With the redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Volt on the horizon and a lot of the 2015 models at dealerships, General Motors has decided to halt production of the current Volt next month.
A GM spokesperson told Edmunds Thursday that factors including sales of the current car and the need to prepare the Detroit-Hamtramck plant for the start of 2016 Volt production contributed to the decision.
Sales may have been the largest factor. According to Ward’s Auto, GM has a 210-day supply of the vehicle at the rate it’s currently selling. Even in California, the Volt’s largest market, there are enough cars to last dealers there 100 days, according to Edmunds. Volt sales through March were off 48 percent over the same period in 2014.
Through last year, Chevrolet has sold about 73,000 Volts in the U.S. since its late 2010 launch. GM originally hoped to sell about 60,000 Volts per year, according to The Detroit News. Even price cuts throughout its life and generous government incentives couldn’t lure more buyers.
Shown in January at the Detroit Auto Show, the 2016 Volt was redesigned to be more spacious inside and more efficient, with an estimated electric range of 50 miles, up from 38 in the outgoing model. It uses a new two-mode drivetrain shared with the 2016 Malibu Hybrid that was shown last week in New York.
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