First Chevrolet Volt Headed to Dealers

The first shipment of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt left the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant on Monday for customers in California, Texas, Washington D.C. and New York.

GM says that the customers in those launch markets should have the first 160 Chevrolet Volts within a few days.

Earlier this year, GM shipped 15 pre-production Chevy Volts to technology enthusiasts and electric vehicle advocates whom were the first consumers to experience the Volt every day under real-world conditions during a 90-day vehicle and charging evaluation program.

The heart of the Chevrolet Volt is its Voltec electric propulsion system, which combines battery-only electric driving with an efficient, gas-powered engine giving the Volt up to 379 total miles of driving before having to recharge the battery or fill up the small gas tank.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving under electric power only, 37 mpg when in gasoline mode and over the long term it is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered and electric-powered driving.

The Chevy Volt goes has a sticker price of $41,000 (including a $720 destination charge). Including the $7,500 federal tax credit for which the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will be fully eligible, the consumer’s after-tax net value of the vehicle will be $33.500. GM is also offering a leasing option for the Chevrolet Volt available on a 36-month term which will set you back $350/month with an initial payment of $2,500.

The first Nissan LEAF, a pure electric car and a rival to the Volt, was delivered to a customer in California this weekend — kicking off the sale of electric cars for the mass market. Now it’s GM’s turn.