General Motors yesterday confirmed plans to rollout its electric vehicle in four U.S. markets by the end of this year.
The first Chevrolet Volts available for retail sales will be sold in
California,
Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas and the New York City metropolitan area.
Volts are expected then to arrive at dealerships in
Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, as well as the balance of Texas and
New York in 1Q11.
Additional markets will be
added
as production volume increases during the second model year, with Volt
available in all 50 states 12 to 18 months after the initial launch,
according to Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director Tony DiSalle.
DiSalle also confirmed plans to produce 10,000 Volts by the end of the 2011 calendar year, and an additional 30,000 Volts during the 2012 calendar year.
Before receiving Volts for retail sales, dealers will be required to
complete specialized sales and service training, and install 240-volt
charging stations at their dealership.
Last month, Chevrolet announced that 4,400 owners of the Volt electric vehicle will be eligible for a free, 240-volt, charging station, as well as home installation in some cases. The grants, worth as much as $2,000 per household, are funded by grants administered by the Department of Energy. The Department of Energy plans to install 15,000 home charging stations across the U.S. with two objectives: to encourage consumers to buy early electric vehicles and for research to inform the future of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Chevrolet is currently the only manufacturer working with both DOE partners: The EV Project from ECOtality and ChargePoint America project from Coulomb Technologies.
