GM Renews the CrossVolt Trademark

Chevrolet Volt MP5 Concept (Credit: © General Motors)

In 2010, General Motors displayed a concept at the Bejing Auto Show named the Volt MP5 Concept, then the following year, GM trademarked the name “CrossVolt,” which led most of us to wonder if it was planning to create a crossover based on the platform or technology underpinning the Chevy Volt. As time passed, the name and concept faded into what we could only assume as an undeveloped idea.

Well, according to a report from Fox News via Autoblog, GM decided to renew the CrossVolt name back in August 2014, reigniting the thoughts of an extended-range EV crossover based on the next-generation Volt. This news mixes well with the heavily modified Chevy Orlando that was caught testing back in 2013 with “high-voltage” stickers affixed to it to create a nice helping of speculation that we might soon see this crossover as a part of Chevy’s lineup.

With all of the improvements that the Volt’s drivetrain is set to receive in its new generation, now seems the right time to toss a crossover into the mix. Especially when many buyers — myself included — are debating buying the volt, but need extra cargo room. If GM could manage to keep a possible CroossVolt at or near the anticipated 50- to 70-mile range of the next-gen Volt and keep the base price around $30k before federal tax credits, it would certainly draw in a ton of buyers.

While a production CrossVolt would be an awesome thing, there is still the chance that GM is simply protecting the name for possible future use, which is not uncommon. Even if GM is intending on releasing the CrossVolt, do not expect to see it debut in January 2015 along with the standard Volt, as the automaker will likely want to feel out demand for the sedan and see whether this crossover is a profitable venture or not.

We’ll bring you more updates on this possible Volt-based crossover as the details become clearer.