The hype surrounding the Chevy Volt, which won't even hit dealer lots until the end of the year, is already epic. Today, it went into overdrive, as GM staged yet another press conference to announce pricing. The move smacks a bit of Lebron James' recent, self-obsessed "The Decision" sideshow on ESPN. That said, we've actually been waiting like little schoolgirls to hear official word on pricing ever since Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen gave a verbal smackdown to the extended-range electric car based on the rumors of its high cost.
Well, it's official. Joel Ewanick, GM's vice president of U.S. marketing, has just announced at a news conference in San Jose, Calif., that the Volt will cost $41,000. Drum roll, please: Subtract the federal tax credit of $7,500 from that and the actual cost of the Volt will be $33,500. This is a steep price bump above former GM development chief Bob Lutz's early predictions that the Volt would run in the high-$20,000 range; it's also significantly more than the official $32,780 price tag for the upcoming Nissan Leaf -- especially since, like the Volt, the Leaf qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit, dropping its ultimate price tag to around $25,280.
Early reports have been generally kind to the Volt in terms of its handling, interior layout, fit and finish, and overall execution -- although those reviews didn't take into account that the car in fact costs as much as an Infiniti G Coupe. When the Volt finally goes on sale at the end of the year, we should finally get a sense of how much extra customers are willing to pay for the newest in green tech.
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