Niche Car Sales And Niche SUV And Truck Sales In Canada - September 2010

Going back to April, average sales of the Jeep Wrangler in 2010 in Canada were standing at 1273 per month. In September 2010, Jeep Wrangler sales dropped to 602, not nearly enough to place the 2010 Jeep Wrangler among Canada's best-selling SUVs. What happened? Actually, normality kicked in. Despite the drop from 731 sales last September to 602 last month, Wrangler sales are still up 68.6% year-to-date in 2010. 

Do the poor Canadian sales of the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight spell doom and gloom for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Nissan Leaf in the Great White North? Out-of-the-ordinary hybrids have been mostly rejected in Canada, a country which seems to recognize (for the most part) that there's little-to-no financial benefit from owning or leasing these cars. Prius sales fell 71% in September and are down 22.6% in 2010. The more expensive Volt and Leaf are technofests which make the Prius and Insight seem Luddite-inspired, but still one must wonder: are Canadians ever interested in spending more without gaining something financially? 

The U.S. car market was seven times the size of the Canadian market in September 2010. Sales of the 2010 Toyota Prius in the United States were 74 times stronger. Honda Insight sales were 24 times stronger. Based on these figures, Chevrolet and Nissan's expectations in Canada should be low.

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Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

Niche Car, SUV & Truck Sales In Canada - August 2010

Canada Auto Sales By Brand - September 2010

Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - September 2010

Top 10 Best-Selling SUVs In Canada - September 2010

Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In Canada - September 2010

CHEVROLET SAYS THE VOLT IS A 230MPG CAR

This just in: General Motors hypothesizes, with the help of "a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles", the Chevrolet Volt of 2011 will sip just one gallon of gasoline for every 230 miles of city driving.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Volt should be rated at 230 mpg when the EPA performs its testing in advance of the Chevrolet Volt's on-sale date. Arriving at this number involves a complicated procedure, one that starts with the Volt using 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles. GM says the average cost of electricity in the United States 11 cents per kilowatt hour. The Volt's ability to travel 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline is tantalizing enough; its cost per mile figure of less than $0.03/mile is disarming.

GM's latest Volt press release explains its powertrain in this way: "In electric mode, the Volt will not use gasoline or produce tailpipe emissions when driving. During this primary mode of operation, the Volt is powered by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the Volt automatically switches to Extended-Range mode. In this secondary mode of operation, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle. The energy stored in the battery supplements the engine-generator when additional power is needed during heavy accelerations or on steep inclines."

CHEVROLET VOLT, ORLANDO, AND CRUZE MAKE APPEARANCES UNDER EIFFEL TOWER

Completed almost 110 years ago, Gustave Eiffel's radio broadcasting and observation tower, one of the world's most famous free-standing structures, now sits over a new engineering marvel. Ironically, French automaker Citroen made use of the Eiffel Tower with 250,000 lights spelling out the company name in 1925. 

Now a foreign manufacturer has pictures on the internet of the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Orlando in a not-so-subtle way of showing their rightfulness in the world market. Few European elements are as un-American as the Eiffel Tower. Even with a replica in Las Vegas, this Paris landmark forms a barrier that speaks volumes about the differences between the United States and, really, the rest of the world.

Dominant in so many things, America's automotive capabilities have not measured up in Europe. General Motors wants that to change with the Cruze and Orlando. The Volt, meanwhile, should stand as a symbol of GM's ability to find solutions with R&D and, to be frank, determination. 

GM would like to be seen for what it once was, the largest home of automotive innovation and engineering. If BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and niche manufacturers continue to be the focus of regard, how can General Motors conquer markets where once it was competitive?

As pictures of the GM's desired future then, the Volt and Cruze and Orlando sit in a place where 200,000,000 people have toured, the world's most visited paid monument. 

RICK WAGONER SAYS VOLT TECHNOLOGY IS THE SOLUTION FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS

Don't be fooled by your own reverse psychology. The reason the press pays so much attention to Paris Hilton or Spears' return to the MTV Awards is counter-intuitive. Media attention poured out on the Chevrolet Volt makes complete sense.

No other major automobile manufacturer is as ready to mass-produce plug-in hybrids (or electric vehicles with range extenders as General Motors likes to say) as the Detroit conglomerate known as The General. Badges as a Chevrolet and likely to be priced above every car in its range except the Corvette, the Volt is powered by electricity, and gas if need be. Under electric power, there'll be 150 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. There's not much wonder then that GM's boss, Rick Wagoner, speaks with such strong hyperbole. The question is, are Wagoner's statements in this YouTube clip really all that hyperbolicious? Have a listen.

NEW VIDEO OF GM DISPLAYING THE 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT

Chevrolet has a history of moving..... the..... Volt..... very..... slooooooowlyyyyy. Just watch this video of the concept for proof.

Nevertheless, it's exciting to see the production Chevrolet Volt in motion on YouTube. Click here for all Volt-related posts from GoodCarBadCar.net and make sure you don't fall asleep in your office chair watching..... the Volt.... drive.... doooownnn..... the.... rooooaad.

THE 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT - OFFICIALLY REVEALED

"The Chevrolet Volt uses electricity to move the wheels at all times and speeds. For trips up to 40 miles, the Chevrolet Volt is powered only by electricity stored in its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. When the battery's energy is depleted, a gasoline/E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the Chevrolet Volt's electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range of the Chevrolet Volt for several hundred additional miles, until the vehicle's battery can be charged. Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt eliminates "range anxiety," giving the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery."

Those are the words of General Motors. With a technological marvel, it only makes sense that the manufacturer let the words flow. So below you can read more of GM's important Volt-related stuff. There's also a full photo gallery of the new Volt. With this link, you can find previous Volt-related posts from GoodCarBadCar.net. To read The Good Car Guy's need-to-know, click here.

"Because aerodynamics plays a key role in maximizing driving range, GM designers created an aerodynamically efficient design for the production vehicle. Many of the design cues from the concept vehicle endure in the production Chevrolet Volt, including the closed front grille, athletic stance, rear design graphics, outside rearview mirrors and more. The Chevrolet Volt's rounded and flush front fascia, tapered corners and grille are functional, enabling air to move easily around the car. In the rear, sharp edges and a carefully designed spoiler allow the air to flow off and away quickly. An aggressive rake on the windshield and back glass help reduce turbulence and drag."

"The Chevrolet Volt can be plugged either into a standard household 120v outlet or use 240v for charging. The vehicle's intelligent charging technology enables the Chevrolet Volt's battery to be charged in less than three hours on a 240v outlet or about eight hours on a 120v outlet. Charge times are reduced if the battery has not been fully depleted. At a cost of about 80 cents per day (10 cents per kWh) for a full charge that will deliver up to 40 miles of electric driving, GM estimates that the Chevrolet Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a cup of your favorite coffee. Charging the Chevrolet Volt about once daily will consume less electric energy annually than the average home's refrigerator and freezer units."



"The Chevrolet Volt offers spirited driving performance in a remarkably quiet interior. More than 220 lithium-ion cells contained within the Chevrolet Volt's battery pack provide ample power. The Chevrolet Volt's electric drive unit delivers the equivalent of 150 horsepower, 273 lb-ft. (370 Nm) of instant torque, and a top speed of 100 miles per hour. The lack of engine noise, combined with special sound-deadening materials, make the Chevrolet Volt an extremely quiet vehicle to drive."

"GM estimates that the Chevrolet Volt will cost about two cents per mile to drive while under battery power compared to 12 cents per mile using gasoline priced at $3.60 per gallon. For an average driver who drives 40 miles per day (or 15,000 miles per year), this amounts to a cost savings of $1,500 annually. Using peak electric rates, GM estimates that an electrically driven mile in a Chevrolet Volt will be about one-sixth of the cost of a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. The cost savings are even greater when charging during off-peak hours, when electric rates are cheaper."

THE GOOD CAR GUY'S NEED-TO-KNOW FOR THE CHEVROLET VOLT

First, five points The Good Car Guy believes to be necessary knowledge for all those interested in the Chevrolet Volt. This post will take you to the photo gallery and plenty of General Motors talk.

1- Powered by its electric-drive unit, the Volt makes 150 horsepower. That's half the power of the base 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, a vehicle that should hit dealers before the full-of-enviro-cred Volt.

2- Its an attention grabber, but the production Volt is nowhere near as eye-catching as the original concept, a vehicle that wasn't completely researched and developed before it was fully designed.

3- In a way, the Chevrolet Volt's fuel mileage is still unknown. There will be a fight (even Toyota wants a say) in the way its efficiency is measured. Sometimes the Volt will use plenty of gasoline (plenty being relative) while plenty of drives under 40 miles in length will consume none. How does one measure that? 100mpg, or 46mpg?

4- News that charging the Volt once a day will consume less electricity than the typical fridge and freezer is superb stuff to which GM should be drawing tons of attention. Put it in real life terms.

5- This is new tech. Don't expect the Chevrolet Volt to play in the price bracket belonging to the newly introduced Honda Insight, although you can expect huge government incentives after registering your new Volt.