GM Wants to Triple Electric Car Sales

General Motors has already crowned the newly-released Chevrolet Volt as its flagship product, so taking full advantage of its features is just a way to make the model more profitable. But what CEO Dan Akerson wants to do seems as optimistic as it is impossible: he asked the top executive team earlier this month to find ways to "at least" triple sales of the electric cars the US-based carmaker currently has in its portfolio.

What this actually means is that General Motors wants to turn the Volt into a huge market success by launching new advertising campaigns, bringing the vehicle into yet unexplored markets and, last but not least, develop new vehicles based on the Volt platform.

Citing three sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that General Motors wants to increase electric car sales by up to four times in a three-year time frame between 2012 and 2015. Sales in 2011 are predicted to reach 10,000 Volts, while figures are expected to reach the 45,000 barrier in 2012.

But what's more important is that this is the first major sign that General Motors intends to use the Volt for developing other electric cars. The company has already sketched plans for such projects but not much is known about them, so it's only a matter of rumors and speculations. A more affordable solution however, equipped with cheaper features, would pretty much make sense, especially in a market where the EV sector is becoming more crowded every day.

In the United States, Chevrolet Volt has a starting price of $41,000, or $33,500 net of full federal income tax credit. However, General Motors is offering some other financing options, as the company will lease the Volt for as low as $350 for 36 months and a down payment of only $2,500.