We asked Volt Owners on Facebook to tell us which smart phone apps they use to find available charging stations.  The results are in and here are the Top 5 most popular responses. The top two apps, ChargePoint and PlugShare, are used by more than 50 percent of Volt owners who responded.

1.ChargePoint came in on top as the most popular app used by Volt Owners. For electric vehicle drivers, this app lets you locate charging stations and check for availability, it also provides drivers with real-time charging status.

2.Plugshare is a nationwide EV charging network with more than 11,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Volt owners can use PlugShare to locate public charging stations as well as home chargers shared by individuals.

3.Blink - With the Blink Mobile app, you can find Blink chargers, whether or not you are a Blink member. The charging status feature notifies you of any updates to the status of your charging station; notifications include: charging, charging completed, EV unplugged and fault occurrence.

4.ReCargo is a community that lets you find and share electric vehicle charging stations, search for food and activities on your trip with Yelp, and stay connected with the ReCargo community and news from PluginCars.com

5.Car Stations provides Google Maps and vehicle charging station details so users can quickly locate charging stations near them. This app encourages users to interact with each other to share EV updates and driving tips.

Thank you for all of your input. Do you have a favorite app that didn’t make the list? Feel free to share it with us!

Disclosure: Al Dullinger is a GM employee
Sometimes, timing is everything. This proved especially true for Al and Mary Dullinger, a duo-Volt family from Toledo. The couple purchased their first Chevrolet Volt last year and, it took them just two weeks to decide they needed a second one.  At the time, Mary wasn’t able to get a Crystal Red Volt, instead settling for a black Volt. Despite loving her car, that Crystal Red Volt was on her mind each time she got into her car. 

Eventually, Al decided it would be a nice Valentine’s Day present to trade in one of their Volts and get Mary that shiny red Volt she wanted. So, Al reached out to some folks at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant explaining he would be purchasing a red Volt for his wife and asked if there was any way they could see her Volt get assembled. The plant’s management agreed to provide the Dullingers a very rare and very select opportunity to do just that and allow Mary to drive her Volt off the assembly line.

Despite being a 29-year employee of GM’s Toledo Transmission Operation, Al was in awe of what he saw at "D-Ham". More than once he remarked it was completely fascinating to actually see all of the various parts of the vehicles come together and he especially enjoyed watching the battery being installed in the car. Both Al and Mary also loved seeing the Volt that would eventually sit in their driveway going through the assembly line.

When asked who was the more efficient driver the couple gave wry smiles. “Al has the better lifetime MPG rating,” remarked Mary. “But I still have the most battery range on a single charge.” 

At GM our mission is to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles, and with the rapid advancements of in-vehicle technologies, the potential for us to produce vehicles that truly enhance the driving experience is greater than ever before.

As the head of GM’s Global Connected Consumer business unit, I see huge opportunity in creating vehicles that will allow our customers to bring their digital life into their vehicle and the vehicle into their digital life. That is why I am proud to announce that by mid-2014, General Motors will offer a new generation of connected cars and trucks with built-in 4G LTE mobile broadband, allowing for several potential consumer benefits, such as an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hot spot; faster, real-time apps; enhanced safety features and new infotainment options, like streaming videos in vehicles’ back seats. Additionally, 4G LTE allows for a more interactive voice and data service experience, which in turn provides an enhanced interaction with OnStar.