GM to raise Volt production to 60,000 per year

[IDemo]

updated 2 hours 48 minutes ago 2011-05-18T23:28:11

Associated Press

DETROIT — General Motors will reconfigure the plant that makes the Chevrolet Volt to expand production to up to 60,000 electric cars a year.

The Detroit-area factory, which will be shut next month, now can produce about 16,000 a year.

GM said the electric car will be in short supply for the next three months because of the four-week shutdown that begins in June. But by moving in new machinery and overhead conveyors, the company will be able to increase the plant's output of the Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera.

"We will be better able to meet the tremendous consumer demand," Cristi Landy, the Volt's marketing director, said in a statement Wednesday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43083134/ns/business-autos/

[jpak]

1. We can thank President Obama and the Democratic Party for this and those jobs

yup

[madokie]

3. Yes we can

actually we can thank the President and the dems for a lot of good things thats happened these last couple years with this as only one.

I still think that the idea of a small internal gas/diesel engine running at a constant speed recharging a battery bank as needed would be the ticket

[msongs]

2. "tremendous consumer demand" = 1700 sold nt

[demosincebirth]

4. Thats my next car in two years.

[OnlinePoker]

5. I wish they would stop calling it an "electric" car

It's a hybrid...nothing more.

[Maven]

6. Interesting - I hadn't seen the Opel version but it's a slightly better looking car.

More refined front and rear fascia - better looking headlights and taillights etc. Why do Americans get the less elegant design?

Edit: Link to pics - http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2012-opel-ampera-geneva-2011/#3934302