Sentes Chevrolet

Volt makes its public test drive debut in London, ON

Oshawa, ON (Friday, May 13, 2011) - Canadians now have the opportunity to test drive the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Volt during GM's National Test Drive Tour. The tour is pulling into cities across Canada and offers people the opportunity to take a ride with the biggest stars on the road, our award-winning lineup of GM vehicles.  The Chevrolet Volt joins the tour this weekend at Masonville Place in London, Ontario, and will be available to retail customers in the third quarter of this year.    

"We are excited that Canadians are now able to experience our award-winning electric vehicle solution themselves, the Chevrolet Volt," said Kevin Williams, president and managing director at GM of Canada.  "With advanced technology that leads the industry and dramatically reduces greenhouse gases, the Chevrolet Volt is the first electric vehicle with extended range and will never leave anyone stranded with a depleted battery." 

Chevrolet dealers in the marketing areas for Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Oshawa, Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, and Quebec City are currently taking orders for the Volt, with an MSRP starting at $41,545 and delivery beginning in the third quarter of this year.  Within twelve months of the retail launch, Volt will be available at dealerships nation-wide. 

The Chevrolet Volt is an electrically driven vehicle designed and engineered to operate in all climates, with a range of up to 580 km. Powered by GM's revolutionary Voltec propulsion system, it consists of a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric drive unit that provide pure electric range between 40 and 80 km, depending on terrain, driving techniques and temperature. A 1.4L gasoline-powered engine extends the range up to an additional 500 km on a full tank of fuel by operating the vehicle's electric drive system until the car can be plugged in and recharged or refueled. This distinguishes the Volt from electric-only vehicles, which cannot be operated when recharging is not immediately available ? such as during a power interruption or on a long-distance trip.

Every Participant Has the Opportunity to Win the Ride, Live the Life

The National Test Drive Tour is the largest of its kind in Canada, with over 20,000 people having participated last year. For 2011, every participant is automatically entered in the "Win the Ride, Live the Life" contest, where one lucky contestant will win a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac vehicle of their choice, in addition to an exclusive VIP trip for two. Furthermore, every participant in the test drive will receive a $10 gas gift card, and has the opportunity to win one of twelve monthly prizes, an iPod touch ^®. More information regarding GM's National Test Drive Tour, including tour dates and cities, can be found at www.testdrivecanada.ca.

Ultra-efficient tires help deliver hybrid-like fuel efficiency

OSHAWA ? With gas prices near or exceeding $1.40 per litre, the efforts of GM engineers to boost fuel efficiency on the Chevrolet Cruze Eco compact are adding up.

GM tire development engineer Chuck Lantz and his team worked with tire manufacturers to produce an industry benchmark tire that boosts Cruze Eco's overall fuel efficiency. The new tire, along with other fuel efficiency enhancements, contributes to the eight per cent improvement of fuel efficiency on the Cruze Eco..

"This tire is way beyond anything in its category," said Lantz. The Cruze Eco tires make use of special polymers built into the tread compound to reduce rolling resistance, which means less energy is required to keep the tire moving. 

So what makes the tire unique? Typically, improving one facet of tire performance like rolling resistance requires sacrifices in other areas like traction in snow and stopping distance. Not so with the leading-edge Cruze Eco tires.

"Thanks to the high-tech polymers we used, we were able to create a high-efficiency set of tires without making tradeoffs in other important areas like tire-braking traction and all-weather handling," said Lantz. "As far as the ride goes, these tires are as smooth as any tire on the road today." 

The tires represent one of many fuel-saving technologies that help the Cruze Eco obtain best in class highway fuel efficiency of 4.6 L/100km. With a starting suggested price of $19,495, Cruze Eco offers hybrid-like fuel efficiency without the premium price tag. Other innovations that make the Cruze a fuel efficiency standout include an air shutter system that morphs the aerodynamic profile of the vehicle to optimize fuel efficiency and energy-efficient rack-mounted electric power steering.

Lantz, an incurable tinkerer, grew up tearing apart and rebuilding childhood toys to figure out what made them tick.

"A curiosity about how things work is second nature to me," he said. "In my work, I'm always looking at how we can make things better for our customers."

Before joining General Motors, Lantz spent more than 20 years at a major tire manufacturer. "Back then, I worked with many automakers," said Lantz. "That experience taught me that GM knows more about tires than any other automaker by far."

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