GM Canada Supports Ontario’s Incentive Program for Electric Vehicles

GM Canada welcomes Premier Dalton McGuinty’s announcement to provide incentives for consumers to purchase ultra green electric vehicles in Ontario.

“With this bold initiative, the Premier is taking a significant step in positioning Ontario as a leading jurisdiction in the adoption of clean electric vehicles like the revolutionary Chevrolet Volt Extended Range Electric Vehicle” said Neil Macdonald, vice president, corporate and environmental affairs for General Motors of Canada. “The Chevrolet Volt will be available in the second quarter of 2011 and it will nearly eliminate the need for many commuters to visit a gas station.”

These game changing electric vehicles offer consumers the opportunity to virtually eliminate their vehicle-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The effective GHG emissions of these vehicles will be less than 1/15th of the emissions of a comparably sized conventional vehicle, even when including the GHG emissions related to producing the electricity to charge these vehicles.

The Chevrolet Volt has an electric range of up to 65 km, enough to satisfy the daily commuting needs of a vast majority of the population. The Volt is equipped with an on-board generator to extend the operating range of the electric vehicle for hundreds of kilometres, giving consumers the confidence required to reach their destinations.

General Motors of Canada (GMCL) is engineering and manufacturing advanced environmental technologies ranging from Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and hybrid systems to E85 biofuel and fuel cell vehicles – more than any other auto company right here in Canada. Headquartered in Oshawa Ontario, GMCL employs 9,000 people nationwide. GM of Canada manufactures vehicles, vehicle powertrains, and markets the full range of General Motors vehicles and related services through approximately 700 dealerships and retailers across Canada. Vehicles sold through this network include Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Cadillac.