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!

Chevy Volt production has started

Chevrolet Volt production for customers is under way at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck plant, putting customers one step closer to receiving the first mass-marketed plug-in vehicle for the U.S.

GM's vehicle tracking system says the first Volt extended-range electric vehicle allocated to a Chevrolet dealership near Los Angeles was finished on Nov. 9, said the dealership’s customer relations and inventory manager. That Volt was purchased through the store’s fleet department.

And the tracking system says the first Volt due to a Chevrolet dealership in Austin, Texas, was finished on Nov. 10, said the store’s new car sales manager. His store held a drawing to choose the first customer from a waiting list, and the winner fit the profile of a “green” driver.

“The main customer is going to be those engineer, technically savvy types of people,” the new car sales manager from Austin, Texas, said. But that fits with Austin’s hip reputation. “You know, ‘Keep Austin weird.’”

Teri Quigley, plant manager at Detroit-Hamtramck, told the Free Press GM started building Volts earlier this month for customers to purchase. She spoke on the sidelines of a ceremony to honor the Volt’s Motor Trend Car of the Year award and declined to say how many Volts are finished.

The automaker has yet to ship any Volts from the plant, but customers should get the first Volts in early December, spokesman Chris Lee said Monday.

GM's tracking system shows delivery is the next step for the Volts for the LA and Austin dealerships, but neither car has received a target delivery date. Sales managers at other dealerships said production dates for their first Volts are scheduled throughout November and December.

Current Volt production is for customers in California, Austin, New York City and Washington, D.C. This spring, GM plans to expand sales to Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey and the rest of New York and Texas.

The Volt runs on battery power for 25 to 50 miles before using a gasoline-powered generator.

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!

First Cruzes Roll Off the Line

Retail production of the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is in full swing at Lordstown Assembly following a celebration at the plant on Wednesday, September 8.

General Motors North America President Mark Reuss and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland drove the first Cruze off the line in front of GM employees, dignitaries, union representatives and community members. Following Reuss and Strickland were other red, white and blue Cruze models that symbolically declared that a world-class small car can be assembled in America by a domestic company.

“We are delivering a car with the quality which Americans desire matched with features they would not expect in this segment, from 40 mpg on our Eco model to 10 airbags as standard across the range,” Reuss said. “Of equal importance, we are working to redefine the views on a domestic carmaker building such a car here in the United States.”

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! Become a fan of Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook or Twitter to receive coupons, special offers, and prizes!

Production of Chevrolet Cruze Begins in Lordstown

Production of the much-anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which features the spaciousness and amenities of a midsize car with the fuel economy and price of a compact, was celebrated September 8, 2010 with red, white and blue models symbolically declaring that a world-class small car can be assembled in America by a domestic company. The first vehicles for delivery to buyers were driven off the line at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio plant in front of GM employees, dignitaries, union representatives and community members.

Cruze is already Chevrolet’s top-selling car worldwide this year, with more than 165,000 sold, and second only to the Silverado full-size pickup for all Chevrolet vehicles – even before sales begin this month in the United States.

"We are delivering a car with the quality which Americans desire matched with features they would not expect in this segment, from 40 mpg on our Eco model to 10 airbags as standard across the range,” North America President Mark Reuss said. “Of equal importance, we are working to redefine the views on a domestic carmaker building such a car here in the United States."

When the first Cruze sedans arrive at U.S. dealerships, they will offer consumers more for their money, with class-leading standard safety features, expected class-leading fuel economy, and more standard equipment than competitive vehicles.

With a starting price of $16,995, the Cruze includes 10 air bags, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, anti-lock brakes, collapsible pedal system, and OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.

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! Become a fan of Phillips Chevrolet on Facebook or Twitter to receive coupons, special offers, and prizes!