Chevrolet Volt Wins Gold Medal in 2011 Edison Awards

DETROIT, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chevrolet Volt continued to build its resume of honors, winning the 2011 Edison Awards Gold Medal in the Personal Transportation Segment. The Edison Awards honor the innovation in the spirit of America's greatest inventor and marketer Thomas Alva Edison.  

"Being selected as an Edison Award winner validates our drive to develop an all-new transportation solution," said Tony Posawatz, Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Line Director.  "Innovation has been at the heart of the Volt from its onset; from the development of the Li-ion battery to the drive unit and the driver connectivity."

At the same ceremony Tuesday evening in New York City, the OnStar Mobile App won the silver award as the 2011 Best New Product in the Transportation in the Remote Driving Aids Segment. In the Volt, the app allows users to control vehicle charging functions and view charge level, electricity rate tables and electric vehicle data along with other features.

The OnStar Mobile App allows users to access current vehicle diagnostics, such as fuel levels, oil life, tire pressure, miles per gallon or next scheduled maintenance. It also lets users control certain vehicle functions, such as remotely starting the vehicle, locking and unlocking the doors, and sounding the horn and lights.

OnStar recently expanded the availability of the app, certifying 14 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles from 2010, with more certifications expected in the future. The app has been downloaded by nearly 60,000 active users to date and has more than 1 million interactions.

The Edison Gold Medal for the Volt highlights the innovative engineering that resulted in the production of the world's first electric vehicle with extended range capability. With a full charge, Volt drivers can travel 25-50 miles completely emissions- and gasoline-free and then continue for several hundred more miles.

Complementing its groundbreaking propulsion system, engineers in the General Motors wind tunnel helped to develop the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolet's history. Reducing the energy needed to overcome air resistance added an estimated eight miles of electric range and 50 miles of extended range to the Volt.

The Edison Gold Medal for the Volt joins the Motor Trend, Automobile Magazine and Green Car of the Year awards, Popular Science Best of What's New and Ward's 10-Best Engine designations awarded earlier.

For OnStar, this was its second consecutive Edison award. OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, a technology designed to reduce dangerous high-speed chases, received a Silver Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology category in 2010.

The Edison Awards are voted on by roughly 2,000 members of the not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group, America's top executives and academics nominations based on societal impact, marketplace innovation, marketplace success and market structure innovation of new products launched in the past year. The awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Edison whose innovations and new product developments earned him 1,093 U.S. patents.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model that is expected to deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway, and 2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer 25-50 miles of electric driving and an additional 310 miles of extended range with the onboard generator (based on GM testing).  Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar soon will be available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road through local electronics retailers, including Best Buy. OnStar safely connects its more than six million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.

SOURCE General Motors