[igotzzoom]

I came across the Wikipedia page for the Toyota Prius. It's interesting to see the sales trajectory of the car from its introduction to current. The first year it was sold in North America, 2000, only 5,800 were sold. 2001 saw 16,000 sell. Of course, the real bump in sales came with the introduction of the second-generation hatchback model, more than doubling previous year's sales.

The only reason I bring this up is for those that say GM's initial sales goals are too modest, and that not enough are being sold or will be sold to make much of a difference in the overall market. Just be patient. In time, I think the Volt, and other EREV models will comprise a significant segment of the automotive market.

 

[Texas]

Not if they don't get the price of the car down or the price of gas doesn't go high enough to justify the massive initial sticker shock.

The price of the vehicles should come down due to economy of scale and special cost cutting by GM. How much is still the question.

We must remember that most people don't pay more for less performance, even if it saves the world or our country. Sad but true. They are mostly motivated by cost and cool. What's the least we can pay for the most cool.

Thankfully, the Volt is very cool. The Catfish II (Leaf)? Not so much.


Note: if the leaf doesn't sell well, I hope it's not blamed on the EV technology. You have to admit that the style is not what Americans traditionally go for. The Japanese? Maybe. I personally love the technology and the fact that it's a mass production car. However, I would fire the designer. Just box up his things and escort him out. Sorry, he is probably a nice guy but...

 

[igotzzoom]

Good point, Texas. I'm certainly motivated by the cool factor. If the Volt were a carbon-copy of the Prius, and offered the same level of driver engagement and performance, I would not be as excited. Sure, it's not a Vette ZR1, but after having driven one, it's plenty fun-to-drive, very efficient, and stylish. Let's hope the "cool" factor is enough to get sales off the ground.