2012 Chevy Volt to start at $39,145
2012 Chevy Volt to see a price reduction
Volt sales expand to all 50 states, price drops $1,000, at least on base model
When the 2012 Chevy Volt hits dealerships in all 50 states beginning later this year, it will do so with a cheaper price. The updated Volt will start at $39,145, not including an $850 delivery charge.
Additionally, the new Volt will offer up some new colors and a few other features, such as 17-inch sport alloy wheels.
Other features will be keyless access and locking, OnStar Turn by Turn navigation (standard for 3 years), and Chevrolet MyLink including Bluetooth, although the base Volt will not include navigation nor the Bose stereo.
A fully loaded Volt, on the other hand, will see a $1600 price increase to $46,265.
Additionally, the 2012 Volt still qualifies for a $7500 Federal tax credit and numerous state and local incentives.
Nice Link….
To be honest though, foreign oil consumption is my main motivating issue after losing a brother in Iraq.
As long as we use foreign oil, we will have to continue to put soldiers at risk in foreign countries to protect our foreign oil interests.
I don’t want other families to go through what my family has…..
@Smurf – If you care about the evaporative and other tailpipe emissions, check out the comparison with the Volt and Prius PHV (prototype).
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/64518-emission-comparison-prius-hs250h-insight-civic-hybrid-jetta-gas-tdi-wrx-sti-5.html#post1199560
kp,
I agree with you on the gas tax.
In a perfect world, we have higher gas taxes, and no need for tax breaks on plug-ins.
We would probably have a balanced budget too……
The people I’m talking are the not-yet-converted. The masses necessary to mainstream the technology. If you can consider a new car over $30000, you’re not one of them. If you do diligent research by contacting other buyers, you are not one of them. I’m talking about the general consuming public. Clowns that buy the crap Madison Avenue pushes during Super Bowl commercials.
I consider myself liberal, but I hate subsidies. Markets are made by free enterprise, not subsidized. They are also taxed appropriately. If gas was taxed in the US as it is in almost every other country, we wouldn’t need subsidies to help people make the right decision.
usbeawolf2000,
Nice Link!!!
Regardless of whether electricity comes from coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, or Solar it is American made.
From this link….. Only 1.6% of US electricity comes from foreign oil (In my area (0.1%)).
THIS is why I’m such a big fan of electric. It is “Made in the USA.”
How CLEAN the electricity is is a different conversation. Having lost a brother in the Iraq war, my main concern is using less foreign oil.
PLUS…..
I installed solar panels on my house in anticipation of getting an electric vehicle. My solar panels generate about twice the daily usage of a Volt.
Technically the solar panels won’t charge my Volt, as I’ll be charging overnight most of the time, but I have a grid-connected system. The excess electricity I generate during the day, goes to the grid and is credited back to me at night.
Smurf – Have you made sure the electricity you’ll be charging with, was not generated from foreign oil?
You can check from the link below. Just punch in your zip code.
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html
kp,
I don’t know what people you are referring to….
I ordered a Volt because I simply don’t want to use foreign oil when possible, but I also have a little range anxiety.
At my income level, without the tax break, the Volt is too expensive.
I’ve been in communication with a lot of Volt owners since ordering my Volt. Most of them are just like me. The tax break was key to making the Volt affordable enough for them to purchase.
As far as gas impact…. almost every one of these Volt owners purchased the Volt specifically to use less gas. Half of them are doing it to be green. The other half are doing it to use less foreign oil. None of them are doing it because the price of gas is too high.
The only thing wrong with the Volt/plug-in tax break, in my opinion, is that we don’t have more tax breaks available for hybrids as well. If we did, maybe hybrids would represent more than 3% of the auto market.
If you ask me, giving a tax credit to oil companies as an incetive to drill is a MUCH bigger waste of taxpayer dollars.
We need to branch out beyond the Fox News opinon of the Volt, where hatred of Obama has caused them to be overly-critical of the Volt and it’s tax break.
Most people that make enough to afford these vehicles don’t give a s**t about the price or impact of gas. So stop pissing away tax dollars. You’re at the wrong end of a market economy if you’re using subsidies to drive it.
Larry,
I may take advantage of the high depreciation by leasing my Volt.
At the end of the lease period, I’ll pay off my Volt instead of turning it in. Thanks to the high depreciation, that payoff will be at a fairly low price.
kpdriscoll,
If there’s one thing that has become crystal clear the past few years is that we cannot get to “afforable” mass-market EV’s without first starting out with high cost EV’s.
Just like every major innovation from PC’s, to HD TV, to cell phones, to gasoline powered cars, the first generation product historically is not priced for the masses. That is a reality of product development that we simply cannot avoid.
History teaches us that in business, “There are no shortcuts”.
BUT….
Those first generation EV’s like the Volt & Leaf are a critical stepping stone. The longer we take to produce those first generation vehicles, the longer it is going to take to get to mass market EV’s.
That is why the current administration has put so much support behind the Volt & Leaf. They are aware that these vehicles are critical stepping stones along the path to foreign oil independence. The sooner we take those steps, the sooner we will be on the path.
If it takes a little gov’t subsidy to get us on the path, I’m all for it….
It would take “Golf Cart Lanes” to get the volume necessary for affordable electric vehicles to work in the time-frame necessary. $40,000 electric cars are not going to cut it. The market is too small at that price for the technology to really be able to take advantage of the volume of scale. Cheap vehicles with low performance expectations that would get you to work in the same commute time (hence the HOV-style lane requirement) are attainable now. It is the only non-subsidized transition vehicle I can think of (outside of electric motorcycles) that would be a gateway from our existing hell to real electric cars.
wow.. I was looking at Edmunds true cost to own expecting the Volt to shine but NO!
they show it depreciating over 26K over 5 years…
a Malibu depreciates 10.5K and a Corrola 7.7K.
I guess they are writing off the 10K battery but even then they are saying it will depreciate twice as much as a conventional chevy and 3 times a garden variety Toyota.
so for giggles and grins.. I ran the numbers for the Nissan Leaf = $20,809
so Edmunds is not thinking that these cars are going to be cheap to keep, eh?
I wonder why
As you might have guessed. I’m excited to hears this news. It is not a monumental price change, but every little bit helps. This may help me to lean towards buying instead of leasing when my Volt becomes available.
As far as the difference between the Volt and PIP?
Besides the size of the battery, the other major difference between the Volt and the plug in Prius is the size of the electric motor. The top speed of the electric motor is only 62 mph in the plug in Prius, and 100 mph in the Volt.
This is a major difference in my opinion.
The Volt has 273 ft/lbs of torque, which is just shy of the torque in a Chevy Camaro. With that torque available a zero RPM, this makes the Volt “fun to drive”, not just eco-friendly…..
I think over time, as Americans get to experience electric drive trains they will develop a love affair with them. Along with the instant torque, electric motors last almost forever, and require little or no maintenance.
one would presume that what GM is doing is in response to a perceived demand.
I’m convinced more than ever that their approach of a car that can roll even when te batteries are done.. was the right approach.
I’m still trying to truly understand the difference between a Prius and a Volt if both can essentially operate in parallel mode.
It would seem that the smaller the battery – the shorter the period of time it could operate in EV-only (series?) mode.
So.. is the Volt simply doing what the Prius is doing but with a much bigger battery?
If Toyota adds a bigger battery to a plug-in Prius – will it then be operating more like the Volt, i.e. longer in EV mode but gas engine mode when the battery is depleted?
If the Nissan Leaf battery costs 17K and the Chevy Volt battery costs 10K – what will the Toyota plug-in battery cost if it only has 13 miles in EV mode?
Still too much for what looks like a sub $20k CAR.