The Chevrolet Volt is a good car, and more and more, consumers are beginning to discover why. They are also starting to buy. Not in the droves that General Motors had anticipated, and not yet enough to silence the radio and television quacks who have unreasonably deduced car buying to being a political decision. Nonetheless, Chevrolet reported strong sales for its flagship electric vehicle in March, with 2289 units sold, an effective doubling of December sales, and is hopeful of soon eclipsing 3000 units per month.
Even better for idle production workers is that Chevy is calling off its 5-week forced hiatus one week early to meet consumer demand. And in July, Chevy announced its 3-week hold-off on production will be reverted to the standard 2-week summer vacation. In short, things are looking up for the Volt.
“We are meeting supply and demand,” Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. “It’s not just Volt. It’s everything.”
This restarting of Volt production is, perhaps, an indicator that $5 a gallon gas is the straw breaking the backs of many motorists, especially in California, where the Volt is gaining popularity. But it’s still too early to say the market for the best EV on the road is taking off, though it does point to a gradual acceptance of it, despite an awkward press strategy following months of headaches and conspiracy. And though the $40,000 price point is still too high to make the Volt approachable for families and commuters on a tight budget, even after federal and state rebates, it’s hard not to root for it.
Source: The Detroit Free Press
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