MOST CHEVROLET VOLT PATRONS ARE NEW TO THE BRAND

By Chris Woodyard, USA Today - If nothing else, this statistic alone must have General Motors feeling pleased about its decision to make a breakthrough electric vehicle; almost nine out of 10 customers who come to Chevrolet dealers to see the electric Volt are new to the brand.

As a result, Chevrolet is making a special effort to make sure there are enough Volts at dealerships as demonstration cars. More than 550 are being dispatched already.

The Chevrolet Volt demonstration units are a popular showroom draw for dealers as they let consumers look, touch and drive the electric car with extended-range capabilities. It's part of the plan to gain exposure for the vehicle and the Chevrolet brand.

Almost nine of 10 customers who traded in a vehicle as part of their purchase are new to the Chevrolet brand. That's why hundreds of Volts that could be sold to individuals are tagged for dealers as demo vehicles, meant for customer exposure to the Volt and to other Chevy products they might otherwise not see.

"The Volt is clearly bringing new customers to our dealership," said Rick Alpern, general manager of Keys Chevrolet in Van Nuys, California. "We are seeing customers who own competitive brands that have never visited a Chevy dealer before. Now they have a Chevy on their shopping list because of the Volt."

Chevrolet dealerships in the initial launch markets of California, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. have taken delivery of more than 550 dedicated Volt demonstration vehicles for customer test drives. By the end of the year, more than 2,500 U.S. dealers will receive a dedicated Volt demo.

Chevy expects to deliver Volts in all 50 states by the end of 2011. Deliveries begin in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii in the third quarter.