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The first month of 2010 isn’t over yet, but has been filled with plenty of activity for Chevrolet. With so many announcements and products on the horizon, I felt it would be good to recap our recent news.

We kicked-off 2010 at the Consumer Electronic Show, where we showed the industry’s first working smartphone application designed to give Volt owners 24/7 control of their car. The application allows owners to set battery charge time, check battery level, review vehicle data such as odometer readings and miles driven in pure electric mode. Volt can even be remotely heated or cooled using electricity, instead of burning gas.

A few weeks ago, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we showcased our upcoming fuel-efficient, lineup of small and compact cars. The latest entry in that lineup is the all-new Chevrolet Aveo RS show car. The Aveo RS is aimed at young drivers, with a European-inspired hot-hatch design. It is powered by the same 1.4L turbocharged Ecotec engine that will be available in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

The all-new Spark five-door mini car joins the Aveo RS and Cruze as the foundation of our small-car lineup. Cruze offers mid-size roominess in the compact segment and will be available in the U.S. later this year, while the Aveo production car comes to the U.S. in 2011, and U.S. sales of the Spark begin in early 2012. These cars represent cornerstones of Chevrolet’s “gas-friendly to gas-free” approach.

Speaking of gas-free, I also want to mention the latest news on the Chevrolet Volt, our electric vehicle with extended range capability. Production for the Volt is on schedule and begins at the end of this year. We recently announced that the lead retail markets for the Volt will be Michigan and California, and that we are partnering with key electric utilities in these states to collect data under every-day driving conditions and to establish vehicle charging programs.

The Volt news doesn’t stop there. Today, we announced that Washington D.C. is another lead retail market for the Volt. We’re also partnering with local D.C. utilities PEPCO and Dominion.

This summarizes just the first month of the new year. 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for Chevrolet. We’ll have more news as the year goes on, and we’re excited to share it all with you. Thanks for being a part of our journey!

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written by roy wilson, January 25, 2010

Jim, i was just wondering if you have considered Ontario, Canada as a leading retail market; Southern Ontario (Toronto area) has to have the highest vehicle volume per capita and it seems to me that depending on whatever criteria you use to determine 'leading retail markets', a location in another country such as Canada might be appropriate. A good test bed for 'metric' analysis before going over-seas would be one example of a 'test bed', not to mention Ontario's desire to promote 'green' energy vehicles, etc. The province has already announced a $10,000. incentive to purchasers of these type of vehicles.

Anyways, just a thought.

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