To kick-off the 2013 SXSW activities Chevrolet gave a group of journalists a tour of some of its latest technology-based initiatives. After lunch at Salt Lick Barbeque, the group ventured to Austin’s Mueller community to see the work Chevrolet is doing with Pecan Street Inc.
Pecan Street’s Mueller community is basically a “living laboratory” for sustainable living. Residents live in “connected homes” that sport some of the latest eco-friendly products and services, and in turn, they provide their energy usage data to be used for smart grid research.
We had a chance to speak with some of the residents and even tour one resident’s connected home.
“We are proud to live in a community of people who also care about the environment,” said Mueller residents, Todd and Hannah Calvert. “What is really cool about Mueller is the fact that we get to be on the forefront of technology and knowing that we are helping people who will use these technologies in the future.”
Back in 2011, Pecan Street offered residents participating in this project financial incentive to purchase the electric vehicle of their choice. Today this community currently holds the nation’s most residential electric vehicles in one concentrated area, about 85% of which are Chevrolet Volts.
“The Volt has become our family go-to car,” said Todd. “The biggest advantage to owning a Volt is the convenience of not having to stop for gas. That, and how much fun it is to drive.”
While visiting this unique community, the group got an overview of how the project started, what they’ve learned from their research and what’s planned for the future. The amount of energy data that Pecan Street collects is unmatched by any other entity and opens up great potential for future advancements. Within the tour of Mueller, we also stopped by the soon-to-be-functional Pike Powers Lab.
“From driving the Volt to using the OnStar technology, we are constantly amazed at how much easier life has become,” said Hannah. “The best part is that we know this investment will help to improve our world and that it didn’t require us to change how we were already living our lives.”
After leaving the “community of tomorrow” we ventured to the call center of today. General Motor’s Austin call center features a new team of advisors tasked with answering customers’ questions about their GM infotainment systems (Chevrolet MyLink, Cadillac CUE or Buick/GMC IntelliLink). This call center, like the systems they’re supporting, features state-of-the-art technologies and an engaged, tech-savvy staff.
One thing that really impressed the group was the tools our infotainment advisors had at their disposal. Not only do they have working, physical models of every infotainment system, but they also have every conceivable smartphone, tablet and mobile device on hand. Our advisors are able to replicate, in real time, the conditions our customers are faced with, which allows them to provide precise and accurate advice.
It’s encouraging to see that in one city, GM is building towards the future, while also creating a better experience for customers in the present.
Volt
There are three things that impact range on the Volt: temperature, terrain and driver technique. The Chevrolet Volt’s green efficiency ball helps drivers’ technique and allows them to determine if they are braking too hard or accelerating too quickly. The goal of the ball is provide drivers some assistance to have better fuel economy. One owner once said the efficiency ball makes him feel like his Volt is a video game!
