Test Drive the Chevrolet Volt at FIU

The Global Energy Security Forum in FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), in collaboration with General Motors, is bringing the Chevrolet Volt to FIU on Friday, October 29, 2010.  FIU students, faculty and staff, as well as the South Florida community, will have the opportunity to be among the first in the country to test drive the much anticipated Chevrolet Volt.  The event will take place from 9:30 am to 11:30 a.m. at the loop between the Blue and Gold Parking Garages on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

The visit to FIU is part of the “Volt Unplugged” tour, in which a caravan of Chevrolet Volts will travel 3,400-miles cross-country visiting a dozen cities across the U.S. and showcasing how easy it will be to live with the world’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability.

Trent Warnke, Volt Development and Validation Engineer, will be on hand to discuss the one-of-a-kind characteristics of the Volt and provide unique insights into the development and future of the vehicle.

On a fully charged battery and tank of gas, the Volt has a driving range of hundreds of miles. Because the Volt can use gasoline to create its own electricity in extended-range mode, long trips are possible. The Volt is powered only from electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery for a typical range of 25 to 50 miles depending on terrain, driving technique, temperature and battery age. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas engine-generator seamlessly engages to extend the driving range.

“Our support for this event reflects our commitment to encourage the development of a greener economy, particularly in the area of energy use in transportation,” said Edward Glab, co-director of SIPA’s Global Energy Forum.

The event is free and open to the general public.  Please note that only individuals who are 21 years of age with a valid driver’s license will be eligible to test drive the vehicle.