Detroit jumps on the electric auto bandwagon!

Perhaps spurred by the economic crisis and plummeting new car sales, GM has developed an electric car that started shipping yesterday. Read this article from the Detroit Free Press, answer the questions after the article and email your answers to tutor@virtualingua.de
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Chevy Volt headed to dealers

By Chrissie Thompson
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

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Five trucks carrying Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric cars left General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck plant this evening, marking the first shipment to dealers after nearly four years of expectation.

GM said it expected a total of 160 Volts to ship this week to its initial launch markets: California, Austin, Texas, and metro New York City and Washington, D.C.

Engineers approved the start of shipping at a half-hour meeting that ended at noon Monday, said Doug Parks, chief engineer for the car. Production started in early November, as reported by the Free Press. The plant has so far built more than 300 models for customers, Parks said.

GM had said customers might receive Volts as soon as late November or early December. The first Nissan Leaf, a pure electric car and a rival to the Volt, was delivered to a customer this weekend — kicking off the sale of electric cars for the mass market.

Since the Volt is GM’s first extended-range electric vehicle, Parks said, engineers decided to do a little more quality testing before approving the cars for shipping. That included sending some cars to Alaska a couple of weeks ago to test how they started and drove in frigid temperatures, when batteries are under extreme stress to power the wheels and heat the car, he said.

“Could we have shipped it a few weeks ago? Probably,” Parks said. “We really didn’t uncover any big quality issues.”

The vehicles should arrive at dealerships this week, he said.

GM first announced the Volt concept at the 2007 Detroit auto show.

Contact Chrissie Thompson: 313-222-8784 or cthompson@freepress.com

Read more: Chevy Volt headed to dealers | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20101213/BUSINESS01/101213046/Chevy-Volt-headed-to-dealers#ixzz183x10DwE

Questions:

1. What are the initial markets that the Volt is being launched on?
2. When did production start, and how long have consumers been expecting this car?
3. How many Volts have been built up to now?
4. Why was the Volt tested in Alaska?
5. Would you like to drive an electric car? Why or why not?