GM Says No Price Cut - or Hike - for 2013 Chevrolet Volt

Just the Facts:

• The 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be priced at $39,995, including an $850 destination charge, as GM confirmed on Thursday that there will be no price cut ? or price increase ? for the new model year.
• The 2013 Chevrolet Volt gets two new optional safety features, a new exterior color and standard Hold Mode, which allows the driver to save EV miles if desired.
• The 2013 Volt goes on sale in August.

DETROIT ? The 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be priced at $39,995, including an $850 destination charge, as GM confirmed on Thursday that there will be neither a price cut nor a price increase for the new model year.

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt gets two new optional safety features, a new exterior color and standard Hold Mode, which allows the driver to save EV miles if desired.

The 2013 Volt goes on sale in August. GM would not disclose volume projections for the 2013 model.

In a conference call Thursday with reporters, GM officials also took a little time to crow about how the 2013 Volt goes father in EV mode than the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, in response to a question about competition between Toyota and GM. Toyota says the Prius Plug-in Hybrid has a 15-mile electric range. The 2013 Volt has a 38-mile electric range.

"I like it whenever our numbers are on top of the pile, when bigger is better," said Andrew Farah, the Volt's chief engineer. "Yeah, we kicked that around the office and had a little fun with it, but I'm not sure where the marketing team plans to take those things."

Information about the 2013 Volt was released during a noon media conference call to discuss the increase in the Volt's range, which was announced earlier in the day. GM said the 2013 Volt gets a 3-mile EV range increase over the 2012 model.

Farah was asked why more attention was paid to extending the Volt's range ? albeit slightly ? as opposed to cutting the price.

"One of the things our customers tell us without fail (is) they want more EV range," said Farah. "That's what they've always said since we've started. Right up there is cost ? No. 2 or 3."

He added: "Customers have routinely asked for range and we wanted to deliver that."

The 2013 Volt will get two new safety features: forward collision alert and lane-departure warning. They will be part of the Enhanced Safety package, along with front park assist. Pricing on 2013 Volt options was not available, said GM spokesman Randy Fox.

Farah said the new standard Hold Mode was introduced in Europe on the 2012 Volt. "(Customers) can control when they use EV miles if they want to," he said. The feature allows the driver to save EV miles from one location to the next.

The 2013 Volt will also get a new power gauge in the driver information center that shows where the power is coming from in extended-range mode. The gauge will show how much power is coming from the battery and how much is coming from the engine.

The 2013 Volt also gets an optional rear-seat armrest and a new exterior color, Silver Topaz Metallic. New interior color choices include a Pebble beige premium cloth interior or Pebble beige leather interior.

Inside Line says: If you thought the Chevrolet Volt would get a price drop as it heads into its third model year, you were mistaken.

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