[ad#post_ad]And so on this cold December day 47 months after first hearing about the concept car and starting GM-Volt.com I take delivery of my very own Chevrolet Volt.

Though I have been driving a test fleet car for the past month, there is something far more special about taking true possession of the car I have been promoting, following, studying, and writing about for the past four years.  This car is truly my car in more ways than one.

I have the honor of vehicle #8 off the assembly line, one that was shipped from the Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant the first day shipments went out.

My Cybergray metallic Volt with black leather and dark accents, standard wheels and no park assist was first spotted sitting atop the shipping truck when the first car in the nation to be delivered was dropped off in Denville NJ.  It arrived at my dealership late Wednesday night.

I am getting my car from Englewood Chevrolet in New Jersey, only blocks from my office, and have had an excellent experience working closely with owner Stephen DeScalzi.

I have decided to lease the car for three years with the option to buy it at the end, which I may do for posterity stake.  I usually only lease cars and like the simplicity of getting a brand new model every three years.  You may not agree, but that's just me.

Admittedly, I do feel guilty about have two Volts at the same time, when many enthusiasts across the nation may have to wait months or years before they get their own.  I still have the customer advisory board (CAB) test car until mid-February.  I asked GM if they would let one of the regular GM-Volt.com readers take over my CAB car for the remaining time, but they said they could not allow it.  Thus I will continue to drive the CAB car and keep my own Volt carefully stored under wrap in my garage until the 90 day CAB term is over.

Excitingly Fox's Good Morning New York came out to witness my delivery and interview me early Friday morning. You can watch the segment at the end of this post.

On this most momentous day I would like to express my deepest gratitude to General Motors and all the wonderful men and women I've met there along the way that I've had the pleasure of meeting, chatting, emailing, and generally bugging all the time.  This list includes Bob Lutz, Rick Wagoner, Fritz  Henderson, Jon Lauckner, Denise Gray, Frank Weber, Tony DiSalle, Joel Ewanick, Mark Reuss, Tom Stephens, Micky Bly, Doug Parks, Andrew Farah, Greg Martin and Ed Whitacre.  Special thanks to those who have been the closest and have always answered my incessant emails; Tony Posawatz, Dave Darovitz, and Rob Peterson.

These men and women have not only made this car possible but have helped in almost all the stories I have written on this site.  This site and this day attest to the power of the Internet that a group of like-minded people could come together on a website and help chart a new direction for their country.

Thus I most certainly want to thank you the reader whose continuous presence and input here has made this all worthwhile, and most of all my wife Jeanie and children William, Sean, and Kailee whose support and understanding have allowed me to keep this site going all this time.

The Volt is finally here and in the coming days, weeks, and months thousands of Americans will joyfully be driving them through the roads of America, collectively beginning the transformational process of weaning our country off of oil.

We have done it.  The journey has truly begun.  And remember this isn't the end of our efforts but only the beginning.  Long live the Chevy Volt. Long live GM-Volt.com.



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