DETROIT — General Motors Co. will suspend production of the Chevrolet Volt for an extra week this summer as it tries to control the electric car’s inventory.
But the company says sales picked up in March to a record of more than 2,000, and it may cancel the extra week if sales stay strong.
Most auto factories close for two weeks starting in early July to get updated for the new model year. GM added a third week at the Volt factory that straddles the border between Detroit and the small enclave of Hamtramck. The plant was already closed from March 19 through April 23, as the supply of Volts grew on dealer lots. About 1,300 workers at the factory have been idled.
The Volt can travel about 35 miles on battery power before a small gas engine kicks in to generate electricity and keep the car going. It can be recharged from a 110-volt home outlet or even faster with a 220-volt charging station.
Until March, sales of the car were disappointing. The company sold 7,671 Volts last year, below its goal of 10,000. It sold 1,023 in February and just 603 in January. GM had 6,319 Volts in its inventory at the end of February, enough to supply dealers for 154 days, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. A 60-day supply is considered optimal to keep a good selection of cars on dealer lots.
The Volt has a starting price of just under $40,000, but it is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, as well as other credits in some states.
Volt sales spiked in March as gasoline prices jumped to around $4 per gallon nationwide.
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