Volt’s arrival jolts interest at Valley lots
Sweeney Chevrolet in Boardman received its first plug-in electric hybrid Chevrolet Volt on Monday. Other dealerships in the Mahoning Valley recently have received or are expecting Volts to demo or sell. The 2012 Chevrolet Volt has a starting sticker price of $39,145, according to www.chevrolet.com. Customers can receive a $7,500 electric-vehicle federal tax credit.
By Karl Henkel
YOUNGSTOWN
The Chevrolet Volt may be a quiet ride, but it sure attracts a lot of noise.
Chevy’s plug-in, hybrid-electric vehicle has made its much-anticipated Mahoning Valley debut during the past few weeks to much fanfare.
Dealers, which until recently could sell preordered Volts but did not have models to show off on their lots, have started receiving 2012 demos or models for sale.
The latest is Sweeney Chevrolet, 8010 Market Street, Boardman, which received its Volt on Monday.
“Since the design of the car has come out, people have been very curous about it,” said Bobby Stackhouse, sales manager at Sweeney. “They want to drive it, they want to see it and want to see how it works.”
The Volt gets about 35 miles on an electric charge before the backup engine takes over to power the car for about 400 miles.
Stackhouse said in the first few hours after the delivery of Sweeney’s Volt, multiple customers had expressed interest in taking the car for a test-drive.
“We recommend it and encourage people to test-drive it,” he said. “We want people to experience the technology.”
Sweeney’s Volt has a black interior and exterior with chrome wheels and is up for sale. The sticker price is $43,175; a $7,500 federal-tax credit also is available.
Other Valley dealerships already have experienced Volt mania.
Stadium GM Superstore, 214 W. State St., Salem, has had its Volt since last Wednesday, and Greenwood Chevrolet, 4695 Mahoning Ave., Austintown, has had one for about two weeks.
“We’ve had tons of people come to look at it, see it, touch it,” Mike Hudock, general manager at Stadium, said of the dealership’s demo.
Hudock expects three more Volts by year’s end for retail sale, but said that one already has been sold and another is close to being off the market.
“I knew we would have some interest,” Hudock said. “But not to the magnitude it has been.”
General Motors Co. has sold 3,498 Volts since its December debut despite limited availability.
Volts, designed by Poland native Bob Boniface, still aren’t available in all 50 states, but the company expects the car to be part of it long-term success.
GM has even begun installing charging stations at dealerships and production plants, like the 12-car charging station in the visitors’ parking lot at GM Lordstown.
“It’s an opportunity for people who use the turnpike to get off and charge up,” said Tom Mock, Lordstown spokesman.