2012 could be another rough year for the Chevrolet Volt. After a safety investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency kept the Volt from achieving its 10,000 unit sales goal in 2011, dealers are now shying away from ordering the gas-electric plug-in.
Dealers across the country are cutting back on their Volt orders, largely due to the NHTSA’s investigation that has scared off potential buyers. The federal investigation was launched late last year after three crash-tested Volt models unexpectedly caught fire.
General Motors allocated 104 Volts to its 14 dealerships in the New York City area last month, but just 31 of those cars were ordered. That take rate was by far the lowest of any Chevrolet model in the NYC market.
The story is the same on the west coast. GM offered Hedrick’s Chevrolet in Clovis, California six Volts last month, but the dealership turned down every one.
“Thinking we need six more Volts is just crazy,” owner Brett Hedrick told Automotive News. “We’ve never sold more than two in a month.”
GM spokesman Rob Peterson confirmed “dealer ordering is down” for the Volt due to the NHTSA investigation. “There’s a lot of misinformation that has swirled over the past month,” Peterson said. “Dealers are kind of waiting for things to settle down.”
The NHTSA closed its investigation of the Volt last week, but the probe could have lasting effects on the Volt’s sales. GM initially targeted 45,000 U.S. sales for the Volt this year, but retracted that target earlier this month. GM now says it will simply produce the Volt to meet demand without offering a sales target.
GM sold 7,671 Volts last year, missing its target of 10,000 units.
