Chevy Volt Design vs. Technology: Could Plug-In's Looks Hurt Sales?
By John O'Dell September 17, 2008
Will the upcoming Chevy Volt's plug-in, extended-range electric vehicle technology make it a sales hit in these times of concern about energy security and fuel prices and availability?
Or will its just-revealed design -- so different from the cutting-edge but admittedly un-aerodynamic design of the original Volt show car -- blunt the public's appetite for the car?
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The Chevrolet Volt Concept (top) unveiled at the 20007 Detroit Auto Show was lower, sleeker and, unfortunately, far less aerodynamic, than the 2010 production version (bottom) unveiled this week.
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The Chevrolet Volt Concept (top) unveiled at the 20007 Detroit Auto Show was lower, sleeker and, unfortunately, far less aerodynamic, than the 2010 production version (bottom) unveiled this week.
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We hope not, but we have to admit that we weren't all that wowed by the looks of the production version of the Volt unveiled earlier this week.
Some already are seeking an answer to the Volt design vs. tech question, and one of the first out of the gate is CNW Research.
That's the iconoclastic Oregon-based auto market research and analysis firm that last year opined that a Hummer was more environmentally friendly than a Prius when the impact of elements such as nickel mining (for battery material) and transpacific shipping was added to the Prius' account.
In a teaser announcement advancing a full report to be issued Friday in its regular Retail Automotive Summary (subscription only), CNW says that it found in a series of focus groups this week that almost three-quarters of participants, who viewed photos of the concept and production Volts, think the production version's design "common or uninspired."
And in the California market, an important one for hybrids and EVs, "the design was considered a serious disappointment among virtually all of those who had been aware of the show car," CNW found.
Among those focus group participants with high-tech backgrounds, the Volt's technology, the report says, "was considered clever and innovative, but they, too, felt the design was too bland and didn't give the technology the 'wrappings' it deserved."
That technology combines all-electric propulsion with rechargeable batteries and an onboard generator -- an internal combustion engine -- that keeps things going even after the initial battery charge from the commercial power grid is depleted.
Finally, the report says that compared to people who said they'd consider buying one when the Volt show car was the only version they'd seen, "consideration of acquisition" of the production version -- based on a viewing of its design - "was significantly lower."
We don't know how much attention GM pays to CNW's studies (the carmaker sure liked the Hummer vs. Prius report), but the company isn't a lightweight when it comes to taking the buying public's temperature.
Sure, the Prius proved that svelte good looks aren't everything to the car buying public -- heck, GM's late and unlamented Pontiac Aztek proved that even the ugliest mishmash of design elements can be sold to some people.
But we wonder how many of the 50,000 or so people who've raised their hands as prospective Volt buyers on a variety of web-based fan sites for the car will still be standing in line when it actually goes on sale at the end of 2010.
We're willing to bet that a lot will depend on gas prices and that the lower they are, the more the Volt's aesthetics will override its technology -- and vice versa.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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Coming ?????
This P.R. campaign is just that and the "dolt" is a long way off but the image of G.M. is lousy soooo hype this turkey.
Won't sell 5000 a year @ current estimated pricing and only that if they can get enough batteries. Ask Toyota or Ford about getting enough nickle batteries for their hybrids.
"Dolt" is just another in a series (ethanol, hybrids, nat gas, EVs) of false promises about achieving energy independence. All they really do is stretch oil leaving gasoline and diesle the fuel of necessity for decades. What a shame when we could really be doing something about it with hydrogen.
At the asking price (I hear it's $40k), the boring look will definitely hurt sales. I believe that anyone willing to spend $40k on a car doesn't care as long as they get 25 mpg highway, so the Volt's economy will not be a priority.....but styling and social statement would be. People who want a hybrid because they seriously want to cut car operation costs would opt for cheaper models like the Prius, Civic hybrid or even the regular Civic.
I know I wouldn't pay $40k for a car with this joke of a style.
You will have people who buy it because they have to have the latest technology. I actually like the production exterior better than the concept. It has a sportier, sleeker look to it. The concept has too much of a chisled, hacked-from-a-stone look that is unappealing to me. (That's also why I don't like any Cadillacs or the Camaro). Of course, if you believe the media reports, people like me are in the vast minority. But honestly, seeing the production version of the Volt makes it *more* appealing, not less.
To bfarrell: You lambast efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels an not enough, since it does not sever the dependence completely. Then you go on to propose hydrogen as an alternative. Do you realize that most hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels? How is that an acceptable alternative to gasoline/diesel?
greenpony
Recent research at numerous American Universities, including M.I.T., O.S.U. , and Berkley suggest there are several means of producing hydrogen from water that are both cost effective and simple to commercialize. One method uses nitrogen fixing bacteria and sunlight while they have also discovered a catalyst based on cobalt that will break the hydrogen oxygen bond at room temps. The days of steam reformation from nat gas and coal are history.
The nation that developed, tested and deployed the atom bomb in under three years can surely produce hydrogen at a rate and price that beats fossil fuels IF WE WANT TO.
I like the new design. It might be plain, but only in comparison to the cartoonish concept. I'm more likely to buy the new design than the concept, and it's better looking than the Prius.
bfarrell - I agree, hydrogen production is getting pretty interesting, but why don't you like the Volt? It is designed to be flexible when it comes to the battery recharging powerplant so it could easily use a fuel cell or hydrogen ICE in the future. The Volt powertrain is simply a very efficient way to move a vehicle. But that's just my opinion.
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