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All of our local Chevy dealerships here in the northeast Ohio have Volts to test drive. I haven't heard anything about when they'll have them for sale on the lots, but someone in my area bought one of the first four sold in Ohio and it sounds like an area dealer has a red one for sale.
Quote:
General Manager John Maze said the dealership sold the first one in the Youngstown area to a Kent State University educator, who picked up his pre-ordered diamond-white car on Sept. 30. He said the car was among the first four sold in the state. The dealership has a loaded crystal red Volt in the showroom, along with a silver model that people can test drive.
Does anyone have more detail information about the diesel Cruze and the upcoming Hybrid and/or electric Focus? Any info would be appreciated.
On the Focus front...
There will not be a Focus hybrid. There were rumors about one at the end of 2010, but Ford issued a statement in 2011 that it would NOT happen. The primary reasoning is the that the new C-Max 5-passenger crossover is based on the Focus and will be offered in hybrid and plugin hybrid versions. They didn't think there was room in the lineup to support a Focus sedan hybrid and the current Focus powertrains offer pretty good mileage as is. Price point was also another major concern and the larger C-Max can better absorb the upcharge on the hybrid system. Ignore the part in this article where they are talking about the 7-passenger C-Max minivan as that has been cancelled, otherwise its a good article:
There will be a Focus electric that is a certainty. The release was originally slotted for late 2011, but has been pushed back to spring 2012. There is nothing confirmed on pricing, but people expect it to cost in the $33k (Leaf) - $41k (Volt) range before any incentives. The car is being built to be upmarket and is highly contended. Electric range is claimed to be 100 miles on a full charge and Ford is saying they have developed some new battery with technology with LG using heating and cooling liquid in the batteries to keep the range consistent regardless of weather. It is also expected to fully charge in 3-4 hours from a 240V line. You can read anything you want about the Focus electric on Ford's website for the car:
Chevy has confirmed that the Cruze will have a diesel option for the 2013 model year (released late summer/early fall 2012). The model will be known as the ECO-D. There is little concrete on the car other than it will use GM's 2.0L turbo diesel and is expected to have ~160hp and ~265tq. The target is to hit 50mpg highway while using a traditional automatic transmission. Nothing has been confirmed, but it may also utilize start/stop technology that is common in Europe. Pricing is expected to be in the $22k - $24k range.
Unfortunately, I will believe Chevrolet will sell the Cruze diesel in the US when I see it. GM has announced numerous diesel vehicles that would be offered for sale in the US, then later reneged on the statements. The latest example was the said-to-be-excellent 4.5 Duramax diesel V8 slated for sale in the full-size light duty trucks. Supposedly, it was rated to get nearly 30 highway mpg in a 3/4-ton 4WD pickup. GM hyped it like crazy in 2008 for a 2010 debut, and then GM summarily scrapped plans for offering it. GM blamed its financial problems for scrapping the 4.5, but GM insiders admitted that the engine was fully developed and purportedly already EPA-certified when it was scrapped. So, I would take the Cruze diesel hype with a big grain of salt until such time as the thing actually hits the showrooms. No one can accuse GM of doing things that necessarily make good sense--it's one reason the company damned near went bankrupt, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, I will believe Chevrolet will sell the Cruze diesel in the US when I see it. GM has announced numerous diesel vehicles that would be offered for sale in the US, then later reneged on the statements. The latest example was the said-to-be-excellent 4.5 Duramax diesel V8 slated for sale in the full-size light duty trucks. Supposedly, it was rated to get nearly 30 highway mpg in a 3/4-ton 4WD pickup. GM hyped it like crazy in 2008 for a 2010 debut, and then GM summarily scrapped plans for offering it. GM blamed its financial problems for scrapping the 4.5, but GM insiders admitted that the engine was fully developed and purportedly already EPA-certified when it was scrapped. So, I would take the Cruze diesel hype with a big grain of salt until such time as the thing actually hits the showrooms. No one can accuse GM of doing things that necessarily make good sense--it's one reason the company damned near went bankrupt, in my opinion.
I understand that sentiment. I deal with a lot of vocational fleets at work and there was a TON of interest in the 4.5 Duramax, but not until AFTER it was shelved. Before that most didn't want to go with diesel in their light truck fleets, preferring the simplicity of the gassers.
The big difference between that engine and the Cruze is that unlike the 4.5D GM has actually officially confirmed the Cruze Eco-D. It's about a sure thing as you can get in the automotive world. Though I do understand exactly where you are coming from in the "believe it when I see it sense".
FWIW, I was at an industry show not too long ago and actually saw a Silverado 1500 with the 4.5D in it. They are still running test mules out there and mulling what to do with the engine. There are also some strong rumors that it might makes it way into the Cadillac CTS as an option between the 3.6 V6 and the CTS-V. The 4.5D was designed to fit into any vehicle that was designed to accept a LSx V8, so there are quite a few options out there for the engine and it really isn't dead yet. Personally, though while I think the Cruze Eco-D is a pretty sure thing, the 4.5D is still nowhere near that.
GM has their new Spark downstairs at the Ren Cen. There is also a really weird little thing the looks like a parying mantis head. There is no sign, so I do not know what it is. There is no steering wheel. It is smaller than a smart car. It looks like it only has two wheels.
GM has their new Spark downstairs at the Ren Cen. There is also a really weird little thing the looks like a parying mantis head. There is no sign, so I do not know what it is. There is no steering wheel. It is smaller than a smart car. It looks like it only has two wheels.
The weird car is the GM EN-V. It's a two seat "pod" prototype built by GM and Segway. It's a totally autonomous self-driving car. Think of the "pod cars" in "I Robot" or "Minority Report". It drives and parks itself and you can summon it with a phone call to come to your destination. They are currently developing a second prototype badged as a Chevrolet that will undergo field trials in several cities around the world, starting in China. They are looking at it becoming a more personal replacement for mass transit systems and the car is powered entirely by electric. They envision a fleet of EN-V's that transport people to destinations in major urban areas on demand.
All of our local Chevy dealerships here in the northeast Ohio have Volts to test drive. I haven't heard anything about when they'll have them for sale on the lots, but someone in my area bought one of the first four sold in Ohio and it sounds like an area dealer has a red one for sale.
They have sold 4000 volts. They hope to sell 10,000. Leaf by comparison has sold 7000.
I am told that every Chevy dealer is required to have a volt on display. I do nto know whether that means they have to buy one. If so, it may mean that they have sold 3990 to dealers and 10 to the public.
The weird car is the GM EN-V. It's a two seat "pod" prototype built by GM and Segway. It's a totally autonomous self-driving car. Think of the "pod cars" in "I Robot" or "Minority Report". It drives and parks itself and you can summon it with a phone call to come to your destination. They are currently developing a second prototype badged as a Chevrolet that will undergo field trials in several cities around the world, starting in China. They are looking at it becoming a more personal replacement for mass transit systems and the car is powered entirely by electric. They envision a fleet of EN-V's that transport people to destinations in major urban areas on demand.
That is it. Only the one downstairs looks a little bit different. Slightly different body style and it has Chevrolet name and logo. Plus it is yellow
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