Alliance Associates Test Drive Chevy Volt

Recently, General Motors (GM) selected a group of Alliance Associates in California to test drive and review GM's newest electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt.

Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and Sacramento Municipal Utility District will partner with GM and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on a project that collects feedback from drivers in order to ease market transition to electric vehicles.

"It is natural that California is the lead market for Volt. Not only is it the largest automotive market, but Californians are known to be leaders in adopting groundbreaking new technologies," said Brent Dewar, GM vice president, Global Chevrolet Brand.

GM received $30m in funding for this project from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Transportation Electrification Initiative. With it, the American car manufacturer will provide each of the three utility companies with 100 Volts for their fleets over the next two years.

In return, employees test-driving the Volts will provide feedback on their experiences, while OnStar - GM's in-vehicle security, communications, and diagnostics system - monitors driving behavior and performance. The utilities will install charging stations for the drivers, and use their feedback to determine a long-term plan for the residential, business and public charging stations needed when the Volt hits the mainstream market.

EPRI will analyze the data and report to U.S. DOE on the findings, with recommendations on how best to introduce this new product to the market.