Ray Burke will be making room at his auto dealership in Cape May Court House for what could be the car of the future: an electric vehicle. But the future will come at a cost to consumers and car dealers alike.
The Chevrolet Volt will be mass-marketed first in six states, including New Jersey, and could reportedly debut in November in some areas. The car, which runs on electricity but also has a backup gas engine, will cost about $41,000. It is a steeper price compared to new hybrid cars, such as the 2010 Toyota Prius, with a suggested retail price of $22,160, and the 2011 Ford Fusion, priced at about $28,825, according to Kelley Blue Book.
"There have been a lot of inquiries and people asking how the Volt works," said Burke, whose Burke Motor Group will be one of seven General Motors dealerships in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties authorized to sell the 2011 Volt. "With the Volt, you can drive it like a regular car. You don't have to worry about whether you'll break down somewhere. (In southern New Jersey), people drive long distances to commute."
Burke doesn't expect to receive his first Chevy Volt until March, and may get about one per month since the initial run is just 10,000 cars nationwide. But he already is scheduling classes for his technicians so they will know how to handle the vehicles, he said.
David Perry, of Perry-Egan Chevrolet in Ocean City, said he might get just a couple of cars during the first run. Citing growing interest, GM said last month it will increase production by 50 percent to 45,000 vehicles in 2012.
Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers in Trenton, said dealerships will see a cost burden because they'll have to get workers trained in maintaining the cars and buy the related equipment and materials to service electric vehicles.
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