DETROIT — General Motors has priced its all-new Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with an MSRP of $41,000, a move one industry analyst said is "bold," but potentially very fruitful for the automaker. 

Another analyst pointed to the vehicle's "ace card" being its extended-range capabilities. 

Orders for the Volt officially opened up Tuesday. At first, the vehicle, which is said the first electric model to have extended-range capabilities, will only be available in California, New York, Michigan, Connecticut, Texas, New Jersey and the Washington, D.C., area.

There is up to a $7,500 tax credit available on the car. There are also state and local credits that vary by location. Moreover, access to High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes is available for qualifying owners in some states.

GM has also rolled out a lease program where consumers can pay as little as $350 per month for 36 months and put down $2,500 when they sign the lease. Automaker officials emphasized that the tax credit is included in the aforementioned lease terms.

"GM's pricing strategy is a bold one that will reward the company if it works because it means the Volt likely will be sold for something close to what it costs to build and won't be straining GM's red-ink supply," John O'Dell, senior editor at Edmunds' GreenCarAdvisor.com, wrote in the 'Volt to List at $41,000: GM Says Unrealistic to Compare It With $32,780 Nissan Leaf' story.

"If consumers reject the idea of a $41,000 Chevrolet four-seater — even one with stellar fuel efficiency and next-generation powertrain technology — GM will have spent more than $750 million on a losing bet," he added. "The failure would damage its reputation and endanger its financial future by putting it years behind the competition in coming up with a marketable fuel-efficiency play."

At the Plug-In 2010 conference on Tuesday — which is where GM announced the pricing and dealer ordering process — GM vice president of U.S. marketing Joel Ewanick said the vehicle is "in a class by itself."

"No other automaker offers an electrically driven vehicle that can be your everyday driver, to take you wherever, whenever," he noted. "The Volt will be packed with premium content and innovation, standard."

GM claims that the driving range of the Volt — which officials say is constantly powered by electricity — is approximately 340 miles. It doesn't use gas or put out emissions for the first 40 miles, officials said, as it utilizes the electricity from the car's 16 kilowatt lithium-ion battery.

Once batter power starts to wane, the gas-powered range-extending engine/generator kicks in and allows the vehicle to drive another 300 miles, they explained. 

There is also a 120-volt charge chord standard on the vehicle, allowing owners to charge their ride from home.

"In the time since the Volt's various announcements, Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen and other mainstream OEMs have announced full-electric vehicle plans, but the Volt's ace card is its 'range-extender' design that combines the benefits of a plug-in with the existing gasoline supply infrastructure," commented James Bell,  executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's Kbb.com.

"The Volt's technology should comfort those drivers interested in owning an electric vehicle while also anticipating the dreaded ‘range anxiety' that could exist with a battery-only electric vehicle," he added.

Bell went on to say that the natural comparison to the Volt may seemingly be Nissan's LEAF. But, he said it's not accurate to lump them in the same category. The LEAF, he explains, does not have the same "distance-per-charge" capabilities as the Volt, meaning it will not likely be viewed as a "replacement vehicle."

The Volt, meanwhile, has the potential to serve as "main vehicle," as it can be taken for more extensive and a wider variety of traveling, he explained, thus validating its higher price tag.

"However, when viewed through the mileage-constrained lenses of a lease, the more comparable monthly lease rates make sense," Bell added. "Having driven both the Volt and the LEAF, we can say that either vehicle will be an intriguing option for the eco-minded car shopper."

Echoing similar sentiments, Jason Kavanagh, who is the engineering editor at Edmunds' InsideLine.com, said the driving the Volt feels similar to the experience of a "normal car," with no major adjustments other than having to charge it up. 

"Aside from the charging process, the Volt functions usefully as a normal car. It doesn't force you to live with the limitations of a pure electric car, while providing a large chunk of the benefit," he said, following the "first drive" of the vehicle.

"The overall, overriding impression the 2011 Chevrolet Volt gives you is one of normalcy," Kavanagh added. "There are no bad habits or overtly obvious telltales of what's going on behind the curtain -you just get in and drive."

Ordering Process

Dealers were allowed to begin taking orders for the Volt on Tuesday. There is a dealer locator available at www.getmyvolt.com.

Dealers start the process of ordering these units for customers, who are provided with an adviser to field questions and give updates on their order.

Chevrolet also provided a number — (888) 865-8496 — where consumers can call in questions about the Volt.

Technology

Among some of the technological features available on the vehicle is standard seven-inch touch-screen navigation as well as a Bose premium audio system designed to be energy-efficient. 

GM is also providing Volt owners with five years of OnStar Directions and Connections service. Featured in this as standard items are Automatic Crash Response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.

There will also the launch of an OnStar-enabled mobile app designed link the driver's smartphone to the vehicle.

"We wanted to make the Volt ownership experience unlike anything we've done at Chevrolet, because the Volt is unlike any vehicle we've offered," stated Tony DiSalle, director of Chevrolet Volt product marketing. "We want customers to fully enjoy the Volt lifestyle by providing unprecedented connectivity to their vehicle through the Volt mobile app."

Warranty

The warranty on the lithium-ion battery is good for eight years or 100,000 miles, and there is also the following coverage on the vehicle, as listed by GM:

—Three-year / 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage.

—Five-year / 100,000-mile roadside assistance and courtesy transportation.

—Five-year/100,000-mile limited gas engine coverage.

—Six-year/100,000-mile corrosion protection coverage.

Among the Volt's safety amenities that come standard are eight air bags (dual-stage frontal, side-impact, knee, and roof-rail side-impact) as well as StabiliTrak electronic stability control with Traction Control. 

Moreover, 80 percent high-strength steel adds another layer of safety and protection.

There will also be on-site dedicated Volt sales and service experts at dealerships for customers to take their questions and concerns. Customer assistance with a Volt adviser can be utilized 24-7 either by phone or the Web.