Holden Volt priced from $59,990

By Tim Beissmann
July 02nd, 2012

FIND DEALS

The Holden Volt will be priced from $59,990 when it goes on sale in Australia later this year, making the five-door four-seat hatchback $8450 more expensive than its key alternative-energy rival, the recently launched all-electric Nissan Leaf.

To offset its premium pricing, the Cruze-sized extended-range electric Volt will feature a comprehensive standard equipment list, including innovative safety systems and high-tech infotainment features not found in the similarly priced luxury Caprice.

Forward collision alert and lane departure warning – both firsts for Holden – headline the Volt’s advanced safety package.

Forward collision alert employs sensors on the windscreen to warn drivers with an audible alarm if they are travelling too close to the vehicle in front, while lane departure warning uses a windscreen-based camera to detect if the driver swerves or veers out of a marked lane without indicating.

The Volt also features eight airbags (dual front, side, curtain, and knee bags), electronic stability control, and a rear-view camera displayed through the dash-mounted seven-inch touch screen.

The full-colour LCD screen also displays the Volt’s satellite navigation, DVD playback, Bluetooth with voice recognition, and USB connectivity with iPod integration. A 30GB hard drive allows owners to store their own music on-board and play it back through the Volt’s six-speaker premium Bose audio system with amplifier and subwoofer.

Other standard features inside the cabin include cruise control, climate control, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, keyless entry and push-button start, and leather upholstery with heated front sports seats.

Outside, the Volt scores 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights, mirror-mounted indicators, front and rear parking sensors, and a charge cord set. It can be ordered in five different colours: White Diamond, Nitrate Silver, Urban Fresh, Crystal Claret, and Black.

The Holden Volt features a lithium-ion battery pack and an electric drive unit that give the hatchback a pure electric driving range of up to 87km. A 1.4-litre petrol engine acts as a generator to extend the Volt’s range. It recharges the battery to continue powering the electric motor, giving the Volt a potential range of more 600km depending on conditions.

Three driving modes can be selected: Normal, Sport and Hold. Sport mode is designed to maximise driving enjoyment by sharpening response times and feedback, while Hold mode conserves power in the battery and maintains an electric charge from the petrol generator.

Every one of the 161 components of the Volt’s lithium-ion battery, its charging and thermal-management systems and components of its electric drive system are covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is transferable to other vehicle owners.

Holden has also revealed capped price servicing of $185 for the first four scheduled log book services for the first three years or 60,000km – whichever comes first.

The Volt is available to order now from Holden’s 49 approved Volt dealerships, with customers expected to take delivery of the first cars from November.

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Henry F

At $60K, it’s very pricey for a hybrid.. Would rather this than any other hybrid on the road at the moment..
- Andrew M
  
  True,
  Still hasnt solved the price tag issue with Hybrids, but at least this breaks the mould regarding styling and features.
  
  One question though, how big is the fuel tank?
  If it can run for over 500k’s after the initial charge has run out it must be a reasonable size.
  
  But all that aside, when you can get an SS for 40K it takes a while to chew through 20K more in fuel to make sense of the price hike
  - FanBoi
    
    Why not get a HSV instead? 60K+ drive away price for an electric car is crazy. Most Aussies don’t give a rats azz about the environment anyway. It will be a disaster for Holden to bring it over here. I wonder how many of them are shifting? Less than 10 maybe.
    //
    - diesel
      
      they’ll give a “rats azz” when they’re finally forced to buy these types of cars, when there is ultimately nothing else to buy. Whether it takes 10,20,30 or 40 years from now (im guessing you dont give a “rats azz”), the aussie ocker bogan will finally have to wake-up and smell the roses. its only a matter of WHEN NOT IF this happens.
      - Bigj
        
        20k is like 3-4 years of fuel. Buy an SS for 40k driveaway and thrash that 6L beast on the road
      - F1
        
        So you drive a slow a** diesel car I’m guessing hahahaaaaaaa
      - HKGTS0
        
        Typical biased comment. You have not driven a modern diesel from your comments. They will blow many petrol driven cars off the road. I have a Volkswagen and a Peugeot both of which will leave a V6 Commondore gasping for air as they struggle to get passed.
    - Iam82082
      
      and what would you do with a HSV? all that power and bodykits and big wheels and exhausts is not necessarily more amusing than the tech in this car. who says you cant fit a turbo on a hybrid engine anyway, and intercoolers and more dvd screens and subwoofers!
      - Turk
        
        Well, it would kind of be pointless to fit any performance parts on the engine of a Volt… Engine just charges the batteries that power the electric motor that turns the wheels. Which is why this vehicle is NOT A HYBRID!! Hybrid engines are still mechanically connected to the wheels on one end, with an electric motor at the other. Extended Range Vehicles drive on pure electricity ALL THE TIME and employ a combustion engine to spin an alternator to charge the batteries when they run out of juice.
        
        If people don’t want to pay the price for one of these, but still want to be green, go and buy a diesel Hyundai I30 and SHUT UP.
      - MattW
        
        Sorry to disappoint but a series hybrid is still a hybrid. Besides, GM admitted that under ‘certain circumstances’ the petrol engine can power the car directly, just like a Prius.
        
        Beware of the GM/Holden marketing guff
  - Car2012
    
    Hi Andrew, “Karl Sass” informed me that information about the Volt is on the Holden web site. From the web site, the fuel tank is 35.2 litres.
- theillestlife
  
  but you could get a, say suzuki alto for like $12,000 on the road, and you’ll have $48,000 to spend on petrol.
  
  I’m no mathematician but I reckon a $48,000 extra for a little better economy is not worth it.
  - Xiaowei1
    
    valid point, but a suzuki alto will not drive like a BMW, which is why people pay that little bit extra… the Volt is more luxury car than plain hachback..
- Damian
  
  Great to see Holden trying to scam its most loyal fan base. So much for ‘Holden means a great deal to Australia’…
  
  The smart ones will save $37k and buy a Prius C.
  - Robert Ryan
    
    100% Correct. This has a ridiculous price and is a rebadged Chevy Volt, that does not sell well in the US anyway.
  - Dave S
    
    ???
    The ‘c’ is a budget hybrid built around the Yaris platform. The Volt is much bigger, and is aimed at being a premium model. The volt included a lot of latest tech. The volt uses totally different technology.
    
    You cant com-pare the two. It’s like: ‘why buy a Commodore, when the cruze is 10k+ less? They are totally different cars.
    
    Surely, people are reading more than just the price.
    - Gan Tan
      
      You’ll still be better off, by the tune of $15K buying a standard Prius I-tec
      
      There must be something funny in the water at Holden
- Iuog
  
  average person is Aus uses $2000-3000 a year on fuel. Could buy a commodore for around 40ish. 20k going to give you alot of petrol!
  - Mosmanite
    
    I worked it out in comparison with the top spec Cruze. At current prices ($1.339 per litre as of today) you would need to drive 402,000 km’s to break even. That is without factoring in the likely battery replacment(s) somewhere in there as well.
- Gruntzog
  
  Agree….could pick up the baby Lexus CT200H in sports F trim for about the same money….a much more tried and tested Hybrid platform…
Car2012

Tim, can the Volt be charged by using a 240 V outlet?
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
  
  According to the Holden website yes it can.
  - Car2012
    
    Hi Karl, thanks for informing me about the Volt information being on the Holden site.
    - Car2012
      
      It is good to see that the Volt can be charged from a household 240V 10A power point.
      
      Also from looking at the site, the Volt only comes with a “Tyre sealant and air compressor kit”; no spare, no run flats. It is a pity that it does not have a spare, because the rest of it’s specifications look good.
F1

I would rather the Prius.. Much more logical choice..

Also Prius looks better..
- Devil666
  
  Prius looks better?
  
  It’s a wedge of cheese. You must be a mouse.
  
  The Prius is not a more logical choice, they are two cars that do different things. The Volt arguably does both better, but you pay for the privilege.
  
  But it still looks s$%^
  - Angel
    
    Get the Leaf. It craps on both of these.
  - Henry Toussaint
    
    Speaking of the looks, has anyone noticed the grille where the badge is, you can see the remains of where a Chevrolet Badge would go? or there is a / /, That’s kind of cheap to do that…
    - Turk
      
      Because that image is CLEARLY a photo of the actual car…
      - Sydlocal
        
        Maybe Turk, but the “Holden” Volt still has the same / / on the new Holden ad on TV. Even with the Lion badge fitted.
- tsport100
  
  The Prius doesn’t PLUG-IN!!
  - TG
    
    Who cares if it doesn’t plug in. It makes much more sense than this POS from GM.
  - MattW
    
    Well technically there is a plug-in version, its just that Toyota don’t sell it here
    - MisterZed
      
      My eyes must be playing tricks on me then, as I saw a plug-in Prius yesterday. It even had “PLUG IN” written in large lettering on the side.
      - tsport100
        
        The fact it had sign writing should have given you a clue it was a ‘trial’ car,(i.e not someone’s private vehicle) most likely part of the Victorian EV trial.
        
        Toyota do not sell any plug-in cars in Australia although a plug-in version of the Prius has been on sale in the U.S. since March.
  - MisterZed
    
    Er, yes it does. I saw a plug-in Prius in Melbourne yesterday.
    - TG
      
      Er, no it doesn’t. Toyota Australia are trialling them. They are not officially on sale in Australia, full stop.
F1MotoGP

So it cost $14,000 more than Prius i-Tech. Same size better fuel economy but $14T…..maybe not this time. Petrol must cost at least $2.5 before I would buy this over Prius.
Guest

I’d rather a $23k Prius C, or even a $33k regular Prius. If i were to buy an electric car, i’d pick a Leaf – i have a 25km stop start traffic work commute so the range extender wouldn’t make any difference if i used it purely to commute.
mo

$60k+ORC? Good luck…That $20-30k surcharge over a normal car buys a car’s lifetime worth of fuel.
Gus

drive away price $70k? no thanks. heading in the right direction though, ditch the combustion engine and the ridiculous $185 per service fee (for an electric your having a laugh right?) and I may jump on board
- Kd
  
  Don’t know which planet you’re living in where On Road Costs equal $10k!
  - Splatcat03
    
    I am sure he is including optional extras in the 10K. Some options that would be a must for the Volt, Smoke Alarms and fire extinguisher, although really, they should be standard.
    - Xiaowei1
      
      the volt will come as top of the range, so it already has all the extras.
twincharger

As impressive as the Volt looks.60k a bit much for the non greeny.Petrol hybrid has to be the way to go at the moment.As mentioned above Prius,Camry,Insight from Honda,
Spludge

These are $40k and under in the US – what makes them 80% more here?

It’s not all the fault of the GST – are Holden simply pricing it as high as they can, because there’s no competitors they recognise?
- No Fears
  
  Agree, shave 10k off the price & it might be getting towards reality.
  The garage power outlet might be 240 volts but is the standard 10amps sufficient?
  I heard a 15amp outlet is required so factor in an electrician & if the your mains aren’t up to it a whole lot more.
  - Don Quay
    
    According to the Holden website, you can charge it from 240V points with a current capacity of 6A (never seen one of those), 10A (the standard GPO) or a 15A outlet. They will all function, but the more current available gives a quicker charge time.
Altezza

Why would I waste almost $70k on this car? I’ll get Lexus CT200h in top spec and it travels further than this car and it’s cheaper.
tsport100

I do wonder where Holden get this 87 km EV range number from when the new for 2013 Chevy Volt claims only 38 miles (60.8 km) EV mode range for the exact same car???

The good news is that U.S. Volt owners have been able to:
a) Drive the car daily for over 6 months without ever putting petrol in the tank
b) Using a small roof-top PV system shown it can cost less than $100 a year to run the car!

That sure beats the hell out of paying $3,000 – $5,000 year-in year-out at the petrol bowser.

If this car was $40k it would sell gangbusters. Why do we have to pay so much more for everything in Australia? The Tesla Roadster is DOUBLE the U.S. price here! Perhaps Holden will start assembling Volts on the Cruz line in SA to bring the price down.
- F1MotoGP
  
  We do not pay much more on everything. Health, education…etc much cheaper here. Crime rate better and unemployment too. I much better here even with double price if I got a job than half price no job.
- Guest
  
  I’d rather pay double the price for cars in Aus than live in the US…
  - MisterZed
    
    Except it’s not just cars that’s double, it’s everything. $1M for a house here which would sell for $200k in the US.
    - F1MotoGP
      
      You are right but US economy is just hanging there. Simple economics. When economy is right yiu can ask more for your house. Very low price means something is very wrong there. Just look at Detroit.
      - MisterZed
        
        The situation in the US is great for buyers, but bad for sellers. You’re only viewing the situation from the point of view of the seller.
    - Guest
      
      Regardless, I still wouldnt want to live there. You’re forgetting our wages are a lot higher in Aus…
      - MisterZed
        
        Yeah? How much does the average doctor in Australia make compared to the USA? The average lawyer?
    - Sydlocal
      
      Maybe MisterZed, but the workers in the US get paid a lot less than us for the same type of work. People in the hospitality industry for example only get a few bucks an hour (some are lucky to get around $4 an hour). In fact, tips can be the largest component of their pay. Probably explains why the customer service over there is so much better than the pathetic “how dare you disturb me from doing nothing and expecting me to help you” service that is so common in this country.
      I am sure if you work out the cost of a car for example as “X weeks of the average wage”, you would find the gap is a lot smaller than it first appears.
- Leighh
  
  They already halted production of these things in the USA due to lack of demand
  - tsport100
    
    7,000 Volts were sold in 2011, they’ve already sold 7,057 by the end of May 2012 despite the country being in recession. That’s close to a 250% increase in demand!
COPS

um…a bit expensive for me…
Josh

Is it bad that I would buy one? Even at this price?
- Dave S
  
  not at all.
  Who does not like having the latest technology?
  This is the most hi-tech car on the market.
  Plus it is being built to a standard and not a price (8 year battery support, sounds good to me).
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
    
    High Tech? I do not know if it makes it a good car. You could argue about the “high tech” as well.
MisterZed

lol – you can see the Chevy badge underneath the Holden badge on the bonnet. $60k and they can’t even change a plastic insert on a grille?
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
  
  I was thinking the same thing!
- Dudeface
  
  Haha – its ready made for the eco-bogans to rip off the Holden badge and put the bow tie back on At least in this case it would be fitting…
  - TG
    
    eco-bogans, is there such a thing? Oh wait, there’s a lot of dodgy solar installs out there, putting smiles on many an eco-bogan’s face.
- Al
  
  They would of needed a new bumper which would of cost ~200k for new tooling to remove
  the bow-tie impression. Also the volume of the the Australian spec volt would of been low so it’s not a cost effective solution.
  A badge insert was the cheaper option however still has the outline of bow tie. It’s a compromised solution.
  It all comes down to cost…
horsie

Guys. I am sure holden will run with this price for a while and pick up sales from cashed up early adoptors and businesses wanting to make a statement. Then drop the price in a year or two. There is also room for considerable cost saving by bringing out a stripped out modle.
I think you will find that this will sell pretty well considering the high price.
Mick

Because the car is over $55,000 or so (can’t remember the exact number) it is hit with the luxury car tax introduced by the current Labor government. That’s right, according to Labor this is a full on luxury vehicle!
- Ihatejulia
  
  Exempt due to its economy I suspect. Vehicles better than I think 7.0lp100k (?) do not pay the tax.
- JD
  
  even if it were factored in, it would still be < $1500. Not much when looking at the overall cost of new car – less than 2.5%. Majority of the price is the Rip off Australians because you can Tax
- Rick
  
  Ummm, no, the Luxury Car Tax was introduced by the Howard government. Labour did raise the rate though, from 25% to 33%. Either way, it is a stupid tax.
  - Bass
    
    Well that makes thinks awkward for Mick. i dont care much for politics but nothing amuses me more than people who make sweeping uneducated statements about it!
- Shakeel-ali
  
  Buddy Google can really help you out sometimes. It was introduced by a liberal government.
diesel

great to see the debate alive and well… like everything when it first comes onto the market (remember the $10,000 plasma tv’s 10 years ago?), the price should start to come down once more people buy these type of cars and this will inturn enable manufacturers to then filter the technology down to cheaper cars within their ranges. I think the technology is amazing and long overdue. finally we have a car that is really in the 21st century.
- GP
  
  I agree. We need to move forward and this at least some step towards that direction. Petrol and diesel just aren’t going to be sustainable in this century, so we have to do what we can to curb our usage, until we don’t need either anymore.
  - Ar7rm
    
    Actually the world has lots an lots of oil reserves.. Do to the people who think we are running out of oil..
    
    It’s literally like an ocean, are we running out of ocean?
    
    Also say we rely 100% of electricity, then same thing happen, price of electricity will sky rocket further..
    - Phil
      
      Wow, your using the ocean as a parallel to oil reserves?
      We don’t burn up ocean water – and even if we did, it would come back in rainfall. Once oil is burned up, it doesn’t come back – and new oil takes millions of years to form.
      Yes there is still plenty of oil left **at the moment**. It’s not a good idea to wait untill it’s all gone before moving onto alternative transport.
      
      Also the price of electricity would have to “sky rocket” almost 10 times before a electric powered car cost more to run than a petrol one (and thats assuming petrol prices don’t rise too).
    - Don Quay
      
      Love your comparison there mate. Who could possibly find fault with such impeccable reasoning?
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
      
      Oil is more than fuel used to power and lubricate a car, it is used to produce the plastic parts as well. Running out of Oil could be more disastrous than you think. Electric cars wil
      be the last things on our mind.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Joash-Tan/100000351085371 Richard Joash Tan
    
    me, too
- Robert Ryan
  
  It depends on the number sold in the US, that determines the base price we will eventually pay for it.
Antmindel

Is it my imagination,or does it look very much like a current Honda Accord Euro ???
http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass

It’s not accurate to compare this to a hybrid. It’s an ELECTRIC vehicle, the ICE engine is a range extender . Batteries are expensive and an electric vehicle has much more on-board energy storage in the form of electrical energy. In day to day use this will use no petrol at all.
This vehicle will unfortunately remain a niche model at that price, it’s a pity it wasn’t closer to $50k.
- Matthew Werner
  
  If it was an ELECTRIC car (like the Leaf) you wouldn’t be able to put petrol into it. The definition of a hybrid vehicle is that it uses more than one power source – in this case petrol from the pump or electricity from the grid. That the engine is used to top up the battery that is used by the electric motor to move the car makes it a ‘series hybrid’ as opposed to a ‘parallel hybrid’ where both engine & motor move the car like the Prius.
  
  That said, its been widely reported that GM admitted under certain circumstances the petrol engine can drive the car directly, bypassing the electric motor. Just like a Prius
Rocket

The CARBON TAX will make this car too expensive to run. $23 per tonne of carbon per 100km will be a disaster for the Volt.
- Phil
  
  Been listening to the Murdoch media too much?
  
  Only the top 500 polluting corporations directly pay that tax. There’s no carbon tax on petrol. Your electricity provider would pass on their cost when a Volt is charged but considering the Volt would barely cost around $1 per full charge, the carbon tax portion would filter down to just a few cents.
  - usmc
    
    ALL power stations and fuel companies are in the top 500, so are the auto manufacturers. if this were to be produced here we’re looking at $75k RRP
- Bass
  
  LOL. As i said above, nothing is more amusing than watching people embarrass themselves by making sweeping uneducated comments about politics.
  - Horsie
    
    But Alan Jones said it. its got to be true LMFAO
    - Bass
      
      hahah! of course
- Don Quay
  
  Where do you get your figures from? Are you saying it will cost $23 to run for each 100km?
  You maybe a Rocket, but you’re obviously no scientist. More likely a Space Cadet.
John

Why does it need the collision alert and lane departure when at 60k none will leave the showroom?
Phil

Why don’t they offer a entry level version for say $49,990?

Look how much crap they can take out:
Forward collision alert, lane departure warning system, rear parking camera, sat nav, dvd player, 7i touch screen, 30gb harddrive, alloy wheels, electrochomatic rear view mirror, heated seats, parking sensors, push button start, auto headlights, leather seats, voice recognition.
GG

This is called a Chevy Volt in the USA – sold here for approx $32k. Nice margin Holden.
Matty

The Citroën DS5 Hybrid4 is a much better choice in almost every aspect, It’ll be interesting to see how well this and the Peugeot sell against the volt.
- Guest
  
  The DS5/3008 Hybrids arent plug ins and it’s highly likely they wont be any cheaper. Silly comparison.
nickdl

It might seem a bit silly, but considering the people most likely to buy one of these will be some of the greenest around, it would make sense to have some sort of recycled cloth trim as an option instead of leather. I’m sure they would hate to be sitting on dead cow…
greenpeace

a $60k car with a $20k cars interior and a pre-WW2 german U-boat drive train. something doesnt add up. it smells of oil companies involvement to ensure plugin electrics dont become mainstream. cos even tho this thing has a fuel burner, it wont be used for 98% of city commutes
JamesB

This high price would only be sensible to pay if there are benefits such as free city parking and massive rego discounts. Australia offers zero rewards for going green.
UMWHAT

you can get a HSV for that price
- Humbug
  
  You can buy over 30,000 Mars Bars for that price.
Legnab

The profile of the potential customer just screams NO NOT A HOLDEN , they would not bee seen dead in a GMH showroom amongst the daewoos .
Pirate Post Office

Damn clever hybrid, it really makes the Prius look so old tech.

Too bad the price of admission is so high and the T shaped battery pack compromises packaging to the extent it is only a 4 seater.

Holden are really going to struggle to sell these. Maybe future efforts are more affordable and offer decent packaging.
Phil

only people who will buy this will be cashed up greenies, and companies with green morals. I like the idea, and the tech is great, however, lets face it, the average Aussie won’t buy one. My thoughts are people will buy if there are offsets to help them. Like the solar electricity scheme, It’ll be a fizza. People want to help and change, but there’s too many herdles in the way.
- Shakeel-ali
  
  Those hurdles are present in every new technology. Car companies need these cashed up greenies to buy the first couple generations so that costs can come down, so that eventually in the future everyone can afford one. This is brilliant technology, and hopefully once all the stupidity and scaremongering has died down, we will judge the car on its merits.
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
    
    I have extreme reservations about the “brilliant technology”
    - Shakeel-ali
      
      Why? Because of all those reports out of the US about the batteries catching fire up to three weeks after a crash test? Or because its a GM technology and you dislike it simply because of that?
      
      E-REV technology is the way to go till we can get hydrogen to a cost effective enough level, and build up an infrastructure around it.
      - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
        
        No, I think this car is nowhere as effective as it has been touted as. One reason in rising fuel cost USA, they are not buying this car. Even they do not believe the hype.
      - Shakeel-ali
        
        So you think? But you wont believe reports from people who actually own and love the car.
- Chest Rockwell
  
  Agreed… Need subsidies to encourage sales. It’s a bit like Solar currently, the pay in tariff only gives certainty to half of your cost recovery, so rationally why would I invest in Solar? So much for this current governments high ideals on carbon reduction.
nugsdad

You can get a 3-4 year old CLS 500 for that money.
Shakeel-ali

Thats what i asked myself when i saw the price. The model we get actually has more equipment than the Chevy model, so that means we’re ordering a model specific for our market. SO why not order one with all the technology taken out, it may not be a technological tour de force but it’ll bring the price down for people who just want to save fuel, and dont need all that technology.
Mick Dunn

There’s no surprise here. $60k has been the speculated price ever since it was announced the car was coming here. It’s new(ish) technology. Just like everything else, R&D costs need to be recouped. VCRs, DVD players, LCD/plasma TVs – even safety features in cars, were all very expensive to start off with.

And most of those things were cheaper in the US to start off with too. It’s just a fact that we pay more. Compared to the Leaf and the i-MiEV, it’s not priced too badly. And unlike those cars you don’t have to worry about running out of juice after only 100kms or so.

People can complain all they want but the truth about whether the price is right or not will be borne out in the next year or two by the sales volumes.
- F1MotoGP
  
  U.S. plug-in electric sales for May 2012
  Chevrolet Volt 1680 YTD 7057
  Prius PHV 186 3638
  Nissan LEAF 510 2613
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
    
    Yep up there with the F150 LOL
gt86.com.au

Who Cares.. Holden can do whatever they want.. It doesn’t need to make any commercial sense. The government will offer another grant/bailout!
- Chest Rockwell
  
  Ha ha ha!
Fastcraig

So, If i plug it into the wall, where does the power come from??????? Or the other alternative is to use the petrol engine to charge the battery, doesnt make any sense at all, and how are they going to dispose of the battery when its nackered??????? Gimick car for gulable Americans

Oh, and its not new tech, Ferdinand Porsche was building hybridis before 1910
Rightindicators

Prices need to come down by alot in the long run for it to get any sizable market.

If they can manufacture these to great economies of scales. The 60 grand mark you can get a beemer, merc or audi…
JohnMLambert

There are a number of issues here. Firstly an electric car operating on batteries alone taking power from a grid supplied from coal fired power stations will produce 3.5 times more CO2 than a diesel engined car travelling the same distance – this is because coal stations are inefficient, and there are transmission line losses (typically around 7%), and charging inefficiencies (lithium ian battery charging efficiency is as low as 65%). And petrol engines produce up to 50% more CO2 per km than diesel engines. So this is no greenie car (if they really look into it.
Secondly it has ESC a very dangerous technology (not enough room to explain here except to say it’s the equivalent of a blind driver taking control in an emergency – the sysrem has no knowledge of how the vehiucle is loaded, no kmowledge of the road surface conditions, does NOT know what the driver is trying to do, AND has no idea of the road and situation ahead).
Thirdly it has lane departure technology – fine where lane marking is very good, and when rain and lights doesn’t make the lane markings invisible
Finally the vehicle is absolutely full of distractions – safe driving requires attention primarily to the road ahead and the ability to hear things like sirens and horns – 7 inch digital screen and a 6 speaker sound system …
If the Australian car makers are to survive they have got to be far smarter than this vehicle demonstrates
- Shak
  
  Sorry sir but your post has all the makings of a very good article for the Daily Telegraph, or it may possibly be good enough for a spot on ACA/TT. Keep up the good word mate (TVFPIC)
- Jkwark69
  
  …because…back in my day…we used a horse and cart and how the world was safer…
  
  No distractions to confuse us. Absolutely NO chance of getting wrapped around a tree, and given we didn’t have sealed roads, well, the lines and rain were irrelevant. Much better.
  
  I tell ya, all you young bucks out there, racing out to buy this new tecnobabble only seem to hasten the chance of bringing yourself into harms way. You know, that ESC (Exceptionally Swervy Car) thing is going to be the death of us all.
  
  It’s amazing Mr Lambert, that with people in society with your obviously exceptional knowledge on all things to do just about everything, that you seem to STAND ALONE in your viewpoint. Given that EVERY major manufacturer is actively researching/developing these technologies (all of those that you so convincingly denigrate) &/or enagaging in MOUs with companies that have (ie, BMW + Toyota), I honestly feel you should seek a wider audience (ie. All the safety & electrical engineers that obviously missed the elementary information with which you have so kindly imparted on us).
  
  With the experience and research you obvious have behind you, maybe they will realise you missed you calling and you may well become a hot commodity on the automotive employment market. A regular tour de force with a ‘name your own salary’ luxury those uninformed souls here could only ever dream about.
  
  I mean seriously, how could they possibly develop a lane guidance system and NOT consider the rain, wet roads and the impact of lighting on visibility… Silly Fools, don’t they realise it rains outside of the design centre…Gee!!!
  
  As for the range (mentioned previously) information suggests the ~87km range is achievable by using the EV Hold mode introduced on the Opel Ampera version (which, by the way, Opel is considering selling in Australia too) that engages the combustion engine for ‘high-drain’ driving like highway/freeway runs, to reserve Electric capacity for City driving (or areas closer to recharge facilities) otherwise it’s closer to 60km on purely electric power.
  
  Also, someone ridiculed the torque figure, which documentation suggests is 370Nm from 250-2800rpm.
  
  Seriously though John, nice post, but as Bass suggested earlier, uninformed (or lets say unsubstantiated) claims are self-ridiculing, but i just couldnt help myself… sorry.
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
    
    These are very much unproven technologies and in the REAL WORLD could CONTRIBUTE to accidents i.e Toyota’s untended acceleration debacle
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
    
    These are very much unproven technologies and in the REAL WORLD could CONTRIBUTE to accidents i.e Toyota’s untended acceleration debacle
  - JohnMLambert
    
    Hi Jkwark69 and others
    I’ve been involved in road safety for 46 years, and am considered an excellent engineer. I’m also an excellent researcher. My name is John Lambert and you can Google that and find me.
    All my statements can be substantiated. For example go to http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/ and separetely seach for hybrid, petrol and deisel engined cars. You’ll find the best hybrid consumes 3.9 litres/100 km; the best 10 petrol engined cars consume 4.4 to 5.5 litres/100 km; and the best 10 diesel cars consume 3.6 to 4.2 litres/100 km.
    In respect of lithium ion battery charging, the owner of a Tesla Roadster – http://www.teslamotors.com – with a 54 kwh battery measured the energy inmput to charge it and found it was 68 kwh: “Due to cooling and other losses in
    charging, filling from empty takes about 68 kWh, or 26% more than 54 kWh the
    battery holds. This 68 kWh is the seminal amount; it quantifies how much truly
    is needed.” Thats a 79% charging efficiency. And if yu research Lli-ion charging you will find your own information. Note that at a 79% efficency this car would produce three times as much CO2 at the power station then was produced with a diesel engine in the car.
    As for ESC you can just go and find the specifications. The systems include asteering wheel angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sneso and wheel speed sensors. There are no weight sensors or any sensors of the road ahead. The way a vehicle with a driver performs dynamically is very different from that when fully laden with passengers, luggage in the boot and luggage on a roof rack. So whatever settings are in the computer for the former situation will be way out for the latter. AND there has been NO research where a large group of drivers have been supplied with cars all with ESC, but with it disabled in 50% of the vehicles, and then compared crash rates. All the studies have been of people who have purchased ESC fitted cars (often at a premium and based on alleged safety benefits) versus people who have not. The first group disoprportionally includes safety conscious drivers who will have a lower crash rate regardless of ESC.
    - Phil
      
      So John……with “inefficient power stations” and those electricity “grid losses”, how do you power your household?
      As a advocate for oil burning, I assume of course that your household is run from petrol/diesel power appliances or is connected to a petrol/diesel generator?
      
      Then you whinge about battery cars supposedly only being %79 efficient? I hate to break it to you, but internal conbustion is only about %20 efficient.
      - JohnMLambert
        
        Hi Phil
        THe claim for elctric cars is that they will reduce CO2 emissions. They will in fact increase them overall. I am very aware of the efficiency of petrol engines and diesel engines and of drivetrain losses, and these were included in my calculations.
      - Phil
        
        Yea, so you claim. But I bet you don’t practice what you preach.
        So I ask for the second time – Do you power your household from the “inefficient” coal stations and the grid with it’s transmission losses?
        
        It’s also remarkable that you already seem to know the kind of electricity that people will use to power this car.
        Have you ever thought about the type of people that are willing to spend this much money on this car? Did it ever occur to you that these people are exactly the kind of people that will have solar power on their homes?
      - JohnMLambert
        
        Hi Phil. Not sure why you are so aggressive in you approach. I built a house in 1992 with insulated walls and ceilings and low energy light bulbs well before these things became common. I considered solar power then but at $23,500 versus $7500 for conventional power I could not justify the difference. Hence I use electricity from the grid though I pay extra for green energy option (even though I know wind and solar power are 7-10 times more expensive than coal fired power. And I am environmentally responsible in other matters. I just wish all people would be honest and tranparent. Electric cars have been around for more than a century. And new technology is making them more attractive. The average driver travel around 40 km per day in Auatralia. The Volt’s 16.5 kwh battery givers a range of up to 87 km, and will take around 20 kmh to recharge (over 4-6 hours). Hence keeping the car operating would on average require the total output od a 3 kw solar system in Victoria at a cost to have installed of around $5,500.
    - No fears
      
      I think all are aware of the down side of the plug in EV,there is no such thing as an environmentally sustainable or friendly vehicle,but this is potentially closer to it than alternatives.
      Some in the USA claim not to have had to fill the petrol tank for many months & I think the claim regarding CO2 emissions are somewhat negated due to the nature of electricity grids which require current to remain operational during non peak times.
      These non peak times are of course when an EV should & would typically be recharged for the next days commute using electricity that would still be generated regardless of the low demand.
      All it may take is a little forward planning by the user to cut their reliance on petrol for personal transport to almost zero & the servicing costs compared to a conventional car halved other than an annual service.
      Any mechanic should be able to perform the basic tasks of oil & fluid changes,etc (can’t stand dealership workshops)
      How my perceptions stack up in practice in the real world down under in OZ with long distances say travelling 500 km on a 40+hot summer day with A/C on all the time is what I am curious about.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
  
  Correct, you summed up my concerns about this “brilliant technology’” as another poster called it.
http://twitter.com/thomasrdotorg Tom Reynolds

The first ipod was 5 gig and cost a $500. The idea that this first electric car from GM would be cheaper than a Cruze is insane. It’s an early adopter phase.
I’d say get used to it, because this is the future. Max torque at 0 RPM? Yes please.
- UMWHAT
  
  how much torque does it have though? 80Nm? Sounds like hair raising excitement
  - Jkwark69
    
    Try 370Nm from 250-2800rpm… Not too shabby given the linear delivery that comes with it too…
Golfschwein

I’ve done a lot of reading on this car, and I reckon it’s exceedingly clever. Good on Holden for bringing it here.
Gus

not to mention all of that stuff consumes electricity like nobodies business. take it out and probably increase the range another 50km
Alanmaskell

Only $39,000 in the states
- LeStori
  
  That is because you take the price and add 50% because ‘you can’.
- Michael VZ
  
  Obama has implemented a green car rebate for all hybrid or electric cars in the states and is using the Chevy Volt as the main example
LeStori

I am guessing that it is called the Volt as the price is a real Shocker.
This car would be hard to justify even if you only drove on the batteries every day.
The car is essentially a decent $30-40k car.
The difference in price is what you have left over for buying fuel.
It is unlikely servicing costs will be less than if it had only a conventional engine, likely more.
This is a car suitable for for Climatologists, the followers of the New Age religion.
Like all religious followers their reasoning is removed as they join.
.
Dave S

I think it’s funny how people are saying big cars are on their way out. Then the Volt comes along with features not found in the much larger Caprice and people then say – ‘i am not paying that much for a car the size of a Cruze’.

I love cars, but these days we try to cut fuel use and short trips. The Volt is ideal, for those short – it uses no fuel. Forget to charge it – no worries (it can generate itself some more electricity).
Dwehlauer

I was keen to get one of these for my wife, $60K?No body in this market demographic (only doing 80km) can afford that. Plus it doesn’t add up financially.Considering:Volt = $2.50 per 80km = $0.03125 per kmCruze = $8.28 per 80km = $0.1035 per kmVolt Cheaper to run = 7.225 cents per km
Volt Car $40,000 more than Cruze Means you would need to do:553,633km just to cut even on the car cost. Economic my butt, GM we do calculations too.Rough numbers of course, but you get my drift.
Bengarden

I think what a lot of the people claiming that the emissions will be higher, because you are using the electricity grid to recharge, fail to get is that more and more people are using greenpower which uses renewable energy. I expect if you are one of the early adopters of an electric vehicle you are much more likely to be in this group hence the emissions for most commutes will be negligible. I’ve been on greenpower for the last few years and yes it does cost a bit more, however the real costs of staying on coal power are that our children and grandchildren will have a much poorer quality of life. I’m prepared to lose a few dollars extra for that.
Sexpanther1974

Who’s got $70,000 for a car most people can’t even buy a new commodore

They won’t get many buyers for a car that can only get 40 Klms realistically out of it battery

Good luck GM YOUR A BUNCH OF THEIVES
MrGuest

I would love to drive a hybrid. Quiet, clean, smooth but … $60k? Get real.
Personally I don’t know anybody who would pay that much for a vehicle.
It’s just a car for God’s sake :)
A domestic appliance. A personal transportation contraption.
If it’s economical, reliable, safe, practical – I can pay maybe up to $15k.
But $60k? Come off it ))
JohnMLambert

Interestingly the latest informatyion on Lithium Ion battery costs in another article on this site states the battery alone would cost around $9300. The good news is that by 2020 the cost is expected to drop to around $3000 in todays money. However in the meantime the failure of a battery would cost you more than the reconditioning of both the engine and transmission in current high volume vehicles
Robert Wooley

I was serious to buy but, Holden say No Towbar
So i cannot buy it
- MisterZed
  
  Oh dear!! What about a plastic window shield or rear louvre / sunshade – can you get those as well? I think a nice XF Falcon is more your style Robert.
http://www.facebook.com/rex.chan Rex Chan

This car isn’t for those are stuck in the past, nor for those those seeking value for money.

It’s for those people who want the future to be electric, and this car represents a way for us to make a statement about what we want, what we believe in, and support those car makers making electric cars.

V8′s don’t belong on the street as transportation devices – they belong on the racetrack, and as toys in our fun cars.
http://www.facebook.com/rex.chan Rex Chan

There is probably no way to justify the cost of this car (for the average consumer), but I don’t need to: as the HSV slogan goes “I just want one”. And that’s who this car will be aimed at – those who want an electric vehicle.
Michael VZ

How bout the new Aussie carbon tax. They place a huge tax on carbon immitions and at the same time cut the feed in tarif and rebates for home solar systems. Also completely scrap to green car rebate (in favor of the carbon tax)which would have made the average consumer able to afford a volt. Can u just imagine Volt users basically running there cars on sunshine.