DETROIT -

As it gets set to roll out the Volt for retail customers toward the end of 2010, Chevrolet is turning to 15 consumers to evaluate the vehicle and its charging program before it hits the market.

These members of the Chevrolet Volt Customer Advisory board announced Tuesday are “advanced technology enthusiasts and electric vehicle advocates” who have volunteered to drive the Volt for three months, giving Chevrolet some real consumer feedback that it can use to enhance various aspects.

Not only that, officials said the feedback generated can be used by local utility companies in crafting codes and standards regarding electric vehicle usage.

“We are eager to learn as much as we can from potential customers about their experience with the Volt,” noted Tony DiSalle, Chevrolet Volt marketing director.

“We want to know their thoughts, impressions and perceptions. This special group of electric vehicle experts gives us the opportunity to learn even more as we near market launch,” DiSalle continued.

Chevrolet picked the board members based on where they live, their understanding of advanced auto technology, how interested they are in electric vehicles and their awareness of the segment.

Chevrolet plans to begin giving these members each a pre-production Volt late next month. They will have these models through January.
All of the members of the Chevrolet Volt Customer Advisory board reside in markets where the vehicle will be initially launched.

The complete list is as follows:

—Robert Becker, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Peter Corsell, chief executive officer of GridPoint
—Lyle Dennis, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Tom Kuhn, president of Edison Electric Institute
—Andy Lipkis, president and founder of TreePeople
—Bill Nye, celebrity scientist and electric vehicle enthusiast
—Eric Rotbard, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Chelsea Sexton, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Colin Summers, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Mark Swain, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Kris Trexler, electric vehicle enthusiast
—Bryan Voltaggio, celebrity chef and owner of Volt restaurant
—Jim Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence and renewable energy and energy security Investor
—Brian Wynne, president of Electric Drive Transportation Association
—Mike Maria, electric vehicle enthusiast

Continuing on, these members will be trained on  the product and will each be given a home electric evaluation. Moreover, a 240-volt charging station will be installed for each of the members for free.

Chevrolet will utilize OnStar to accumulate data, which will be gathered continuously throughout the project. There will also be a specific Volt customer
relations manager named for each of the board members to help them out where needed.

The vehicle will be launched in the Washington, D.C. area as well as the following states: California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Michigan and Texas.

“It’s great to see Chevrolet tap into both experienced and new electric vehicle enthusiasts for real-world feedback,” commented Chelsea Sexton, an electric vehicle advocate and board member from California.

“This is a great opportunity to not only provide meaningful input to the Volt team, but also to raise awareness using a real, available electric vehicle instead of a PowerPoint slide,” she added.