GM to put a halt on Chevrolet Volt production for 5 weeks

General Motors will be shutting down production of the Chevrolet Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck for more than a month to adjust for rising inventories of the plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The company said that it has informed 1,300 workers at the plant on Thursday that it will shut down production for 5 weeks. The shutdown starts the week of March 19 and will resume production on April 23.

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“We need to maintain the right inventory levels and continue to meet demand,” said spokesman Chris Lee.

At the end of Feb. 2012, Volt inventory stood at 6,300 units, enough to last a total of 154 days. Volt sales came in at 1,023 units last month, jumping up from 603 units in February.

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: AutoNews