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2011 Chevrolet Volt Worth Its $41,000 Luxury Pricetag?

 
6 1,036 views Jul 27, 2010
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2011 Chevrolet Volt

HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

So the 2011 Chevy Volt might not sound like much of a performance or luxury car, but priced at $41,000 it's well into luxury-car territory. And if you think about it, the premium paid for the high-tech extended-range EV buys you the luxury of being an early adopter of high-tech automotive progress. But the question raised by the price announced today is: is it worth it?

Compared to the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, the 2011 Volt costs about $8,200 more--before government rebates. The LEAF has an advantage there, too, as being a pure electric vehicle, it's eligible for state and local rebates the Volt doesn't qualify for, and both get the bounty of the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit. With all things tallied up, that brings pricing down to $33,500 for the Volt and $25,280 for the LEAF. If you live in California or Georgia, however, the LEAF will save you another $5,000 in taxes, and Oregon will credit your return $1,500. That could drive the price as low as $20,280 for the LEAF.

But the 2011 Volt, while an electric vehicle, isn't limited to the <100-mile range of the LEAF. Sure, it only does 40 miles on pure electricity, but thanks to the on-board range-extending generator, it can go another 300 miles without a recharge. The LEAF would require several long stops for more electrons over that distance.

So, back to the question: is the Volt worth an $8,000-$13,000 premium over the pure-electric LEAF? That's a tough one, and depends largely on your driving habits, as well as whether your first EV will be a primary vehicle or a city-only commuter. If you need to take road trips and can only own one car, the Volt is the only choice between the two. If you think you'll be staying within the 40-mile all-electric range of the Volt anyway, however, the cheaper LEAF may suit you even better. Ultimately, the answer comes down to you, though having the flexibility of the Volt might provide some peace of mind.

For a deeper look at each car and more comparative analysis on the Volt-versus-LEAF debate, check out John Voelcker's article at our sister site, GreenCarReports.

[GM, GreenCarReports]





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Comments (6)

  1. By Roy Posted: 7/27/2010 6:18pm PDT

    I think the price is much too high. A car the size of the Volt usually costs $20 - 25k. Let's say you got a good deal and picked up a new Camry or Accord for 21k. That means the battery pack and the motor add another TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to the price of the Volt. Hmm. That's the price of a Civic or Insight hybrid. So, I could buy a regular sedan and a hybrid for the price of the Volt (before tax breaks).

    Chevy knows this. They reckon they're only going to sell 10,000 in the first 6 months. That's not going to drive the future of GM. They've made a big fuss about an over-priced (and probably under-engineered) car. I think they'll kill it quickly and go back to making gas guzzlers.

    That's a shame because even Toyota didn't nail the Prius in the first generation. They stuck with it and came out with a niche-defining product that eventually paid huge dividends.

    So disappointed.
     
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  2. By CamaroFan Posted: 7/27/2010 9:04pm PDT

    Maybe the doubters underestimate a few things? Namely, the poseuristic race to be the most socially- and environmentally-responsible cat in the neighborhood. Especially in well-to-do communities, the Volt will flaunt a cultural cache that similarly priced luxury cars would give their left muffler to carry. Considering the Ford Fusion Hybrid can be had for more stones, the Volt might do quite well.
     
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  3. By jay Posted: 7/28/2010 6:42am PDT

    Hey Roy,
    How come the Volt a mid-size sedan is too expensive at $41k but hte Leaf, a compact, is ok at @33k. There are comapacts out there for under 20k. How come no one is saying the Leaf is too expensive and probably under-engineered. Seems to me, Nissan took the easy way out.. Gm thought it through and are offering people a car that doesn't need sacrifices.
     
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  4. By  furnace maintenance Posted: 7/28/2010 7:22am PDT

    Really It is a nice and fantastic car and it is in budget for all people. All people can easily buy that car.
     
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  5. By Geoge Posted: 7/28/2010 8:40am PDT

    absolutely too high. they probably can't produce economies of scale with current tooling and they don't want to cannibalize demand for their current mid-size offerings.
     
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  6. By Roy Posted: 7/28/2010 5:43pm PDT

    CamaroFan makes a great point, but I haven't seen too many Fusion hybrids (except in rental car fleets, which probably came with volume discounts). Still, Chevy (and Nissan, to Jay's point) must be banking on cache for cash.

    To address the Leaf (which I didn't do earlier), the article makes it pretty clear that the tax breaks make it much cheaper, especially in some states. In CA, where so many of the cache-conscious reside, it'll be over 10k cheaper and have 2.5 times the electric range.

    If Chevy wants this to be a success it needs to sell these at a loss, as Toyota and Honda did with the first gen hybrids. Otherwise, they'll be forced to cut costs later, which will damage resale values and hurt *all* of Chevy's products.

    Still disappointed, but hoping to be proved wrong.
     
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