GM expands Chevrolet Volt orders to all 50 states, lowers price

General Motors opened up orders for the Chevrolet Volt to all 50 states today, lowering the base price for the 2012 model by about $1,000 and adding four option packages.

The 2012 Volt will start at $39,995, including delivery, and customers may be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. GM was able to lower the base price because the car has more optional content now that it's available nationally, the automaker said today in a statement. The 2011 Volt had been available in eight states and Washington, D.C., and only had three option packages.

GM is expanding Volt ordering as it prepares to add two shifts worth 2,500 jobs to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant that builds the car. Volt engineers are seeking to cut the car's cost through powertrain and production improvements, which will mostly be used to make the car profitable, rather than slash the price for consumers.

GM plans this year to build 16,000 of the Volt and its European version, the Opel Ampera. That includes about 3,500 for overseas delivery and 2,500 as demos at dealerships. Next year, GM plans to build 60,000 Volts at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, with 45,000 designated for the U.S.

Detroit-Hamtramck this spring discontinued its other two cars, the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne, leaving it free to build just Volts until the 2013 Malibu starts production next year. The factory will also assemble the next-generation Chevrolet Impala, expected to start production by 2013.

The plant is in a four-week shutdown to update for Volt and Malibu production. After it restarts, the factory will start adding the second shift of workers, with the third to start at an undisclosed future date.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

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Volt gets 5-star safety rating

The Chevrolet Volt electric car has won a five-star safety rating from the U.S. government.

The five-star rating is the top one given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

General Motors says the Volt was judged under tougher standards for 2011 models that include a simulated 20 m.p.h. side crash into a pole.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

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Demand for fuel efficiency sparks Volt production rise

GM to build 1,000 more than planned in '11, 15,000 extra in '12

General Motors Co. has made it official: It's boosting production of its electric Chevrolet Volt.

The Detroit automaker said Wednesday it will build 1,000 more Volts than planned this year — about 16,000 in total — and increase production to 60,000 cars in 2012, up from the 45,000 previously targeted.

GM officials said they're upping production — long expected — to meet strong demand for the battery-powered car, which comes with a backup gas engine. With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, GM and other automakers are eager to capitalize on the car-buying public's new lust for fuel efficiency.

GM will shut down its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where it makes the Volt and its export version, the Opel Ampera, for four weeks starting in June to retool for added production. The carmaker will also build its next-generation 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at the plant, starting late next year.

The production hiatus will further constrain Volt supplies at dealers heading into the summer months, GM warned, but will better prepare the company for the 2012 Volt's nationwide rollout in the second half of this year, said Cristi Landy, directory of Chevrolet Volt Marketing. GM initially launched the 2011 Volt in a handful of markets, including New York, California and Washington, D.C., in December.

"By taking the time to reconfigure the plant, we will be better able to meet the tremendous consumer demand," Landy said.

GM's CEO Dan Akerson has pressed for more Volts "faster" and set production goals higher with hopes of eventually building more than 100,000 a year. Akerson also has challenged the Volt team to investigate ways to cut $10,000 in costs out of the high-tech vehicle. The car retails for $41,000, minus $7,500 in tax incentives.

Of the 16,000 Volts planned for this year, about 2,500 will go to dealer demonstration fleets, and another 3,500 will be built for export to China, Canada and Europe, GM officials said. The remaining 10,000 Volts will be sold in the United States — that hasn't changed, GM said.

Of the 60,000 Volts GM will build for 2012, about 45,000 will go on sale at U.S. dealers.

So far this year, GM has sold about 1,700 Volts, including 493 last month, according to tracking firm AutoData Corp. But while GM has been ahead — it was the first to bring this hybrid-style plug-in to market.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration packed with activities

Trib Local May 4, 2011 - Homer Glen is planning an atypical Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration.

It’s four weeks behind Earth Day, which was celebrated April 22, and three weeks behind Arbor Day, which was held April 29. But the delay is only to capitalize on the promise of better weather that May brings with it, local officials say.

The village’s planned event, scheduled for May 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes more than your typical tree planting and eco-friendly demonstration.

“It doesn’t just feature green living. It doesn’t just feature conservation. We are appealing to families,” said Trustee Margaret Sabo, chairwoman of the village’s environment committee, which is overseeing the event.

The event, in its third year in its current form, will be held at Konow Farm, 16849 S. Cedar Road.

New this year, among other things, are free pony rides and a presentation by John Basile’s Big Run Wolf Ranch, scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

A presentation from Jim Nesci’s Cold Blooded Creatures is scheduled for 1 p.m. A dedication of the Tilsy Barn – an 1870s barn that was transferred, plank by plank, from a Will County Forest Preserve to the Konow Farm – is scheduled for noon.

Other demonstrations are planned by the Northern Illinois Raptor Rescue, Green Woodworking by Robbie J. Field, and hand forging of ironware by blacksmith Brian Skrabutenas, among others.

Dr. Scott Keller will host an “Ask the Vet” session that includes demonstrations of first aid for cats and dogs. Antique and eco-friendly vehicles will be on display, including a 1910 Stanley Steamer, a Pioneer Conversion electric car, a new Chevy Volt from Phillips Chevrolet, and new Ford Fiesta and Fusion hybrids from Willowbrook Ford.

A donation drawing will raffle off items donated from businesses, including two large trees, nature photographs, an American Girl Doll, and a refurbished laptop computer.

More information about the event is available by calling the village at 708-301-0632 or visiting the village’s website at www.homerglen.org.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealersin the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt goes 1,000 miles between fill-ups, says GM

The electric-powered Chevrolet Volt is averaging 1,000 miles on each tankful of gas, according to General Motors.

The Volt's gas tank holds 9.3 gallons, so that means drivers are averaging about 111 miles per gallon. As a result, Volt drivers are stopping to fill their gas tanks only about once a month, GM said.


GM collected the fuel economy and fill-up data through the vehicles' OnStar system, spokesman Rob Peterson said.

The Volt can travel about 35 miles on a fully charged battery, according to EPA estimates. If the battery becomes depleted, a gasoline engine comes on to generate electricity for continued driving.

Electricity generally costs less, per unit of energy, than gasoline. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates it would cost $2.75, on average, to drive a Chevrolet Volt 25 miles on gasoline but just 99 cents to drive that far on electricity.

What do women want? Above all, a caBut real-world fuel economy figures like this could help GM's marketing efforts by helping consumers understand its benefits. Up to now, there has never been a simple, straightforward fuel economy figure for the Volt as there is for almost every other car.


Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealersin the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt Visits

May 4, 2011 - Sarah Evans and Jeff Stewart visited Rich East High School to show off the new 2011 Chevrolet Volt! We had a blast! The students, along with the faculty, were all very excited on learning about the vehicle.




May 5, 2011 - Numerous Auto and Science classes at Carl Sandburg High School got to chance to see underneath, inside and out of the new 2011 Chevrolet Volt.



May 6, 2011 - Prairie State College students and faculty were learned about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois' Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Phillips Chevrolet's 2011 Chevy Volt in JJC Newsletter

Auto students learn about the new Chevy Volt - April 27, 2011

Joliet Junior College Newsletter / Flickr.com Photo Album. April 30, 2011 - Curt Ward and Jim Coleman's automotive classes got a first-hand look at the new Volt, Chevrolet's electric car, on April 27. Phillips Chevrolet brought the car to the main campus for as part of the automotive curriculum for multiple classes.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Phillips Chevrolet's 2011 Chevy Volt in Trib Local

Chevy Volt not for sale, but available for test drive at local dealers

Trib Local of Tinley Park. April 29, 2011 - While the new electric Chevy Volt is not yet for sale in the Midwest, a few cars are available for test drives at a few south suburban car dealers.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

JJC auto students get up close and personal with Chevy Volt

The Herald News Apr 29, 2011 - Joliet Junior College Automotive Technology Department students got to examine and learn about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt LTZ on Wednesday in Joliet. Phillips Chevrolet of Frankfort brought the Volt, an electric vehicle that can use gas and was named Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt Visits Joliet Junior College

Phillips Chevrolet's Sales Consultant, Jeff Stewart, and Internet Manager, Sarah Evans, visited Joliet Junior College (JJC) on Wednesday, April 26. JJC's Automotive class asked to learn more about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. What better way to do that, than with a hands-on experience.

If you or somebody you know is interested in having the 2011 Chevrolet Volt visit your school, organization, etc., please call Leslie Horn at (815) 469-2323 X 323.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt Wins Top Safety Rating in Crash Tests

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt won the highest safety rating in crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, putting it in the top 57 percent of models tested so far this year.

About 80 of 140 vehicles tested among 2011-2012 models have received the Institute's "top safety pick," the group's award for state-of-the-art crash protection that exceeds federal safety rules, Institute spokesman Russ Rader said.

The Volt received a "good" rating -- the highest of four rankings -- on each of four crash tests, said the Institute, which is funded by auto insurers including State Farm, All-State and Geico.

The tests involve front, side and rear collisions with another vehicle, and a rollover crash.

"What explains the Volt's performance is the crash engineering that went into its development," Rader said.

The vehicle was engineered with a strong "crumple zone" between the bumper and windshield to maximize protection during a front collision. It also features strong pillars between the front and rear doors to offer enhanced protection in the event of side crashes, he said.

The ratings are based on a vehicle's structural performance and injuries to crash-test dummies in the model being examined. Any damage to the other test vehicle or its occupants is not considered, Rader said.

Most 2011-2012 vehicles tested have received the highest safety award because "manufacturers have been stepping up to meet" increasingly tougher crash protection criteria, he said.

The performance of the Volt, which is classified as a small car, can also be attributed to the weight of its battery pack, he said.

"When it collides with something bigger and heavier like a truck or SUV, it has an advantage over other small cars," Rader said.

The Institute tested the Volt between January and March.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt Visit

If you would like the new 2011 Chevrolet Volt to visit your school, organization or know someone who'd like to see it, please contact Leslie at (815) 469-2323 X 323!

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Volt Test Drive

Would you like to take the Volt for a ride for a day? Now you can, thanks to Phillips Chevrolet! This car is not like the others. Drive it for a day to find out for yourself. Click here to read rules and regulations.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Only Chevy Volt in Illinois Arrives at Frankfort Dealership

Fox Chicago News- Given the pain at the gas pump, a new car at a southwest suburban dealership is likely to be very popular. Phillips Chevrolet in Frankfort is the only Illinois dealership so far with to have the electric Chevy Volt in their showroom.

The electric car can go about 35 miles on one charge before its gas generator kicks in.
At the Frankfort showroom you can look at the Volt, but you can't drive it home. If you want to buy one you'll have to get on a waiting list.

GM is manufacturing only 10,000 Volts this year. Each costs $41,000.
Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

2011 Chevrolet Volt Arrives at Phillips Chevrolet

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt arrived at Phillips Chevrolet on the morning of Friday, March 18. Come in today for a test drive!

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

GM Plans to Add Second Shift at Volt Assembly Plant

General Motors Co. will add a second shift at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant early next year to bolster production of the Chevrolet Volt, according to a newspaper report.

The second shift would add about 900 to 1,000 jobs at the plant, Teri Quigley, plant manager for the Detroit-Hamtramck factory, told the Detroit Free Press today. Laid-off GM workers would get first opportunity to apply. Workers will begin training later this year with full production ramping up in early 2012.

“Detroit Hamtramck has started some of the pre-work related to adding an additional shift at the plant,” spokesman Chris Lee said.

Lee said the plant “wants to be in a position to bring on a shift as quickly as possible when we are asked to increase production to meet market demand.”

“At this point in time, it is too early to tell how many employees would be required or when an additional shift will start -- we are just doing some pre-planning to ensure we can respond quickly to market conditions,” he wrote.

GM has said it wants to build 25,000 Volts this year, up from the original 10,000-unit target. Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with GM's plans, reported in January that the automaker intends to produce 120,000 Volts a year starting in 2012.

The plant will back up GM’s Fairfax, Kan. plant on production of the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu when it debuts next year. The plant currently has 1,048 employees.

The Volt sells for $41,000 with delivery, although a federal tax credit of $7,500 for the first 200,000 units sold reduces the cost. Since its debut in December and through February, GM sold 928 Volts.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

Avalanche Named Consumer Reports Top Pick

Chevrolet Avalanche was named among the six new Consumer Reports Top Picks. One review described Avalanche as a “versatile crew-cab model with a unified bed and cab that helps give it a steady, comfortable, quiet ride. And the innovative partition between the cab and the bed can be folded to extend the cargo area into the back of the cab.”

Chevrolet earned Top Picks in the pickup truck category for the past four years. Silverado was the 2010 Top Pick.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!

New 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition

Celebrating 50 years of Le Mans Racing- transferring track inspired technology to production.

For the truly hard-core Corvette fanatic who likes to spend weekends thrashing his or her car at the track, there is only one Corvette worthy of consideration: the Z06. However, thanks to the ZR1, the lightweight, normally aspirated 7.0-liter coupe is no longer the absolute quickest Vette, but it is felt to have the most responsive handling. What it doesn't have is the uber-cool carbon-ceramic brakes, carbon-fiber body panels and magnetic ride active damping system of its supercharged sibling. That can now be changed to past tense with the birth of the Z06 Carbon edition. 

The Z06 Carbon was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the Corvette at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when John Fitch and Briggs Cunningham won their class and finished eighth overall. The Carbon edition is essentially a Z06 with a ZR1 chassis and some of the carbon skin. When production starts this fall, only 500 examples will be made and they will only come in two colors, Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue. All examples get black-painted wheels and a black interior upholstered in leather and suede.

Phillips Chevrolet has Illinois’ Largest Chevy Inventory! We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and are one of the Largest Chevy Dealers in the United States. Visit us at www.phillipschevy.com. View our specials! Follow Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to receive coupons, special offers and prizes!