The article mentions low sales for the Sonic as a reason for possible end of production of the Sonic. Oddly, the monthly and yearly sales numbers of both the Bolt and Sonic are relatively similar - less than 2,000 each most months, and less than 20,000 each for 2018.
Tom Keenan > On Jan 22, 2019, at 8:07 PM, brucedp5 via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: > > > > % Bolt EV is based of Sonic ice, both are made at same plant % > > http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2019/01/chevy-sonic-could-be-next-as-gm-kills-off-slow-selling-passenger-cars/ > Chevy Sonic Could Be Next as GM Kills Off Slow-Selling Passenger Cars > Jan.18, 2019 Paul A. Eisenstein > > [image > http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2017-Chevrolet-Sonic-sedan.jpg > The Sonic (ice) sedan in a sporty RS trim level as well, including blacked > out wheels, wasn't enough to jumpstart sales. > ] > > Several more plants also on endangered list. > > The Chevy Sonic is limping along and appears ripe to be discontinued by GM. > > > In the northern Detroit suburb of Orion Township, one of General Motors’ > assembly plants is hanging on by a thread. The factory is barely running on > one shift and, were it not for the Chevrolet Bolt EV, might have been a > fourth plant on the list of assembly lines GM said it would shut down last > November. > > The automaker has actually increased production of the all-electric Bolt in > recent months, but demand for the Chevrolet Sonic, the other model rolling > off the line there has dropped to less than 2,000 a month, barely enough to > bother, it seems. > > > The Last Word! > > TheDetroitBureau.com first warned that the subcompact Sonic was on the > endangered list in April 2017 and now, it seems, its fate may be sealed. The > Wall Street Journal is reporting Sonic’s days are numbered, though a > spokesperson for Chevy says that, at least for now, there is nothing formal > to be announced. > > Chevy had high hopes for the Sonic when it launched the small car in 2012 as > a replacement for the old Aveo. It was one of several small models, along > with the even more Lilliputian Chevrolet Spark, targeted at buyers on a > budget and struggling with gas prices that had surged as high as $4 a > gallon. To justify building the two models in the States, rather than Korea > or Europe, GM had asked for and received concessions from the United Auto > Workers Union that added up to hundreds, even thousands of dollars a > vehicle. That was major news on products with only the slimmest of profit > margins. > > Initially, the Sonic seemed to fare reasonably well, by 2014 sales peaking > at just over 93,000. Last year, however, they barely topped 20,000, And with > the economy reasonably strong, while gas prices are hovering just below $2 a > gallon in much of the country, Sonic has become little more than an > afterthought for buyers – especially with reasonably affordable alternative > in the crossover category, such as the Chevrolet Trax. > > > The only reason Chevy didn’t kill off the Sonic earlier, according to one > well-placed source who spoke to TheDetroitBureau.com, is that it could fill > in the gaps on the line between Chevrolet Bolt EVs. But with sales of the > electric vehicle gaining momentum it’s become less and less necessary to > keep the Sonic rolling at the Orion plant, too. > > Were it not for the importance of the Bolt as Chevrolet’s first all-electric > model, the bowtie brand might simply abandon it, too, shuttering the > suburban plant, as well. > > > GM already is set to close three assembly plants – one in Detroit, one in > Lordstown, Ohio, and a third in Oshawa, Ontario – as well as two component > plants. All told, more than 14,000 workers will be impacted by those > closings, as well as a cutback of white-collar staff. > > Six passenger car models will drive off into the sunset, meanwhile, > including three other Chevy products: the compact Cruze, the Volt plug-in > hybrid and the full-size Impala sedan. Add to the list Cadillac’s CT6 and > XTS sedans, and the midsize Buick LaCrosse. > > At least a few more GM plants are considered at risk, according to industry > analysts, including one near Michigan’s capital city Lansing, one in Bowling > Green, Kentucky, and another in Fairfax, Kansas. > > Officially, GM has only said that it has “unallocated” product that had been > built in the Detroit-Hamtramck, Oshawa and Lordstown factories. Technically, > that means they could stay open if new products move in to replace vehicles, > like the Cruze, that are being dropped. That will be one of the key demands > from the UAW when it begins negotiating a new, four-year contract with GM > next summer. > > GM CEO Mary Barra earlier this week indicated new products are coming – > including an all-electric Cadillac that brand teased during a preview ahead > of the North American International Auto Show’s opening. > > But Barra quickly dashed hopes that those upcoming products could save the > three plants closing this year. “We need to make sure that we keep the > capacity utilization up at other plants that we’re still working to > improve,” Barra said, referring to the Lansing, Bowling Green and Fairfax > facilities. > [© thedetroitbureau.com] > > > + > https://cleantechnica.com/2019/01/14/enterprising-tesla-model-3-owner-adds-automatic-trunk-frunk-opening/ > Enterprising Tesla Model 3 Owner Adds Automatic Trunk & Frunk Opening > January 14th, 2019 The Model 3 swept onto the electric vehicle (EV) scene > with a promise of delivering a long range, affordable EV. Though, Tesla has > admittedly had delays in ... > https://youtu.be/o5Dun6iNnoY > > > > > For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: > http://evdl.org/archive/ > > > {brucedp.neocities.org} > > -- > Sent from: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/ > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
