General Motors announced today that the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid will be offered for sale at $41,000, or for a surprisingly low monthly lease cost of $350 per month (with a $2,500 initial payment.) The sticker price for the Volt is $8,200 higher than that of the $32,800 all-electric Nissan LEAF�though the two vehicles' lease prices are virtually identical.
What can we take from this seeming disparity between sticker and lease price? GM says that the comparably low lease number is a reflection of the company's calculation that the Volt will maintain a very high residual value after three years. Even if that's the case, it's likely more than a coincidence that the product of that calculation was a monthly payment that matches so closely with the LEAF's.
The Volt's $41,000 sticker cost doesn't actually reflect what early buyers will pay for the car�the federal government is subsidizing the price of both it and the LEAF to the tune of $7,500. That brings real price of the Volt down to $33,500. For California drivers in particular though, the economic attractiveness of buying a LEAF versus a Volt is even stronger�the Volt plug-in hybrid isn't eligible for the state's $5,000 Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle rebate.
Why Does a $41,000 Car Cost the Same to Lease as a $32,000 Car?
What can we take from this seeming disparity between sticker and lease price? GM says that the comparably low lease number is a reflection of the company's calculation that the Volt will maintain a very high residual value after three years. Even if that's the case, it's likely more than a coincidence that the product of that calculation was a monthly payment that matches so closely with the LEAF's.
But there also seems to be bit of a hitch in GM's residual value logic: If electric vehicle incentives are still being offered three years from now, will any original lessees be interested in buying their used Volt when they can get a brand new plug-in for almost the same price?
Read More... [Source: HybridCars.com]
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