Thanks for writing. With
Thanks for writing. With regard to the Volt, yes, I have driven the car on more than one occasion. I have also driven the Ford EV and the Nissan Leaf. Still need to drive that Tesla, though.
With regard to an unfair comparison to the Chevy Cruze, I can only agree on a technology basis. The Volt is a different vehicle species, so to speak. I like the Volt technology; it is cool, viable and safe, in my opinion.
However, you then brought up the words, “different value proposition;” and that’s where I disagree, with all respect. Value determination in this case requires an economic perspective.
1) I estimate, based on your input, your monthly outlay is near $450 per month. That’s a fixed cost whether you drive or not.
2) Compared to a Chevy Impala which seats 5, the Volt seats 4; therefore you accepted less capacity for more money.
3) You have only broke even by your own reckoning, but you are in good shape if gasoline rises to $5 or $6.
4) The Chevy Cruze is about the same size, has greater seating capacity and has a monthly lease near $210-230 per month. The savings delta in basic cost buys a lot of gasoline; and you have the option of limiting driving if gas prices rise.
Finally, the purpose of the article was to show that electrification is coming at a mighty cost to the average working man and woman. Point is, it takes $450 per month just to break even with an Impala per your input. From an economic perspective, that’s not value enough for the masses in my opinion. We need a lower, break-even point; and the new IC engine technologies are going to give electrification a challenging run real soon.
As a GM retiree, though, thanks for buying GM.