GM plans to suspend production of the Chevrolet Volt for three weeks in July, instead of the traditional two-week shutdown.
But the company says sales picked up in March, and it may cancel the extra week if sales stay strong.
According to GM, over 2,000 Volts were sold last month, surpassing the previous high of 1,529 units in December 2011. GM sold 1,023 Volts in February and 603 in January. GM also claims that it sold over 100,000 vehicles during the month that have an EPA rating of 30 mpg or better.
The Detroit-Hamtramck plant was already closed from March 19 through April 23, as the supply of Volts grew on dealer lots.
Until March, sales of the Chevrolet Volt were disappointing. The company sold 7,671 Volts last year, below its goal of 10,000. GM had 6,319 Volts in its inventory at the end of February, enough to supply dealers for 154 days, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. A 60-day supply is considered optimal to keep a good selection of cars on dealer lots.
The Chevrolet Volt has a base MSRP of $39,145 before a $7,500 tax credit and can travel for up to 36 miles on battery power alone.
