Chevy Volt at Columbia University

Chevy Volt at Columbia University

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt may very well be a game changer for Chevrolet and GM in general. Recently, we have seen the announcement of a battery warranty that is not only an industry first, but also a good feel good move to give consumer assurance (more here). The piece that has really been missing is: How much will it cost?

President Obama inspects the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

President Obama inspects the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

The answer to that question is expected to be announced tomorrow during the Plug-In 2010 Conference in San Jose, Calif. According to the New York Times. Current speculation puts the price of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt right around $40K, however some believe that anything over this will be a huge blow to consumers anticipation buying one. Part of this is because Nissan has released its pricing for the all-electric Leaf, which rings up at $32,000 (before any rebates from Uncle Sam). Now this is where you have to ask yourself if the Leaf and the Volt is an apple-to-apple comparison.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf is an all-electric car like the Volt, except for one major difference—it has no range-extending mode. Really, the Volt is an all-electric drivetrain with an onboard gasoline generator. So the Leaf only gets power from being plugged in and can go 100 miles on a charge (give or take depending on conditions). The Volt gets power from either the electrical outlet or from the onboard generator and can only go 40 miles on a charge (again give or take depending on conditions). The end game—the volt still produces emissions from a tailpipe. The result—can it survive being more expensive than the Leaf?

That question has yet to be answered, but stay tuned right here to AllSmallCars.com to find out what happens tomorrow during the Plug-In 2010 Conference. The Volt will either become the most anticipated GM car or the once most anticipated car.

 

[Source: NYTimes.com]