With GM set to begin selling the Chevy Volt later this year, there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of drivers ready to purchase one of these hotly anticipated electric cars. But wanting a Chevy Volt and getting a Chevy Volt are likely to be two very different things.

GM’s production plans for the Chevy Volt could be called conservative at best with only 10,000 Volts slated for production in 2011. Production is set to increase in 2012 up to 30,000 but even then demand is likely to be far from met unless the electric car is a total flop.

Currently GM has a list of potential buyers that is 53,000 names long. Despite the obvious interest and media attention, GM is playing it safe.

“We want to make sure, at the beginning, that everything is right, “GM spokesman Rob Peterson stated. Not only will GM be entering very different territory with the electric car, it also need to be sure that dealerships are properly prepared to service the Chevy Volt’s unique systems.

Not only is GM putting the brakes on the number of Volts it’s selling each year, it’s even restricting the places that it can be purchase with only six states seeing dealerships getting the Chevy Volt.