2013 Audi A3

Lutz gives $32,500 ballpark price for Volt

 
7 1,533 views May 22, 2009
Follow Nelson

2010 chevrolet volt live paris 010

The final figure comes after a $7,500 federal rebate

The final figure comes after a $7,500 federal rebate

Enlarge Photo
The epic development period of the Volt has been unique in many ways, not least of which because it was announced about three years ahead of its actual debut - which is still more than a year out. But this week Bob Lutz told David Letterman one key detail of the upcoming plug-in hybrid from General Motors: its price.

Phrasing it as a 'best estimate' Lutz said the MSRP would sit 'around $40,000' and that the customer would be paying about $32,500 once a $7,500 government rebate is taken into account. That $7,500 rebate is part of a package intended to help boost sales and production of advanced vehicles, including plug-in hybrids.

That price fits well with previous hints and rumors on price - though not with GM's early, optimistic sub-$30,000 estimate - but GM is still expected to be taking a loss on the car even then, at least through the first term of its production. Even at the current price, GM is relying on the tax credit to make the Volt affordable.

Other tidbits dropped by Lutz: the first few examples of the car will be slipping onto showroom floors at the end of 2010, but the average buyer won't be able to find one until 2011.
2011 Chevrolet Volt Production model

HI-RES GALLERY: 2010 chevrolet volt live paris 010




Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (7)

  1. ma_NC2010 avatar NC2010 Posted: 5/22/2009 12:05pm PDT

    Now we will see if all the "experts" that have been accusing the auto companies of holding back on electric cars will pay up. I expect not. They will just complain that they are too expensive. They will use the old idea that the smaller the size, the less costly it should be. Well, maybe the Volt-like pricing is what the auto companies knew all along...
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. ma_Jason avatar Jason Posted: 5/22/2009 2:30pm PDT

    @NC2010

    The premise those "experts" (I'm not entirely sure who you're referring to specifically) were proposing was an *affordable* electric vehicle. This is not it. Without getting too interested in the project, I myself thought the Volt would be maybe 2 or 3 thousand dollars more than a Camry or Accord. I didn't expect to be this much. The projected MSRP for this is ridiculously out of line with current model pricing, or even future model pricing. Even with the Government incentives, this car still costs more than $6k extra than a Camry Hybrid (the most expensive Camry).

    Cars such as the Nissan EV-02, Th!nk City, Citroën C1 ev'ie, or even Subaru G4e, are cars that are affordable and all electric. The Volt isn't either of those, it's just an expensive display of inefficiency.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. ma_mikeo avatar mikeo Posted: 5/22/2009 8:26pm PDT

    The Chevy Volt is nothing like the Toyota or Honda Hybrid. That's an apples/oranges comparison. The Chevy uses zero gas for approx 40 miles, even then the engine only needs to start to maintain the charge on the batteries, and that's not continuous.

    Using the Nissan, Th!nk, Citroen, and Subaru for comparisons is unrealistic. No one in the UK travels like Americans do, their automotive base is completely different than here.

    Europe is all about small cars, how many gravely obese Europeans do you see on the streets? I'd pay money to see a 400lb American get into a Citroen and even shut the door.

    Even at that the Citroen is a conversion, it's twice the price of the actual car. The Subaru and Nissan are concepts and any pricing is fictitious, as we've seen. The Th!nk is full electric but what happens when you get 3/4 where your going and the batteries are flat, is the CrackerBarrel going to let you plug in so you can continue? Their state of the art system drove 372 miles in 22hrs between driving and charging, nothing like making a 6hr drive last a day.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. ma_Devigny avatar Devigny Posted: 5/22/2009 11:08pm PDT

    stupid hippies whinning for nothing
    you wanted electric cars
    shut the **** up and pay for them
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. ma_gazzed avatar gazzed Posted: 5/23/2009 2:09pm PDT

    Opel Ampera looks awesome for an electric hybrid., goes to show how a few minor facelift tweaks can make a big difference.
    Variety is good and the more automakers build them the cheaper they will be priced, just hope those charging stations and manufacturer battery exchange systems will be well thought out.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. ma_www.mywheelsonwalls.com avatar www.mywheelsonwalls.com Posted: 5/24/2009 10:05am PDT

    Devigny your my hero!!!!

    It is rather funny how those that want to save the planet dont realise that there is always a high cost to obtain an initial new technology. Do these same hippies realise the car had been available for several decades before the Model T in the U.S. and the Ausitn 7 in Europe came along making the automobile affordable for the masses.

    You'd also think those same "hippies" could at least be appreciative of the $7500 tax incentive I'm giving them from my hard earned tax dollars, F$%kin ingrates!!!!!!
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. By  calcium Posted: 1/11/2010 9:18pm PST

    okay first of all i watched this same show... Lutz whispered that the MSRP would be around $40K and then practically yelled that with the $7500 tax credit it would be around $32,500.... so whomever wrote this article heard wrong, just wanted to clarify that... it's not $32.5K before the tax credit, it's $32.5K after the tax credit
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.