Chevrolet says that Volt owners are driving more than 63% of their overall miles in electric vehicle mode, collectively logging more than 500 million gas-free miles since the Volt’s retail debut in 2010.
Global Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney says the next generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid will debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan this January. Mahoney made the announcement during the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan.
“We have made great strides in reducing costs as we gain experience with electric vehicles,” Mahoney said. Whether this translates into another price cut when the 2015 Volt debuts remains to be seen.
The Volt and its Cadillac ELR clone have been less than successful in the marketplace in spite of the bloviating opinion of ex-GM spin doctor Robert Lutz. Year-to-date both have sold just over 11,000, with ELR accounting fewer than 600 of that tally.
Last year GM cut the price of the 2014 Chevrolet Volt to $34,995, including an $810 destination fee, representing a $5,000 price decrease for what was a carryover vehicle. If a buyer includes federal tax credits ranging from $0-$7,500, depending on tax liability, pricing could start at $27,495.
The latest price cut followed Nissan dropping the Leaf electric vehicle price by $6,400 and offering $199 monthly lease. Honda in response then reduced the Fit EV lease price to $259 a month, a steep reduction that trimmed the payment from $389 a month.
Moreover, the revised Fit EV three-year lease requires no down payment, has unlimited mileage, provides routine maintenance and collision coverage, as well providing a 240-volt home charging station, although the customer must pay for its installation but owns it forever.
GM says that Volt owners who charge regularly typically drive 900 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station about once a month. The 2014 Volt is rated at 98 MPGe (electric) and 35 city/40 highway when running on gasoline power without any need to change driving habits while saving $900 in annual fuel costs.
More than 70 % of Volt buyers are new to General Motors. The Toyota Prius is the most frequently traded-in vehicle for a Volt. California continues to be Volt’s largest market because of a low emissions package that earns the Volt a coveted “sticker” for single-occupancy HOV lane access in California and New York.
See:
- Electric Cars and Solar Cells are not so Clean
- Cadillac ELR Hybrid Faces Same Tough Market as Chevrolet Volt
- Milestones – Renault Nissan sells 100,000 EVs
- Price War as Honda Cuts Fit EV Lease to $259
- Nissan Cuts Leaf Price by $6,400 for the now U.S.-Assembled EV
- Scientists Urge Strong Government Policies to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Develop Alternative Fuels. Caveats Abound
- Nissan to Add 15 Hybrid Models by 2016
- Henrik Fisker Out at Fisker Automotive, the Firm He Co-Founded
- Honda Fit EV Rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, the Highest Ever
- First 118 MPGe Honda Fit EV Delivered in California
- Honda Now Leasing Fit EV in Japan – Best Efficiency Claimed
- Spark EV Electric Motor Manufacturing Starts in Baltimore
- Spark Plug-in EV to Debut in La-La Land at Los Angeles Show
- Chevrolet Spark EV $25,000 after Federal Subsidy of $7,500
- Honda Expands Fit EV Leasing to East Coast Markets
- 2012 Record Year for U.S. Hybrid Sales, But EVs Remain Insignificant
- Milestones – Nissan Begins Assembly of 2013 Leaf EV in Tennessee
