FANTASTIC News!!
General Motors has announced that the 2014 model year of the Chevrolet Volt will come with more than just some new color choices (Ashen Gray Metallic and Brownstone Metallic), it will also come with a significiant MSRP reduction of $5,000, putting the rest of the plug-in competition on notice that GM is serious about being the best selling plug-in for America.
The 2014 Chevrolet Volt starts $34,995 , which includes the $810 destination fee.
GM also notes that with the federal government’s plug-in credit program, the Volt could cost as low as $27,495.
This is awesome. I know Tesla is the fave-rave around these parts when it comes to electric cars, and I think it's pretty amazing as well. However, as a guy born & raised in the Metro Detroit area, I'm also strongly rooting for the Chevy Volt.
There's nothing wrong with hoping that both cars are huge successes and go mainstream. There's plenty of arguments in favor of pure-electric, but there's also plenty of arguments in favor of the Extended Range Volt as well.
Everyone knew that they'd drop the price on the 2014 model substantially, but no one was expecting it to hit the $35K mark already. Another few years and they may be able to make it down to $30K without the tax credits!
Plus, get this: Depending on what state you live in, you could conceivably bring the price down even more; seven states have their own tax credits, all the way up to a whopping $3,418 in Illinois!
That means that depending on your income, if you live in Illinois you could conceivably buy a brand-new 2014 Chevy Volt for...wait for it:
$24,077
Holy Smokes.
Tragically, our idiotic 100% GOP-run state government here in Michigan--the HOME of GM, Chevy and the Volt, for Chrissakes--is offering nothing as an incentive, dammit.
Even so, I've seen DOZENS of Volts around town this year; I used to keep track whenever I saw one, but I've lost count. Easily 25-30 in my part of Oakland County.
My guess is that most of them are leases, but that's ok; those count as sales as well.
Meanwhile, I did spot my very first Tesla S in person the other day, just for a moment as it zipped by me.
THE ELECTRIC CAR REVOLUTION IS HAPPENING AT LAST, PEOPLE.
Now we just need 100% renewable electricity to power it.