General Motors to auction off first retail 2011 Chevy Volt for Detroit Public Schools

The first production-spec 2011 Chevy Volt will be retained by General Motors “in recognition of the team’s efforts to bring the revolutionary car from concept to reality” but the second Volt to roll off of the Hamtramck assembly line will head to auction. This Volt, which will carry the VIN ending BU100002, will come with a 240V home charging station and will come with an opening bid of $50,000 at www.bidonthevolt.com. Bids will be accepted until 6pm EST on December 14th, 2010 and the winner of the first retail 2011 Chevy Volt will be announced on December 16th; with the lucky bidder taking delivery before the end of the year.

This first 2011 Chevy Volt will come in Viridian Joule Tricoat, an interesting super-light blue/green (shown below) with the “Light Neutral” interior trim which includes a beige leather seating surface with darker trim on the seats, doors and dash. It also includes the Rear Camera package, the Premium Trim Package, the Park Assist Package and the high gloss polished chrome 17” aluminum rims. Essentially, this is a 2011 Volt with every box checked in the configurator, giving you a price of $44,680 and that does not include the240V home charging station or the bragging rights of saying that you own the very first Chevy Volt ever sold to the public.

The proceeds of the auction for the first 2011 Chevy Volt at www.bidonthevolt.com will benefit Detroit Public Schools departments of math and sciences. GM President Mark Reuss offered the following comment about General Motors’ commitment to help the struggling Detroit Public Schools:
“Every aspect of the Volt – from its aerodynamic shape to its battery chemistry – is a testament to the importance of math and sciences. By encouraging Detroit-area students to pursue these topics, we hope to cultivate the next generation of engineers who will build upon the Volt’s innovative technologies.”

The funds donated to the Detroit Public School Foundation will help to support programs like robotics contests, which often require the students to travel to other areas to showcase their talents. The Chevrolet Volt is an innovator in the automotive industry and GM hopes to help students interested in helping develop the next generation of advanced automotive technology right in the company’s own backyard.

As this article is published, the current leading bid on the first 2011 Chevy Volt sits at $80,000 and votes are only being accepted in $5,000 increments. Visit www.bidonthevolt.com to check out the progress of the auction, along with images of the Viridian Joule 2011 Chevy Volt – inside and out.