The General Motors Electric Volt has become so popular that the company has decided to increase production of the car by fifty percent. General Motors is now making about 30,000 Volts and will increase that about to 45,000 by the year 2012.
United States President Barack Obama was seen touring the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Volt is being made. Edward E. Whitacre Jr, GM Chairman and CEO of the company was quoted as saying, “The Chevrolet Volt provides drivers with the latest technology, outstanding innovation, and something no other electric vehicle can provide – peace of mind,” “We are very proud to host the President of the United States at this plant, where the future of the American automobile industry is being built today by the men and women of General Motors.”
Many General Motors Dealers have already started taking orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Powered by electricity the Volt has a 340 mile driving range. When the battery runs down, a gas generator kicks in to extend the driving range to 300 miles if the tank is full.
To prepare for the production of the Volt, the Detroit-Hamtramck plant invested $336 million dollars in a new production facility. LG Chem, a subsidiary of Compact Power Inc that supplies batteries, started up a $300 million, 650,000 square-foot factory in Holland, Michigan. The new factory created more than 400 jobs. Since the introduction of the electric Volt in January of 2007, several other car makers have made over 30 plug-in electric cars. The Volt will be for sale later this year.