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Chevrolet and OnStar train emergency services for electric vehicle technology

2010-06-02

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SAN FRANCISCO – In celebration of U.S. National Safety Month, Chevrolet has joined with OnStar and leading national emergency service organizations to announce the first automotive manufacturer-sponsored training program on electric vehicles.

"We believe an educational program is needed to help this very important group of life-savers understand electric vehicles in the event of a crash or other emergency," said Carmen Benavides, Director, Chevrolet Safety. "The team at Chevrolet and OnStar along with emergency service organizations are taking the lead as we introduce electric vehicles and other advanced technologies to the roads."

Over the last several months, Chevrolet has collaborated with emergency services  representatives from U.S. safety organizations in the development of educational materials to be shared with fire fighters, the police and emergency centers nationwide.

The training includes an animation and illustrations of the Chevrolet Volt highlighting, for example, locations of high-strength steel, cut points for extrication, emergency services labeling, automatic and manual electrical shut-off and more.

Starting in June, the first training sessions are planned to take place at fire-rescue conferences taking place in Chicago, Houston and Indianapolis. Chevrolet will host emergency services training sessions in Volt retail markets later this year, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington D.C. For all those who will not be able to attend the training, the materials will be posted on a private website.

Chevrolet Volt active and passive safety features

The Chevrolet Volt's safety features include an antilock brake system, Stabilitrak and traction control. Additional crash avoidance features include daytime running lamps and hands-free calling capability through OnStar and Bluetooth. In the event of a crash, the Volt can reduce injuries with safety cage construction, sensors, crush zones, eight air bags standard and safety belts. And after a crash, the Chevrolet Volt in the U.S. will have the added protection of OnStar which, in certain types of collisions, uses built-in vehicle sensors to automatically alert an OnStar advisor who is immediately connected into the vehicle and can request emergency help to be sent to its location.

More than 50 crash tests at various speeds and angles have been conducted to date in the development of the Chevrolet Volt, including front, side and rear impacts as well as rollovers. There is extensive use of high strength steel in the body structure in order to achieve segment-leading safety performance.

Over the last several years, Chevrolet has been working to prepare the US market for electric vehicles like the Volt. Since the Volt was announced as a production program in 2007, Chevrolet has joined with the Electric Power Research Institute and 10 major electric utilities across the United States, collaborated with several local and state governments, and met with city stakeholders in important markets to ensure widespread consumer adoption of electric vehicles.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet Europe delivers attractive, distinctive design, practical, economical cars and outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2009, Chevrolet held its market share in Europe at 2.3 percent, selling 426,000 cars. Chevrolet has a network of 2,900 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the all-new Spark city car, the small Aveo, compact Cruze sedan, Captiva SUV, mid-size Epica and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet will launch the Orlando, an all-new family van, the Camaro coupe and convertible, the new Aveo and the Cruze hatchback as well as re-launching the Captiva SUV with four new engines. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is preparing to celebrate its centenary with the launch of the ground-breaking Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. More information on Chevrolet can be found at http://www.chevroleteurope.com or http://media.chevroleteurope.com.

About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar is standard for one year on nearly all new GM retail vehicles in the United States and Canada. OnStar provides services to more than 5.5 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between OnStar, LLC, Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Co., Ltd. and Shanghai General Motors, provides services in China. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category.