Online Poll Raises Doubts About Success of Chevy Volt

Sept. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- PAPILLION, NE  2 September 2010 -- More than half of the 1,200 respondents to an online reader poll do not believe the Chevrolet Volt electric car will be a commercial success for General Motors.  

EV World.Com, an industry leading publication on electric vehicle technology, policy and people, asked its readers if they believed the new plug-in hybrid car, set to launch in November, will be successful with a MSPR sticker price of $41,000.  Fifty-four  percent (54%) answered "no".   Twenty-seven percent (27%) replied 'yes,' while just over 18 percent indicated they were uncertain.

"Why readers seem so negative about the prospects for the Volt is a puzzle," said EV World founder and publisher, J. William Moore. "My instincts tell me it's a combination of lingering distrust of General Motors, not only among our regular readers, but much of the public in general.  The $41,000 price tag certainly places the car out of the reach of many in the middle class, even with the $7,500 federal tax credit.  And I think many of our readers are disappointed with the final design of the Volt."

General Motors sales were off 25% in August, reflecting both a retreat in economic confidence globally and stiff competition.  

"Personally, I think that once the Volt gets into the hands of earlier adopters, the buzz about the car and its performance is going to shift many of these negatives into positives," Moore noted.

EV World.com services more than 200,000 unique IP addresses per month in 750,000 sessions, in the process delivering over 2.5 million pages of information.

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EV World is an Internet portal devoted to exploring the world of electric-drive vehicle technology, policy and people.