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By Marc Comeau, Vice President, Chevrolet in Canada

There are some exciting things happening with Chevrolet in Canada, especially in Vancouver as the world focuses its attention on the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Chevrolet is proud to be part of this iconic event, along with the entire General Motors of Canada family, through our partnership with the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) as the Official Vehicle Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and Paralympic Games.

First, the Chevrolet Volt just arrived in Vancouver and is creating quite the buzz.  Launching in Canada in 2011, the Volt offers up to 64 km of pure electric, emissions-free driving and is the only electric vehicle that won't leave you stranded when the battery's charge is depleted. Our official Volt activities kick off today and the Volt is already drawing crowds wherever it goes in the city. 

Monday is the opening of BC Hydro’s Power Smart Village and the Volt will be part of their “Home of the Future” display. In fact, the Volt will be on display at the “Home of the Future” daily in the late afternoon, so please come out to take a look.

In other Chevrolet activities at the Olympics, the Olympic torch relay is in the final stage of its journey across Canada and the Olympic opening ceremonies are just around the corner. We’ve been part of that journey from day one, as many of you know from following our very own @GM_ArtandSerge via Twitter and their blog (http://chevrolet2010roadtrip.ca/) as they made sure the torch kept moving safely and efficiently across this great nation of ours. 

Chevrolet’s goals for sustainable transportation solutions, from gas-friendly to gas-free vehicles, are directly aligned with VANOC’s sustainability goals. In fact, we are supplying 750 hybrid vehicles, over 1000 bio fuel capable vehicles, 1,100 trucks with Active Fuel Management and 2,400 vehicles with Direct Injection engine technology to be used by organizers and volunteers leading up to, and during, the 2010 Winter Games.

We’ve also provided gas-free vehicles from Chevrolet, with eight Equinox fuel cell vehicles on the ground since October transporting media, bloggers, athletes, government officials, VANOC representatives and everyday Vancouver-ites to experience the benefits of hydrogen fuel cells and to witness firsthand just how far Chevrolet’s fuel cell research has advanced.

For more on what we’re doing with the Chevrolet Volt in Vancouver, stay tuned to Twitter (@GMCanada, @Chevrolet, @ChevyVoltage, @George_S, @AdriaMackenzie and @philcolley). You can also follow us on the Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt Facebook pages, on the Chevrolet Volt Posterous page and ChevroletVoltage.com for all the latest updates on where we are and what we’re doing – and feel free to come on out and join our Volt team whenever you can.

By Jim Campbell, General Manager, Chevrolet

The first month of 2010 isn’t over yet, but has been filled with plenty of activity for Chevrolet. With so many announcements and products on the horizon, I felt it would be good to recap our recent news.

We kicked-off 2010 at the Consumer Electronic Show, where we showed the industry’s first working smartphone application designed to give Volt owners 24/7 control of their car. The application allows owners to set battery charge time, check battery level, review vehicle data such as odometer readings and miles driven in pure electric mode. Volt can even be remotely heated or cooled using electricity, instead of burning gas.

A few weeks ago, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we showcased our upcoming fuel-efficient, lineup of small and compact cars. The latest entry in that lineup is the all-new Chevrolet Aveo RS show car. The Aveo RS is aimed at young drivers, with a European-inspired hot-hatch design. It is powered by the same 1.4L  turbocharged Ecotec engine that will be available in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

The all-new Spark five-door mini car joins the Aveo RS and Cruze as the foundation of our small-car lineup. Cruze offers mid-size roominess in the compact segment and will be available in the U.S. later this year, while the Aveo production car comes to the U.S. in 2011, and U.S. sales of the Spark begin in early 2012. These cars represent cornerstones of Chevrolet’s “gas-friendly to gas-free” approach.

Speaking of gas-free, I also want to mention the latest news on the Chevrolet Volt, our electric vehicle with extended range capability. Production for the Volt is on schedule and begins at the end of this year. We recently announced that the lead retail markets for the Volt will be Michigan and California, and that we are partnering with key electric utilities in these states to collect data under every-day driving conditions and to establish vehicle charging programs.

The Volt news doesn’t stop there. Today, we announced that Washington D.C. is another lead retail market for the Volt. We’re also partnering with local D.C. utilities PEPCO and Dominion.

This summarizes just the first month of the new year. 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for Chevrolet.  We’ll have more news as the year goes on, and we’re excited to share it all with you. Thanks for being a part of our journey!

By Jon Lauckner, Global Product Planning Vice President

I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than with a historic milestone for GM, the state of Michigan, the automotive industry and most importantly, the United States.

Three years ago today, I was part of the team that revealed the Volt to the world. While many lauded our efforts to resurrect the electric vehicle, there were also a number of skeptics who challenged the concept because "batteries weren't included.”  However that was simply because the battery pack for the Volt wasn't designed and developed yet.  Of course that changed quickly –  today, the first advanced lithium-ion battery for a mass-marketed electric vehicle rolled off the line at our new Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant. Challenge met – batteries included!

This morning I stood in a building that just five short months ago, was an empty warehouse. Now this state-of-the-art, 160,000-square-foot landfill-free facility is buzzing with some of the most talented men and women in the industry and cutting edge technology ready to make history. And once again, we’re leading the way with the first lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing plant operated by a major U.S. automaker.

As part of our next steps to bring the Volt to market, we’re driving investments, creating jobs and accelerating technology development here in Michigan and across the country. That’s why today’s start of battery production in Brownstown is a momentous occasion on many levels.

First, it’s good for Michigan.  The $43 million investment in this plant brings GM’s total investment to $700 million in eight Volt-related facilities across Michigan.

Most importantly, this is an enormous step that will help take America from a petroleum-filled past to a potentially gas-free future.

The first batteries produced will be used to validate the plant’s equipment and processes before being sent to our Global Battery Systems lab in Warren for further testing.  Once validation and testing is complete, the next batch of batteries will be delivered to the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Center for integration into production-validation Volts later this spring.  This will get us prepped and ready to have these vehicles on the road later this year.

Today’s event goes beyond just batteries.  The development of electric vehicles, like the Volt, create many unique business opportunities for the auto industry.  A whole “ecosystem” is needed to bring these vehicles to mass market – home and public charging stations, a strong, capable grid, “clean” energy access, utility company and municipality collaboration, electric motor suppliers, recyclers, and many other emerging sectors.

These new businesses are creating jobs – green jobs.  They’re doing it by developing technologies, establishing manufacturing capabilities, and strengthening America's long-term competitiveness.  And, these new businesses are just waiting to be tapped.

With all this great news for our company and our industry, we definitely have an exciting  2010 ahead of us.  Like I said; great way to start the New Year.

Tomorrow marks a significant milestone for the Chevrolet Volt as we move closer to the start of production later this year.  Beginning at 10 a.m. EST right here on ChevroletVoltAge.com, we'll be broadcasting this milestone event live from our new Battery Assembly Plant in Brownstown Township, Mich.  Following the event broadcast, be sure to join John McElroy of Autoline Detroit as he puts key GM and Volt experts and other notable attendees on the hot seat to answer some of your questions.  The Autoline Detroit live webcast will likely start around 11 a.m. or so.  We encourage you to join the conversation.
-Phil Colley, Advanced Technology Communications 

  Free video streaming by Ustream Pop-out Chat Window

By Walt Dorfstatter, OnStar President

One reason why I love working at OnStar is because I know we are providing great services to drivers on the road. Our services, whether it’s  Automatic Crash Response, Turn-by-Turn Navigation, Hands-Free Calling or Stolen Vehicle Assistance, do more than provide safety, security and peace of mind to our subscribers. Our services connect people with their vehicles.

Now, we’re using our 13 years of knowledge, learnings and vehicle connectivity to give people a new way to interact. We are launching the OnStar Mobile application for the Chevrolet Volt, our upcoming electric vehicle with extended range. Volt has technology beyond the battery and our application is the first fully-functional mobile application specialized for an electric vehicle in the industry. We’re proud to be a leader in this field.

Here’s how it works: users can download the OnStar Mobile app for either the iPhone, the Motorola Droid or the Blackberry Storm. The app allows Volt owners to control a number of key vehicle functions and OnStar features from their phone 24/7. Drivers will be able to manage vehicle charging, read the state of battery charge and review vehicle history data such as odometer readings, miles per gallon and miles driven in EV mode.  In addition, they will have the ability to perform the same functionality they would on a traditional key fob, such as locking and unlocking the doors, flashing the lights, and sounding the horn.  You can even warm or cool the interior remotely using electricity instead of gas.

In our research, we know Volt drivers will have a strong interest in their driving history and will want the ability to know the charge level of the Volt’s lithium-ion battery when they are not in the car. Using the OnStar Mobile app, they can see the state of charge and estimated EV range and they can even start charging the vehicle without being near it, as long as the car is plugged in. The Volt will also come with OnStar’s traditional services as well.

 To download the application for the Motorola Droid, iPhone and Blackberry Storm, go to http://wwww.onstarmobiledemo.com

You can follow the announcement of the OnStar Mobile application for the Chevrolet Volt live from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) beginning tonight at 10 p.m. EST by clicking here. Be sure to follow @thereal_onstar for more updates from CES.

You can check out the video below for the demo of the app.

We also want to connect with you and hear what you think about the OnStar Mobile App. Nick Pudar, our Vice President ofPlanning and Business Development, will be answering your questions from the OnStar booth at CES in Las Vegas. Click here to submit your questions for Nick by 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 7.

Nearly three years ago at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we revealed what will soon become the first mass-produced electric vehicle designed, developed and manufactured by a U.S. automaker on U.S. soil - the Chevrolet Volt. When the Volt was revealed many considered it to be nothing more than vaporware. However, today it's obvious that the Volt is not only very real, but that it has become an economic multiplier for the state of Michigan, the country and the electric vehicle industry.

After the Volt's debut in January 2007, six plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles were announced by other automakers later that year, followed by 19 introductions in 2008 and five more this year.

With GM at the lead, electric vehicle development is creating entire new industries. This includes battery developers, builders of home and commercial charging stations, and power control and electric motor suppliers. Needless to say, investments in the electric-vehicle ecosystem are creating new jobs, and strengthening Michigan's and America's long-term competitiveness.

This morning, we announced that we have invested $336 million in the Detroit/Hamtramck assembly, where we will manufacture the Chevrolet Volt. This is GM's first EV facility since the EV1 thirteen years ago. By 2011, we will be producing tens of thousands of Chevy Volts in that building -- making this the first facility in the U. S. owned by a major automaker to produce an electric car.

The investment in Detroit-Hamtramck is in addition to GM's $364 million of investment in seven other GM facilities including:

• $37 million in Bay City, Mich. to produce cam shafts and connecting rods for the Volt's engine generator. You know, that generator will allow the Volt to travel more than 300 miles in addition to the initial 40-mile, all electric range when the Volt won't use any gasoline or produce any tailpipe emissions.

• $23 million in our Flint, Mich. Tool and Die facility to build the dies to stamp metal parts for the Volt.

• $202 million at our Flint Engine South plant -- this is where we'll build the 1.4-liter engine generator that provides Volt an extended-range capability of more than 300 miles.

• $1.7 million at the Flint Metal Center, in presses to stamp parts.

• $30 million in the Weld Tool Center, in Grand Blanc, Mich., to produce the robotic weld tool cells that were installed at our Detroit/Hamtramck plant.

• $27 million in the Alternative Energy Center at the GM Tech Center in Warren, home of our new, state-of-the-art battery lab, where we test and refine the Volt battery pack.

• $43 million in Brownstown Township, Mich., to open the world's first OEM-owned, high-volume, lithium-ion battery pack plant. We expect battery-pack production to begin there early next month.

So, if you total all of that up, GM's Volt-related investment now stands at $700 million. This doesn't include the investments made by the many partners and suppliers who will support Volt production and the necessary infrastructure - organizations like Magna, LG Chem, Compact Power, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and DTE Energy.

The race to build a mass-produced electric vehicle - a race that has its roots with the EV1, but began in full with the reveal of the Volt - has been one of the most exciting developments the auto industry has ever seen. Detroit/Hamtramck is the finish line for the race and one we will cross this time next year as Volt begins arriving in dealerships.

-Doug Parks, Global Electric Vehicle Development Executive

Audio of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm discussing the importance of GM's Volt investments in Michigan

The voting is over, and the results are in! “Viridian Joule” earned the most of your almost 3,000 votes and is the winning color name in Chevrolet’s Volt Paint-Color Naming Contest. Dave Thomas, 40, of Sanford, Fla., submitted the winning name, and following the announcement of his win, became the first consumer to drive the Volt.

Approximately 300 votes separated “Viridian Joule” from the second place entry, “environMINT,” submitted by Matthew Valbuena, 29, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.  A mere 100 votes separated “environMINT” from the third place entry, “EV-ergreen” submitted by Devin McQuarrie, 30, of San Jose. Each of the finalists is in Los Angeles, where they’ll have the chance to see the Volt up close and meet some of the engineers behind the vehicle.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a color name in the contest to all of you who voted.

Cheers!

-Maria Rohrer, Director, Global Volt & Global Marketing Operations at Chevrolet

By Dave Darovitz, Chevrolet Volt Communications

Hit the Hollywood search lights! Alert the paparazzi! Beginning this Friday, Nov. 27, the Chevrolet Volt rolls into Tinseltown for a few spins around the city of angels and a whirlwind tour of activities leading up to the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. The Volt will be popping up all over town, mingling with the stars and generally showing off to consumers and media alike. The Volt will even visit a local middle school for what could possibly be the world’s largest show-and-tell. 

Starting Friday, it should come as no surprise to hear about the Volt mingling with local celebrities or maybe even having a power lunch at The Ivy; and it simply wouldn’t be a visit to L.A. without stopping by the places where hundreds of car aficionados congregate weekly to kick tires and talk cars - Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank on Friday night and “Cars & Coffee” in Irvine on Saturday morning. 

The Volt will also be giving holiday shoppers something to wish for next season when it hits the Century City Mall off Santa Monica Boulevard early on Black Friday and camps out through the weekend. 

Monday kicks-off a series of live video webcasts, which will be available on ChevroletVoltage.com as well as the Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt Facebook pages. 

The first is a live assembly from Harvard-Westlake Middle School at 9:40 a.m. PST for more than 800 students and staff about the basics of electricity, including why it’s important and how this common energy source can be used to transform the way we drive. Middle school teachers and students from across the country are invited to participate in the live video webcast and can register here. There’s even a Weekly Reader student handout thrown in for good measure. 

Later that evening, we’ll host our second live video webcast starting at 6:30 p.m. PST – a panel discussion on how cities can get “plugged-in” with some of the leading industry, government and policy officials and influencers. You’ll also have an opportunity to submit your questions live during the Q&A. 

We wrap-up our live webcasts on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the trendy J Restaurant & Lounge in downtown L.A. where Chevrolet Vice President Brent Dewar will announce the winner of the contest to name the greenish-silver color of the Volt and then promptly take that winner outside for their very own test drive while you ride shotgun remotely. 

After showcasing the Volt and upcoming Chevy Cruze to media, bloggers and influencers at the J Lounge on Tuesday, it’s on to LAIAS press days beginning Wednesday with the Chevrolet press conference at 9:35 a.m. PST and a press conference with Los Angeles mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. PST. 

Stay tuned to Twitter (@Chevrolet, @ChevyVoltage, @philcolley and @lesleyhettinger), Facebook (Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt) and ChevroletVoltage.com for all the latest updates on where we are and what we’re doing – and feel free to come on out and join us whenever you can.

We’ve also created a page on Posterous that will be updated in near real-time with stories, photos, videos, tweets and Facebook updates from all the Chevrolet activities in Los Angeles starting on Nov. 27.  If you’re out in L.A. and spot the Chevrolet team around town, email us at chevroletinla@gmail.com to get your comments, photos and videos included on the page.

And speaking of being included, we hope to see as many of you as possible during our stops throughout the weekend and next week. It just wouldn’t be the same without you.

By Andrew Farah, Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer

Every kid is taught that crossing a street safely begins with “Stop. Look. Listen.” I'm currently going through this teaching with my two children, ages 4 and 6. Safely crossing a street is a milestone for every child and parent - and something most of us take for granted.

But, what if one of the two senses involved - hearing - was removed? And what if you already lacked the other - sight? Without the familiar sound of traffic, the simple task of crossing a street would be daunting, if not impossible. This is precisely why Chevrolet, GM, and the National Federation of the Blind are cooperating to identify a safe level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians to the presence of low-speed, silent-running electric and hybrid vehicles.

Vehicle sound is not noise; it’s an audio cue and information – for everyone. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we constantly rely on our sense of hearing as we go about our daily lives.

The blind must listen for traffic to determine when it is safe to enter an intersection, to safely navigate a parking lot, or to determine whether a driveway is clear. Now, think about the hundreds of thousands of people that head to the streets daily on foot or on a bicycle as a form of transportation, to play, or to exercise. They also rely on their hearing to know when automobiles are present.

A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demonstrated that the silent operation of low-speed hybrid vehicles is an issue for all pedestrians, not just the blind. In certain situations, electric or hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in collisions with pedestrians.

Our background in the area of pedestrian alerts dates to our work on the EV1 (a vehicle I’m proud to say I worked on). We are listening to the people who will interact with these vehicles in everyday life. A few weeks ago, several NFB members recently experienced a demonstration of the pedestrian warning alert on a pre-production Chevy Volt at our Milford Proving Grounds. They evaluated the alert from the front, sides, and rear of the car.

We will continue working with the NFB and other groups to gather the critical feedback we need to help create an industry standard so that the sound emitted from EVs is recognizable as the sound of an automobile and detectable by everyone.