Holden will soon be left without a PHEV in its lineup, as the Australian auto brand has confirmed the next-generation 2016 Volt will not be exported to the country. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will be available in left-hand drive configuration only, completely ruling out the chance for a new Holden Volt.
Holden confirmed the news with TMR, speaking to Kate Lonsdale, a Holden spokesperson. Lonsdale says current Holden Volt owners will continue to receive support through Holden service, however.
“Current generation Volt production has now ceased however Holden is committed to supporting Volt customers and will ensure specialist Holden Volt Service Centres will continue to be comprehensively trained to complete the highest quality servicing,” the company said in a statement today.
“Service centres will also retain access to the complete range of Holden Volt genuine parts.”
The report cites a possible chance for export through Opel if a new Ampera program comes to light, but to our knowledge, Opel will not receive the 2016 Volt either.
This leads to new speculation the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt may be exported to Australia as a Holden. It seems unlikely, but considering the Bolt will be built alongside a new Opel model, it gives Oz a slight chance to see the model on local roads.
Holden sold just 10 Volts in 2015, with production ceasing as of this writing.
Comments
With the price of electricity in aus I’m surprised they even sold ten, only ever seen two at dealers priced at 60~70k not a chance in this market.
You saw TWO in dealers? Bloody hell, I never saw one, apart from the pre-release one they had at the Energy Breakthrough just before it’s release. Apart from that one time I never saw any in showrooms, and I think I only remember ever seeing one being driven. Was never going to succeed here though, as the Prius and locally made Hybrid Camry barely have a case for themselves. Their best bet for more sales would’ve been to simply give us better products, as the only decent Holdens in the lineup since about 2010 is the Commodore and it’s derivatives (ute and Caprice). They still haven’t realised that US quality standards don’t cut it in Australia and haven’t since about 1972.
The price of electricity relative to the USA is proportionately no higher than petrol.
It would still be cheaper to drive the Volt than a comparable ICEv.
The problem has always been the price of the car.
Prius and Camry have a dominant hold of the taxi market alongside Falcon and Caprice (although Gold Coast Cabs are entirely Prius, Tarago, Hiace and Hybrid Camry). Volt was never going to be feasible here when it costs more than Caprice.