GM Eyes UK Plant for Volt
July 23, 2008
General Motors reportedly is considering a plant in England for the European production of
its innovative Volt.
The Financial Times reports in Wednesday's edition that GM is considering its Vauxhall Ellesmere Port plant on Merseyside as the possible European production center for Volt.
The London paper said the prospect of the Merseyside plant being used for the venture was raised on Tuesday by GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster after meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the British motor show, which opened this week.
Brown announced the government would put up invest funds over the next five years to support electric, hybrid and other environmentally clean car projects. Forster said GM would be "seriously considering" Ellesmere Port with such government support being influential in making a decision.
The Financial Times reports that GM would require only a single European plant to build the Volt , which would be sold under all three of its planned brand names: Opel, Vauxhall and Chevrolet.
Company executives indicated to the FT on Tuesday that the Volt could have a list price in the UK of about £20,000, several thousand pounds dearer than an equivalent petrol or diesel Astra. However this could be fairly quickly offset by reduced fuel costs, exemption from congestion charges and much lower vehicle excise duty.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd58a87a-5843-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.html
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 4:51 AM under GM , News , Technology | Comments (1) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
Europe is a natural market for the Volt. In Europe, gas is up to $10 a gallon, the average purchase price per vehicle is higher, and they do not equate size with quality. GM is right to market the Volt internationally. It will do wonders for the brand (which is growing well in places like Russia) and production might even benefit from European research.
Posted by: bubusdad | July 23, 2008 at 5:27 AM