Audi's Johan de Nysschen: Chevy Volt Is a "Car for Idiots"

According to him, no one is spending $15k more on a vehicle competes against Corolla, from Toyota itself: Prius. Well, and all the idiots bought that car. Yes, we are idiots.

He said nothing I don't completely agree with. If I were a public figure like he is, I probably wouldn't have said it so bluntly, though.

The EV fad IS ridiculous. I think the Volt isn't necessarily a car for idiots, because, as noted above, it's probably going to run up against stuff like the new Lexus HS250h and other higher-end hybrids, but the whole segment is full of more problems than solutions and I'm sick of taxpayer dollars funding these battery-powered cars.

Well, he's correct in a way, but GM needs a political car, and that's what the Volt is. It may become a technological breakthrough product and EVENTUALLY become a advantage. Same with the EV-1. Amazingly ahead of it's time and a technological leader, but way ahead of the market. Unfortunately, many in this country feel companies should create "ethical" products, which means "electric" to the green masses.

I also think Audi is feeling a little left behind in the "green" technology, and this is just some whining to cover it up. If Audi was confident, they would just shut up and watch everyone waste their money advancing the art.

He said this on the record, during an interview?

I guess we know who the real idiot is.

Blahh. If this was Bob Lutz, no one would care, becuse he's always ranting about somthing and giving the people in PR a migrane.

It really makes no diffrence to me what the head of Audi thinks. I'll buy what i please. It may not be the 'smart' choice, but if it makes me happy...

I agree 100%. Volt is a loser.

I agree with the part where price is concerned. There is only one way that hybrids of all types can really capture a significant market share. That is by making them in numbers that make sense at a price people can afford. Sadly, the Volt is pushing envelope to a price point where it is costing GM more dearly than it can afford.

zoomzoom, cost/benefit arguments can certainly be made. However, Audi is one company that shouldn't make such arguments. Most vehicles they sell, cost significantly more than a Volt. Audi will lose cost/benefit arguments with just about anything.

Calling people "idiots" is another story. I hope he wishes he could take that back.

Im not a huge fan of the Volt but I do think its going to be quite a good car but at 40,000 it seems well over priced. My jaw actually dropped when I read the estimated price in one of my magazine's 1/2 a year ago, I was expecting it to cost in the upper 20's.

Just give me a damned car that is lightweight and has a small displacement turbo diesel!!!!!

Ditto on the Prius essentially being a price premium over a Corolla type vehicle. People pay it though, because they don't see it that way. If Toyota had packaged and styled it as a hybrid Corolla, they wouldn't be getting as many buyers who'd be willing to pay the additional 5K to 10K cost. It's one reason why Honda hasn't done as well with its hybrid Civic, and why they're doing the Insight as a hybrid only, so that it's perceived as a unique vehicle, and it can't be compared to a non-hybrid Insight.

Thus, the Volt may do better than we think, although I agree that the 40K price is a bigger hurdle than has been attempted before.

Wow, I bet GM is feeling a lot better about Lutz right about now...

Of course EVs, especially as they stand now, make little economic sense, but not everyone who buys them and hybrids are idiots. There are plenty who don't realize it doesn't translate into price savings, and they believe the hype but don't do the math. Then there are others who, like many luxury and sports car drivers, are just trying to make a statement. He should know about that better than most.

He's bestfriend of gaint oil company and He scared of EV car!

Geez, GM is already the poor overweight kid who gets bad grades and mouths off to his teachers, and now the cool kids are picking on him!

I want diesel. Give me diesel.

How are we going to deal with all that smug whenn we have so many hybrids AND a plug-in? It's a good thing we have all these nice clean coal-fired power plants...wait, that cleaning technology cost too much and noboday wanted to pay the extra cost. sh*t.

You the man, Johan. But I think you should have said it was the car for rich idiots. You know, the ones who buy Escalade hybrids because they have the word HYBRID written in big block letters on the door panels. These people don't care about the environment, they just want you to think they do.

Ev's are the future - he can complain etc., but If Audi would get in the game and make a quattro EV I would buy it in a heartbeat

Also, the reality is we are probably going to end up skipping hybrids as a society as a whole and end up with EV's. May people are sick of the stranglehold that oil has on us - granted we are still bringing the infrastructure up to speed, but I have a wind power generator and solar and get my electricity for free - I use it to heat and cool the house, heat my pool and more and still have electricity left over - cant wait to charge my EV.

The problem with Nysschen's comment is the Volt happens to be an excellent idea. He doesn't like it because it involves Americans not buying diesels, which are loud, rough, slow (though they're starting to be more performance-oriented), and cost alot to maintain. Compare this to smooth, efficient electric/ hybrid cars, and I'd be complaining too, because they're selling way more Pruises/Insights than they are any diesel vehicles from VW/Audi. And the Chevrolet Volt is going to sell well, too (but they do need to back off that $40,000 price).

is BDC going to come here and rant about this like he does about Lutz? Can't wait to find out.

"The Volt, you'll recall, is expected to cost around $40,000 once tax credits are applied."

Incorrect Erin, that is the price BEFORE the tax break. Unlike Tesla, GM has been talking about the pre-tax break price for the Volt.

Audi sells overpriced cars that are slightly better than much cheaper VW products and this guy says no one is going to buy an overpriced electric car that competes with the Corolla. Thats like saying no one will buy the A3 when the Matrix is available for $10k less.

I think I have to agree with him. I wonder where in the world does GM get its Engineers and Developers? When they try to keep up, they always end up falling a few steps behind. Yes, they hit it sometimes with things like the CTS-V, the G8 (which shocked me), the Camaro too. I purposefully didnt mention the Corvette because thats all their's. I too think he should have used rich idiots. Because in fact, they will use the car to make it look like they care for he environment is so true.

any car sold below $29k can be marketed as practical, which is fitting to the times (like the prius)...sedans above $30k goes into the realm of luxury brands like audi, bmw, lexus, mercedes...gm is not exactly known in this category...unless they only intend the volt as a novelty car (as in hop on the green wagon bs), a $40k pricetag is absurd for the mass market...but seriously, given the state of business gm is currently in, should they be really focusing on novelty over volume sales?..maybe thats what the audi chief is referring to as 'stupid'?

"Geez, GM is already the poor overweight kid who gets bad grades and mouths off to his teachers, and now the cool kids are picking on him!"

LOL!

jlcii, your perceptions about diesels are about 15-20 years out of date. If more Americans could experience the modern diesel engine, particularly the ones that are available in Europe, they'd be totally blown away and some wouldn't even realize they weren't driving a gasoline powered automobile.