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GM Dealers Prep to Launch the Volt

The imminent arrival of GM's soon-to-be star of the the lineup, the Chevrolet Volt, is sending excitement waves across the carmaker's surviving dealership network. According to GM, 600 of them have expressed their intention to distribute the PHEV.

Being a Volt dealer is not easy though. GM will put their personnel through an extensive training program to familiarize them with the product.

“About 90 percent of our Chevrolet dealers in launch markets to date have requested to become participating Volt dealers,” Tony DiSalle, Chevrolet Volt product marketing director said in a release.

"The response exceeded expectations given the extensive training requirements. There’s obviously a lot of enthusiasm for the Volt’s arrival later this year.”

The Volt will be initially launched in late 2010 in California. It will come powered by lithium-ion batteries which will give it a range of up to 40 miles without the use of the internal combustion engine, which will increase its total range to some 300 miles.

The PHEV will be the subject of the most comprehensive battery warranty available to date, 8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km). The warranty is transferable at no cost to other vehicle owners. It covers all 161 battery components, 95 percent of which are designed and engineered by GM, in addition to the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components.

Unfortunately for GM and its dealers, the already announced 230 mpg rating will no longer be a feature to advertise. The amazing figure was calculated using an EPA methodology for plug-in electric vehicles that was not approved by the regulators and a new method is currently under review.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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