VOLT TO PREVIEW IN D.C., S.F.

GM to Introduce New Electric Car in Washington Region
Kendra Marr, February 4, 2009 (Washington Post)

"Washington will be one of two cities to test drive General Motors' new plug-in electric car, the Volt, the automaker announced, as it began laying out plans to work with area governments and power companies to ease its introduction.

"Ed Peper, GM's North America vice president, made the announcement at the Washington Auto Show. He said Washington and San Francisco would be the first metropolitan areas to receive the Volt, and the company is seeking policies and infrastructure, such as carpool lane access for Volt drivers and charging stations at work, to make the buyers' transition from gas to electric easier…"

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"The Volt won't be for sale until late 2010. But with a price tag between $30,000 and $40,000, analysts aren't expecting the Volt to necessarily be a mass market hit…the goal is create policies that make this expensive technology more attractive…High manufacturing volumes means cheaper batteries and cheaper cars…

"Britta Gross, GM's manager of hydrogen and electrical infrastructure development, said the lack of incentives has hindered a mass migration from gasoline to alternatives fuels…GM has been discussing the Volt with Dominion Power…[and] aims to reach out to other utilities in the region soon.

"GM also wants to help state, city and county governments create permitting and policies to accomodate Volt buyers. The company plans to encourage governments, as well as companies, to buy large fleets of plug-ins to increase adoption. And it wants to make sure utilities are prepared when Volt owners begin plugging into the grid… "