Chevrolet Volt Plays Hard to Get This Summer

Customers who have their eyes on a Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle will be disappointed to hear that they will have to wait a couple of months until they’ll get to drive one home. American auto giant General Motors has temporarily stopped the production and is to resume it later this month.

According to GM spokesman Robert Peterson, quoted by USAToday, there are only about 200 units available nationwide, so the supply is limited for the summer.

The reason for the idling was because GM made several upgrades to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which is undergoing a changeover for the 2012 model year. Some of the changes in question include expanded capacity to build more Volts and the Opel Ampera for export. In addition, for 2012 GM adds new features to the extended-range electric car and a new, less-expensive version with fewer accessories.

But don’t give your hopes up, as the Chevy Volt will become more widely available starting in August. In fact, the automaker is planning to produce no less than 16,000 Volts by the end of 2011, with 3,500 for export, while 2,500 to be used as demo cars by Chevrolet dealers.

We’ll remind you that prices for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt start at $39,995 but with a full federal income tax credit (which range from $0 to $7,500), the Volt can cost a total of $32,495.

The car is powered by an electric system that develops 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, which enables it to sprint from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet.