Chevy Volt

2014 Chevrolet Volt

It's not often that an exec from General Motors goes on the record these days speaking of the Chevrolet Volt. It's even less likely you'll receive an official response from GM to the following question:

"Do you think the Volt has been successful based on the numbers?"

CNET posed that question to Dora Norwicki, Chevy Volt marketing manager at General Motors and, surprisingly, CNET got an answer:

Norwicki:

"58,000 Volts sold to date. That means we've outsold the LEAF, the Prius Plug-in, the Toyota Rav 4 EV, the Ford C-MAX Energi, the Fusion Energi, the Focus EV, and the Telsa S. So, I guess in context, it is a lot. In the alternative-fuel space it's at the top, and we have been there for some time." "Expectations need to be set. This is new technology and it's going to take time for people to understand that this vehicle could be for them. Certainly, California has embraced it and we're quite appreciative of that. And good word-of-mouth; the customer enthusiasm for this car is huge. And it's been on top of the pile in all of the Consumer Reports owner satisfaction ratings." "And we're beginning to see consumers trading in their first Volts and getting a second one. And that's how it starts."

Norwicki seems to be implying that GM is "okay" with the Chevy Volt sales numbers so far, but that the automaker expects higher volumes in the near future.

Source: CNET