GM neglected the Volt

General Motors announced the Chevy Volt will no longer be available. I understand corporations need to make decisions based on profitability, but I think they mis-marketed the Volt (“As GM unplugs the Volt, EVs aren’t dead. But the real action is overseas,” Nov. 27).

I have had a 2015 Volt for three years. It gets 50 to 70 miles on the electric charge before switching over to gas. So in my driving around town I never use gas. That happens only on out-of-town trips where I get 40-plus miles per gallon. In the 47,000 miles I’ve put on it, 80 percent have been fueled by electricity. And I’ve only had one oil change. When people ask me about it, they are surprised that it gets so many miles on electricity and that it switches over to gas so you are never stranded. The awareness is very low.

Why? I’ve never seen a single ad for the Volt. I only found out about it by searching on the Internet. The first Chevrolet dealer I went to practically chased me away saying they weren’t available. They didn’t even take down my name and number! I found a dealer that had them available online. When I visited, they didn’t know about the $7,500 federal rebate, and they didn’t want to know. In addition, there was a Maryland rebate and the state also paid for half the cost to install a high voltage charger in my garage. Who knew?

I assume GM didn’t advertise it because it lost money. I understand that. But when they say demand was low, they might want to consider that no one was ever told about it!

Wes Michael, Towson