Kirkland’s Lee Johnson Chevrolet was charged with excitement recently when the Chevy Volt came center stage at its open house event and offered customers the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the manufacturer’s first extended range electric vehicle.
The Volt’s initial appearance in six states and Washington D.C. has performed and sold out to audiences who are eager to own a vehicle that is very fuel efficient and good for the environment. Chevrolet dealerships in Washington State will have a limited number of Volts available as the manufacturer ramps up production for its 2012 model.
A team of General Motors personnel came to town along with the Volts to interact with customers and dealerships. Terry Woychowski, GM’s vice president of Global Quality and Vehicle Launches, was in Kirkland and eager to explain that the local open house events are an outreach event of General Motors. “We are making every effort to perform as a quality leader and fulfill the promise that our vehicles are quality products,” Woychowski explained, “We have 56 people from General Motors in town for three open house events. We want to hear from customers and dealerships about what they need and want out of General Motors. This opportunity is a very positive trend for our company.”
Looking at the smiles on the faces of the drivers and riders in the Chevrolet Volt, it was obvious the vehicle created a positive image for the participants. To say it was electrifying might be a stretch, but the short ride and drive gave a preview of the vehicle’s performance on city streets and quick entrance and exit of the freeway.
The Volt runs on electricity for an initial range of 35 miles on a single charge before a gas generator creates electricity for up to 340 additional miles on a full tank of gas. The Volt can be plugged into a common household plug for recharge. Charging stations are popping up at shopping centers and park and ride lots around King County.
The mid-size sedan has two LCD screens that display speed, battery power, range to recharge or re-fill as well as an efficiency gauge that gives you real-time feedback. On the center console, a seven-inch diagonal high-resolution screen with touch sensitive control is designed to help you achieve maximum efficiency while driving the Volt. Initially, both screens might seem a little distracting, but after you get a feel for the vehicle, I have found the gauges to be a tremendous help in achieving maximum efficiency.
The Volt has received accolades by being named Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year and the Green Car Journal named the Volt the Green Car of the Year – the first electric car to win that award.
Sally Hanson, a 29-year resident of Kirkland, is a freelance automotive journalist who has test driven more than 1000 vehicles over the past 20 years. She received a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Houston and is currently scholarship chair for the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Sally and her husband, Don, own Juanita Bay Pharmacy in Kirkland.
