The Chevy Volt has yet to be launched on the US market, but General Motors has already announced that it will ramp up car production numbers in 2012. The Chevy Volt is a long-awaited plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that uses energy stored in lithium-ion batteries. lithium ions to boost power for the first 40 miles. The car does not require a special charging station, but instead uses a residential power outlet. While 40 miles doesn’t seem like a very long range, it’s actually longer than the daily commute for 75% of American commuters.
General Motors has announced that production numbers will increase from 30,000 per year to 45,000 per year in 2012. Some Chevy dealers had already begun trying to cash in on the Volt’s low production numbers by telling interested customers that they are selling the car at a premium. Chevrolet is completely against this practice and the company has warned dealers not to engage in such activity. The Volt’s release will also be limited to just seven states by December 2010, and it’s currently unknown when the rest of the country will be able to purchase the car. The Volt has come under some scrutiny for its $41,000 price tag, but customers will be pleased to know there’s a $7,500 tax credit on the car that will help lower the price of the vehicle significantly in the end. General Motors’ future success in the hybrid vehicle market depends on the current success of the Chevrolet Volt. Fortunately for GM, the car appears to be off to a great start.
