It’s an exciting time for Chevrolet. The Volt is on-time for production to start late this year, the world’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability. No doubt this is an important time for us. But, we still have work to do.

You may remember that Chevrolet and OnStar recently announced a program to educate and train our nation’s first responders and to launch a series of electric vehicle emergency response safety programs in key Volt launch markets. Over the last year, we have been working closely with several key first responder organizations such as the International Association of Fire Fighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Emergency Number Association to develop nationwide training materials to educate first responders about electric vehicle technology. This program is just one way Chevrolet is taking the lead to help public safety personnel become as comfortable and confident working around electric vehicles as they are with conventional vehicles today.

Today was a historic day for the Volt, as the first drivable Chevrolet Volts arrived in China. Two Volts were delivered to the Shanghai Expo Bureau for use as part of its VIP transportation fleet at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The technology for the Volt in China is the same as the United States version. Drivers in China will drive gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free for up to the first 60 kilometers (or 40 miles) using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gasoline-powered range-extending engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 450 kilometers (or 300 miles) on a full tank.

China is one of the initial markets outside the United States to receive the Volt and Chevrolet will begin selling Volts in China in the latter half of 2011. This is just another step in bringing electric vehicles to all parts of the world, so stay tuned for more information.

I hate sitting in traffic. Most of us do. It’s a waste of time and gas and has the power to catapult us into beastly fits of rage. There’s got to be an alternative.

For more than thirty years, some Bay Area commuters have found a way to avoid all of the above. We first heard about Casual Carpool from Patrick Wang, a Bay Area resident and professional Chevrolet Volt fan.  Casual Carpool is disgustingly simple: folks carpool with each other to get from the East Bay, over the Bridge and into San Francisco. There are a few designated pick-up locations in the Emeryville area where drivers can pick up waiting riders. It’s free and there’s an etiquette that everybody adheres to. Of course, we had to check this out – and that’s exactly what we did recently with a pre-production Chevrolet Volt.