Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Chevrolet Volt's Price Tag


Starting today, you can take part in history by placing your order for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This moment is the culmination of several years of around-the-clock, steadfast work and I know I speak for the entire Volt team when I say we couldn’t be more excited!

For those of you looking to be among the first to own a Chevrolet Volt, simply locate and contact a participating Chevrolet dealer in Volt launch markets at GetMyVolt.com. Once your order is placed, a Chevrolet Volt customer advisor will contact you to answer questions and keep you updated on the progress of your order.

Chevrolet has also pulled together a team of Volt advisors who, beginning today, will be available at 1-888-VOLT4YOU (1-888-865-8496) to answer general questions. The Chevrolet Volt will initially be available to customers in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan, Connecticut and New Jersey, but will be available nationwide in about 12-18 months from start of production this winter.

As far as the price, the Chevrolet Volt’s official MSRP is $41,000 – or $33,500 (including DFC) after the $7,500 U.S. Federal income tax credit. At Chevrolet they are so confident in the resale value of the Chevrolet Volt, that they will also offer a lease program with monthly payments as low as $350 (based on a 36-month term lease and $2,500 down), which also includes a lease-to-buy option.

Why is Chevrolet so confident?

The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle that gives you the freedom to drive wherever you want, whenever you want. With the Chevrolet Volt’s extended-range capability, you can drive electrically up to 340 miles on a full battery and tank of gas, with up to the first 40 miles powered by electricity from the grid. Plus, the Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle for all climates and seasons, comfortable in the freezing temperatures of the Northeast to the scorching temperatures of the deserts out West.

Plus, the Chevrolet Volt comes standard with an unprecedented battery warranty – eight years or 100,000 miles on all 161 battery components, the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components. It will also be the first Chevrolet vehicle to offer, at no additional cost, five years of OnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.

And speaking of OnStar, the Chevrolet Volt gives you an unprecedented level of connectivity with the Chevrolet Connect mobile app by OnStar. This Volt mobile and web-based app will allow you to set the charge time, start your Chevrolet Volt, track mileage, unlock the doors and much more from your smart phone and even your home computer.

In fact, the personalized and connected ownership experience is just getting into full swing when you take delivery of your Chevrolet Volt because Chevrolet is creating a website designed specifically for Volt owners to collect diagnostic information as well as track and share your vehicle’s performance.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Chevrolet Volt's Battery Warranty

After years of speculation, Chevrolet has finally announced the terms of the warranty on the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium ion battery pack; eight years/100,000 miles.
The 16 total kwh pack stores sufficient energy in a band from roughly 30% to 80% state-of-charge to propel the Chevrolet Volt for up to 40 miles at ambient temperature and with moderate driving style.

Since first working with the LG Chem lithium-manganese spinel cells in October 2007, Chevrolet has definitively proven their safe and robust nature. In these nearly three years of testing, Chevrolet has completed more than 1 million miles of driving and 4 million hours of validation of Chevrolet Volt battery packs, which include exactly nine modules and 288 cells.
“The Chevrolet Volt’s batteries have exceeded our performance targets and are ready to hit the road,” said Chevrolet executive director, global electrical systems. “Our customers are making a commitment to technology that will help reduce our dependence on petroleum. In turn, we are making a commitment to our customers to deliver the highest standards for value, safety, quality, performance and reliability for an unprecedented eight years/100,000 miles.”

Chevrolet stresses the following key features of the Chevrolet Volt’s battery that allow this unprecedented in the industry warranty:

Thermal Management: the intrinsic thermal management system allows the pack and the Chevrolet Volt to operate flawlessly from -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 C) and as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit (+50 C). In cold weather the cells are warmed by the generator and in warm weather they are chilled.

Diagnostics: there are more than 500 diagnostic tests on the pack that run 10 times per second. 85 percent ensure the pack is operating safely, 15 percent ensure durability.
Cell design: the LG chemistry ensures high power and long life.

Energy Management: by not fully charging or discharging the battery ensures the longest possible life.

Chevrolet is on track to deliver the Chevrolet Volt to customers later this year.
“We’re moving fast to deliver for the customer and ensure the Chevrolet Volt launch stays on track,” said the plant manager of the Battery Plant. “Last August we announced the investment in the facility and in January built our first completed battery pack. Now we are finishing pre-production batteries and soon we will begin building production batteries for Chevrolet Volts that will be delivered to dealers before the end of the year.”



In addition to this battery warranty, Chevrolet is also offering the following additional warranties on the Chevrolet Volt:

* 100,000 mile/5-year transferable Engine Limited Warranty (for Range Extender)

* 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Roadside Assistance Program

* 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Courtesy Transportation Program

* 36,000 mile/ 3-year no deductible Bumper-to-Bumper transferable warranty

* 100,000 mile/6-year corrosion protection