Chevy Volt officially priced at $41,000, $350/month on a three-year lease
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 27th 2010 1:03PM
posted July 27th 2010 1:03PM
It may not exactly be a huge surprise at this point, but GM has finally revealed that the official base price for its Chevrolet Volt will be $41,000 (including a $720 destination charge). That price is before the $7,500 federal tax credit, however, which will bring your eventual end cost down to a slightly more reasonable $33,500. Those looking to get on the road for even less up-front can also opt for a three-year lease, which will run you $350 a month after a $2,500 down payment. As Autoblog notes, you'll also have an option to purchase the car at the end of the lease, so GM won't be repeating its infamous EV1 scenario. Still too much for you? Then you might just want to wait a bit -- GM says it will also be offering the Volt with less features and a lower price point "within a year or two."
Thats a lot of money to save the environment...with that money i can get an Audio or a nice 4 banger and sup it up.
Also this wont help yo usave money . In places like long island where we have extremely high electric rates (stupid shoreham nuclear power plant) it actually costs more to charge an electric car then it does to gas up a high mpg gas car.
Can we not buy any new defense toys for a few weeks and instead hand out a free Volt for everyone, please?
(Actually, a choice would be nice, I think I'd rather have a Leaf)
@HansImGlueck
No thanks, the only way the US gets away with ultra debt is superiority in the skies, lands and seas. Not to mention the net.
@Anticrawl
Even with all the weapons in the world, if people stopped using the dollar as a world reserve currency, we wouldn't be able to run debt the way we do.
This Car
>implying the US isn't a nation of commuters.
That kind of cash on a new model car is kind of crazy for most people to consider, especially since cost of ownership and resale value are completely unknown at this point.
Nice to see it's actually got a price, though, and will be available to those who want one.
Well, it certainly looks as if GM has succeeded in selling a lot of Toyotas - again. The Prius has a top price for the most appointed model of CAN$37,395 and US$28070 and is a well established model.
However, I do like the fact it can be plugged in and travel 40 miles on batteries alone. I just wish GM would have gone with the superior American A123 batteries instead of the Chinese.
Californians get an additional rebate that takes the price down to $28,000 and California will be the first place to get this car.
An annual commute of 10,000 miles will be $1,000 cheaper than a car that gets 30 MPG if gas prices stay around $3 a gallon as they are in CA currently.
@bernardino
If I remember correctly, it will be available in MI and Washington D.C. at the same time it's available in California.
Have the fixed the issues with this thing? I mean every time I try to watch an unveiling the car goes 10 feet and dies... I totally want an EV, but will GM actually give us the goods? They did have an EV that worked just fine 10 years ago! Think about that..it took them 10 years just to get back to the place they were 10 years prior (give or take a few years). I'm waiting for Tesla to release a car for the proletariat!
@drwecki
No one seems to remember that when the EV1 was available, no one WANTED an electric car. It wasn't until gas started creeping near 5 bucks a gallon that the consumer base got really interested in alternative fuel cars.
Sure there were some people that bought / leased EV1's but the general consumer base didn't want it. The economics of scale never had a chance to kick in and GM killed the EV car project. Fortunately, when it came time to start working on the Volt, it had learned quite a bit from its time working on the EV1 with the added benefit of new computer technology, better batteries and lighter components.
This isn't just about the environment, this is about economic freedom. You can make electricity from a variety of sources: natural gas, coal, wind, sun, ocean waves. Can you make gasoline from sun or wind energy?
With the Volt you are getting two cars in one: an electric car with fuel flexibility and a gas car that can travel long distances. If you buy a Leaf, you MUST buy a gasoline powered car unless you are fine being tethered less than 100 miles from your home. I don't think having to buy two cars is cheap.
The Volt enables Americans to dip into the electric car experience without the fear of being stranded without fuel. We tend to pay more to get those kind of gaurantees, because peace of mind is valuable.
@bernardino
*guarantees
"GM says it will also be offering the Volt with less features and a lower price point "within a year or two." GM says it will also be offering the Volt with less features and a lower price point "within a year or two.""
This version won’t be electric and will run on coal. Other than that, its almost the same.
2500 down and 350/mo? That's not bad. Now that I live in the middle of Seattle and commute only 20 miles back and forth everyday, I actually might get this as my commuter car. Hm. Plugging it in somewhere in my apartment's garage will be problematic, though.
How much current is required to charge this thing, and how long does it take?
Electricity is cheap but it isn't free.
@benheckendorn much cheaper than gas
41 grand for American and GM no less...pass.
@chilipalm Yes because unlike Tesla and Nissan actually sell more car/trucks over 40K than any other auto manufacture. A fully loaded Equinox is almost 40K.
$350 lease is tempting, not bad.
I think it may be hard to get one for a while though.
Finally, an electric car that looks like...a normal freakin car! Gas generator as a back up is nice, decent range for the average person's daily commute, price isn't as high as I thought it would end up. But it doesn't have 4 wheel drive and I don't have money so I'm sticking with my trailblazer
$41K for a sort-of car that burns coal...I like the real deal for cheaper.
Hundreds of extra pounds will make it handle poorly.
It`s a lose , lose...for the consumer.
A good used Corvette isn`t much more...and this just in...It`s a scam. This isn`t gonna save the planet.
Burn rubber while you can !
.....nope....Tesla
"GM says it will also be offering the Volt with less features and a lower price point "within a year or two.""
Fewer features.
It's called English engadget.
@Curious G Maybe the batteries will be optional on the next model...and we will have to use Fred Flintstone propulsion method ?
Epic fail by Americans. Again.
@Hiprocksoul
You're the failure, you failure.
I am getting Huindai Sonata 2011 instead. GM cars never appealed to me.
Autoblog reported a SUV sized version of the Volt within a year. I will wait for that as I have a kid.
No Thanks! VW Jetta TDI (diesel) for $26k that gets 40-50mpg here I come!! IMO the TDI is the only green/economy car that is worth the money spent on it.
@blampright So right on that...not to mention the TDI engine will last like three times longer than this and not have to carry around 800 lbs of batteries and the Jetta Sportwagen has a lot of useful cargo room and can tow things.
Diesels will be around at the end of time...they can run on many plant/algae based biodiesel fuels. Our whole world economy ultimately runs on diesel !
That's the point with these cars. To deter people from buying and to maximize profits they price then higher than their actual value so the consumer is more likely to stick with fossil fuel vehicles if which is what is wanted by those with the money (bp, esso, etc). Nothing out of the ordinary there. And once the imports release their versions at much beter rates then the products will take off and gm will find themselves in the same predicament as last year financially. The importer (Honda, Toyota etc) don't seem to care as much about the money the oil tycoons will loose due to fully electric cars etc. Besides there isn't anything substantially amazing about the volt. It's just a hybrid like anything else with slightly better mileage and a fortunate name for gm marketing purposes. Go the way of the Nissan leaf etc thrn gm may have some actual credibility in this regard. Too many old timers stuck in this domestic game with their hands in the pockets of the oil tycoons.
Audi/VW TDI FTW !
$41K, Are they nuts? GM had an opportunity her to make an affordable electric car, and blew it. Make an affordable Electric car and people will buy it, and by affordable, I mean sub $20K, or even better $15K. It's too bad automotive technology isn't like computer technology where prices drop as new technology appears.
I could buy a fully loaded Mercedes C for the same price as a fully loaded Chevy Volt (ignoring momentary tax credit)? Really? The choice for me is obvious. The Volt would need to be priced well below $20K for me to consider it.
$41,000 - that is mighty expensive for a hybrid. Chevy needs to get real on its prices. If it wants to sell then it needs to be around the low low $30,000.
Seriously for $40,000 you could get a nice sports car instead of a piece of junk crap like this.
I'd recommend you people watching "Ultimate Factories, Chevy Volt" and see that it really isn't worth $40,000.
Well, I never buy new cars anymore. I only purchase 3 or 4 year old cars coming off their initial lease, from a very reputable local used car dealer. (I know, that sounds like an oxymoron, but it is true). Lightly used cars are a great deal. So, I might look at one of these in about 4 or 5 years. Maybe....
@glennS When the batteries only hold enough of a charge to take you 40 feet? Smart thinking...