Washington DC Joins California and Michigan as Volt Launch Market
25 January 2010
Greater Washington DC will be an initial launch market for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. The nation’s capital and its suburbs join California and Michigan as the initial retail markets where Chevrolet will sell the Volt to consumers.
Concentrating Volt sales in these three key initial markets allows us to give our first customers a high-quality experience. In addition to geographical considerations, each market also has progressive local and state government leaders and utility partners who are crucial in bringing electric vehicles to market.
—Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager
Chevrolet also announced a development and demonstration program with DC-area utilities Pepco and Dominion to introduce customers to electric vehicles and establish vehicle charging programs.
Chevrolet will deliver more than 100 Volts to several utilities across the US—including Pepco and Dominion, which serve Washington DC and its suburbs—as part of an extended demonstration program. The overall program includes 500 charging stations that will be installed for residential, business and public use. They will be used to learn more about the installation process, vehicle charging and to gauge customer feedback.
The program is made possible with a grant of more than $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the US Department of Energy. Chevrolet has announced similar partnerships with several utilities in California and Michigan, as well as the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
The Volt has already logged more than a quarter-million test miles on pre-production vehicles, some of which are in service 24 x 7.
Here was I thinking that SF is *the* place to introduce all kinds of new gizmo's. Especially the greener ones.
Posted by: Arne | 25 January 2010 at 10:47 PM
Oops, misread the article. My thinking was actually right.
Posted by: Arne | 25 January 2010 at 10:49 PM
Maintaining a high profile in the Capital is purely a political move. Smart place to be when they repay the taxpayer loans and shed the government yoke.
Volt and the electrification of transportation is the single most effective act toward sustainability taken by humankind.
Posted by: sulleny | 26 January 2010 at 11:43 AM
Chevy will not sell that many Volt cars initially, but that is not the point. It is a "halo" project that shows they are trying to do the right thing. This more than 10 years after the PNGV project. They crushed the EV1, sold the batteries to Chevron and went back to making huge gas guzzling SUVs. Let's hope they get it right this time around.
Posted by: SJC | 27 January 2010 at 02:46 PM