New 2018 Chevy Volt EVs Sit Unsold On Dealer Lots - Even As GM Promotes 2020 Bolt
The 2018 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is still available new, despite having been canceled by GM early this year. These aging Volts are crowding the current model year 2019 Volts and also Chevrolet Bolt battery-electric vehicles in stock, and will soon overlap the updated 2020 Bolt arriving this fall.
Torque News was alerted to the in-stock Volts by the researchers at iSeeCars.com. They recently did a study looking at which 2018 models were still in stock in decent numbers. They did so because these new, but aging models offer buyers outstanding deal opportunities. Their research revealed that about 15% of Chevy's current Volt inventory are 2018 models. For those not up to speed on the Volt, it did have a 2019 model year and that is the year presently shown on the company's sales website.
Torque News looked for both 2018 and 2019 Volts near our location. We didn't have to look far. Most of the dealers near our Massachusetts location had new Volts in stock. One of the closest, Herb Conolly Chevrolet in Framingham, had both 2018 and 2019 Volts in stock (new). The dealer chain the author's family presently does business with, Liberty, has two 2018 Volts in stock just minutes from where we wrote this article. Finding leftover Volts in our EV-Target state is simple. Finding deals is also simple. The Mass Drive Green website shows listings for Volts and other EVs in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island and also details the federal, state, and local incentives offered.
Sales of electric vehicles fell in the U.S. in July and also in China. In the U.S., the sales drop was pretty much across the board and included declines in the number of premium/performance Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt, and of course, the Chevy Volt. Inside EVs estimates that Chevy sold 250 new Chevy Volts in July.
The Chevy Volt debuted in 2010. During its years for sale, it had multiple years where the vehicled averaged 2,000 units per month in sales. Its top month for sales was December of 2016, a month in which Chevy sold nearly 4,000 Volts in the U.S. The Volt is also marketed in other countries and our sales numbers do not include those vehicles. The Volt is the top-selling affordable electric vehicle ever offered in the U.S. When GM decided to kill it off last year, it was still a top-three seller in its segment.
In addition to covering green vehicle topics, John Goreham covers safety, technology, and new vehicle news at Torque News. You can follow John on Twitter at @johngoreham.