What's next for HHR and other Chevy's
Banned
Joined: 10-14-2005
Posts: 9,121
From: Rochester,N.Y.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-30-2006
Posts: 9,149
From: Maryland Heights, MO
After wondering what the EV1 was, I found this Wiki article. Good reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1
Senior Member
Joined: 07-13-2007
Posts: 104
From: Altadena, CA
HHR rules
I posted the following at another automotive forum.
The HHR sold almost 13,000 vehicles last month. The Cobalt sold just 2000 more and the Impala much better at 21000. Of course the Silverado and Sierra sold more. However no Epsilon mid size car sold more than HHR. No Lambda sold more than HHR. No Pontiac, Buick, or Saturn sold more than HHR. No Epsilon sold more than HHR.
Why again?
QUOTE(xxxxx @ Aug 2 2007, 08:00 AM)
HHR should die. PT is dying. Just buy a VUE or Equinox instead.
HHR should die. PT is dying. Just buy a VUE or Equinox instead.
The HHR sold almost 13,000 vehicles last month. The Cobalt sold just 2000 more and the Impala much better at 21000. Of course the Silverado and Sierra sold more. However no Epsilon mid size car sold more than HHR. No Lambda sold more than HHR. No Pontiac, Buick, or Saturn sold more than HHR. No Epsilon sold more than HHR.
HHR should die.
Why again?
Senior Member
Joined: 07-13-2007
Posts: 104
From: Altadena, CA
The PT cruiser is entering its 8th year of sales.
Senior Member
Joined: 05-26-2007
Posts: 1,554
From: ...
I think the sales of PT and HHR also speak to the fact that people don't feel like paying almost 30K for a car, when they can get much of the same functionality and quality for little more than half that-- HHR & PT.
Banned
Joined: 10-24-2006
Posts: 1,761
From: The Show-Me State
"Who Killed the Electric Car?" only gives you one side of the story. GM's reasoning was more than just some sort of shadowy conspiracy with the oil companies:
1 - many of the customers who had expressed interest in EV1 backed out when the car went into production. (out of 100 produced, only 40 ever went to customers on a lease basis)
2 - most municipalities were either unable (or in some cases, unwilling) to install the recharging infrastructure needed for recharging the EV1.
3 - due to little interest in even leasing the EV1, parts manufacturers refused to spend the money to build tooling for replacement parts for them. Even if an EV1 had lasted to end-of-life, this lack of replacement parts for repair purposes would have made driving one a dicey proposition. (hence the reason why leasers were unable to buy back their EV1's)
Basically, a lot of money was spent on the vehicle, but in the end the consumers who supposedly demanded the vehicle were unwilling to come to the table when the vehicle was made available. No stable business is going to produce a commodity with next to zero demand.
1 - many of the customers who had expressed interest in EV1 backed out when the car went into production. (out of 100 produced, only 40 ever went to customers on a lease basis)
2 - most municipalities were either unable (or in some cases, unwilling) to install the recharging infrastructure needed for recharging the EV1.
3 - due to little interest in even leasing the EV1, parts manufacturers refused to spend the money to build tooling for replacement parts for them. Even if an EV1 had lasted to end-of-life, this lack of replacement parts for repair purposes would have made driving one a dicey proposition. (hence the reason why leasers were unable to buy back their EV1's)
Basically, a lot of money was spent on the vehicle, but in the end the consumers who supposedly demanded the vehicle were unwilling to come to the table when the vehicle was made available. No stable business is going to produce a commodity with next to zero demand.
I think the big problem GM had with EV1 was the sheer amount of money they spent developing the project to only produce 100 cars. They leased each car for about $30k, but given the development and production costs, each car was worth about $1 million to GM.
Anyway, I just think it says enough when the battery company that finally developed a 300-mile range battery pack is bought out by an oil company...
Senior Member
Joined: 01-27-2007
Posts: 143
From: 3rd rock from the sun
Was this in the movie? If so, I want to rent it. Until the day comes, when we can tell the Middle East to kiss our collective-a$$es, we will be forever enslaved to the oil industry and the 3rd world countries that hate us.
As far as GM goes on the restylings, while the Corvette never seems to lack buyers, I'm personally growing tired of that car. It's become a rich-man's toy. Chevrolet was never a rich-man's brand. $100k for a Chevy? Excuse me while I puke. I'll take a fleet of 5 HHR's for that! And, if they're going to re-style the HHR, they might as well just kill it. The HHR is not a Camry.
Senior Member
Joined: 08-27-2006
Posts: 2,566
From: Anaheim, CA
Banned
Joined: 10-14-2005
Posts: 9,121
From: Rochester,N.Y.
I haven't seen it in a while but he has or had a red one. If I see it in our lot again I'll snap a pic. I'm not crazy.....I swear he drives it. 
Banned
Joined: 10-24-2006
Posts: 1,761
From: The Show-Me State
One EV1 owner sued and successfully retained his car under condition that GM was totally released from liability for replacement parts and defects present in the stream of commerce, meaning if you wrecked your car and hurt or killed yourself or someone else, you take all the responsibility including indemnifying GM against a product liability suit by a third party. A *huge* concession for anyone. Some were disabled and donated to museums like the Peterson.
Yes, the battery company buyout is in the movie. It was a private company that Delco bought--then it was sold to one of the oil companies shortly before the EV1 program was scrapped.
Yes, the battery company buyout is in the movie. It was a private company that Delco bought--then it was sold to one of the oil companies shortly before the EV1 program was scrapped.