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Automotive

First Chevrolet Volt delivered to customer

By Darren Quick
December 16, 2010
First Chevrolet Volt delivered to customer
Jeffrey Kaffee is the first customer in the U.S. to take delivery of a Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
Jeffrey Kaffee is the first customer in the U.S. to take delivery of a Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
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Jeffrey Kaffee takes pictures of his new Chevrolet Volt - presumably for insurance purposes or something (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
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Jeffrey Kaffee takes pictures of his new Chevrolet Volt - presumably for insurance purposes or something (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
Gearhart Chevrolet Owner Judy Tilton presents Jeffrey Kaffee with his new Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
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Gearhart Chevrolet Owner Judy Tilton presents Jeffrey Kaffee with his new Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
Jeffrey Kaffee is the first customer in the U.S. to take delivery of a Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
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Jeffrey Kaffee is the first customer in the U.S. to take delivery of a Chevrolet Volt (Image: Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet)
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It’s been a big week in the world of mass-produced electric vehicles. Hot on the heels of Nissan delivering the first of its LEAF all-electric vehicles to a customer in California last Saturday, a retired airline pilot by the name of Jeffrey Kaffee has become the first customer in the U.S. to take delivery of a Chevrolet Volt. Although the Volt he received wasn’t actually the first available for sale, with that particular vehicle going to the winner of an online charity auction, which closed on Tuesday with a winning bid of US$225,000.

Kaffee, of Parsippany, New Jersey, cut his vacation short to become the first customer to take possession of a Volt on Wednesday, December 15 at Gearhart Chevrolet in Denville, New Jersey. His vehicle was one of 360 Volts that departed the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant this week aboard a caravan of car carriers headed for initial launch markets that include California, Texas, Washington, D.C. and New York. Kaffee obviously likes to keep up to date with the latest eco-friendly transportation as he is trading in a Toyota Prius for his Volt.

The Volt’s official MSRP is US$40,280 – which comes down to $32,7800 after the $7,500 U.S. Federal income tax credit. GM is also offering a lease program with $350 monthly repayments (based on a 36-month term lease and $2,500 deposit).

In other Volt-related news, the online auction for the first Volt available for sale closed at 6pm on Tuesday with a bid slightly above the Volt’s retail price. The US$225,000 winning bid will be verified before Chevrolet announces the winner and presents the auction proceeds to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. However, the Volt up for auction wasn’t the first Volt built during regular production. Because Chevrolet intends to hang onto that vehicle “in recognition of the team’s efforts to bring the revolutionary car from concept to reality,” the auctioned vehicle will bear a vehicle identification number ending in BU100002.

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AutomotiveGeneral MotorsChevroletVoltElectric Vehicles
8 comments
Darren Quick
Darren Quick
Darren's love of technology started in primary school with a Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong (still functioning) and a Commodore VIC 20 computer (not still functioning). In high school he upgraded to a 286 PC, and he's been following Moore's law ever since. This love of technology continues as Managing Editor of New Atlas.

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8 comments
Michael Axel
Hope Mr. Kaffee lives in a state that has lemon laws. He\'s gonna need it.
Adrian Akau
Michael,

Give the car a chance. As a rule, I don\'t like GM products because of my bad experiences in the past; components seem to be designed to break down. However, we should see what the Volt can really do before running it down. The most delicious lemonade is made from lemons and this car is needed to help change the mentality of our country to the possibility that electric cars are beneficial and are here to stay.
michael_dowling
Yes,I agree.Check out what Consumer Reports magazine has to say about it.They were quite impressed.
Facebook User
Hybrids came out years ago. I dont know why GM thinks this one is a \"Game Changer\" the future is in electric. Thank you Nissan
HeyIts007
It\'s likely to be a game changer because the Chevy Volt is an all electric drive hybrid, being a more fuel efficient hybrid technology than any other hybrid in its class or any other hybrid class that\'s commercially available to mainstream markets.

It should make the Prius synergy drive technology looks like a dinosaur in terms of energy efficiency and equivalent mileage per gallon. Electric drive is at least twice as efficient as internal combustion engine drive. It\'s clearly the future. Others will follow the volt approach. It\'s a no brainer really, driven by cost to operate, strongly influenced by equivalent mpg ratings.
Facebook User
Hey, HeyIts007 it\'s not an electric drive train, the engine powers the wheels directly. They lied about the specs early on and did the bait and switch. Brought to you by GM.
Benjamin Tate
Info about the Chevrolet Volt from http://www.chevrolet.com
Energy is stored on board in a 16-kWh, "T"-shaped lithium-ion battery. The battery powers the electric drive unit, which is capable of meeting full vehicle speed and acceleration performance while driving the car electrically for an initial range without using a drop of gas. And when the Volt's electric range has been used up, a gas engine works with the electric motors to keep you going. So whether you want to go cross-town or cross-country, you're free to drive wherever you want, efficiently. And even though the Volt plugs into any standard 120 V household outlet, if you don't have a chance to charge it, all you have to do is fill it up just like you do with your car now.
Hybrids are not designed to travel extended distances in EV mode. Hybrids generally use battery power while stopped or at low speeds, and also cannot typically operate at high speeds while being powered by electricity alone. Volt is designed to travel longer distances and at all speeds (up to 100 mph) in EV mode. Once the battery is depleted, Volt uses the gas-powered, range extending generator to drive hundreds more miles.
PizzaEater
The neat thing about the Volt is you can change the top of the vehicle and keep the drive train platform. Need a truck to help move your friend, put a truck top on. Need a people hauler, put the mini van top on. Going to drive to work, put the two seat low profile top on. If GM makes interchangeable tops, they will have a hit.