resulting low incentories is the biggest factor, but I also think some who may have bought a Volt got a Bolt instead. Me, I like having one of each. I think they make the perfect EV pairing. I still like having the Volt for it's ability to go anywhere, anytime. without needing to make stops every 200 miles to recharge.

 

[DonC]

I think the next ten years will see a growth of BEVs and, in the case of GM, the growth of Voltec, not necessarily for the Volt. GM has already announced it's bringing more BEVs to market and I suspect we'll see Voltec show up in larger vehicles (CT6) and CUVs/SUVs.

At this stage there are few electrics on the market. Assuming continued sales growth for all electrics, that sales growth should lift all ships. My guess is that a lot of that growth is being fueled by former Prius owners and younger buyers.

 

[!arry4pyro]

Sad to say but I think my beloved Volt is heading to extintion. The reason is not the Bolt and other pure EVe hitting the market. No, the real reason, I believe, is GM will make a wholesale shift to extended range electric propulsion based on the Voltec technology. When just about every vehicle is offered with Voltec propulsion there will no longer be a reason for the Volt.

 

[Loboc]

This was the plan all along. Volt is an interim solution because batteries were too expensive. Now, we are getting to the point very quickly where an EV is the same sticker price as an ICE. We are already at TCO parity in some cases.

The earlier report that Volt will be replaced with a CUV-Volt for Gen3 is starting to make a lot of sense.

We just need more variety. Small cars are ok for some use cases. Soccer mom is not one of them.

 

[jcanoe]

Last Friday my 2017 Volt threw a check engine light and I had to bring my Volt in for dealer service. I was provided with a 2018 Volt Premier as a loaner car. I am a bit concerned that if my Chevrolet dealer has a fully optioned 2018 Volt Premier with 250 miles on the odometer as a loaner vehicle, not just the Volt LT, that the Volt is not selling well right now. This does not bode well for the future of the Volt in the Chevrolet product line.

 

[DonC]

Sad to say but I think my beloved Volt is heading to extintion. The reason is not the Bolt and other pure EVe hitting the market. No, the real reason, I believe, is GM will make a wholesale shift to extended range electric propulsion based on the Voltec technology. When just about every vehicle is offered with Voltec propulsion there will no longer be a reason for the Volt.

My view as well.

The earlier report that Volt will be replaced with a CUV-Volt for Gen3 is starting to make a lot of sense.

Or just an option on a standard CUV like what you can get with the CT6.

 

[Loboc]

Or just an option on a standard CUV like what you can get with the CT6.

Just another baby-step like Volt. When EV is cheaper, faster, quieter and charging (re-fueling) is easier, why would anyone buy an ICE or a hybrid?

I'm thinking that most smaller cars will be EV and voltec will be used in larger vehicles because, deja vu, the large batteries will be too expensive to make them all EVs. Eventually, EV will rule and ICE will disappear. Paris is apparently trying to make this happen quicker than natural selection by banning fossil-fueled engines.

 

[rmay635703]

Don’t discount the fact that the volt is a car and
cheap gas and as a result consumers wanting CUVs / SUVs / trucks
Over cars being part of the reason.

 

[BAZINGA]

To bad GM/Chevy didn't see fit to outfit the Bolt with ACC. Have it on my 2017 Volt and GMC Acadia and will never own a car w/o it. I thought the 2018 Bolt would have it, but Noooooooo. Come on GM, get your head out.

 

[viking79]

http://wardsauto.com/engines/chevy-bolt-s-success-stings-volt-stablemate

This is something a lot of us thought would happen. It took a while, but it now definitely seems like the Bolt is stealing sales away from the Volt.

It isn't cannibalizing sales, maybe reducing them some (I guess at these low of numbers it could be considered cannibalizing), but according to this, 70% of Bolt EV buyers are new to the brand.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/09/70-percent-of-chevrolet-bolt-ev-buyers-are-new-to-the-brand/

It is a bit disconcerting though that only 1/3 are trading in a traditional ICE vehicle, that does mean most are coming from Hybrids or EVs.

There is a lot more competition on the Volt pricing now, the Prius Prime is out and also there are other vehicles that are maybe priced better like the Pacifica Hybrid and upcoming Honda Clarity PHEV (supposedly slightly more than base price Volt with much better equipment standard in a bigger car).

 

[fotomoto1]

The Volt design, with its T-shape battery form factor that dates back to the EV1, is literally so last century. Time for better packaging ideas to compete with others. Range isn't everything; a concept that isn't well received on this forum.

 

[fotomoto1]

To bad GM/Chevy didn't see fit to outfit the Bolt with ACC. Have it on my 2017 Volt and GMC Acadia and will never own a car w/o it.

Agreed. Folks that have never used it, especially on a daily basis, don't get how big of an omission this is in general. And to make it even more cutting, the competition (Tesla and Nissan) will be stepping it up beyond basic level ACC for 2018.

 

[Sean Nelson]

It isn't cannibalizing sales, maybe reducing them some (I guess at these low of numbers it could be considered cannibalizing), but according to this, 70% of Bolt EV buyers are new to the brand.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/09/70-percent-of-chevrolet-bolt-ev-buyers-are-new-to-the-brand/

I'm new to the brand, but the Bolt also cannibalized my Volt purchase. I was planning to buy a Volt but ended up with the Bolt because I like the hatchback form factor and the Bolt has enough range to meet my needs.

It is a bit disconcerting though that only 1/3 are trading in a traditional ICE vehicle, that does mean most are coming from Hybrids or EVs.

This is true - my previous car was a Prius C.

But - hybrids are starting to become mainstream. More and more people are driving them, bringing them one step closer to an EREV or pure BEV.

 

[Sean Nelson]

The Volt design, with its T-shape battery form factor that dates back to the EV1, is literally so last century. Time for better packaging ideas to compete with others. Range isn't everything; a concept that isn't well received on this forum.

Yes, I totally agree. I was planning to buy a Volt but the interior layout was pretty awkward, and in particular the liftback design compromised rear headroom and visibility too much for me to accept. The Bolt's underfloor battery really opens up the cabin space without compromising cargo room - it's the standard for EV design IMHO.

 

[Fumble]

Yeah, it's certainly true in my case. Back in 2014 I was eager to get a Volt because I wanted an electric car that could go further than the other reasonably-priced offerings of the time. I waited for the Gen2 Volt, but by the time I was able to actually see one in the flesh the Bolt had been announced. The hatchback configuration of the Bolt was far more attractive to me than the Volt's liftback with it's awful rear seat headroom and terrible rear visibility - and it had the kind of range I was comfortable with. It's been a long, long wait but just yesterday I finally took delivery of a Kinetic Blue Bolt.

My case as well. Gen1 Volt taught me I didnt need an ICE anymore averaging 1 tank of gas per year. And even more dramatic is that 1 tank was about 8-9 gallons. Bolt has DC fast charging which is nice if needed at 100mph (not Tesla nice but its got it). Rear window wiper let me ditch the squeegee every morning. I do miss homelink and a quality backup camera but not a deal breaker.

 

[Steverino]

My case as well. Gen1 Volt taught me I didnt need an ICE anymore

My Volt taught me the joy's of electric drive. It showed me the benefit of having a "Plan B" for cross country driving. It showed me that a Bolt could be our primary car for 90% of the time, and the Volt for trips under 40 miles or over 200. For a two-car family, having both in the garage is awesome.

 

[kuykenr71]

So I'm on the other side of the fence. I wanted electric but not full electric. I commute 27 miles to work and back and deal with the steepest highway in the USA daily which is I70. It's also cold here which decreases range. That makes the Volt my best choice for me. No way would I buy a Bolt at this point.

I went from never owning a Chevy in all the cars i owned, always owned foreign cars. Last year I bought the Chevy Colorado because it blew away the competition, now a Volt because there is no competition. I would have bet you a billion dollars I would never own a chevy years ago, more less, two!