Holden pulls the plug on its Volt electric car

IT was once described as the “car of the future” but Holden has just axed its electric car, the Volt. If it can’t sell, what will?

2013 Holden Volt. Picture: Supplied

HOLDEN has pulled the plug on its Volt electric car, even though it was once described as its “car of the future”.

The struggling car maker, whose sales are down despite a record start to the year, has confirmed it will not import the new generation Volt that is about to go on sale in North America.

The announcement has dealt a blow to the electric car movement in Australia and casts a doubt over the future of other battery-powered vehicles.

“In light of General Motors’ decision not to proceed with a right-hand-drive program for the next generation Volt, Holden can confirm that it will not be bringing this electric vehicle to Australia,” said Holden spokeswoman Kate Lonsdale.

“Current generation Volt production has now ceased however Holden is committed to supporting Volt customers (with parts and service).”

Holden has sold just seven of its Volt electric cars so far this year and fewer than 250 have been delivered to Australian customers since the model went on sale two-and-a-half years ago.

Part of the reason behind the limited appeal of the Holden Volt was the price: $60,000 for a car about the same size as a $20,000 Holden Cruze.

The Volt had one ace up its sleeve that other electric cars lacked; when the battery ran out after between 50km and 80km (depending on driving conditions) a petrol motor could power the car for a further 300km.

However, if Holden’s electric car with a back-up petrol motor can’t be a sales success in Australia, there are grave fears held for the longevity of other battery-only electric cars.

A few years ago the industry boldly predicted electric cars might make up 10 per cent of all new cars sold globally by 2020; so far this year they account for 0.07 per cent of sales in Australia.

The local distributors of the world’s biggest selling electric car, the Tesla sedan, refuse to provide sales figures to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries amid concerns demand is not as strong as expected for the $100,000-plus luxury vehicle.

The Nissan Leaf electric car has had several drastic price cuts and low-interest finance offers in an attempt to stimulate sales, from its initial RRP of $51,500 plus on-road costs to as low as $39,990 drive-away at one point last year. However since its launch in 2012 fewer than 500 Nissan Leaf electric cars have been sold.

The first modern-era electric car sold in Australia, the Mitsubishi iMiev, was withdrawn from sale two years ago due to slow demand. Fewer than 250 were delivered locally from 2011 to 2013.

The iMiev cost more than $65,000 when it was launched; the price was cut to $48,880 in August 2011 to try to broaden its appeal.

But the iMiev failed to ignite buyer interest, in part because of the car’s limited driving range (between 100km and 160km), and because equivalent-sized petrol-powered cars start at $12,990.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling