AUTOMOTIVE

GM increases production capacity of Chevy Volt by 50 percent

August 2, 2010

The first pre-production Chevrolet Volt (pictured here) moves along the assembly line at the Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing plant (Image: John F. Martin for Chevrolet)

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It looks like orders for the Chevrolet Volt have been flowing in since GM announced it was taking orders just last week. The auto-maker has now announced it will increase U.S. production capacity of its “extended range electric vehicle” by 50 percent, from 30,000 units to 45,000 units, in 2012. The announcement came as U.S. President Barack Obama toured the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Volt is being produced for sale later this year.

The announcement of increased production is the latest in a line of announcements that bode well for the success of the Volt. Last week, participating Chevrolet dealers in launch markets began taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, following the release of retail and lease pricing. The company also recently announced an eight year or 100,000 mile warranty on all the vehicle’s battery components and the number of U.S. launch markets for the vehicle was recently raised from three to seven.

President Barack Obama drives a 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle off the line with Pla...

On his tour President Obama had the opportunity to test drive a Volt off the production line. The test drive was only about 40 feet but that was apparently enough to impress the President who said, “pretty smooth,” as he stepped out of the vehicle.

GM says that in the past few weeks, more than 25,000 people have joined the Chevrolet Volt enthusiast list. Maybe the U.S. President is one of them.

About the Author

Darren's love of technology started in primary school with a Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong (still functioning) and a Commodore VIC 20 computer (not still functioning). In high school he upgraded to a 286 PC, and he's been following Moore's law ever since. This love of technology continued through a number of university courses and crappy jobs until 2008, when his interests found a home at Gizmag. All articles by Darren Quick