GM Revs Up Volt Production to 10,000 Cars
General Motors Co. said Thursday it will build 10,000 Chevrolet Volts in 2011 and another 30,000 in 2012, the first time the auto maker has outlined production plans for the battery-powered car.The Volt will go on sale later this year in California, Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, and around New York City. Additional vehicles will go on sale next year in Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut and the rest of New York and Texas, the auto maker said.
By 2012, GM expects to be selling Volts in every U.S. state, Chevrolet Volt marketing director Tony DiSalle said during an online chat.
If dealers want a Volt in their showrooms, they must undergo specialized sales and service training and install a higher voltage charging station. They also must agree to keep at least one Volt in their showroom to demonstrate to customers.
GM is in the process of figuring out which dealers hope to sell the Volt and allocating cars to each store.
"This is a movement we are trying to create here and it is a movement that will requires continued communication and investment," Mr. DiSalle said.
GM on Thursday launched Volt advertizing in New York and Austin. Mr. Di Salle said production is slated to begin at the end of this year but declined to be more specific.
For more than three years, the Volt has been at the center of GM's efforts to rehabilitate its image as a maker of gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles. GM says the car can drive about 40 miles on battery power and, when the battery runs out, a small gasoline engine connected to a generator will power the electric motor. The Volt can be plugged in to recharge the batteries.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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