Chevrolet Volt Hits Hollywood for Los Angeles Auto Show

Los Angeles-based fans of the Chevrolet Volt will be pleased to learn the highly anticipated extended-range electric vehicle is in Tinseltown for a few spins around the City of Angels and a whirlwind tour of activities leading up to the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Volt will be popping up all over town, mingling with the stars and generally showing off to consumers and media alike. The Volt  even visited a local middle school for what could possibly be the world’s largest show-and-tell.

Unfamiliar with the Chevrolet Volt?  The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle that can be charged at home overnight to run on battery power alone for shorter trips up to 40 miles, but which also benefits from a range-extending gasoline engine that kicks in to charge the batteries when additional electricity is required for longer trips. Those whose daily commute is under 40 miles roundtrip will use almost no gasoline and contribute no greenhouse gasses as a result of their driving. A full charge can be obtained from a 110-volt outlet in about six hours, or from a 220-volt outlet in as little as three hours. Regenerative brakes also help recharge the vehicle’s batteries.

Today, Monday, November 30, kicks off a series of live video webcasts, embedded below, and also available on ChevroletVoltage.com as well as the Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt Facebook pages.

Volt started its tour with a live assembly from Harvard-Westlake Middle School this morning. There, more than 800 students and staff learned about the basics of electricity and how this common energy source can be used to transform the way we drive. Middle school teachers and students from across the country were also invited to participate in the live webcast.

Later this evening, the Chevrolet Volt will appear on its second live video webcast starting at 6:30 p.m. PST during a panel discussion on how cities can get “plugged-in” with some of the leading industry, government, and policy officials and influencers. Interested participants can submit their questions live via ChevroletVoltage.com during the Q&A.

The Chevrolet Volt will wrap-up its live webcasts on Tuesday, December 1 between 3 and 4:30 p.m. PST. Chevrolet Vice President Brent Dewar will announce the winner of the contest to name the greenish-silver color of the Volt live from the trendy J Restaurant & Lounge in downtown L.A. and then promptly take that winner outside for their very own test drive — while viewers can ride shotgun from their own virtual Webside seat.

Stay tuned to Twitter (@Chevrolet and @ChevyVoltage), Facebook (Chevrolet and Chevrolet Volt) and ChevroletVoltage.com for all the latest updates on where the Chevrolet Volt is, and what it’s doing – and feel free to come on out and join them whenever you can. Chevrolet has also created a page on Posterous that will be updated in near real-time with stories, photos, videos, tweets, and Facebook updates from all the Chevrolet activities in Los Angeles.

Driving an extended-range electric vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt is one way to reduce your impact on the environment. You can help even more by recycling your empty printer cartridges and buying remanufactured refills! Why not recycle them at eCycleGroup.com and replace them with recycled cartridges from eCycleInk.com?

Tags: Alternate Fuels/Energies, Automotive and Transportation, EcoFriendly Alternatives, Electric