Next Generation Volt to debut at 2015 @ Detroit Auto Show

The next generation Chevrolet Volt will debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Global Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney said today.

The 2016 Volt will build on the award-winning original's strong foundation of technology innovation. Volt sales were up 13 percent in July and more than 65,000 have been sold since it was introduced – making it the best-selling plug-in passenger car in the U.S. market.

"Volt is the perfect example of the ingenuity that drives everything we do at Chevrolet," Mahoney said at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefings. "Volt fully delivers on the promises of Find New Roads and will continue to provide consumers with the transportation solutions they need and deserve in the future."

Volt owners are driving more than 63 percent of their overall miles in electric vehicle mode, collectively logging more than 500 million gas-free miles since the Volt's retail debut in 2010. That has saved more than 25 million gallons of gasoline.

While the driving range in EV mode can be affected by temperature, driving technique and terrain, the ease with which Volt drivers are avoiding gasoline use demonstrates the Volt's suitability for almost any lifestyle.

Volt owners who charge regularly typically drive more than 970 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station less than once a month.

The Volt has received multiple customer satisfaction awards from leading third-parties. According to a recent leading independent satisfaction survey, the Volt is the highest-rated compact car under $55,000. Owners are showing their satisfaction as well. For the past three years, a leading customer publication has reported survey results showing more than 90 percent of Volt owners said they would definitely buy a Volt again.

The Volt continues to draw buyers from non-General Motors' products. In the 2013 calendar year, nearly seven of 10 new Volt buyers traded in a non-GM vehicle, the majority of which were Toyota Priuses.

Among its accolades, the 2014 Volt has been recognized for its safety, most recently receiving the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2014 Top Safety Pick+ designation for vehicles equipped with an available Forward Collision Alert system.

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GM and LG working on Tesla Model 3 competitor with 200 mile range

LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh has revealed the company will supply an automaker with a battery that will allow one of their models to travel more than 200 miles (320 km) on a single charge. Suk-jeh declined to say which automaker will use the battery but all indications are pointing to General Motors.

General Motors executives have said that the automaker is working on an EV that will deliver at least 200 miles of range. The automaker, manufacturer of the Chevrolet Volt, has said it hopes to have the longer-range EV in the market in 2016 to compete with the anticipated Tesla Model III, now scheduled for introduction in late 2016 or early 2017.

LG Chem presently supplies lithium-ion batteries to GM, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo and Renault, among others.

Doug Parks, GM’s vice president for product development, said in an interview last year that General Motors plans to offer an EV with at least 200 miles of range for a price of around $30,000. That's the target all the major automakers are aiming at for their next-generation electric vehicles, he said.

GM invested $7 million in Battery Start-up Envia Systems in 2011. Unfortunatley the promised 'world record' 400 Watt-­‐ hours/kilogram (Wh/kg) energy density only lasted a few cycles leaving GM to search for more legitimate battery technology partners.

General Motors and LG Group agreed in 2011 to jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles, expanding a relationship built on LG’s work as the battery cell supplier for the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera extended-range EVs.

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Nissan Leaf sets a new record, almost double GM Volt sales in May

May was the best-ever month for Nissan LEAF in the US with 3,117 sales confirming it's position as best selling plug-in car by a significant margin over the second placed Chevy Volt with 1,684 sold in the same month.

While Chevy Volt sales showed a year-on-year increase from May 2013 of about 5%, Nissan Leaf sales increased 45.8% over the same period last year.

In May, LEAF also passed 50,000 total U.S. sales since launch, further establishing it as the leader among electric vehicles.

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GM to Build Chevy Spark EV 19 kWh Batteries In House

General Motors will bring all its electric vehicle battery building capabilities in-house with production of battery systems for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV at its battery assembly plant in Brownstown, Mich.

"Using our in-house engineering and manufacturing expertise enabled us to deliver a battery system that is more efficient and lighter than the 2014 Spark EV without sacrificing range," said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM global transmission and electrification engineering. "Our successful working relationship with LG Chem has allowed us to deliver a new battery system for the Spark EV that helps us to better leverage our economies of scale."

A newly designed battery system features an overall storage capacity of 19 kWh and uses 192 lithium ion cells. The cells are produced at LG Chem's plant in Holland, Mich. The battery system weight of 474 lbs. is 86 pounds lighter than the system in the 2014 Spark EV. The Spark EV battery is built on a dedicated production line at Brownstown, which also manufactures complete battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac ELR.

Changes in battery design will not affect the Spark's MPGe, or gasoline equivalent, performance compared to the 2014 model. Range will remain at an EPA-rated 82 miles and MPGe will remain at 119.

Priced at $19,995 with full federal incentives, The Spark EV is one of the most efficient – and affordable – all-electric vehicles available. Currently on sale in California and Oregon, the 2015 Spark EV features segment-leading technology including Siri Eyes Free, 4G LTE and DC Fast Charging.

Brownstown Battery Assembly's 479,000-square-foot, landfill-free facility south of Detroit produces the lithium-ion battery packs for GM's extended-range electric vehicles. It started mass production in October 2010 and is the first high-volume manufacturing site in the U.S. operated by a major automaker for automotive lithium-ion battery production. The site was made possible with the help of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through the U.S. Department of Energy.

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More than 400,000 Electric Cars on the Road Worldwide

The number of electrically powered automobiles worldwide climbed to just over 400,000 in early 2014. This figure, which only counts battery electric and plug-in hybrids, was determined in an analysis conducted by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW).

The vehicle count doubled over the twelve months of last year, increasing by an impressive 200,000 units. The Ulm-based researchers found that demand is greatest in the USA, Japan and China, which are currently the globally leading markets. Germany is just seventh in the ranking, trailing France, the Netherlands and Norway. The most telling statistic is that countries with incentive programs have taken the lead in electric mobility, a market with a bright future. The top-selling cars are made by Japanese and American automotive companies; batteries are sourced mainly from Asia.

Incentive programs have sparked a run on electric cars in the lead markets. This benefits especially the pioneering companies Nissan, General Motors and Toyota. "Efforts in Germany are also quite impressive,"says Prof. Werner Tillmetz, a member of ZSW's board of directors at Ulm. Research into batteries has been stepped up significantly and automobile manufacturers are fast-tracking the development of advanced electric drives. "However, it will take far more effort to establish a lead market in this country with an end-to-end value chain that includes the key component, the battery. Otherwise we will be left behind by the global competition."

According to ZSW's study, the number of registered electric vehicles increased at an annual growth rate of over 100 percent in the last three years. Nearly 100,000 electric cars were on the road worldwide in early 2012. A year later the vehicle count came to 200,000, and already reached 405,000 early this year. If the past three years' growth rates are sustained, then more than one million electric vehicles will be out and about worldwide as early as the beginning of 2016. The researchers tallied the global registration numbers for cars with battery powered electric drives, range extenders and plug-in hybrids. They did not count motorcycles, trucks, buses or full hybrid vehicles, of which there are now more than six million.

The United States are well ahead with 174,000 electric cars, followed by Japan (68,000) and China (45,000). Close to 30,000 electric vehicles are registered in the Netherlands, compared to just 17,500 in Germany. A similar picture emerges in the automotive company rankings. Nissan is in the lead, having sold more than 90,000 of its Leaf models, followed by General Motors with combined sales of its Ampera and Volt models topping the 60,000 mark. Toyota, which has moved over 40,000 Prius Plug-Ins, is in third place

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Opel to launch city electric car by 2017

Opel plans to start selling an all-electric compact car no later than by 2017 as the automaker is striving to meet EU emission targets, Automobilwoche reported on Sunday.

The new model, dubbed internally as battery electric vehicle (BEV), will be much smaller and cheaper than the 38,300-euro ($52,400) Ampera electric car, the magazine said without citing the source of the information.

The GM division last September announced a price cut for the Ampera of almost 8,000 euros in Europe's biggest car market for the model which can travel between 40-80 kilometers electrically and a further 500 km with a combustion engine range extender.

Opel did not return calls seeking comment.

Opel's new electric model would be launched as part of a small-car offensive that in 2015 may also bring to the market the "City" vehicle, due to cost less than 10,000 euros and rival Volkswagen's Up subcompact, Automobilwoche said.

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General Motors to introduce second-generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid in 2015

General Motors is reportedly preparing to introduce its second-generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid sometime in 2015.

The company has developed a new front-wheel-drive hybrid platform for the redesigned model, however it is not expected to feature drastic alterations to the current body style, unnamed industry sources have told Edmunds.

"It is different, but not drastically different," the insider said. "Just really a bit of a styling change to it."

With GMs main competitor Toyota now offering an entire range of hybrids which account for 28% of all Toyota and Lexus sales and the Prius being the top selling car in California for the past two years, will we finally see GM expand the range to include the Volt MPV which GM revealed way back in 2010?

Former GM CEO Dan Akerson early last year promised that the next Volt will be significantly lighter than the current iteration, with a list price likely around $30,000 to $33,000. The company already dropped the retail price to $34,995 (including $810 destination fee) for the 2014 model year, however a further discount would help the hybrid compete against plug-in offerings from Toyota, Nissan and Ford.

The current Volt provides up to 38 miles of electric-only range before the 1.4-liter four-cylinder generator kicks in. Lower weight will likely bring improvements to electric range and gasoline consumption, though GM has yet to publicly confirm any specifics.

The second-generation model is expected to be launched for the 2016 model year.

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CNN Review: Cadillac ELR Plug-in Hybrid [VIDEO]

The Cadiillac ELR is a range extended plug-in hybrid with a Voltec powertrain. The car has excellent suspension, decent acceleration.

But CNN thinks the $70,000 price tag is a lot for a two-door Cadillac.

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Chevy Spark EV Tops EPA List with 119 MPGe

In its 2014 Fuel Economy Guide, the United States Environmental Protection Agency puts one car at the top of the list when it comes to fuel efficiency: the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV.

With an EPA-estimated 82 miles of driving range and a fuel economy equivalent of 119 MPGe, the average driver can save $9,000 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle.

Last year’s top ten list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles was comprised entirely of electric vehicles, so it’s not surprising that this year’s ranking is also packed with EVs.

The Spark EV, sold in California and Oregon, is also the first vehicle in the U.S. to offer the SAE International fast-charge connector as a vehicle option. The new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector is accessible via a single charge port on the vehicle and allows electricity to flow at a faster rate.

How much faster? DC fast charging charges 80 percent of the Spark EV’s battery in just 20 minutes for over 65 miles of range. By comparison, AC 120V charging, which can be done using a conventional household outlet, takes around 17 hours to fully charge. AC 240V charging reduces recharging time to less than seven hours for a full charge, but it requires a dedicated 240V charging station.

Many major automakers have announced they will adopt the SAE combo fast charge connector standard. Adopting an industry standard for EV charging is an important step in growing the public charging infrastructure.

GM is committed to leading the charge in the U.S. to develop energy alternatives like EVs and biofuels that help reduce dependency on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

It’s why we were part of the unveiling of the very first public SAE combo DC fast charging station last year at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego.

And it’s why our engineers work tirelessly to bring greener vehicles like the Spark EV, Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, Cadillac ELR and the bi-fuel Chevrolet Impala to market.

If this year’s list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market tells us anything, it’s that EVs are continuing to grow in popularity. And as more and more hit the market, choices for potential buyers will only increase, which means good things for the wallet and the environment.

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How to DC Fast Charge a Chevy Spark EV in 20 mins [VIDEO]

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV is the first vehicle in the US to offer DC Fast Charging using the SAE Combo standard.

With this technology, you'll be able to charge your Spark EV to 80% in just 20 minutes.

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CHRIS HARRIS - 2014 Chevrolet Volt Review [VIDEO]

YouTube's DRIVE channel test specialist Chris Harris reviews the 2014 Chevrolet Volt.

The Volt electric car has a backup engine to extend its typical 80 km electric range. It is quick, quiet, and responsive, with a taut ride. Once the lithium-ion battery is depleted, the 1.4-liter engine acts as a generator to extend the range by 500 km with Volt drivers averaging 1500 km between fill-ups. Recharging take 4 hours using a 240-volt supply and 10 hours with 120 volts. Lease deals start from $269 / month.

Overall the Volt is a brilliantly executed example of automotive innovation that makes any ICE only car seem primitive by comparison. It combines the benefits of a full EV powertrain with a part-time duty-cycle ICE to provide 600 km of combined range. Where the Toyota Prius is an ICE powered car with electric assistance, the Holden Volt is a plug-in electric car with ICE assistance.

The Volt fills the gap between the 500 km all electric range Tesla Model S, which due to it's 85 kWh battery can costs up to $100k, and the more affordable but shorter range battery only cars like the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Nissan Leaf.

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How It Feels Going From A Chevy Volt To A Tesla Model S [VIDEO]

Business Insider's Alex Davies compares the Chevy Volt to the Tesla Model S and gives a very brief non-technical summary.

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CNN review gives Chevy Spark EV two Thumbs Up [VIDEO]

It would be safe to say Peter Valdes-Dapena, the editor for automotive and other consumer content at CNNMoney.com, 'gets it' when it comes to EVs.

Back in February of this year, when a reviewer at the New York Times drove a Tesla Model S around New Jersey determined to miss as many freeway exits as possible to get a photo of the Model S on a Flat bed truck, Peter Valdes-Dapena over at CNN volunteered to do the same trip to prove the doubters wrong.

Here the CNN reviewer gives the Chevy Spark EV two thumbs up, saying the only down side is it's limited distribution in California and Oregon only.

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GM creates a Tesla task force

We've already heard reports that General Motors is working on a new electric vehicle with a Tesla Model S-like range of 200 miles (322 km) but new details are starting to emerge about the company's Tesla task force.

In an interview with Reuters, General Motors Vice Chairman Steve Girsky revealed the company has created a new task force to study Telsa and the Model S. The diverse group - which includes product planning, engineering, manufacturing and sales personal - will attempt to learn everything they can about Tesla so they can improve their own future products. As Girsky explained, Tesla is "revolutionizing the business model ... not just how you put an EV together [but] how you go to market with something like this."

While it's unclear what lessons General Motors will learn, the company is reportedly working on a handful of new hybrids and EVs. Besides the 200 mile (322 km) Chevrolet EV, which is expected to cost between $30,000 and $35,000, the company is reportedly developing fuel-efficient flagships which could be badged as Cadillacs and cost more than $100,000.

Source: Reuters

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San Diego Gets First Public SAE Fast-Charging Station for EVs

The SAE International DC “Combo” Fast Charge station installation at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego is a milestone for plug-in electric vehicles – the first public installation in the U.S. of an industry-coordinated standard for fast charging of plug-in electric vehicles.

The Chevrolet Spark EV, available in California and Oregon, will be the first EV in the U.S. to offer the SAE International fast-charge connector as a vehicle option starting in late December.

“The launch of these new charge stations will help improve the convenience and adoption of electric vehicles because they dramatically reduce the charge time,” said Pamela Fletcher, executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles at General Motors. “The SAE Combo DC fast charge stations are the result of EV industry collaboration to help customers benefit from available public infrastructure.”

The new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector is accessible via a single charge port on the vehicle and allows electricity to flow at a faster rate, making EVs more convenient for longer trips and for EV owners who may lack convenient access to overnight home charging.

“San Diego Gas & Electric applauds the collaborative efforts it took to make San Diego home to the world’s first retail SAE DC fast charge station,” said Lee Krevat, director of smart grid and clean transportation for the utility. “Our local drivers that have vehicles equipped with this charging system connector will be the true beneficiaries of this technology.”

Many major automakers including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have announced they will adopt the SAE combo fast charge connector standard. Earlier, many of the world’s major automakers had adopted the SAE’s 120V/240V AC connector standard to assure plug-in vehicles could access all charging infrastructure regardless of vehicle make or model.

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Chevrolet Spark EV Driving 101 [VIDEO]

Car reviewers describe the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV as “fun,” “spunky” and a “hoot to drive.” With 130hp and 400 lb-ft of instant torque, the all-electric mini-car can go from 0 to 60 in less than 7.6 seconds.

“Spark EV is the new benchmark for electric cars aimed at urban driving and a kick in the pants to pilot around town,” said Lindsay Brooke, senior editor, SAE International magazines. “Spark EV owners who are new to all-electric driving will soon find out how difficult it is to hide their silly grin when they realize how far that car will take them for pennies on the dollar.”

For many Spark EV owners, getting plugged-in to an all-electric, no-gas-required lifestyle will be a new experience.

Here are a few tips to ease the transition:

Recharge daily – And do it quicker with the soon-to-be-available SAE combo charger for DC fast charging. It can recharge the 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack to 80-percent capacity in 20 minutes.

Extend range – Maximize the mini-car’s EPA-estimated 82 miles (130 km) of driving range by recharging in public charging stations, or use Spark EV’s standard 120V cord in any outlet.

Don’t be a juice hog – Public charging stations are in high demand. After charging, move on so that other EV owners can recharge. Or if parking conditions allow, place a note on your dashboard saying it’s okay to unplug your car if the Green Light indicating a full charge is flashing.

Know the distance – The available BringGo smartphone app can help Spark EV owners know how far they can go without recharging by providing full-function, in-dash navigation via Chevrolet MyLink as well as live traffic updates, for less than $60.

Go with the flow – Many EV owners like to maximize range by driving at or below the speed limit. No problem, just steer clear of the fast lane so other Spark EV drivers can enjoy their instant torque.

Be loud – The Pedestrian Friendly Alert Function projects a light chirp and calls attention to Spark EV’s presence. Pulling the turn signal lever back while in Drive will give a friendly honk. The alert can be set to activate automatically in Drive and Reverse at speeds below 18 mph (28 km/h).

Enjoy the savings – Spark EV can save its owners approximately $9,000 in fuel over five years compared to the average new vehicle – that’s $150 per month that can be spent on something else.

Be an EV advocate – Expect to get lots of questions about Spark EV. Take these opportunities to spread the advantages of going gas free.

Expanding the Spark lineup, the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV is designed to make the trip as electrifying as the destination. It is priced under $19,995 with tax incentives and is now available to residents in California and Oregon, with sales expanding to Canada, South Korea and Europe later.

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GM Working on $30,000 EV with 200-Mile Range [VIDEO]

As automakers race to make cheaper electric cars with greater battery range, General Motors is working on one that can go 200 miles (320 km) per charge at a cost of about $30,000, a top company executive said.

Vice President of Global Product Development Doug Parks wouldn't say when or if such a car will be built, however. Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson also mentioned a 200 miles EV back in March.

Currently GM sells the $35,000 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which can go 38 miles on electricity before a gas-powered generator kicks in. It also offers the all-electric Chevy Spark subcompact that can go 82 miles on a charge. It starts at $26,685. Electric cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The 200-mile car would cost about the same as the current Volt, and it would match the range and be far cheaper than Tesla Motors' $71,000, all-electric Model S. The Model S can go up to 265 miles on a single charge.

A moderately priced electric car with a 200-mile range would make electric cars more appealing to Americans, solving the two chief complaints about such cars: Anxiety over running out of power and high price, said Tom Libby, lead North American analyst for the Polk automotive research firm.

"That would be a huge step forward, no question," he said.

Currently, cars powered solely by batteries make up only 0.3 percent of U.S. sales, Libby said, but he's confident that would increase if an automaker came out with a moderately priced 200-mile car.

Tesla gets accolades for the Model S, including the highest test score ever recorded by Consumer Reports magazine. And the Palo Alto, Calif., company also is working on a mass-market electric car. CEO Elon Musk has said it will have around a 200-mile range and cost about $35,000. It could go on sales as early as the end of 2016, he has said.

GM has taken a different approach from Tesla, Parks said, pricing electric vehicles from around $25,000 to about $40,000. They don't go as far after each charge, which has kept battery costs down and made the cars more affordable, he said.

"Their pricing is up there for a real unique customer," Parks said of Tesla. "The real trick will be who can do a 200-mile car for more of the price range I'm talking about. We're all in races to do that."

The 200-mile car won't be the next-generation Volt. Speaking at a Monday event to show off GM's expanded battery laboratory at its technical center in Warren, a suburb north of Detroit, Parks said that GM engineers are now working on a new Volt, which will go a little father on electricity than the current model and cost a little less. He wouldn't say when it will arrive in showrooms or how much it will cost.

GM on Monday showed off a 50,000-square-foot addition to the battery lab. The added space, which nearly doubled the lab's size, will let the company test batteries and computer controls much faster than before. Parks said the goal is to develop electric cars twice as fast as the company could in the past. It took GM about four years to develop the Volt and bring it to market.

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Vauxhall Cut Ampera Price by £3500

Vauxhall Ampera prices have been cut by £3500, dropping the entry-level price for the innovative petrol-electric range-extender to £28,750, after a £5000 government grant.

Vauxhall/Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann denied claims that Ampera prices had been slashed because sales were slow. He said: 'The Ampera has sold more than 5000 units and accounts for more than half electric car sales in Europe. That’s disappointing for the electric car market, not for the Ampera.'

The revolutionary plug-in electric car has struggled to fulfil its sales promise, partly because the recession has deterred buyers from adopting less-conventional technology.

Neumann went on to say that GM is 'still convinced that the range-extender is the best electric car concept'. The system works by relying on a standard combustion engine to generate energy for the electric motors that power the car, resulting in a pure-electric range of up to 50 miles and a total touring range of 300 miles with use of the petrol engine.

GM vice-president Steve Girsky also said that the range-extender technology would continue to be used, but that new models with the powertrain were unlikely to happen until 'the technology has advanced a bit further and come down in price'.

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Opel cuts Ampera price by 17 percent in Germany

General Motors' European brand Opel has announced a 17 percent cut in the price of its Ampera electric car in Germany at this week's Frankfurt car show, where rivals will be showing off their electric models for the first time.

"Effective immediately, we are lowering the price of an Ampera to 38,300 euros ($50,400), which is a cut of almost 8,000 euros in Germany," Opel Chief Executive Karl-Thomas Neumann told an industry conference on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Neumann said it was no coincidence that the price cut coincided with the premiere of key competitor models like the electric version of the Volkswagen Golf hatchback and Up minicar.

"We see a tremendous chance given all the talk about electro-mobility and we want to remind people that we have been in the market already for one and a half years," he said.

Price cuts will also be made in other markets, but due to differing tax laws, the price-tag and the size of the reduction will be different from country to country, a company spokesman said.

Opel's finance chief Michael Lohscheller said the price cut would not have any impact on its target of a slightly narrower loss for Opel this year given the relatively low sales figures.

He also said that a better-than-expected first half would not mean it would upgrade its outlook either. "The second half is traditionally weaker than the first half in the auto industry due to seasonal effects. We're sticking to our full-year guidance," Opel CFO told Reuters on the sidelines of the conference.

Only 828 new Ampera cars were registered in Germany last year out of a market of 3.08 million vehicles, according to official figures from the KBA motor vehicle agency.

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GM Cuts Chevy Volt Price by $5,000 to Compete with Leaf - Prius

General Motors cut the starting price of the plug-in hybrid sedan by $5,000 to compete against the less-expensive and better-selling Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf.

The 2014 Volt, arriving in U.S. dealerships later this month, will start at $34,995, the Detroit-based automaker said today in an e-mailed statement. The price cut comes, in part, to make sure the Volt shows up in online shopping searches along with the Prius and Leaf, which start, respectively, at $25,010 and $29,650, including destination fees, GM said.

“GM is getting with the times,” Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with Edmunds.com, a website that tracks auto pricing, said in an e-mail. “Consumers want electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles at prices competitive with other vehicles without the advanced technology.”

The model, which is eligible for a $7,500 U.S. tax credit, was introduced in 2010. Volt is GM’s flagship car for its efforts to have about 500,000 vehicles on the road by 2017 with some form of electrification. The car can travel 38 miles (61 kilometers) on battery power before a gasoline engine engages.

“We have made great strides in reducing costs as we gain experience with electric vehicles and their components,” Don Johnson, Chevrolet U.S. sales vice president, said in the statement

Volt Sales

While Volt sales rose 9.2 percent through July, deliveries slipped 3.3 percent last month. That followed a 53 percent gain in June when the average cost of incentives per Volt was $6,195, according to Edmunds, citing the most recent month with available data.

Leaf sales accelerated this year after Nissan in January added an S version of the Leaf that’s cheaper than the SV and SL models. Unlike the Volt, the Leaf has no extended range engine. Leaf sales more than tripled to 11,703 through July from 3,543 during the same period a year earlier, outselling Volt in the U.S. by 60 vehicles.

Toyota’s Prius is the most frequently traded-in vehicle for a Volt, GM said in the statement.

U.S. sales of the Prius were little changed through July with 143,508 deliveries. Those results include sales of a plug-in version of the Prius, which saw deliveries slip 8.3 percent, according to researcher Autodata Corp. The plug-in Prius starts at $32,810. Toyota also sells a subcompact Prius c that sells for $19,890.

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