GM to sell Volt nationwide by year end

[DainBramaged]

General Motors Co. plans to launch the Chevrolet Volt in all 50 states by the end of the year, a major acceleration in the rollout of the plug-in hybrid.

Chevy plans to have Volts in all of its dealerships by the end of 2011, Rick Scheidt, Chevy vice president of U.S. marketing, said in a statement.

Chevy originally planned to deliver the car in select markets this year: California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas and Michigan. Deliveries began in December.

GM said customers nationwide will be able to order Volts through dealers beginning in the second quarter. Deliveries will begin in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii in the third quarter.



Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110127/OEM01/110129866/1261#ixzz1CGPCi4AU

[doc03]

1. My guess is there isn't enough demand in California, New York,

Connecticut, New Jersey and they are forced to go nationwide.

[DainBramaged]

2. There is. They are trying to stop dealers from swapping with other dealers

it is important that they are sold by dealers who are also certified to fix them, which means a substantial investment in training and new equipment.

[doc03]

5. DB I have noticed you are knowledgeable about the

auto industry. I have a question, why is it I never see one of the Ford Fusion hybrids in any dealers inventory? It sounds like a good vehicle but I have never seen one at a dealership to even take a test drive and see very few on the road. Are they selling so well in other parts of the country that we just don't get any here in the smaller market? My theory is they are purposely keeping the supply low to keep the price up.

[DainBramaged]

9. Battery supply, plain and simple. This is a new direction for Ford and GM

The batteries are coming from Japan. What they basically are are a gazillion laptop batteries in a large pack, made in China, shipped to japan for assembly, and then here. GM is building their own plant in Michigan, and that should alleviate supply for the Domestics.

[FLAprogressive]

7. Oh no, there is....I've heard that dealers are getting away with selling them over sticker price....

[DainBramaged]

11. There is no indication that they are making a profit over and above sticker

almost all of the initial 10,000 Volts were pre-sold.

[GSLevel9]

3. I'm sure the lines will be long...

with people holding trash bags full of $42,000 in cash.

:sarcasm:

Volt is a heaping, steaming dose of MEGA-FAIL.

Just give us CHEAP European clean-diesel and gasoline sub-compacts that regularly pull in 50mpg and could sell here for $15k.

[DainBramaged]

4. Go import one from Europe.......pay the fees to certify it here

and then tell me about the trash bags full of cash you spend.


As usual, if you knew anything the Volt comes down to $28,000 after tax breaks and incentives. And being the first of it's kind, you of course expected it to be $1995.00


Meh meh and meh.

[doc03]

6. The Volt sounds like a great car if you live in an urban

area and you just use it for around town.

[DainBramaged]

10. Drive across the country, self-charging battery from gas engine generator

but if you have access to a plug, you'll never use a drop.

[FLAprogressive]

8. It's $34,500 after a tax-credit, and it's a new technology. Cell phones and computers weren't cheap

when they first came out.

From what I have read thus far the Volt is the real deal.

[GSLevel9]

12. 375 LB Lithium Battery

the cells are produced in Korea and shipped to the US by boat.

Do you know how they MAKE lithium batteries and how they DISPOSE fo them?

[DainBramaged]

13. Filled up for the first time

Volt 277, which resides in Austin TX, was placed in service on Dec. 21. Today, it made its first trip to the gas station. I thought you might be interested in the stats:
odometer: 1518
trip a mileage: 1518.2 (I plan to reset trip a each time I fill up)
trip a gallons used: 7.2
trip a avg mpg: 210.5
lifetime mpg: 232 (note the discrepancy. The car had 31 miles on it when I picked it up, and I'm wondering if the dealer reset the lifetime mpg after they put on 31 miles in testing out the vehicle...)
gallons put in vehicle: 6.124 (I stopped when the pump clicked off and didn't try to add any more)

So far, the furthest I've gone on a full charge is 45.1 miles; the least is 29.8 (on a below-freezing day with much driving into a strong north wind)

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?6513

[phantom power]

14. Any measurements on what the electricity has cost you?

[DainBramaged]

15. Oh that wasn't me , that was from the Volt owners forum

residing in Austin Tx this time of year, I wish.....

[flvegan]

16. Good to hear.

The sooner more hands can get on it, sooner the tech should spread and prices should come down. Glad to see Florida is on the list.