The Cheverolt Volt will be at least $35,000. How long will it take for the Volt to be priced at $22,000 or les

Question

Initially, the Cheverolt Volt will be $35,000. How long will it take for the Volt to be priced at $22,000 or less?

Answer 1

If G.M. is to survive- They must introduce a safe two-seater with a 200 mile range, that is plug-in ! It must be all electric and capable of swift manuvering! It must instill a positive experience to traveling long distances, by insuring every leg of the path. Those who depend on such convienence are likely to buy into it. Those who see the idiocracy of such an advent will seceade to a more normal evolution of life.  My horse stock is excellent! My forge is excellent! My abbillity to meet fire with fire is excellent! I chose real money over false promises! It's all gold and silver around here!

Answer 2

Perhaps you should ask whether it will be available at all, for any price.  They're having their difficulties with the battery, and unlike Tesla Motors they're being quite open about it.   Go to the library and see if they have a copy of the latest Atlantic magazine.  There's a good article about the Volt and its development.  

The difficulty is that automotive propulsion is exceedingly hard on a battery, and nobody's discovered a way around it yet.

Answer 3

I have read some reports that put the first Volt at $30-40K so I am not sure what to use as a starting point for the $22K goal.

The major difference between the Volt and the Prius is the size of the battery pack. The Prius has a 1.3KW battery containing 168 1.2v NM cells. The Volt will have a 16KW Lithum Ion battery pack. The power potential/type of cell makes up the majority of the difference in price.

A fully assembled Li-Ion battery pack for the current Prius that is 1/3 the capacity of the Volt's pack is being sold now for an extra $10,000. A current Prius with Volt like electric only range would start at $33,000.

Prices for Li-Ion batteries have fallen from $3/Watt-hr in the 90's to under $1/Wh while increasing safety, powerful and decreasing environmental impact. In that same time the production has gone from a few hundred thousand to millions per year.

I am suspecting that in 2010 tax credits will make the Volt's actual cost closer to or maybe under $30K. I would estimate that a in 3-5 years the Volt could be sold for under $30K based on the production curves / reduction of the producing of the battery pack.

By 2015 adjusted for inflation current Prius will cost about $30K the problem is by then it will be hard to buy any subcompact car for $22K let alone a Plug-in EV.

Would be nice if I am wrong but new car prices hardly ever go down and keep dropping from year to year.