March 6, 2011

Dancing for Chevy Volt.

That's beyond bad. And it's not camp. It's just mind-crushing, government-made badness.

70 comments:

The Crack Emcee said...

I'm not kidding:

That's the average level of entertainment in France.

Think about it.

Anonymous said...

Barack Obama knows that the only way he's going to sell Democrat-made cars to average Americans is to put dancing whores out there front and center to jiggle their tits and flash crotch shots.

Couldn't he at least find some that aren't borderline obese?

I don't think average Americans want to buy cars from a salesman named Hussein no matter how many fat chicks he puts up on stage.

Anonymous said...

Here's what happened when GM invited Frontline to test-drive a Chevy Dolt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h5AOWL0fRE&feature=related

Fucking piece of shit couldn't even make it up a 2% grade then it conked out entirely.

Mind you, this was the car they sent to the PR shoot. You know ... the best one they had.

Don't. Buy. Democrat.

TWM said...

Did anyone seriously expect it to be good? Past some brain-dead enviro-nut, that is?

Frankly, I'm amazed at so many smart people who were even willing to give it the benefit of doubt. It's embarrassing for them.

rhhardin said...

Is fine Soviet car with optic glass windshield.

The Crack Emcee said...

TWM,

Did anyone seriously expect it to be good? Past some brain-dead enviro-nut, that is?

Frankly, I'm amazed at so many smart people who were even willing to give it the benefit of doubt. It's embarrassing for them.


Funny, I feel the same way about those who voted for president.

Weird.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

And to make matters worse, they're going to CLEAN THE PLACE UP AFTER THEY DANCE!

Bob Ellison said...

The Volt costs about $40k to build, has a retail price of $40,280, and comes with a $7,500 tax credit (that's real money, not just a deduction).

GM makes nothing on it, taxpayers pay to sustain this ridiculous model, and taxpayers also fork over cash to buyers.

And in the end, you've got a $17,000 car.

And still GM managed to sell only 281 Volts in February. 281! In case you're wondering how to evaluate that number, note that Toyota sold 13,539 Prii in February.

Ann Althouse said...

At least the women could have been good at dancing in that cheeseball style. It was like a dress rehearsal for a high-school show... without the charm.

Clairvius Narcisse said...

i've noticed that meade is good at dancing...around questions!
which legislator gave him a ticket to the governor's speech?

Tyrone Slothrop said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ann Althouse said...

"i've noticed that meade is good at dancing...around questions! which legislator gave him a ticket to the governor's speech?"

LOL. There's the big scandal of the day. Maybe he got it from the Koch brothers!!!!11!!1!

Automatic_Wing said...

I always wondered whatever happened to Lisa Loeb...

Anonymous said...

I've spent almost four decades now wondering if we were ever going to get a scandal called Gategate. This could finally be it!

Anonymous said...

"And still GM managed to sell only 281 Volts in February."

Well who the fuck in their right mind would want to fork over $43,000 (you forgot to include sales tax and destination charges) for a car that can only go 40 miles?

The president of GM does not drive a Chevy Dolt. That tell you something?

Don't. Buy. Democrat.

woof said...

Well who the fuck in their right mind would want to fork over $43,000 (you forgot to include sales tax and destination charges) for a car that can only go 40 miles?

It goes 40 miles electric only. After that, the gas engine starts and provides the power (via a generator).

The initial 40 miles requires about $1.50 worth of electricity.

Clairvius Narcisse said...

not so much the daily scandal as a simple amusement for me at this point. it's just odd that he (and now, you) refuse to answer a direct and simple question.

Anonymous said...

"Well who the fuck in their right mind would want to fork over $43,000 (you forgot to include sales tax and destination charges) for a car that can only go 40 miles?"

Not to mention the environmental disaster that the Chevy Volt represents when all those leaking batteries end up corroding our children's drinking water.

If you value the Earth you will leave to your children ... then don't buy these environmental time bombs built by Democrat union thug bullies who only care about the money.

Anonymous said...

it's just odd that he (and now, you) refuse to answer a direct and simple question.

Is that you, Mick?

Anonymous said...

"It goes 40 miles electric only. After that, the gas engine starts ..."

Oh, I see. Then it's only a fucking gimmick to make consumers think they are green vehicles all the while the batteries represent a huge environmental disaster waiting to happen.

Wow ... making people feel like stupid uckers doesn't seem like such a good sales tactic.

Emil Blatz said...

I think Lisa Loeb is wondering what happened to Lisa Loeb.

woof said...

The Volt is actually a fine piece of engineering.

The 40 mile electric range works for most people's daily commute. The total range (gas plus electricity) is nearly 500 miles.

Bill said...

Perhaps they were parodying the parody:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAqPMJFaEdY

Yeah, I bet that's it.

Anonymous said...

"The initial 40 miles requires about $1.50 worth of electricity."

20% of that electricity in the United States has to be generated by nuclear power plants that produce toxic radioactive waste that we still have no idea how to dispose of and which even today is causing cancer at high rates wherever it is stored.

Again ... Democrats are producing cars that create an environmental disaster on every level.

Don't. Buy. Them.

Anonymous said...

"The Volt is actually a fine piece of engineering."

Why should I buy cars from Democrats when they are working hand-in-hand with union thugs to destroy my country?

I could really care less if the car can go 40 miles or produces toxic nuclear waste we have no way to get rid of.

The bottom line is that Americans shouldn't support thugs.

Buy a Japanese car. Japan isn't trying to destroy your country.

Democrats are.

deborah said...

Meadehouse, inquiring minds want to know...where does the question of the source of Meade's ticket lay with respect to 'new media'?

Althouse said in another thread:

"If you want more information, you can click on the link. That's blog style. I don't spell everything out. This is new media and I do things with photos, writing, and links that many readers enjoy. Not gonna change that. If you click the link, you'll get to an enlargement of the photo, and you can read the sign. As for interviewing the man, he was on the phone when Meade was there (I was home, sick.) Meade does a lot of interviews. So do I. But it's not according to journalistic conventions. This is blogging, and I'm all about inventing and developing this writing form that is blogging. If that unsettles you... Good!"

The question that immediately occured to me is, did Althouse pull any strings to secure the ticket?

woof said...

Chevy Volt's awards

2011 North American Car of the Year
Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year
Green Car Journal 2011 Green Car of the Year
Car and Driver 10Best for 2011
Ward’s AutoWorld 10 Best Engines for 2011
AUTOMOBILE Magazine 2011 Automobile of the Year
2010 Breakthrough Technology, by Popular Mechanic

dbp said...

I think critics of the Volt are missing some important points. The Toyota Prius is a commercial success and yet never returns the price premium to its owners. They are willing to pay a $10,000 premium to get a car which gets maybe 50% better mileage than a conventional car of similar capabilities.

The Volt has roughly an $20,000 premium, but as a commuter car, it could use zero gasoline. I would never purchase such a vehicle, but if I did, it would never need gas. I work 10 miles from home and only use my car for short trips. We use other, larger cars for long family trips.

If people will pay 10K to cut their fuel use by 50%, I think there is a pretty good market for an American-made car that will use zero gas. It has a significant advantage over the Leaf as well since the Volt's gas engine allows it to be used for cross-country driving if need be.

Unknown said...

Well, the big blonde in the middle is pretty good-looking (yeah, I know...).

PS Crack, you made that. I just know you did.

Phil 314 said...

The dancing doesn't fit the music. They're doing NBA Dance Line dancing.

Phil 314 said...

The Toyota Prius is a commercial success and yet never returns the price premium to its owners. They are willing to pay a $10,000 premium to get a car which gets maybe 50% better mileage than a conventional car of similar capabilities.

Well just speaking for myself, I doubled my mileage when going from a Saab to a Prius. Internal room about the same. No Turbo but didn't use the Turbo much anyway. And the price was about the same.

I know, not a great comparison, but I like my Prius. As as gas prices rise I like it even more.

The best thing about the Volt is that it will be the reference point for its competition. (And so far its not looking so good.) It will be to electric cars what Palm is to smart phones.

Robin said...

Volt - the coal-powered car.

Michael said...

The nifty electric car was widely in use at the turn of the 20th century but was ditched in favor of the internal combustion engine for obvious reasons. We are not dealing with a new technology here folks.

woof said...

For 2012, Toyota is introducing a plug-in Prius. The electric only range is only 13 miles.

The plug-in Prius is expected to $48,000 and deliver 80 mpg (a 69 percent improvement over a regular Prius).

Michael said...

CN: I got my ticket from the Koch Brothers. Plus hockey tickets to buy future votes for right wing bushitlers.

Automatic_Wing said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Automatic_Wing said...

Depreciation has to be a bitch on a car with a $20K battery.

Anonymous said...

If the Volt doesn't do well, maybe it can become part of part deux of Cash for Clunkers. Full circle.

BJM said...

@dpb

...if people will pay 10K to cut their fuel use by 50%,

I don't know how much electricity costs where you live but I bet it ain't cheap or free, so you have to factor the recharging costs in to get a total "fuel use" figure...given how quickly electricity rates have risen over the last decade I guaran-damn-tee it won't be anywhere near as cheap as you think it will be.

Also considing that most urban electricity is generated by coal or natural gas, with a smaller percentage by nukes or hydro...how does consuming more power generated by fossil fuels help us out re fossil fuel dependency?

It doesn't compute.

Also as others have said, you have to pay sales tax on the full sales price of the car, not after GM/govt rebates.

The DMV also charges license fees based on the retail value, not the after rebate cost.

If you buy a $40,000 car in Southern CA (the largest market in the country) this year, here's the breakdown in fees:

Current Registration: 31.00
Current California Highway Patrol: 22.00
Current Vehicle License Fee: 461.00
Current County Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies Fee: 1.00
Current Fingerprint ID Fee: 1.00
Current Smog High Polluter Repair Fee: 6.00
Original Smog Abatement: 6.00
Alt Fuel/Tech Smog Fee: 8.00
Current Auto Theft and/or DUI Crime Deterrence Program: 1.00
Current Abandoned Vehicle Fee: 1.00
Current Air Quality Management District: 6.00
Current South Coast Air Basin: 1.00
Alt Fuel/Tech Reg Fee: 3.00
Use/Sales Tax: 3,500.00
Reflectorized License Plate Fee: 1.00

Total Registration Fees: $549.00
Total Use/Sales Tax: $3,500.00
Grand Total Registration Fees: $4,049.0

I live in a 8.75% sales tax county so my sales tax on $40280.00 would be 3524.50, but I'd save the $1.00 on South Coast Air Basin fee.

Also depending on your state you may have to pay state income tax on the $7500.00 rebate. Here's a list of states that charged buyers income tax on Cash for Clunkers rebates:

* Arizona
* Idaho
* Nebraska
* New Jersey
* New York
* Ohio
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Virginia
* Washington

Jim Howard said...

Full disclosure: I take a backseat to nobody when it comes to right wing wackery and Obama-hatred.

I'm saving up for a Chevy Volt.

I was puzzled by the post from Ut who claimed that 'Fucking piece of shit couldn't even make it up a 2% grade then it conked out entirely'.

That was a very early concept car, not even a prototype. It was probably made in 2006.

Chevy has been conducting parades of Volts up and down Pike's Peak , so whatever the problem in that concept car its long since been fixed.

My fellow wingnuts, remember the Volt started in the Bush administration.

The Volt will work really well for me, because I have a 20 mile each way commute. The gas costs of using my 2000 Ford Explorer Sport are starting to get really painful.

In fact, I think I could pay for most of the Volt's $350 lease costs just in gas saving.

Remember, Obama lied about most of his campaign promises, but I'm pretty sure he ment it when he said he wants energy costs to 'skyrocket'. The green crazies who infest Washington these days are cheering for $5+ gas.

Aside from gas savings, I look at the Volt as someone trained as an Aerospace Engineer.

The Volt incorporates many innovations. It is far, far ahead of anything from Japan.

When it was announced the CEO of Toyota stated that a range extended electric care was 'impossible'. And it was. For Toyota.

Now Toyota is scrambling to catch up.

As for the dancing, the video clearly isn't a TV commerical, its a little skit performed at a trade show.

I just turned 59 yesterday. Nothing that features pretty girls dancing really upsets me much anymore.

PaulV said...

$20K battery for 100,000 miles would cost 20 cents/mile if it lasts that long. That would work same as a 15 mpg car at $3/gallon.
That coal fired car is a big carbon polluter and battery will be toxic waste. Lose/Lose

WV: refile
refile Volt as lose/lose

PaulV said...

Where are the hydrogen powered cars we can refuel at the Hindenburg hydrogen service station? The extra 20+K the car cost will make car expensive to operate.

Anonymous said...

Yugo!

I don't know why that came to mind.

Bruce Hayden said...

20% of that electricity in the United States has to be generated by nuclear power plants that produce toxic radioactive waste that we still have no idea how to dispose of and which even today is causing cancer at high rates wherever it is stored.

We do know how to dispose of it - the politicians just won't allow it.

One solution is Yucca Mountain, shut down by the Administration, possibly at the behest of Nevada's senior Senator (and the current Majority Leader). Shown to be safe for maybe 100,000 years, but maybe not for 500,000. Something like that. Seismically inactive salt mine.

Or, then there are breeder reactors, like the French apparently use, which use low grade nuclear waste as part of their fuel.

Plenty of other ideas and concepts have been proposed and looked into.

As for TMI, etc. issues - the newest generation many of the reactors are modular, and many are passive. Far safer than what we had problems with.

Nuclear is a very viable scientific option, but is likely not a political option as long as the Democrats run the Administration and/or one house of Congress.

Which leaves fossil fuels for powering those Volts.

dbp said...

Phil 3:14, you're right about Saab--ours barely does better than the Yukon and it drinks premium! OTOH, I've never taken the Yukon above 130 mph.

A couple of other aspects to keep in mind: Much of the cost of electricity is the capital cost of plants and transmission infrastructure rather than the cost of the fuel consumed. The car can be recharged in off-peak (middle of the night) hours. This adds to the efficiency of the electric grid. We import oil but are entirely self-sufficient in the fuels used for electricity (mostly coal, but increasingly gas). Finally, it should be fairly simple to use the car as an emergency generator for when there is no electricity, such as ice storms--we have been through two, each lasting around a week.

The Crack Emcee said...

My fellow wingnuts, remember the Volt started in the Bush administration.

Though the Volt was originally conceived during the Bush administration, it was shelved until Obama came along, demanding it be built as part of GM's restructuring. You have to ask yourself why they shelved it if it's such a great car.

The estimated value of the $40,000+ Chevy Volt is $17,000 - and that's on the high end of the various estimates I've seen. That's some crazy math right there.

Consumer Reports just said it doesn't make sense. I don't know about you but I think they know their job.

Because the battery runs down the center of the vehicle, it can only seat four - and not comfortably.

It takes 5 hours to charge the battery, which every reviewer mentions, so it must be a pain in the ass.

Say it with me:

Boondoggle.

Milwaukee said...

At least the well clothed female dancers aren't promoting "heroin chic". While not quite Rubenesque, they are healthy looking. I hope they came at a discount.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Bruce Hayden said...

Nuclear is a very viable scientific option, but is likely not a political option as long as the Democrats run the Administration and/or one house of Congress.

Yep. The self-proclaimed party of science is afraid to cross the anti-science boobs that make up much of their voter base.

Somebody should blog about that...

Palladian said...

"Chevy Volt's awards"

"Titanic" won a lot of Academy Awards.

The Volt is a silly idea that I would fully support if it weren't a State Car made by the People's Automobile Manufacturer. It's a Trabant with a plug.

David said...

Are those chicks from Wisconsin?

Zaf-tig.

Revenant said...

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion, Althouse.

Jim Howard said...

Crack Mc, just about everything in your comment is incorrect.

In particular the Volt was never 'shelved'. GM began working on it in 2005 and announed the decision to produce it for the 2010 model year in July 2007.

See Wikipedia for a good history of the Volt.

Allen Edwards said...

Reminds me of the really BAAAAAD commercial breaks in that Arnold Schwartzenegger movie 'Running Man'.

Whuf!

wv: ingslam - right out of Orwell

Kev said...

(the other kev)

America's Trabant.

Anonymous said...

"My fellow wingnuts, remember the Volt started in the Bush administration."

Big. Fucking. Deal.

I asked a question: Why should anyone buy cars from Democrat Party union thugs when these very same thugs are destroying our country?

They showed up to town hall meetings and beat Americans up. Why should I buy their fucking car?

I don't care if the Volt can go 40 miles. I don't care if Democrats launched it during Reagan's administration.

The Volt runs by creating radioactive nuclear waste and by coal plants sooting up our atmosphere and destroying our Appalachian Mountains.

It is built by Democrat Party union thugs.

If you care at all about the Earth, and if you care about America, you won't give Democrats one fucking dime for these POS cars.

D.D. Driver said...

Jim: Wait a few months, save up a bit more money and buy the Tesla sedan.

The Crack Emcee said...

Crack Mc, just about everything in your comment is incorrect.

Fine, if you say so, but I wonder - why do some of you make me have to rip you a new asshole just to be respected? Do you think I'd lie to you? Why? Whatever. Let the ripping begin - from David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports auto testing center, in the Detroit News:

"When you are looking at purely dollars and cents, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. The Volt isn't particularly efficient as an electric vehicle and it's not particularly good as a gas vehicle either."

Here's the WSJ saying it "needs a bigger battery" and it's "prohibitively expensive".

And here's the Consumer Reports review that says it's got "a weak electric heater" that left the engineers "uncomfortably cold" and, as I mentioned, this:

There are evident compromises in passenger comfort as a result of the Volt's battery layout. Because the battery takes up the center rear-seat area, the car can hold only four people. Also, the rear seats are tight and the sloping roofline can make it easy to bump your head while getting in.

So I might be right about more than you, Mr. Howard, are willing to accept. I could go on, but anyone who chooses to be smart (read: skeptical) before purchasing an expensive item can find enough information to know the Chevy Volt is a boondoggle, from start to finish, by merely doing what I just did:

Put the name "Chevy Volt" into Google.

You can make a donation to my blog here:

I just saved you about $45,000. That ought to be worth something.

TWM said...

You can buy two Ford Fiestas for the price of a Volt. At about 40MPG they are great for commuting and don't have to be charged for five hours before you can use them.

Or you could buy three or four decent motorcycles and get even better gas mileage for the price of a Volt.

And considering as uncomfortable as they say they are, even the bikes would be a better ride.

ken in tx said...

Vega, Motor Trend car of the year, 1970 something. I bought one. Stick shift came up out of the floor in my hand. Alternator would not charge the battery because the belt was out of line. Headlight fell out on the road in front of a Ford dealership. I pulled in and traded for a Fairlane.

The Crack Emcee said...

Dear Ann,

My post got stuck in spam - please release it.

Thank you.

Jim Howard said...

Jim: Wait a few months, save up a bit more money and buy the Tesla sedan.

Teslas are fine, and Musk is my hero, but I live in Texas. I can't live with a battery only car, no matter how cool.

You can buy two Ford Fiestas for the price of a Volt. At about 40MPG they are great for commuting and don't have to be charged for five hours before you can use them.

True, and I currently own 2 Fords, both excellent cars. The thing about the Volt that really appeals to me is not miles per gallon, its miles per year. With my commute it is very likely that I would only burn about 12 gallons of gas per year commuting. I burn more in a week right now. All the rest would come from sweet sweet Montana coal, nuclear, and a dash of wind.

Oh, I already own 2 motorcycles, a Ninja 250 and a Yamaha Fjr. I am using them more for commuting these days, but really I prefer a car most of the time. There is no lane splitting here, and crawling in stop and go traffic is not why I bought my motorcycles.

Jim Howard said...

One thing I should have mentioned in my prior comment. You do not have to charge a Volt before you drive it.

TWM said...

"One thing I should have mentioned in my prior comment. You do not have to charge a Volt before you drive it."

True, you can just burn some gas.

You don't have to charge a Ford Fiesta either and they are cheaper to buy and get just as good gas mileage, more comfortable, and I would bet far more reliable.

Automatic_Wing said...

If you have a commute of 20 miles each way, the Volt is definitely not a good deal financially.

Consider that the $40K Volt is nothing nore than a $17K Chevy Cruze with an enormously expensive battery pack.

If you're driving 40 miles a day, every day, you'll drive 14,600 miles a year. Assume that gas is $4 per gallon and you get 28 mpg in your Cruze (EPA City 26/Hwy 33 mpg), and you're spending around $2,000 a year on gas.

Therefore, even if your Volt never uses a drop of gas (and it will) and that electricity is free (and it's not), it still takes over 11 years just to break even on your Volt. And that doesn't even cover inflation, depreciation, a replacement battery or the time value of money.

The Volt is a losing proposition unless the price of gas gets to $8 per gallon or something. And even then, a traditional small car is probably a better deal.

Jim Howard said...

Maguro, you are wrong about the Volt being a cruise with a battery, the Volt has a multitude of really nice features not available on a Cruz.

Your math is correct, but by that logic I ought to just buy a used Smart Car, and nobody would drive a Corvette.

Driving for a year on one or two tanks of gas Would give me a lot of satisfaction for a lot of reasons.

There is no arithmatic that justifies any $35k car.

If nothing else it would be great fun to see liberal Austinite heads exploding when they see a Volt wth 'Cheney Palin
2012 and 'Drill baby, Drill' bumber stickers.

Steve Koch said...

Young attractive women dancing in skin tight pants? What's not to like (besides the song)? The girls had thick legs and rear ends but a lot of amateur dancers are that way (all that dancing muscles them up a bit in those areas).

Not everything has to be political. No, the girls weren't world class dancers but they were OK. It probably depends on your perspective.

Anonymous said...

179 likes, 1,312 dislikes on YouTube this morning; the public is not enamored either ...

dbp said...

Maguro,

There is nothing wrong with your math and yet the Prius is a commercial success for Toyota, but it too takes something like a decade to payoff the premium.

I think people who would buy a Prius might buy a Volt since it can reduce the need for gas to almost zero.

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willg said...

Haha, get your own Volt at Ford Weslaco TX. The car is kind of a joke, but their motivation for making it is commendable.