Report: Early Chevrolet Volt buyers were techies, not treehuggers

Techies in general love being the early adopters of the latest new gadget or gizmo to hit the stores. The same holds true in the case of the Chevrolet Volt.

“Early on, we talked a lot about whether our initial target market would be the techies or the greens,” said Cristi Landy, the Volt’s product marketing director. “And we concluded that it would be the techies, which we confirmed with our first customer surveys.”

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According to a report by AdAge, the next step for Chevrolet is to educate the masses about the new Volt technology.

“Our task now really is education, specifically when it comes to helping people understand the difference between a hybrid and a plug-in electric vehicle,” Landy said.

GM is also asking early Volt buyers to share their experiences at chevroletvoltage.com. Early customers received a welcome kit that included a pocket-size camera a note encouraging them to shoot vides and share their experiences.

Refresher: The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit, which allows it to drive 40 miles on battery power alone. The system puts out 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp 1.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to travel additional miles while averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A fully charged battery and full tank of gas will allow the Volt to travel 379   miles. The 2012 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. Prices for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt start at $39,995 but with a full federal income tax credit (which range from $0 to $7,500), the Volt can cost a total of $32,495.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: AdAge