Want to Buy a 2011 Chevrolet Volt? More Details, Dealer Info Page 2

By John Voelcker

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Chevrolet Volt product and marketing director Tony DiSalle

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2011 Chevrolet Volt pre-production prototype, January 2010

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Dealer training

Not every dealer in a launch area will necessarily sell the Chevy Volt. The company has now informed dealers what it will take to qualify as a Volt outlet, including training for both sales and service staff.

Chevrolet will also require a Volt-certified dealer to have one 2011 Volt always present at the dealership, so that the car is always available for viewing and test drives. "There's no better marketing for the Volt than the Volt itself," said DiSalle.

Dealers often sell even their demonstration versions of popular new vehicles at a substantial profit, so this represents a more substantial commitment by each dealer than it may seem.

GM will also qualify dealers even outside the launch regions as Volt service locations, so that Volt buyers can get the car serviced during trips should that become necessary.

Needs assessments for buyers

Dealers will also have to install at least two 240-Volt home-charging stations on site, train their salespeople with "unique selling skills," including how to "conduct a needs assessment" of interested buyers.

This will ensure that Volt buyers truly understand how the vehicle works and are aware that they will need to plug it in, and how long it may take to recharge to run on battery power.

Buyers will not be "pre-qualified," insisted DiSalle. An apartment dweller with no access to charging can buy a Volt, but the company wants to ensure that the person is asked "a series of questions" that educates them on how "to get full value out of the car."

Charging times

DiSalle did release more specific details on battery charging time. Using standard 120-Volt household current, he said, a fully depleted battery pack will take 10 hours to recharge completely.

That time falls to 4 hours using a Level 2 home recharging station, which provides 240-Volt power.  He declined to offer estimates of times for partial recharges.

Interested buyers: the to-do list

First, DiSalle said, buyers should sign up for Volt updates on the Chevrolet website. Then, they should visit their Chevrolet dealer in person to get on that individual dealer's waiting list.

No centralized waiting list exists; all buyers work through their dealer. This contrasts with Nissan's approach for its 2011 Leaf electric car, which required all buyers to register on a single website and put down a $95 deposit.

The Nissan approach clearly produced results. The company has already sold its first-year production of 20,000 Leafs, with 11,000 sold in the U.S. and 9,000 more in Japan.

Colors, options, pricing

The Volt will be offered in six colors, said DiSalle. In fact, both the first red Volt and the first black Volt rolled off the Hamtramck production line just this week. "They look great," he noted.

Other colors include Viridian Joule, the user-submitted name that won a naming contest at January's Detroit Auto Show, and a grey tone that will be seen on the Freedom Trip car.