The generation 2 cars (2016 - 2020) are quite a bit better than the Gen 1 cars. Battery range is up to 60 miles (estimate, it depends on a lot of factors). The whole drive train is new, more powerful, and more efficient. When operating in "hold" mode or if the battery is depleated the engine is clutched directly to the ring gear at highway speeds. We got 48 mpg on gas while driving home from Philly last month.

It's a nice looking car on the inside. I read GM lost 50K on every one they made

Where did you read that?

That was from a Forbes article. Most say it is closer to 10k lost per.

GM spent a billion on development. Depends on how you spread that out.

And when you factor in the government subsidies per vehicle, each one cost over $100k to build!

Thanks Sooner or later. I'll look for that article.

legion, where does your information come from?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2012/09/10/stunner-gm-may-be-losing-50000-on-each-chevrolet-volt/#3ee899ae2cc9

I'd be surprised if it was a $50K per unit loss. But - the Volt/Bolt are R&D platforms for future. I still love our 2015.

OK, that article and the Reuters article it's based on were written in 2012, back in the first year, year and a half that the Volt was on the market. Obviously things must be OK for GM, otherwise, they would've killed it. Instead, the Gen I Volt was sold over, what, 4 years? And then GM redesigned it and the Gen II Volt is starting its third year on the market. Either Reuters got it wrong or GM turned things around.

The tech is used on other GM platforms. GM developed hybrids use a lot of Voltech.

Also, Fed and State tax credits for buying a Volt go to the buyer, and not to GM, right? Or do I have this wrong? Thanks.

Buyer or lessee. Yes.
It's a lot more fun for some people to think they are sending less money to the government than to a private company.

So, I guess the claims made above are probably off base.

The development costs of the Volt are being amortized over a number of other platforms. The hybrid Chevy Malibu uses a lot of Volt technology, as will other Chevs in the future. It is wrong to put the entire cost of developing a new drive train on the first 50,000 cars, or first 100,000 cars, or first million cars, if the tech is going to be used on a million+ cars.

I thought I read the Volt was being discontinued. GM didn’t pass through the entire Federal tax credit if you lease it, at least on the 2017s last March. I thought that kind of sucked when I leased mine.

From Forbes:
Whenever you hear talk of battery-electric cars or plug-in hybrids, you’ll also hear talk of the federal tax credit that you can get when you buy an alternative fuel vehicle. In many cases that’s true, but how do you know if the car you bought is eligible, and how do you take advantage of the credit?

Most advertisements will say the “vehicle is eligible for a tax credit of up to $7,500,” but in reality it’s not that simple.

How Much Can You Deduct?
The federal electric car tax credit is only available on certain electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and the maximum amount available on any vehicle is based on the capacity of its battery pack. While all battery-electric vehicles presently available for sale are eligible for the full amount, not all plug-in hybrids are.

For example, you can get the full $7,500 back on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt, but only $4,919 back on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid. You can find the full list at the U.S. Department of Energy’s FuelEconomy.gov website.

Patrick

I saw an article that mentioned that GM was reviewing 6 cars for whether or not to continue making them, including the Volt. It think that's related to slower sedan sales.

I only wish they would continue selling the Volt in the UK: I would buy one for certain, but they stopped selling Volts in 2014 here. Now I would have to drive 50 miles to the nearest dealer if I had one that needed repair.

I believe 2020 is the last year for the Volt. Other models are adopting some of the Volt technology, and I expect to be able to buy an extended range plug in version of a sedan and a SUV by 2020.
The Federal Tax credit isn't up to GM, so there is no "pass through." The Feds decide which cars are eligible and the Feds give the tax credit. Other than build a compliant car, the manufacturer has nothing to do with it.

If the car is leased, the lender gets the Federal tax credit. Most manufacturers "pass through" the entire credit if it's their captive lender (typically), but not GM.