Chevrolet Volt to Debut in China on August 31

Now that General Motors has already announced pricing for the American flavor of Chevrolet Volt, the US giant is getting ready for a global world tour to promote its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Obviously, China, which in the last one year and a half became one of the largest auto markets, plays a key role in GM's Volt plans.

And according to China Car Times, the Chinese market will meet the Volt as soon as this month, with the official launch believed to take place on August 31st. However, sales won't begin sooner than early 2011, with production to be handled by the same US plants currently building the model for the domestic market. Still, depending on the Chinese evolution of the car, GM might bring the Volt on Chinese assembly lines as well, in an effort to ramp up production and meet consumer demand.

In the United States, the Volt will be priced at $41,000, or $33,500 net of full federal income tax credit. Customers can also benefit from a leasing programme that allows them to lease the Volt for $350 for 36 months and a down payment of only $2,500. The vehicle will be available at first, as already announced, in California, New York, Michigan, Connecticut, Texas, New Jersey and the Washington D.C.

Chevrolet previously attempted to attract Chinese buyers with the Volt MPV5 Electric concept unveiled at Auto China 2010 that "demonstrates the Voltec propulsion system," as the company said in a statement at that time.

"The Volt MPV5 concept demonstrates the flexibility of the Voltec propulsion system, which can produce enough electric power to propel a range of vehicles. from a compact sedan like the Volt to a crossover like the Volt MPV5 concept," said Doug Parks, Global Vehicle Line Executive and Global Vehicle Chief Engineer for Electric Vehicles at GM.