The future of transportation came to PSE&G when the Chevrolet Volt Unplugged Tour stopped at the company’s Newark headquarters to showcase the 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. State and local officials, as well as employees, had the opportunity to test drive the energy-efficient car.
A caravan of Chevrolet Volts is travelling across the country giving consumers an opportunity to test drive the all-new electric vehicle. The UnPlugged tour began in early October in Seattle and has stopped in several cities in California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, and Washington, DC. PSE&G is the only utility in the New Jersey/New York leg participating in the UnPlugged Tour which ends in Chicago later this month.
“We are pleased to be part of Chevrolet’s rollout of the Volt,” said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G president and COO. “PSE&G supports the electrification of transportation, and we believe that electric vehicle adoption will be a reality sooner rather than later. We are considering steps we must take to make sure the utility is ‘plug-in’ ready to accommodate electric vehicles in our service territory.
“PSE&G will be receiving a few Chevy Volts in the next few months to test,” LaRossa said. “We will be collecting data to determine how electric vehicles will impact our electric infrastructure and how the utility can support electric vehicles and their users in the future.”
"Reducing air pollution in New Jersey is a priority of my administration at the DEP,'' said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin.”Governor Christie and I recognize what a vital role plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will play in helping our state reduce ambient air problems and greenhouse gas emissions. We support clean technologies for both environmental and economic reasons. We're enthusiastic about the availability of electric vehicles in New Jersey.''
“We've been working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and thought-leading utilities such as PSE&G across the country in preparation for the introduction of electric vehicles like the Volt,” said Britta Gross, Chevrolet Director, Global Energy Systems & Infrastructure Commercialization. “These relationships have been extremely productive and helped make the first generation Volt a smarter vehicle capable of evolving with a smarter grid.”
The Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability. On a fully charged battery and tank of gas, the Volt has a total driving range of over 300 miles. Its electric driving range is 25-50 miles depending on weather, driving technique and terrain. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine generator seamlessly engages to extend the range another 300 miles or until the vehicle can be plugged in to recharge the battery.