Plug In America leaders (and probably lots of other EV afficionados) have been suggesting to GM for quite some time now that they should make an all-electric version of their upcoming Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid (or, as they like to call it, their extended-range electric vehicle). Apparently, they were listening!
GM Vice-chairman Bob Lutz told reporters at the Detroit auto show today that a all-electric Volt is coming, though he wouldn’t say exactly when, the Associated Press reported. The PHEV Volt goes on sale at the end of this year for around $40,000, and buyers can lower the cost through the $7,500 federal tax credit and up to $6,000 more in tax credits in some states.
Now that GM has the first-generation Volt together, it would be “technologically trivial” to drop the engine and make an all-electric version, Lutz acknowledged to reporters. We at Plug In America like to think that we had something to do with GM moving in that direction, and I bet the upcoming competition from Nissan’s all-electric Leaf didn’t hurt either!
Sherry Boschert (@sherryboschert on Twitter)
Volt photo (c) GM Corp.
