New Chevy Volt electric car showcased at Kootenay i-Tech

Jordan Fiorentino took the new Chevy Volt to the Kootenay i-Tech show for a test drive.

When Jordan Fiorentino—shop foreman at North Star GM—drove the new Chevy Volt up to the Prestige Inn, the silence was deafening. One of the most distinctive features of the new electric car from General Motors is its quiet operating mode—but even so, the vehicle created quite a buzz among show goers.

Dozens of interested attendees to the Kootenay i-Tech show took the opportunity to check out the exciting new Chevy Volt—it was the first official appearance of the vehicle in the Kootenays.

The highly acclaimed Chevy Volt is one of the world's first mass-produced gas/electric cars.

We at Kootenay Business would like to thank Derek Spring of North Star GM in Cranbrook for arranging to have a Chevy Volt available to display at the Kootenay i-Tech show. The Volt is truly one of the world's revolutionary vehicles and we were thrilled to introduce it for the first time in the Kootenays at the i-Tech event. The Volt created quite a buzz, with people waiting to get a glance at the new vehicle.

The Volt is unique among electric vehicles because it has two sources of energy. It has an electric source—a battery that allows motorists to drive gas-free for an EPA-estimated 35 miles. And there's also an on-board gas generator that produces electricity so drivers can go up to a total of 375 miles on a full tank of gas.

"I was actually in control of how much gas I consumed, and it was a powerful feeling," said Joe Nocera, an automotive journalist, after driving the Volt. “If you want to drive using only electricity, you can. If you want to drive using electricity and gas, you can do that too.”

The new Chevy Volt was on display at the front of the Prestige Inn in Cranbrook during the Kootenay i-Tech event and can now be viewed at North Star GM in Cranbrook.