Published June 13, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
This week Holden announced a total of 49 dealers that will sell and service the Holden Volt “long range electric car” – a rebadged version of the Chevy Volt – when it becomes available later this year in Australia.
Australia has a land mass of 2,966,152 square miles, and estimated population of around 23 million, and these dealers that will undergo special training and install charging facilities on site are expected to service the whole country.
While saying the car will not be restricted to city dwellers, Holden dealers will otherwise be clustered near denser portions of the population, including 18 in Victoria, 11 in NSW, nine in Queensland, seven in Western Australia and four in South Australia. A list of all Holden dealers can also be found in the company's press release.
Each dealer has committed to achieve environmental accreditation and invest in new tooling and infrastructure to support Volt servicing requirements, said Holden Executive Director – Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, John Elsworth.
“Many Holden dealers already have a strong environmental focus but Volt dealers will also be required to achieve at least a level 2 Green Stamp Plus Accreditation through the VACC Green Stamp program,” said Elsworth. “Accreditation assures customers that the dealer takes its environmental responsibility seriously.”
Elsworth also confirmed the first orders had been placed by dealers who reported strong interest in Volt.
“We asked dealers to place their first Volt orders last month and while it’s too early to confirm numbers, we are receiving anecdotal feedback that there’s strong interest,” he said. “We would urge all customers to contact their dealer in the first instance if they want to secure one of the first Volts when they arrive in Australia.”
Australian customers can find their nearest Volt dealer via the this page on Holden's Web site.
Pricing, specifications and launch timings will be announced before the end of July, Holden says.
For those inclined to follow social media, Holden invites you to "join the conversation on Volt" at the Volt section of the Holden HQ blog or to register for more Volt information here.
