In order to meet a strong demand for the plug-in electric vehicle, General Motors plans to build some 25,000 Chevrolet Volt cars this year, CEO Dan Akerson said on Jan. 11.
"We have been pleased and a bit surprised with the initial demands, initial orders for Volts," Akerson said at an event on the sidelines of the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Volt production for 2011 was increased from an initial planned run of 10,000, Akerson said.
Akerson also said that it was "likely" that GM would produce a plug-in hybrid version of its popular Cadillac SRX model, and said he would like to use the technology in all of the company's vehicle brands.
Akerson, speaking at one of his first major appearances since he took over the top job at GM in September 2010, was confident about the future of both his company and the automotive industry. "We are a growth industry," Akerson said.
On Jan 10, the Volt was named car of the year at the Detroit auto show by a panel of automotive journalists.
The Volt can operate on electric power for 35 miles and then automatically switches over to a gasoline-powered engine which extends its range for another 340 miles on a single tank.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011
