General Motors has prepared an advertising campaign in case that reports of fires in the Chevrolet Volt trigger a Congressional hearing or other important reaction.
Joel Ewanick, GM‘s marketing chief said:
“I have a contingency plan. It’s ready to go if concern about Volt, which seems to be receding, flares up”
Joel Ewanick also said the advertisements are honest, straightforward and could direct people to a website for a technical explanation of why the automaker believes the extended range plug-in hybrids are safe.
General Motors wants to avoid pulling the trigger too quickly on a campaign that will remind people that the Volt caught fire after a government crash test. The automaker also points out that Volt is a 
General Motors is working on a second generation of its EN-V concept and might test the electric vehicle in large cities around the world.
The EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) is an ultra-compact and futuristic-looking two-seater model that addresses the basic needs for transportation in today’s mega-cities. General Motors said that all future concepts of the EN-V will carry a Chevrolet badge.
The vice-president of global Chevrolet marketing and strategy, Chris Perry said:
“For 100 years, the Chevrolet brand has been focused on making advanced technology that improves customers’ lives accessible and affordable, and the Chevrolet EN-V will continue that tradition. By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people will live in urban areas. The Chevrolet EN-V represents a possible solution for global customers living in markets where alternative transportation solutions are needed.”
The EN-V was first unveiled at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The next-gen Chevrolet EN-V will first hit the streets of Tianjin, China before making a splash in other urban locations around the globe.
Mark Hildebrandt developed an interest in clean energy in the 1970s. He owns a company that installs solar panels and he counts on the sun to create the electricity to charge his Chevrolet Volt.
The owner of Sunventrix in Saline, Mich., Mark Hildebrandt said:
“I made the switch to renewable energy a while ago, and thus with solar energy, I can power my house, charge my Volt and pump energy back into the grid, which I get credit for. As more Volts are sold, I believe the demand for solar charging stations will increase. I have spoken to a handful of Volt owners in Michigan that are really interested in charging their Volts from solar energy.”
Hildebrandt isn’t the only one using the sun for battery power. Robert deLeuze, ZD Wines’ chief executive officer, has run his California-based winery exclusively on solar power since 2007, and today you can often see deLeuze’s Volt charging from the winery’s
Before 2010 came to a close, both Nissan and General Motors launched their respective plug-in vehicles. For General Motors, it was the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid that made its December debut. The Nissan Leaf electric vehicle landed in a lucky buyer’s driveway on the 11th of last month. With both automakers making good on their promise to debut mass-produced plug-ins by the end of 2010, the question of which vehicle tallied more total U.S. sales in the month of December can, with a limited degree of accuracy, now be answered.
The Associated Press reports that General Motors sold between 250 and 350 Volts in the U.S. by the end of 2010. On the other hand, Nissan reportedly sold less than 20 Leafs in the U.S. before 2011 rang in. Production volumes for both vehicles will continue to ramp up in the coming months and that’s where the real battle lies, but if you’re dead set on comparing actual 2010 U.S. delivery numbers, than it’s the Chevrolet Volt that outsold Nissan Leaf by a substantial margin.