Residents of California are surprisingly not racing to the dealers for an Asian import, but rather for the Chevy Volt. Why? With gas prices north of $4 a gallon, and state-wide incentives given for hybrid/electric vehicles, the Volt’s efficiency puts it at the top of the list of consumer choices.
This can be seen as a ray of sunshine to the Volt’s overall sales cloud, one that caused GM to suspend production of the Volt for five weeks not long ago. But sales are growing, slowly, with 1,680 sold in May 2012.
The Volt has an even further advantage in California, where drivers of hybrid/electric cars (even if Forever Alone) can take advantage of carpool lanes. The disadvantage to selling the Volt in California, is that it requires a certain “low emissions” package in order for owners to receive the incentives. We weren’t aware that the Volt was considered a big polluter in the first place. Regardless, this package can’t be installed after the initial production, as it comes from the factory.
Interestingly enough, the Volt is selling best in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego ares, all of which are known for insane levels of traffic. This recent increase in gas prices has caused an increase in Volt sales, despite GM’s mediocre market share in California. Perhaps GM can come out on top in the Golden State after all?
Comments
Good news! Le’s hope it continues for a spell.