2011 Chevrolet Volt
Earlier this month, sister-site Green Car Reports posted news about less-than-scrupulous dealers already telling potential customers for the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt that there might be a significant markup--as much as $20,000--on the first batch of cars because of limited supply. And as terrible as that sounds, Chevrolet has no power to stop the practice from happening and can only recommend customers shop around if they’re being faced with steep premiums on the Volt.
There is some good news, however. One place customers interested in the Volt should definitely look up are dealerships that fall under the AutoNation Inc. group. This is because the firm is banning its dealers from charging more than sticker price for the Chevrolet Volt--as well as the 2012 Nissan Leaf all-electric vehicle.
This means customers can expect a basic price of $41,000 for the Volt and $32,780 for the Leaf, before any federal or state credits are included. The three-year lease price for the Volt will be around $350 a month, with a $2,500 down payment--only a dollar more than the lease for the Leaf, despite the Volt's much higher purchase price.
The first Chevrolet Volts are expected to appear in dealerships this fall, while the Leaf officially goes on sale in December.
AutoNation has 27 Chevrolet and 24 Nissan dealerships across the country, and any of its staff that are found to be price gouging on the new electric vehicles will be facing the possibility of termination.
[Automotive News, sub req’d]
