Last Thursday Chevrolet made three Volts available for Toronto fleet managers to test drive, and announced also that it would participate in a regional initiative involving the deployment of at least 300 plug-in electric vehicles by 2012.
Called FleetWise EV300, the program is being put on by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), an environmental coalition that has invested more that $50 million in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) over the past 20 years.
GM Spokesman Jason Easton said he could not disclose the number of Volts that will ultimately be involved in the FleetWise EV300 project, “though we will aim to meet demand with our available supply,” he said.
On the other hand, Nissan did proudly announce it will commit 500 LEAFs to the program. If it does, will the TAF rename it the FleetWise EV500-plus or something like that?
Three Volts were made available for GTA fleet managers to test drive last Thursday.
We did not investigate that question, but a source close to the project we spoke with on background believes the 500 LEAFs that Nissan said it reserved for it might have been made for its “news value,” and Nissan will not really come up with that many.
While this is only speculation, some might not find it hard to believe if true – especially since Nissan has demonstrated the willingness to publicize other somewhat misleading assertions, not least of which can be found in its most recent commercial we all enjoyed over the weekend.
In any event, and coming back to what is verifiable, last week marked the first opportunity for fleet managers in Canada to test drive the Volt, and they reportedly came away impressed.
“Plug-in electric vehicles offer a tremendous opportunity for commercial vehicle fleet operators in the GTA to dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,” said Julia Langer, TAF’s chief executive officer. “By taking a leadership position and committing to green their fleets, our EV300 partners are enabling Toronto to benefit from the superior environmental performance of plug-in vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt.”
The idea behind FleetWise EV300 is to encourage commercial vehicle fleets in the GTA to work collaboratively to purchase, drive, charge, evaluate and promote plug-in electric vehicles.
Unlike electric-only vehicles with limited range, and which must be towed by fuel-guzzling tow trucks when their drivers inadvertently over-extend them, the Volt is being touted as a more practical choice for some applications.
“The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle without compromise,” said Kevin Williams, president of GM of Canada. “Through its extended range capabilities, the Chevrolet Volt is the only electric vehicle that provides the flexibility required for commercial fleets, where businesses can’t afford to be stranded with a depleted battery.”
Further, its thermally controlled lithium-ion battery pack is considered reliable for fleets operated even in the frigid Toronto winter.
Volts will soon be a fairly common sight in Canada.
As is the case elsewhere, fleets that operate hundreds of vehicles for a wide range of tasks are seen as natural “first adopters” for electric vehicle technology.
“Fleets have the sophistication and the motivation to take a strong interest in looking at where EVs could fit in their operations,” said Ben Marans, TAF’s manager of social innovation and transportation, including the FleetWise EV300 program. “Our fleet partners are very interested in integrating electric vehicles to reduce emissions and vehicle operating costs, and many have been eagerly anticipating this opportunity to experience the Chevrolet Volt for themselves.”
GM said the EV300 program is helping fleets assess and integrate electric vehicles with tools such as FleetCarma, a software package that helps fleets analyze the best fit for specific vehicles; the EValuation Calculator, which helps them determine the return on investment specifically for electric vehicles; and eDriver training, a program that recognizes that driving style can have a significant impact on EV performance.
FleetWise EV300 is also an information sharing, assessment and vehicle acquisition network, the TAF said, and fleet managers don’t have to go it alone in securing electric vehicles.
“Events like this Volt Ride ‘n Drive help our partners get the information they need to make smart choices when it comes to adding electric vehicles,” said Marans. “We’re very excited to be able to offer our partners a first look at the Volt, one of the most talked about electric vehicles in North America.”
Source: GM Canada
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 5:55 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
+8
May 31st, 2011 (8:42 am)This is really important in that when fleet managers become interested, then what you are saying is that high annual mileage considerations are of very low concern. Since I could not take advantage of the very generous Volt lease package offered by GM due to my high annual mileage requirements at 24,000 a year, I am glad to know that the Volt being sent to fleet operations represents this extensive and deeply serious confidence level by GM.
May 31st, 2011 (8:45 am)Has the TAF installed any charging stations in the GTA with that 50 million?
+7
May 31st, 2011 (9:06 am)Battery TPS. Volt has it and they like it in GTA and other parts of Canada.
Toronto’s landscape and city-size are great for EV adoption. The main problem is distance-robbing cold weather. Even though the Volt will do well in GTA for this fleet solution – I suspect that they will include other brands in the mix and realize after a season or two of BEV driving that the Volt is the only real solution.
The Toronto area has always been a great world-class city and region. I miss the area (even the winters) and would love to relocate back to the Niagara area. People say taxes are high in NY but compared to my outlay here in SE PA, I’d save money. My hometown is Lewiston, NY which is a quaint little historic town which played a part in some battles of the war of 1812.
+2
May 31st, 2011 (11:31 am)I’m familiar with Lewiston, my aunt used to live there and yes, it’s a nice area within easy driving distance to Toronto.
Regarding Nissan’s splashy proclamation, it’s nice to see others notice something I’ve long been critical about, which hasn’t helped my ability to make or keep friends in the green community. Apparently the pattern continues…. jump in with promises of big production numbers, big numbered sales forecasts, etc., all done to grab the spotlight and the resultant public attention.
It’s like they’ve been crying “WOLF!” far too often, people are now onto their game.
Meanwhile, the Volt continues to open people’s minds and wallets along its long and historic journey towards success.
May 31st, 2011 (11:58 am)#3
“Home is where the heart is.” +1
After 46 years, I would never leave SoCal, but I totally get where you’re coming from. Charming!
+3
May 31st, 2011 (12:30 pm)EVs make great sense for fleets even with their high initial acquisition costs because of their lower operating and maintenance costs. It’s one reason why I believe EVs will hold their value better than their ICE counterparts.
I don’t see Nissan Leafs being a big hit in Ontario, at least not in the Gen I incarnation. You’re looking at an AER of 50 miles during the winter. Take out a 15 mile buffer which you need because of how unreliable the Leaf’s range estimator is and you’re looking at 35 miles. That’s when the Leaf is new. Factor in battery degradation and Nissan’s recommendation that you only charge the battery to 80% of capacity and you have some significant constraints.
The Volt? No real problem though the 25 mile EV range illustrates why GM needs to beef up the range in subsequent releases. The battery as it is now is fine in nice weather but it comes up short when the weather turns inclement.
No idea what Nissan is thinking. It would be interesting to get statik’s take on this.
+1
May 31st, 2011 (2:48 pm)Didn’t you tell us that was “Missouri?”
(You said it twice, so it must be true.)
May 31st, 2011 (4:40 pm)#7
Yeah, in a way you are absolutely right, LOL. +1
The older I get, the more “From Missouri” I seem to get. And my heart sure goes out to them these days.
+3
May 31st, 2011 (5:22 pm)Thought for the Day: (revisited)
+2
May 31st, 2011 (5:46 pm)If you think the Volt is expensive, compare the price with this.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/05/28/object-lust-200-megapixel-45000-camera/?intcmp=obinsite
Now you can say the Volt costs less than a digital camera.
May 31st, 2011 (7:16 pm)I hope NASA doesn’t find out about that Hasselblad.
May 31st, 2011 (7:42 pm)Totally agree. That and “conservative.”
Amen to that, brother. It’s hard to even imagine.
May 31st, 2011 (8:08 pm)Well, what will Neil Armstrong’s camera be worth now? It is still on the Moon:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/moon/1.htm
Raymond
Jun 1st, 2011 (1:02 pm)A lot, but the shipping charges will REALLY kill you.
BTW, here’s a site that buys used cameras:
http://quotes.usedcamerabuyer.com/login_form.xhtml
caution: I’ve not yet used it myself