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 The second-generation Volt is slated to go into production in about
16 months at General Motors Co's Detroit Hamtramck plant, the
sources said.
Chevrolet spokesman Mike Albano declined to comment on the brand's
future plans but said: "Volt customers are the happiest customers in
the world. We found a formula that works for them, and we're not
going to deviate from that formula."
Chevrolet has sold just 58,158 Volts since the car went on sale 39
months ago, despite price cuts and heavy discounting. In comparison,
the best-selling Ford F-series pickup last month sold more than
70,000.
GM on Tuesday said it will spend $384 million to upgrade tooling and
equipment at Detroit Hamtramck, which it said will build the
next-generation Volt "and two future products."
Detroit-area suppliers familiar with GM's plans said the future
products include a new flagship sedan for Cadillac in late 2015 and
a redesigned Buick LaCrosse midsize sedan in spring 2016.
The 2016 Volt, suppliers said, will share its underpinnings with the
next-generation Chevrolet Cruze, which is due to begin production in
late 2015 or early 2016.
The standard Volt won't deviate dramatically from the current model,
which is priced from just under $35,000 and has a driving range of
up to 380 miles, according to Chevrolet.
GM also wants to offer a lower-cost edition, priced from just over
$30,000 that would likely have a range of less than 300 miles, with
less equipment, the supplier sources said.
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The strategy is similar to the one employed by electric-car maker
Tesla Motors, which originally offered its Model S luxury sedan with
a choice of three different battery packs at three different price
points.
At just over $30,000, the "entry level" Volt would be one of the
least expensive plug-in hybrids in the U.S. market.
The 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-In starts at $30,800, while the 2014
Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid is priced from $40,570. The 2014 Ford
C-Max Energi, also a plug-in hybrid, starts at $33,745.
When the Volt was introduced in late 2010, it was priced at nearly
$40,000. With sales running well below GM's expectations, the base
price on the 2014 Volt, introduced last August, was slashed by
$5,000 to $34,995. Chevrolet dealers also continue to offer
discounted lease rates on the car.
Volt sales last year were flat, at 23,094. In the first three months
this year, Volt sales dropped 15 percent to 3,606.
(Reporting by Paul Lienert and Bernie Woodall in Detroit;
editing by
Cynthia Osterman)
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