Some recent reports about the availability of the upcoming 2016 Chevrolet Volt have left some fans slightly confused, as it looks like those who want to get their hands on the new model as early as possible might have to do some extra traveling if they live in the US. The problem is that the car will initially be available in most parts of Canada, unlike the US which will have to wait longer, at least for most regions of the country.
And while this isn’t such bad news, it does raise some questions about the strategy that Chevrolet are going to follow with this release. Hopefully they don’t plan on introducing any unusual delays in the availability of the model, as there are lots of people waiting for the new Volt right now. Interest in the car has been particularly good thanks to the overall increased popularity of sports vehicles as a concept in general, and many people are actively looking forward to trying out the new Volt as soon as possible.
The model is supposed to come with various improvements to the formula, especially on the electric side of things, and it will reportedly have a better range and improved comfort over the previous entry in the line. It sounds like there might be some slight legal issues related to regulations that the company have to observe preventing them from making their launch on the market, but we aren’t sure what the hold-up is about exactly.
It doesn’t look like many people are seriously disappointed by this announcement however, and most are apparently happy to wait a little longer if that means getting the model they’ve been expecting for so long in all its glory and with a fine layer of polish on top.
In fact, polish will be quite the important factor for this launch, as the electric vehicle market has become quite saturated lately and various companies have come out with their own unique offers that build on the concept. The idea of an electric car is becoming more and more mainstream as a whole, and there’s certainly nothing bad about that. But it does mean that companies releasing new models will have to approach the situation with particular care and attention if they want to get it right.
This might work out in Chevrolet’s favor with regards to marketing though, according to some critics. The company can certainly benefit from getting some extra discussion on the new Volt in place before it launches across the US, and releasing it in Canada earlier could help them achieve that very nicely.
Of course this is probably not what Chevrolet were intending in the first place, but if it works out as an unintended side effect and improves the popularity of the model on the market, there is certainly nothing bad about that. That’s just a random prediction that doesn’t seem to have a lot of popularity among many critics on the other hand, so we don’t know how the situation is going to play out.
It’s certainly true that there is a lot of focus on the new Volt right now and people are eagerly awaiting to see what the model is going to offer, so reviews will be highly sought after. The car should get sufficient coverage on that side of the market before Chevrolet continue their venture in other areas, which should help them get a head start and a better position on the market than some of their competitors.
After GM introduced the car and announced my State (WV) would have to wait until Oct. 1, 2015 to order, I worked over 642 hours of overtime spending at least six (12 hr. days/nights) at my job each week. Sometimes I worked all seven days each week. I knew this would raise my tax bill next year but I was counting on the $7, 500 federal tax credit to offset that problem. Just days ago GM changed the plan and announced the car will not be sold in my state until Spring of 2016. Now I am not eligible to buy the car, I will not be eligible for the tax credit, and I will have to use most of my down payment saved up from all the overtime worked to pay my taxes next Spring. So I have lived at my job for the last five months and will have nothing to show for all my labor. I feel very CHEATED by GM!
That sucks dude. If I were you I would order one from Maryland and then just take a day off from work (heaven knows you need it after all that) and drive over and pick it up. I have the opposite problem. I started my job in June so I will not have enough reportable income this year to take the full tax credit. So I can’t buy the car until at least January.
I called a dealership in Maryland and I also spoke with the GM Volt advisor. My findings were even more painful….Dealers cannot sale the car to “non-residents” and the car can’t be titled in my home state. UNBELIEVABLE!
Uhhh, not sure where this guy is getting the idea that the Volt is a sports car. The Volt is many things…The Volt is freakin’ sweet…A sports car it is not. 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Top speed of 98 MPH. MSRP of 34 grand. Need I go on?
I am thinking the same way and wondering how insurance companies will classify it.