HAMTRAMCK VISIT -- REPORT AND PHOTOS!

[Steverino]

So you towed the Volt into Windsor to satisfy a technical export/import requirement that the the car be delivered (not driven) into Canada. And this trick avoided $2000 in fees. Fantastic! Nicely done Slyastro!

I will be close to the Hamtramck plant this summer and thought about taking a tour. Was it difficult to arrange?

[slyastro]

Great post and even better pictures. Thanks for sharing. Now, if I could just remember more of my college French.

I will try to install a «translate» button when I will have some time !! Now we have a 12 hours drive to get back home !!!

[frankydude]

So you towed the Volt into Windsor to satisfy a technical export/import requirement that the the car be delivered (not driven) into Canada. And this trick avoided $2000 in fees. Fantastic! Nicely done Slyastro!

I will be close to the Hamtramck plant this summer and thought about taking a tour. Was it difficult to arrange?

Note that it's me who imported the car, not Sly. He was accompanying me. Also it was imported to Canada at Sarnia, not Windsor.

Technically and legally speaking, Michigan sales taxes are due if a purchaser takes possession of it's car IN the state of Michigan.
Moreover, the dealership then CANNOT issue a transit permit - else the Michigan sales tax would be exigible.
To legally export the car without paying the MI sale tax, the purchaser must be a resident of another state or country
- that was not difficult to document / prove! - AND the dealer must at HIS expense ( - of course the cost of the said expense is adjusted
into the total sale price of the car) deliver the car OUTSIDE the state of Michigan. The law asks that documented proof be provided on
request on the part of the dealership. So, a towing invoice stating a towing into Canada fully complies with the MI law's requirement.

This is then the business case: I pay the MI sale tax on the car and have a transit to drive it off the lot - $2400
OR
I pay a $250 towing fee to bring the car across the bridge USA to Canada from Port Huron to Sarnia. The local towing companies
are used to routinely do that.

What would you choose?

Francois
B-2653

[elainedive]

Salut, Sylvain! I'm a French teacher near Chicago and I am a new Volt owner. I think your blog is going to be my new favorite thing on the internet, haha. Merci de l'avoir partagé! :-)

Elaine

[slyastro]

Salut, Sylvain! I'm a French teacher near Chicago and I am a new Volt owner. I think your blog is going to be my new favorite thing on the internet, haha. Merci de l'avoir partagé! :-)

Elaine

Hello Elaine!! Thank you for your positive comment ... that encourages me to keep going!! FÉLICITATIONS pour votre VOLT !! Maybe you could make an article (in french) about your impression about your wonderful car? The motives for buying it ... your commute, etc??

Just send me the text and a picture of you with your VOLT ... And I will gladly publish it !!

Then you will have the occasion to show it to your students, for a french lesson and at the same time, they will be sold to the VOLT and then they will annoy their parents to go to a GM dealer to test drive a VOLT !! ;-)

Qu'en pensez-vous?


Sly

[mbepic]

This is then the business case: I pay the MI sale tax on the car and have a transit to drive it off the lot - $2400
OR
I pay a $250 towing fee to bring the car across the bridge USA to Canada from Port Huron to Sarnia. The local towing companies
are used to routinely do that.

What would you choose?

FrancoisB-2653

I don't know, you missed the opportunity to drive the new Volt across the International bridge from U.S. to Canada;
sorta, like seeing a new baby being born or holding it for the first time.........would it be worth $2,150......or priceless?

[mbepic]

Glad you guys had fun, so did I!

Volt owner here......MY2012....6112; will be driving back from Arizona approx. 23April, via Detroit to Toronto;
would love to see the plant in full production at that time...........what are possibilities?

Thanks,

[petefoss]

Asky sylastro how he swung it. I haven't even been in there yet!