General Motors (NYSE: GM) likes what it sees when it comes to the growing demand for the hybrid Chevy Volt. In 2013, the firm is planning to build 36,000 of the plug in hybrids, nearly 20% growth over 2012.
The Detroit based auto giant is planning to build 1,500 to 3,000 of the fuel- efficient vehicles a month, said the people, who didn’t want to be identified because the target isn’t public. According to Jim Cain, a company spokesman, GM sold about 30,000 Volt and similar Opel Ampera cars globally in 2012. The firm has thus far declined to give sales targets for 2013. The 2011 North American Car of the Year has provided impressive consumer satisfaction results, according to a Consumer Report survey revealing that 92 percent of respondents stated that they would buy one again.
Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson has faced significant headwinds along the way, battling Toyota Motor Corp’s Prius sales for market leader. When the Volt was originally launched, annual sales targets were in the 60,000 range. So far, sales have come in annually at half that, though demand is continuing to grow for the niche car.
The plug-in Volt can travel 38 miles (61 kilometers) on electric power before a gasoline engine engages to recharge the battery. Plug-in hybrids can also be recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet. U.S. sales of the Volt more than tripled last year to 23,461, about half of Akerson’s original target of 45,000. Toyota sold a record 892,519 Prius models worldwide in 2012, according to Carly Schaffner, a spokeswoman for the automaker. The figure includes four models — the main hatchback, the v wagon, a plug-in hybrid and the c subcompact that’s sold in Japan as the Aqua.
After last year, which included temporary production shutdowns, the Detroit-based automaker wants to find a consistent selling rate for Volt, Cristi Landy, GM’s marketing director for small cars, said in an interview this month in Chicago. “We had some on and off starts with the assembly plant,” she said. “California, which is our strongest market, was selling great then they would have no products. They’ve run out of products probably three or four times in the last 12 months, it’s been very frustrating.” GM produces the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant.
