Posted on 05/19/2011 1:35:01 PM PDT by smokingfrog
General Motors plans to temporarily shut down its Detroit-Hamtramck plant for four weeks, starting in June, to prepare for increased production of the Chevrolet Volt and the export version, the Opel Ampera. They also plan to reconfigure the plant to build the upcoming 2013 Chevy Malibu.
Planned upgrades to the plant include installing new tools, equipment and overhead conveyer systems which all add up to increased production of the Volt and Ampera. After the plant reopens GM will still be working on changes for the upcoming production of the 2013 Malibu.
The planned closure will temporarily reduce the already limited supply of Volts on dealer lots over the next three months, but it is expected to increase the supply to fulfill the demand long-term. The Volt has only been available in California, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. at this time.
When production resumes The Volt will be available to customers nationwide by the end of 2011, said Cristi Landy, director of Chevrolet Volt Marketing. By taking the time to reconfigure the plant, we will be better able to meet the tremendous consumer demand.
GM will begin exporting the Volt and Ampera to Europe and China once the plant is back online with increased production. GM expects a production capacity of 16,000 cars including exports and demo cars for U.S. dealers. By 2012 GM expects global production to be at 60,000 with three-fourths of those sold right here in the U.S.
Production of the new 2013 Malibu will begin next year once all of the upgrades have been completed. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant is ramping down production of the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne after discontinuing the manufacture of the Northstar engine.
(Excerpt) Read more at wot.motortrend.com ...
It's a shame this is probably a good business decision. I want to see GM die sooner rather than later and am boycotting them until they die, so I'd rather see more bad decisions. The time for an all electric car may come some day, but it's not today, and it's not from GM. There is no situation in which I would buy a new or used GM product ever again, not after the corruption of the government nationalization and stiffing the rightful claimants on their assets.
The volt was more like a millivolt.
Another stupendously liberal-like decision from the bin of GM’sliberal arts major management.
Earth to GM - you might try listening to your engineers already.
60,000 cars total? for the entire world?
isnt’ that a small number?
if GM stops building the volt would anyone notice?
I can only imagine these are all government buyers.
“increase the supply to fulfill the demand long-term”
Lololololololol
The Volt and the Ampera seem to be meeting serious Ohms in the marketplace. $41k for a Cruze is a bit much.
Yeah...I’m gonna buy one for sure.....I’m just aching to buy a car made by Government Motors, manufactured by loser union workers who bgot to screw investors for pennies on the dollar because of the bully Obmama...yeah...sure...as soon as I grow a new asshole.
long-term demand probably means crony capitalist insider fleet deal.
I read that they were selling a whopping 300 volts per month.
The only potential change to that trend was GE buying up half the production in exchange for Immelt getting a appointment as economy csar or something.
GM is going down...
I saw a volt in Palo Alto a few days ago. It was the ugliest new car I’ve seen in ages - with “racoon” paint bordered by gaudy chrome under the side windows, and every thing else looking cheap and flimsy.
The fools at GM don’t realize that owning an electric car is all about striking a pose, and that means in reality that the primary design goal must be to look “fashionable”.
that's correct and Govt. Motors is STILL sticking by their projection of a million sold by 2014. At this rate they are only going to be off by about 63 years.
Volt U, Obama!
I can't wait until Top Gear gets their hands on a Dolt.
If a Chevrolet Volt met the Opel Ampera head on...Watt would be the result.
I agree with you 100%. Obama Motors can kiss my as*. So can the UAW thugs. The next car I buy will be made in a right to work state, not by the UAW THUGS.
The Volt is going to be a major success. Live with it.
LOL - please hold your breath, okay? LOL
huh...that's funny, wonder why just today the Wash DC area radio news announced Volt was opening the market here and in a few other cities. Last published Volt sales IIRC in March 2011 indicated less than a thousand sold.
Sure would appreciate you showing me an industry source to verify your assertion.
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