Chevy Volt Availability Plan Accelerated in 2011 as Response to High Demand

Chevy Volt Availability Plan Accelerated in 2011 as Response to High Demand

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It looks like GM’s decision to run the Chevy Volt hype machine around the clock for the past two years has paid off: The car is so hot, the company has announced that Volts will be available at dealerships in all 50 states by the end of 2011. As of now, it’s only on sale in six markets—New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., California, and Texas—with Michigan sales beginning soon.

The rest of the country was going to have to wait until the first half of 2012 to buy the plug-in hybrid. Starting in the third quarter of 2011, Volts will arrive in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. The remaining markets will see Volts on dealer lots in the fourth quarter of 2011, likely in November. Rob Peterson, a GM spokesman, explained, “The Volt is helping to change consumer perceptions about Chevrolet, bringing a stream of new buyers to our dealer showrooms.  Accelerating the nationwide roll-out gives us the opportunity to capitalize on the enthusiasm for the Volt beyond the initial seven launch markets.”

Some outlets outside of those seven launch markets, however, aren’t content to wait. The sales manager at Jim Ellis Chevrolet, in Atlanta, Georgia, drove a Volt home from Long Island so the dealership would be able to show it to customers. It now is on a heavy test-drive rotation, along with a second Volt that the dealership picked up recently. According to Mark Frost, the sales manager, they are doing between five and ten Volt test drives per day. That the dealership will be able to sell the Volt in the second half of 2011, rather than the middle of 2012, is welcome news: they have taken 15 deposits from customers, with another 100 signed up on a waiting list.

Waiting lists at bow-tie dealerships around the country could get very crowded later this year. Selling the Volt nationwide in 2011, rather than in just seven markets, means that the planned run of 10,000 vehicles is going to be stretched mighty thin. General Motors says it is looking closely at increasing production—there are rumors that the company could double production this year, and multiply 2012 production by an even larger factor—but for now, no decisions have been made. Peterson says that about half of the Volt’s customers have leased the car through the company’s $2500-down, $350-per-month lease program.

Until you have the chance to try out a Volt for yourself—demo cars should be at dealerships nationwide this spring—check out our review and in-depth analysis of the car’s hybrid drive system.

Related posts:

1. Chevy Volt Pricing: How Does it Stack Up?
2. GM Claims Chevy Volt is On Track Despite Cost Hurdles
3. GM Expects Chevy Volt to Achieve 230 mpg City

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