[bwilson4web]

http://www.freep.com/article/2011110...0101/111107067

. . .
Chevrolet has almost 2,600 dealers who are authorized to sell the Volt, but about 700 of them had yet to receive a model to sell. Still, about 2,300 Volt demos were sitting at stores, unable to be sold. Dealerships had been required to keep the cars on their lots for six months before selling them as used vehicles, a policy GM hoped would bring in new customers who wanted to experience the car’s battery- and gas-powered ride.

As of today, those Volts can be put up for sale early, GM spokesman Tom Henderson said. The automaker’s surveys have shown 72% of interested people who haven’t bought a Volt made that decision because their preferred model wasn’t available. So GM is seeking to reduce customer and dealer frustration by freeing up saleable cars.
. . .

When I first read this article, I remembered skeptic claims that hybrids were only there to support other car sales. The Prius was just a massive marketing effort and not really "green." One consequence was pushing mock-hybrids, the belt-assisted vehicles that came with a hybrid price but not the performance. These false marketing claims were made when Toyota had waiting lines to buy a Prius often with dealer markups measured in thousands of dollars.

GM is learning that when product is in short supply, you sell everyone that you can get to the dealer. The only thing not yet heard is the existence of waiting lists . . . it is only a matter of time.

I don't bear the Volt any ill-will. A compact, reasonably efficient car, it is like our 2003, model NHW11 Prius, a good idea that should be much improved in the next release (aka., fix that engine assist!) A little pricy, the next release should be a stellar hybrid. I'm amused to see GM repeating Toyota's first-generation, hybrid history.

Bob Wilson