GM to start producing 5,000 Chevy Volts per month by January

GM to increase Chevy Volt production to 5,000 units per month in January to meet pent up demand and begin foreign sales.

More Volt demand than supplies.

Buick and Cadillac versions shelved for now

As soon as January, GM will increase Chevy Volt production to 5,000 units per month to meet pent up demand for the plug-in hybrid according to Bloomberg; however, Buick and Cadillac versions of the Volt have been “shelved,” at least for now.

Of the 60,000 Volts to be produced next year, 45,000 will be for the US, while the other 15,000 will be for foreign markets, including the Opel Ampera.

According to IHS analyst Chris Hopson, GM should sell between 35,000 – 50,000 Volts in 2012, followed by 67,000 units in 2013. However, it will probably be 5 or 6 years before GM is selling at least 100,000 Volts per year, and such sales will largely be dependent upon on what happens after pent up demand and early adopters have made their purchases.

Other long term issues include declining tax credits and incentives, competition and whether GM can scale down production costs.

Similarly, Nissan is expected to sell 35,000 Leafs next year, followed by 54,000 in 2013.

Source: Bloomberg

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